#For anyone looking for my opinion about hypotheticals: don't.

[cripplecharacters]

Thank you so much for this blog. Can I take a moment to ask the rest of your followers to please stop using it to ask for *permission* to write whatever they're trying to write? On every ask that starts with "can I write XYZ?", I just wanna grab the asker by the shoulders and ask back "what do you think is going to happen if you do?"

Since there's no ableism police going around inspecting amateur creative projects, this is really a poorly worded version of "is this bad/ableist/problematic/gonna get me cancelled/punished?", with an undercurrent of "am I bad? Am I a bad person? Please reassure me that I'm not a bad person", which is a hell of a lot to drop on a handful of strangers online who can only ever give you a bit of information and their own biased personal opinions.

I swear I'm not trying to be a jerk about this. It's good that so many people want to depict disability in fiction beyond flat stereotypes. But it's incredibly hard to create *anything* with this level of anxiety and craving for approval. It's sooo much better to be driven by playful curiosity. Learn to love research! Don't underestimate your capacity for critical thinking! Dare to form your own opinions! The worst that can (and will) happen is that you'll be wrong and make mistakes. Big deal.

I also invite everyone to get further along in the writing process before running to consult here. Writing is rewriting, and it's easier to rewrite what's already on the page than toy with hypothetical ideas forever. Tumblr jokes a lot about the mere existence of bad pieces of writing being "a hate crime", but let's get real. Your accidentally ableist first draft is not an act of violence, and treating it that way is not disability advocacy or activism or helpful to anyone.

Sorry if this ended up too long or verbose. What do you mods think? Agree/disagree?

I can't speak for the other mods but I mostly agree TBH.

There's much more to writing disabled characters than just getting a "stamp of approval" that what you're doing "is OK". And it's not that it's bad to consult others to make sure you're not being ableist (it isn't), but a good disabled character can't just be a character that's Not Offensive.

They should be well researched, they should be interesting, and they shouldn't just be there to be "good disabled rep". They should be a character, not a diversity quota to fill.

I've addressed the whole "no one is actually going to Cancel You if you write something ableist" in one of my older posts about writing characters with facial differences because it's true. One billion movies and series and comics come out every year and a ton of them are ableist, and I promise you no one is getting "cancelled" over having a villain with a scar.

I stopped answering those "is it ok if my villain is deformed and scarred?!??" asks because they don't really add anything, they're usually not looking to change anything or learn anything, they just want a Cripple's Stamp of Approval. And that's not going to result in a good character, ever, it's just like showing a thumbs up to a writer that it's OK for them to write this offensive thing. What's the point? If you want to write it so bad, just do it... There is no Council of Disfigured People that will cancel you and take your house. You don't need my permission to write a generic evil disfigured guy and I'm not going to grant it. If you don't want to actually learn or change anything, there's no point in asking.

As I said, that's my opinion and not necessarily representative of the other mods on the blog.

mod Sasza

As to my opinion I largely agree. You (the general you, not you specifically asker, which is what I will mean in this whole ask when I say 'you') can write whatever you want and no one will send you a certified letter by mail that says you are Cancelled or a Bad Person or whatever.

We just want people to do research and put thought behind what they're writing. To think about why things are considered ableist, by us or by anyone else. And we want people to make disabled characters be characters and not just a Trope.

We as a mod team, but also as just regular people, can't or control what anyone does or doesn't write/draw/do. No one can. If you want to write something we hate, then do it. We won't stop you. We can't. We just won't like it, but if you're that committed to writing what you're writing, you can live with that, or at least you should. Someone's specific piece of art/writing/etc won't change our minds on what we've previously stated. No, not even yours. But you can do it if you really want to because that's how being an individual person works.

mod sparrow

[jweekgoji]

mhhhm but yandere starlight & yandere hughie having a massive crush on the same darling who's a supe.....and imagine if they're a part of The Seven too. I don't see them fighting against each other but working together instead because come on, they're the cutest heterosexual couple in the show THEY'RE IN LOVE

but they would be really funny as a yandere romantic duo. Annie's charm? she's basically so easy to talk to even if you're a massive introvert I imagine her being so patient and nice. Hughie on the other hand is quite shy too but he is a sweetheart. if Annie can charm you with her powers and her friendliness, Hughie would charm you with how hard he tries to make you like him. Need something? He will buy it. Feel cold? He can give you his jacket. Need a shoulder to lean on? He will VOLUNTEER for it. He would sweat so much but he would die as a happy man if he gets such an opportunity.

Even though Hughie can't be around you 24/7 like Starlight since you're a supe and part of The Seven, he would absolutely freak out every time he sees the picture of you next to Homelander on the news. I think Annie would be less worried about it but not because she doesn't care as much; she just has an opportunity to be around and therefore to look after you. She would pay EXTRA attention and will try any excuse to be practically next to your side if she spots The Deep even looking in your way. Starlight is not a violent person but if anyone tries to make a wrong move on you, you can definitely see her eyes shining as a silent warning.

I see Starlight as less paranoid but protective yandere. She believes you, so there would be no hypothetical jealous situations with her against you. She might be a little more protective if you're pushing yourself a little too hard to try and reach your goals. I mean, she is supportive but she grew up with her mother forcing her to sacrifice everything just to reach it. She doesn't want the same for you, so she will try to remind you to take breaks and be less tense.

Hughie in my opinion is paranoid. He is afraid you might leave one day and something could happen to you because he is not there. He's not a supe, he is not nearly as strong as you but he desperately tries to be. He would take more Temp V if it means he can protect you more effectively, but Starlight would have to remind him constantly that he doesn't need to. Would it help? A little, but it's not because he doesn't think you or Starlight can't do anything on your own, he just dislikes being the one who needs to be saved constantly. If you pretend to be 'weak' and ask him to help you open a jar with pickles, even that little situation helps him not to feel less of himself :3

[marsprincess889]

Astrology rant

I hope astro blogs and astro lovers read this

...

Hi guys I hope you're doing well🤍

These months(17 of them?) of running an astro blog have made me see a variety of opinions regarding a lot of things, mainly_ astrology.

I want to say that this is obviously social media and it's barely a solid, reliable place for sharing or getting info, but on the other side of this, the freedom of internet and, at least relative anonimity can produce truly remarkable insights/statements that you won't see anywhere else. You can never know how true or untrue someone can be unless you really read what they've written(or listen to what they've recorded) and take it in.

But it is still so rare for me to find a blog that shares most of my views. I mean, anyone with an access to internet can start an astrology blog. It's so easy to copy and paste articles on the internet and put them here. They can get thousands of notes and people will believe them and share that unverified info that's been distorted through copying and repetition, to others(which is a whole another, very sad story).

And on most days I just mind my business and work on myself, not wanting to even go close to that energy. I might politely comment on posts that seem false to me, just expressing my suspicions or opinions and asking for theirs in return, but to be very honest, I am tired of seeing the same faulty takes and overall approach. So here are some things that, to me, are just ???? so questionable to say the least(with added reasons):

1. Mixing Vedic and Western

In many ways.

Outer planets that are only used in Western? Sure, here are descriptions and "observations" of them in Vedic nakshatras.

Asteroids that Vedic does not look at? Here are explanations of them in nakshatras too. (But there's an exception that I talk about later)

Western composite and synastry aspects? Yeah here is their analysis based on Vedic charts.

And so many more.

It's not a question of whether their "formulas" mix or not, but a question of integrity and of what you follow.

2. Nakshatras in D9(navamsa) and other divisional charts (!)

Whyyyyyy. Just tell me why.

I don't think anyone who uses nakshatras in any divisional chart has really thought about it.

And before they make say to me something like "you should be open minded" or "people resonate with it"(people are complex and can resonate to many things but nakshatras in divisional charts are not the explanation behind that), they should just read my post on my pinned masterlist about that.

Like I'm this 🤏 close to launching an inquisition to just call out every blog who does this, because it's alarming how many people can defend an illogical point with such unwillingness to see the opposite take.

I feel strongly about this one and I kinda judge people who go with it.

There are no nakshatrs in D9 cause divisional signs are hypothetical, nakshatras are actual stars in the sky. Case closed.

3. Asteroid obsession

Look guys, I love asteroids as much as the next person, if not more. And it makes sense for astrology lovers to be really into asteroids, since astrology is mythological already and asteroids open up a whole variety of different mythological associations and, with them, the potential of embodying them.

But here's where most people can reach error: asteroids cannot be holding the same influence/power as other planets.

There are so many posts with lengthy descriptions of asteroid placements in signs, houses or them aspecting planets with sextiles, trines(those aspects don't matter in most cases when it comes to asteroids).

I think asteroids only ever really hold power if they are closely(4 degrees at most) conjunct or opposite big three or other important planets, and important planets/points are unique to each chart. Asteroid interpretation requires realness with yourself and others and, more importantly, common sense. And yeah, you can interpret them in nakshatras ONLY IF they are tightly conjunct an important planet and you have some examples.

