#I feel the need to make actual fanart for this ship but something is holding me back. That something being my own anxious self dammit

[selkiefinalist]

BELATED FIC REC POST

okay last(?) week i was really in the mood to rec some fics and then ran out of energy to actually do it but tonight i have a LAPTOP, i slammed a cup of coffee at 8 p.m., and most importantly have a willing heart, so here is a compilation of the various asks i received:

Fic(s) you could do a whole PowerPoint Presentation on:

generations by talahui (hockey fic, ej/nate): except my powerpoint would be about how this is the most important, exactly perfect fic for me and i would make the author (beloved) also present, but much more articulately, on the themes and content of the fic itself, as i am well known as an inarticulate pile of sentient goo. however, here is the loose outline of what my slides would be:

why ejnate is the most important ship ever written

how the author's use of casual/domestic intimacy really came for me but also, you know, tells you everything you need to know about a certain commitment-phobic character's intentions

the power of choice!!! my beloved

how to hurt my feelings while making me happy about it in three steps

the most accurate upper midwest characterizations of all time

scenes that are specifically so painful and also perfect to me. this might be also slide 4 but it's my presentation so i do what i want

future full of yesterdays (1d, narry): godddddd i love this fic, i re-read it a few weeks ago after many years of not having read it and it really held up for me, my powerpoint would be a little rusty but very sincere and every slide would be like 'why this fic is perfect, cont.'

2. a fic you would recommend to get someone into a fandom or pairing you love or have loved

listen i really had to think about this, because hockey fandom is soooooo. like there's so much good stuff, and different stuff, and just. it brings a tear to my eye. but i need to be true to who i am, and i always try to rec stuff that i haven't before, so here is a mix of rarepair fics of varying lengths/ratings/players:

laundry day by screamingcryingthrowingup (~3k, pinto/sanderson). this fic is like if you dared someone to spit in your mouth because you didn't think they would do it but you kind of thought they might because they're a little bit of an asshole and then they actually do spit in your mouth and you're like oh shit

since we're here anyway by robokittens (~4k, chabby/josh). just a really, really good fwb plus a lil extra

cut from the bone by underfallingstars (~80k, i did say there would be varying lengths lol, roope/wyjo). hanahaki disease fic!!! bless this author, i was tearing my hair out through the WHOLE THING

hold by frausorge (2.4k, dillon/jones) for the magic au lovers, i reallllly enjoyed how magic worked in this fic

at home in the uncanny valley by ionthesparrow (~36k) i remember reading this when i was just dipping my toes into hockey rpf and sending it to la and also clawing my face off

3. A fic from a past fandom that you still reread (or at least still think about if you don't revisit old fandoms)

let's go with nevada's fault (~35k, ziall, 1d fandom). ultimate comfort pairing, comfort fic. every three years i go down a big ziall rabbit hole and never ever regret it

4. Fic(s) you would/did create fanart for

one million years ago i made a collage for steph's luckyverse fic. i'm not really an arty person, but i do like doing stuff with my hands

5. Fic(s) that keep you up at night (Either reading or thinking about)

ok well quite literally when i woke up at 3 a.m. on saturday morning FOR NO FUCKING REASON two weekends ago, while also still fuming about season four of the magicians, i read the entirety of damage control for a walking corpse (queliot, ~75k) and then, more slowly, the rest of that series, which really just. the beauty of all life. is something to weep about.

6. Great Angst Fic

i'm not the biggest pure angst fan, like i will definitely read it but some level of angst or whump often crosses the line to straight-up melodrama and that's when i have a hard time sticking with it HOWEVER if you haven't read jes' anything that touches (~50k sidgeno, mind the notes) then i think you should.

in a different way, angst that kind of pries you apart and puts you back together but not in quite the right way, like in a way that's still beautiful and still you but not exactly, try how planets form by caltrain (3k, dumo/yamo)

[ilikekidsshows]

Marinette and Adrienette discourse aside, what I find very off-putting about Miraculous since season 3 is the inability to differentiate between secundary characters and background characters. It’s very contradictory because none of the Miracuclass aside from Alya, Chloé and Nino are compelling enough to warrant any meaningful interest. I distinctly remember people giving Nathaniel a bigger role during season 1, putting him in situations and even shipping him with Chloé, but that doesn’t really contradict my statement because it showed people’s willingness to latch onto a narrow scope of characters and expanding on them. Realistically no one is interested in a wide set of characters that account to what, fifteen people? I didn’t even count them all because I can’t remember them. Are the miraculous all interesting to watch? Yeah. But why give them to every single person who ever breathed in the same room as Marinette? There is a reason why the cool stuff happens to the MC and their crew. People don’t have the time to invest in a dozen different characters who aren’t even flashed out properly past one or two quirks (if we’re lucky). 

I remember when Ladybug started giving away the miraculous like they were candies, some people said you don’t have to give a character a miraculous to flash them out. I agree, but this isn’t even about that. I think you don’t need to flash them all out, period. At least not all of them. Also because the flash out part in question boils down to “Oh no my partner/sibling/friend is in danger and for some reason two perfectly capable superheroes need my help.” I’m like, why. Who cares about Kim or Max or Mylène getting a power-up. Genuinely, I’ve never seen a single fanart of them dressed up as superheroes. I’m sure some of them exist, but the fandom at large does not care.

