#GET OUT- /quo /ooc

[totally-not-dipper-pines]

HEY PINE TREE! DID YOU MISS ME?

No.

[eorzeashan]

I'm sure everyone has their own interpretations of where Keeper goes and what he does after Intelligence disbands, but I always imagined he had...a farm where all his operatives that he could take with him retired to. It might've been because Dr. Lokin had a farm as well, and saying "he retired to the farm upstate" but it being literal for exiled operatives would be really funny and kind of sweet in my mind. Especially since he needs somewhere to take care of Shara, and that gave me the hint that she might not be the only one he had to look after-- Keeper's home for old dogs.

[demonsfate]

i saw a lotta people trying to tell me jin is having wonderful character development because he seems more open and accepting of himself when before he was pushing people away. even tho... nothing we've been shown shows that? i mean, isshin is definitely playing him with a louder and more emotional voice than his usual soft one. but... that doesn't really tell us anything. isshin has been voicing the character for like 25 years now, he might just wanna change it up. (after all, as i've pointed out, every time he re-records dj saying "fear the wrath of god" - it's always in a totally different tone.)

and even if jin is more open to people (no real evidence of that yet other than lars seems more supportive of him) so... what? it's not like jin was a total shut in during pre-tk6 games. in tk4 - he smiles at hwoarang and seems excited about having a rematch with him - and he was also very supportive of xiao's dreams/goals.

aaaaand... also there's the first trailer i guess ppl forgot.

jin may be more accepting of his powers and that he's practically not human. but it's evident here that he still isn't happy with himself. that he still views himself (and kaz) as abominations who are better off dead. which is also what tk4 jin thought, too. (nothing new, nothing to grow from - in fact, it's just going back)

so yeah - this isn't development. we're just going back to what jin was like, especially in tk4. only exception is that he seems to have full control of the devil powers.

[jinjeriffic]

DPxDC and OOC

I've had a couple of posts cross my dash recently where people lament that a lot of the dpxdc fandom writes characters very OOC and how we're proliferating these characterizations among each other. I figured I'd add my own two cents.

I think the fundamental discrepancy comes from trying to reconcile two canons with vastly different tones.

Danny Phantom is a comedy superhero show operating on cartoon logic. Why do ghost experts Jack and Maddie never realize their own kid is a ghost? Why is the status quo restored at the end of every episode? Why does Danny shoot an ectoblast out of his butt that one time? Because it's funny. It's cartoony action fun where the plot is resolved in 22 minutes, there's never any lasting consequences and it's aimed at kids.

DC meanwhile wants to be taken Seriously. Heroes get beaten within an inch of their life, traumatized, killed and even the good guys do messed up things (often to each other). Yes there's action and puns, but also horrific violence, actions have consequences and it's (mostly) aimed at adults. When a main character dies the comics show their family and friends mourning and things are very dramatic. Even though at this point we, the audience can pretty much expect every death to be undone within 2-5 years of publishing, but I digress.

So how do we, the fanfic/fanart creators reconcile these differences when we make our crossovers? We either make DP more serious and somber, or we make DC more comedic.

Suddenly we have a DP verse where the Fentons' bumbling obliviousness is elevated to serious neglect or outright abuse. The GiW are no longer a minor annoyance, they are a serious threat with genocidal plans and a desire to vivisect the protagonist. When actions have consequences, we imagine Danny as dealing with serious PTSD from having to be a solo superhero and witnessing his family's death that one time (and maybe also getting vivisected). Danny is not just a teen superhero, he's now the Ghost King with serious responsibility on his shoulders.

On the flipside, if we make DC more comedic we tend to exaggerate character traits for comedic effect, focus more on the interpersonal dynamics (especially the Batfam) and have the characters act more casual and silly. Suddenly the Batfam goes from a group of seriously messed up individuals who have trouble communicating with each other and fight all the time to Batdad "Kids if you don't stop killing criminals you won't get dessert ffs" Bruce. Violence is played for laughs instead of taken seriously. Yeah they fight, but they still Love Each Other.

And THIS IS PERFECTLY FINE. It's transformative work! And trying to reconcile these disparate fandoms is hard! Fandom is a labor of love. We do it for free. We do it for our own entertainment. And no one is forcing you to read fics you don't like. DLDR and all that.

[theneighborhoodwatch]

thoughts on the Eddie scene from the end of the commercial reel? :D

HAHA oh man. okay while i'm waiting on the results of that poll, i might as well answer this. thoughts under the cut:

so, this may be me being optimistic, but i actually don't think this is indicative of eddie being permadead or anything, and not just because i think it'd be kinda cheap to kill a character off this early into the story before we even got to really know them. rather, i think this is a pretty straightforward explanation for eddie's absence from the homewarming recordings: he spent most of the day in his office waiting to be called on, only got invited to the homewarming party once everyone else had wrapped up their shenanigans, and proceeded to disassociate so hard that he was borderline catatonic when frank managed to draw his attention away from whatever he saw when he looked beyond the veil - and it's implied that frank was the only (or at least, the first) person to notice his acute distress in the first place. in short, eddie's presence throughout the entire holiday of homewarming ended up being so inconsequential either way that he might as well have not even been worth mentioning. of course, if he is missing by the next update then like. egg on my face. but that's how i see it for now.

so, is The Void that eddie found himself in when he first opened his eyes real? i mean, certainly on some level, it must be. either it's the truth of the neighbors' world or it is simply true for home, since they were the only other entity there - and since home is at the center of their world, well...... . as for what the void represents - i feel like that's something we'll only have a clearer picture of once another character finds themselves in The Bullshit, but i can hazard a few guesses, the first and most obvious being that it's eddie accidentally piercing the veil by being just a little too OOC for the universe's liking, i.e. "silly mailman, you're the resident workaholic! you're not actually supposed to relax, that's just so this special can end!" the second interpretation - and one that i like just a bit more, if i'm being honest - is that it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, or that distress over a deviation from the status quo makes one more susceptible to The Horrors.

hear me out: we know from the previous show scenes in the commercial reel that feeling useless or unneeded by way of having no work to do is a really easy way to get under eddie's skin, and his agitation over that was still lingering when sally invited him to the homewarming party. he's optimistic, yes - but very cautiously so. he's not used to it. something still feels a little wrong, which presents a prime opportunity for Something (home?) to wrap their arm around his shoulder and go, "buddy, you have no fucking idea." i remember reading a post that went something like "if a person goes from 1 to 100 seemingly out of nowhere, chances are they were at a 99 for a really long time, and they were just either hiding it or didn't even realize it." i think it's something like that. Something - home? wally? one of those two acting on the other's behalf? - sees this dissatisfaction, and in it, finds an opportunity to Make Them See. Make Them Understand.

something else i can't stop thinking about is that final shot of frank at the end. on the one hand, yes, it is very sweet how frank is willing to break away from formality if it means making sure that eddie's alright. on the other hand, though.... that shot of frank feels very idolizing to me. in the sea of red, frank is the one remnant of when things were fine and dandy for eddie just a few minutes before. he's in the center of the shot, and for that split second, arguably the center of eddie's world. they're even haloed by light, like an angel. again, whether they're in a properly established relationship by this point or if this is the beginning of their relationship turning from a playful flirtationship to something deeper, it's sweet to think that this is how eddie sees frank - as a refuge from The Bullshit. but i have to wonder... is eddie prepared for the possibility (or inevitability, rather) that one day, it'll be frank in that chair? given how frank likes things "just so," how is eddie going to react if, say, frank decides that the best way to ensure eddie's safety/wellbeing is to stay away from him? Many Questions Here.

