#which yeah I actually understand that being awful in this circumstance because not that I've looked but it probably looks dogshit

[david-watts]

I feel kinda bad about those comments I made on that one post because I was being a bit of a dick, and it was because I was tired and misunderstanding exactly why people get so mad about ‘tiktok punks’ (please just call them posers. that word already exists and means what you mean) but like. I do stand by the fact that I don’t care if people end up buying from ethically awful places since it’s not easy or affordable to avoid, and quite frankly I understand if someone’s a bit lazy about it. but that one person accusing me of thinking ‘slavery is punk’ genuinely made me realise those posts about reading comprehension on this site being godawful aren’t hyperbole

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Extra 1 - "Solitary Fallen Star & Foreign-Born Kin"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

In which the Traveler and Paimon unknowingly come across a mysterious adeptus by the name of Sky Weaver while the two are exploring near the sparsely populated cliffsides of Mt. Mingyuan. Or; In which the long-forgotten tale of the adeptus Sky Weaver is uncovered by Aether from the lips of the various Adepti of the Nation of Liyue and the people who know them.

Prologue | Part 1 | (1.5) | Part 2 | (2.5) | Part 3 | (3.5) | Part 4 | (4.5) | Part 5 | (5.5) | Part 6 | (6.5) | Epilog | Extra 1 | Extra 2

                                                                                                   

🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠

"Hey Traveler..."

Paimon mumbles as she closes her little fist onto the fabric of her pillowcase; drooping eyes fighting to stay open.

The golden blonde turns his head from the book in his hands to face her; his long unbraided hair swaying with the movement of his head. He marks his page half-mindedly and sets his reading material aside, providing the small girl with his full attention.

"Yes Paimon?" 

Aether answers her softly, eyes patient and curious.

"When you find your sister..."  

The small girl whispers as she fidgets and plays with her fingers; a nervous habit that she developed through their time together.

"When you find her... you're going to leave right?"  

Aether pauses; he hadn't really thought of that. What will he do after Lumine finally stops running from him? After she finally decides that he's ready to be with her... 

Actually, now that he thought about it, this wasn't fair. Why is he forced to go and look for her while she knows where he is at any given time? Why doesn't she just tell him what she's doing? Who she's fighting for? What are her plans? As her brother, he would follow her to the ends of the earth... so why is she doing this? Doesn't she understand how painful this is for him?

The golden blonde stares down at his lap in thought; does he... really need to find his sister? Is he doing this because he wants to or out of the moral obligation of being her brother?

Lumine... Aether loves Lumine... but...

"To... to answer your question, Paimon, it's very likely."  

Aether spoke absentmindedly, his mind still preoccupied with his racing thoughts.

The fairy-like girl watches as her friend stares into space. She figures that he's just now thinking about the circumstances that he's been forced into. Her white hair bounces as she sits up; eyes filled with sympathy.

"Hey Trav—... Hey Aether?"  

Paimon calls to him softly, her little hand reaching out and tugging at his borrowed night clothes.

The boy looks up at her, listening but still dazed with thoughts. He only mutters a quiet 'Yeah?' as he absentmindedly plays with a lock of his kinky golden blonde hair.

"When you guys go... c‐can you please– can you please take Paimon with you? P‐paimon doesn't want you to leave her behind..."  

Paimon whimpers with wobbly lip; tears beginning to gather and bead up on her thick lashes.

Aether blinks; the small girl's teary eyes snapping back to reality and prompting him to wipe away her tears with the pads of his thumb. He smiles softly, the upward curve of his lips filled with love and gentleness.

"Paimon... I don't know if I ever told you this, but for a while now, I've considered you my little sister. Family never leaves each other behind."  

The golden blonde answers sincerely, raising a hand to carefully ran his fingers through her soft white hair.

'—or at least, they aren't supposed to.' He finishes in his thoughts.

Even if Lumine continues to shy away from him, at least he has Paimon here with him to keep him company.

"You know... you've cried an awful lot these past few days, I'm surprised you even have any tears left in you. Maybe that's why you eat so much.~"  

Aether coos as he teasingly, but lightly, pushes her head down and ruffles her hair.

Paimon squeals at the weight on her and her friends playful jab, smack her little fists into his thigh in defiance.

"HEY! Paimon thought that we were having a moment! Quite being mean or Paimon will definitely hide all your Mora!"  

The small girl growls at him, her cheeks puffed up in irritation.

Yeah... maybe– maybe Aether can put off finding Lumine for the time being. He loves her... but maybe it's time for him to be selfish. Just for a little while...

🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠•♡•🌠

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Genshin Masterlist and Series Masterlist!

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[laufire]

if you're willing, would you mind sharing more of your thoughts on mia/jason? B/c i personally can't see mia wanting anything to do with him (based on the green arrow arc), but i am open to having my mind changed if you have a case for it

sure!

I'll preface this by saying that although I ship them, I don't have A Plot for them yet, the way I do for other of my jason rareships, and thus I have yet to ~envision how I'd personally have it go down. but these are my thoughts on them at the moment.

first of all... the green arrow arc isn't this HORRIBLE, TEERRIBLE, AWFUL thing that happened to mia, or this irredeemable evil jason did, and I'm always baffled whenever I see it talked about that way. like. mia is not a normie kid living her normie life in a slice-of-life teen story. she's a freaking SUPERHERO that risks her freaking LIFE on the regular. jason is this dude one, maybe two years older than her that didn't even want to seriously harm her.

she obviously wouldn't walk out of that encounter with kind thoughts about him. he was an asshole! he wanted to scare her! (and he had a GOAL re: sidekicks and the danger they're exposed to and a point to prove about it, which I always feel is handwaved). but like, jason is not a static character, or not doomed to be at least. he'd have to sincerely apologise, saying that yeah, he was a shit, that was a shitty thing to do, he was projecting some stuff on hers and ollie's relationship that wasn't even true and he's ready to compensate her for it. and again, these are... not normal people. like sorry but I just don't think what jason did in that arc garrants an eternity of hate and enmity to them.

and obviously not hating him forever/seeing his actions for what they were and not more/being able to forgive them in the face of a sincere apology and amendments isn't the same as actually seeing jason as a romantic prospect! but it's a first step into a less than hostile dynamic.

and within that context, I could see mia thinking back on some of the things jason said in their confrontation, about them being alike (also, winick wasn't been subtle in his parallels here, but I've seen people being VERY obtuse about this part of the scene añsldkf). I haven't read mia in a team context/with lots of peers her age yet, but even if she's more likely to find people with commonalities/messed up childhoods among child heroes, common ground is still something to be curious about, to bond over. and such very specific common ground would be something I think she'd value.

I haven't reached that arc yet, but I know mia has also killed, once, in circumstances where she thought she had no other choice. and she doesn't want to do that anymore, she wants to be a hero and stay on the path and raise above. those are things that I find interesting in conjunction to a dynamic with jason, in particular. the way it would lead both to conflict and to a different level of understanding.

also, there's always this sense in posts against these ships where I feel like... mia doesn't have to be perfect. she can be messy and make questionable romantic choices and maybe they pan out or maybe they don't, but it could be something actually fun to explore with her character, to see her in a context like that. less in the "bad boy attraction" sense because really, past aesthetics jason does not fit that role in a romantic sense, but as in getting to explore other sides of her character through a romantic relationship, especially as a character with both a history of sexual abuse and with HIV. and I'm sure there are other candidates for that, both canon and fanon, but it just happens that the first thing I read with her was the Jason Being A Menace arc and that I looooove a meet ugly, especially if it comes with a "recognition through the other (derogatory)" bonus.

anyway. I'm not trying to convince anyone because I'm perfectly happy in my rowboat-sized ships and it's nothing to me if other people disagree or judge me for them lol, but thanks for the chance to talk about them a bit!

[batsplat]

maybe it's from the particularly acute disappointment of marc injuring himself at the sachsenring but this weekend (so far) has made me feel incredibly nervous for marc's future. like no guarantees of course but if marc was going to win anywhere this year (when the gap between the gp23 and gp24 is increasingly obvious, as you mentioned) it was going to be here. and i'm definitely overreacting because i'm emotional about it but it feels like him hurting himself here feels like a bad sign not just for this year but for the future at large. because it's a reminder that his body can't handle the riding style that used to take him so far. scary!

taking these two together ahahaa. this is truly the life of a sports fan huh

honestly with marc I've now swung so often and so far between 'it's so over' and 'we've never been more back' that I've gotten to an exciting point of. well. I suppose we'll have to see. I mean look, back in that jerez to catalunya stretch it did look like he might be able to be a serious title contender this season. at risk of making myself look like an idiot, I think we can pretty safely conclude that's not happening this year. but y'know, broadly what he needs to do is to figure his shit out for the rest of the year... like he kinda needs to just understand what this version of him can do under what circumstances. the thing about winning is that it's also a habit, it's something that becomes essentially muscle memory, you need to kinda have that reflexive understanding of how you've done it in the past - both in the context of races and titles. and it's still in there for him!! but he's just got to... take the rest of the season to chip away at the gap. currently, pecco and jorge don't just have the edge on him in pace, they have the edge on him in process. that's not just the bike, though it is also affected by marc being less familiar with the ducati. but pecco and jorge have just kind of gotten to the point where they know how to approach most weekends in a way where, more often or not, they will kinda maximise what was on offer for them that weekend. sometimes they chuck it down the road! but in terms of pure pace potential, right now they're getting to the point where they're there. marc is just a series of 'what ifs'. they're not all his fault, he's gotten unlucky, he's in a tough situation, he's still getting used to the new tracks on a ducati etc etc etc... but that's what this year is for. figure out the process, figure out how you actually go about getting wins in the current era - keeping your physical condition in mind - and take it from there

