#should anyone hope to blacklist it

[blaiddydbrokeit]

11.30PM kinposting but please don't mind me, I just needed somewhere to put my thoughts so that I can actually be in a proper frame of mind to take an 8AM national exam tomorrow. I may delete this later on.

I still despise the feeling of being so perpetually strung tight, like I would snap if even one thing struck but a hair beyond the limit. All the little things I once did, whether with intent or by accident. I still feel dreadfully guilty. Yet even so, Garreg Mach has... so many fond memories as well. The extra care that went into maintaining weapons, the scuffs on the leather binding of my journal because I always had it on my person.

Even now, when I detail the means of maintaining a sword to Felix - it's being greeted with a satisfactory response of still knowing the motions and steps. I do remember, when once I'd broken their arm by sheer accident, the way they scowled at the healer when informed that it'd have to be rested for a bit. I did have to do an extra share of maintenance then, given the indisposition, but it was the least I could have done.

I hardly remember the war, though some parts are clearer than others in a way I haven't heart to speak of yet. But I did remember the days that did come after. The way I was helpless at handling my own hair for the coronation, the way Felix was so expertly pulling away the hair tie to fix it in exasperation. I remember looking in the mirror terrified, as if I was expecting to see someone else. As if I was expecting to see the image of Father staring back.

I remember the way my bedchambers of childhood was in the East Wing. Far from the conference, the archives, the library, even Father's office, in the West Wing. Too young to have to know just how deep into the night he worked. How I had to brace myself stepping into it as king, knowing it was mine then. Mine, of all people. A wretch of a king, I used to think. But my dearest friends would always remind me. A wretch of a king is still a king nonetheless. If... if only they could know just how far that reminder has carried me through even in this.... this lifetime, so to say. The little things I do that I want to recreate from those fonder times. The little things I wish I still could say.

Faerghus, how dreadfully I miss you so, evermuch as I miss the classmates who used to be within arm's reach. Where have you all gone, my old friends? Must the Goddess be so cruel, to put us in so many places, so far away, that even the chance to meet again is but a shattered needle in the Tailtean Plains?

[toxiccaves]

More Metal Cardbot news roundup from twitter, yay!

The new toy for season 2's Bluecop-S has been revealed, and he's looking very clean compared to the original toy! This time around, the card powerup weapons seem to be more detailed rather than the clear look of season 1's weapons.

Also, as some of us were worried, fear not; SAMG's Toy Development twitter recently changed it's icon to what looks like the animated render for season 2's Bluecop-S, which keeps the pink visor!

On top of that, we got the full reveal for 3 of the previously teased new characters coming in season 2 as well. Put below the readmore in case anyone doesn't want to be spoiled!

Meet Red Blitz, Siero, and Musclehyde!

We're also awaiting the full reveal of who's suspected to be the new big boss of season 2, but no further word on this one yet:

Season 2 is currently said to be releasing at some point in the second half of this year, but with all the reveals and updates from development staff, and July technically being the start of the 2nd half of the year, we can hope it's coming very soon!

[stellarhoxy]

ok i hope i don't come off bad here but i looked up menhera and ngl i am actually insulted, if this is how Japan tries to reduce stigma on mental illness i think it has the opposite effect. Like I thought Needy Streamer Overload was a little risky, somewhat problematic even, but ok it's a horror game so I let it slide. Well allegedly that is still a pretty tame representation of what menhera really goes for, and most of this is fetishizing straight up abusive behavior. Which is concerning because Needy Streamer Overload is a horror game ffs. (And it has affected me mental health wise) THIS is how you are representing mentally ill people as partners? Ugh... Japan if this is your approach to mental health then no offense that's so insanely backwards I can't even. Listen I'm a bit of a tumblr oddity because I do believe that you have to love yourself before loving someone else TO SOME DEGREE, and I know how crippling (poor (handling of)) mental health can be to dating and relationship, but sheesh! these comics and materials send a really disgusting message about mentally ill people and most definitely do not help anyone/anything. I rather see more wholesome stories of how even mentally ill people can learn to love themselves and lead happy and fulfilling lives, not this shit... it's ok for darkfic / horror to exist ofc i enjoy that but if you're going to market it as "reducing stigma on mental health" yeah no... I know I'm not Japanese, but I think i should still say it coz like... in western society it's nowhere near as stigmatized yet still really affecting especially when it's romanticized, so I can't begin to imagine what a Japanese person with even more limited resources must go through....

anyway thank you for reading till here idk i'm just rambling a bit. this affects me coz i'm a mentally ill girl myself and ik how hard it is even in the west.

[wugblogs]

so i gave a twelve year old speed in an attempt to give him some faith in the world, hope that works out

[turttastic]

Hey guys, I know there are a lot of really severe tragedies in the world right now and I in no way desire to push those aside, nor do I really want to load another thing onto people's plates, but anyone here in the US needs to be aware that on March 11, 2024, an agricultural company known as NEW Cooperative spilled 265,000 gallons (1500 tons) of liquid nitrogen fertilizer into the East Nishnabotna River. This is the ecological equivalent of dropping a nuclear weapon into the river. Over a 60 mile stretch downstream of the spill its been a near total ecological wipeout for the river. So far, an estimate of 850,000 fish have been killed from this spill, and that's to say nothing for the insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds that relied on or lived in this river. It is literally filled with animal corpses. This river flows into the Missouri River and the impacts will likely continue to spread far past this 60 mile stretch. And this disaster has barely made local tv in Iowa, let alone national tv, despite the fact that 60 miles of river ecosystem were just wiped out in a way that may be impossible to recover from. And what's the punishment for this heinous act of destruction through negligence, you might ask? As it stands, its looking like a 6k fine from the DNR to the company. Not 600k. Not 60k. 6000 dollars. The maximum fine that the DNR can charge in Iowa is 10k unless they decide to take it further in court. That's why these spills are so frequent in Iowa: it's literally cheaper to eat the fines than it is to bother properly storing fertilizer. I don't know exactly what the proper course of action is here, or who needs to be contacted to enact change--I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in with that information--but at the very least, every one of us should know. Every one of us should make sure we don't forget this. And every one of us should blacklist NEW Cooperative fertilizer unilaterally.