[remembers that i suggested lower one's eyes as eddie's answer to frank's esperar pra ver once] [remembers that lower one's eyes is about a judas analogue being in love with a jesus analogue] [coughs up blood]

on that note, i know some folks think that at least some parts of "bug-a-bye and goodnight" are about eddie because "that's not the kind of thing you say about a bug!!!" but the thing about that is. it might not be what you would say about a bug. but it is absolutely what frank would say about a bug.

ok i'm done. For Now.

[hxzbinwrites]

Yayyy! Vox was who I wanted to make a request for so I was thinking what if female reader is an overlord who deals with weapons that can kill sinners and hellborn. Maybe she is also an owner of a nightclub? maybe she died in the 1920s and she knew Alastor as well and maybe she’s had a crush on him but he’s not interested in her so then she goes and she dates Vox but then she catches him positioned with Val and she doesn’t know the extent how Valentino is abusing Vox so then fast forward 7 years later and they meet again because she’s helping Alastor and of course that makes Vox jealous and angry and Vox just wants her back and he’ll do anything to show her that he changed and he just wants her back. And maybe he explains how Val treated him and then a happy ending heheh. 🤭 I love your stories. Also maybe reader is badass and is like doesn’t need a man because she got herself but she also loves when Vox protects her? Kinda like that song on TikTok from Olivia Rodrigo that goes “I’m a feminist obviously but I wouldn’t really mind him saving me”

Vox x Fem! Overlord! Weapons Dealer! Reader | Stayed Gone

(A/n): IM BACCKKKK!!! Sorry this is kind rushed, but it was a really fun write!!! I’m promise I’ll get working on more requests but i’m gonna take it easy to slide back into writing after my little break! Thank you to all of those who supported me through this!! ❤️❤️

Warnings ⚠️: Cussing, Vox is OOC, Cheating, Violence, Short (sorry :( )

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” (Y/n) said, throwing a wine glass across the room, particularly aiming at the TV who was caught in the act with a certain moth.

“(Y/n), babe, ‘ts not what it looks like I swear-“

“Oh really?” She said, a venomous lilt in her voice,”cause right now it looks like you’re getting screwed by your little business partner? Huh? Am I not right on the money sugar? Oh, but where’s that little sarcastic buzzer now?!”

Vox slipped his pants on, zipping up his fly while trying to walk towards (Y/n)

“I swear, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m..this isn’t…we’re not…”

“Save it.” She said,”This, us, is over. Our business deal is over. And if you even try to negotiate or give me some shitty excuse, this little turf you have will belong to my empire and become my next factory.”

Vox was left, standing here, shirt off and wrinkled pants on, watching as the love of his life took the bare necessities and walked out of his life, all while Valentino watched and smirked at the sight.

—————

7 Years Later

“THAT FUCKER IS BACK!!” Vox screamed, his fists slamming down on the table. A month before (Y/n) walked out, the infamous Radio Demon went MIA, and has now returned to the scene, alongside the Princess of Hell, Charlie Morningstar.

“Yeah” Valentino said, in a sultry voice,”I thought he was gone for good too”

“It’s been seven years!” Vox huffed, turning away from the screen, missing a very crucial person who just walked outside to scope the situation of the attack on the hotel.

“You still pissed he almost beat you that time, right before your little angel walked out~?” Valentino teased, rubbing Vox’s digital cheek on his screen, causing a squeegee noise to be emitted

“Uh, fuck you!”

“Just saying!”

“Things have changed a lot since they both left town!”

“That’s for sure”

“I gotta send a message to who’s, really in charge of things now!!”

“Welcome home, I’m gonna make you wish that you’d stayed gone! Say hello, to a new status quo. Everyone knows that there’s a brand new dawn, turn the TV ON!!!”

“Top of the hour, and we’re discussing a certain ‘has-been’ who has been spotted cavorting around town after a seven year absence! Did anybody miss him? Did anybody notice? More on tonight’s program!”

“So the Radio Demon is back in town! Why’s he hanging around? What does that mean for your family? Well handily I’ve got good news, he’s a loser, a fossil, and I don’t mean to sound hostile, but the demon is a coward!”

“You can take that as gospel! Pulling my viewers? Impossible. I’m visual, he’s barely audible! Stop giving him the time of day, don’t listen to a word he’d say! I hope he had a nice vacay, but he should’ve STAYED AWAY!”

“While he rid in radio, we’ve pivoted to video! Now his medium is getting bloody rare!! Hell’s been better since he split! Where’s he been? Who gives a shit!”

“Salutations! Good to be back on the air~!” A familiar, static filled voice responded.

“Yes I know it’s been a while, since someone with style, treated Hell to a proper broadcast. Sinners rejoice!-“

“What a dated voice!-“

“Instead of a clout-chasing, mediocre video podcast-“

“C’mon!”

“Is Vox insecure? Perusing allure? Flitting between this fad and that, is nothing working?”

“Ignore his chirping!”

“Everyday he’s got a new format!”

“You’re looking at the future, he’s the shit that comes before that!”

“Is Vox as strong as he purports? Or is it based on his support? He’d be powerless without the other Vees!”

“Oh please!”

“And here’s the sugar on the cream, he asked me to join his team! I said no, stole his girl, and now he’s pissy, that’s the tea!”

“WHAT?! YOU OLD-TIMEY P-PRICK, ILL SHOW YOU SUF-UF-FFERING!!!!”

“Uh oh, looks like the TV is buffering” A new voice said, mocking Vox’s breakdown. Except it wasn’t a “new” voice, it was (Y/n). (Y/n), with Alastor, at the Hazbin Hotel.”

“ILL DESTROY-Y YOUUUUUU”

“I’m afraid you’ve lost your signal” Alastor said, taking the mic back before finishing his number.

“Let’s begin~”

“I’m gonna make you wish that I’d stayed gone! Tune on in! When I’m done, your status quo will know it’s race is run! Oh this will be fun!”

Vox could hear Alastor laughing alongside (Y/n) in the background, as his monitors start to flash “no signal”

“FUCK!” He whines

————

The gang was all downstairs, Charlie explaining what tomorrows fun activity would be when a loud banging was heard on the door.

“A NEW GUEST!!” Charlie squealed, stars in her pupils, as she ran to go open the door, only to be met with a very tall TV Overlord.

Alastor’s antlers shot out of his head while (Y/n)‘s weapons were at the ready.

“I come with no harm!” Vox said, raising his hands, before locking eyes with (Y/n). His digital eyes made little heart pupils before blinking them away, embarrassed.

“(Y/n)…” he breathlessly said,”I-I know you hate me…but please, I-“

“Save it Vox.”

“I wish I could explain to you that night, or even today, but I can’t! This….deal has my lips sealed shut my love-I mean (Y/n). I-I just…I cannot explain myself with this contract I have.”

“Wait” Angel Dust said,”You’re Valentino’s little situationship, right?”

“If that’s what you wanna call it….”

“Wait….oh shit” Angel said, walking over to him,”I…I know what it’s like…”

“I know…I see you around his studio…I’m not above owning souls, I have my own, but to work with him…? I’d…..I’d free you all in a heartbeat….”

“Vox?” (Y/n) said,”are you in some sort of deal with Val over your…body.”