I've seen a lot of obsession with asteroids such as Lilith, Aphrodite, Sirene, Groom, Briede.

Yeah online astrology can generate the need to compare yourself to others, which is silly, cause all charts are unique and have a unique beauty, and there's no such things as "more" or "less" unique anything.

4. Making stuff up

Ok here I'm talking about takes that are barely backed by valid examples.

Like when a blog attributes a theme or a pattern to a placement that has not a lot in common with its original association and/or is backed by examples that are not really viable.

Like when someone says: "Ashwini is associated with .......(insert some specific scenario/trope). Examples: *this actor*_ mars in Ashwini, *this actress*_ D9 ketu in Ashwini(are you for real...), *this person*_ their D393747838 Mercury in Ashwini, time unspecified so might be Bharani."

I know this sounds exaggerated(the last example obviously is) but I've really seen blogs where mars or venus or mercury(jupiter and saturn too) are used as exmaples for a nakshatra. And I've seen a whole blog that focuses on D60 ketu nakshatras a lot.

Now, I think that stems from a desire to associate specific feelings/vibes and themes that they are into with placements that they most likely have, in a way that feels original. But you can't just take vague feelings/suspicions and present them as logical observations or facts, it doesn't work like that😭

A lot of "vibes" or feelings that I had about nakshatras did turn out to be true, but I had to wait to find proof myself, and sometimes the observations can change a little after discovering solid examples and it makes it all clear.

5. Shallow Stereotyping

I know, astrology is built on "strerotypes", but to me they're more archetypes.

A lot of narrow stereotyping can come from more influential astrologers.

This is especially common in Vedic astrology and with people who follow Claire Nakti.

For example, with her, I love how she uses art and real life people as examples but she too can make mistakes. And she has, and if she discovers them, she adds them as disclaimers in her descriptions.

I think sometimes she can be narrow with her observations, which isn't necessarily bad, but when people see those as undisputably true and more important than their own or other astrologers' observations, then it is.

For example, she made 3 videos about Bharani but I still think she missed some important themes because she was stuck on providing more and more detail for the same point😭

Trusting influential astrologers blindly and quoting/paraphrasing them to prove their own points is a real epidemic.

Just fyi, crediting them while proving their point with your own examples is not the same.

So, anyone can make mistakes, and everyone should be open to changing their mind, but never without real examples and proof.

6. Style over substance

Possibly the biggest problem that is the root of most of other problems in this "community".

The reason why astrology became pop is because of simplifications and, more importantly, flashy images and words.

I've already made a post about how harmful I think the irresponsibility of sharing faulty astrological info is. I'm disturbed by all that manic energy around a thing that should be low-pressure but valid and educational.

I don't think astrology is meant to help you make desicions in a direct way, or to be used as the ultimate filter to judge others and look at the world. It's not the end-all be-all truth at all, not at all. But it is something that a lot of people take seriously and I just have little to no respect for blogs that use AI or don't care for logic or facts.

People here can argue and defend AI in astrology😭 they can irresponsibly make contradictory statements, have no verified observations of their own whatsoever and still act like the expert while interacting or posting.

That's all I wanna say about this right now.

...

Comment, reblog, message me, like even, whatever. I want to know what others think about any of this.

[saltywatercrocodile]

Quick (Informal) PSA For Therian Minors

I see a lot of minors in the community who seem very...comfortable, I guess, with sharing personal information and photos on here and other sites, and I just wanted to speak my piece about it.

Something I remembered from another post that I wanna steal because I love the wording: before you share something on the internet, think what could someone who wanted to hurt me do with this information? Not trying to be condescending, I'm an adult and I think that exact sentence in my head before I post/comment/DM anything related to myself.

Just saw a post where a well-meaning therian minor linked their Youtube channel, which has videos of them irl (wearing a mask, but still) doing quads outside and at an indoor non-chain business with the name/logo of the building clearly visible.

I cannot emphasize how much I was taught to be extremely careful about posting any irl images as a kid/teen, as people can infer your location from very minor details, MUCH LESS VIDEOS OF MY WHOLE BODY IN AN EASILY GOOGLE-ABLE LOCATION. What happens if someone with malicious intent sees that video, which is public on youtube? What will you do when someone attempts to blackmail or doxx you? Not only would this would-be criminal know where you are, they can also see how old you are and exactly what you look like. Terrifying.

(I understand we're in a culture of many people posting videos of themselves online, but (in my opinion) it's just not safe to be uploading public content that's advertising "Hi I'm bodily a child/teenager and this is what I look like and this is close to where I live and I'm also a therian who's probably hiding this account from my parents")

This individual is essentially just trusting that no one on the entirety of Youtube will just google the name of the indoor facility (along with any other location-identifying posts they may make) and either threaten them via doxxing or just straight up threaten their life/safety.

I knew someone in school who got too comfortable in an in-game chat, and was lulled into a false friendship and tricked into mentioning his address. Then he was threatened and told to send them money or they would physically find him. Thankfully he felt safe enough to tell his parents, who knew how to stop the situation. I know a lot of us aren't out to our family, and I dread to think what would have happened if the boy I knew hadn't felt safe enough to explain the situation to his parents.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TLDR; before you post personal info/photos, think of the absolute worst evil that someone could do to you with that information. I know it's a bummer, but doxxing/blackmail happens more than you think, and even if your posts only seem to get low notes/likes/whatever, they can theoretically be seen by ANYONE, including people who want to hurt you.

(also I don't mean to call out or harass anyone, I'm not trying to be mean, I just wanted to use an example bc it's what inspired me to make this post and also I wanted to outline why real behaviours I'm seeing can be dangerous, rather than just making up hypotheticals)

[halfway-house-in-hell]

vox, valentino and velvette redesigns!! 📺🦋🦇

for me and my hypothetical rewrite, the vees would be the main villains of season 1, with heaven and the angels being only mentioned. at the beginning of the season the most antagonistic of these 3 is vox, but about halfway through the season it's revealed that her seemingly nicer fellow overlords are actually far more evil than her, and have been pulling strings to try and get the hotel shut down. s1 culminates in valentino's death at angel's hands- something which is supposed to be self sacrifice but angel ends up surviving.

individual rewrites and portraits under the cut ⬇️

VOX 📺⚡

- in life vox was an assistant to a popular tv host in the 50s. her opinions on how the show should be run and maintained were often ignored, leading to faulty electrical wiring killing her on live tv.

- this led her to become increasingly paranoid and a bit of a control freak, including after she became a powerful overlord

- she is the most outwardly villainous of the 3, immediately starting a smear campaign on the hotel at valentino's request

-her screen can display different images, text, etc

- she's still got that weird psychosexual thing going on with valentino, but it doesnt really amount to anything since. he dies

- in her rivalry with alastor she is the more successful of the two, hosting hit shows such as "laughing at disabled imp children" and "gray's anatomy" (NOT grey's anatomy, it's entirely different and definitely not plagiarism)

- owns every tv channel except for katie saint's (katie killjoy). their refusal to sell their channel to her brings her great frustration

- live studio audience noises will often be tacked on to her speaking, e.g laughing or gasping

VELVETTE 🦇⭐

- velvette was originally a californian influencer who died mid 2010s. (she's actually british, but she would never tell anyone that). she's the youngest overlord and her quick rise to power has left the other overlords feeling resentful towards her.

- no one knows her cause of death, she won't tell anyone

- she's a vampire, specifically an energy vampire who drains people's positive emotions. she can do this by either physically biting people (most of her employees wear turtlenecks because of this) or through making them feel miserable via social media. she's a leading cause of EDs, low self esteem other social-media based afflictions.

- she comes off as very shallow, vapid but charismatic. this is a complete lie. her true personality is cunning, resourceful and apathetic. she's the smartest of the vees, helping orchestrate most of the other 2's schemes. when they don't listen to her their plans usually fail

- she puts on this false personality to trick people into underestimating her. vox and valentino are the only demons who know her true personality.

- she is quite good friends with angel dust, often having them model her creations. she know's about angel and valentino's.... situation but simply doesnt care about stopping it.

- aside from attempting to get the hotel shut down, she manages to capture and imprison an exterminator, which she reveals to no-one. she tortures this angel for information and he eventually gives her a key to heaven's gates (which becomes relevant later) in return for his freedom. she still kills him - AND NOW she has access to an angelic weapon

VALENTINO🦋💗

- valentino is by FAR the most powerful and the most evil of the 3. you'd never know this from looking at him however, as he presents himself as calm and kind-hearted

- he reads books, he grows plants, he listens to classical music and he is the owner of the most ethical prostitution house in all of pride

- he died in the early 70s at age 53 and was italian-mexican in ethnicity

-his teeth are permanently coated in blue venom, which knocks people out

- the only reason people believe that he doesn't abuse his workers is their contracts. he primarily sources people who are in desperate situations, like angel who was running from their family. from there he gives them the protection from their specific problem, but essentially chains them to his establisments and makes them physically unable to say anything bad or do anything against valentino

- angel was "saved" from this fate as valentino saw them and took a liking to them. val's very much a chaser, his preffered type (as he would say if you ask him) is 'men who think they're women'. angel falls into this category in val's eyes

- angel physically can go where they want, but are still required to film or go places as valentino wishes. angel's contract also dictates what they can wear, how they can style their hair ect

- most crucially, the contract dictates that 1, angel cannot say anything negative about valentino; if they do they will be sent into a coughing fit

- and 2, any harm done to valentino by angel will be mirrored on angel. this is the most important clause in the contract story wise, as it prevents angel from killing valentino, even after they get access to victoria's (vaggie's) angelic spear.