the physical stuff is the... yeah. the thing is, I do think he is capable of winning without all this crashing to figure out the limit. honestly, this approach of his made me deeply uneasy well well before what happened at jerez 2020. that injury and aborted comeback didn't feel like a fluke, it didn't feel like bad luck - in an awful way, it did feel like it had been a long time coming. that being said... well, y'know, marc was the only one who could win titles on the late 2010s honda, and part of the reason for that was that he figured out how to get a capricious bike just to the limit during races. you do not need to chuck the bike down the road fifty times per season to win the title on the ducati. pecco and jorge have very much shown that. sometimes it will just be dumb luck who gets injured or not! the sachsenring crash yesterday you can't really put down to marc being stupid or being irresponsible. he was hardly the only one who fell, weather conditions were tricky, shit does happen (not ideal that he tried to save the crash specifically because he knew his other bike had problems, plus the thing where he went out again before going to the medical centre, mind you). sometimes you fall a lot and you're fine, like marc for most of his prime. sometimes you crash at the start of the race and fall in front of the pack and your survival is up to fate. which is of course what happened last year to pecco, still one of the scariest crashes I've ever seen live in terms of crashes where you really do think you just got very very close to watching someone be killed in real time. this is the thing, right... at the end of the day, you can hope that marc finds an approach that relatively minimises the risk to his body - but also, you can only control so much. especially with where his body is at right now, there's only so many bad knocks you can take. you never know, you can only hope

overall, I have been thinking for a while that it's almost a bit... odd? how the physical stuff hasn't really featured at all in 2025-26 hot takes? I reckon people don't really want to think about it playing a big role, and also I suppose 'well one of them could get injured' is treated as just an underlying assumption of following motorcycle racing... but like we saw with catalunya last year, it's not just stuff that takes you out for ten races that can have big title race repercussions. especially given how marc traditionally went about winning titles, how big a part of that process it was for him. we've had such an incredible lucky streak from the start of the season until mugello that being afraid of injuries has almost... receded a little bit? in everyone's minds? after last year, in particular, where it just felt like you were always worrying about someone, it was just so relentless... and now injury worries have just come back with a vengeance these last few weeks and it is a little scary. a lot of this is scary. no real escaping it I'm afraid

but yes! anon! I agree with you! we'll get back to the smile and we'll get back to the optimism too.. at the end of the day, you can only do what you can do. we'll see what happens. if we're all massively underestimating just how much that sweet red bull cash can do and ktm comes out with a rocket ship next year and pedro wins the next ten titles, so be it. you never know

[gurugirl]

You are NOT overreacting. You have the right to decide who gets to touch you. Please step away and tell these creeps "NO. Do not touch me." In an assertive voice. It's so hard, I know, and it's not your fault. And it shouldn't be on you to stop it, but men suck so unless you very clearly say no and tell them to stop they will say you wanted it. Start carrying mace if possible and show it to them. I'm so sorry this is happening to you. You don't need to reply, I understand. I've been touched w/o my consent and it was laughed off by everyone present so I felt like there was nothing I could do. I'm older now and better at being assertive about my boundaries, even if it gets me called a bitch. Men are awful.

Oh I know I'm not overreacting when I think about it rationally. I've dealt with this kind of thing (unfortunately) since I was young. I actually can't count how many times I've had very uncomfortable and even terrifying things happen with men which is why I always gravitate toward women and feel safer with women (barring one recent circumstance on tumblr which I won't get into right now). But yeah...

And I'm terrified of being too assertive because some men do not like hearing no and can become violent - which I've experienced before, so I try and be more gentle (which is also no good I know) to avoid being grabbed and shouted at or worse. Just knowing what I've dealt with in the past when being clear and assertive in saying no -and how that made things escalate to someone trying to hurt me, that was really scary for me so now I try to placate to avoid being hurt.

I'm going with a friend in a bit to buy some pepper spray actually :) Also have a few more plans for this going forward.

Thank you hon. I appreciate your advice 💕

xoxo

[billerak]

RWTC 2

Time for the sequel! My volume 1 post did great, a grandiose 3 notes. I can already smell the internet fame. Clearly, the fans want what I have to offer (That being: incredibly random thoughts and my always correct opinions), and I am here to give it to them.

Anyways when we last left off: We'd just stopped a grand robbery of dust in the docks! Well, Penny did most of the work, but it's the thought that counts. The ending was kind of abrupt! What wonders will V2 have to offer? How much of a mess will it make of things? I wonder!

Ep 1: We start the volume and the first thing Mercury does is… flirt? The way the line is read is so fucking awkward tho, lmao. I know the tukson scene was meant to be tense and menacing but, and I know I said I wouldn't do this much, but it's important here: The voice acting doesn't really sell the scene. It's not laughably awful or anything, it's just not very strong. Wow, Blake and Yang actually get an interaction where Blake actively replies to her! How wonderful. Thank you Ruby, that IS the current circumstances in which you find yourselves! The audience appreciates you for the explanation. Wow Neptune look at you I'm sure you'll be a super important character moving forward, relevant, always in the depths of the plot. No comments about the food fight. 10/10. Still my favourite secene from RWBY. Now Glynda I understand your frustration but everyone else ran away, these eight stuck to the food fight and wrecked each other's shit, I'd be impressed if I was the teacher of a combat school. I love Roman. He's a little shit. I'd bash his head in if I could, but that's why I love him. He's underutilized but his VA is clearly having a lot of fun and it seeps into the character. Do you think cinder uses her powers to make her eyes glow for effect at all times or only when she's tryning to be menacing?

On the Bees: Wow look an interaction! Clearly this has convinced me the writers had planned for it all along.

Ep 2: I do like Ironwood's always had that subtle tension to him. He's a man with good intentions but too much goddamn power for his own good. Leaving aside te absolute stupidity of a 'semblance' they gave him which was of course never mentioned in the show because it makes no goddamn sense. This is a general complaint I have, not only with RWBY but with pretty much all shows I've ever watched: JUST USE REAL BOARD GAMES. PLEASE. CALL THEM SOMETHING ELSE BUT MAKE THEM THINGS THAT ALREADY FUCKING EXIST. The only person I've ever seen who makes 'fake board/card games' funny is ProZD and dude literally makes a living out of playing and reviewing those. Anyways that's a me thing, otherwise it's a fine scene. Better than fine, really, because WHITE ROSE BABEEE THAT'S 2 EPISODES IN A ROW WHERE THEY'VE HELD EACH OTHER LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO "But Neptun-" Nepwho? Ah, blue haired guy. Right. He exists. Aight I'll just say my piece here because I don't wanna be saying the same through the whole volume: The whole Weiss/Neptune thing is just horribly heterosexual people writting terrible heterosexuality. Neptune's entire personality is being heterosexual. Literally. If a gay character acted the same as him, he'd be criticized for having 'gay' be his personality, or he'd be considered a token gay, or smth. Seen it a million times. Comes out of nowhere, any time Weiss does or say anything involving Neptune I wanna unalive myself, the two have the chemistry of water, and I consider this fanbase got off lucky that Neptune ended up being only a plot device to get Jaune to move along his own arc. So yeah any time anything happens with Neptune, unless I state otherwise, assume I'm vomiting loudly. … Honestly Blake and Weiss are kinda shippable here. 'Nooo blake why won't you talk to me- I mean us you promised' gay ass. Anyways while I understand Ruby and Yang going with the stupid plan and Blake has personal reasons for it… It does feel a bit OOC for Weiss to agree because, well, she's fucking right. These four are just students and they only managed to deal with Roman and the White Fang last time because Penny came in clutch. They're fucked if they do this alone. How… old is cinder? I'd say she couldn't pass herself for a student due to credentials but we know salem has Lionhart by the balls so… ???

On the Bees: Weiss and Blake had a nice moment.

Ep 3: You know, I never understood what Jaune saw in Weiss. Like, ok, she's probably cute at first sight. But she's fucking insufferable otherwise. Her team can deal with her but I'd fucking despise her v1-3 self if I went to the same school as her. I prefer the other outfits tbh. Where… Where was Sun hanging from? He was like, some ways away from the window, but there was nothing there to hang to. I guess his semblance could help but would he really- Yeah he would. Ruby here know's what's up and she wants none of it. NONE. It may look like Ruby is making fun of Weiss, but she doesn't understand that's just flirting. But her heart pulls her two ways, OH NO. By the end of this story, she must choose- Well, no, not really, since one of the options is literally twice dead. (yes I ship Nuts n' Dolts too, sue me) Weird that Weiss didn't ask to see Winter when the woman said she was around, given that later it seems like she'd give an arm and a leg to speak to her. Ok, the reveal that Penny is a robot rings a bit… hollow, since, uh, we already knew that. Her back literally opens into blades, the weird thing really is Ruby not knowing.

On the Bees: Nuts.

Ep 4: OOOOH that's why it's called Nuts n Dolts, innit. Normally I'd say the Ruby/Penny friendship feels forced, but this is probably the only two people in this show where something like this works. Penny has no real frame of reference for friendship and Ruby is just like that. Once again Blake and Sun out here exploring Blake's past together, nothing narratively important going on! Roman is so charismatic. Honestly I'd like to pound his- Oh hi Neo didn't see you there. Ok, see what I mean with "Adam could've made the jump"? Look at Blake and Sun here. Jumping gaps way larger here. I guess he was too stunned for too long or smth idk. Cool fight scene. Gonna be honest, I fucking hate that the fandom took these combo attacks for ship names. Like the concept is cool and all but at least back in the day following ship discourse could be so fucking annoying. Anyways here we have our first canonical explanation of how Yang's semblance works. "With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back". Which implies she needs to take the damage to get a boost, something something equivalent exchange, but it wasn't something that was happening first volume. Unless we count 'getting a hair cut' to be taking a hit. That being said, I still wonder what's stopping her from, idk, hitting herself or asking someone else to hit her before a battle (assuming she can predict a battle is coming, ofc) to at least have some energy stored up in a safe environment instead of having to risk tanking hits from her enemies. Never quite understood how Neo's semblance works. It's illusions but they leave behind a physical glass form. But how exactly does it make her vanish? In most cases it doesn't feel like she's creating a flat screen surface but just a second body and… teleporting away. Feels like Blake's semblance but more overpowered, but also she can make anything out of it as shown later… Ah, whatever, I don't think the writers think about it too hard, making sense of it is impossible.