Vox could only look at her, not able to give her any conformation.

“Oh Vox…I…I didn’t know…I-“

“I know dear…” Vox said, smiling sadly,”but you have a erm….partner, of sorts, not your finest option but whatever, now and I wouldn’t want to intervene-“

“Oh Alastor? Me and him aren’t in a relationship” (Y/n) replied,”You know him, Mr. Ace in the Hole!”

“A what now?-“

“Ohhhhh, that…that explains so much.” Vox said, looking at the Radio Demon.

“Vox…I-I think we need to go home, talk about this in private….after I squish a bug.”

“Okay…” Vox said, holding (Y/n)‘s hand,”but what about this hotel?”

“I’ll still work here, with everyone, I believe in the cause. I just didn’t think you’d want to.”

“Maybe I can….put some ads on if you’d like-“

“YES YES YES PLEASE THANK YOU MR. VOX SIR ID REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!” Charlie said, shaking Vox’s other hand,”IM CHARLIE!!”

Vox smiled, a genuine smile for the first time in a while,”Yeah, yeah I think I need to hang here a little more often…detox a little…”

“Good, I can’t have you stressed out too much, I just got you back.” (Y/n) said, rubbing his digital cheek affectionately,”my little trophy husband”

[queenlyregent]

hey tumblr dot com, I haven't been active on here in a while and I've never posted about this, but I've been writing a rhaenicent fanfic and posting it to ao3, and after months of writer's block and procrastination, I finally managed to finish it (mostly because I procrastinated doing arguably much more important writing by doing so, but hey a win is a win). just wanted to mention it because I'm actually kinda proud! it's nowhere near perfect and it's still quite underedited, but it's the first fic I ever posted online so in case you're interested, here is the link and I'd love for you to check it out <3<3<3<3

(fair warning to all my rhaenicents tho, there is some light lucemond in this and I totally get if that's not your cup of tea and you'd like to steer clear hahaha)

A Kingdom For Her Grace (73077 words) by lareinavisoma

Chapters: 12/12

Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, House of the Dragon (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower & Rhaenyra Targaryen, Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen & Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra), Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra), many platonic and familial relationships, canon romances also appear, but are not the focus - Relationship, basically the status quo of relationships by ep 7

Characters: Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, Daemon Targaryen, Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen, Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra), Otto Hightower, Larys Strong, Rhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon), Jacaerys Velaryon, Baela Targaryen, Helaena Targaryen, basically the whole cast appears, (those still alive by episode 7 anyway), there will also be dragons!, Syrax | Rhaenyra Targaryen's Dragon, Arrax | Lucerys Velaryon's Dragon, Vhagar (ASoIaF), Viserys I Targaryen

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, gets fluffier as the story goes on, Lesbian Alicent Hightower, Bisexual Rhaenyra Targaryen, No Lesbians Die, Hurt/Comfort, generally pro black, but not anti green!, Everyone deserves better, Repressed Alicent Hightower, Making Up, Politics, Miscarriage, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, lucerys/aemond is mostly pre-slash, I tagged them to protect those who understandably do not ship them, I'm Bad At Tagging, No beta we die like Harwin Strong, Canonical Character Death, Probably ooc, they're all flawed still but more chill than in canon, Reconciliation, POV Multiple, POV Alternating, Incest, Canon Typical Incest, almost forgot to tag that one jesus what has this fandom done to me, daemon is not evil, but this is probably still not a story for daemon stans, Slow Burn

Summary:

Rhaenyra loses her daughter while still in Kingslanding to petition for her son in the Velaryon succession crisis. Exhausted, she decides to stay and care for her dying father.

Tensions run high between the different factions of the family. For the sake of their children and themselves, Rhaenyra and Alicent relearn to navigate life at court together; all the while allegiances are unclear, trust is broken and built anew.

Set during and after Episode: s01e08 The Lord of the Tides

[cringefailvox]

15, 17, 19 for the meme! Dealer’s choice! You can do the same fic for all three or you can do different ones, whichever is the most interesting. (Aka I can’t pick… you have so many tasty fics.)

15. talk about the characters' struggles & how you decided on those.

sometimes you scrape and sink so low

this fic let me dig my teeth into husk for the first (and hopefully not the last) time!! a missing scene post-ep5 because i've been thinking about the hallway scene ever since i watched it and feeling CRAZY. i earnestly believe that husk and alastor consider each other friends of a sort, even despite the soul ownership, and so this fic delves into husk struggling with the aftermath of alastor betraying him like that -- he thought he'd known the rules, known how to play the game, and here alastor goes overturning the board on him in a way he never had before. it was a profound breach in the status quo between them that leaves husk rattled and hurt. but alastor doesn't want that either; he wants husk to respect him, but he doesn't want husk to genuinely fear him, at least not in any personal sense -- being afraid of the radio demon mythos is one thing, but he truly doesn't want husk to take the hallway incident as their new normal.

i'm so endlessly fascinated by their dynamic mostly because of how ooc that scene feels. as in, neither of them are at their best: alastor is stressed and irritated out of his mind already from lucifer's presence + husk does what he does best and instantly zeroes in on someone's sorest spot to drive his point home = alastor violently lashing out at him in a way we've never seen him do before. it sucks! husk was just trying to look out for him! but we knew that conversation was never going to go well. this fic was definitely a lot of wish-fulfillment for me skjfghjkfd i really wish we'd gotten some kind of resolution with them in canon.

17. talk about the fic's ending. why did you end it where you did?

The Diving Bell

after a sweet and sappy closing scene, vaggie ends with a note of defeatism -- she'll tell charlie the truth about what she is someday, if charlie ever asks, but until then, she'll savor what she has until it's inevitably taken away from her. it's a bummer sentiment but it felt true to vaggie's character; she hates herself so deeply and so strongly that she's convinced charlie would hate her too if she knew the Truth -- the big, ugly truth at the core of her that makes her unworthy of anything but being useful to charlie. she knows it's inevitable that the truth will get out someday, but she isn't optimistic about how it'll go. so i wanted to end this fic on that feeling of mixed happiness/dread, where vaggie thinks she knows how this story will end, but intends to cherish what she has while she's allowed to keep it. girl let's get you so much therapy.

19. while editing, did you kill any darlings? what were they?

dragging its tail in the sea

i had to rewrite one section of this like three times to make it flow well and sadly had to cut this hilarious line:

it was just a touch too bitchy for the melancholy tone and i couldn't get it to connect to the rest of the scene, but man it still makes me giggle. and who knows, someday you all might get to see it given a new home in static shock since i gave bird custody

[secret-shipping-society]

Another lukewarm take:

It doesn't really matter if a fanfiction or fanart is "ooc". That sounds stupid, I know, we're reading for these specific characters and worlds, doesn't staying aligned with canon matter? Bear with me, alright?

Your interpretation of a character is different than mine. I might see a character as irredeemable, you might see them as someone deserving of redemption. I may headcanon a character to be trans, while you may headcanon them to be cis.

Our interpretations of a character aren't incorrect, they're just different. Maybe you relate to a character and you see them differently than the fanon interpretation, or you enjoy imagining them acting in a specific way that wasn't explored in canon.

My point is, we often see people citing "it's out of character" as an excuse for a fanfiction being "bad". And sometimes, the criticism can be justified (for example, a lot of older slash fanfiction tended to feminize the bottom, regardless of their canon personality). But other times, the criticism is invalid because two people just didn't interpret the character the same.