- valentino really believes that angel and him are in love, made for eachother etc etc, and when he injures angel it's just his way of showing love

- when angel moves into the happy hotel, valentino makes a public display showing how much he approves of this, making sure to get on the staff's good side

- valentino does die, but angel doesn't. its a mystery ooooh

- he does not actually approve of this, and tightens angel's leash and has them enact worse and worse scenarios, worse punishments etc. until the end of the season where angel's life is just. utterly miserable. by that point angel has grown fond of the hotel and is a slightly better person, and so with victoria's spear tries to kill valentino (and by extension themselves)

[tom-is-online]

Ok so

If there ever came to be a sonic x pjsk collaborative event (more like the sanrio one not just the free costume)

Which six characters do you personally think would get 4 star cards and what sonic characters do you think they'd be assigned?

(Also I originally found your art on pinterest, the sonic and akito "we gotta kill this guy" thing and I am SO glad I finally found your blog lol your arts awesome)

I have been WAITING for someone to ask me this YESSSSSSSS ok hear me out

My opinion is:

Sonic = Miku

Tails = Minori/ Ichika

Knuckles = Akito

Amy = Honami/ Airi

Shadow = Mafuyu

Dr.Eggman = Rui

Before u come 4 me REASONING BELOW

Im assuming the lineup is: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Dr.Eggman. Since they're the usual contenders w/ sonic colabs

+ One 4 star from each unit and the others get a 2 star or smth

OK reasoning time

So obviously Miku gets sonic, no way round it. PLEASE I'm begging give her the diva fit back, they don't rly do hoods in prsk but... sega please.

Unpopular opinion: MINORI IS SO TAILS CODED. I'm so normal about it. They look up to someone so much and get taken under their wing and learn to become better but not reliant on them. ALSO the theme of flying for both of them. Kills me.

Either Akito or Shiho get Knuckles. I won't accept anything else. Giving it to Akito cuz they can rap together and that's very cute,

Honami as Amy is something I'm very sure of and i have seen NOBODY talk about it when I've seen ppl talk about this. Everyone always says Emu (I don't get it besides being pink bob havers) or Airi (which I like more and is a close 2nd). BUT HEAR ME OUT. Amy and Honami can bake together, they both care greatly for others around them and are strong as fuck, will kick ur ass.

If we have Airi = Amy then I'm OK with changing Tails to be Ichika so Ichika and Miku can be besties in a hypothetical card. Either ok rly

Shadow is Mafuyu. Easy and correct option. 2 mfs who deal with Identity issues, family trauma and finding your own path. It's cute and I won't budge on this

Rui is Dr.Eggman. I don't feel like I gotta explain this to anyone. Robot. Dubious fuckers

Anyway :) PLEASE lmk any opinions on this in comments or rbs I wanna know if ppl think this makes sense :)

Also tysm I'm happy u like my art :)))

[lycheedr3ams]

König would NOT cheat!

heated rant about my opinions on könig's loyalty to his s/o

part of the exploring könig's character series (organized masterlist to come)

disclaimer: i am not judging any fanfic writers for the things that I am going to discuss in this post. i don't mean hate towards anyone. but also, this fandom has really gotten away from how characters are in canon just to satisfy the readers' desires. fanon is NOT canon, and it should not be!

König would not cheat.

think about it. he grew up likely with few to no friends, could never really connect with anyone, was an outcast. then his s/o comes along and completely breaks his walls down and accepts him for who he is. do you seriously think he would cheat on the one person he ever trusted enough with his whole heart? the only person in his whole life who ever accepted him for who he was?

i've seen some fanfictions that said König would come back from a bar with hickeys all the time, or how he would cheat on you repeatedly throughout your relationship. (firstly, in all of these fanfictions, the reader stayed with König. idgaf who you're with, if you've been cheated on, leave! this is setting such a bad example for impressionable people). I don't think the writers who described these types of scenarios understand social anxiety or what it's like to grow up ostracized. when someone has social anxiety (i can speak on this topic since I have it) they're not going to just go up to strangers and start making out with them or do random hookups. especially in König's case, since not only does he have social anxiety, he is often feared by others and adopted the "lone wolf" persona so that people would leave him alone. for him, it was easier that way.

and why the hell would König even want to cheat on the one person he can trust? how could König give up that trust and love just for a one night stand or some random drunken make-out at a bar? also, i don't really see König going to bars by himself, let alone making out or fucking a random girl. König knows what it's like to be alone, to have absolutely no one. do we really think König would give up his s/o just for some momentary fun? i don't think so at all.

i can't even imagine how much time it would take to build a relationship with König, and how much effort it would take too. I think König would see and appreciate that time and effort you invested in him and rarely, if ever, take it for granted. he would appreciate everything you do to make him feel accepted and loved. and to give that up to kiss a random girl? he'd never.

i honestly don't know how to best articulate into words the intense emotions i have on this topic. it literally boils my blood when I see fanfic writers saying König would cheat on you, because he fucking would NOT! people who think a life-long outcast would cheat on the one person who ever accepted them have clearly never known what it's felt like to truly be an outcast.

i will shout it from the rooftops. König would not cheat.

and fine, let's say hypothetically he DID cheat... I don't think he'd ever be able to look you in the eye again. he'd be so ashamed for what he did when he remembered how lucky he was to have your love. he would be quiet and shaky and would never forgive himself. he wouldn't be able to shamelessly come back to you every time like so many fanfictions I've read said he could

[acourtofthought]

can you genuinely say at this point in time, Elain wants lucien? I'm not asking for theories or headcanons. I am asking if you genuinely think that Elain in any way is secretly pining over Lucien, and what textual evidence supports that.

People have argued about her mentioning his name, but I don't think that has to do with romantic feelings for him, moreso basic respect for another. People have talked about a "half-step" which I must've missed bc I do not even remember that - but i don't think a "half step" necessarily conveys anything romantic.

I'm trying to form an opinion in this ship war, but its hard when I see a ton of misinformation from every side. The elriels have their own faults, but they can point to text now that shows Elain wants Azriel.

Can Eluciens do the same? I'm not trying to start a fight, I really just want to know what portion of each ship is backed by the current books vs. how much is just people theorizing they are end game and what they want to happen. And if the Elucien ship is purely just "SJM will always pair fated mates together" that's also fine and valid imo, I just want to know if there's anything in the books you can point to that shows Elain wants Lucien at this moment in time. I don't want to argue about hypotheticals and foreshadowing and what a rose symbolizes. I want cold hard words on the page.

Please note: I know just because it might not be there YET doesn't mean it's not going to happen. I want to evaluate the current standing of these books and the rationality of each argument. But to do that, I need people to be honest about what's there and what's not. I'm asking you because you run one of the more...logical shipwar blogs. But if you don't want to answer this - I also understand why.

At this point in time I don't think that canon supports Elain wanting anyone and that includes both Az and Lucien.

The only person Elain ever confessed having feelings for is Graysen. Real feelings. The "my heart belongs to you" kind of feelings.

Elain specifically said she did not want a male or a mate and those are categories Lucien and Az fall under, despite the almost kiss with Az in SF. It's been proven that a FMC in a SJM book can hook-up with a guy but not want a relationship with him (Feyre / Isaac, Nesta with fae who were not Cassian, Mor / Cassian, Mor / Helion) so Elain's actions in the Az bonus don't prove Elain wants him for more than a night of fun. In fact, the text in canon has her agreeing to "just a taste and that would be it". That's not a confession of long term commitment nor was there any to be found in any other interaction she's had with Az. Even crushes don't mean you're wanting forever with someone. Not to mention she was not written as looking towards either Az or Lucien in the 5 months after Solstice so absolutely no canon supports that she wants to hook-up with Az anymore. Elain's past actions from months ago (including those with Az) can't really be used as proof of canon of now, otherwise we should all be claiming she's still in love with Graysen since she never specifically stated she no longer has feelings for him. Nobody says that though, we use the canon of her no longer breaking down over Graysen to show she's moved past wanting to be with him and currently the canon suggests she's also moved past whatever she was about to do with Az on Solstice since there are zero signs to argue otherwise. There is also zero evidence of Az still wanting to be with Elain in any way now that we're 5 months beyond Solstice. 7 if you count HOFAS.

Right now I think the only thing canon truly supports is that Elain is showing no romantic interest in anyone, male or human. 5 months is a long time. Feyre left Tamlin then was mated to Rhys within 5 months and Elain was not mentioned as shedding a tear for Graysen in that same length of time, not mentioned as looking Az's way in that time, not having a reaction (good or bad) to Lucien in that time.