On the Bees: Well, they had their ship name called out.

Ep 5: While I love Pyrrha winning against team Cardinal, I have to wonder… why was she even fighting all four? Were the teachers like "Cardin your team is so shit all four of you against Pyrrha seems fair, go fight" or what. See what I mean? Mercury clearly thinks of his discovery of Pyrrha's semblance as something interesting, but Ozpin himself says they make extensive tests to the people entering Beacon. Even if semblances aren't a matter of 'public' record, Cinder later gets into the systems, so couldn't she just have just… checked then? I understand the 'blake needs to relax' bit but also, trying to force her into the dance? Sun clearly has a crush on her so him asking makes sense but the rest of team RWBY probably should've been more like "you need to fucking sleep" rather than trying to get her into a dance. I really like Pyrrha and I am really sad the crux of her character is "crush on Jaune." She has a lot of interesting shit to explore WHY IS THIS HER FOCUS. Like it's RIGHT THERE. A girl prodigy with an amazing semblance that everyone places on a pedestal. But instead of being about her it's about fucking Jaune.

On the Bees: Well Weiss continues to be the one pressing Blake to be more open. Is their ship name Checkmate? No, doesn't sound right. Uh… Black and White? No. Grey… Monochrome? That one sounds familiar. May be it (Yes, I wrote this as I thought about it. No. I'm not cutting it down). Anyways whatever the ship name is, so far I kinda dig it more than bumblebee. It's amazing really.

Ep 6: Here it is bois the big chapter for bumblebee oh boi let's gooooo Aight Yang attracting Blake with a laser is pretty hilarious. The Jaune/Ren moment did make me chuckle too. Comedy seems to be on point (for my tastes) this episode. Nora/Ren not being 'together together' is a point they make many times and I only ask… why? Nora isn't subtle about her crush on Ren. I guess Ren is quiet and timid but it's clear- Hey wait why is their ship name 'renora'. Don't they get a combo name? I know I complain about them but like. Feels unfair anyways. Other ships involving them get the stupid combo names. Why not them? What was I saying? Oh right it's clear they have a thing going on and like, they've known each other all their lives. This isn't made a point of until like, 7 volumes in. Eh, idk. Honestly, very impressive Pyrrha can just walk and talk normally with that knife—well, more of a fucking sword—on her back. Bla bla Bees conversation comments at the end let's move on. Oh hey that's Qrow's emblem isn't it? Who designs the emblems anyways. The owners of them? Some are unique, some are inherited. They're kinda like Cutie Marks tbh. Jaune offering a White Rose to Weiss, clearly a reference to THE BEST SHIP. MAYBE 2ND BEST SHIP IDK I'M TORN HERE. ENDGAME CONFIRMED BOIS. Blake's first dance is asked for but she still goes to the dance explicitly with Sun. Of course that is meaningless, nothing here ever built them up to have a thing and it is clear Blake never had absolutely any interest in him whatsoever. Anyways look at those background characters. All heterosexual, not a single w/w m/m pairing dancing, other than the 5 seconds of Blake and Yang. The pinnacle of queer representation right here, folks! Ozpin is a little lying shit but I guess experience does let him give good advice.

On the Bees: Ok. I want you to understand something. This? This is the F I R S T time Blake and Yang have a long, one to one conversation. In the show. Volume and a half in. They're not only teammates, they're partners. Ruby and Yang had a couple of conversations. Weiss and Ruby have had many. Even Ruby and Blake, famously interacting very little, had that conversation about books and fairy tales when first meeting. I don't care about the fact that they've spent months together at this time. That's not the point. The point is this conversation? It's the first actually shippable moment between them. Anything prior is /nothing/. You couldn't fucking write a developing relationship out of them with the interactions they've had before this point. From here on out at least there's a base to work with. That established, it's not the best base. Blake isn't her 'usual self' here. She's exhausted and in a terrible mood. The scene is mostly taken over by Yang's backstory. The conversation is Yang trying to make a point. It's a good conversation, and it finally establishes an interaction between them that doesn't feel loose. It's just a conversation I think would've been far more effective if we'd first seen them have more interactions under normal circumstances. Yang does wink at Blake and 'saves her first dance'. I believe this is the only time in this show where she's flirtatious towards a girl. Wonder why they didn't go togehter to the dance, instead of, well, I already said it above.

Ep 7: What was Jaune gonna do here? Beat up Neptune? Don't get me wrong I find him vomitive, as stated before, but the guy doesn't really deserve a beating for not agreeing to a dance, you know? Or was he heading towards Weiss? Kind of unclear, but he did look kinda angry so I assume he was going after Neptune. Like I get Pyrrha being drawn to Jaune for his ignorance of her and I do think that now it makes some sense she may be into him but I still don't buy how into Jaune she originally was. I do like this conversation between Pyrrha and Jaune, though. And, despite everything, this may be the only moment with Neptune that's genuinely funny. The 'I can't dance' part I mean. Usual applies to everything else. Nora and Ren are dancing, and Blake and Sun are… /still/ dancing? I can only assume they took a break, or they just really like dancing. Still not a single background gay! Dress moment is another Top 10 scenes of the show tbh. Throwaway gag turned funny/wholesome moment. Normally I'd call out the synchronized dance but these are hunters I can assume they have the reflexes to pull it off… assuming Jaune leads, anyways. Ah, yes, the legendary terrible running across rooftops scene. Here it is. It's legendary and terrible and funny. For real though I think I've seen worse animation moments before. I think it's just that this one likes like 5 whole ass seconds and gets full focus. Really? Karate chop? I know it's probably for the memes but girl, you can summon crystal blades at a distance. I reckon using those would be more effective. So… who picks the lockers and brings them back to the school after they hit, anyways? Is tehre a fine related to misuse of the feature? It can't be cheap, between reparations to the ground of wherever the locker hits, the damage to the locker itself, and the fuel used to launch it. RWBY giving pursuit and not immediately throwing away the shoes is the most unbelievable thing that has happened yet in this show. I… what? I don't understand teh architecture here. Did Cinder run all the way back to beacon? is the tower connected to beacon? That cut was real strange. Still no background gays! No but guys RT was really forward thinking they were totally queer-minded and had planned bumblebee from the beginning, clearly caring about rep and all that! They just coudln't be bothered to spend a single minute making two men or two women dance.

On the Bees: WAIT IT'S CALLED BUMBLEBY? NOT BUMBLEBEE? WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME, I MUST HAVE LOOKED STUPID! I'm gonna keep calling it bumblebee, idgaf. anyways I think this may be the only time we see Jaune's knees? I'll keep you posted.

Ep 8: APOLLO JUSTICE TRILOGY WAS CRACKED! I WAITED FOR SO LONG!!!! What has that to do with RWBY? Uh, nothing. What was I doing? Oh right rewatching. Anyways- Never fully understood why Ruby wouldn't go to Ozpin about the info before. Sure they were breaking rules but sis this is a lot bigger than you four. The dog. Right. Forgot he existed. I will forget it again. How… how does war work in Remnant, anyways? If you take to a battlefield, Grimm would eventually overrun both forces. It'd be a three-way fight constantly. You'd think kingdoms in general wouldn't ever bother with war. Right? Ozpin giving the job to RWBY instead of a more experienced team could be considered as the reason it all fell apart really.

On the bees: I actually just finished ep 10 and thought this chapter's notes looked weird and that's cuz this episode had literally nothing despite ample chance and I forgot to add this section.

Ep 9: I like Ooblek or however that's written. He's never relevant again aftert his arc but this is how you make secondary characters memorable. "By giving them a gimmick?" Yes! That's actually exactly how you do it! Ace Attorney is an expert at this! Still don't like the dog. Also no huntsman we've ever seen has a dog, right? Weird. See, this seems to imply the Goliaths here are like, the same as Beowulfs or whatever that just lived that long. but… This is later retconned. As far as we know, Salem just creates whatever the hell she needs, and Grimm don't change forms over time. It does appear like they gain more armor over time… sometimes anyways. Like, they probably do grow within a single 'species', but these goliaths aren't any different than the newborns we see later. I also do like Ooblek's motivation. That is a valid reason to be a teacher in this shitty nonsensical world.

On the bees: They, uh. Talk. For like one minute. Weiss is also there.

Ep 10: I appreciate this conversation but here's the thing: Blake speaking of her semblance this way implies they're aware semblances are, well, tied to their characters. This isn't necessarily a problem, if maybe a bit on the nose, but then… wouldn't it also imply everyone should consider what their semblance means? What does Sun's semblance say about himself? That he's always willing to lend a hand? What about, idk, Pyrrha? How does metalbending (And yes, it's metalbending, not polarity, she makes shit levitate not just attract or repel from herself) tie to her personality? Is it just a reflection of her prodigious skill? You'd think it was the other way around. Yang's is obvious (She prefers rolling with the blows), Weiss's too (it's a hereditary semblance), and Ruby's… well, depending on whether we consider the V7/8 development a retcon or not it could change meaning, but let's say it's meant to represent how she's always rushing ahead. So, this being said, woudln't character development change one's semblance? It would be interesting, in fact. Maybe Ruby's semblance wasn't always what it later is, but her experiences changed it. Maybe the inconsistency in Yang's semblance is a reflection of this. I know I'm thinking too hard and nobody ever thought about it, but it's sort of a Jojo's stands situation. In Jojo, your stand is a manifestation of your soul and can develop alongside you. Ruby, girl, NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY. Ruby, girl, you have SUPER SPEED. HOW HAVE YOU NOT TRAINED YOURSELF TO ACTIVATE IT WHEN SHIT LIKE THAT HAPPENS TO YOU. Ruby, girl: you. have. SUPER. SPEED. RUN AWAY. I know he says he's stupid but he really kind of is. Wouldn't 'underground city' be the first place you look at when looking for crime organizations?