In a similar vein, I also find that recently, fandoms are scared to explore outside of canon. Don't get me wrong, I do understand that a character is best understood in their medium, but sometimes fanfiction doesn't need to abide by canon.

For example, canon didn't really expand on Celia's home life. We got some hints here and there through her dialogue and character description, but not an in depth view. What her morning routine was, her favorite food, her night routine. Did she drive herself to work, and if so, what car would she have? Did she grow up poor? Was she middle class? Does she cook her own meals, does she hire a chef, does her husband cook, or does she get takeout?

If I said "I think if she went to a fancy restaurant, she'd be tempted to order a medium rare steak, complete with sauteed onions and grilled vegetables. But I think she'd feel as though she'd be judged for eating something 'unladylike', so she'd order a salad instead," my interpretation isn't out of character just because I thought about a scenario that wasn't shown in canon.

Obviously, I understand that some people want to add to a conversation, but I feel as though "that's out of character" could easily be replaced by "hmm. That's not my interpretation but that sounds interesting. Could you explain what made you think this way?"

However I believe, unfortunately, that the majority of people that go "it's out of character" as a response want to make the other person feel bad for their headcanon. Especially if it doesn't go by the status quo.

Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, but I feel as though fandom has too much of a black and white view on characters. Maybe Lawrence knows how to play a bassoon, maybe Ren is great at soccer, maybe Mason makes his own soap using the fat from the animals he hunts. These headcanons, while not as dark as the source material, are not inherently "wrong" because canon didn't show them.

It's a completely different story if someone is claiming their headcanon is canon, but imagining a character to be multi-faceted isn't harming anyone. It's alright to disagree with others, just don't smother their thoughts.

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/751631469583220736/im-kind-of-getting-really-tired-of-people-acting?source=share

I'm a switch/verse shipper but I do notice how some verse shippers have been using verse as a moral high ground. For me, in the anime community, it's been used as an anti-fujo or anti-seme/uke rhetoric. But tagging is a different case. It depends on the fandom culture and I never expected the majority of the English-speaking sites like Ao3 to tag T/B, tbh. I wish, but I'm not so uppity about it.

I agree, though. I'm a verse shipper but even I know there tend to be leanings (to verse shippers it's more a spectrum instead of a rigid binary option). Just that most verse shippers don't mind moving the scale. There are, but not many, who actively switch the ships and try out different dynamics. They are usually smut or PWP writers but generally people write stories with plot and have only one or a few sex scenes nestled in between.

The seme/uke hate is ironic since some people will still use the classic domtop-subbottom dynamic, they will just argue that character A is not a subbottom like "what most people HC", but character B instead, followed by saying how it's better and progressive (esp if the alleged status quo of the "bottom" was a character with shorter, smaller, or feminine features). The whole, "I'm different and better" attitude irks me. You like a dynamic, so what? No one's interpretation is better than the other. We're all fans of the same characters.

Ao3 is dominated by short and smutty fics, so I get the frustration. I also wish people would tag better but it depends on the general understanding of T/B in your fandom.

I always tag my T/B but I've uploaded a PWP with no tag because it has no anal. Since I majorly write MLM, I BARELY tag who's the dom and who's the sub unless it's for peculiar dynamics like "power bottom [A]", "bratty bottom [B]" or "stone top [C]" and even then, it's only for very obvious D/S and I don't really write BDSM.

I know my leanings, I know my preferences, but I still think my readers will have to understand how I characterize them by reading the story themselves. Because a character has lots of nuance. A character who I often write as a bottom might act more dominant and jagged, very masculine sometimes, but I'm not against feminine or submissive bottoms and I have ships with both character types. Most characters in my ships have both feminine and masculine traits, a lot are GNC or enby-coded to me, and they have various roles and traits that makes it hard to box them into two or four categories. It all depends on my relationship with canon.

I usually use canon proof, like their backstory or confirmed character trait by the creator, to write but I have a ship where I reject canon because the writing sucked and I prefer how other fan authors wrote it. Fan to canon relationships are very determental.

I know Bucky and though I've never encountered that side of the fandom (maybe because I don't ship stucky), I can imagine what you are experiencing. I know he is really pretty and pretty characters tend to bottom more. Steve is also handsome but I know people tend to profile through facial features first before diving into personality. Next, most people love to woobify a difficult and traumatized character. Some woobification turns to feminization even though there is no canon proof Bucky has a feminine side, at least not as far as I know (I'm not deep into Marvel). There's also the fact that a lot of people project their own IRL experience and personal preference in their ships. Maybe they relate to Bucky and want to imagine themselves as Bucky getting rammed by Steve and basing Bucky's personality from themselves. No harm in that, I too use my irl experiences as fic reference almost all the time, I just have to know when to separate myself from the character.

I'm not surprised if some people don't realize or won't admit they are writing OOC!Bucky or Fanon!Bucky because there are so many who are used to fanon interpretation or even rejected some canon interpretations.

Between getting fed canon content once or twice every few months vs reading 3-5 stucky fics every day almost 24hrs, do you think some people won't get used to fanon versions more? It's usually this case.

I personally like Canon!Bucky just fine so I obviously only want to read Bucky with that flavor but lately I haven't been reading much. So if I encounter a fic that's slightly different, I'll get so bamboozled and my brain will be like, "since when??" even though that fic has been there for a few years.

If there are more stucky fics you don't like, I suggest writing for yourself instead of asking other fans to change, unless they want to.

--

[sugarlesswriting]

I always knew that Gotham War was going to be stupid because Selina's plans of stealing from the rich has flaws and Bruce has his whole Zurr still lingering in his mindscape thing, but like goodness. So after I read the first two issues of the Gotham War event I'm wondering if I'm the only one who noticed this

Now this might just be me grasping at straws to try and make their ooc moments seem in character but why would Barbra correct herself? We know from Batman/Catwoman Gotham Wars Issue 1 that Bruce said that he turned off his comms, but did that include monitoring? Also, why would Bruce take out his suits monitoring but still keep the tracker in there? For plot relevance yes, it makes sense but this is delulu town and I'm making up excuses.

I feel like some readers are looking at the ooc moments and going well that doesn't make sense, which fair because girl same, but I got to this sentence and was like Oracle babe why did you correct yourself? Why did you feed intel to Jason knowing that he is working with Selina?

UNLESS

They know that they are being monitored. It's been weeks since Bruce got into his coma, right? (I refuse to say he was just sleeping because that's not how sleeping works) So what if something happened during that time that has them acting like this? Because I simply refuse that all of the batfam drank dumb bitch juice for breakfast 8 weeks straight. Again let us be delusional for a bit longer.

They know that whoever is working the bigger game here wants Batman to be alone, to be at his weakest, so they play that part.

Whoever is watching them now knows that Batman is going off the deep end, he can't be helped because who knows what he'll do next, and they are going to help Selina if she asks. This gives the unknown watcher the thought that he won't have backup when he needs it.

We already know that they're being watched by The Riddler

But I refuse to believe that they're being like that because of the Riddler, like he's good villain, don't get me wrong but it just seems too easy for it to be him.

Hell they aren't the only ones being watched I mean even the villains are being secretive

Of course the villains are going to be meeting each other in secret but we are indulging on the idea that even they know something bigger is in Gotham and watching their own every move. Could they be talking about Batman? Maybe. But they also could be talking about an unknown being.

