#do not harass the original poster of the fic
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991 i hav emerjenci
Wow, what an absolute dumpster fire, right? *gestures broadly* ↓Below the cut↓ are some specific things as a reader/mutual/friend/etc you can do that will make things a little better.
You come across someone posting/using someone else's work without express permission to do so:
INFORM THE ORIGINAL CREATOR/POSTER (OP) DIRECTLY
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✧ Let OP know BEFORE you attempt to engage with the person on their behalf.
✧ OP will probably want to lay eyes on the situation, and, if the person stealing their work is tipped off, they might proactively block OP and/or remove posts before they can be verified as stolen.
✧ Do not harass the person who stole the work. It might be coming from a place of wanting to stick up for OP, but it ultimately doesn't help the situation.
OP is experiencing a hate brigade, nasty anons, or trolling over their fic:
PRIORITIZE ACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS THAT KEEP THE FOCUS ON SUPPORT FOR OP
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✧ Reblog the fic in question with a glowing recommendation or just leave a comment under it expressing your appreciation for it. Both actions will boost the work in question as well as show direct support for OP.
✧ Reach out privately through DMs if you have that sort of relationship, or send a supportive message through asks. Keep it simple and short as they are probably overwhelmed with the shitstorm at certain points.
✧ Speaking up with a supportive comment or post for OP isn't necessarily a bad thing, but arguing back and forth with the trolls/hate brigade/etc. - even if you are doing it with intention to support OP - only fuels the fire, and some of them are doing it for the attention anyway.
OP seems down / isn't motivated to write / is expressing considerations of leaving fic writing altogether because of the current climate on this hellsite:
GIVE THEM THE SPACE OR TIME THEY NEED, BUT ALSO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE VALUED
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✧ For the love of god please don't bombard them with asks about when xyz is going to be posted. This is a hobby for them, and they have jobs, families, and other life responsibilities that come first. Many would love nothing more than to sit and write all day, but that just isn't the reality for 99% of fic writers.
✧ Show their older works love, too. Many fic writers take the time to curate an organized masterlist of their works, and many have been writing for a while. There is a trove of wonderful content that can be read or re-read while you patiently wait for your fave to update.
✧ If you're waiting for an update on a specific fic, go back through the older chapters/updates and leave a comment saying you love it so much that you're coming back to visit older chapters while you wait to see what happens next in the story. I guarantee it will give them a boost of motivation for that story in particular.
✧ REBLOG AND COMMENT. Yes, do both of those things. I want you open up a fic you love and scroll down to the bottom where you can see likes, comments, and reblogs. I want you to look at the disparity between likes and comments/reblogs. Clicking a heart button is pretty much zero effort, and it comes across as such to many writers. It's not how Tumblr operates. This is a REBLOG site. That is how things make their way around. That is how posts get engagement. That is how other people can discover the fic writers you enjoy. Look, I even made a meme to show you what it feels like when after hours and hours of writing and editing you finally post a fic and then somebody only hearts it:
Even a simple "I loved this so much and can't wait to read more!" does wonders. A quick reblog that mentions your favorite part in the story is like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow for writers.
You come across people trashing a writer you like:
CONSIDER IF IT'S HELPFUL OR NOT TO ADDRESS IT
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✧ People are allowed to have negative/differing opinions about things. If they are expressing their dislike, even in a nasty way, they are allowed to do so.
✧ If it is a genuinely harmful/disparaging conversation, look to see what sort of traction the conversation has. Sometimes it's better to just let something die down before it can even take off. Examples of genuinely harmful/disparaging conversation include but aren't limited to: accusing OP of something egregious without any evidence to support it, framing rumors/gossip they've seen about OP as factual, deeming them criminally or morally corrupt based off a personal opinion they have of OP/their works.
✧ Remember that while serious concerns (like the above point) might be good to share with OP, not every instance of negativity or hate needs to be brought to their attention. If it's just some random jerk on a different platform talking about how much OP's writing is amateur hour, you should probably just leave it be. OP is a person at the end of the day, and sometimes things can be more hurtful than helpful for them to see.
OP isn't acting / responding in a way that you like:
REMIND YOURSELF THAT THEY ARE JUST ANOTHER PERSON IN THE FANDOM AND ARE NOT AN INFLUENCER
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✧ OP isn't in this fandom to be put on a pedestal (of course there are always exceptions, but I'm not talking about those people) and treated like an influencer.
✧ OP creates works in the fandom because that is how they choose to engage with the fandom. It is one of many ways that people can come together in a community and celebrate an actor/movie/series/etc.
✧ OP is not a content farm. They are writing and sharing because they genuinely enjoy it. They are not being compensated. They are not being endorsed by anybody or any company. They are a normal person trying to take part in a fandom they enjoy.
✧ OP is not obligated to address or comment on a situation, an interaction, discourse, etc. They are not an influencer and aren't equivalent to the parasocial relationships that influencers (aka people who make a living off the internet) have with their followers. OP is not required to "use their platform" for something. It's not a platform. It is OP's personal account where they engage and post in fandom. That is why it exists. OP is not some mega entity that has to speak on something because you demand or expect it.
OP blocked me:
THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE
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✧ Listen, I know it can be hurtful/confusing if you are blocked, especially if it is a writer you really like. I guarantee you that it was not done out of spite and for no reason.
✧ Take a look at the circles you run in, the posts you like, the sort of comments you leave, etc. Many writers are quick to block these days because the climate of this hellsite is very charged and exhausting. If OP sees your username cropping up again and again in fandom drama or you liked a discourse post with a shitty take or your chummy mutual is going off the rails with some bullshit, you might just get caught up in the Block Party.
✧ Don't go through another channel/account to ask why you've been blocked. No, you aren't entitled to a reason. OP is allowed to protect their mental health and peace, and they don't owe anyone an explanation of why and how they choose to curate their experience on this hellsite.
✧ If you believe you were blocked by mistake (which, again, is very unlikely), just take the L, homie. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's just how it is.
If you took the time to read this, share it, or just in general intend to apply it to your interactions, ✨thank you✨!
Here is a Pedro gif tax for your time and attention. 💜
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I'm putting in my two cents here, I'm fucking seething right now.
Welcome Home fandom. I know it's not all of you, most of you are chill and have been respectful of Clown's wishes. But why the fuck is it apparently SO hard for you to be respectful of a person and their boundaries? Clown explicitly stated that they didn't want any sort of suggestive content created of their characters. And then what do you do? Turn around and make nsfw art/fics. I saw one person posted one of these works, a comment mentioned that Clown had set these boundaries and you know what the original work poster said? Something along the lines of "no, how can they expect people to follow those boundaries when the fandom is growing like it is." I really fail to see why it's so fucking difficult for some people to follow basic human decency and listen when someone says 'hey, I'm not comfortable with this, maybe don't do this.'
Then only to make things worse, people are apparently trying to doxx Clown. I know people on the internet are fucking unhinged but really? What does doxxing someone do for you, what do you get out of it?? Some of you seriously need a reality check and to see that this shit isn't okay. Clown is just one person working on a huge project. They're already going through hell enough as it is with their living situation, the fandom is only making it worse in them acting like fucking CHILDREN who think they're being so funny in disregarding very simple rules like that. And before anyone says anything, yes I'm fully aware it's the internet so people are going to do what they want regardless. But it doesn't take much anything to be a decent person and listen to someone's simple boundaries. If you want to say that people are overreacting for getting angry about this, I'd go as far as to say you're part of the problem. So I hope that you do some self reflecting.
Do not go to Clown to harass them further. They're already going through enough as is.
Clown, if you end up seeing this, I'm truly sorry things have come down to this. You don't deserve this sort of disrespect from people. Please take as long as you need to rest and focus on your wellbeing. Hopefully things start looking up for you soon. Thank you for putting in this much attention towards such a huge project, you're amazing
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Triggering content and topics of racism, harassment, cancel culture, and media literacy are below. This is extremely long and has nothing to do with any of my works or BTS, but addresses the recent cancellation of creators on this platform and some personal statements I want to make.
For anyone who isn’t aware, once again there are people using @/chaibts to attack people. I don’t want to act as a mouthpiece for M, but as a friend and a fellow content creator, it’s really frustrating to see someone chased off of this website by anonymous users on a forum where none of the conversations being had, or accusations being made appear to be in good faith or from well-intentioned submitters.
I think a lot of what is being posted on this blog is being posted in bad faith under the guise of holding creators accountable. This blog is primarily being used by individuals who allow no room for other opinions, nuance, context or for the people accused of certain content to defend themselves or apologize and grow if needed. I do want to say that there are some submissions on the blog that have done a great drop of calling attention to issues with users in the community, but a majority of the submissions are not.
Disclaimer: I am completely aware that not all of our experiences are the same and that each individual person experiences discrimination and racism differently and I’m not negating that. I am aware that my experience as an American-born Latina makes all of my experiences with racism, discrimination, and microaggressions different than people from other non-white communities, and my entire experience and interpretation of this scenario are based on my experience. I am not, at any point, under the impression that my experiences are the groundwork for making accusations.
I say all of this to provide context for the next part, which is that the scene that someone(s) found to be written from a place of racism, I beta-read for and helped M with. When I use the word racism in this context, the original poster believes that this scene was written with the specific intent to attack Asians, and that the scene displaying discrimination against Yoongi was from a place of bad faith, as well that there is no scenario in which a white creator should depict any sort of discriminatory transgressions, as they cannot perceive racism or discrimination.
Because I beta-read it and because I helped with this area of the fic, I feel like I should speak up and take some responsibility, and I want to say that M did ask others about the scene because it was incredibly important to show the discriminatory action in an impactful and respectful way. M, from this scene’s inception, asked thoughtful questions and asked me directly if the experience made sense, referencing my time working in a hotel where I first-hand witnessed similar dealings and experienced it myself. We talked about what the scene meant, how it reflected the real-life struggles of BTS in the Western music industry, and how it felt for someone to experience this in their career. As someone who has faced micro-aggressions my entire life and career - particularly in regard to my accent - I resonated with this scene, but I realize that may not be the case for everyone.
I in no way think I am the sole vocal piece for all marginalized communities nor do I think that my experiences dictate this discourse alone, so what I did not find triggering does not mean that it wasn’t. There is a difficulty when trying to showcase the struggles of marginalized groups in media, and it doesn’t always resonate the way it’s intended.
To reiterate: I am not Asian. I am Cuban-American, and very much a white Latina, and benefit from the fact that people treat me as a normal white person until I speak with an accent, which makes my experience very different than anyone else visibly not-white. It is entirely possible that the reason I was not triggered or did not find this scene troublesome was because I am not the specific ethnicity mentioned and I 100% acknowledge that. I also did not see an issue with a white creator showing this moment, however, I also understand that not everyone feels that way and that is completely acceptable.
I’m not going to delve in and give a dissertation on how discrimination should and should not be represented in media and who should be able to write about it, but I wanted to talk about my relationship to the scene mentioned, because it leads me to what I really want to talk about on this platform.
What I want to talk about as the main issue is the cancel culture and bullying on this platform. What I have seen lately on Tumblr, including this ‘tea’ blog, is a complete refusal by people to consume media with any sort of media literacy and without any willingness to have nuance. M is not the only creator who has been bullied off of Tumblr recently for something that, to me, warrants a conversation and not a hate campaign. This is happening more and more, and I am constantly seeing anonymous users in the ask boxes of content creators calling them racist, queerphobic, sasaensgs, fetishizers, and everything in between for the most ridiculous takes.
When I say that people are ‘chased’ off of Tumblr, I do not mean with pitchforks and torches of the masses who are rightfully escorting a wrong-doer off the internet. I mean by the constant harassment from one person or a small group of people who refuse to let anyone explain, refuse to give anyone apt time to respond, and refuse to accept any sort of response whether it’s editing the work in question, someone going on hiatus to think about whether or not they feel as though they’ve done wrong, or leaving entirely so that they’re no longer contributing to the discourse. This is the way our new ‘accountability’ system works, especially behind the protection of anonymity. It’s easy to feel as though you’re doing something right when there is nothing to tie you to the responsibility of your words and accusations.