On the Bees: Uh… yang calls out to Blake first? Sure, let's go with that.

Ep 11: RUBY GIRL YOU HAVE S U P E R S P E E D RUN AWAY FUCKING HELL YOU'RE NOT EVEN TIED YOU JUST WOKE UP SO YOU CAN'T BE SPENT Jesus, FUCKING FINALLY WHY EVEN TRY TO FIGHT IF YOU'RE THIS USELESS. Which makes no sense, tbw. Crescent Rose, even if it was built with ultralight metals, would still require strenght to use just based on the recoil those shots have and the balance of the whole thing. Ruby should pack a punch. Anyways giving your MC super speed in any capacity is a problem because of shit like this. Superspeed is the most powerful of the 'basic' superpowers (That is: Strenght, Flight, Speed and Endurance. Most stories with superpowers include these 4 in some capacity and speed tends to be the most limited one). I like the bombs moment. It's pretty funny. See what I mean? Ruby shooting herself like that means her arms must take the recoil! Even if we take Aura into account this girl should be at least decently strong. I… could do without the dog moment. Like… it's just more offputting than anything else. Ooblek does take another paladin by himself, which is nice to see, in the 'oh yeah he's a step above the MCs' way. Why does Weiss suddenly give Blake the dust bullets? Why not before? Why not… idk, talk to her about it? Why even make them? Did Weiss ask for them? If so, again, why not give them to her before? I mean I know the answer is probably 'Monty fight scene had this thing and writers had to scramble to fill in the gap' but still. Why does Yang have that moment with Neo? They've only had that one 'interaction' which wasn't particularly personal before. See? The WF leader(?) here makes some sense. We know the Schnees have beef with the Faunus and the White Fang (That being, they're slaver pieces of shit and all that). And, uh, Blake against Roman is… I get what they're going for, but… Idk, I feel Ruby and Roman would've felt more natural. Given they do have that in V3 so I'll let it pass. Man, I love Roman so much. Have I said that before? The biggest crime in early RWBY is not giving him enough screentime, really. I love the theory that he doesn't even have Aura unlocked, since he's clearly not the best fighter out there, man's just very skilled at doing his job. Which doesn't often involve fighting wannabe hunter teenagers. It's why he's basically knocked out after so few blows. Weiss should do the 'haste' glyph thing a lot more often really. Action economy, girl! Everyone knows it's the key to win! I wish Neo had more of a… thing. Like, in general. Her fight against Yang is great, but how the hell did she get that skilled? Why's she working for Roman? Why does she care for Roman so much that she later becomes obsessed with killing Ruby so hard that when she thinks she's done she loses all purpose in life? Not really sure how to feel abotu Raven here. At least we got the Yang backstory to even explain there's something going on there but it feels so… random. And why is Neo so scared? What does she know? Why would she know it? SHE HAS NO BACKSTORY And THIS is why you want your general population with their fucking Aura unlocked!

On the Bees: Man the second Dual Destinies turnabout is kind of a chore so far. Like, I figured pretty much everything by the middle of the first day and I still got another day of investigation and trial to go through? I think the case could be improved considerably by just not showing the face of the killer. I know it's ace attorney tradition to show you the first couple of killers, but still. I like Simon well enough I guess. What happened to Gavin? I don't remember him being fired at the end of AJ.

Ep 12: Jaune taking command, nice. Was that foreshadowing for Ren's backstory? Honestly, not a huge fan of this fight. It's supposed to be super big in scale but I guess the budget didn't allow it? It also feels like it kinda lacks momentum. Also didn't we just spend like 3 episodes exploring Ruby doesn't have physical strength? Why's she kicking the Grimm like that? Don't get me wrong, this makes more sense, I'm just confused. I know it's a common complaint that team Coffee shows up here to steal the show for a bit, since they barely get any screentime ever. It's a fine complaint, understandable. I… actually kinda like it. Also ONE OF THE GUYS IS HOLDING OATHBRINGER. WHAT'S HIS NAME. GREEN GUY. Based. I feel like we should have seen a few adult hunters showing up, though. Non-teachers I mean. Huh. Ironwood did always have his sinister authoritarian vibes. I like that. I still love roman. And that ending dream thing huh. I'm sure the eventual meeting of these two will be totally worth it.

On the bees: Did you know I have written more Ami/Minori (from toradora) than the rest of the internet combined? Irrelevant to RWBY I just wanted to let you know.

For an extra this volume: I watched some of the shorts! I think these were the ones around by V2? Or maybe up to V3? Idk.

WoR "Dust": I assume V6 retroactively kind of explains Dust as the literal dust old humanity was turned into? Which is why it can interact with Aura? Very fucked up, but I like it. I'm on the fence on whether I think they had the creation myth figured by this point or not, but I do think they probably had the rough draft for it. Anyways this short doesn't really add much? It explains the 4 basic types and that you can mix them to make new ones, but everything else we probably could've figured ourselves.

WoR "Kingdoms": Ok so, Vacuo and Vale share a continent, while the other two are in split continets. Just taking note for later, not sure how relevant it becomes. In a worldbuilding sense, I don't think it's very reasonable to actually believe small towns could ever be built outside of big cities protected by natural barriers. Most people are clearly useless in a fight against Grimm, and honestly, just leaving the city shoudl be more than enough nervousness and doubt to attract hordes of them.

WoR "Grimm": Not much to say here, other than just generally wondering why Salem wouldn't just wipe out humanity herself sans a small amount of people who she could pin as Oz and the maidens. And don't say she couldn't have: If she can create that giant whale thing she could've done so a couple thousand years ago when technology wasn't so advanced. If you told me she was purposefully playing this game with Ozma, trying to keep it somewhat fair, I'd understand, but she clearly isn't. Oh well.

Anyways, I think I enjoyed this volume more than the last! Which is weird, I think people consider this to be the weakest of the first three. Idk, despite everything, I found the overall pacing to be slightly better, and we get some deeper info on our characters which is always appreciated. Not much else to say in general, but hey. Also yes, it's still a mess.

Also I'm fairly certain Pyrrha still not passing the bechdel test.

Also, if by any chance you're reading this, Crimson: 1) Why. Why do that to yourself. 2) Last volume you kept flipping your shit at me shipping whiterose and such (and other stuff but idrc about that). You seem to be unaware of the concept of chemistry. Ruby and Weiss are shippable because they have chemistry. Ruby and Penny are shippable because they have chemistry. Actually, all the characters I mentioned as potentially shippable displayed fair amounts of chemistry. And that's always my main concern with bumblebee. Sorry, but "vibing" while not interacting is very much NOT chemistry. It's kind of the opposite. Right now, with the information these two volumes have offered, I could write a lot of dynamics with a certain amount of ease. Bumblebee… not so much, because their interactions are still blank fucking slates. And I'm sorry to say this, but no, emptiness isn't 'complexity' or 'depth'. The only complex thing here is the fucking mental gymnastics you're doing to justify not only every bumblebee moment but also the show's writing as if it was flawless and perfect lmao.

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

Y'all... there is more evidence that L is indeed my soul mate, my person, the only one who truly gets me. Let's see what has transpired.

Piece of Evidence #1: I was complaining about my hip messing up & making me 'useless'. He responded with, "Baby you are so efficient & so good at so many things, the gods had to nerf you for being OP somehow." in the most sincere tone.

Piece of Evidence #2: We were hanging out on the deck & I got up, saying I was off to do dishes (while limping because I tore something picking up Zel when she was hurt). He said, "Ok... WAIT! NO! I'll do them! Sit!" I reminded him that he'd said he'd do them for the past 3 days & hadn't. He said, "[Dr M] I command you to not do dishes!" I laughed & told him he was under leveled for the "Command [Dr M] spell" outside of specific circumstances in which my constitution is considerably lower. He got mildly offended & began going off about how his current Skyrim character can summon a ghost that's way above her level and that a 'debuff character build is valid'. I reminded him that this isn't Skyrim & he isn't a wood elf. A bit later I told him that if he ate in the next 15 mins, I'd relent (because he forgets to eat). Within 2 minutes he was in the kitchen making food while glaring at me & mumbling about blackmail.

Piece of Evidence #3: he knows I like to watch old episodes of Big Fat Quiz when I don't feel well & actually suggested we turn it on one night when I was clearly struggling but was doing an alright job faking it. For the last 4 nights in a row, that's all we've watched because he loves it... especially if Richard & Noel or Noel & Russell are a team.

Piece of Evidence #4: he walked in to me playing bass on my leg while painting cabinets & immediately asked if I was listening to Primus on loop again. He's also figured out how to gauge my pain/mood based on what I'm listening to (because some days I have to get real angry to make my body function, so I listen to shit like Slipknot/Tool/Nine Inch Nails/Manson/Kidney Theives).

Piece of Evidence #5: yesterday i went outside to talk to him & paused the music on my headphones as I sat down. He said, "Aw no more MSI? They do go hard." Apparently he could tell it was them just based on what he heard at a distance through my headphones. Genuinely never been with anyone who knows of them, much less likes or can ID them like that. (Before you come for me, yes I know Jimmy is a POS [anyone with half a brain could easily draw that conclusion] . I like the sound of their stuff and have never paid for any of it. It is called separating the art from the artist. You'd be horrified by my back tattoo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Grow up.)