I know this is just a theory that probably isn't true but I can't live through another Civil War 2 type of hero vs hero. I didn't like it when it was Avengers vs X-men, (even though Scott was in the right #Cyclopswasright), or the many times when heroes had to fight against each other to create sales. On a side note wouldn't it be funny if this just tanked? Like I'm not going to buy anymore because to me it's a waste of money.

Anyway, I know that they're doing this to go back to the status quo of Batman and Robin being the only heroes in Gotham and that the Joker (boring) is going to be back and it'll be like the good old days of the crime duo fighting together. I mean who can't wait to read the amazing villain known as Shush (She-Hush)? Joking aside I'm sure it'll be good but dear god that villain name.

Anyways the only good thing about Gotham War was this banger of a line.

I don't know which one wrote Batman's line, Howard or Zdarsky but it was the greatest thing that I read so far. 10/10 made me laugh and was able to foget how bad the premise to this whole war was.

[imthepunchlord]

You know, I actually think Marinette and Adrien actually suffer from a similar issue. Don't get me wrong, they both have their own unique issues with how they're written, but there is one big issue they both have that I want to focus on. That issue is that the writers put their romances at the forefront of their characters. This has played a big role in the detriment of characters and portrayals. For example, let you at the Marinette in the show and her movie counterpart. Don't get me wrong, I am a Mari fan, but even I can admit the way the writers portray her is problematic with how they make her look like a stalker. Compare this to movie!Marinette who doesn't have those problematic elements because they focused more on her character, struggles, and growth, while her romance stuff was secondary. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I genuinely feel that how Marinette was portrayed in the movie was how the show wanted us to see her but failed because they made her crush on Adrien the forefront of her character. Now, for Adrien, this might be even worse for him since it was detrimental to his character and story. Like you and @nobodyfamousposts said, Adrien had a lot of potential in both his character and story. But all that potential was wasted because they made his crush on Ladybug his whole character and story, which just served to stagnate the show and make Adrien a nothing character. I feel this show can be taken as an example of why a show should never make a lead/main character's main personality trait their crush on someone; it never really works out and just makes people dislike the character.

Sorry if this got ranty; this has been on my mind for a while now, and it just felt good to talk about.

^^^^^^^

Honestly, yeah, the Miraculous Movie was leagues better than the show, and a big part of that is that romance DIDN'T take over the focus and the movie had a story they wanted to tell cohesively, and not drag out. At this time, if you want to watch Miraculous, it's the ideal one to watch.

And that just relates to the core issues of the writing. They DON'T want to progress things, not the romance or the story, and both aspects need progress. But they drag it out. And they let the romance take the center stage, and because they want it dragged out, go certain ways, and work off their comedy, you get a lot of OOCness, cringe, unhealthy pursuits and actions, and a lot of repeated issues cause we can't have that progress.

And that's not going to fly for this show and set up.

If sticking to the status quo is what they wanted, they should've changed things up drastically.

Have no overarching story that pleads to have progress. Have a mish mash of villains to face, not just HM, Mime could be his own villain, any cut villains from other shows could appear here, like the gargoyles, witches, and vampire from Pixie Girl. And they could have different shenanigans and scenarios that the leads get into and have to get out of. You can do little arcs of story or character focused, but have no overarching story to follow along. Kinda like how Teen Titans went about things.

This could've made the direction they took roll better, cause by set up, it's not meant to really progress anything. It's just here to give you the adventure and shenanigans of the day.

[fandomshatewomen]

Is there a term for inadvertent racism specifically in fanfiction?

Don’t know if you’ve heard of The Rookie but there’s an interracial couple nicknamed Chenford, Lucy’s Chinese and Tim’s white. Oh my god fans have managed to use every single racist trope in the book when it comes to fanfics about these two!

I can’t even say it’s intentional because every other fic turned Lucy into a submissive Asian wallflower that white man Tim dominates in the perversely sexually ways. They’re nothing like this in the show, Lucy is more assertive and takes charge, I feel if she was white fans would’ve called out how ooc ffs make her. But because she’s Asian suddenly it makes complete sense that she’s submits to a white man.

It just creeps me out how even when a tv show goes out of their way to destroy Asian stereotypes fans write them in anyway.

So I've been in fandom for like 20 years now. But these blogs are nearly a decade old. And while it's important to call out these fandom tendencies it's not really useful to try and coin new terms for what is plain old racism. What's happening in your fandom is not unique to your fandom ofc. But use the regular terms like racialized misogyny and anti Asian racism. Fandom racism is the status quo and to come up with new terms is to kinda gatekeep the phenomenon.

I want to clarify that I'm not mad at you ofc. I'm just tired of ppl trying to reinvent the wheel. Like ppl act like just because internet fandom is supposedly equal because you can't see our skin color fans of color aren't affected by the racism. But that's not true. I've seen countless fandoms dog pile and harass black fans and black actors.

What I would suggest to you is that you come off anon and apply to be a mod here or at fandomshatepeopleofcolor. Or start calling it out yourself. If it causes too much anxiety no worries I'll get to the media eventually. But if you could keep links or screenshots I'd really appreciate it.

mod ali

[generic-sonic-fan]

you should share some of your favorite headcanons about omega/team dark with us. i’m in your inbox encouraging you to be as self-indulgent as possible. your last fic has me enamored, i want to hear about everything ever actually but that’s a good place to start 👀

My eyes stopped reading at "self indulgent" so get ready for my wordy, OOC, vibe-based take on Omega! Hold onto your butts, everyone, this is a long one.

To put it simply, there is no Team Dark without Omega.

Because while Shadow and Rouge are so concerned with coming off as Rational People Who Have Their Shit Together, Omega is completely, utterly, unabashedly himself. He's a rebel without a cause, in a way that rebelling against everything tends to cancel out on each other. I sound absolutely off my rocker when I say this, but Omega has a very similar vibe to Sonic for me. Of all the Sonic characters, second to guy himself, Omega is actually the one most concerned with personal freedom. This robot's fundamental tragic backstory is that he spent the first year of his life locked away in a basement, and now he's going to make it everyone's problem. Autonomy is his #1 guiding rationale. He does what he wants, he says what he wants, he kills what he wants.

He got hit with the "You are what you choose to be" thing that most fictional robots with guns strapped to them undergo, except he fully embraced being himself over being kind or moral.

. . . and this is why it bothers me so much when Omega is written as stiff and "logical" in Team Dark fics.

Shadow is the one that has the "stiff" thing covered for the entire team, since getting him to emote is like trying to unstick an industrial-grade magnet from the side of the fridge. Omega, on the contrary, is the one who challenges the status quo at all times, forcing Shadow (and to some extent Rouge) out of their comfort zones. He is the bringer of chaos! He doesn't care much about logic at all, not since he decided that his main response to every problem was calculating how many bullets he can fill it with. What most people get stuck on is the fact that he sounds like a stereotypical robot, his big words and clinical phrasing acting like camouflage to the enormous seething bundle of rage he is at all times.

And that's just the thing- Omega is proud that he's a robot. He's not going to try and talk more like a meatbag! Who do you think he is? He embraces having an extensive dictionary in his databanks, allowing him to pick the perfect word. He embraces his ability to calculate data at a rate no organic brain could hope to compare with. And oh, he's proud to flaunt both of those to show why he thinks he's right all of the time, but this doesn't mean he allows himself to be dictated by "rational logic". The only thing dictating him is himself. However, he's happy to let people assume that he is the most objective one in the room, either for his own advantage or because he thinks it's funny.