So to your question, canon does not support Elain wanting Lucien but it doesn't support her currently wanting Az. Canon also never supported her wanting to start a relationship with Az, canon doesn't support her wanting a mating bond with Az, canon doesn't support her having any desire to go forward with a forbidden love with Az.

Does that mean it's what she's actually feeling for Lucien or even Az? We can't say for sure because we don't have her POV but if we're truly basing this discussion off canon alone than Elain doesn't currently seem interested in anyone. It's not fair for e/riels to claim she still wants Az 5 months later as they have no evidence supporting it. It's only their headcanon that she does. Not to mention it's their headcanon she wanted to have a relationship with Az in the first place. They have zero evidence to show she'd be willing to seriously date him.

But as far as what I genuinely think (your phrasing)? I think Elain is struggling with the pull she feels towards Lucien and it scares her.

I don't think all Elucien's assume Sarah will pair Elucien together simply because they're mates. There are many layers behind what we feel.

I do think Elucien's use logic based on Sarah's writing and that logic tells us that characters don't simply ignore a mating bond. In canon, the bond creates a tug to the other that can never be truly forgotten. Based on that canon we hypothesis that there is a lot going on under the surface which is why she's hidden Elain's thoughts from us. She's the only main side character from the original cast who has never been given a POV and there's got to be a reason for that. Sarah was willing to share her almost kiss with Az but never her actual thoughts for Lucien who she suddenly began ignoring in ACOFAS after the events of ACOWAR and that seems a bit purposeful doesn't it? How a kiss isn't a secret but what she feels about the bond she says she doesn't want is?

While we've got no proof showing she wants Lucien, we were given so many examples of the author making an effort to show their compatibility. We were given a bunch of crumbs as to where Elain's future journey could take her and many crumbs placing Lucien in those same places. The author wrote Lucien (not Az) meeting Elain's father. We were given a bunch of scenarios where we're left wondering WHY Elain behaved a certain way towards Lucien especially after she defended him to Graysen, after she took a step as if she'd stop him from searching for Vassa, after she did follow he and Feyre instead of staying behind at her father's grave, after they were left together to wash up after the war, after she invited him to come back to Velaris but only after all that she began completely ignoring him for unexplained reasons. Based on Sarah's writing that pull and push typically means a character is struggling with her pull / desire for the other person and things aren't so one dimensional as "she doesn't like him!" If she didn't like him then why take a step as if to stop him? Why follow him instead of staying with her father's grave? Why peer up at him? Why invite him to Velaris?

We've been in this place before with a Sarah book. "Why did the character do that only to do an abrupt 180?" We saw it with Nesta, who was willing to die with Cassian in ACOWAR only to do the most 180's of all 180's by giving her virginity to someone else in the novella. To telling Cassian she wanted nothing to do with him though we knew she did. So Elucien's are only waiting to see how the author deals with Elain and her inner thoughts of Lucien. We don't think Elain's setup is going to be any less complex than Nesta's was. We believe the author is going to tell a story that is deep and meaningful. And while Elain's current setup doesn't prove this to us just yet, it is canon that Sarah has given that exact treatment to every single one of her mated pairs, whether the FMC was struggling with what she felt or the MMC (as we saw with Rowan and his bond with Aelin), so it would be silly for us to think Elain would be the only one who isn't given that same complexity.

While the textual evidence does not necessarily prove Elain has feelings for Lucien, I think it's valid for Elucien's to use textual evidence of Sarah's past writing patterns to predict the direction she's taking them.

I have no problem admitting that current canon doesn't prove Elain wants Lucien but I've never seen a e/riel admit that current canon, by the end of SF, also doesn't prove Elain wants Az. That canon never proved she wanted a relationship with him at all. Canon doesn't even prove she called his scars beautiful considering Feyre said she wasn't sure if she was referring to his Siphons yet they still hold on to that one.

Canon proves Elain loved Graysen though he was an asshole, canon proves that she was willing to hook up with Az with no proof of anything more, and canon proves that she shares a mating bond with Lucien that she'll never be able to completely forget ("it will be a bond that will trail her for the rest of her existence") though she's currently trying her best which results in weirdness for everyone. That is all the canon proves.

From a romance standpoint, only one of those storylines typically has staying power.

[creature-wizard]

Okay so, this wonderful infographic gave me what I need to explain how it can be extremely easy to make someone think they have DID when they don't, and talk about my own experiences as someone who doesn't have DID, but has had my brain do things that could look like programmed DID to the people who were convinced that this is a real thing.

So as this infographic shows us, everybody is multifaceted. We all have different parts within our selves, so to speak. Different parts of ourselves can hold completely contrary opinions and beliefs.

So here's an example: There's a part of me that believes that there is no supernatural activity in the universe whatsoever, and that we live in a deterministic universe.

But there's another part of me that's like, "Hmm, actually, there are a few reasons to think there might be some supernatural things, and there's no strong evidence to support a deterministic universe. And besides that, determinism is kinda demoralizing, and there's the fact that people behave better when they believe in free will, so..."

There's a lot of contradictions like this in my brain. And my anxiety/depression often gives me some gnarly mood dips that often prompt my brain to prioritize its more pessimistic parts. But ultimately, I'm still experiencing these states as a single person.

For most people, these different parts are essentially integrated with each other, blending smoothly into each other so that it forms a fairly cohesive self. Most of us don't effectively become a different person when something happens to prompt us into prioritizing a different part.

But in a multiple system, these parts aren't integrated, because childhood trauma disrupted a key stage of brain development. This means that for multiple systems, each part is essentially its own entire person.

Now, here's one way somebody can be tricked or trick themself into thinking they have DID: Denial and repression.

Here's a hypothetical example: Someone grows up in a church where they're always told that the church's teachings are perfect. But they see where the church's teachings don't really prevent abuse; in fact, talking about abuse within the church is discouraged.

However, they've also been taught that eternal damnation awaits anyone who defies the church and its teachings. So they always push away the part of them that acknowledges that the church's negative aspects and force themselves to focus on whatever positives they can find.

However, this repressed part is still there, stewing under the surface, building resentment toward the church and toward its god.

Then one day something finally snaps, and this person can't hold this part of themselves back any longer. It bursts to the surface and they make a raging rant against the church and against God.

Once this person gets it all off their chest and the pressure is relieved, they find themselves absolutely horrified because what they've just said is in such drastic conflict with the part of themselves they've forced themselves to prioritize, the part that they've convinced themselves is their only set of beliefs and feelings.

This is where the SRA/RAMCOA/TBMC/ITBC/whatever they're calling it now "expert" can come in and explain that actually, they just experienced a programmed alter fronting. Then they explain how there's all of these secret Satanic cults that program people to have good Christian front alters but also program them to have other alters that hate Christianity.

Literally anything somebody might be repressing this way could be interpreted as a programmed alter. A woman who represses the part of herself that wants to explore taboo sexual desires or even just present herself as a sexual being can be convinced she has beta kitten programming, for example.

Another way people can come to wrongly believe they have DID is failing to understand that different parts in a person's can become associated with certain characters or figures, and that these parts can be "channeled."

For example, someone with abusive parents watches a TV show with a character who feels outraged over the way their parents abused them. This resonates with the part of their brain that feels outraged about the way their parents treat them, and they form an association between this character and their own feelings.

Once this happens, they can experience this character expressing opinions and stating intentions fueled by these feelings, and when their brain prioritizes this part of themself, they might find themself acting more like this character in some way. Furthermore, they might also be able to "talk" to this character and have this character respond, or feel an emotional reaction from this part of their brain.

This is something my own brain does. Sometimes when I watch media, I occasionally have a character get associated with some part of my brain, and sometimes they just seem to pop out and insert their opinions. Or I can just go "Hey character, what's your opinion?" and they throw out an opinion from that part of my brain.

This link can also be reinforced by writing fanfic about the character, because the writer is using that set of feelings to guide how they write the character.

The more somebody watches or writes the character, the more their brain implicitly understands what the character "should" do, and so it becomes easier for their subconscious to just throw stuff out. Again, I have personal experience here, and numerous writers out there can confirm that they experience characters like this. Many writers report experiencing this kind of thing so intensely that it completely throws their story off the rails - the characters effectively "take over," and the writers just have to go along with it. It's a well-known thing among fanfic writers.

Of course, you don't even have to be into fiction for your brain to associate some kind of figure with a certain part. Anyone can easily associate the general idea of a strong, powerful man with the part of themself that wants to do violence. Anyone can associate a dog with the part of themself that wants to play and frolic. Anyone can associate flowing robes and glowing auras with the part of their brain that believes in transcendent divinity. If you access these different parts of yourself and try to imagine what they would look like as a person, you will probably find your brain creating what feels like an appropriate embodiment for them. And then you can channel them, and you will experience them speaking to you or through you. And if you get into it deeply enough, you might even experience them taking over your body for a time.