Sources:

[theood]

I've been making so many adult phone calls recently and now Im playing will my doctor fill my t prescription, they haven't gotten back to me I've been off T since the day after my one month mark, they needed PA for my insurance to cover it, "we'll get back to you in one to two business days" it's been much longer, the pharmacy wont tell me when PA is required leaving me to wait longer, I still don't have a job, I have to call my doctor tomorrow to ask whats going on. If I get told anything with my insurance is fucky, that the PA didn't go through, I have to pay out of pocket I can't afford my T. I was so fucking happy to start it, I was over the moon I FELT happier, I was so excited to wake up every day, I haven't felt like that in so long and it all got torn from under me and I am trying to hard to stay positive and that it will all be okay because it HAS to be okay because I chose to live, because I chose to keep going, because I want to be alive, but all of this really takes it toll and I am just tired. I am so tired of being the adult. I've been playing adult for so long I want to step back and I cant and I have to keep going because that's just life and I just want one stable thing again

I want to be on T again. I want to be happy. I want to be myself. I chose to be happy why is that so hard too keep

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Silver Lining 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, speech impediment, bullying and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: silverfox!Bucky Barnes

Summary: You have an unpleasant encounter with an older man.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

"So your sister will be coming by next week with the little ones," your mother declares as you stand at the sink, scrubbing away the remnants of roast beef and potato. "You'll get to play auntie for the day."

"Mhmm," you nod, "what about Justin?"

"Oh, your brother's down visiting with his fiance's family. He said he'd try to make if for Christmas Eve but you know how her family is."

You sniff and pretend to know. You really don't. It's all hearsay to you. You don't hear much from either siblings; they have lives, you just happen to be related.

"S-sounds great," you utter as you put another plate in the rack.

"Oh, honey, you should just use the dishwasher," she says.

"It's f-f-fine, this works," you insist.

"Well, what about you? What are you up to?" She leans on the counter.

"I..." you don't know what to say. You need a lie, anything to appease her. Your brother's engaged, your sister has the white picket fence and you have nothing, "oh, I h-have a job interview."

"You do?" She sounds thoroughly disbelieving.

"Uh, yeah, w-well," you stammer through, trying not to give away your deceit, "since n-no one wants to h-hire me in my f-field, I f-found something new."

"That's exciting," she chimes, "what is it?"

"Uh, I w-want to see i-if it turns out b-before I say," you give a tight-lipped smile, "don't want to d-disappoint you again."

"Sweetie, you're not a disappointment," she hums, "I'm always happy to see you trying."

You look down at the sink and shrug. Behind that comment is the inference that you weren't trying before. That you haven't been. The long nights with vivid nightmares don't exactly motivate you and you've been all but blacklisted as an executive assistant. Even admin roles aren't responding. Even if you do get a bite, the job market is drawn out and tedious.

"Thanks, mom."

"Just... try not to mope around the kids," she chides, "it's Christmas."

You flutter your lashes, "sure, mom."

That's what you are to everyone; weak, pathetic, useless. No, don't do that. You'll make another appointment with Lisa, she always knows what to do.

☕️

Well, this is it. A last resort. One of those freelancing websites that pays pennies. It's better than nothing and will keep you from having too big a gap on your resume. You could easily do the writing gigs, easy money for transcription. You apply to a few of those and scroll on.

You sit up as you see a particular posting that interest you. Oddly enough, the pay isn't half bad. It's also labeled as 'may lead to ongoing work'. Well, well, well, now that's something.

You click into the posting for 'Podcast Script Writer' and review the details. A sample is required for application and lucky enough, you have lots of those hanging around. If it wasn't for your stammer, you'd have an episode done by now. You deleted enough recordings to the point of giving up. Well, this is a solution. You can get your work out there without having to embarrass yourself.

You go through the application, putting in your info and editing a draft before attaching it to the application. You just hope it's thorough enough. You never really let anyone else see and hitting submit makes your stomach flip. With the final click, you close your laptop and quickly get up. Alright, you're not going to dwell on it. If you hear anything, you'll worry then.

You try to read but can't focus. It just makes you think of the posting and your application. Oh jeez, imagine you're rejected but worse, they tell you you've done everything wrong.

Appointment! You can't forget that. You login to the app and put in a request for a Zoom appointment that week. Alright, you're getting things done, you can't say you've done nothing.

You put a video on your phone and lean it on the pop out grip, propping it up on your mattress to watch the compilation of sitcom moments cut together on Youtube. Your mind wanders and your eyes begin to sag as the day shrouds you in fatigue. You slip into a shallow doze as the glare of the screen flickers over you.

The distant clack of keyboards and clicking of mouses needles behind your ears. It's as if you're trapped in a bubble of silence, all colours and noised dampened by the unseen wall. You shudder as you hear his voice, the only thing that's clear. Your name crawls up behind the shell of your ear with his breath as his hands settle on your hips. Your body aches as every muscles tightens and your bones lock in place. Please, no, not again...