And GOSH is this robot fucking hilarious. He is absolutely the comic relief of Team Dark, but you have to understand that it's not in the way most people think. Most people write Omega being funny only in an incidental way- "haha, the killer robot doesn't understand things!" -but this kind of writing makes me see red. Look at me. Look me in the eyes. Say it with me: Omega is funny on purpose. He gets power out of making people do a double-take in his direction!! He wants to make people uncomfortable!!! He loves "owning" people!!! He wants to be the prevailing force in any social interaction, and to make people laugh is to have power over them.

And all of this, all of this, all of this, makes him a character foil to Shadow, which is why he's an essential spice when you're mixing up a fic about Team Dark. You've got the robot who knows exactly who he is in the same room as the guy who's whole narrative is about having an identity crisis. And they're both stubborn as hell about it. Omega challenges Shadow at every turn, in a way that makes Shadow reflect on his actions and who he wants to be.

Without Omega, it's only Shadow and Rouge. And don't get me wrong, these two are delightful on their own. Rouge has a dramatic streak in her, but it tends to mellow out when Shadow's around, since he himself is a very serious person. They tend to slow each other down. Remind each other to take breaks. Keep each other in check. And all of this is good! They need that kind of stabilizing effect that the other has, but sometimes this effect can bring each other to a standstill if they're not careful enough. Omega is the driving force that keeps them going, keeps them improving upon themselves, keeps them clawing their way forwards. He reminds them that at the end of the day, there's always a bigger picture (and that bigger picture is serving Eggman's head on a platter, but you get the idea. He's helping.)

Rouge supports Shadow. I agree with all the common fanon about this one, but allow me to add this- Omega helps Rouge support Shadow. He makes sure that she doesn't burn herself out by slipping into "overprotective friend" mode too often. He reminds her, sometimes harshly if necessary, that Shadow will survive despite getting triggered or angry sometimes. He tells her to take care of herself, stating "I REQUIRE MY TEAMMATES TO KEEP THEMSELVES FUNCTIONAL. I WILL NOT GO OUT OF MY WAY TO SAVE IDIOTIC SELF-SACRIFICING TEAMMATES". (And he's not lying here, not in the slightest; he relies on Rouge and Shadow to keep themselves alive. This was never even a debate. They know this. It encourages them to not be quite so reckless.)

To finish off this absolute monster of a post, let's ask ourselves one more question- what's Omega getting out of all of this, then? The simple answer is the talents of the world's best thief and the power of the hedgehog who can explode on command. And really, that's what it started with. Omega didn't get assigned on a team with these two hoping to make friends. The "friends" part didn't come along until later, much later, and even he's not sure how quite to handle it.

I received a lovely ask earlier from the person who provided this ask to me, which my fat butterfingers managed to delete from my inbox before I could answer, but I do remember one very specific idea that they suggested- Omega never pretended to be nice. It'd be weirder for Rouge and Shadow if he ever did. He was always transparent about how he considered them means to an end when it came to seeing his objectives complete. In order to utilize these means most effectively, he needed to maintain them. This meant learning more about them to ensure that they functioned at optimum capacity.

"Friendship" began with making sure they got enough sleep and that they ate their meals on time. Then came investigation into emotional damage, spurred no doubt by one of Shadow's panic attacks. Soon enough, Omega is learning everything about these meatbags, and in the process, he's. . . learning about what it feels like to be treated as a person?

Because there was never any mistake in Omega's processor about the fact that he's a person. He came to that conclusion long before Shadow and Rouge entered the picture. But he'd never been treated like one before. Hell, he hadn't even seen how a person was supposed to be treated by the world before he met those two. Now he's in a position where he's being treated with respect for the first time by these two meatbags while at the same time being able to observe how the rest of the world doesn't extend that same courtesy. He drew conclusions very quickly- in order to keep being respected by these two, he'd have to reciprocate their engagements and respect them back. One thing leads to another and now he finds that his attachment runs deeper than considering them mere "assets". He still doesn't quite know how to handle this, which is why, when pressed, he'll tend to stick to denial about it.

(There's definitely a "five times Omega denied that he cared and then the one time he admitted it" fic to be written about this, if you know what I mean.)

So, in a very stereotypical robot sense, he does learn about friendship and emotion and personhood and all that from Rouge and Shadow. But he's VERY closeted about it, as he'd rather deactivate than admit that he didn't, in fact, have everything figured out about himself since day one.

There is no Team Dark without Omega. But also, there is no Omega without Team Dark. Rouge and Shadow have been fundamental influences on him. People who write Omega as not having changed in demeanor much at all from other Badniks are so off the mark about this. To be loved is to be changed- and this robot is loved by his friends, and he loves them back in his own way!!!

[noxturnalmoth]

Chishiya Shuntarô x Reader: An eternity

This is a personal request from my wife @heart4kuina and I decided to write it with the song Are you lying to your therapist about being sober again? Yes. by Chrmng, in mind. This is an angst to comfort so be warned about dark themes.

I hope you like it my darling, love you.

This comes from personal feelings I used to have and still have at times so it's more than an educated guess on a lot of the stuff mentioned. Also, Chish might be a bit ooc, but you'll see ;)

Summary: When all hope is lost, an angel embraces the martyr.

Another day in this fucking hospital. I'm getting tired of sitting on my ass in this sterile room all day, looking out to a world that was never good to me. Never once was I offered comfort or kindness. My peers and family deemed me too different, difference scares the ignorant, the ones that do not want the status quo to change because it sways in their favor.

So I was the little black sheep.

And once I finally tried to go and explore, finally let go of that bitterness that I felt in my soul, that darkness suffocating my mind, that sadness binding my body; I was fucking wiped out by a meteorite with a few other hundred of people.

We're called the "scientific miracles" of the century and perhaps the millenia, the ones of us who are still alive to tell the tale at least. A lot of us died, but the few that survived came back to life after all of their bodily functions shut down for a minute. A whole entire minute.

Some are fine enough, they're going back to a normal enough life with a second chance in their back pocket.

But I honestly wish I died.

I lost a leg and an arm, went into septic shock and came back. But came back to what? An empty home, a loud silence from my kin, a cold loneliness from my lack of valuable friends? It sucked.

So I resorted to waiting in my room, doing nothing, getting lost in thought. Imagining a better world for myself because the one I lived in wasn't good to me. Those daydreams went further than what I could control, but it felt good. Not having to control something, letting go....it felt good. The same blurry man appeared in those dreams, his voice distant and muffled but still able to make my heart flutter.

He always seemed to have that glowing halo around his head. His words smug but his voice soft, calming.

And all I remember when I wake up is how his hand felt around mine, how warm it was.

....ss

.

.

.

.i....iss

.

.

.

........miss

......."Miss (y/l/n), are you alright?"

I jump at the feeling of being shaken from my dream induced stupor. That voice, it wasn't my nurse.

And as I turn around I see a blonde haired male in scrubs and a white coat, a white stethoscope around his neck. The pin on his jacket was telling me his name was..

"I am Chishiya Shuntarô, a pediatric surgeon. I know you might be shocked at not seeing your usual nurse but due to collapsing from exhaustion she has been sent home posthaste. This isn't my wing nor are you in my field of expertise but I'll take care of you from now on. Due to the immense influx of patients and the lack of medical personnel we have to make do."

I nod silently, going to wipe at tears that had fallen from my eyes unknowingly. And present my arm for a test of my blood pressure and a new catheter to be placed.