Ultimately, a person can have such a character or figure take up residence in their brain with such vividity and apparent autonomy that they do in some sense function as a kind of separate entity, without DID or TBMC/ITBC being involved whatsoever. (In fact, torture would be more likely to hinder, rather than help this process.)

Dr. Alison Miller really gave the game away when she described how she has her patients communicate with their alleged alters. In a case of genuine DID, alters really aren't at a person's beck and call like this. (Edit to clarify: This isn't to say voluntary switching can't happen, or that alters can't be called forward in certain cases, but Miller was basically trying to get freshly-diagnosed people in contact with long-buried alters using a technique that was basically just channeling. A long-buried alter isn't likely to respond to this.) But this is how it works when you don't have DID and you're poking around at your own very integrated (if very repressed) parts.

[roukabi]

My objectively correct opinions on a hadestown adaptation

(Explanation under the cut)

For the purposes of this chart, the hypothetical Hadestown adaptation would follow the original Broadway production (2019).

Lawful Good: Out of all animated possibilites, this would be the medium I'd want to see a HT adaptation in purely for its tangibility and underground atmosphere. Stopmo is considered inherently kitsch and a less 'pretty' animation medium in the eyes of the public. Critics only recognize it if a big name is attached (see Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, which won the Golden Globe for its running year). Therefore, there's no real fear of an adaptation like this getting too popular, and a smart director would use this tactile medium to restore the scrappy, raw feel of the Vermont production. Even if the conditions aren't perfect, as long as a studio that isn't Laika or Aardman takes the helm, there's a good chance the average stopmo director can be trusted with the show. Overall, this is my pie-in-the-sky option, though it'll probably never happen.

Neutral Good: The next best thing, and hopefully what we will get. Personal preference would leave lyrics the way they were in the original Broadway version, but I can't always get what I want.

Chaotic Good: A stage puppet version of Hadestown gets created and posted for free on YouTube and it gets, like, 100,000 views. The puppets are wonderful, the stage is great, and the actors are... good. Lots of exciting staging options to be had here. Gets as creatively interesting as possible without losing anything to the scope of a screen or animated fluff. Not really an official adaptation but still pretty cool, right?

Lawful Neutral: Look, I love 2D as much as the next guy, but anything could happen. 2D is functionally limitless in what you can do with it, which sets it apart from other mediums... for better or worse. I fear a lot of directors would go crazy with the visuals and forget to ground Hadestown in its emotional core. I think Cartoon Saloon would get it, though. While not the most top-tier team of directors, their eye for visual storytelling is unmatched. Just look at Screecher's Reach if you don't believe me. If they can bring the same amount of writing prowess to Hadestown as they did The Breadwinner, it could work. 2D is also in high demand from certain audiences (though not all), so it could run the risk of getting dangerously generic to appeal to everybody. To quote Chris Sanders, who'd just finished up work on The Lion King when he said this: "This is either gonna be huge, or it's not gonna work at all."

True Neutral: Sometimes it's best to let some shows stay as they are. Hadestown is one of those shows.

Chaotic Neutral: "indie" has become a subjective term I think, because "indie" ranges from "two people with a string" to "Amazon Prime/Netflix-funded, B-list actor, industry-standard tech with a slightly smaller fanbase". That was definitely not a slight at anyone in particular. There's already some college theatre-esque medleys on YouTube, but those aren't really full adaptations. While there'd be a lot of heart and passion in this project, the limited budget/opportunities would detract from the show's scale, and be a little embarrassing to watch tbh.

Lawful Evil: The Wicked treatment. Or maybe the Illumination treatment? Oh, no. Ew. Don't wanna think about that. 3D appeals to general audiences and gets used by the big companies more, so by that association it gets lumped in with the rest of Hollywood. Not great, overproduced, weird casting choices (related snide: in a show that's cultivated a diverse range of vocals, why on earth were Betty Who and Jordan Fisher casted on Broadway? Besides stuntcasting, of course...). A dishonest portrayal of an honest show. Could be worse, though. I can only see a 3D animated adaptation working if some smaller, non-US studio goes absolutely batshit during visdev. Other than that, 3D is too polished and techy to fit the needs of the show.

Neutral Evil: The only good thing that comes out of this is that most people see AI as a cheap scammy tool, so whatever HT-ness comes out of it will not tarnish Hadestown's name too much. I doubt it'd be taken seriously at all, if anyone would even care to look at it. I don't even think AI bros would touch the anticapitalist 'woke' themes with a ten-foot pole.

Chaotic Evil: remember what I said during the Chaotic Neutral bloc? That was about Viv. I don't care that she technically falls into Lawful Neutral, this is its own circle of hell. It's worse than AI because unlike AI, which is forgettable, Viv's understandings of mythology, gender, and politics are actively, stupidly shallow. Can you imagine what would happen to Eurydice and Persephone? Or the Fates? Could you imagine the sexism? The stereotyping? The song 'Flowers' might as well not exist. Persephone would be painted as a crazy drunk abuser. The negative cultural impact + Viv's rabid fanbase would ruin me forever. This idea has cursed me the moment it popped into my head and if I have to think about it, you do, too. Let's hope it never happens.

[affectionatecorpse]

Okay fine I'll write the post that's been on my mind for days now.

Okay so I talk a lot about how Sherlock and Watson's story arc follows the EXACT same beats as the literal most romantic couple known to mankind. Or- at least the gnome versions. But it counts. Point is, the fact their story is in exact parallel to the greatest love story ever told (in most people's opinion) is gay as hell and I'm so very happy for them.

However. Sherlock is in direct parallel to another character. Outside of Watson, he also follows very similar story beats to Moriarty. Namely in how they're both so, so desperate for attention from the people around them.

Moriarty's thirst for attention comes from solitude. He's lonely by design as a truck decoration and he absolutely needs attention to thrive. He'll do absolutely anything to steal the spotlight and have all eyes on him, from petty little pranks to actual murder. Whatever works at the time. I also wonder if it comes from who he actually IS. Sherlock Holmes is a real thing in this universe, and thus, so is James Moriarty. A common criticism in real life is the appearance and personality of OUR Moriarty, and I do wonder if Moriarty knows that. Does he act the way he does because that's just who he is, or is he purposely taking inspiration from who he was named after? I actually REALLY don't think so. His personality comes very naturally to him, and I don't think he's copying it from media.

Unlike, however, our dear Sherlock.

Sherlock's need for attention doesn't come from solitude. It comes from pressure. He knows for a fact who he's based on. He knows how great a detective he has to be. And he knows how difficult that is in a world where he can be destroyed by a single wrong move, a world where he can't let anyone see him. His intellect comes very naturally to him, in turn, but it doesn't stop him from being ignorant. Everything he does is for the attention of others. He wants to be a hero. He wants to live up to his name. He wants praise and recognition.

Even in the art book, when talking about Moriarty, he doesn't even mention the fact Moriarty is a serial killer. That doesn't even seem to be what bothers him. What bugs him most is how Moriarty is equally as clever as him. He can't STAND how they're on the exact same level of intellect.

While Moriarty finds genuine love in what he does, Sherlock does it to prove a point. Hypothetically, ceramic ornaments are at the bottom of this 'food chain'. They're the weakest, and most underestimated ornaments. Considering that, and the fact Sherlock is supposed to be this grand main hero, I'm not surprised he feels so pressured to constantly impress everyone around him, to the point where he forgets other people exist too. He has main character syndrome, blatantly, because he IS technically the main character of a story. But he fails to realise being a main character doesn't mean being perfect.

There's so many points where he's obviously looking for a reaction and is mad when he doesn't get the one he wants. When he's first investigating the empty garden, for example. He seems kinda peeved when Watson isn't impressed by his deduction. Or in the sewer, when he neglects to acknowledge the fact he slipped and had to be saved, not even thanking Watson or the other two for helping get them to safety. It's like he's mad he wasn't the one who got them out of it. Also, in the art gallery, when he just forces himself to continue with the case instead of acknowledging Watson's death, only to immediately break and allow his emotions to flow the second Juliet leaves, as though he didn't want her to see him, this great detective, show genuine remorse and grief over what just happened thanks to HIS case.

He shows blatant expectation for awe in the park, after escaping Toby the dog. The way he just suddenly starts to demonstrate to Juliet what to do, then the dramatic way he says "Very well. If he wants to dance, then dance we shall!". You can actually SEE him look to Juliet for her reaction to that dramatic little act, and he looks genuinely wounded when she doesn't care. And final example, because otherwise this'll go on forever, but when Juliet was allowed back into the dollhouse, and he wasn't. He looks like a wounded puppy, the way he just goes "... oh..." and looks around awkwardly, like he's not sure what to do or what to think about the fact she got in, and he didn't. This is immediately acknowledged by Juliet herself telling Irene how little she cares about Sherlock or what he thinks, because while he wants to be the hero everyone looks up to, she sees behind the scenes. Much like Watson, she's not impressed, because she can see he's not some immortal champion, he's a pathetic, anxious mess of an attention whore.