It’s incredibly difficult as a friend and a content creator to see multiple people be bullied from this platform by users who absolutely refuse to believe anything but their own interpretation, and I think we are trivializing a lot of actually problematic topics by the approach being used. Accountability IS incredibly important, but the current trend is that no version of accountability is enough. Editing or deleting the story isn’t enough, an apology isn’t enough - nothing is enough.
If we are going to be a community that holds people accountable, we have to also allow the people we are accusing to respond, and apologize if/when necessary. We also have to consider if the content we personally find triggering is ACTUALLY at its core troublesome and problematic, and consider that our opinion is not the collective. We have to consider that if the collective community being referenced is telling you that they do not see the same problem that you do, they’re not also in the wrong, but might have a different perspective.
Anything else sort of just feels like a hate campaign with no true desire to protect the community they are speaking “on behalf” of. Especially in this instance, where there are now bipoc creators being attacked for having the audacity to defend a white creator. Why can members of the community being represented not provide their opinion on it without being insulted and called names? Is it, perhaps, because you cared more about getting rid of the person than you did about the issue? That’s what this translates to, especially when the previous stance of protecting a group becomes attacking that group because they don’t agree. When you begin attacking the members of the group you were originally trying to protect because it no longer fits your narrative, you negate any type of goodwill you entered the conversation with.
Again, this is my very limited and personal experience and I am open to the possibility that my take isn’t the right take or I am in a small minority that feels this way. I want this to be a safe community for everyone but in order to do that, we also have to consume content with an ounce of willingness to have nuance and give people a modicum of time to respond appropriately.
For the record, I know that this take and conversation is not for everyone, and I completely respect it if you no longer feel comfortable interacting with me. This is an uncomfortable topic. I may not be the best to represent a discussion on cancel culture on this website. I may not be the best to represent conversations on discrimination inclusion in fics. However this was something I was involved in, and it’s hurtful to see a friend suffer from what I think a lot of people agree to be something that was not worth this in the first place.
Reblogs are turned off because I have no interest in anyone dogpiling any creators or risking spreading bad takes. I wrote this purely because I felt like it needed to be said, and I am sure there will be negative repercussions, but that is the risk of existing in this space online.
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I’m going to need you all to start recognizing proship “dogwhistles” (for a lack of a better term) better, because I’m getting a little sick of seeing posts that are very blatantly just proship ideology worded purposefully vague.
That post might be about shipping / sexualizing incest and/or pedophilia if…
The original poster describes themselves as “pro-ship”, “pro-fic”, “pro-fiction”, “anti-harassment” (sounds good on the surface, but when used online, it’s usually another word for pro-ship), or “anti-censorship” (also a Nazi / alt-right dogwhistle)
Reference to “antis”, or “people who harass other people over fiction”
“Ship and let ship”
“Fanpol” / “fandom police”, or calling themselves “anti-fanpol”
“Fiction isn’t reality”, “fiction doesn’t effect reality”, “fiction isn’t morality”
People talking about “puritans” or “purity culture” in terms of fandom, or “puriteens” (as a person with religious trauma, I hope the people who use these terms in relation to their fandom discourse explode in particular)
Extensive defending of AO3
“I hate minors”-type posts
“Dead dove, do not eat”, and “don’t like, don’t read”
Fandom or fanfic-writing as inherently queer or feminist, and any problems one may have with it being implied to be homophobic or sexist
More so on Twitter, proshippers will use the emoji combinations 🌈🍖, 🍋🧂, 🌷🕊 and/or 🌷⚔️ in their display name, bio, location, ect. Similarly, lolicons will use 🍭🎒, and shotacons will use 🧸🍯
Describing themselves as “problematic” or “problematique”
Complaining about something using the ant emoji (🐜). This is a pun on “anti”.
Don’t assume that a person is proship immediately based off of the more vague things, but do investigate their profile for further signs.
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For the ask game:
Stewardess?
Thank you for the ask @hpeg-art! (I love your art, but you know that already 😅)
The stewardess wip... This is something that I jotted down so that I don't lose it, but I need the right moment to decide to write it out. Originally, I wrote 300 words of this for a prompt, but it was impossible to do the potential of the story justice, so I decided to write something else for the prompt.
The idea behind this story is that Zelda is a stewardess and Link a pilot. We're in a time where flying is glittering business and stewardess is the most exciting job on earth in the sky. I did some research for the prompt and found cute stories of stewardesses jetting around the world and living the best jet-set life and marrying a pilot after two or three years to be a good wife and mother.
Can you see Zelda, a headstrong, independent woman in that? No. Me neither. But she is a stewardess and for very different reasons than her workmates. Escaping her strict family, the job as a stewardess gives her the one thing she craves: freedom.
Of course, she is scheduled with Link (the poster boy of the airline campaign) again and again and puts a stop to his advances until she discovers that he might not be the kind of man she believed him to be.
The story is planned as a four-chapter with destinations/airports/stays in Castletown, Lurelin, Gerudo City, and Hebra. I'm attached to the concept, so the chances are high that I'll look for an opportunity like zelink week or something similar to write it.
I have two little snippets that I wrote for the prompt.
Warning for mentions of sexual harassment and typical sexism for the time period.
Zelda breathed deeply when the last passenger had left the airplane over the gangway. She stood in the door a moment longer, her polite smile plastered on her mouth in case the businessman would turn around again. And he did, winking over his shoulder with the same suggestiveness he had patted her behind when she served him a meal.
She shuddered at the memory.
It was the one thing in her job as a stewardess she couldn’t get used to. Every man on the plane, be it staff, pilot, or passenger seemed to be interested in only two things: Find a stewardess as a wife or for quick fun during their stay at their destination.
Too bad that she was interested in neither of the options.
She inhaled the air of Lurelin airport again, tipping her head back. Kerosene, saltwater, and the smell of cold coffee and caviar from inside the plane mingled with each other.
The smell of freedom.
Of course, freedom always came with a price, so she hurried back inside to tidy up the interior of the plane.
*************
A gaze pricked at her nape, so she turned.
Captain Link.
“You’re free tonight? Lurelin has some nice stargazing spots.”
“I already told you on our last flight that I’m not that kind of girl,” she snapped, stuffing the tablecloths in a bag.
“You said you’re not looking for... temporary company. I’m asking about stargazing.”
“Isn’t that the same in your world?”
He collected the tablecloths of another row, put them in her bag, and shook his head.
Oh.
Who's a sucker for the italicized oh? Yeah, me. 😆 I won't get to this story this year. The only way to get me to write it sooner is to bully me into turning this into the advent calendar fic. 😂
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https://x.com/copperleaves/status/1785899477888299474?s=46&t=tv7TxXW3SssD6OO0TwVKyg
https://x.com/copperleaves/status/1785822408303112694?s=46&t=tv7TxXW3SssD6OO0TwVKyg
https://x.com/reyssben/status/1785849602215743539?s=46&t=tv7TxXW3SssD6OO0TwVKyg
No I’m so sick of this. Steddies haven’t gone on to hellcheer posts to disagree with headcanons and be rude about them for ages now, but somehow it’s allowed in this case because vanquinns and certain hellcheers absolutely DESPISE the idea of lesbian Chrissy.
For context, The original poster is a lesbian, she’s posted so much about lesbian Chrissy, but because she also likes an mlm ship she gets told she’s only headcanoning her as a lesbian “to get out the way” of an mlm ship. It’s a disgusting view and it’s hurting and being directed at REAL lesbians instead of these fictional characters.
Can we finally have an open and honest conversation about the lesphobia in this fandom, because it’s disgusting and it’s sadly one of the bad things this fandom is known for. I’ve seen both sides, and I know that a large amount of steddies are lesbians themselves, but this doesn’t matter to these people because shipping mlm means you’re evil and misogynistic, and any sapphic headcanon you have must be routed in misogyny and warrant being attacked and harassed.
Do they realize how misogynistic it is to think like that and do those things?
I’m going to be honest, The generalization of steddies by toxic hellcheers and vanquinns is really bad and getting too much. I’m really sick of seeing it because it’s embarrassing to see how these people are reacting to harmless posts.
Op has never spoken badly about Grace, but because some steddies did and she also enjoys steddie, it warrants them to be generalized and attacked?? How does that make any sense? For people who preach about being against misogyny and harassment towards women, they sure do love to attack people online that have nothing to do with them.
And mind you, these people every now and again will say “oh I love sapphic Chrissy” but almost never make any content for it or even dare to repost any content of it for their supposed “love”.
Meanwhile the people they harass and say are just making that headcanon to “get her out the way of an mlm ship” Frequently make art, write threads + fics, and post headcanons. But tell me again how they “don’t actually care about her”?
Personally I’m a multi shipper, I’m a lesbian, but apparently lesbian headcanons aren’t allowed for certain characters because these peoples brains have been so severely rotted from being so obsessed with a certain man that they can’t even begin to imagine the idea of people liking and enjoying wlw.
Im so sorry for the long post, I’m just so tired, and I can’t be in this fandom any longer. It’s so unwelcoming here and is making the reputation of this fandom awful which is so sad. These people never get called out on any of this and I’m so done with it.
Lesbian as well here. I've always been bothered how they accuse others of being biphobic because they ship women/women or they simply proclaim their love for women. They did it with Grace too when she said "I love women" and accused her of internalized biphobia.
They only seem to care about it if their straight ships are threatened. Curious.
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Sis.... not wanna rain on your parade but people bullied off john green because of his ganging up with writers and their fans on a teen that spoke about how he was very inappropriate with his teenage fans like talking about sex....
Also the dude has always been a creep like covering up the dudes on his record label full of sexual predators
Okay, first: I'm not your 'sis', don't try to condescend to me and don't assume that gendered forms of address are cool with everyone, especially if you don't know them. You don't know me.
Second: The specific, targeted, harassment John Green had to put up with is not how you deal with a potential predator, as you're trying to label him. If you think he's being inappropriate with minors you report it and let staff deal with it. You don't sexually harass him 'back'.
Third: Disputing baseless accusations of a serious crime, and being defended by his fans and fellow writers does not constitute 'ganging up' on someone. He disputed the post, bluntly, and actually encouraged people against attacking the original poster.
Fourth: Talking about sex and being sexual are two different things. Teens have sex. Denying that doesn't make it untrue and refusing to talk about it, frankly, can make it a dangerous thing for them to participate in as they are wont to do regardless. There are lines of course but I've been on Tumblr since 2012, I was there for the height of his activity and I don't recall him ever crossing that line with any of his fans. Perhaps it happened behind the scenes, but unless you have concrete evidence of him being actually inappropriate with a fan, I'm going to imagine your accusations are baseless.
He's a YA author, he writes about young adults/teens, you don't have to be comfortable with it but its not inherently predatory for him to write about things that teens actually do. And, as far as I can recall, it has been a very long time since I've read a John Green book, none of said scenes were even particularly explicit. There are T rated fics on Ao3 that are more or equally explicit.
Finally: 'Covering up the dudes on his record label full of sexual predators', DFTBA Records was co-founded by Hank Green, not John, and both of them publicly spoke out against the artists involved. 'On a professional note, we continue to have a zero tolerance policy for abusive behavior by artists whose work is distributed by DFTBA Records' is a quote directly from John. Those involved were dropped from the label.
Let me be clear: I am anti harassment. Full stop. No 'but' or 'unless' or 'what if'. Its a childish, selfish, behavior that solves nothing. And allowing for the possibility of 'but' or 'unless' or 'what if' means that those who participate only need to imagine up a 'good enough' reason to encourage it, and they don't care if its true or not.