"Sir..." you try to speak but nothing comes out. He's always tugging your skirt up, his hand is around your throat. You close your eyes as tears stain your cheeks.

You wake with a start, your phone black as the battery's drained from neglect. You sit up and pant, looking around your dark bedroom, the moonlight limning shadows sinisterly. You gulp and fall back, watching the ceiling as the tears rise in reality and sting your eyes.

If you'd just said no. A simple word. Even you can manage that.

You lay for a while until your restlessness boils over. You get up and plug in your phone. The screen lights up as you rub your eye socket and yawn. There's an email notification in the taskbar. Probably more ads for things you can't afford.

You pull down the menu but find ‘Application Update’ emblazoned across the notification. Oh wow, that was fast. You keep yourself from tapping on the email.

You don't know if you can handle another rejection. You'd rather languish in the uncertainty. You've been doing so for so long, it almost feels safe.

[inprogresspokemon]

STOP reblogging all the old art. it just clogs up my dashboard and gets my hopes up thinking there's actually a new post. if i wanted to see all the old art, i'd click on the blog and scroll!

Yikes, man. I'm choosing to answer this rude ask so I can share some information for anyone who'd prefer to not see my old art reblogs on their dash.

All my reblogs of old art are tagged IPPreblog and old art specifically for the purpose that people can blacklist them if they don't want the reblogs to appear on their dashboard. I tag my ask responses as IPPasks for this purpose as well. I tag everything meticulously, so nothing should slip through. This is even covered in my FAQ.

Here is how to use tumblr filters to hide certain tags from your dashboard, both mobile and desktop.

I also have New Art Only view as a link in my pinned post and as a button on my desktop sidebar, for those who just want to see new art.

Also, while I think this ask was very rude, no hate to anyone who doesn't want reblogs on their dash; I totally get it! That's why I use the tag system.

Edit: I greatly appreciate all the support in the replies ❤. Anon has apologized and I am fine!

[professor-amaryllis]

//OOC POST

Hello friends and fellow roleplayers, I've noticed a bit of confusion going around about the use of the term unreality in regards to roleplay and I wanted to maybe make a post as to why I don't think that it should be used in our community.

The term unreality isn't used just anytime that things are not real. People like me use it to isolate posts and ideas where everyone is taking a false concept and insisting that it is real in our world, with the running bit generally being that everyone in the notes is reinforcing that fact. Examples I have seen are posts like the 'ball pit balls are clown eggs' and the entire Goncharov movie bit.

Using or tagging unreality in roleplay spaces (on posts that don't qualify, there are exceptions!!) makes your posts completely inaccessible to people like me that need that distinction! That's the reason that we collectively agreed to tag posts some variation of pkmn irl for the most part in the first place.

I understand needing to blacklist certain subgroups or triggers that you may have and asking to tag those is completely valid, but it would mean a lot to me and the others like me in the community if we were to not use that word as any sort of universal rp tag and instead tag things as what they are. 'Self insert faller' or 'sentient pokemon' or 'high stakes pokereality' or 'eebie deebie'

I also absolutely recommend blocking any blog that makes you uncomfortable and distressed! Curate your experience! You don't have to play with everyone and anything, especially if it is upsetting you. I hope that this helps anyone that may be a little confused. <3

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hello! If you don’t mind, can you do ror family x Teen!Reader who runs away because she doesn’t think she deserves them but with a happy ending? I always love reading your stories and they always brighten up my day (づ ◕‿◕ )づ I hope you’re having an amazing day!

-This wasn’t real- you kept telling yourself this as you swallowed hard, unable to believe it.

-This was the first family who was willing to adopt you- not foster- actually adopt you! Nobody adopted teenagers-especially one that had a track record like yours. It wasn’t that you were a bad kid- heavens no- it’s just that you didn’t take crap from anyone, and when you foster families attempted to turn you into their punching bag, you would always run and go straight to authorities.

-Yes they would get arrested and blacklisted from fostering, but that would go on your record as another failed foster family, which would turn others away from helping you.

-You were to the point you didn’t care; you could take care of yourself, you’ve done it for years now- but these stupid laws that required you to have a guardian, as you were a minor, was BS.

-When your caseworker told you that you had actually been adopted, you laughed in her face, holding your gut, thinking it was a prank, but when you saw her sympathetic face, you were stunned stiff with wide eyes- it wasn’t a prank!

-This new family of yours was absolutely massive! Over 30 different individuals, gods, warriors, and valkyries, made up your new family and it was honestly a bit overwhelming having so many people in such a large house.

-Unlike your other families, which unnerved you, they treated you with so much respect- giving you your own room, your own space, inviting you to join in activities, but not pushing you, making sure you ate and went to school and were just overall very caring about you.

-They were a bunch of weirdos, you determined that the first day when you saw a bunch of them sparring in the backyard, using real weapons, which was unnerving, and there were so many wild personalities that you had a hard time learning about everyone.

-Despite them being so warm and welcoming to you, you kept your distance- you didn’t want to believe that this was real- it couldn’t be. This was just a cruel prank on their part- where they would lure you into a false sense of security and make you think you’re happy, only to pull it away at the last second.

-You convinced yourself this was true, but it was so hard for you to keep believing this- you were treated with so much respect, not like a punk teenager that so many others had treated you like.

-You were struggling to make sense of this, and it was getting harder and harder each day- you were scared to let your guard down- you didn’t want to be hurt again!

