#bothsidesofaquestion

@bothsidesofaquestion asked: ☆☆☆☆ put this star into the inbox of your favorite blogs - it's time to spread positivity! ☆☆☆☆

Unprompted

He stuck to the shadows of the pillars as he made sure the church was empty. There were no devout old women praying over their rosaries, no desperate men lighting candles. The air in the church was filled with the smell of incense, myrrh and something else that Remy couldn't name. There were no sounds of anyone else even breathing, and Remy felt himself relax just a little, stepping out of the shadow of one pillar to another one.

There was a painting here, in this German cathedral, that he was after, the Madonna of the Rose Bower. He'd been hired to retrieve it by someone with more money than brains and he'd had no problem accepting the job. The painting was beautiful, and Remy loved beautiful things. More than he loved money, but beautiful art couldn't keep him fed, and he had some small need for food. Thus, stealing from a church in the dead of night.

He had scoped out the church from the outside during the day, but he hadn't dared slip in until evening mass, when he could blend in with the crowds. Not easily, being tall and black, but a religious man was a religious man, and he knew how to make all the right moves, to fool people into thinking that he was just as devout as they were. He'd been doing it to his papa for years, after all. Remy was a chameleon. He fit in where he needed to, so long as no one looked at his eyes. Thankfully, Catholics in prayer did not much make eye contact.

Remy found his way to the alcove where the painting was, stopping in front of it. It was beautiful, 15th century, oil on canvas. Given a few hours, Remy could probably produce a fair imitation of it, but he didn't have a few hours to do so. He had to get the painting and get out. He carefully pulled out a knife, lifting it to the canvas.

"I am sorry," he apologized to the painting, "mais, Remy gotta eat," he laid his knife to the edge of the painting, but stopped when he heard a noise in the cathedral. The knife disappeared up his sleeve as he stepped back. He carefully concealed himself again, looking around. He hadn't seen anyone, but that meant nothing. There was someone else in the room with him and Remy could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

He quickly made to look as if he was praying, hands folded in front of him, as his eyes tracked around the room, watching the shadows. Something moved to his left and he turned in that direction.

"Hello? Who is it?"

Somebody is watching her.

When you're homeless, it's impossible not to learn a thing or two about how to stay out of trouble; and out of both Maximoff twins, Wanda is the one that's developed the best radar for trouble– if she does say so herself. Like a sixth sense that lets her know when she's attracted somebody's attention, which more often than not translates to trouble. So far, it hasn't failed her and sleeping under colorful windows and statues of saints thanks to the priest's patience, mercy and ability to not ask questions is not enough for her to turn that radar off.

She's not even sure if it HAS an off switch.

Either way, Pietro is asleep, father Wagner is asleep. She knows that. She's not aware of anyone else currently crashing in this church and yet, somebody is watching her.

Wanda gives them a chance to mind their business, prolonging her candlelit midnight walk further than she intended for it to last just to see how determined this person is to just sneak around thinking she's not aware of their presence, her hand tucked in her pocket, gripping a switchblade that Pietro insists on making her carry around and that, for once, she finds comforting.

She's never telling Pietro that he was right.

And she gets tired of waiting for her spectator to do something.

🚩 // @bothsidesofaquestion

Why don't people like their favorite characters anymore? And why do they have to be so racist about it? These two intersect, I swear, follow me.

No one likes their favs anymore. I get that. Let's use three popular white boys as an example: Baz Krakker is an understandably villainous gang leader who is so dangerous you bet against him at your own peril. Asterius is a cunning and foppish vampire who is actively using the player character unless compelled to change by romance or friendship. Specter is a terrifying special forces operator who has no people skills and no real desire to connect with the rest of the cast.

But that doesn't make them... Pookie. It's not just that an OC or a love interest can be his exception, can be the one Baz can touch, the one thing Asterius wants to protect, the single human element in Specter's life. That's ancient fandom lore, everyone has had that one OC. Do not lie to me and say you didn't. Now it's that fandoms at large, and sometimes factions within RPC, cannot accept these men at face value. They're so high on their own puritan culture of 'well I would NEVER like a problematic character!' that rather than examine 'hey fandom isn't that serious and i love this war criminal' they dig in deeper with 'this man cannot possibly be problematic then!' and take away his fangs and claws, no matter how metaphorically.

Baz is now a snarky and devoted partner whose physical disability and phobias are nonexistent. Asterius is an ideal partner and thoughtful domestic lover who might as well have never been traumatized, or if he was rather than fall back on his canonical temper, he just cries pretty. Specter is the voice of reason and smooth operator with a clear moral compass to his team. Not a trace of canon depicted. All fanservice and character assassination. No one actually likes these characters, they like their actors/models/headcanons.

But Kadi, how is this racist? Because Baz's right hand man Jasper is a charming and snarky able-bodied sharpshooter who is a known flirt until he gets knocked on his ass by true love. Will is a noble man who worships the ground his partner walks on an carries his trauma in far healthier ways than the vampire, and also wants a home and family with the player that Asterius never expresses interest in. Zag is the cool-headed voice of reason and strategist of the task force and the one most likely to keep hotter tempers in line. What do these men have in common? Being black and being stripped utterly to make their white cohorts more palatable to fandom.

I am deeply uncomfortable with fandom's recurring need to shaft black characters to project their appeal onto mid white men rather than just romanticize/romance/make OCs for the POC in question.

munday q & a

the burnbook.

When people say "caught feelings," does that mean romantically? Just curious.

My... yeah, my most recent ex is someone I met online, and we used to roleplay together, but ironically, we met on a Discord server first. That was about 5 years ago, though.

Other than her, the answer for romanticly is a no but platonic feels? Hells yes, my frand.

I have deep and so fucking meaningful relationships with quite a few of the people I've met through RPing, dating back to about 15 years ago, with @iamdarcylewis being the OG sister from another mister.

Y'all really should know by now that I literally upped and kidnapped convinced @etherealxmuses to move to north Texas to be my roomie and soulsistah and so she would have chances at things that would've been harder, BUT SHE COULD'VE STILL DONE IT WITHOUT ME, and in turn, she's ironically done the same for me.

There are relationships I've made with this hobby that changed my life for both better and worse, but when it comes down to it? The people I have in my corner are my best friends and are worth every person who turned around and hurt me, I wouldn't dare trade the lot of them for a damn thing.

And I am ALWAYS wanting to make more and more connections, even if we don't end up writing; we can just talk ooc!