I'm going to assume you're young, because I frankly don't want to imagine an actual fully grown adult encouraging this type of behavior. I don't imagine that you'll actually care to read what all I've said here, that's fine. I wish you would and that you'd actually consider that not everything is black and white and that, sometimes people lie because they want to feel vindicated in their dislike of someone. I'm not surprised this type of attitude is fairly common among younger people these days but it is severely disappointing seeing so many fall into it. Especially knowing how damaging it can/will be to them as they grow and start to participate in society more.
Like I said, I doubt you'll actually read all of this, and I'm not going to respond to any more messages you might send because I'm in the habit of ignoring bad-faith arguments like this. My responding is more so I can re-state my stance on this whole thing and encourage anyone who might disagree with me, on the stance of 'Don't harass people. Period.' to unfollow and block me, because they're not welcome on my account.
So. As I said, if you disagree with me on this stance: kindly unfollow me and also hit that block button! I hope you grow up to be a better person than you are now!
#the dork is being a dork#the dork answers#john green#anti harassment#anti bullying#genuinely this mentality is baffling to me#like how many times do we have to bring up 'i didnt think the tigers would eat MY face' before yall get it?
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Feelings about canon-characterizations and friend/shipping Les Amis. Some what-Enjolras-admires-about-his-friends content taken from 4.1.6 (Hapgood translation), but mostly just uncited gut-feelings.
Enjolras + Combeferre: Very important to each other’s character growth and also, like, hella symbolic about the different ways to Do Revolution; have important conversations during stressful barricade events, which reveal lots of mutual trust and support. I have also been persuaded by folks writing very nice meta and fic about this ship, so I can see it working.
Enjolras + Courfeyrac: The leader of the cause and the center of the friend-group (/original draft leader of the group IIRC). Main canon interaction is disputing Rousseau’s child-abandonment (Team Courf is right on that one). Both tell off Grantaire’s barricade antics, showing that they’re largely on the same page and what they’re doing and how, but at other times seem to go about things in completely the opposite way--such as Enjolras being a silent angel of death during the fighting while Courfeyrac’s throwing off one-liners with Bossuet. Though Enjolras does like Courfeyrac’s enthusiasm. Might work.
Enjolras + Feuilly: We never see them interact, but Enjolras trusts Feuilly with the barricade’s architecture and the sharpshooting...and also praises/objectifies him during the ‘view from the summit of a barricade’ speech. I find it very easy to read Enjolras having a crush on Feuilly (except for the part where I also read Enjolras as ace). Also Enjolras explicitly likes that Feuilly is concerned with Places Beyond France (like Poland!).
Enjolras + Bossuet: Everyone gets along with Bossuet, who in many ways is very similar to Courfeyrac [appears frequently with Courfeyrac, gets along with people]. Bossuet, like Enjolras and Courfeyrac, tells off Grantaire for sexually harassing the waitresses, so they have that in common. Enjolras also likes his sarcasm.
Enjolras + Joly: We don’t see any interaction between them, but Joly is supposed to be ‘the gayest of them all’ and spends a lot of time with chill Bossuet, so I don’t see them not getting along. Enjolras respects Joly’s interest in science.
Enjolras + Bahorel: They want the same things, but have slightly different preferences for means/style (see, the egg poster scene). Bahorel can certainly hold his own against Enjolras’s chastisement*, so I can actually see this working. Also, Enjolras admires his smile.
Enjolras + Jehan Prouvaire: Both have high hopes for the future, appear gentle, and are courageous. It could work. Enjolras respects Jehan’s ‘melancholy’.
Enjolras + Grantaire: We’ve all read 5.1.23. Yes, Grantaire is obsessed with Enjolras, but I don’t see things working between until Grantaire commits to the cause that Enjolras represents, ie, this scene.
Enjolras + Marius: Setting aside Hugo’s huge favoritism for Marius/Cosette, this feels more like a musical-inspired ship, but it’s not as hopeless as it may appear book-wise. ‘My mother is the republic” can be Enjolras being nice to the very fish-out-of-water Marius who just got OWNED by Combeferre, and he also admires Marius’s incident with the powder keg.
Combeferre + Courfeyrac: Again, we don’t have a ton of interactions between them except for the ‘lighting the charter on fire’ incident. Could work out, but Combeferre does not correct and complete Courfeyrac’s brand of exuberance as he does Enjolras’s.
Combeferre + Feuilly: Are both p.o.’ed about not getting reinforcements. Could point to some shared modes of relating to the world. Might just work.
Combeferre + Bossuet: Not really sure they’re on the same wavelength, but Bossuet’s really easy going.
Combeferre + Joly: Both medical students. Maybe? Again, we have very little Joly activity on page.
Combeferre + Bahorel: Might have some of the ‘means versus ends’ issues of Enjolras, but they’re generally on the same page. Apparently share theatrical tastes. Not the worst option for either.
Combeferre + Jehan Prouvaire: During stressful moments at the barricade THEY PRESS HANDS. Hugo takes hand-holding very seriously, this is basically a consummated relationship. I also think it works because they’re both very focused on the future (in slightly different disciplines), while being open to the supernatural. Also Jehan likes math while Combeferre likes a bunch of math-heavy science/engineering topics, and they’re both into languages/hieroglyphics.
Combeferre + Grantaire: Both have wide knowledge-bases? I’m not seeing it, nor do we see much interaction between the two.
Combeferre + Marius: I’m pretty sure “etre libre” killed 1) Marius, and 2) any chance of this ship working out.
Courfeyrac + Feuilly: Maybe? Courfeyrac gets along with basically everyone, and again we don’t see a ton of Feuilly action on page.
Courfeyrac + Bossuet: They spend more time together in the narrative (ie, Marius’s presence) than anyone else, fail-to-attend the same school, and actually seem to be the closest thing Les Amis have to a ‘mom-friend’. Could work, though I read them more as BFFs.
Courfeyrac + Joly: Joly definitely likes Bossuet, who is quite similar to Courfeyrac in liveliness and skipping-law-school-ness, so I expect they’d get along well.
Courfeyrac + Bahorel: Very enthusiastic and prone to dramatic gestures (burning charter, tearing down poster). Might work, but more likely to encourage than restrain each other. Insurance premiums will be sky-high if they ever move in together.
Courfeyrac + Jehan Prouvaire: I want to say I could see them getting along, but I’d worry about how they’d communicate in a relationship (based on their reactions to ‘Marius being an idiot in love’). Potentially really sweet, potentially really hurtful breakup ahead.
Courfeyrac + Grantaire: They do hang out outside of meetings (and take Marius to dances!). Share some exuberance, but I’m not certain.
Courfeyrac + Marius: Courfeyrac supports Marius a ton, and a lot of their differences provide things Marius needs (encouragement, employment, friends). Also have been persuaded by many a good meta and/or fic
Feuilly + Bossuet: Maybe? Not much to go on, but against, Bossuet’s laid back and like everyone here, they’ve devoted to the same cause. On the other hand, what little we see of Feuilly, he’s pretty intense, so maybe they’d complement each other.
Feuilly + Joly: Basically the two Amis with the least screen time, none of it together. Could work, but no reason to expect it.
Feuilly + Bahorel: Both pretty passionate about revolution, but again, we never see them interact in the book. Some residual pair-the-spares flavor from fandom.
Feuilly + Jehan Prouvaire: They both like things-beyond-France. Probably my second favorite option for Feuilly after Enjolras.
Feuilly + Grantaire: I don’t see that they have any common ground. Honestly, this feels unlikely.
Feuilly + Marius: Literally never interact, but they’re both autodidacts and actually have jobs, so I feel like they might at least get along.
Bossuet + Joly: Basically canon and also part of my OT3. They’re best friends who share everything, and I feel like this is the most sea-worthy ship of the lot.
Bossuet + Bahorel: Lots of charisma and enthusiasm going on here, and they both like not-attending law school. If Bahorel can handle puns (and he hangs out with Les Amis, so that’s highly likely), this could work.
Bossuet + Jehan Prouvaire: We actually see them hanging out at the same kinds of events outside of political meeting (ie, social events Courfeyrac drags Marius too). Good-humored and melancholy, which might work out beautifully or might cause friction. Could work, probably won’t end badly if it doesn’t.
Bossuet + Grantaire: They hang out outside of meetings (going dancing with Courfeyrac and Marius; the epic brunch), and seem to be good friends. Bossuet cheers Grantaire up, and they all like puns. One of the better options for Grantaire, IMO, but I have several people higher up the list for Bossuet.
Bossuet + Marius: The person after Courfeyrac who Marius sees the most. It’s more plausible than most, but the fact that they’re both known to couch surf could complicate things. On the other hand, I now really want to read a fic in which their combined ingenuity about being poor-but-socially-middle-class could make a charming domestic environment in the Gorbeau tenement.
Joly + Bahorel: Joly asks Bahorel’s advice, and they have one of the longer conversations we see on-page between two of the Amis. That conversation is, admittedly, about dating girls, but has that ever stopped the shipping?
Joly + Jehan Prouvaire: Gaiety and melancholy. Again, it could be a lovely opposites-complement situation.
Joly + Grantaire: As with Bossuet, Joly is certainly friendly with Grantaire.
Joly + Marius: Apparently know eachother, since Joly gossips about Marius having a girlfriend, but they never actually interact.
Bahorel + Jehan Prouvaire: Both based on capital-R-Romantics, so whether it works out or not, it would probably be a lot.
Bahorel + Grantaire: Both have a lot of physicality (Bahorel’s street-fighting, Grantaire’s fencing/dancing) and a lot of knowledge about Paris’s people/amenities. No canonical interactions, but I see some possibilities.
Bahorel + Marius: Again, not a lot of interaction between them.
Jehan Prouvaire + Grantaire: Both on the melancholy side of things, but...at the very least I think Grantaire’s casual misogyny is not going to go over well with Jehan ‘cries over the plight of women and children’ Prouvaire.
Jehan Prouvaire + Marius: Jehan reads Marius’s mood and behavior better than Courfeyrac, which isn’t nothing. They’re also both polyglots (at least for reading), and capital-R Romantics.
Grantaire + Marius: They socialize at least once, but I think their outlooks and manners are just too different.
[*Ok, let’s be honest. No one actually obeys Enjolras. Does Grantaire go home when told to? No. Does anyone get some sleep the night of June 5-6? No. Does anyone volunteer when Enjolras asks four people to save themselves? No, they wait until Combeferre and Marius make the same plea and then only volunteer other people. The closest they get to anyone listening to Enjolras is the fact that no one touches the bottles under Mabeuf’s table.]
#Les Miserables#les amis de l'abc#silly pointless headcanon#definitely overthinking things but also underthinking them probably
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I think a lot about Casey Jones as a character.
He was created to 'out-crazy' Raphael, and to be a love interest for April because they didn't want to pair her with a turtle, since they were initially asexual.
Then 2012 came along and gave us Apriltello anyway. And it was toxic for a while.
But boy did we get Casey Jones being Casey Jones.
The point is that Raph and Casey were always going to be the Violence And Anarchy Twins.
Casey Jones was literally born screaming ACAB in the 1980s. He was determined to protect The Little Guy from predatory cops and authorities just as much as from predatory street criminals.
Mirage Casey was probably the original poster child for socialist anarchist anti-establisment memes. Which is why Bayverse making him a cop wanting to be a detective was so fascinating. Was he trying to tear the institution down from the inside? I like to pretend he was.
These are different times, after all. Sure, make April a teenager and link her romantically with a painfully awkward Donatello, that'll be fun for everyone, right?
I'm not really an Apriltello fan partly because I remember when that was forbidden according to canon. But canon also did things like set up Older Leonardo with Raven Shadowhart (they had sex!!) before killing her, but that also showed that the asexual Turtles still liked sex, so hey. But also I'm not a fan because I was initially horrified about how Ciro tried to write 2012 Donnie stalking April and April stringing him along. There have been so many fan essays and videos about that. I'm glad things worked out by the finale, but… well. I mean, the turtles in every version have always had tiny crushes on April, she's their first human friend, she's their link to the human world. But 2012 made it blatant and it just felt weird. I knew it could have gone so well. Eh. I don't harass the hardcore Apriltello lovers, it's not a bother, and they enjoy it. I will say though that many of them will breathe fire at anything hinting at the ship being negative. And I hate that. That's how you get antis. Yes, it's an Archer paraphrase. And I hope they grow up one day.