Much like his own arch nemesis.

It's not until Sherlock is finally knocked off his pedestal that he realises the far bigger picture. His negligence caused Watson to rebel against him, and beat him. Watson expresses in great detail how NO, he's NOT the main character, and he WON'T win every battle. He's not better than everyone else and he never will be. He will make mistakes, but time will carry on. Instead of trying so hard to be a perfectionist, he should actually try caring more about the case itself, not the end result where he gets rewarded, as well as caring about the people around him, who don't see him as the famous king of detectives, but for who HE really is; a desperate man who never stops seeking approval.

And this defeat rattles him. He doesn't know what else to do. So he just stands there. Silently. Awkwardly. Because the real Sherlock would never let himself be so easily fooled by WATSON of all people. With no script to follow, what will he do?

It also makes me wonder if Watson himself wasn't even brought aboard because Sherlock liked him as a person, but because he's Watson. Sherlock needs to be a detective, and he needs his assistant. Who better than Watson? But Watson's rebellion finally snaps him back into the reality that he's not a prop, he's his own separate person who won't follow the script Sherlock made for him, and that Sherlock messed up by expecting as such. It's not until Sherlock acknowledges Watson as a separate person with real emotions that Watson gives Sherlock the affection he so desperately craves. Because respect is a two way street. Which is why Watson looks so genuinely stunned and flattered when Sherlock tells HIM to save the gnomes. He's prioritising their safety over his reputation as the hero.

You can even see this reflection in Sherlock's final battle with Moriarty. Moriarty KNOWS Sherlock. He knows how desperate he is to win. How he needs to be that knight in shining armour. Which is why he teases him, saying he doesn't matter, that Moriarty has plenty of people who want him as an arch nemesis. Of course, this directly parallels my other theory that Moriarty is terrified of death and being forgotten or replaced. It feels like projection. But he's right. Sherlock and him have the same fear, and that's why Sherlock is says "you know, you're very needy for a villain..." so hesitantly, instead of spitting it like a venomous insult. Because it's more of an observation, and a reflection on how he himself acted exactly like this.

And in the end, Sherlock finally did something selfless. Something he wouldn't get praise for. He was willing to give his LIFE for Watson, and he can't be praised if he ceases to exist. Instead, Watson would get that attention and pity. He could've easily taken Moriarty down after Watson fell, and gotten praise and sympathy just like earlier. But he's past that point now. He no longer cares about the attention, he instead prioritises Watson as a person and his friend, risking his own life just to save him. That is the difference between him and Moriarty. Sherlock learns to see gnomes as people. While Moriarty just sees them as an accessory to his game. Something to break when he's bored. And that's why he has no one to accompany him or save him when he falls.

In the last scene, we finally see the extent of Sherlock's arc. Where before he would take very visible offence to any slight bit of criticism, when Irene insults him, he just chuckles, and admits that yeah, he deserves that. He doesn't try defending himself or trying to win her affection, he just accepts that she doesn't like him, and probably won't ever again. And the way he asks for Watson's input on the relationship between Gnomeo and Juliet, instead of just stating his thoughts, shows he's actively trying to partake in conversation. It even shows visually, the way he needs to physically lean on Watson now, but even then, still offered to let him go first, which just shows how far he's come.

Sherlock has such a genuinely nice character arc. I see a ton of people criticising the film because he's a jerk, but that's kinda the point. It's a story about people in the purest way. A story about respect and empathy towards others, and how you shouldn't put others down to push yourself up to the top, because otherwise, you'll fall back down twice as hard when they disappear. We need more characters like this in media. Characters who are genuinely in the wrong, but their wrongs are acknowledged and criticized until they're forced to change for the better. It adds depth to their personality and makes it that much more satisfying to watch them grow, as opposed to watching someone who can do no wrong.

[vanessalocke]

Why is official APH France an underrated character?

Today, I would like to repost a post about France that I wrote a long time ago. Please note that this post does not reflect my current views. Next, this is considered my personal blog, so if you disagree, please click back. And this post will only talk about what I (used to) felt about France in the official version, not exactly the France in my current headcanon and fanfic (even though that is the foundation for today).

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[This post is controversial and has a personal opinion. If you disagree, just skip over it. But also because this post is mainly to express my secret thoughts that I don't dare tell anyone, so it's completely hypothetical]

Okay, this is a post about why I like APH France, and why I don't see him the way most people see him.

In short, because his aura looks very bright and when he smiles he is very cute (like the photo below).

I wonder when I fell in love with him, because it's been so many years, I can't remember. I will never be able to remember exactly how I fell.

Yeah pretty sure when people first watch Hetalia everyone thinks he's the typical sweet badboy, some people even say he's ex f^ck boiz and I'm no exception. But... damn, the more I follow this guy, the more I see his stereotype being wrong.

At this point it should be noted that when I talk about APH France, I am talking about France from 2011 onwards. It must be clarified that in the early days of APH, Hima's expression was quite dark. Maybe at that time Hima drew APH to be satirical or something, so not only was the plot quite ironic at times (and a lot of times he was sarcastic wrongly) but also the characters he built were very... But c'mon, MORE THAN 10 years have passed, just 1 year is enough to change people's way of thinking, let alone 10 years. Not to mention, APH does not have a specific plot or spirit to be consistent from beginning to end, so the later APH compared to the first APH has a completely different atmosphere and attitude, otherwise I want to say that APH has almost transformed into a new shape and only takes the first period as the root to develop. APH later became much gentler, lovely and brighter.

(When I wrote these lines, I still liked APH so I still defended it. Oh, what beautiful old days)

And I'll say it straight out that I didn't like the early APH. I also didn't like the way Hima built his characters in the early stages.

Okay, back to the main point. France is a very special character in APH. Why do I say France, not Italy - the central character, Germany - the king carrying the team, or Japan - the artist’s mother country? That's because when I read the early APH comics, I had a pretty clear feeling that the artist didn't like France.

It's not that he hated him, but he didn't like him and looked down on France a bit. Not to mention that Hetalia is strongly influenced by America's point of view and men often dislike France, think that French people are sissy. Basically, back then the way this artist looked at France was no different from the way everyone make memes "the white flag is the flag of France", "France is useless", etc. It was like everyone feels that this guy is very perverted, very annoying, very colorful, like a vase and can't do anything else. But like I said above, more than 10 years is a long process. Although the entire APH series does not have a consistent plot, Himaruya had a "development" in the way he views the main character he created. Partly because this is a series that takes references from real life and is not completely fiction, it is completely understandable for Hima to change the way he builds or even the perspective of his own character.

That's why later on France had a few solo episodes, all the deep emotions were attributed to France - something that is very contradictory to the "dark humor" stories he drew about France in the beginning. I don't know if it was to "compensate" for Himaruya pushing France down too much before.

Anyway, that's about the background. Below I will list the reasons I like this character:

- As for the character's personality, as I said, France has a very bright aura. I'm not talking about literary history or French reforms in real life, but just in the main story alone, I can see that there's something very... intelligent about him. Not trivially clever, but intelligence like, knowing a lot and understanding deeply. The fact that he is sharp and intelligent is also confirmed by the strip where he holds a knife to Prussia's neck and laughs.

- Then there's the emotional aspect. From Jeanne d'Arc to Napoleon, it is completely obvious that France is a very emotional person, a bit childishly attached to those he loves. Yes, that's right, he always says "I'm the big brother of Europe" but when he's with people he loves, he's EXTREMELY childish, likes to act spoiled, likes to attract attention (For example, he was cheerfully excited when he was with Lisa or was chased by Napoleon).

- France's way of expressing emotions is very vivid. When he is angry, he will say that he is angry; When he feels sorry for himself, he bites the towel; If he likes attention, he acts like a clown;... but never once has he lost his temper to attack others just because he was hurt. I mean, from all the symptoms I've seen in France so far, I can determine that France can be arrogant, picky, and difficult to please, but I've never once felt like he lost control of himself.

- Yeah sure, when he broke into England's house, was talkative, wore a pink dress and had eyelashes, you can see that he no longer has any shame, but I like people like this. Funny, optimistic and extremely confident.

- He really likes to care and take care of others. This is based on:

1. He is very attached to his previous bosses (as mentioned above),

2, He cooks very well, people who like to cook and cook well are people who like to take care of and see joy from others,

3. On America's independence day, he not only patted America's head but also gave him the Statue of Liberty,

4, Italy often confides in France. France also works as a newscaster giving love advice to others, and he is one of the few people who not only is not afraid of Russia but even comes up to ask about the other person's health,

5. Do you remember the Christmas episode where England called and scolded France? That evening France was alone and looked down at Paris. In the episode about a soldier meeting France and wondering about the life and death of the nation, the ending is also a scene of France sitting and watching the flow of people passing by. France is not only proud of himself, he also loves being close to people and

6, I didn't include this but if you want to take an example from APH in the first few years, there is this scene: when England was so sick, France was really panicked and worried. Even without bringing a romantic perspective here, for me it is a genuine concern between human.