So yeah... dude is absolutely the one for me. (This is all on top of how extremely understanding he is when my bod/hormones malfunction & all the things I've always adored about him throughout our friendship.)

He actually asked me the other day when I developed feels for him. I told him that I'd always really liked him but like... he had some deal breaker stuff & was with my (then) friend. But that in early August (before I moved in but was staying over to hang out for a couple days), there was a massive storm that broke a massive part of a tree off in the yard of the house across the creek out back. It was hanging on the electrical wires & without hesitation he ran over to help the homeowners. I sat and watched from the driveway as he helped them cut it down. (Note: til then he hadn't ever interacted with them.) Then as he was walking back across the creek afterwards, the elderly woman who lived there with her husband called across to me "You've got a good man!" & L turned and said "Aw she's my best friend, it's not like that." I found myself feeling really... sad? Then internally I went "Oh fuckstockings. I'm in love with him. Goddamn it. This... might be a fucking problem." Then a couple weeks later it wasn't a problem because I basically lived here. And nearly 5 months later we are still great. No fights because we both speak very frankly and clearly when stuff is going on. There's some communication stuff because he's been programmed to read into things, but we talk about it.

Shit is dope.

[tedturneriscrazy]

🎶Knock, Knock, Knockin' On Hooty's Door🎵

I wonder if anything will happen in this episode.🙂

(I say as if I didn't watch the episode twice before going to bed and writing this post)

I don't think I'll ever not be amused by the way Hooty just...does things with his face

Seems like he found a thesaurus at some point

Okay so it's canonically spelled "Hootsifer," good to know

Also, this is really all we get of Lilith, huh?

His little hoot/coo at Lilith's letter❤❤❤

To borrow a meme format: If I had a nickel for every time Alex Hirsch was involved in a show where one of the characters was experiencing pubescent voice cracks, I'd have two nickels, which isn't very much but it's weird that it happened twice

Eda's face🤣

As much as this bit is played for laughs, Eda's clearly still shaken by what happened last episode

Jeez, Luz, priorities /j

Pictured: Hooty

The way King talks about being pelleted implies this is something Hooty does on the regular

Hooty's plan to help King is literally a Buzzfeed quiz? Okay then

Betcha never expected lore from Hooty, eh?

"DO NOT INTERRUPT"

Officially a "type of worm"

The dance being a grievous insult wasn't exactly from nowhere, but still funny nonetheless

WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE FUCKING COCCOON

Tiny Nose playing Switch definitely seems to be drawing from Dana's real life experiences

Wait, Hooty and Tiny Nose are friends?

Well shit, turns out she could use magic this whole time. Guess her going Super Saiyan wasn't just the power glyph.

I am extremely skeptical of your medical credentials, TN

I have so many questions about the methodology they used for the blood test(s)

I think Hooty may have misinterpreted what King was looking for

I'm still amazed at how King has had, and continues to have, moments in the show with some of the greatest emotional weight

Ooh, sound powers!

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CRUMBLE!!!"

It just occurred to me that that segment consisted mostly of Alex Hirsch talking to himself

Hello not-at-all obvious setup

Today I learned that Hooty is the baker of the house. Maybe he'd critique Amity's fairy pie.

Aaaaand there's the sleep inducing

Oh shit

In hindsight the Owl Beast being part of a dream sequence is rather obvious

Wow, Eda, tell us how you really feel about the Owl Beast

Oh we're just gonna ride aboard the Trauma Express today, huh?

Oh, I guess Lilith did make an appearance, after all

Damn, Gwen, not even looking

Oh shit dad issues

Sandy Cohen?! (To anyone who gets that reference, hi. How are your 30s treating you?)

Well, I know who Peter Gallagher voices now, anyway

Oh dear...

(Also, bright flashing lights triggering the curse? There's an epilepsy allegory in here somwhere)

Blood and eye injury? Gotta stretch that Y7 rating

Now we have some context for that look on Eda's face when Lilith mentioned their dad: good old fashioned guilt!

I desparately want to make a "Dude, you're getting a Dell!" joke, but I'm better than that

New memory! Raine!

Oh no...

I get the feeling I'll hate this part, too

They were exes!😢 Guess the fandom called that one

The reasoning for them being exes is understandable, all too real, and goddamn heartbreaking

That said, the fact they never stopped loving each other🥺😢😭

I do hope we can see Raine again under less...traumatic circumstances. Maybe that wedding that was mentioned?

Oh shit, are we getting into the Owl Beast's memories?!?! What a tweest!

Bet nobody expected Cloaked Moonface to show up in the frickin Hooty episode

(Also, holy shit I briefly forgot this was the Hooty episode)

Who is this mysterious cloaked figure? And why are they so tall and long?

So the curse was a sealed beast this whole time. Damn.

And it was just picked up as beach junk to sell as a trinket. So much for it being connected to Belos. (Not that people will stop trying to do so)

Who had "experiencing sympathy for the Owl Beast" on their Bingo cards for this episode? Yeah, me neither.

And here we have the necessary Eda coming to terms with her curse segment. More accurately, Eda and the curse coming to terms with each other.

Goddamnit why does it have to be cute

"It's like sandpaper" IT'S LIKE A CAT I FUCKING CAN'T

Insert Steamed Hams reference here to kill the mood

New transformation!

Oh no she's hot!

No, Hooty, you made it surprisingly much, much better!

She might have a problem pushing people away and holding onto guilt, but Eda always knows that she looks damn good

Oh right, Luz having girl problems. Fuck, so much is happening in this episode!

"Cotton-candy-haired Goddess" LUZ! 🤣

Attuned to other people's emotions = being a fucking creeper

Oh Luz, what happened to you back home?

Also, 99.999% certain Amity would love your cheesiness

That's...rather morbid, Hooty

So much lore development, including the fact the Owl House has a basement

Classic inanimate object silhouette fakeout gag. Subversion in 3...2...1...

There it is!

I can't imagine being pelleted is a fun experience.

Honestly I have so many questions about how Hooty got Amity there in the first place, but I'm not so sure I actually want to know the answers to any of them...

Cue much panicking

Wow, I'm really getting some Into the Bunker flashbacks

Oh this is gonna be amazing isn't it

I commend Luz for not actually dropping dead of embarrassment

Seriously, how can Hooty set all this up so fast yet not hold a pen?!?!?!

Poor Luz, she thinks this is destroying her chances

Meanwhile Amity is just "Oh, Titan, is this actually happening?!"

The way she's fixing her hair!❤

Goddamnit Luz let this play out, she's so clearly into this!

"Again?!" Okay who do I have to kill?

Luz is luzing it

Nooooooo....

JUST TALK FOR FUCK'S SAKE (aka how like 95% of issues in literally any plot could be solved)

Noooo Amity's so heartbroken right now💔

This isn't what either of them wanted!

To be fair, Hooty, Luz had a part in this too. Not that she can be blamed entirely. Poor thing clearly had some awful experiences back home...

Now Hooty is McFucking losing it

Why did I think he was gonna say "Looks like I'm gonna have to JUMP!" I think I've watched too much Homestar Runner (jk there's no such thing)

Those pulsating organs are still gross

Eda swooping in to save her son (No, really, he actually is now)

I'll say things get weird when Hooty gets upset!

Yes, King! Save them with your voice powers!

Damn that is some romantic lighting, and Luz is enjoying the eye candy (cotton candy, if you will)

Luz's reaction to Harpy!Eda is the family-friendly summation of how the fandom has reacted.

Hooty really just tearing up the landscape in remorse

Mother-daughter moment about love life!

I appreciate not just Eda's encouragement but her actually asking Luz what she wanted

God, Eda is best mom

Also, OH FUCK IS THIS HAPPENING?!

OH SHIT

THESE ADORABLY AWKWARD NERDS❤💜💙

"I'm not as cool as you think" could be interpreted as self-deprecating, but here it seems...oddly reassuring?

The way Luz eloquently says how she wants Amity in her future...beautiful❤

Luz making some good faces

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

YOU CUTE DORKS I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

THERE IT IS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

LOOK HOW HAPPY SHE IS

WE WERE LOSING OUR SHIT OVER A PECK ON THE CHEEK THREE WEEKS AGO AND NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE HOLY FUCK

Awkwardness is still there, but that's to be expected

BET Y'ALL DIDN'T EXPECT THAT TRAILER SHOT TO BE IN THE HOOTY EPISODE HUH

THE WAY LUZ RUBS AMITY'S HAND😭😭😭😭😭

(And yeah, it's gonna still be scary, but only because it promises to be so wonderful)

Let's give it up for Hootsifer, goddamn!

Let'a also appreciate just how fucking funny it is that Lumity becomes official in the Hooty episode

Fus ro WEH!

Hooty actually saying "Luz's new GF" out loud...

In just about any other show the love interests getting together would be a climax/culmination of the entire plot. Here? It's actually used to advance the plot, and that is brilliant!

Dana Terrace and the crew really just knocking it out of the park again and again, huh

"They're adorable, and deserve all the happiness!" Well said, Hootsifer. Well said.

Probably for the best they had Hooty promise that. As much as what happened/progressed, there was a lot of property damage.

OH SHIT ONCE AGAIN

King's dad/relative! And he's voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson!

GODDAMNIT HOOTY

Wow. Just...wow. This episode.

King has voice powers! Harpy!Eda! Lumity are girlfriends for real!!!!

How do you pack so much into a single episode?! And so expertly?!

I had my suspicions before, but this confirms it: The Owl House is the greatest show of all time.

And we have two episodes left until the hiatus! And 11 episodes in the season after that! What are we in for?!?!?!

I, for one, can't wait to find out!