Also, this is why 2012 Fix It AU fics are my favorite. April and Donnie working things out and often doing poly with Casey, Mikey being poly with Renet and Shini while Shini is with Karai, etc. Because Michelangelo and Shinigami are drift compatible.
Anyway. Casey Fucking Jones. Ultimate Chaotic Neutral Dumbass whose favorite sport is violence. Which is why he's got every stick and blunt weapon in his ubiquitous golf bag.
Including a toaster to throw at people while shouting "Give me a toaster or give me death!" - which suddenly I'm seeing as a video game.
#tmnt history#tmnt casey jones#casey jones#fandom history#fandom grandma#tmnt 2012 i'm looking at you#tmnt 2003#leonardo vs toasters#the ninja turtles were originally asexual#the ninja turtles have always been like that#ninja turtles and representation#michelangelo and shinigami are drift compatible#asexual april#gray ace leo#pansexual mikey#demisexual donnie#demisexual raph
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It's interesting to read how charmie came out of the fan fiction realm. And while keeping it in fan spaces is essential, the original poster has expressed that their opinions on charmie were openly spoken about in spaces like data lounge. So while T may not have read your fiction, the ideas within that world were widely shared out of the fan realm and that's where it starts to affect people's lives. (Even if you're not directly tagging.)
Well, I doubt he reads datalounge either 😂. And Tim, armie and Luca to an extent all kinda "baited" fans during promo. "Tongue wrestling partner", as Tim called armie in an awards speech, with a cheeky grin. Of course they knew what mainstream media was writing about them and hinting at, "big fat smooches" and "frolicking in Italy" included. It was a game. I doubt they were aware of the monster they created but to a certain extent they played with the innuendo and their chemistry. And we writers picked it up and ran with it.
The problem is not fic, it's mentally ill "fans" running amok with an imagined relationship. All shippers and writers I'm still friendly with never behaved like that, never inserted themselves into these real people's lives, never harassed their friends and family, and most never even truly believed anything was going on between these two, but enjoyed the fantasy as a fantasy.
This is as old as people enacting romances, and it happens with straight and gay media alike. It's also done mostly by women, which might be explained with the lack of mainstream media catering to what a female audience wants. So we make it up - and sometimes there are individuals that can't handle or tell apart fantasy from reality.
But it's not our fault mentally ill people believed things that were simply not real. There's no defense against that, there's nothing anyone can do about it.
We as fan creators can't control fellow fans. Tim can't that either. The crazy fan has been part and parcel of celebrity culture forever, sometimes with fatal effects. Us not writing fic or drawing art won't change that.
And up until the true nature of armie was revealed, you could still have chalked all this up as the annoying and embarrassing delusion of some horny fans. But now what's left of charmie is defending a sexual predetor and is actively attacking his victims. That's a whole new level of atrocious behavior. Believing 2 men fucking is rather harmless compared to trying to enable a sex offender and to interfere with legal proceedings.
This is so utterly deranged and vile and dangerous that it makes me truly speechless. It also exposes the extent of mental issues these people have.
And I'm sure the horrible things his co-star did in real life shocked Tim way more than me writing fiction about them having fucking each other in the butt.
We should all be much more concerned with fellow fans openly calling the victims of sexual assault "lying attention seeking whores" on Twitter while tagging law enforcement and major news outlets, than with a handful of people who wrote some now mostly deleted smutty stories on a fan website 3 years ago.
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KunTen Masterlist Part 1
AO3
1. Body Talk by smallchittaphon
Summary: He had feared the statement more when the days to His and Kun’s one year mark approached but he shouldn't have. It was childish too, not every relationship is the same he realizes.
Rating: Mature
Status: One-Shot
2. cut through the clouds by heartsighed
Summary: Qian Kun, microbiology major, vice-president of the ISA, part-time poster model and full-time mom friend, is perhaps more stressed than he would like everyone to think.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
3. something new by creamsoda (bobahoney)
Summary: Ten finally asks Kun to fuck his thighs.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
4. the aesthetics of beauty by hoeunki
Summary: when Kun’s required to create something that defines art, he decides to draw a stranger that he finds sleeping on the campus grounds.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
5. kiss me under the light of a thousand stars by gabilliam (vvhymack)
Summary: Ten calls the wrong number, Kun comes to the rescue.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
6. The Customer is Always Right by 021497J
Summary: Ten honestly isn't a picky eater, the chicken was dry. His complaints earn him a visit from the very cute head chef. He can't help it if he wants to see him once more, all he has to do is complain...right?
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
7. red, orange, yellow, green, even thicker by eatthatup
Summary: Kun isn’t used to being praised. Physically, at least.
Rating: Mature
Status: One-Shot
8. incandescently (for him.) by gabilliam (vvhymack)
Summary: They were no longer the likely protagonists for the typical romance and it saddened Ten. (Historical AU)
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
Trigger: Slight homophobia mentioned
9. we’ll be alright by syugafairy
Summary: kun never thought of himself as an anxious person
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
10. light me up
Summary: Ten spends most of his life dreaming of being a superhero, and by luck, his wish is granted. Chaos ensues.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
11. the store by _helios (the_heliades)
Summary: His cat, quiet and proud, will watch with piercing eyes, as they wander out of The Store and into the world again.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
12. Rain. by softyjseo
Summary: Ten is in love. Kun isn't, apparently.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
13. sweeter than cake by eatthatup for adarkalleyway
Summary: Ten, pouting just slightly, makes Kun melt instantly. Like heating sugar, near its burning point.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
14. kiss me if you like me (slap me if I'm wrong) by mikararinna
Summary: Ten was starting to feel bored of life. He needed a challenge, something to excite himself. Kun had an idea.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
15. Magnets by orphan_account
Summary: Kun and Ten are roommates.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
Trigger: slight harassment
16. sibilance by andnowforyaya
Summary: Doctor Qian Kun chases the stories he hears on the rivers to their origins, and he meets a beautiful boy underneath a waterfall.
Rating: Teen
Status: On-going
17. get you good by gift
Summary: “Please, don’t make me beg,” Kun whines.“I like when you beg,” Ten tells him bluntly.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
18. sweet, sweet love by RedamancyEffect
Summary: Kun is the sweetest omega ever, Ten is head-over-heels for him. Too bad, Kun is a little dense.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
19. stupid spinach dip
Summary: Yukhei and Mark visit Professor Kun and they find out he’s married to news anchor Ten.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
20. sunchoke by flyway
Summary: Kun, Ten, and summer at the Sunchoke magazine test kitchen.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
21. Handle Perfection
Summary: Ten was going to need Kun to stop this kind of behaviour, his heart couldn’t handle this type of perfection.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
22. you are my favorite everything
Summary: Ten and Kun meet during the perfect summer.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
23. no matter how long i wait by dreamlaunch (mayuaka)
Summary: in his search for a dream blocking enchantment, ten finds kun.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
24. the truth hurts (and secrets kill) by thereisnoreality
Summary: Ten kills while Kun is at work.
Rating: Mature
Status: One-Shot
*Part of murdery martrimony collection
25. Open Windows by Mntsnflrs
Summary: Ten constantly locks himself out of his apartment, Kun saves the day and him.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
26. green, pink, blue, yellow by rowenabane
Summary: Imagine: a town with manicured lawns, cotton candy sunrises, houses that all look the same. Imagine: a neighbor with a beautiful smile, a terrible secret, a hidden past.
Rating: Mature
Status: One-Shot
Trigger: Slight alcohol abuse
27. dreaming (are you thinking what i'm thinking?) by okamiwind
Summary: They could not be more different, the pair of them.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
28. click, snapshot by kwonjis
Summary: photographer!kunten fic
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
29. Office Hours by violetpeche
Summary: Kun’s chest starts to ache again as he watches the soft, pink tip of Ten’s tongue slip across his lower lip before biting it.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
30. open invitation by andnowforyaya
Summary: Ten’s asleep, and his pink, soft lips are parted, that mouth that gave Kun so much trouble earlier today.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
31. What's Life Without a Little Worry?
Summary: Kun was a notorious worrier. He worried about his grades, about his friends and whether they were eating enough, sleeping enough.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
32. To All The Boys I Ghosted Before by cobalamincosel
Summary: The Tinder AU where Ten ghosts Kun in date night— and months later finds out that Kun is his new neighbor.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
33. Miles Above by violetpeche
Summary: Ten looks up at Kun and lets out a deep sigh. “No.” He leans over to tap on the faucet to rinse out the sink for Kun. “I came in here to suck your dick.”
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
34. getting closer by flowerhairclips
Summary: Kun is in for a long ass ride when a demon he exorcised ends up falling in love with him.
Rating: Explicit
Status: Completed
35. a labour of love by eggboyksoo
Summary: renjun is an artistic genius with a tendency to keep things from his family. his parents struggle to support his interests while pretending they don't know about said interests.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
*Part of chaos, family, love collection
36. Hunger of the Pine by cobalamincosel
Summary: Kun and Ten are ex-college friends-with-benefits who end up becoming so much more when they bump into each other again at the airport after a few years for the wedding of their respective college roommates and best friends, Johnny and Taeyong.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
37. We’ll Get Lost Together (Let Me Flow) by easycomeeasygo
Summary: When Ten really gets to look at Kun, his brain short circuits. He’s hot.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
38. if you believe in magic, come along with me by mainvocal
Summary: Deep down, Kun knows Ten didn't ask to join Card Magic Club because he'd suddenly become enamored with the art of card tricks.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
39. Antedate by Lertsek
Summary: There are some nights where Kun wakes up and can't hear Ten breathe.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
40. Permeating and Perfect by Kkaepsongiya
Summary: He can’t stop making noise, not as Kun fucks him so well, the older boy holding his hips tight, pulling him back to meet his thrusts. He knows his hips will be bruised for days after this—he can’t wait to see the marks, to press into them when he’s all alone.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
41. Open Doors by Mntsnflrs
Summary: He decides he likes the way Kun says his name.He decides he wants to hear it more.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
42. let's stay together by madhoney
Summary: Kun smirked and squeezed around his boyfriend’s waist. He could really get used to a lifetime of his sass.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
43. Someday by almostkun
Summary: Kun laughs at him, caressing his cheek with his thumb. They stay in silence for a while, as Mr. Baudelaire chases Mrs. Austen with the help of Yoshihiro-san.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
44. i come apart at the seams (so you can stitch me back together again) by okamiwind
Summary: Ten is the shot, and Kun is his chaser.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
45. space rocks by gaysadandtired
Summary: no celestial being could compare to Ten and his blinding smile.
Rating: General
Status: One-Shot
46. old times by madhoney
Summary: Since his husband was just set on being ornery tonight, Kun decided to just take the L and try again tomorrow.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-shot
47. oh, let's start some rumour by mikararinna
Summary: Rumour has it supermodel Ten has a crush on famous actor Qian Kun. Ten called bullshit. He didn't have a crush on Kun.
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
48. you're insatiable by 10softbot
Summary: kun takes ten to a cabin in the woods so they can finally fuck
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
49. Reset by violetpeche
Summary: This particular Thursday morning spiraled into Hell on Earth.
Rating: Explicit
Status: One-Shot
50. Intersequence by pinkwinwin
Summary: a love story in photographs
Rating: Teen
Status: One-Shot
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Tumblr+ is a bad idea, but i understand why they are pushing for it?