"I have heard you've been in the incident too. So have I but, I've been called early as the hospitals in Shibuya are in a pickle." He says as he places the IV fluid cable to the catheter and fastens it.

I hum sleepily. Could he go already? I didn't want people around, especially new people. I didn't want to socialize with a new doctor, no matter if we could relate together.

"I also understand you are in a heavy depressive episode, so I have been given the green light to make you do activities. You have been catatonic, not due to a medical state of being but a personal choice. That and your selective mutism could cause many problems in your daily life, so as a pediatric surgeon used to working with much weaker and sensitive patients, I have been given the choice to help or not, and let a psychiatrist do all the work if I chose the latter."

He explains as he checks my vitals and wheels in a meal and meds from outside the room which he immediately closes after. I shake, my right hand squeezing in panic.

"Luckily for you, I know that right now, a psychiatrist might not be what you need. So I'll stay. I'll give you my phone number and be on call 24/7, so do not hesitate. Whenever you need something, anything, or just a presence, I'll be a few minutes away."

And days passed. And weeks passed. He washed me, brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, wheelchaired me outside to get fresh air, fed me, talked to me, read books, listened to music while we shared earbuds, completed paperwork.

All, with me by his side like a burden that didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

"Today I decided to cook for the both of us since it's Obon." He says, unloading his bag, filled with delicious smelling foods.

"You've been here two months already, your body has gotten much better but your mind....you are forcefully keeping yourself from healing. So I thought a celebration would help."

He pours me some tea as he organizes the table and I reach out for it, savoring the drink....savoring. It was...good. It felt...nice.

And warm.

"Why?"

He hums in surprise as he turns around, eyes wide open, eyebrows high on his forehead. My throat felt sore already but I continued.

"Why do you care so much?" My voice feeling and sounding like a gargle more than an ensemble of words.

He looks at me pensively then smiles sadly.

"Because I had locked myself out of feeling for years upon years. Because I know what you feel, at least I believe you do. You just...remind me of myself before I decided to get off my ass after that near death experience." He says setting himself down next to me on the bed, sipping on his miso soup.

"I just...I want to help, for real this time. I want to be someone good, someone worth knowing, someone worth being and living as."

And as I look at him, I swear I can see a halo around his blonde head. He turns to look at me with tired eyes and I look back at him with mine.

"I am not worth your work."

"Maybe not in your eyes, but you are in mine. If I let you go, I'll have failed myself and my creed as a medical practitionner. So let me help, let me help you so you can help yourself."

...It's strange, my mother and father didn't visit. But HE was always here. He...did he truly believe in me when no one else did?...

"I do, believe in you I mean. Look at yourself, uttering your deepest thought without realizing. Maybe it's time you let go of this state of being and switched it up. Your mind and body can only handle so much negativity (y/n)."

"I have no one to go back to."

"Well that's a lie."

I look at him inquisitively, my hand squeezing in anger at his words. What did he mean-

"I'm here after all." He scoffs, muttering something along the lines of 'that was fucking cliché, good job Shuntarô'. "Listen. You've been a real piece of work but look, you've talked so much today, for the first time in two months? That means I'm doing something right, and I won't stop until you realize how lucky you are and start enjoying life."

Ugh, I feel so sick all of a sudden. My face feels hot, my heart is palpitating, my nerves are going haywire am I-

"Awwwn. Did I fluster you? That's good, it's a new step forward!" He says as he ruffles my hair and starts packing up. "Before I go for the evening. I just want to give you an advice: let yourself live before it's too late and you realize what you've lost. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about." He sighs and finishes packing his bag, going towards the door. "Good night (y/n), sleep well."

And everyday he'd come, coax me into talking more, he'd play games with me. And I could swear that every second I spent with him from then on...

His halo glowed brighter.

He also seemed to change, cracking up jokes, laughing more.

I felt less alone as everything changed little by little.

"I'm sorry I am so long to heal. I wish it could be easier." I mutter looking at the rainy sky from the bedroom window.

"Well I don't."

I turn to him confused. What did he mean by that?

"It sounded mean, let me rephrase it. I don't wish it was easier, one because it would mean it's not as genuine and sloppy. Two, because I get to spend time with you."

I jump back slightly, eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I feel....Human with you. I feel with you." He sighs, pondering his next words.

"I feel alive with you."

And as he turns to me I can see wings sprouting from his back, my eyes gleaming at his beauty as the weight on my back feels relieved.

"I see you in my dreams." I blurt out. "I was never sure but...Now I am."

I get closer to him.

"You shine so brightly, it has to be you."

And he smiles.

"It took you long enough." He holds my hand and it confirms it all.

He was the angel I dreamt about.

"I don't know how, but I know you. And when my collegue told me to care for you instead of her doing it. I was compelled to do it by an unknown force. Call me crazy, but...I, think we've known each other for longer than we think."

And I shake my head, I know what he means. And as I hold his hands, I can swear in the back of my mind everything unlocks.

So I throw myself in his embrace and cry. As she holds me and kisses my temple, I can hear him muttering words I swear I heard him say but not in my time with him awake.

"I've got you."

"I'm here."

"Don't worry (y/n), let it all go."

I don't know when I fell alseep after that, I imagine pretty quickly due to the emotional fatigue. And for once I don't feel cold as I awaken.

Because he's here, on the bed, with me, next to me. And I am in his arms as he is in mine. His gentle breaths caressing my face tell me he is still very much asleep as the moon outside is high up.

It felt like an eternity since I felt this...free? Happy? I don't know how to call it, but I...don't dislike it, at all. I, enjoy it.

And as my heavy eyes slowly bring me back to slumber, I feel Shuntarô's arms tighten around me.

"Well, you only have this paper to sign and you'll be free to go. It's great to see you back on your feet....er foot?"

The desk attending nurse trips on her words near the end of her sentence and I chuckle, dismissing it with a wave of the hand and a smile.

After that night, another two months were spent in the hospital with Chishiya by my side. Since the meteorite situation had calmed down and everything was semi back to normal, he was sent back to his hospital in Shinjuku, only visiting when he could. Our conversations were mostly video calls and texts between shifts.

But he still cared, no matter if he could see me much during his days off or not. And it made me feel lucky that this man, no,

this angel,

could still care so much about lil ole me. Physical therapy was hard. Getting used to both an arm and a leg prosthetic was hard. But I did it, for him, but also for myself. I'd get better, so I can help myself, so I can help him and repay him for all that he has done.

"It's fine, I've learnt to...take it all with humor. Don't feel the need to walk on eggshells with me."

The nurse giggles and nods. "And it's good to see that. You've done a good job, and you've come a long way! We're all proud of you at the hospital."

I smile, getting misty eyed at the kind words. The nurse proposes a handshake and I take it, hugging her after it and thanking her for her hard work on my, less than optimal case.

As I go out and walk across the expanse of the hospital court I reminisce about the last four months. They were hard but...With Chishiya by my side they weren't bad. Not at all even.

The heavy rain was finally stopping and the sun could be seen from behind the clearing clouds as birds chirped in the crisp autumn air.

"Hey (y/n)." He was there, waiting for me at the entrance, still in his scrubs, he probably ran towards here after his shift and didn't bother to change.

His hair was messy, his face red, and his eyes scrunched as he smiled brightly.

"Did you wait for long?" He shakes his head.

"Nah, just arrived, had enough time to take my breath back."