-So that’s why you ran, sneaking out of your bedroom window after dinner, taking your stuff with you- you didn’t know where to go, this family didn’t hurt you, so you had no reason to go to your case worker or the police, so you just ran, looking for a place to lay low for a while.

-It’s a good thing you weren’t the stealthiest of people, as many saw you sneak out. They knew that you were hesitant with them, knowing of your past- and they could see your apprehension of getting closer to them. They should have realized that you were scared of thinking this would be like the other times, where you were going to get hurt- you were just protecting yourself.

-Hercules, Lu Bu, Apollo, and Qin Shi Huang were the ones to go after you, to bring you back home, with Lu Bu doing the tracking and the others following after him.

-They found you at the local train station, looking up at the ticket board, trying to figure out a train to take when a hand clapped down on your shoulder. You turned and your eyes went huge, seeing QSH there, “Hao! We found you Y/N!”

-The terror on your face was apparent, thinking they were mad at you before Hercules pulled you up into his arms, hugging you tightly, it was firm but also very warm, “Why did you run? Did something happen?”

-You were hesitant to answer, which they could see before Apollo smiled softly and herded the group to the Starbucks in the station, ordering drinks, including your favorite, for everyone.

-Once you had the drink in front of you, you were wringing your hands in your lap, not wanting to meet their gazes before Apollo spoke, “Are you all right, Y/N?”

-You exhaled softly, not realizing you had been holding your breath as you had been panicking, “You- you guys aren’t mad I ran?” they seemed surprised by your words before Lu Bu, who was sitting next to you, lifted a hand to ruffle your hair lightly, comforting you as Hercules spoke, “Of course weren’t not mad at you- why would we be? You’re just protecting yourself, right?”

-Your sharp intake of air made them all kind of flinch as you lifted your head, finally looking at them, seeing that they had been able to guess why you ran so easily.

-Tears welled in your eyes again, your bottom lip trembling slightly before you finally broke, “I-I don’t… I don’t want to be hurt again! And you guys have all been so nice to me- I’ve never- never felt so safe before- so happy! I just don’t want to… I don’t want…” QSH pulled you into a side hug as they all realized the truth in why you ran.

-They let you cry, sniffling over your drink quietly, before Apollo held out his hand, asking you to take it, “C’mon Y/N- let’s go home!”

-Home… a small smile slowly lifted to your lips as you took his hand and Lu Bu’s hand, holding them both, feeling happy tears lifting to your eyes as you spoke, “Yeah- let’s go home.” They all smiled softly at you. It would take some time, but it was a good thing your family cared about you and were willing to be patient.

[writeforfandoms]

Waking Lions 3

Find the series masterlist

We see more of Ace doing her job (and she is very much morally gray), see Captain again, and start down the slow path of curiosity towards yearning. I did mention this is a slow burn, didn't I?

Warning: Swearing, mentioned violence, events of MW2019, tension. Morally gray characters.

Word count: 1.9k

You were in Greenland when you got the call. 

“What intel do you have on Al-Qatala?” Laswell sounded cool, in control. As always. 

“None,” was your immediate response. “I may have contacts in low places, but I’m not suicidal.” 

“You always know something,” Laswell said, faintly impatient. “What about their connection to the Russians?” 

“Bad news,” you grumbled. “That’s my intel. They’re all bad news and they don’t care if they blow up the world. Pretty sure some of them live in hope of that day.” 

“I need anything you’ve got.”

“This is not my department.” You glanced around, ensuring your privacy. “This is, in fact, so far outside my department that it should be your people’s job. I don’t get in bed with that kind of asshole, Kate.” 

“I need whatever you can find on them,” she said, temper audibly fraying. “Anything and everything. As soon as you can get it to me.” 

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “I won’t get the kind of intel you want,” you growled. “I don’t have those kinds of contacts.”

“Then get me whatever intel you can,” she snapped back. 

“Kate,” you finally snapped, curling your fingers into a fist. “Why the fuck are you asking this of me?” 

She was silent. Five seconds passed. Ten. You almost thought she wasn’t going to answer, but– “I can’t tell you everything, but… Keep an eye on the news. When it happens, you’ll know.” She hung up. 

You thought, briefly, about calling her back just to yell at her. Or remind her that you were an independent intelligence agent, not one of her lackeys. 

But you shoved the urge back down and breathed deep. A few times. 

Then you started working, using your phone to type out a few emails. This was going to burn more than one bridge, you could already tell.

Laswell was going to owe you for this one. 

There were a lot of things you could get information on with varying degrees of ease. It was all about knowing who to ask. And you had built up quite the network of connections over the years, all over the world. It was how you kept in business, how you were able to swan around the world as you pleased. 

Most of these contacts were straightforward. Money for intel. You’d weeded out the ones who were unreliable or lied to you. This was also the one time you bent your own rules about names. Because you took care of your trusted contacts, in your own way. Unreliable people got blacklisted. 

And if sometimes that ended in bloodshed, well, that wasn’t your problem. 

But even with your resources and your contacts, asking questions about Al-Qatala was dangerous. It took time. You had to be very careful who you asked and how you asked. You absolutely did not want your name floating around, or any of your aliases, not for this.

When you finally had a chance to sit down and turn on the news, you understood why Laswell had called you.

They’d bombed civilians. In London. 

You breathed deeply for a few minutes, watching the shaky news footage and the interviews. Then you changed channels to another news station, watching their footage. 

You’d seen a lot of shit in the world. Much of it you were hardened to, jaded after all this time. 