Ok, how many of us have lived through the purges, watched as they nuked from low orbit all the artistic smexiness in a bout of puritanical fervor, while leaving the bots and blatant unfettered to rampage across this lovely hellsite free range and unchecked? Doing nothing while the shitiness of humanity is allowed to harass and threaten people for posting their hot takes (regardless of whether they are right or wrong)?
yeah, some of us have watched all that has transpired.
This is nothing new....
When you view past the staff statements, all the carefully crafted wording and corporate speak, all that remains is greed, pure and simple....
for some of us, this is a safe haven, a refuge from the rest of the clusterfeck that is known as social media. where individuals can post their innermost thoughts, creative ideas, and feelings to the ether. If the stars are aligned in their favor, while the word gods shine favorably upon thee, and the image deities smile in dank approval, we find other like minded souls piloting their own ships within this digital night that meet briefly to share a like, comment. or reblog before moving on to other horizons. In it’s simplicity, tumblr is almost the last bastion of creative thought left in the entirety of the world wide web.
for others, tumblr is just yet another extension of their social media psyche, dragging all their real world baggage into it’s pages, hoping that someone out there may offer a solution to their own personal problems (or at least stroke their egos or biases to orgasmic bit) . Activists abound, and are shouting from the digital rooftops “look at me! See! See the violence inherit in the system, help help, i’m being oppressed!”” While the darkest ugliness in certain parts of humanity responds with vile poison and vitriol to ideas that do not agree or align with their own...committing the oldest of digital sins, in the newest of ways. Sad....but i digress.
Tumblr, to it’s corporate and wall-street taskmasters, is not greatly profitable in it’s current form. Sure, they get a little bit of money here and there from all the boring unremovable ads sprinkled throughout everyone’s feeds...but that’s just it. ad money keeps the lights on and the hamster wheels turning in the server rooms, and maybe a pot of coffee or box of stale doughnuts in the break room to keep the hamsters happy, but in the end it’s just enough to keep the site barely alive, while ensuring the devils get their deep pockets full of due.
The question everyone is asking themselves, but don’t know it yet, is...
To just Whom does tumblr+ benefit the most?
It’s certainly not for the fan-fic artists who create art based on someone else’s works. certainly not for the shit-posters who reblog all the weirdly wonderfully funny and bizarre things the world web has to offer. certainly not for the fanfic writers, who craft the continuing stories of their favorite properties they do not own. definitely not for average joe or jane blogger who basically repost everything that crosses their feeds because they enjoy that stuff immensely, and want to share it all with everyone who follows them. Certainly not for I, who basically just comes here to post fictional stories from pregenerated prompts, whatever pops into my head, and a few reblogs from things that catch my fancy.
So who does that leave? In the Immortal words of Sherlock Holmes, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ”When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
For a few original tumblr artists, this may be a boon (but i doubt it). why would you settle for a middleman to get paid for your original art, when you could sell to a direct market off site for prints/merch straight to the customer and making bank? Seems counterintuitive to me to allow a site to step in to earn money off your hard work and creativity. Plus a paywall cuts you off from potential customers who may be interested in your works, but will not pay tumblr just to view your works....kinda shooting yourself in the foot going plus.
Tumblr+ is being built for all the clout chasers that think they will benefit from a blue plus mark (just like on twitter and instagram, go figure) banking on human vanity and obsessive compulsive disorder to bring in the money. (that’s right! buy that blue + mark ya little cash monkeys...spend, spend for that social credit! muahahahaha!)
The other reason is Porn. (don’t laugh...the internet you enjoy today was built on the metaphorical backs of the porn industry. every internet innovation enjoyed in the past 35 years was created, tested, and tried first somewhere to deliver, watch, and enjoy porn. sure it got started on university campuses, but the porn industry made it take off like a rocket to push product) Tumblr can’t beat it...they have consistently shown they are incapable of removing all the raunchy naughty bits from this site. If you can’t beat them, join them. Put all the adult content behind a paywall, set the price, and watch the money roll in as humans just can’t resist watching a good fluff n’ tickle. Set the booby algorithm phasers to “paywall”! Wanna see that statue of Venus de Milo, or the statue of David? gonna have to pay that monthly fee to see. “Oh, but you’re just an artist drawing artistic nudes as a hobby? too bad! behind the paywall you go too. We want our cut of the share regardless how you may feel about it.”
basically Tumblr is trying to change the clientele....facts. They hope to draw in the same demographics that make sites like reddit, twitter, instagram, and others profitable to the corporation, at the expense of the long term users that made this site the unique thing it is today.
but hey, what do i know, i’m just a messed up monkey with an opinion, take it all with a huge grain of salt and live your best life possible....but the cards are not in tumblr+’s favor.
Everyone has got an opinion on this, that’s all well and good. If you agree/disagree that’s fine too....just remember to be kind in all things, show the wisdom and grace of the best of humanity, take a deep breath before responding, and reply with the best of yourself as you can muster...after all, you’re only human....Ook ook.
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Canyon Moon
A/N: WELCOME TO THE CANYON MOON FIC ! The chapters have to be split up and cut a lot shorter bc of sizing limits but I’m hoping you guys will still like it.
FIC MASTERLIST
WARNINGS FOR CHP. 1: swearing, mild drug use (weed)
CHAPTER ONE: the world’s happy waiting
The ocean has always been a calming place for you. Any body of water, really. The lapping of thewaves, the smell of salt, the course feeling of sand between your toes. It felt like home. So when you moved to Malibu, you found yourself lying on the beach until 4 am most nights, sometimes sleeping, but more often than not listening to music and writing.
Working as a songwriter for mostly just your friends, or as a fill in whenever someone wasn’t there, you were constantly writing. It was a lot easier to get deeper that way for you, not having to worry about sharing your secrets, and being able to mask it in other people’s voices. That being said, you had journals upon journals of your own songs. They were just for you, and occasionally your best friends, but it was something you were really proud of. After writing for the past 6 years, you’d like to think they were pretty good.
You’d gotten to your little spot around an hour ago, parking your pride and joy, an orange and yellow remodeled VW bus, which also functioned as your room most nights when you wanted to be out here, next to the sand.
The vibrant sunset had since dulled into a deep purple color, but it was still fairly light out. A small bonfire was lit in front of your blanket, keeping you a little extra warm even though it was still 70°.
Strumming your guitar, you moved away from the rock you were leaning against, a car’s headlights snapping you out of the haze you always got when you were out here. And also those two joints you had smoked already.
You raise your eyebrows at the fucking bright yellow Ferrari, hoping they were just stopping for a second.
Your prayers were ignored as a guy stepped out, a hoodie pulled over his head.
Shrugging your shoulders, you continue to play mindlessly, making up different melodies before creating a new one on top it.
Mr. Ferrari starts making his way over to you, which sends a flutter through your chest.
“Hey, just so you know, if you’re going to kill me, I’ve always wanted to die listening to Landslide by Fleetwood Mac,” you yell, grabbing your phone from your bag just in case.
The guy stops for a second and lets out a laugh.
“Definitely not trying to kill you,” he chuckles, and, oh, he’s British.
He comes closer and you come face to face with one of the prettiest people you’ve ever seen. Wearing a black hoodie with the words “Treat People With Kindness” embroidered on it, that’s cute, a pair of grey slacks, which you wouldn’t necessarily think of for beach attire, but he makes up for it by completing the look with no shoes.
“Do y’have a lighter I could borrow? Damn thing ran out and the gas station is just far away enough for it to be annoying.”
You laugh at that and nod, tossing him a random one from your bag.
“I feel that. I’m Y/N. Where you from?” You bluntly ask, because hey, he’s cute.
“Manchester, originally. Live near here now. You mind?” He asks, and you nod, scooting over to let him sit.
You’re hit with the smell of vanilla, leather, and just rich as he plops himself down, leaning against a rock a few feet away from you.
He points to your guitar, lips curled around the joint for a second before he inhales and asks,
“How long you been playing? Liked what you were doing earlier.”
You blush at this, barely remembering what you were doing.
“I have no fuckin clue. 14 years? Got my first guitar at 8 and fell in love.” You over exaggerated hugging your guitar, getting another laugh out of him, before you spit out,
“Oh, and thank you! I don’t really remember what I was doing to be honest. Just get in the zone sometimes. Do you play?”
He looks surprised at this, looking at you closely for a second.
“Uh, yeah, little bit. Been trying to learn more recently and kind of get my skills up.”
“Good for you! If you ever wanna play together, I’m literally always here. You sharing?” You smile, looking at his face in the orange light. His cheekbones are illuminated perfectly and you feel your throat go dry.
He nods and hands it to you, watching as you press the filter to your lips.
“What did you say your name was again?” You rack your brain and cannot remember him introducing himself.
“Didn’t. Harry, sorry that was a bit rude,” He mumbles, and you look at him funny.
“Are you like an FBI agent, Harry? Why so secret? And harassing young girls on the beach at night? With a fucking Ferrari? Come on, man, what’s your secret?” You tease, bumping your elbow into his side.
He laughs, shoving you with his shoulder lightly.
“Only harassing that’s going on is you interrogating me. But if I’m making you uncomfortable, I’ll leave right now. I should probably go, actually.” He rants, suddenly moving to get up. You turn your body quickly and lay your legs in his lap so he can’t move.
“You’re dumb. Secret, please?” You smile, blinking up at him.
He scoffs, shaking his head with a small smile, and pauses to run a hand through his hair. He takes a deep breath in before saying,
“I’m a musician, so that’s where the car and secret beach trips come in. I’m actually just starting to write for my next album, and I’m hitting a rut.”
“Oh shit, that’s what’s up! You’ll have to show me your stuff sometime. Sorry that I don’t know you, I’ve been living on the road for awhile so I listen to a lot of oldies. Plus, with hippie parents you don’t hear a lot of new music,” You explain, gesturing to your van.
He looks at you for a second before shaking his head, smiling to himself.
“What?” You grin, shoving his knee with your foot.
“You’re something else, s’all.”
“So I’ve been told.” A giggle falls from your lips as you lay down on the blanket, legs still in his lap, guitar now discarded to the side.
Looking up at the stars starting to form, you feel his gaze on you. Trying to figure out who this chick was, what stories she had, what witty remark was just past her lips.
“Question.” You say, propping your head up. Your hand finds it’s way on the back of your skull and you feel the blanket shift slightly underneath your elbow.
“Answer,” He responds with the same tone, tapping your knees with his fingertips.
“Would you wanna come with me so I can get a tattoo?”
He stops for a second and stares at you.
“Like, right now? You got an appointment?”
You grin and move off of him, ruffling his hair.
“Even better. I got cool friends.”
He takes his time packing up all your stuff, being as cautious enough to remind you not to cover the fire with sand in case someone stepped on it.
“This is my beach, Ferrari. No one comes here. Except handsome British guys, apparently.”
He looks up from the ground, where he’s stuffing your towel into your bag, and throws you a smirk.
“Thanks, baby. You’re gorgeous as well,”
“Blegh. Let me come introduce you to Sunflower,” you fake shudder at the pet name and he grins, pinching your side so he can laugh at your little jump.
You lead him over to your van, opening up the side door to show off your renovated home.
The entire thing was orange with white trim, big yellow sunflowers painted on the sides. The ceiling inside was painted a dark blue, the walls painted yellow.
A meditation rug was lying on the floor, a light brown wood flooring that matched the cabinets attached to the ceiling.
Your bed was all the way in the back, a simple white comforter on it. A mirror hung next to it, attached to the bathroom door. There was a small kitchen counter complete with a sink and a stovetop next to it. A small table folded out behind the drivers seat where a lounge area was located, orange cushions and fairy lights decorating the little couch.
All in all, it was a tiny fucking house in a car and you treated it like your baby.
“This is fucking sick,” he says, looking at the different artwork, posters, and decorations hanging all over the walls and cabinets.
“Thanks! Did it myself. Spent all summer working on it a few years back, I’m damn proud of it.”
There’s a pause for a second, trying to figure out how to best work this out.