- He is mean, meticulous, and profiteering. Damn him. I don't understand how he can play with Spain. One person remembers that people owe him every penny, one person "Huh? Do I have debt? When did I owe it??"

- Actually... sometimes this guy's EQ is unexpectedly low, especially with things related to England. I don't know how, every time England shows a little interest in him, he always "?:D huh? What's going on? You're planning something with me, right? Let's get to the main point, why are you rambling on?". I don't know how many times Mr. Kirkland has sighed at this guy.

- He is only mean to other countries, but to ordinary people he is very gentle and loving. With women, he has distance but is not impolite.

- It looks radical but is actually extremely conservative. In fact, no matter how much his country reforms and changes, he always seems to be somewhat attached to the monarchy, always recalling his past. Not to mention that he is one of the oldest men in Europe, and he is always nostalgic for previous bosses. As an old man and a secret royalist, it can be expected that France is quite a conservative person.

- That's why the aristocratic blood is deeply ingrained in the personality. Except when he is in a joking mood, every scene of Hima drawing France always has something quite aristocratic. Not the type of strict and meticulous aristocrat like Austria, but the type of guy who wakes up and carries his messy hair out into the street but still looks beautiful.

- France has "an iron fist covered in velvet". He seems very easy-going and pleasant. There are many cases where others just need to beg him a little and he will give in. But in the cases where he said no, it meant no. When he is serious, he is very decisive and does not compromise. One time America broke down and asked for a drink, but he firmly refused (Yes, the fact that America doesn't know how to drink alcohol has been confirmed in official). When he met his idol's reincarnation, he disappeared completely after talking, leaving his idol to live her own life. When he collects debt from others, he is also very decisive LOL.

- He is very beautiful in a feminine way. Beautiful in a feminine way to the point of having to grow a beard and body hair to make people feel masculine. I bet he has endured sexual solicitation from old men.

- He has a lot of part-time jobs, from waiter to announcer to stylist. Was hired by England to be a chef at his place for a while => didn't go to work because of lack of money, but because he was multi-talented => liked to go on strike probably because he was "tired of being too good", because he is afraid that the world is not chaotic enough, because he is bored. He's not lazy, because if he was lazy he wouldn't go to work so much, and with his great body, I think he works out quite hard at the gym.

- Sometimes he's quite silly and weird. America just has a childish personality, but this guy is sometimes inexplicably euphoric. He cares too much about auxiliary things like clothes and hair accessories, but forgets about the main things. He argues with people about silly things. When he fights with people, he asks where the fabric comes from to make such beautiful clothes instead of focusing on fighting. When people asked his opinion, he always talked off topic. When people criticize him, he looks away, covers his ears, and whistles, "The weather is so beautiful today." He also raises dozens of silly birds.

In general, this man is not what he appears to be. He looks like a typical Don Juan but in reality he's mostly just an embellishment, seems mature but actually has a very childish temperament, seems to be sociable but is the type of person who can restore his own energy and doesn't need too much human attention. He doesn't seem to care about his appearance but is actually very proud. He seems heartless and shallow but is actually a thoughtful person. He likes to talk off topic, collect debts, drama queen- no, drama king. Extremely crazy and silly.

This guy's mind is so contradictory and complicated that the more I dig, the more interesting things I find.

And that's why Francis Bonnefoy is loved.

Ps: let me tell you a little about the Zodiac: Francis is a typical Pisces.

[astronomypotato]

The new episode is crazy (JIB2) | Analysis

Guys, we need to talk about the new Solarballs episode. I don't even mean any theories I'm just flabbergasted. Okay, so lets just start with the Jupiter drama. (Also this is going to be multiple parts lol) I think that the other planets have been way too harsh with him. What happened was obviously a mistake on Jupiter and Saturn's part - If Astrodude's story is correct, which, in and of itself is a whole different topic. Not to mention, it happened billions of years ago. However, I am a longtime Jupiter fan, so I'll try to see it from the other perspective. Rocky Planets From any of the inner planets' perspectives, they've always looked up to Jupiter, so obviously hearing the he killed object just like them would break that trust. Especially Mars, and I think that Solarballs actually did a rather good job of showing this. Mars wanted to trust that Jupiter wouldn't 'betray' them like that, but after Jupiter returns, and he has confirmed Mars's fears, Mars refuses to talk with him. Mars himself has stated that he, being closest to Jupiter's orbit, has always felt the strongest connection with him out of all the Rockies' so of course he would be in a state of shock and denial. Okey I'ma move on to the Ice Giants before I ramble any more. Ice Giants:

Neptune really doesn't have much of a stake in it. I do like to think that he likes having Jupiter around but the only times (off the top of my head) I can think of the two interacting directly is in that episode with the hypothetical black hole question and the SSOBS arc. So really not all that much to say. Uranus/Caelus, on the other hand well... I don't think he likes anyone right now other then X... But, I'ma just say that's a topic for another day :p Saturn: They defiantly got this one right I'd say. Saturn was Jupiter's accomplice in all this and not to mention his best friend for billions of years. The Moons: For Jupiter's moons I honestly think that they're just grateful to have their planet back. While we only heard from the Galilean moons, I think that they speak for all of them, especially given that Europa has close connections with the little ones. We really didn't hear any other moons' opinions as far as the Jupiter matter goes. Sun: MAD >:0 Okey, well that's all for now. I do apologize for my bad spelling / grammar. (Can I blame it on the fact its midnight? Oh wait nope, I just always have bad grammar ;;) I'll make other parts regarding this topic, but until then, I hope you have a great rest of your day!

[p0lkadotdotdot]

"Why doesn't anyone read my fic?!" - A short guide by an ageing fanfic writer

I've been writing fics for 20+ years in various fandoms. Some have become wildly successful with over 100K hits, others have had absolutely zero traction. Something I've been asked a lot when beta editing for folk is, "What can I do to get more hits/kudos/comments, etc.? " I don't profess to have all the answers, but over the years, I have noticed patterns and such that might be worth bearing in mind before you get hung up on engagement. Disclaimer: All opinions are subjective and my own based on my experiences as both a reader and a writer. You're welcome to disagree, but crying in the replies will be scoffed at.

The kind of fandom you're writing for matters! Is it extremely active or pretty dead? Something that's up to date and active, or still has things made for it (such as a TV series or games), will generally get more engagement than something 10+ years old that has concluded. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but generally, people are looking for something that's fresh in their minds. Fandoms also have a commenting culture all of their own! Some will have very engaged readers who will comment on everything, on every chapter. Other fandoms have silent readers who might only comment when the story is finished. It's annoying (comment on fics, you heathens!) but it is what it is. All you can do is encourage commenting by letting your readers know you're open to chatting about your work. Tropes

Smut will always be popular. The internet is horny, we all know this. There are just certain tropes that will always gain more traction, and most of them are classics for a reason. Romantic love, drama, and smut are best sellers in the published world, and that's no coincidence. It's not to say that your platonic friendship Teen-rated story won't have an audience—of course, not—but just be prepared for less traffic as a general rule. See also: What ship are you writing for? If it's a rare pair, then the clue is kind of in the name. It'll be niche, but the audience you do find will no doubt love you forever.

Summaries They matter. I'm sorry, but they do matter. It's literally the first impression of the story you're trying to tell. The worst thing you can write is "I suck a summaries lol!" - Great, then I assume you suck at writing too. Why should I bother? Put down something. Anything! A snippet from the first chapter. The hypothetical question your fic is looking to answer. The tropes involved. For the love of God, don't use self-deprecating humour about your writing skills. It's not charming, it just puts readers off. Formatting and presentation How does your fic look when you open it on AO3? Is it laid out in easy-to-read paragraphs? Is your grammar correct? Or is it one big wall of text where you can't tell who is speaking at any one time? Everyone is different, but personally, if I go into a fic and it's just a wall of text that hasn't been laid out properly, I will immediately not read it. Not only is it painful to try to work through, but to be blunt, it gives me the impression that your fic may not be well written. Sorry! Promotion

Are you actively promoting your fic? Does anyone know you've even written something?! In a server I used to be part of, a fic writer was aghast at the idea that they should promote their story. Why, it was so good, surely people would just find it and read it! Wrong. There are loads of new stories being uploaded by writers all over the world on a daily basis, and depending on the fandom you're writing for, that update of yours can get swiped off page one of the results really quickly. Tell people! Join community servers to support each other, join groups, and share the links on Tumblr/Bluesky/wherever. Make graphics that catch people's eyes. Just like you'd see an interesting book cover in a store, nice graphics can go a long way to having someone stop and actually read the summary of your story.

Things you're doing...