[the-fiction-vixen]

The Tale of Jin and Zuko Chapter 7: Hidden Truths

(also on Ao3)

When Zuko fully recovers he wakes up feeling so much lighter, as if a weight he had been carrying his whole life had magically been lifted. Everything is clearer, and he knows who he is now. He doesn’t have it all figured out yet, but he is content with the life he has. This doesn’t mean that the easy part is over, he has to talk to Jin first and he suspects that may not go over well. They travel to the Agrarian zone after dark, and take a seat next to the same river as the last time they sneaked out. Here there is no risk of someone overhearing what Zuko is about to say.

“You deserve to know the truth. Even if it means you'll hate me for it.” “It can't be that bad?” “I'm from the Fire Nation, Jin. The nation that caused all the pain and suffering everyone is experiencing. The reason why there are so many refugees in Ba Sing Se, including you.”

“Yeah.... I already knew that.” “What? How?” “I figured it out during our first date at the fountain when you lit the lanterns. There was no other explanation for how you could've lit them in such a short time, so I put two-and-two together. I've known this whole time.” “And that doesn't bother you?” “Lee, I know that not every person from the Fire Nation is bad. You and your uncle are proof of that.” “There's more to it. My real name is Zuko, and I’m the Fire Lord's son. Before I was banished I was next in line to rule the Fire Nation.” “Oh...” Jin says, remaining calm at first before she becomes somewhat bewildered. “Wait, you're royalty?!” She takes a few more seconds to consider it and she furrows her brows. “No, actually that kind of makes sense...” “What is that supposed to mean?” Zuko questions, for some reason choosing to take it as an insult “You're a little, different... not in a bad way though!” she explains and shrugs, “You did also call that one guy at the festival a peasant, which I thought was very odd at the time.” He's still trying to wrap his head around the fact that she momentarily freaked out about him being of royal blood, instead of being mortified about the fact that he's a member of the Fire Nation royal family. She's easy for him to understand under most circumstances, but this isn't one of them. “If you don't mind me asking, why were you banished?” she asks when he doesn't say anything. She patiently listens as Zuko tells her the story of how he spoke out of place during a war meeting, got burnt by his father during an Agni Kai at age 13, and then got banished, doomed to search for the Avatar in order to restore his honour. He tells her about his mom, the kind and loving woman who disappeared overnight without any explanation, and expresses how much he misses her. He keeps talking, on and on, unloading everything that he had been carrying, everything that had been weighing on him for so long and it feels so liberating. When Zuko is done talking Jin pulls him in for a hug, allowing his head to rest on her chest as she strokes his hair. “I'm so sorry you had to go through that. No one should ever have to experience anything so awful.” For the first time in years, he allows himself to cry, really cry. It's the first time since his mother left that anyone comforted him like this and he finds all his pent up emotions spillover. Only now does he realise how touch starved he had been before he met Jin. He always kept everyone at arm's length because he had so much to hide, but she had a way of breaking down those barriers. He concentrates on the sound of her beating heart and it soothes him. “My father and his forefathers are responsible for this war, all of this suffering. It's in my blood,” he says when he finally calms down and catches his breath. “Your mother's blood flows through your veins too, don't forget that. You aren't your father, you're a kind person.” He doesn't know what to say so he doesn't say anything at all, so Jin attempts to level the playing field. “I have a few secrets of my own, you know.” She makes some movements with her hand and a stone nearby starts to levitate. “I'm an earthbender, though I have learnt little more than making crude tunnels and moving rocks around.” Zuko looks up at her, surprised. “Why don't you learn more about it? There's bound to be an amazing earthbending master in the city.” “My dad wants me to stay as far away from it as possible because it's dangerous.” “Dangerous how?” “Haven't you noticed how there aren't any adult earthbending civilians in the city despite the fact that we're in the Earth Kingdom? They usually recruit the talented benders into the military or the Dai Lee at age 16. Earthbenders who aren't as skilled work for the city, doing patrols, controlling access between the rings of the city, that sort of thing. They get completely cut off from their families and their jobs become their entire lives. Then there's also the whole Fire Nation thing...” “Yeah...” Zuko winces. An uncomfortable silence falls over them and

Jin wishes she hadn't brought up the Fire Nation in this instance. “How are you so forgiving?” he finally asks, so quietly it's almost a whisper. “I guess I just haven't really had too many experiences with the Fire Nation. The closest I got was this one time that the Fire Nation was approaching our village to round up any earthbenders. My dad and I fled to Omashu and not too long after that we found our way here. I've been living in Ba Sing Se since I was 10 and, as you know, there is no war in Ba Sing Se.” Guilt builds up in him once more. He imagines how afraid she must have been back then, how many children's lives he uprooted in the same way. There are no words to describe how much he loathes himself for it, and the fact that Jin doesn't see it makes him feel even worse. He wants her to be mad at him, he wants her to hate him, like a sick form of justice for all his wrongdoings. “You don't understand!” he shouts, promptly standing up and turning away from her. “I hunted the Avatar for years, I burnt villages to the ground and destroyed people's livelihoods, their homes... Villages like the one you lived in. I stole from them, I did so many terrible things. So many people are suffering because of this war, and I caused some of it too.” Jin stands up and reaches for his hand, “You're right... that is terrible. But at least you can admit that what you did was wrong. That's a major step in the right direction and it shows me that you're not a bad person at your core, you were just misguided. I know you're a good person, I've seen it with my own two eyes. Don't let your past dictate your future.” “How can you be so sure?” “Your uncle is a wonderful man, and I trust that he has sound judgment. If he didn't think you had any good left in you he would have turned his back on you like he did with the rest of your family.” She cups his face in her hands, urging him to look at her. When their eyes meet, she continues, “Zuko, you're a good person. Your uncle believes it, I believe it... it's time you start believing in yourself. Be the person we can already see in you.” He closes his eyes and just breathes, enjoying the sensation of Jin's soft hands on his face. She kisses him on the forehead before leaning her own forehead against his, closing her eyes as well. They remain like this for a while, Jin giving Zuko time to process everything as he mulls things over in his head. He sighs deeply before he opens his eyes and kisses her gently on the lips. “Say my name again?” he asks softly. Jin frowns in mild confusion, but obliges. “Uh... Zuko?” He smiles. “It sounds nice when you say it. Thank you, Jin.” That thank you meant so much more than she could ever imagine, but he couldn't find the right way to say it out loud. Thank you for being so patient. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for believing in me. But, most of all, thank you for being you.

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

I'm having trouble distinguishing between Se and Ne in myself because I can see evidence of either. For Se - I've been practicing martial arts for most of my life, I have very fast reflexes and tend to react well to unexpected circumstances such as easily maintaining my balance or rolling onto my feet when I trip without even thinking about it, and I have a general awareness of my surroundings, and can easily see the potential of an object and how to manipulate it into what I need it to be. /1

But I can put the reflexes down to martial arts training, I believe all Pe will have a general sense of surroundings, and with my father being a mechanical engineer, and possible tertiary function development, the last doesn't seem necessarily Se.  As evidence for Ne - I've been known to not notice injuries due to distraction, including cuts to the bone, even when what I should be paying attention to was what cut me and I was thinking about something else. (I was doing dishes. Broken cup.) /2

Also, while I'm skilled at some physical activities, anything I didn't specifically practice I'm awful at. I couldn't catch a ball until halfway through high school and still can't reliably catch anything. I also rarely notice specific details because of expectations about what I'm looking for ('the cabbage couldn't fit there' - but it was there, it did fit) and because when I'm searching for something I tend to look for breaks in established patterns, if that makes sense. /3

I've found that people often have difficulty understanding me, and it's because I draw conclusions from abstracts they don't think about, or because I ramble on about a topic without being specific which topic. I once found a stove plate was left on with nothing on it and I was trying to explain to my brother in law why this might damage the stove, but he kept saying they'd used it that way before, under the impression that I was talking about water I'd spilled on it by accident. /4

(The water in my last example was how I found out the stove was on)   Lastly, my job involves high stress situations where details can be a matter of life and death - so while Se would be beneficial, it would tend to develop Si, and as such sensor traits could be a result of Si.   So does this seem to give evidence of one function over another? Thanks in advance! /end 

-------

Hi anon,

This is not particularly definitive, mostly because a lot of this is fairly common normal human stuff or might be due to your judging function. Going through:

“ can easily see the potential of an object and how to manipulate it into what I need it to be” I suspect this language came from some MBTI description because this is not how normal people typically speak. It’s also kind of weird, like...does this mean you can improvise a weapon from your frying pan if need be, or does it mean you plan on trying to turn your kitchen table into a car. Either way, not super useful.

It’s also not super useful that your father’s a mechanical engineer for typing you. Sure, you’ve probably learned a few things from him, but that’s not going to change your cognitive processes and since there are plenty of both high Ne and high Se using engineers out there it doesn’t tip the scales either way.

Martial arts training is relevant here and I do agree that this is not necessarily high Se. I find that a lot of high Ni users really like martial arts.

Not noticing when you’ve injured yourself while doing something else is actually not an uncommon thing in general, for both biological reasons (endorphins in lesser cases, shock in greater ones) and distraction in general. I don’t think I’ve cut myself that severely and not noticed it, but I’ve definitely cut myself and not realized it until I saw the blood. When it comes to physical awareness I tend to ask people more about everyday things, like needing to use the bathroom or how your clothes feel - and even then, martial arts training might have an impact if you’ve done a lot of work with mindfulness.

I’m not entirely getting what you’re saying about the cabbage but actually this is one of the potential indicators you might be a high Ne user since you’re obviously skipping a bunch of context that is crucial to the understanding; that said, given what you’ve talked about regarding the stove...you might also just not be a great communicator? I find that high Se users can do this too, because they don’t realize how much they’ve noticed that others have missed, and honestly I did this a lot when I was younger because it requires a certain level of understanding what other people have access to and what your audience is.