“I’m cool to just leave my car here if you’re down to drive me. We’re going to one of my guy friends’ studio about thirty minutes from here,” you suggest, having a feeling Harry wouldn’t be down to leave his car here, no matter how secluded it was.
“Uh, okay. Should I be worried? Who knows what scoundrels you hang out with?” He teases, watching you go into the van to grab some things.
You glance back at him, laughing, before your breath catches in your throat. He’s since removed his hoodie and is left in a white tank top with small black print on the rib cage. Making a mental note to figure out what it says later, your eyes can’t help but drift to his arms. Illuminated in the car light, his biceps bulge as he rests his hands on the roof, leaning forward slightly into the car.
His tongue traces along his teeth, landing itself in his cheek as he watches you check him out.
“See something you like?” He asks, raising his eyebrows like he’s genuinely curious.
Your eyes flick back to his smirking face and you blink for a second, before responding with,
“Yeah, was trying to figure out what asshole uses a word like ‘scoundrel’ in 2018, what the fuck, Harry?”
He barks out a laugh and brings his fist up to his mouth to cover it, the other one coming down to hold his stomach.
“When you are done appreciating my humor, I need to change real quick. Spin around, please,” You come up from your squat and pull off your sweatshirt, not waiting for him to do that.
“Jesus, Y/N,” He exhales, spinning around and looking up at the sky.
“What? I gave you a warning,” you giggle, sliding your sweatpants down to slip into a pair of black volleyball shorts.
“By about half a second!” Harry exclaims. “You’re killing me.”
“Sorry, superstar, nobody is exempt from special treatment here.” You roll your eyes at yourself, what the fuck are you even saying.
“Mkay, you’re good.”
Harry spins around, eyes taking in your new outfit.
On top of your shorts was a giant Stevie Nicks shirt, one from her White Winged Dove tour.
“Shit, you might be a bigger Stevie fan than I am, and that’s saying a lot.”
“Fuck, you have no idea. My dad went to the fucking final show of this tour and met my mom in the crowd during Dreams. My mom made him play it when I was born because she swore Stevie brought me to them.”
You catch him staring at you and turn your head away, cheeks burning because you’re rambling and need to shut the fuck up.
He clears his throat and takes a breath before starting.
“Promise not to kill me when I tell you this?”
Holding your hand to your burning cheeks, you murmur,
“No.”
“Y/N!” Harry exclaims, finally coming in the van to tickle you.
“Okay, okay, I promise not to kill you,” You mock, waving your hands around.
“I was lucky enough to sing one of my songs with her along with Landslide and Leather and Lace.”
You drop your bag onto the ground as your jaw drops.
“Shut up. I don’t believe you.” You cross your arms over chest. “I don’t know if I’d be angrier if you’re lying or if it actually happened. Holy shit am I jealous.”
“Oh, I was crying onstage, losing my shit. She is, everything. Dreams was the first song I learned the words to, yknow? She truly is a magical being.”
“God. I’m definitely looking you up later because who the fuck sings one of THEIR songs with Stevie Nicks.” You sigh, leaning over to grab your bag and Doc Martens.
“Oh god.” Harry laughs, running a hand through his hair again, looking at you really intensely for a second.
“Not to sound like a dick, but do you really not know who I am?”
“I mean if you need your ego boosted I can lie?” You offer, before dropping the witty responses.
“But no, sorry. Like I said, I just.... don’t really listen to new music, and if I do it’s always my friends or some indie shit with an overused beat.” Harry laughs at that and you smile, yes, he’s not weirded out.
“Don’t apologize, please. I just, can’t be too sure, yknow? People like to use you, especially here. And you’re just a little too perfect to be true,” he sighs, pulling you closer to him by your waist.
Placing you hands on his chest, you look at him for a second before leaning forward and whisper in his ear,
“My tattoo awaits me, baby. Let’s go.”
He groans and leans his head on your shoulder, before letting you go and grabbing your bag for you.
Such a gentleman, you think to yourself, locking up Sunflower.
“Does your car have a cool name?” You ask, after buckling you, fingertips appreciating the rich black leather seat.
“Nope, but I’m good at nicknames. I’m gonna take a wild guess and say normal terms of endearment aren’t your thing?” He asks, making eye contact with you for a quick second as he puts his arm behind your seat before stretching slightly to look behind him as he pulls puts the car in reverse.
Looking up for a quick second, you remind yourself to breathe.
“You would be correct. Gotta use your brain if you wanna get me all jittery,” you tease, fanning yourself over exaggeratedly.
He gives you a side eye and smirks at you, popping a piece of gum in his mouth and raising his eyebrows, as if to say, game on.
“So where am I going?” He asks, starting to drive away from your special spot.
“Let us ask the oracle!” You hold out your phone like a trophy, before laughing to yourself and bringing up Google Maps.
Propping your phone up in the cupholder, you sit cross legged in just your socks in his seat, fidgeting with your hands for a second.
“I’m kind of intrigued on who you are now. What’s your story?” You ask, turning your head to look at him.
Harry glances over at you, eyes drifting to your bare legs for a second.
“Well, the short version, I guess, is I grew up in a little town in England with my mum and my sister, applied to X-Factor when I was 16, got put into a band called One Direction with four other lads, released couple albums with them until end of 2015. Then did a movie called Dunkirk, wrote and released my first solo album, and toured it. Just got back from tour about a month ago, actually.”
You look at him blankly for a second, and he shifts in his seat, removing one of his hands from the wheel to place it on the armrest.
“Holy SHIT am I unaccomplished,” you exclaim, hitting him in the chest.
“Hey!” he yells, but you cut him off.
“How many fucking albums is a couple? And how old are you, my god. That is impressive.”
“I’m 24, that probably should’ve been said before we’re alone in a car together. And 5 albums, in 5 years. Nearly killed us.”
“I’m 22. Damn, dude, that’s insane. It sounds like they horribly overworked you and I am hoping you were generously compensated and had a bit of musical freedom. I know how the music industry can be with boy bands.”
He nods for a second, licking his lips slightly, trying to figure out how to phrase his response.
“I’m not going to lie, there are some definite perks and I am so incredibly lucky to just be able to do what I love as my job.” His fingers find their way to his bottom lip, pinching it slightly. “It was fun, I mean, you throw a bunch of teenagers together and give them celebrity status? We were insane, and I enjoyed it. But.... it felt like I wasn’t a person anymore. I was just ‘Harry Styles from the boyband One Direction’.”
“I don’t necessarily understand but I think the fact that you came out this respectful and real says something. You seem to have your shit properly together, and, even if you don’t, you got back from tour two months ago! You deserve some relaxation. The world’s happy to wait for you to find yourself a little.”
Pausing for a second, you place your hand on his arm, squeezing it lightly before swearing,
“I hope you know I’m being genuine about not knowing you and latching on for fame. I’ll let your parents know my intentions with their son are all very pure.”
He laughs at that, glancing at you again,
“I appreciate you saying that. This life is wonderful, like I said, but it’s very stressful and puts pressure on every relationship. There’s always going to be stories or photos and rumors spread like wildfire.”
You shift in your seat, understanding that this was a very serious issue for him.
“Listen, I’ll let you know up front that that doesn’t bother me. I’ve dated musicians and know the life, I get it. I think you’re cool and that we could have a fun time experiencing real life together. But before we do that, you need to have fun and let everything the fuck GO. I’ll promise you right now, if you let me stick around, you’ll experience what life is. No fame or pining for success bullshit, no offense, but there’s no need for it. If you’re happy doing what you’re doing, no one can tell you you’re not successful.” Harry stops the car at a red light and fully turns to look at you.
He exhales harshly before grinning. “You are a breath of fresh fucking air, Y/N. I think you’re going to change my life, if I’m being honest here.”
“Here’s hoping,” you grin.
A/N: THE OFFICIAL FIRST CHAPTER IS UP !!! I’m hoping you guys will come to love this fic as much as I do. I’ll try to find a writing schedule that works with you guys and my work schedule, so sorry if chapters take a little bit to come up. This is going to be a looooong fic, so buckle up, turn that old lover’s hippie music on, and enjoy !!
- lana <3
#harry styles x reader#harry styles#harry styles fic#canyon moon#sunflower vol 6#multi chapter fic#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles smut#dom harry styles
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Sorry, I should be clearer. You don't have to post this. I did see the 'callout' but I didn't know them. I thought the Ace Discourse takes were non-issues but then I saw the part about antiblackness and thought, "OK, I see where they got that from". And at the time it looked like someone had informed you but you were ignoring it. If they didn't, and you weren't, that's a different story. I'm sorry you were harassed, I don't agree with that. But you did seem unaware of why it came across so bad.
alright. i am going to outline the two major accusations i think you're talking about - one of which was completely off the wall, and one of which actually was a good critique of my actions, which was then mixed in with all the other accusations.
the first was that i defended a slavery au. that's fucking insane. i never did that. what i DID was not block a user who had created one and later apologized, because the only person who talked with me about it was anonymous. i was not quite as suspicious of anons then as i am now, but friends of mine had been the victim of abusers twisting genuine mistakes and co-opting activist language to isolate and turn people against their victims, so i had a policy of not doing anything based on an anon's word alone, since i couldn't check their credibility. i instead said that i would follow the lead of poc in the community, which i later did by blocking the artist.
in retrospect, it was my whiteness that allowed me to give them the benefit of the doubt that their initial au was a mistake and that they might deserve a second chance. that was not my call to make. it is also, in large part, because i gave literally everyone the benefit of the doubt. i gave genuine responses to an anon who said i was 'playing the sexual trauma card' three times before i realized they wouldn't listen. that doesn't justify it, though, and was a character flaw as a pushover just as much as it was racist. i was wrong for that.
(as a side note, the anon later cited this discussion on twitter as proof i had 'talked over and refused to listen to' a person of color, as if....i just. had some sort of Spidey Sense that tingled when an anon was white. i still pretty firmly believe that a lot of that discussion came from a basic, widespread misunderstanding of what anonymity fully entails, but that's a conversation for another time.)
the other major accusation is one i will freely admit, as i always have, was a fully warranted and credible one in its original form. i had been commissioned to write a kingston/kugrash fic, and there had recently been a rash of discussion that i had never seen beforehand about the ship being disliked. i was uncertain whether it was inherently racist, and thus if i would need to back out of the project and refund the commissioner, or if this was just a personal issue that people had.
without knowing more about what the problem was, it was hard for me to google 'problematic rat curse shipping' with hope of any actual answers, so i asked an open question about what the specific problem was on twitter (which i did, to my little credit, clarify several times throughout the conversation that no one was obligated to respond to or engage with, and that i was certain the fault was mine for ignorance). another user very kindly and patiently explained to me the importance of canon interracial ships that don't involve white people. i asked what i, at the time, thought was a clarification question about the lack of non-het characters of color to ship in interracial relationships, but what in retrospect was very much a defensive attempt to push through the issue with as little change to my actions as possible. they rightfully called me out on being performative; i apologized and promised to look back on the conversation later and reflect on it.
i learned after the fact that the other person involved was a minor, and upon learning it, immediately deleted all of my part in the conversation. i don't regret that. my memory of that time is too fuzzy to know whether what i said would have damned or aided me, but ultimately, that doesn't matter at all in comparison to making sure that user wouldn't face any of the harassment that i later did. they're one of the other people who i really, truly believe was well intentioned, and whose advice i still take very seriously when reflecting on my actions.
the call out post was made the next day. it was possible to frame it as my 'being informed but ignoring it' by utterly distorting the context of the first accusation, and thus being able to use the second, much more credible accusation to prop it up as more legitimate. i am not going to pretend i didn't make mistakes, because i did, and i will continue to. but i wanted to, and was willing, to learn. i think the fact that i still tried to parse genuine criticisms from harassment even as i actively regressed to my lowest points, and am still trying to more than a year later, is evidence of that.
in the end, though, the veracity of the racism accusations wasn't actually the root of the poster's hatred of me. (i actually recall making a post at the time stating that when i talked about people harassing me, i specifically was not talking abt critiques of my racism, and that i was grateful that people were calling me out and forcing me to adjust my perspective. there was a very clear distinction between people trying to educate me and people trying to hurt me.) what they hated about me was that i wrote nsfw fanfic about aged up characters, and that, when told that this made people uncomfortable, promised to make it easily blockable for them, but did not outright remove them, because i felt that as i was writing about adults in a consenting relationship and the pieces were largely a proxy for delayed-by-trauma exploration of my own sexuality, i didn't feel there was anything inherently immoral about them. thats what they hated me for. that's why i was called a pedophile and a bitch and had my chosen name mocked widely. the poster stated outright thats why they hated me. the accusations of racism were, i believe, largely to pad the post out for people who wouldn't hate me for that alone.