Here is the part where I prepare myself to be pelted with garbage, but some questions that might make you pause. How often are you updating? If you're writing a long fic, but you're not updating for months and months at a time, it's common for interest to be lost. Especially if readers aren't certain you'll ever finish the story. How is the pacing of your story? Have you written 20+ chapters, but nothing has really happened? A story should generally move in an arc, building to something that the characters don't know, but the audience does. Occasional filler chapters are fine, sometimes you need to calm things down before you lift them up again, but if the story is moving along on one level and it's just...vibes, what is there to keep the reader's anticipation going? Chapter count? 100+ chapters and the story isn't anywhere near finished? Take a look at that pacing again. Plan it out. If all those chapters are essential to what you're trying to do, then consider breaking it up into separate fics and creating a series. A high chapter count can be incredibly overwhelming to a new reader, and your writing better be captivating to keep someone's attention for that long!

And now...the hardest pill to swallow. Maybe people just don't like it. And that's okay! (No, really, I swear it is.) Everyone has different tastes. They like different tropes, they see characters a certain way, they only read fics recommended to them by people they trust, etc. There is a whole world of reasons your fiction might not be getting the engagement you hoped for. We put so much work into these stories because we love doing it, so it's natural that you want someone to enjoy what you've made. But what's more important is that YOU are happy with it, because stressing about arbitrary numbers on AO3 is a slippery slope to madness!

There are fics I've read that have less than 500 hits and are some of the best storytelling I've seen. There are also fics with thousands of Kudos and, frankly, I noped out after three chapters because I couldn't stand the author's writing voice. If you've done everything you can and made something that you're happy with, the readers will eventually find you ❤

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What does Zuko do for Mai? She clearly puts a lot of effort into the relationship but he doesn't.

He had a lot of growing up to do before he could be in a relationship with ANY girl. Mai came through for him but he never did for her. It makes sense that he originally didn't have a love interest.

...You come into MY HOUSE to talk shit about MY BOY? And about MY SHIP? Anon, grab a sword, we're gonna fight!

Okay now, jokes aside, while Zuko has some maturing to do, so does Mai. And they'd still make mistakes even if their family lives hadn't deeply traumatized them because they're teenagers. Lots of the mistakes they've made (jealousy, poor communication, one accidentally being too aloof, etc) are stuff perfectly healthy and mature adults still make because surprise surprise, figuring out how to make things work with someone is hard, and considering their traumas and the situation they were in, they could have done A LOT worse.

Nothing either of them has done crosses the line into "Behavior that indicates this person should not be in a romantic relationship with ANYONE, at least for now." It's typical relationship stuff that either results on a permanent break-up or a temporary falling out that pushes both to get their shit together and be better for each other.

Not to mention, the root of all of Zuko's issues was the fact that he was abuse victim who was struggling to cope with his abuser being not only his own father but the absolute monarch of their nation. He got used to not being able to trust that someone's affection for him was genuine, to fear that it could suddenly be stolen away.

That he couldn't rely on anyone else because THE person that was supposed to take care of him betrayed him in such a cruel way and got away with it. That feeling entitled to things and then using whatever means to obtain it was the ONLY way to not be neglected, ignored and taken advantage of.

His abuser is gone now, but no matter how much therapy (or at least the ATLA equivalent of it) he gets, Zuko will only learn how to have healthy relationship through practical means because it's REALLY easy to be a good partner in THEORY, but things always get messy when you're dealing with the real thing.

Reality is very different from hypothetical scenarios in which you're dealing with the idea of a partner that never misunderstands you, never says things in a way that didn't realize weren't clear enough for you, never loses their temper, never takes things to heart, never fucks up, never needs a bit of space when you fuck up, never is as in the dark as you are about how to handle an unexpected issue, never gets too needy, never gets too distant - never acts like a human being.

Zuko still makes mistakes when it comes to his uncle and his friends, but no one says "That means Zuko should not have a father figure nor friends" because we saw that being alone Gives Him Very Bad Ideas. Why should romance be any different? A relative or a friend can hurt you just as much as a romantic partner can, and be just as hurt by stuff you do. It makes no sense to act like a flawed person is allowed to want a family and friends, but not a committed relationship.

As to what Mai gets out of this:

1 - Zuko loves her for who she is and canonically likes it when she expresses herself, even when what she is expressing is "Zuko, I'm done with your bullshit". For someone who has been neglected and taught over and over that her opinions don't matter, that means a lot.

2 - When Zuko changed sides, he didn't try to guilt her into leaving with him, and didn't hold it against her when it looked like she was gonna remain loyal to Azula. Compare that to her parents not giving a shit that she didn't want to move to Omashu, or to her knowing there was a possibility of her getting killed by Azula if she displeased her, and tell me in which relationship Mai feels she has the most agency.

Zuko is not a perfect boyfriend, but the simple fact that Mai isn't even slightly afraid to talk back to him when he goes too far speaks volumes on who she feels safer with and trusts to never try to coerce her into staying if she ever decides to leave.

3 - Mai and Zuko enjoy each other's company, are attracted to each other and he is as openly affectionate with her as she is with him. Even the sea-shell she didn't like and the ice-cream he accidentally dropped on her lap were just him trying to spoil her a bit - and he managed to do it in a way she'd appreciate in Nightmares and Daydreams.

He can be a jerk sometimes due to his anger issues (something he canonically was working on and wanted to move past), but he could also be a genuinely caring boyfriend.

4 - Zuko was also neglected and made to feel worthless for most of his life. They can relate to each other.

5 - Three years into his banishment, after no seeing her for a long time and unsure if he'd ever even hear from her again, he still thought of how Azula pulled a prank on them because of Mai's crush on him.

He constantly sought her out for comfort when he was back in the Fire Nation, even when she didn't really know how to handle that yet. Out of all the things he had left behind when he joined the Gaang, she was the one he openly said he'd miss. He was overjoyed when they were reunited in the finale.

Even his not at all healthy levels of jealousy are extra proof that he isn't just putting up with her like her family, he cares about her and actively WANTS her in his life, to the point of being scared that someone could "steal" her from him - and again, Mai feels more than comfortable enough to call him out when he goes too far, so it never crosses the line into "He means well, so lets excuse the bad behavior."

Mai feels wanted, safe and understood. Girl could do a lot worse.

[hawkins-batman]

hey dude um so i saw the post you made replying to someone else's post about noah and, while i do agree with you, i don't think that you or any of the anons should be specifically finding noah antis. that just kind of starts discourse and people are allowed to express their opinions, even if they differ from yours.

i know this happened to one of my good friends recently (noihavenosanitythanksforasking) and they were kind of shook up from what happened. i'm glad that you try to educate people, and it also comes across as a bit more personal and rude than someone who just wants to help.

i'm very sorry if any of this has come across as rude, i promise that is not my intention and i'm just trying to show that those people are also just people and its not their fault that they don't have all the information. i dont know if "kindness is the key" sounds cheesy, but it is very true.

blocking them and not interacting is probably the best thing to do instead of finding them just to disagree and having anons find posts and send them to you. if you or anyone else doesn't like what someone else posts, it's best just to scroll (and even block! that is definitely an option and i see you're doing that already so good job 👍)

sorry about this ramble and when you reply to this, if you do, i just want you to know that this was sent with the best intentions and also this is not about noah, anything that happened with him, or other people's views on it. this is just about how you could deal with people with differing views from you a bit better than what you have done in the past.

kisses kisses and byler endgame, love, anon

You weren’t rude — so don’t worry! However, I am going to push back (kindly - since you were kind).

First, I suppose I should say that I don’t seek these people out. Most of them I find during my daily scrolls of socials. Other times, mutuals will link me to them, and sometimes people will send them via Ask. But I don’t go looking for “Noah antis.”

Second, and more importantly, I want you to do a hypothetical with me. You saw someone getting viciously bullied. Not a friend, but nevertheless, other people were threatening them, calling them slurs, and harassing their family. They were also spreading lies to continue to inflame others to bully them.

With me so far? You’d want to stick up for them, right? Because there’s really no pretext before which any of that behavior is okay, right?

Now imagine, a year in to this relentless bullying campaign, you STILL see people spreading the lies, getting others inflamed, reigniting the bullying again and again. Imagine you KNOW that this endless bombardment has sent them to therapy and driven them from any place that gives them joy.

Would you just ignore that? Would you turn a blind eye? Would you chalk that up to just a “different opinion”?

I hope not. Because I won’t.

I’m sorry your friend was shaken up. But I’m one person. Noah gets the treatment I just described to you from HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people. There are hate accounts with 40K+ followers solely dedicated to posting things like this bit of homophobia:

Look at the likes on that.

And that’s one post. That doesn’t even show the ones wanting to kill him. Or do viler things.

Or how about these cheering for his suicide (EDIT —> see the bottom of the post)

He can’t just log off and ignore them or block theee people either because they send it to his home. His family. They track him in public and send his location to big accounts that will tweet it out hoping someone will hurt him.

So, I mean this with sincerity: Good. I’m glad your friend was shaken up. I hope to shake up more people before I’m done. Maybe they’ll think twice before spreading lies that inflame people to post shit like that 👆🏻

That’s not a difference of opinion. I don’t mind if people simply don’t like Noah. But be honest. Do you post about people you don’t like? No. This is not simply disliking Noah. It’s contributing to homophobia and antisemitism and it’s wrong.

And until people get their senses back, I carry on.