I really can’t weigh in on your job without understanding more context here (although I understand if you don’t want to or can’t talk about your job more at length). Details, much like martial arts, are a thing many people can learn, so it’s more a case of whether you feel this comes naturally or if it’s very hard, how the details come into play (eg: do you need to be quick at picking up details immediately and working with those, or do you need a very good depth of knowledge about details that you can learn at leisure then apply in the high stress situations), and to an extent your age (if you’re thinking you’re an ENTP, for example, and you’re 20 your Si still is pretty bad, but if you’re thinking you’re an INTP and you’re 25, then yeah, you may have decent Si development at this point).

So in all, slight preference for Ne but not definitive.

[myvelouri]

I need to be really open

Right now I'm about to post totally openly and it's going to beong because my night was long

So I was at the bar and the girl buddy I wrote about who didn't remember me, who used to remember me when she ran into me back then... Yeah she didn't remember me and it hurt my feelings really badly. Look, it just did, okay? I don't forget people I've had coffee with under funny circumstances and people uve bonded with. She used to support my depression and all that and was totally into me back then as she's the one who told me I have awesome hair and always wanted to tell me

Yeah that was her back then, just fucking only 3 years ago, it's not even that long, let alone I texted her just a few months ago

My heart breaks a bit. And she was there with a buddy of mine. I didn't know he'd be there. I felt so hurt by that? Because I thought me and her were hella cool... We used to text jokes about this guy in a class. I just can't believe you'd forget me

I can't

Especially since she thought I was attractive AND THEN we had a bonding moment over coffee one day

I'm so hurt, I can't explain it, I don't know if it's okay for me to feel this way, I don't know if it's wrong to feel this way. .. I'm just very HURT and it makes me want to cry, I'm not crying, but it feels like it and I just... I don't understand and I can't shake the awkwardness. I met her and she still didn't remember me. I had to explain to her who I was and it felt so unnatural

I still feel woozy about that! I hated that! I did! My buddy told me she said to him "I think I know that guy" REALLY?! Bro it's not like me and her were acquaintances. Omfg. We were seen together plenty times

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL? It's not like I was trying to fuck her or anything, I just felt like it was a special connection when I met her. Not that we were close but she was one of those rare open people and thought we'd never forget each other

It makes me a little sick to my stomach, as in, just feeling, I don't know why, and to know she didn't want to hang with me but hung out with Eric... I'm just so confused!! I can't do this right now! Not right now! Too much, it's too much right now!

Okay so I was outside at the bar very sad and slum. I got to the bar and ordered another drink. The waitress there, the one that hates me, she was here so I tried to be nice and asked "how are you doing?" And she ignored me, and I said her name, kaeton, I was like, "kaeton??" And she still ignored me. Suffice it to say my heart felt even more hurt. The more and more I try to give myself, the more and more I'm being shut down..

I just wanted to die at that point

So I went outside to write to myself with my new beer

Suddenly a fight is happening. I interject cause they came my way, two dudes and the small one is toast. So I help the big one out and say yo, here come here, chill, and I tried to sit them down. And then the big one pushed me as if I'm an enemy and said "NAH GET OUT OF MY WAY, HES MY NEPHEW" and I said BRO CHILL, IM HERE TO HELP, ON YOUR SIDE. And later he apologized to me saying he's sorry he was like that and that it indeed was his nephew who was causing the scene. I said I know they man, I wanted to stop you guys from tumbling over people. He was cool man. We talked afterwards. No problem at all. Chill dude. Infact the waitress that hates me? I am pretty sure she gave him her number. Doesn't matter

So guess what? Another fight breaks out from that. Again came my way. I saw the two bartender guys that work there. Casey and Calvin. I know them somewhat. I'm a regular at this bar bro. And I see this dude pushing Calvin around and I got so upset that I went up and stopped him, grabbed him by the neck (the drunk douche) and said nah, chill, you're out bro and he started calling me "what? YOU FAG, YOU FUCKING GAY FAGGOT" because of the way I look. And I was quick to remark about his dumbass appearance about his glasses and cap combo. And he kept going but my skinny ass was able to push him out the door. And I bumped into Sam, my other favorite waitress there who I've slowly gotten close to. I'll tell you more about that. She was a bit frazzled by it all. And I accidentally made her drop drinks on herself as she was trying to serve someone else but that's cause I was getting angry and talking mad shit back to this douche bag I was pushing out by the neck. And Casey, not Calvin, but Casey, pushed me out of that grip and I understood, to let go and let the people working here take care of it. I didn't mean to be bad. I was just upset seeing one of the workers here that I like being pushed around so rough. It wasn't okay. And like. Yeah

So when I came back to the outside, lots of people came up to me. Some said wow, wtf happenened, we saw, you were involved and we were like WTF

Others, like Eric saw it and then he left cause he said he didn't want to see drunkards brawling. In my heart I thought, wow, Eric, I wasn't, I was pushing him out because the drunkard was ALREADY hitting the wait staff.

Anyway, other people came up to me and told me "wow bro when he called you a fag? Dude nah I almost ran in there and knocked him out, I'm surprised you didn't, he called you a fag so many times" and I said "yeah I was getting to that point but Casey stopped me"

Um, girls started looking at me and smiling at me. I don't know why but girls thought it was attractive that I pushed out a douche bag out of the bar, whilst being called a fag and horrible names. Idk man.

A lot of people came up to me. I didn't even realize everyone was watching. To me it lasted a second. To everyone else telling me about it, they said it lasted a good 6 minutes straight

Jesus

Okay so I went to Steve's house with Ronnie and Hector. Love these dudes. Steve is hella old but he's awesome. We smoked and drank. We got hungry so me, Ronnie and Hector went to whataburger. We ate and suddenly Sam, the waitress from the bar came over and scared me..I was HOLY SHIT WTF HOW

she said she was driving and saw us so she came in to eat with us. Ugh sam is so cute. She's been so hot this entire time. She's the one who I accidentally spilled a bit of beer on as she was trying to serve it, remember? And so after that happened, I went up to her and said "hey, I'm sorry I spilled that on you, Sam" and she was so surprised I was like this (it's just me) and she was like "omg you're so sweet" and was like "no it's fine" so fast forward to whataburger. Ya man. Hector left and Ronnie left. It was just me and Sam. And the guy working at Whataburger was trying to fuck sam. Poor guy, bless his heart, he has a crush on Sam, and, you know, she just doesn't like him. So she told me to help her sneak out when he isn't looking. And I did lol. So me and her started talking a lot outside. And the dude comes out and says to her "hey Sam, I'm about to smoke a cigarette, wanna join me?" Literally has balls trying to cock block ME. I MEAN, I wasn't trying to fuck Sam, I'm just saying to HIM it looked like I was kinda with her and had been with her a while alone, so for him to come up, was ballsy. Like bro, you for real?

She brushed him off. And she looked at me and said "come on" and I asked her "Bro why are you acting like he has a chance?!" And she said she has to because she comes here to eat often at nights hahaha. I said okay, totally understandable hahahaha

And then she told me, I grew on her. She's seen me many nights and has seen who I am. And she finally sees the real me. She said she appreciates me and wants to hang out and stuff. I was surprised. I felt appreciated greatly. Especially after such an awful night. Which is still affecting me. I don't know how Jenny forgot me. I can't believe I was trying to call her Emily at first. Awful. It was an accident, not that she heard me. But, wow, she didn't remember me at all.

It hurts still... Because that means I've gotten so so ugly to the point where girls who used to think I was hot as fuck don't even recognize me anymore (that's how ugly and different I've gotten physically) oh no I'm gonna cry. I can't take it

The end of tonight was good! Why can't I accept that!

I'm actually tearing up

This is so awful

What is wrong with me

[protagonistheavy]

Wow there was actually way less of the True Colors ending that I had missed before than I realized... I thought that section in the mines was going to be a lot more involved, I thought that was the part I "missed" but I guess I... didn't miss anything lol.

So yeah like I said before... Unfortunately this game is extremely hollow beneath its colorful surface and potential. The writing is just... disappointing.

Spoilers sorry.

I think the critical problem with the writing is that it forced a twist villain -- when the game never needed a villain to begin with. The whole thing with Jed is just tacky and completely takes away from what the rest of the story had going on. The theme that Gabe in particular pushes is that "sometimes the world sucks and you have to move on" which is already a pretty weak message... but when you reflect on the story that Alex is going through, well, it isn't that the world sucks, it's that there's a really elaborate plot that hinges on one evil man.

And I've got to be honest. Why is Jed really so "evil" here lmao. I get it, he led his miners into bad dirt, it killed several people. But one... and maybe this is cruel for me to say, but that's mining, bro. That type of danger is kinda just a real threat! I'm not saying this takes away from Jed's mistake really, but I mean, shit, all we have to go on regarding the cave-in is that one man went up to Jed and said "maybe we should pull out" and Jed said "aw fuck it nothing has ever gone wrong before, let's just get the job done-- WHOOPS." It hardly feels like Jed is super at fault here... And him deciding to not go back and help the other miners, like, again... that's mining! I mean what was Jed gonna do, hold the cave open like in the Goonies while everyone else runs under him? I just... can't help but think that Jed, while certainly in the wrong for hiding the truth, isn't really that evil of a dude JUST for this circumstance.