But this… Well. This hurt. This wove into your chest, tracing the singular path to the soft of your heart. 

I’ll have everything I can manage for you in 36 hours. Send me a drop off location. The text was perhaps brusque but Laswell wouldn’t mind. She might not be happy about the timeframe, since these things tended to be pretty time sensitive, but if she was asking you for information… She knew what she was getting into. 

And then you flipped through your little black book, just in case there was anyone you hadn’t thought of to reach out to. If nothing else, it kept you busy for a little while. 

You didn’t leave your hotel room at all for the next 24 hours, busy compiling all the information you were getting back. You stopped long enough to book a flight to London, using a smaller company. 

With two hours to go until the drop point, you pulled out your laptop again and finished compiling all the information, including the last bits that had come in while you were on the flight. 

Thirty minutes to go, cutting it close. You were ready to move, waiting on a final location, USB tucked safely in your pocket and your hands stuffed in your pockets as well to hide your fidgeting. This had left you keyed up, extra paranoid. 

Finally, though, Laswell texted you. Pub called Lion’s Head. You’ll recognize him.

It took moments to find out where the Lion’s Head was, and you strode off with purpose. 

The pub was not busy this time of day (and you had to glance at your phone to see what time it actually was), so it was not hard to spot him sitting at a shadowed table. He looked just the same as last time. 

His gaze met yours across the room, holding you in place for two beats, not even breathing. His eyes couldn’t hide the rage, although you doubted it was aimed at you. Given the info you’d been accumulating, you were fairly certain you knew exactly who it was aimed at.

You squeezed your hands into fists and strode over the table, shoulders set. No teasing this time. Not with this.

“Captain.” You dipped your head in a small nod of respect to him, holding out the USB. He took it, much larger fingers brushing against yours, a tiny spot of warmth in the shadowy room. 

“No weather comments this time?” But his voice was muted, fingers quick to tuck the USB away.

Your jaw clenched. “Not this time. Won’t even quote movies at you.” You shrugged, leaning back. “Password is imperial, all lower case.” 

He nodded acknowledgement and stood. It was his turn to leave a cash tip on the table. But you didn’t move out of his way just yet, holding his gaze. 

“I hope that helps you.” You kept your voice quiet, more sincere than you usually allowed yourself. 

He blinked, surprised, before he nodded more slowly. “You planning to stay in town?” he asked, holding your gaze.

You shrugged. “Hadn’t decided yet,” you admitted. And that was enough honesty. You mustered a bit of your usual flirtation, smiling. “Why, want to see me again so soon?”

He snorted softly. “Might want to be elsewhere for the next few days,” was all he said, low and dry, before he stepped around you. He left you standing there, walking out of the pub and vanishing.

With a wry smile at the swapped roles, you left after him. Normally you were the one leaving people behind. It was an interesting feeling to be the one being left. 

In all honesty, you were curious about Captain. More than you should be. He couldn’t be intimidated or flirted with, refused to be cowed, and had openly challenged you. He also had no designs on you, acting solely as a go-between.

And that was rare. Very rare. 

But you had your rules to consider, too. No names, for starters. He only knew the codename Laswell had given you, and you didn’t know his name. It was, honestly, safer that way. 

But still. 

Shaking yourself, you pulled out your phone with a little huff. He’d recommended getting out of London, so you would. You didn’t feel like disregarding that kind of advice. 

Maybe it was time to go back to the US for a while. You generally avoided it, but you knew of several delightful hotels on the California coast.

It didn’t take long to get the flight booked, and then you had to go back to the airport. You didn’t have much with you this time, since you’d left Greenland in a hurry, but that was fine. You had a stash in California that you could raid. 

And, really, you could do some work in the US. Visit some old contacts. Maybe see about finding a few new ones. 

Maybe drop in on Laswell and have a very polite conversation. 

You had just boarded the plane when your phone vibrated with a text. You settled in your seat and then pulled it out, humming under your breath. 

Thank you for your help. Standard payment?

You hummed, leaning back in your seat. You could accept payment for this as usual… Or you could keep this in your pocket. 

Keep it. You’ll owe me one. Your lips curled in a satisfied smile as you turned your phone off in preparation for the flight. 

California this time of year was sunny. (Well, many parts of California were sunny all year long, actually.) You booked a hotel on the coast and spent three days lounging on the beach and keeping a very close eye on the news. Some of it didn’t surprise you. Some of it did. 

Some things you learned from your contacts, because the news outlets didn’t go near some of those messes. You heard through the grapevine about the usurping in Urzikstan, a near-massacre of the Russian forces there. 

Honestly, you kind of expected a call from Sergio about that one. 

Not that he was military, but he had fingers in a few pies. 

But you never heard from him.

The attack on the embassy ended up on every news channel, not that you were much surprised. It was pretty much a clusterfuck, and one you were happy to stay out of. 

Big events like this tended to draw a lot of attention, and you figured there were two ways this could shake out: either you’d get a lot of requests trying to take advantage of the chaos, or you’d have radio silence. Either way was alright with you, honestly, just so long as nobody wanted anything to do with Al-Qatala or the Russians. 

This one turned out to be quiet, wary of the chaos and the threat of chemical weapons. Not that you could blame them. 

You’d seen what gas attacks could do. 

One more week on the quiet coast left you feeling refreshed and ready to go again. You checked in with all of your people - two had fallen off. You weren’t sure if that meant they were dead or hiding. Either way, you’d go poking later. 

You had other things to do, for now. 