If you want to compare ML to MHA, while MHA is not perfect, there are undoubtedly some characters that are more important than the rest of the class and the story focuses on them. But the thing is, it is *required* that they all be the heroes because that’s the plot. It’s a school designed for that purpose, the very best in fact. But Miraculous? Just let this class be normal. Let us see Marinette hang out with her girlfriends and Adrien play with the Kitty Section and Adrien and Nino actually being bffs (remember when Nino was still worth something?) and have Adrien and Chloé’s supposed friendship actually hold value (whether or not you like her it’s up to you, but to show had Adrien keep insisting she was his only friend growing up only for that to go absolutely nowhere). 

Also they could’ve just showed the powers by having Marinette and Adrien use them. Hell even the Alya-Nino-Chloé trio. We actually have that! But then we also have… ten different heroes. For whatever reason. 

---

Another scorching hot take: giving a character a Miraculous isn't even fleshing them out. Almost any one of these episodes could be written without the side character being focused on getting a Miraculous. All the tertiary heroes do in any episode after transforming is blindly follow Ladybug’s orders without question. They jump when she tells them to jump and use their special power when she tells them to. They're merely extensions of Marinette's plan to make her look smarter and not characters in their own right. The same effect could be gotten with Marinette or Adrien (but let's not kid ourselves, Marinette will only ever share power with her partner once to appease him after treating him like crap for weeks) used the Miraculous instead. It really shows how bad the writers are at long term planning when they had Unification have no actual setbacks in practice.

I actually think Miraculous' wide and varied cast used to be more of a strength. The world feels so much more real when our protagonists’ classmates all have their own things going on, even if it's just one or two things per character. It makes sure a wide variety of interests kids might be into can be included in the stories. The Kitty Section episode, ‘Silencer’, worked the best for this, tackling topics to do with the entertainment industry while Marinette was along for the ride because she was helping them out. Similarly, we have two episodes where the cast is filming a movie, although I only like the first one, ‘Horrificator’, because the latter is just Chloé being annoying. But it's a fun excuse to get the large cast together for an episode.

In an ideal show with Miraculous’s format, the classmates would be the vehicles to introduce Marinette and/or Adrien to the Problem of the Episode, which will have our heroes there when the conflict causes an Akuma to pop up, giving them an understanding of what’s going on, and making them able to have some dialogue at the end about what just went down, the “what did we learn today?” discussion or some other self-reflection moment. Like, with Kim you could tackle competition topics, sore losers, cheating and even throwing a contest for some reason. With Nathaniel you could tackle worries about not being original or eye-catching enough, of wanting to chase trends in order to get noticed and how to deal with the frustration of putting so much effort into your craft and not being appreciated. The fact that we have actually gotten a few episodes like that makes it so annoying when the writers insist on their lazy options of “Chloé is a jerk” and “Marinette concocts a crazy scheme around Adrien, casualties ensue” for most of the series.

The issue, I feel, is that the writers are constantly failing to utilize their large cast for storytelling, mostly due to their laziness and lack of ambition. As of the retool, we almost never see the characters taking part in their established hobbies, instead obsessing over the main couple even more than Marinette does. It’s just like how the hero selves exist merely as tools to be used for Marinette’s schemes, their civilian selves exist merely to tell the audience that Marinette and Adrien are meant to be. They’re pure utility with no character, and the utility is the same for every single character.

That last bit is how this relates to what you said; how Miraculous doesn’t differentiate between secondary characters and background characters, because the writers refuse to elevate any character to secondary status and actually keep them there / commit to it. The best any character not named Marinette can hope for is being a recurring supportive character, and those are barely distinct from background characters. There are some bits that make us think Alya in the retool or Adrien in the earlier seasons are supposed to be secondary characters, but they just don’t get the focus necessary to make them pop from the rest of the cast. These characters have gone through some big life changes, but we barely know how they feel about any of that. Despite their plot importance they have the emotional depth of a spilled glass of water. It’s annoying.

The main reason that Miraculous’ cast feels bloated is that the writers can’t use a variety of characters imaginatively to justify needing a cast that big, and they have no concept of a character tier list or how to signal character importance to the audience. Giving all the classmates Miraculouses makes them seem equally important, or just more important than Recurring Akuma Victim Number 72, when they just blatantly aren’t. Freaking Mr. Pigeon has more emotional depth than Minotaurox. Freaking Rooster Bold is nothing more than a punny reference to an actually entertaining superhero.

[midnight1nk]

cutely sits on your askbox. Not breaking anything this time! Anyways, seen your rb my silly hitshow poll (I'm in some way surprised and not surprised with the results so far, which is a good thing, I LOVE NUMBERS!!) but I'm here for something different. I don't remember how much you actually talked about them, but maybe that's just a headache talking (usually when it rains I get headaches and it is indeed raining right now) but I wonder how you exactly feel about them? And also what you voted for :3. I've already voted myself, and I'm actually an (obviously) before movie but also bc of potential- I think they have a lot so. Yeah, that's why I'm asking you cuz I see that you're actually extra based about redemption stuff too (thank you so much, my love and tears goes out to you it feels so nice to not be alone about it I'm not kidding) so that only makes me more interested!