He only truly becomes evil when he begins fucking killing someone over it. Killing someone in the DUMBEST way possible -- by taking his victim to the EXACT MINE SHAFT that Typhon wanted to bury, which they wanted to bury because... it's about to be FEDERALLY INSPECTED. What a great place to go and hide a body, Jed, in the exact place you KNOW people are going to be looking in. Seriously, did I miss some info here? It just feels so dumb for Jed to kill Alex here, not to mention the fact that Jed has NO REASON to kill Alex! Other than that she knows some shit about Typhon, but CLEARLY not enough to know everything -- and it's so unlikely that she was going to win in this case against Typhon anyway! So, for what fucking reason does Jed have to suddenly decide to take her RIGHT TO THE EVIDENCE OF THE MISTAKE HE'S TRYING TO HIDE...... SO THAT HE CAN KILL HER, RIGHT BEFORE THE INSPECTION? It's soooooo dumb, it's designed this way JUST to be dramatic.

Jed didnt have to be made into a villain at all in this game. His involvement could have just ended at being the lead Helldiver responsible for the cave-in -- no weird murderness needed. I dont quite understand why Typhon felt the need to cover this up so badly anyway, I mean, what did they even "cover up?" Clearly people still know about the cave-in, people still died... Are they really doing all this just to cover Jed's ass for some reason? Just so they can have some slightly-better publicity? I cant explain fully just how disappointing of a concept Typhon is, this organization that gets so hyped up by everyone... only for it to do nothing of impact. We never see a demonstration of their influence, we never feel their presence, it's only ever just people SAYING we should be scared rather than giving us reason. Whats the most fucked up thing we see Typhon really do? Accuse Alex of stealing? ... Which she did in fact do?

I dont think True Colors needed a villain -- not Jed, not Typhon. I think the game would have been much better if it was just about a small town responding to a tragedy, a tragedy without scheming actors all part of a grand conspiracy. I like episode three because it's an event that shows off the charm of Haven and amplifies the experience with normal, human emotions. But everything involving Typhon, that stupid usb, Jed, it's all just convoluted drama added for the sake of surprising viewers with an unnecessary twist. ANYONE could have been the twist villain here if they wanted to write it that way, even Eleanor lmao. It's shallow and only besmirches the game's best quality, which is that Haven is this awesome place to experience, rich with details to soak into. It overtakes the relatable human elements of the plot with this hyper-specific drama, that an orphan would reconnect with her brother just before he dies in an accident that was meant to cover up the accident that killed their dead. Lmao it's just, a pretty ridiculous story.

I think thats my last thoughts on True Colors. Very cute story with lots else to like; I enjoy the romantic arcs and how they're worked into the story, I love the setting and love the characters. But you only get to enjoy those aspects for like, a few hours before the game gets overly dark because, well, it decided it HAS to get overly dark and thus holds your hand through a "mystery" that's actually just a bunch of traumatic experiences linked together. If taking True Colors at its worst, you can even say that all their inclusion about mental health, trauma, emotions is all just sorta fetishized for the sake of building up a wacky story. A wacky story that, I cant stress enough, was designed the way it was JUST for the sake of surprising you about who is actually evil.

[sir-adamus]

The complaints against Caulifla and Kale seem to be that people are angry that Caulifla and Kale are advancing through the SS forms so quickly (event though Caulifla is stated to be a prodigy and Kale is the Legendary Super Saiyan). Also people apparently don't like Caulifla's attitude. I mean, obviously showing a little bit of hostility against opponents in a fight for your life tourney is unforgivable. Them being girls definitely plays a role though, as I've seen c*nt and b*tch thrown around.

Anonymous said:

Adding onto the last Kale/Caulifla message, it’s weird that so many people have issues with Caulifla’s “attitude”. She was a little rude towards Cabba, but we’ve seen Vegeta do far worse. I think she slapped Gokus hand when they first met at the TOP, but you know, if they win you get your existence erased. Other than those she’s been respectful towards team dad Hit,absolutely adores and encourages Kale, aspires to be stronger to save her Universe, and is now sparring joyfully with Goku and Kale.

oof, so general awfulness, as expected

like i said, the complaints can actually be answered by the show’s internal logic - Cabba shows similar growth and there’s an underlying implication that he’s functionally the Universe 6 equivalent of Vegeta, due to his similar moves and fighting style. as a result you can draw comparisons between the other Saiyans (Caulifla is the U6 Goku, being a fighting prodigy who can figure out moves and techniques just by being shown them once who is an odd exception to the standard perception of her race, namely being the leader of a street gang compared to her race’s perception as noble warriors for justice, and Kale is somewhere between being U6′s Broly - and not technically having a U7 counterpart as a result - due to the Berserk transformation and it initially being caused due to Caulifla (but for wildly different reasons), and U6′s Gohan, connection to Goku/Caulifla, not being much of a fighter initially and not wanting to fight (as well as having a very violent dark side that takes them time to learn to control) because they’re essentially forced into it at the beginning, but getting the hang of things and being more comfortable with it when they’re choosing to fight - characters that aren’t able to even start being able to keep up with their counterparts makes for poor counterparts (also the show isn’t about the three U6 Saiyans so them getting something of a quick crash course as opposed to 500 episodes to get on the track to the same level makes more sense from a writing perspective)

but on top of all that, the U6 Saiyans are simply more powerful from the get-go than the U7 Saiyans were. in U7, we know Saiyans were a mercenary race kept subjugated by Frieza to keep them from getting too powerful. no such thing happened in U6, with them growing as a civilisation of proud warriors for justice. meaning more powerful Saiyans could be born and propagate and so future generations would be even more powerful (as we’ve seen with the half-Saiyans in U7, Goten and Trunks were able to achieve Saiyan transformations at very young ages because their fathers were at that level when they were conceived - we learn in the Cell saga that Ki is carried in the cells, which is a big part of the reason why Cell was so powerful, and that’s implied to be the reason Goten and Trunks got a head start that Gohan didn’t have - and being around Saiyans that could already transform also gives them an idea of what they’re aiming for. by the same logic, the U6 Saiyans are already beyond the level where they need to be to achieve the transformation, they just hadn’t had the motivation or circumstances to know they could until Cabba met Vegeta)

and yeah, the attitude complaints are just plain unfair, Caulifla’s behaviour is fine and her actions are understandable - i mean god forbid she be a complex person, right?

[radicalandmathematical]

Honestly I love fanfiction and fandom. I've been into it since I was a pre-teen. But as I get older I realize just how fucked up it is.

There's the old adage, "don't like, don't read," and to an extent I agree. If you don't like a ship, don't read a fic tagged with it. If you don't like enemies to lovers, ditto.

But. Like. So much of it goes beyond that. So much of it is promoting and normalizing dangerous things.

Like you see stripper AUs, and prostitute AUs, and porn star AUs, and stuff. And the portrayals... they're not at all reflective of reality. They're reflective of the woke, pro-"sex work" line. They make it seem like it's just a job people (because in fics there are plenty of men who are strippers/prostitutes/etc., which again, is not reflective of reality where the vast majority are women and girls) choose to do. That there's no coercion. People just decide it's a good way to make money and love their job and then fall in love with a John who is kind and understanding enough not to make them give up their job once they get together.

And I don't read those anymore, but I used to when I was a teenager and young adult. Because I didn't know better. And yeah, like. It's obviously all a story and not real. We all know prostitutes and Johns don't end up falling in love. But it's less obvious that people don't just decide to enter the industry because it's a fun job. It's less obvious that real women who end up in these sorts of jobs, "voluntarily" or not, end up traumatized. No, in these works the people involved are otherwise happy and healthy, and the wose they have to deal with the awful stigma of being a sex worker from outsiders.

It's just... so insidious. Because this lines up with what traffickers and pornographers want us to believe. They've got fanfiction authors spreading their propaganda without even realizing it. Because these writers fell for that propaganda themselves.

I see glorifications of adult/teen relationships. All those fanfics really normalized it. And the thing is, in fanfiction, or fiction in general really, you can gloss over the issues that come up IRL.

IRL a 16 year old is a lot less mature and experienced than a 25 year old. There is a power dynamic issue. But in fiction they can be written as an equal to a 25 year old. They can be written as if they were 25, while remaining 16 for the ~°○drama○°~.

But a 16 year old reading that doesn't get that. A 16 year old doesn't understand she's not as mature as the 16 year old in the fic. She thinks she's all grown up too.

It's not just adult/teen either. Even adult/adult with a large age gap, say 35/22 has all sort of power dynamic issues. And I, as an adult, can understand this fictional relationship is in no way reflective of an actual relationship in those circumstances. I can read about two adult characters in this sort of situation and enjoy it without thinking it's acceptable IRL or something to aspire to. But teens and younger adults often can't. Hell, at 20 I didn't.

I really liked this trope actually. The age gap one. I read it a lot during my years in fandom, and even now have trouble letting it go even after I came to understand the issues with it.

That's just how deep of a hook it gets into you.

I don't think the answer is censorship. I think a lot of writers are young, and a lot of writers have learned to believe the things they write about are acceptable because of propaganda and grooming.

I think education is the issue. I thing writers need to actually understand what it is they are writing about, and I think readers do too.

I don't think these topics need to be 100% never written about at all. Like. We all know murder is wrong, but I love a good murder couple AU. But in general, everyone has the context to know that murdering people with your spouse is bad and fucked up, no matter how good the fic is.

But the same understanding is not in place for these other issues. People genuinely don't understand how fucked up and harmful porn/stripping/prostitution is. They don't get how unhealthy age gaps are IRL.

I think a simple disclaimer could go a long way. Saying that which is depicted in the fic is not reflective of reality, making it clear that IRL these things are harmful, and if you end up in a similar situation IRL you need to get out.

Like. Idk. Unpopular opinion on radblr maybe. I know a lot of radfems think that it's harmful to write/read fiction about these topics in a non-negative light at all. But I personally think that there is some merit in separating fiction from reality. It's just that a lot of people, both readers and writers, can't. Or some writers can, but their readers can't and they don't care.

That said, when it comes to erotica that depicts harmful sexual behaviours and acts that's different. People read that to get off, and even knowing something is bad/wrong doesn't stop it from escalating and becoming harmful to someone's sexuality.