Downtime like this was good for checking finances, so you did. Downtime like this was also good at bringing up things you’d rather not think about, so you threw yourself in the ocean, and promptly regretted all your choices. (The Pacific ocean was too fucking cold for swimming, anyone who willingly ventured in there was a masochist as far as you were concerned.) 

And then it was back to work, this time with new intel coming in from an arms dealer you knew. So you booked a flight. 

Almost idly, you wondered how much Captain had been involved in all that trouble. If you did enough digging, you could probably find out. Find a name. A picture. 

But you wouldn’t. Because that was against your rules.

[orionsangel86]

Saz's Sandman Masterpost

Hi there! It's about time I sorted out this blog and put all my Sandman posts in one place. If you're new here, I adore the Sandman in all its forms and my blog has become a bit of a love letter to this masterpiece of media lately. I mostly write meta analysis, love to discuss the work and the characters, and occassionally try my hand at running fandom events. My ask box is always open and I am always happy to answer any questions about Sandman so please do reach out to me if you like my meta :)

I welcome all fans of The Sandman here, though I can occassionally be NSFW so if that's not your jam make sure you have "NSFW" tag blacklisted. I'm a multishipper of the firm believe that Dream of the Endless should be passed around the other characters like a bowl of goth candy. I don't tolerate ship hate. It's all good here my loves.

I have a fairly decent tagging system. I tag all ships, characters, fanart, meta discussions, fanfiction, etc. You can find the list of common tags below.

My Meta Analysis

Masterpost of Dreamling meta - this is an eight part highly detailed analysis of Dreamling in the show and how it differs from the comic and audiobook, with a focus on how queercoding was used to emphasise a deeper relationship between Dream and Hob.

Hob Gadling - A Queer Romantic - a meta about unreliable narrators, Jim/Peggy and Hob's queer potential.

The Problem with Thessaly - an opinion piece on this problematic comic character and how the show could solve this issue.

Lucienne/Lucien - How the Librarian Became the Chief - a thorough analysis of Lucienne's character in the show and how she differs from the comic and makes everything so much more hopeful.

Tales in the Sand/Men of Good Fortune - How a small swap in story placement can drastically change the tone, and foreshadowing.

Dream of the Endless - A Romantic Fool - a deep analysis about Dream and his love of romance

How to Adapt Orpheus - Theories and discussions about how the show can navigate that particular element of the comics.

How to Adapt Orpheus x 2 - definitely worth reading all the discussions on this one as well.

Shipping comic!Morpheus and merging characters in the show - can I hear it for Morpheus/Pharamond PLEASE!

A Collaborative Post about Morpheus as the villain of the story

Could Morpheus ever be content to be single?

Morpheus and Sex - an analytical point of view

Obsessive Desire - Their complex feelings for Dream - an answered ask about the siblings relationship. (I have a draft meta in the works elaborating on this that I can't wait to finish).

Fandom Events

#Death Appreciation Week - To celebrate the release of Dead Boy Detectives which guest stars Death of the Endless, I ran a Death Appreciation Week where anyone could submit fanworks focused on Death. Follow the tag on my blog which also includes a lot of reblogged older works of Death, or follow the main tumblr tag to see just that work created for the event.

#Sandtober2023 - For inktober 2023, I ran a Sandman themed inktober event which was a huge success and inspired hundreds of amazing Sandman art pieces. You can check out the Sandtober2023 main tumblr tag here. I am probably going to run this event again in October 2024 so watch this space nearer the time for that! :)

If you have any ideas for Sandman fandom events you would like to see please send me a DM.

General Blog Tags

I have a relatively consistent tagging system on my blog so to cover the main ones:

#The Sandman - literally every post about the Sandman will include this tag, so if you are a loyal mutual from fandoms past and you want to block this tag you won't see me cluttering up your feed with Sandman stuff (and thank you for still following me even if you're not a Sandman fan!)

#Dreamling - tag for the Morpheus x Hob Gadling fandom ship. I will tag all things Dreamling - fanart, fanfics, fan theories, crack posts, gifsets etc.

#Sandman Meta - any analysis about Sandman will be tagged with this. This includes both my own analysis and reblogged analysis.

#Sandman Comic Spoilers - I tag for any posts that include Sandman story information not yet revealled in the show. In case there is anyone left on Tumblr who hasn't already been spoiled for this 30 year old comic story.

Character Tags - I generally tag for any characters I reblog or post about. So if you ever want to search for posts about a specific character, you can just find the character tag in my blog. For example #Dream of the Endless or #Johanna Constantine

Ship tags - like with character tags, I always tag fandom ships. Usually by the most popular fandom name for them. #morphanna #Gaultienne

Other fandoms - I will also always tag other fandoms. I have a very long running #destiel tag, I also tag for #good omens and #ineffable husbands and I will always tag the show name, abbreviation, and ship names for any other fandoms.

Other tags - I do try to tag for content warnings where I can, but usually only extreme things. Then again, it is rare for me to post about triggering content. Even squicky content is unlikely to be found on my blog. If you ever come across something on my blog that you feel isn't tagged appropriately please just DM me and I will correct that.