#asks#anon#long post#ask to tag#obvious disclaimer im a human being and thus my memory naturally distorts over time to paint myself in the best possible light#in the same way that im sure the memories of the people who harassed me have largely reframed themselves as Innocents Trying To Inform#i acknowledge that. theres nothing i can do about it. i can say that anything in this post is something that i can confidently say#that multiple third parties can confirm occurred. my opinions are mine but my statements were public#i dont know why tumblr didnt save that last tag when i posted this. tumblrs a functioning website
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Accent - Lee Felix
Stray Kids
masterlist
Key: fluff, humor, honestly some ranting haha
Characters: reader x felix
Count: 3.1k words
Part: 1 2 3
Description: who knew a late night run to the grocery store also meant running into a boy with a peculiar voice, literally.
Note: this was my first chapter of a fic I wanted to write but I kinda liked it as a one shot so here we go! I’m still learning so bare with the writing and mistakes! most likely will make a part 2 or 3 but no promises segrtergsefb
GIF Originally Posted by @felixeslee
You tugged your scarf closer to your face as you walked down the streets of Seoul. You were creating a mental map in your head of the area surrounding you.
Although you've been living in Seoul for 3 years already, you haven't quite gotten the hang of going around. Having almost no other connections in the country has also been making it more difficult.
The words were ringing in your ears, the lingering chill that spiked down your spine, as if they were just spoken.
"Y/N I forbid you, I swear you better come back here before you regret it."
Old news you didn’t need to think about, baggage you were still letting go.
It was later in the night, most residents and tourists have retreated into their homes and hotels by now.
However, a good handful of people were still milling about, friends hanging out, adults having late night drinks, or late night shopping. Specifically grocery shopping, which was where you fell in the categories.
The streets were illuminated by golden glows and neon colored signs, advertising hole-in-the-wall restaurants and tourist attractions. Instead, what caught your eye was everyone's fan favorite: the 24 hour convenience store, it indeed deserved that name.
A breeze from outside rushed behind you as you entered the store, your brown hair flew around your face, along with your scarf. You grabbed a basket with one hand as the other is busy trying to tame your airborne hair.
You started down the aisles, picking out the cheapest food items and ingredients you could find. The life of a student.
There was no one else in the store but the cashier, an old man who was busy watching the small TV monitor on the wall and counting money at the register, most likely his earnings from earlier in the day.
You hadn’t gone grocery shopping in a long time, living in a small dorm by yourself didn’t really prompt a lot of needs that needed to be replenished often. Not to mention your lack of eating, sometimes remembering mealtimes was easier said than done.
You filled your basket with the last few snacks that your hands could grabbed before striding towards the register. You politely greeted the cashier, reaching into the pocket of your long coat and pulling out a few coupons and cash, ready to hand them over.
While the old man scanned your items, you noticed all the posters and pictures plastered all over the wall behind him.
Idol groups: boys and girls alike, all very beautiful, a little unreal you might add. Many of them were group photo shoots but some had members individual headshots.
You recognized many groups displayed, from the big-shots like BTS, EXO, and Twice. To upcoming phenomenons like NCT's 18 member super group, just to name a few.
A sad smile curved on your lips, you had a push and pull relationship with idol groups, never quite cemented your opinions on them.
You've never had a issues with the idols themselves, in fact you used to be a huge fan, following so many groups, listening to their music, and even learning their fanchants, the whole shabang. That was the pull towards the appeal. Idols used to be your role models for as long as you could remember.
Repeat that: used to be.
The industry that produced Idols was what killed your appeal. That's the push. When you were younger you had no idea what it took to be in the limelight of the idol industry, of the trainee life.
But who could you blame, a majority of the world never knows that it takes to be successful, you were no different.
Over time, the idea of boys and girls your age being subjected to their looks and physical appearance, whether their voices were deemed alright, and collapsing from over exerting their bodies dancing. It was all too much for you, even as someone on the side lines.
Don't even get yourself started on the negatives of the fans and fandoms. However, the only light to shed on this was that at least Kpop isn’t the only industry that had extremes among those that enjoy it. Western music fans that were toxic over there, were just as extreme too.
You knew that most fans were regular people and just enjoy the music and the bands but sometimes the polarizing few become too much. Maybe it's human nature to have bad apples everywhere.
One incident you remembered a few years ago was the Shinee’s Taemin and APink’s Eaeun situation. A perfect example of the viciousness of fans and their hate and outbursts whenever they saw their idols do something they don't like.
They'd stalk, harass, and belittle anyone that was even in a 10 ft vicinity of the star. Following them around saying disgusting insults, hammering the nails even further. You don't think you’ve ever seen two people in such distress before.
It was such a shame really, for all we know Shinee's makane may have really loved her like he said on the show.
Now years later, the two are left to only avoid each other on stages and music shows when their groups cross paths. Minimizing contact at all cost to protect Eaeun from further harassment for just being around him.
And that wasn't even a scandal, some fans just couldn't stand their oppa being potentially happy with another person.
to be honest that whole section was me being emo after I watched so many videos about it and for all i know none of it was true or real or it was real and they were hurt because of it, either way i don’t feel like deleting it so sorry to anyone annoyed by it lmao
Although idols weren’t on your radar anymore, you would always know of them, it's inevitable. You were living in the time where they were growing the most international.
Music has always been a love of yours and that's all you’ve been focusing on ever since you came to Seoul. That's probably the last connection you had to idols, your love for music, your love for what you do.
The old man finished ringing you up, bagging all of your groceries and handing you the receipt.
"Hold on dear," the elder said, as he crouched down and shuffled with something under the desk.
Restlessly, you tapped your fingers against the counter. Looking around at all the idol merchandise, your eyes were drawn on to the TV monitor.
"N E X T W E E K O N M N E T!"
On the TV screen, many different clips of a few boys wearing dark clothes in a dance studio flashed by. There was a voice over, by an older man, explaining the tasks the trainees had to overcome. It was an idol survival show.
In some flashes they were sitting in a half circle talking intensely, in others they were dancing to choreography as one person sat out giving thorough feedback. However, the last clip showed a lot of the boys individually, either writing lyrics or practicing the lines.
You had barely caught the large strikingly red S and K at the end of the clip before the old man bounced up from searching below, stealing your attention again.
"Aha I found it!"
He brought out a small booklet, as if it was a manual you’d get along with a new speaker you'd buy. A manual it was not. You looked at the cover featuring a subtle sky blue with the Hangul lettering in white.
SCOUTING: COMPANY AUDITION & EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
"You, young lady, look like these idol kids that are hung up on this wall," he gestured behind him while placing the small book into one of the bags. "We're given these little things all the time by a handful of companies to 'scout for rough potential.’ We only give them out during the day but since you're here so late I figured why not give you one eh?"
You stared oddly at the bags full of your food and now with a book that's basically a catalog of idol company hotlines. Looking back and forth between the wall of posters and the old man's kind smile you felt your cheeks blush at the gesture as you hesitantly smiled back.
"Uhh . . . thank you sir you are very generous," you stiffly bow, thanking him for the bags, still slightly baffled by the idol comment.
Ironic. You still remembered being told the same thing once, but that it’d be the only thing you’d be known for.
How superficial.
To save yourself from further embarrassment you briskly headed for the door. The chilly fall air brushed against your cheek, the bags in your hands slightly swaying due to the quick pace. Walking only a few feet away from the convenience store, you looked down at the bags thinking about what the man said.
Yeah right, become an idol your ass.
Before you could look up you felt your right shoulder collide into another figure, earning a loud yelp from the both of you. You dropped your bags as you stumbled slightly losing your balance while the other person, who you realized was a guy, stumbled on his step too.
The guy reached his hands out and gripped your arms on both sides steadying you. Because of the small tug from his motion, you had accidentally taken a step towards him, slightly closing the space between you guys.
"Are you alright?" a deep voice asked, filled with concern. Shocked, our eyes flickered to meet his. English?
He had ebony brown hair parted on the left side of his face. It was a tad longer than most of the men’s hair you see around but the way it flowed just to his eyebrows perfectly framed his sharp pale face.
He was decked in all black clothing, sneakers and all. He was only maybe 3 or 4 inches taller than you yet his dark hoodie and jeans seemed to make his figure tower over you. His jaw was angular, skin a little paler than yours and lightly dusted across his nose and cheeks were freckles.
bahaha apparently he is 5' 7 rn its okay tho because i’m hella short
"Yeah I am," you mumbled back, stunned by his dark eyes staring down at you.
He grinned at you showing of a white smile. He gently let go of your arms and crouched down to pick up the fallen bags. "I think we're both going to run into something worse than each other someday if we don't pay attention to where we're going."
You quirked up an eyebrow. "You speak English?"
"I don’t know, does it sound like I'm speaking Spanish?" he chuckled at his own joke.
His voice was like the ocean itself. A deep flowing tone, miles under sea level, it was a complete contrast from the pretty face it was coming from.
Your ears seemed to ring listening to his voice. An accent of some sort? It wasn't an American accent like your own, nor was it European, it was distinct. You couldn't really put a finger on it.
"Don't take offense to this but are you a foreigner too?" you questioned.
"Hmm I wonder what gave it away," he flashed you an amused look, carefully handing over the bags full of your groceries. "But yes I am, you?"
"I guess we're both in the foreigners club here," you said looking up at him. "I'm from the States."
"Ahh so I got an American on my hands."
You furrowed your eyebrows at him half amused and half curious.
"And what's that supposed to mean huh?" you shot back. He laughed at your counter, the happy sound echoing through the street.
"I knew you couldn't have been another Aussie," he shoved his hands in his pockets, tilting his head a bit, as if thinking about how he wants to form his next comment. "Your accent made that clear, love."
You couldn’t help but giggle at his words, him following suit. So he's Korean Australian, that's new.
You thought it was only the British that said love.
An electronic ding rings out of the boy's jacket. Quickly pulling his hands out of his pocket with a phone in grip, he opened up the device to view a message he just received.
Sighing, he typed a quick reply to the other person on the other end. You noticed the slight bags under his eyes as his faces was illuminated from the phone. His posture was relaxed but slightly rigid in some movements.
He was clearly exhausted.
When he looked back at you, you took a step back putting some distance between each other, bending down and respectfully bowed to him, greeting him in Korean.
He bowed and greeted you back.
"I'm sorry for bumping into you, I didn't realize it was possible to bump into someone in plain sight," he said, shyly scratching the back of his neck.
You waved him off. "It's okay, I should've been watching where I was going but thank you for helping me."
"It's the least I can do after I sent you spiraling," he replied. He flinched as a few more buzzes went of from his phone, clearly whoever was texting him wasn't willing to wait much longer.
Time to go.
"Looks like my fellow foreigner has to go," You said, tilting your head to the side. "Seems urgent."
"Just my hyungs," he sighed, rubbing his eyes a little. "It was my turn to get snacks for home. Didn't realize I was on a time frame though."
"Lose a bet?"
"Something like that," he said. He held a hand out with the same grin on his face from before. "Well Miss America it was nice bumping into you."
You reached out to shake his hand.