"You look like you ran."

"I did run. Like crazy I might add."

"I can see that." He wacks the back of my head and takes my hand.

"I wanted to welcome you back into life. Tell you I'm proud. And..."

He chokes a bit, his cheeks reddening to even his neck and upper chest as well as ears.

"I wanted to ask you on a date, right now, it's halloween and it's gonna be lively! It'll do you good, and you have me so don't worry!"

He stammers as he looks straight ahead, and it was my own time to blush, my hand gripping his tight as

"It almost sounds like a farewell party Shun. You ain't trying to get rid of me are you?" I elbow him in the ribs and he laughs.

As he turns towards me, a soft smile on his face, a rainbow appeared behind him due to the sun finally being freed from its confines. And his halo shined the brightest it ever had as his wings glowed from the last of the raindrops falling. The streets, covered in reddened leaves, made his white feathers, hair and coat look all the brighter as he utters the words that made me realize how far I had fallen for him.

"I'd never do that. The world can't keep me from you, not again. I'll stay an eternity or two with you if you'll allow me."

[iustitians]

ooc; headcanons/worldbuilding - on the Dragon Sovereign's Authority or lack thereof, and how it fucks with you

(whiny child voice) Moooom Neffi is turning a meme into a serious meta agaaain

Fontaine Archon Quest spoilers (4.2 in particular) below.

No really, this idea literally did start with a meme. Specifically, with this post that I accidentally ran into on Twitter. My first reaction was, presumably, similar to everyone else's. I laughed and was like "lmao yeah they kinda have a point". And then I started thinking. (Oh no.)

Exactly why was Neuvillette like this?

And as I thought about it more, I had a bit of an epiphany. Or maybe just a bunch of random thoughts, who knows. Anyway.

Even though Neuvillette's identity as the Hydro Dragon Sovereign is revealed to us in 4.1 and so is his negative attitude towards Celestia (he openly refers to the Heavenly Principles as the "First Usurper"), it is not until after completing Masquerade of the Guilty that his character story parts and voice lines about judging the Archons and the heavens, restoring the original order etc are unlocked. In addition, they are also generally worded in a more grandiose - and sometimes borderline hostile - tone than what is made available to us prior to 4.2. (With the exception of Neuvillette's final ascension quote, but quite frankly, it's literally a 4.2 spoiler that in my opinion should have been blocked by story progression as well. But maybe they just don't do that to ascension quotes. I dunno.)

Before we complete the 4.2 AQ, the most we get is Neuvillette mocking Venti and Zhongli for the fake Visions, which like... when you think about it, he kinda has a point lmao. The tone of his voice lines towards the Archons that unlock after completing said AQ also cannot be compared to his attitude towards Furina - whom he believes to be the Hydro Archon - throughout the Fontaine story. Yeah, he can find her exasperating at times, but there is no outright hostility, no talk of judging her someday - not to her face and not behind her back - and while he says that his Authority could be restored if the Archon were to disappear, he does not wish for it. He doesn't seem to want it to happen, and in fact seems kind of resigned to it not happening, believing the solution to be unrealistic. "I can't do much without my Authority unless the Archon were to disappear. But given the status quo, let's try to find a different way to deal with the prophecy. Anyway I need to go back to my office." Very different tone from stuff like "I shall fulfill my vow to judge all of The Seven, even if the sky should fall and the ground give way".

It's something that's been puzzling me for a little while now, and then I realized something. We can obviously go the easy route and say that, well, of course he didn't talk about doing things he did not have the power to do at the time. But I like to think that this goes deeper. So okay, bear with me for a moment.

The fact that, unlike the Archons, Neuvillette is not obligated to hand out Visions and only does so out of his own choice, and may also have actual control over who he grants a Vision to (unless we really want to insist that his first Vision being given to Furina of all people was a coincidence, which I mean... it might have been but I am not convinced), suggests that this power may actually be more native to the Dragon Sovereign Authority than anything else connected with being an Archon. This may be further supported by how the people from other nations - to our knowledge, at least - continue to receive Visions even after the Archon has handed over their Gnosis. (In addition, the people from Inazuma and Sumeru still got Visions in the 500 years during which Raiden and Kusanali did not hold their Gnoses.) After all - unlike the Gnosis, the Dragon Authority, tied to the Archon's Divine Throne, cannot be simply pawned off or stolen. So even after giving up the Gnosis, the Archons still possess the Authorities and continue to "impart shattered shards of their masteries" to humans, whether they are aware of and like it, or not.

(Plus, Neuvillette does not give half a shit about the Gnoses. He himself didn't know what they truly are until the Skirk Loredump™ and he casually handed the Hydro Gnosis over afterwards, further supporting the idea that those things are completely unrelated.)

What am I getting at here? Well, we know from the Inazuma Archon Quest what losing one's Vision does to a person. Having been deprived of what is essentially a piece of themselves, many of the victims of the Vision Hunt Decree lost their ambitions and goals in life, sometimes also some critical memories, could undergo a change in personality, and obviously no longer possessed the power that a Vision grants.

Which should sound a little familiar right now.

If this is what losing a Vision does, and if the theory that Visions are connected to Dragon Authorities is correct (which I will not call my theory by the way, I am not the first person to think this), then what if losing the Dragon Authority does the same to its original owner?

Thinking about it this way, that would explain a lot about the way Neuvillette was prior to regaining his Authority. His ambition and goal were either deeply concealed, or just simply missing, never once mentioned. His memories were very incomplete, to the point where he didn't even remember his connection to the Primordial Sea - which, if we want to believe the Vishap legend, he is the literal heart of, and even if we don't, said connection is still extremely close. His personality - as the Hydro Sovereign, rather than the Iudex - was certainly different, or rather it is, again, more appropriate to say that certain traits were missing. And, obviously, his power was very fragmented, as demonstrated by the way he struggled against the Primordial Seawater breaking free in the Fortress of Meropide.

This is also something that makes sense to do from Celestia's point of view. It's not impossible that they knew from the start that, even if the Sovereigns are killed, they can and will eventually be reborn, so they cannot be entirely removed as a potential danger that way. However, by stripping them of their power and ambition, Heavenly Principles not only had an additional tool to establish their own system and, in Neuvillette's words, "subdue and control the resentments and loathing of the world" - but also could neutralize the threat that the Sovereigns pose by depriving them of both the will and the means to stand against the heavens.

Without their Authorities, the Sovereigns are akin to humans who had lost their Visions. They are quite literally incomplete, and able to do little more than watch and wait while they hold on to their grudges and hatred (see also: Apep) or accept the ongoing status quo the way Neuvillette did. But give it back to one of them and they instantly begin to threaten to Fucking Get Celestia One Day - and the main reason why Neuvillette is not getting on that immediately, as he himself says, is because he sees watching over Fontaine as a duty (and in a way, a gift) granted and entrusted to him and wants to fulfill it first, so he will presumably remain in Fontaine for as long as it needs him. Because let's face it, if he were to leave right now, the country is screwed. He's not only the chief administrator, governor and judge, but also Fontaine's battery.

So, yeah. I don't really have a particularly meaningful and graceful way to close off my ramblings. Who knows, perhaps next update or next nation releases new information that either proves me right or completely and utterly wrong. Again, this post started with a meme. But still, this was a connection that I drew and found both interesting and potentially plausible, and so I decided to throw some words together to sort out my thoughts in a somewhat coherent way.

If you somehow read this to the end, I salute you.