A bit about me

If my blog intro hasn't covered it so far let me clarify here. I am an adult, in my 30s and have never stopped being a passionate fan about the things I love. You don't stop loving things when you hit a certain age, you just find you have less time to devote to your hobbies because of work. I am a professional with a full time job, I come here to relax and unwind. I have been in fandom far too long to be remotely interested in fandom drama. Ship wars do not interest me. Weird anti-sex anti-kink purity policing has no power here. I am fiercely anti-censorship. If I hear the word "proship" in a negative sense I will roll my eyes and assume you are a minor who has been horribly mislead by puritanicals. I don't tolerate hate, accusational bullshit, bullying behaviour, cult-like fandom worship, or any form of fandom policing. I have no time for "big name fans" and the culture around them. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the trauma. Learn your fandom history lest you be doomed to repeat it.

I do not engage in performative social justice. I have my beliefs, my politics, and they generally revolve around the concept that people should be fucking decent human beings and let people be free to live as they choose. Don't come at me for not yelling about the next big world ending event. The world is always ending, people are always dying, there is always a genocide happening, its fucking exhausting. Just do what you can in your actual lives, donate where you can manage, provide support to those in need, and vote out the bastards who fucked it all up.

If you've read this far and are still here welcome! I hope you love my blog and want to be fandom friends. Come send me an ask, a DM, reply to my posts, engage with my meta, and just generally scream at me about Sandman. I always love it when people scream at me about Sandman. :)

[thoseyoulove]

I don't like Marius de Romanus. I don't think he is a good person, not even by the standards of the books or show. I don't believe he's even an interesting character that could serve as a good antagonist. I don't see him as a necessary and irreplaceable part of the story except for a few punctual aspects. I don't think he has any trait or even one line that I enjoy. I straight-up hate him. I hope they kill him off on the show. I don't need anyone to agree with me, I'm just posting my opinion on my own blog without tagging anything so his fans won't see it. I'm following fandom etiquette. If you have a problem with that, feel free to blacklist my url or block me. I won't take it personally. Just don't unfollow me and keep me as your follower because that's hypocrisy lol. If you don't have problems with that and want to remain mutuals, great, that's fine by me. But I won't tolerate people sending messages that are tone deaf or straight-up rude. I won't answer and just immediately block you, whether you're anonymous or not. I'm not forcing my opinions down anyone's throat and won't let somebody do it to me either. I treat people the way I'd like to be treated. Some of you ride way too hard for a fictional character that at best is controversial and offend real people in the way. You should reevaluate your priorities. Yes, I'm reading the books. My opinion can change as it has changed with certain stuff before. He might end up being my favorite character. I doubt it will happen, but I'll see. Still, in this case, I'll come up with conclusions by myself in my own time and not out of pressure or some condescending and arrogant messages. GOODBYE.

[archivalofsins]

Can't wait for people to start acting like they're experts on a very personal and subjective disorder by telling people they know nothing about personally how it should be discussed in their opinion. That's sarcasm, by the way.

I sincerely hope people can be more respectful when discussing Mikoto, but my hopes aren't high in that regard given the behavior I've seen so far.

Whether they be a singlet or a system is of little importance, in my opinion. Presenting oneself as being intimately aware of how any disorder is based solely on one's personal experience with said disorder or knowing others that have it is how stereotypes form.

Doing this is incredibly harmful regardless if one is speaking from a place of good intent. Dissociative Identity Disorder isn't a fucking monolith and creating an evironment in which it can be viewed as one causes harm to those who don't fit into that monolith. Regardless of if a stereotype is positive or negative, it's still a stereotype that is capable of damaging one person as much as it is of helping another.

So, hopefully, people can move more respectfully and recognize that they do not know what others are going through or how any disorder specifically impacts an individual outside of themselves. Basically, it'd be great if people got more comfortable with saying in my opinion instead of presenting subjectivity as fact.

People are varied and shaped by so many incredibly mundane and large things. It is actually impossible for anyone on this planet to be exactly the same as anyone else. Regardless of if they have certain diagnosis in common or not. This is coming from me the most high-strung and possibly viewed as heavily opinionated person, but at this point, even we're just like chill a little.

If people could recognize that the topics in Amane's trial could be triggering to some I believe the fandom is more than capable of recognizing that how dissociative identity disorder is discussed can be triggering to those suffering from it. Especially considering how it is formed and the very immense amount of thirst and sexualization of Mikoto that is shortly on the horizon. Ya know the guy with the disorder that is intrinsically tied to childhood abuse and sexual trauma. That thing.

It's not even out yet, and he's already being heavily sexualized. He always has been, but this sexualization can impact others a lot differently based on their struggles with the disorder and how far into their personal journey with it they are. Hence why I haven't made any blatant statements on those more heavy aspects of the situation.

Because it is discomforting for me personally due to my experiences. So, it's best to tread with respect and consideration or for those who would have a problem with this behavior like me blacklist the tags and just enjoy it personally on your own at your own pace if it becomes too much.

Milgram is not worth causing further emotional harm to oneself. Especially when it has to do with a disorder as related to trauma as this one. So, please make sure to take care of yourselves and take a step back if it's getting to an unbearable point.

[apteryxparvus]

L ♡ V E R ⇌ L ⦻ S E R — chapter 4

Chapter four — In our exes to enemies to lovers era

Pairing — Scaramouche / Female Reader

Content warning — swearing • mentions of bullying

Summary: In a twist of unfortunate events, you find out that being exposed as the target of Kunikuzushi middle school bullying escapades was just the beginning of your troubles. To your dismay, you’re thrown even deeper into the glamorous but artificial world of celebrities. Oh, and the cherry on top? You’re forced to pretend to be in a long-term romantic relationship with none other than said ex-bully. All because of a careless misclick by his social media manager.

prev • masterlist • next

Scaramouche glares at the damn Zoom Meeting link his PR manager sent, his frustration overwhelming his thoughts. He lets out an exasperated sigh, trudging over to his computer setup. Slipping on his headphones, he counts to five, attempting to quell his irritation before joining the meeting. Clicking on the link, his camera pops up, revealing his irritated expression staring back at him.