His big hand I'm sorry I snorted writing this haha was warm, delicately holding onto your smaller one, they seemed to tingle at the touch. "I could say the same thing too, Aussie."
You let go of each other hands and exchange a small bow again. The brown haired boy started a step towards the convenience store until he paused and turned back to look at you. He seemed to be debating if it was worth to ask you something.
"Are you busy tomorrow?" He asked.
"Haven't even known each other for an hour," you jokingly raised an eyebrow at him. "Straight forward I see."
He laughed while taking off his beanie, running his fingers through his hair a little. He played the edges of his sweatshirt looking a way a bit, fidgeting.
"Well if you aren't doing anything tomorrow night you should come to Sinchon. I heard there's a lot of busking in the streets since it'll be Friday," he rushed.
"And you want me to come watch with you?" you pressed back. It was an interesting hang out choice for sure, but he's sparked your curiosity. You wanted to mess with him a little longer. "How will I find you? Doesn't seem safe to just give my phone number to a stranger I met on the street. I mean come on we haven't even exchanged names."
His face perked up. Clearly surprised that you were playing along with him. "It's Felix, Lee Felix. And what does my favorite foreigner call themselves?
"Ha ha ha you think you're so witty don't you? I'm Min y/n."
His eyes glistened under the city lights, you felt your heart pound faster at the way his face changed into content after learning your name. "So what do you say miss y/n? Care to join a night of fun with your favorite foreigner?"
"Hmm, maybe you'll see me there," you joked sarcastically. "How am I supposed to turn down the offer of a lifetime?"
You weren’t lying to be honest, even though the idea of watching some buskers was interesting, you weren’t completely sure if you could go. You had a long schedule for tomorrow but you didn't have the heart to ruin his excitement.
Felix's hand shot down back into his pocket to fish out his phone again before handing it to you looking away quickly, avoiding your eyes.
"Maybe you'll feel better if we had a way to let each other know when we'll be there," he mumbled, his cheeks tinting a bit pink.
"Is that how you're going to ask for my number?"
"If it's working then yes."
Laughing at his honestly you gingerly took the phone out of his hands and put in your number. His fingers lightly brushed against your own causing tingles to travel up your hands.
Ignoring the flutters in your stomach, you frantically typed in your info, becoming very embarrassed every time you made a typo. Feeling a heavy gaze watching you, you had barely missed the small comment that slipped out of his lips.
"Cute," he muttered under his breath.
You felt like digging yourself in a hole while you waited for him to put in his own number on your phone, openly spamming in some middle school emoji choices for the heck of it.
His cheeks raised up as a smile lit up on his face. "Can't wait to see you there!"
You nodded happily at him trying to calm the nerves that were spreading through your body.
What kind of trouble were you getting yourself into?
You urged him to finally head towards the store, it was like you could hear more message alerts already coming of his phone from a mile away. Waving goodbye as we walked away from each other, you couldn't help but feel the excitement building up already inside. You haven't had a light hearted conversation like this in a long time.
You closed your eyes seeing the painted image of his dark eyes looking down at you, hearing his deep voice that hilariously did not match his face.
His voice.
You whipped around from where you were, only a few feet further from the store and where you just spoke. You spotted the same boy right in front of the store, just about to push the door in.
"Hey Aussie!"
Your shout echoed through the empty dark street. The sky was clear and the moon was out, a perfect chilly day in November.
He turned to your direction surprised at your call. Doing the same head tilt like before, he was about to reply until you beat him to it.
"I like your accent."
His eyes twinkled a bit as he smirked back, amused.
"I like yours too."
#stray kids#felix#lee felix#stray kids felix#fluff#kpop#humor#sorry for the rant#bad grammar#junior year sucks#one shot#idol#kpop idol
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Art and Lessons
A/N: Happy birthday to my boo @therevolution-willbelive This is the first installment of my fics for her birthday bash featuring Shuri and Michelle (Spiderman Homecoming). I barely edited this so if you find a mistake let a sista know.
On Ao3
Warnings: None really. Just some education
Prompt: You pay for your friends
Words: 1.7k
“Are we there yet?” Shuri was growing impatient.
“Princess, we’ve only been in New York for three hours. There will be plenty of time to see everything.” There was a warning in Ayo’s tone but her eyes were soft.
“I am just ready to be out of this vehicle. It’s quite uncomfortable.” Ayo gave a small smile but didn’t respond to the whining princess.
Shuri had good reason to be excited. She was finally able to go out in America without the supervisor of her brother or cousin. Things had been going so well at the institute in Oakland that she was in New York City to scout a new location for expansion. Erik immediately suggested Harlem, citing it was the birthplace of black culture in the city. Shuri had taken to researching the neighborhood and history with such vigor that T’Challa allowed her to go explore without him. It was her first taste of real responsibility in the two years since Erik’s invasion and the battle.
Now she could barely contain herself as the motorcade rode down Malcolm X approaching 135th and she made a point to let the driver know, to the dismay of her Dora Milaje guard. She had reached out to Sam to get an itinerary together. He truly was a bird brain but gave her a list of must-see spots for art, food, and music. The first stop was The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The car came to a stop and Shuri quickly hopped out to get a look at her surroundings.
The city was not so different from her home, albeit a lot greyer. There were a lot more people that looked like her in the area opposed to the Manhattan hotel they would be staying in. Across the street, a statue caught her eye. It was a bronze sculpture of a black family above a burgundy canopy. The mother and father standing proudly with their children in two large hands. It was like they were being presented as a gift by some body-less god. The building itsself wasn’t all that grand but she couldn’t take her eyes away from the statue.
“That’s the Harlem Hospital Center.” The guide’s words startled Shuri.
“Why does it have that sculpture on the front?”
“To remind us that this was all we had at one point. There was a time that black families could only get medical assistance here in Harlem,” The guide cast a far-away look on the building then a bright smile to the princess “My name Is Vardia, I’ll be showing you around today your highness”
“Ah! No need for all that. Today I’m just a teenager on a tour.” Shuri chuckled.
“Fine by me! Will your, um entourage be joining us?”
Shuri glanced over to Ayo and the other personnel charged with keeping her safe. “Give me one moment and we can go in.” She jogged over to Ayo, waiting by the car. “Do you think I could do the tour alone? The place isn’t too big and it’s just art and stuff, no real danger.”
“I have to advise against that,” Ayo said, throwing a curious eyebrow in her direction.
“I promise I will keep my kimoyo beads on and if anything happens I have my tech with me,” She bats her eyelashes and gives her most innocent smile. “This would be a nice opportunity to see the sights and enjoy yourself, you really do work too hard.” Flattery never worked on the Dora but it didn’t stop her from trying. She technically wasn’t lying either, Ayo worked so hard and this was supposed to be as much a vacation for them as a mission.
“Fine. I will see the sights as you suggested but I will not be far.” With that, she gave a salute and got back into the car.
After a celebratory fist pump, Shuri returned to her guide to begin the tour. They entered the building, walking by the security desk and into a lobby with an intricate painting on the floor. There was a sign on the far wall explaining that the mural was supposed to represent different rivers. Five blue streams ran from different corners of the room to the center where a large blue circle outlined a reddish brown center covered in golden arrows and mathematical symbols. Around the center were the names of the rivers depicted. Shuri was able to make out Congo, Mississippi, and Euphrates before the guide motioned for them to move onto the first gallery.
They went downstairs and came to another mural on the wall that read The American Negro Theater. Further down the hall, they came to a room with art on every wall.
“These are works of the students we have here at the research center. The assignment was identity. Feel free to look around at the pieces and listen to the videos the students made to describe their works.”
The collection was as beautiful as it was varied. There were paintings, charcoal drawings, sculptures and a picture that was made up of quotes from an original poem. Shuri spent at least five minutes in front of each one, taking it in and trying to get into the headspace of the artist. She never considered herself an artist although she constantly marveled at the beauty of her technology and machines. There was a slight pang of jealousy at those that could get pick up a pencil or paint brush and put their story and emotions onto a canvas.
Vardia allowed her to take her time with the pieces, periodically checking her email on her phone. Shuri was wearing the provided headphones for a video presentation when she tapped her on the shoulder.
“I’m so sorry about this Shuri but I have to go to an emergency meeting. Feel free to stay down here as long as you like then we can meet in the Black Power exhibit upstairs.” She said apologetically.
“No worries. Go and handle your business and I will be up there.” Shuri smiled and went back to her video. She spent a little more time revisiting her favorite pieces and headed upstairs to the second floor. A security guard greeted her at the entrance of the gallery. He was an older gentleman with soft eyes and a cheery demeanor. He gave a playful warning about not bringing food into the gallery or he would chase her down. However, he didn’t bother getting up from his seat so she laughed it off and walked in. Passing the theatre playing something called ‘Blaxploitation’ movies, she put a mental pin in that to come back to later.
Upon entering the open gallery she was greeted by a large mural, purple background with a solid black fist and the words ‘Black Power!’ written in white.
It was breathtaking, only two words but it was like they carried a weight with them. The gallery itself was filled with posters, excerpts from books and speeches, art, and pictures. She didn’t notice the group of other teenage girls eyeing her while she picked up headphones to listen to s documentary on Angela Davis and the Black Panther party. That was until one of them tapped her on her shoulder. “Hi. It’s almost finished I think then you can have a turn.” Shuri said with a smile.
“I’m not waiting for a turn. I’m trying to figure out what the fuck you’re doing here.” She spat. The girl and her friends couldn’t have been more than seventeen. They were all well dressed and their hair was laid nice in neat puffs, braids, and a twist out. If it wasn’t for her accusing tone Shuri might have thought of them as new friends.
“I’m sorry but what are you talking about?”
“Come on Liz, let’s just leave it.” The girl with the puffs said.
“No, I wanna know what the uppity princess is doing here in little ole Harlem with us regular blacks.” Liz quipped back.
“I am not uppity. I’m Shuri you don’t have to call me princess.” Shuri said in a light-hearted tone and extended her hand. The leader, Liz, just stared at it like she was offered a dead cat. “I’m being polite.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Polite would have been never stepping foot in Harlem. Yo Wakandan ass could’ve stayed overseas, we good over here. Your family sat by while we dealt with shit schools, poverty, violence, not to mention the police and our own government trying to kill us.” She gestured to the exhibit. “This is a testament to US. Everything we did we lost without you or your precious Wakanda”
Shuri just stood there. She didn’t know what to say. This was the first time she’d ever been put in this kind of situation and her entire world was off kilter.
“What’s wrong princess not used to people being honest with you,” Liz said with a smirk. “Or are you not used to people not liking you.”
“I-I was just trying to be friendly.” She said in a small voice.
“Friends?” The girls let out a cackle “I bet you pay for your friends. Yeah, got a royal court of bitches that just laugh at all your jokes and give you compliments.” They laughed again. Heat began to rise in Shuri’s cheeks and tears prickled the back of her eyes.
“Hey! Leave her alone you loser assholes.” The words came from a new girl in the gallery. She was glaring at the group of girls harassing Shuri. “You don’t have anything better to do than bother literal royalty.”
“Stay out of this light bright”
“Ah, of course, we go straight from gatekeeping to colorism. Why don’t you just stop the performative activism and let people enjoy the information here.” Her eyes were intense as she spoke but she lazily tossed her long curls over her shoulder when she was finished speaking.
The girls looked between Shuri and the new girl that saved her. The new girl stood straight as they sized her up. Deciding against continuing their assault they turned to leave, Liz being sure to throw an especially dirty look at Shuri on their way out.
Shuri was still looking at the door when the girl approached. “Don’t worry about them. They just have a lot of misplaced frustration and you were an easy target. I’m Michelle.”
“Shuri.”
“Now that’s over would you like a real tour of the exhibit?” Michelle had a bright smile.
“I would like that very much, Michelle.” Shuri returned the smile.
“Actually, you can call me MJ.”
Part 2
If you enjoyed my writing please reblog and send me some feedback!!
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