He waits for Hiratsuka to let him in the meeting, silently praying that it will be over quickly, and hoping his simmering anger won't spill over. But of course, everything takes a nosedive when he hears Satomi's high-pitched, shrill apology piercing through his headset.

"Scaramouche, please, I beg you, please, forgive me. I swear I didn't mean for this to happen," she wails, clasping her hands together. Through her pixelated image, he can almost make out the tears in her eyes. "I genuinely thought I was browsing the tags on my personal account!"

"So you're telling me you spend your time liking and retweeting mindless gossip about me and my personal relationships?" Scaramouche grinds his teeth, his voice strained.

"Oh no, no! It's not like that, I swear!"

"Then pray tell, why the fuck did you go ahead and like a damn post about my personal relationship? You should be fired and blacklisted from ever handling anyone else's social media," he snaps.

Satomi's face turns a bright shade of red.

"Scaramouche, please, hold your tongue. Let's not dwell on the past. Our purpose here is to discuss damage control. Satomi will have a private conversation with me and the department head, not with you. Appropriate measures will be taken regarding her actions," Hiratsuka interjects, her voice maintaining its professional tone.

"A few news outlets have already published articles mentioning this slip-up. I will be contacting them to arrange potential interviews," Hiratsuka continues, her gaze locked on Scaramouche, daring him to object.

Scaramouche offers no verbal response, just a grunt. His PR manager shoots him a stern look.

"As for the individual mentioned, we will also make efforts to contact her. Her profile has been set to private, so we are exploring alternative methods of communication," Hiratsuka explains.

"Neither you nor Satomi will be contacting her," Scaramouche interrupts angrily. "I've had enough of all this shit. I'll speak to her myself."

Hiratsuka stays silent for a few moments. "Then I must insist that you maintain a professional tone when conversing with her. Once I have the necessary information, I will provide you with the means to contact her."

"Sure, whatever. I’ll be taking my leave then." 

With those words, he abruptly leaves the call, dismissing his manager's protests. Removing his headset, Scaramouche heads to the kitchen, grabbing a cold beer from the fridge. Settling back onto his couch in his living room, he cracks open the can and opens his Twitter account, seeking out your profile.

To his surprise, it's not set to private as his manager claimed.

Without a second thought, he seizes the opportunity to message you, wanting to put an end to this whole mess. He navigates to the private messaging section and feels his eyes twitch with annoyance.  He skims through the flurry of messages you sent just minutes ago — they all initially appear like a jumble of nonsensical words.

He snorts when his gaze lands on your final message.

Author's note: hiii besties, here i am (drunk af after a shiiiiit weekend at work) enjoy this chapter i totally did not proof read <3

Taglist — @scaramoo @bananasquash @yukiipc @theblueblub @feiherp @scarletttcroww @farelady-fate @skyoverkill1 @reversearrowhead @magica-ren

[justenjoythegossip]

CHRIS IS GETTING PAID HANDSOMELY FOR HIS EFFORTS…

Autumn is over so it’s time to get back to work…

Chris has finally grown tired of looking at leaves and trees changing colors. Also all that reflecting he did with his kind of wife must have become tiresome. Pottery and weed will have to be put on hold for a while since he is getting ready to get back to work. He had said that there won’t be another year with 3 movies. But this coming year already has 2 and according to rumors there’s more in the pipelines. 

Chris is getting the best opportunities he’s had in a very long time…

Certain blogs (trolls/plants) were obviously lying when they were stating that Chris was blacklisted. He didn’t agree to this shitshow, so that he could retire in the sunset with his Nazi “bride”. We knew that there would be payment for all of his efforts. Sure for a lot of us, his efforts selling this RS/marriage didn’t look that great but they were good enough for his masters anyway. And it was all that mattered in the end. 

And now he is getting his reward. Look at the 2 gigs he just got. 

Honey Don’t is directed by Ethan Coen, a multi academy award winner. And Celine Song (the director of the materialists) just directed Past lives which is considered by many to be a masterpiece. And I personally agree, that movie is extraordinary.

Sure we don’t know how these new movies will turn out but these are the most exciting projects he has been a part of since Sunshine by Danny Boyle and Snowpiercer by Bong Joon-ho. If you exclude his involvement in Marvel of course. 

So Chris is getting amazing opportunities at the moment and yet it makes little sense. 

Payment for the PR shitshow…

Not that Chris is not talented. I do believe he is. But he has recently starred in many panned movies, that were not only flops commercially but critically as well. And he just got his first nomination for a Razzie award. Actually he even got 2 nominations at the Razzies. Red One looks like another disaster in the making.

His numbers on social media are plummeting. The engagement is quite low. So the math ain’t mathing. But actually it does…

Anyone who had followed Sebastian Stan’s own shitshow knew of the great opportunities Seb got after it and is still getting to this day. Chris is following the very same route. Anyone who is excited to see Chris in these exciting new projects needs to understand that this PR shitshow was the price to pay for it. 

Most actors go through ups and downs. Sometimes the downs can be terribly long and horribly painful. By agreeing to this PR, he has taken a shortcut. He has taken the easy way out. Or the lazy way out I should say. I do consider what he did to be a lot more difficult for the soul though. No one is in his shoes and we can't judge. All we can do is to wish him the very best and hope that all of this was worth it.