At least I don't have to patch up another hole in the waiting room, hope you enjoyed the froggy chairs. come on in to my pillow fort!

Gotta love the poll, but no, I didn't get a chance to actually talk about hitshow (puzzles x wpnz) 🤔 I probably should lol

When the fanart first came (as in before the movie) into the smg4 tag, I saw it and I was like "huh, that's a fun idea ^^ also that's good art" (<- is this a sign of me being on the ace spectrum? idk you tell me) but it clicked for me in the next second, "hold up, this actually has potential? we might be cooking". That's why in the poll, I chose the fanart option bc I wouldn't have that realization otherwise:

Fanart was technically first, a few seconds faster than potential haha

And ofc the movie and the meme recreation of the official account happened.... istg are we still sharing a shared delusion? it still doesn't feel real lmao. Well, now that we have: full speed ahead, chat!

Fr tho, they do have potential. NOT that they will be canon or anything, we barely just got a scene with them. But definitely the type of ship where I'm like "I'm gonna need fics and fanart to fulfill my quota :)" (but if the team does make them canon, we could have the first villain pairing maybeeee? 👀) And since we are talking about them, I do have a rant, that may be a doozy one so bear with me:

(1) I've seen some people calling the "you look lonely" render as queerbait and that made me physically wince, so I thought I voice my thoughts to the people. This is NOT queerbaiting. This is the Team simply recreating a popular meme, in response to SO many fans connecting it to the scene in the movie. Think of queerbaiting as a carrot on the stick. It wouldn't be like the Team to make false promises just so they could have more viewers/targeting the LGBTQ+ audience, that's not them. Just another meme recreation for the silly meme show, like they've always done, for the shits and giggles. Besides, like I said, we only had a scene with them; we didn't even scratch the surface. (I'll get to the whole OG bladerunner meaning in a sec)

(2) I've also seen people wanting Karen to go back with WPNZ and accept him back into the family. Or that WPNZ/Puzzles don't deserve to have a redemption arc. I'm going to go back to my redemption talk again for this: redemption ≠ forgiveness ≠ remembering. As much as these correlate to each other, they're not the same.

First, redemption. It's not if a particular character deserves it or not; if they choose to change, that's their choice. The question is, are they willing to take the time and effort to change? If the answer is yes, then they could have a chance at redemption. If not, that's their choice. Again, there's a difference between "I have to change" and "I want to change", and it takes guts to do it. Not that it will be an easy battle, but whatever the motivation may be, it might be worth it in the end.

Now, do I think redemption is possible for WPNZ or Puzzles? I think it's possible. I think that deep down, they want things to change for the better, that they wish they weren't so alone. Unfortunately, a lot of things blinded them into doing the actions they've done, almost like they didn't know how to redeem themselves. Change is recognizing what is wrong or misguided by what's truly wanted, which ultimately ends up hurting oneself and others.

The people (or lack thereof) in their lives growing up didn't help, and being locked away in solitary confinement made things way worse. Hell, WPNZ actually wanted to change for the better, but with how he was growing up and whatever HItman Inc. implemented in him, it's not easy to "forget"/"undo" the mindset he's been living with his whole life. Born and forced to be a weapon, expendable by the corporation that took him "under their wing", needed to be strong and brave in a high-risk job, the only companion and relationship he ever had was his partner-in-crime. It's why he saw the kids as weapons, needing them to be strong in the mission/get impatient when they're joking around, and misinterprets Karen's hostility towards him as nostalgic thrill. This is basically all he knows, what was constantly told to him. And I don't think he realized how fucked up his life actually was or how much effort is truly needed to learn how to change.

Second, forgiveness. Unlike redemption where someone has a choice, forgiveness is earned by others. Even if a character chooses to redeem themselves, not every person affected by their past actions is going to forgive them. And that's normal, it's fine. When it comes to redemption, you are not supposed to expect something in return, the redemption is for you and you alone. Even if you change and say your sorry's, people don't owe you forgiveness. It's not bc it wasn't sincere or anything, but those past actions could affect differently from person to person, more than realized. We have to accept that regardless of the outcome. An apology is accepting oneself's actions are wrong, forgiveness is the other person letting go of what was hurt/affected. Which ties in with the third, remembering. Just bc you forgive someone, it doesn't mean it automatically makes you forget whatever happened between the two of you. You can see someone's redemption, apologize to you in the most sincere way possible, but you can't forgive them. Or maybe do forgive them, to give yourself peace of mind, but you can't forget how hurt you were by all of it. Some things, those that hurt, can only stay in the past. You can't be "unaffected" by it with a flick of a switch, trauma and injury. How do you want to move forward, that's a leap of faith. Cooling down the hate and grudges, or even letting go.

Redemption is a choice for the person who hurted, forgiveness is a choice for the people affected by said hurt. It's their choice, and they don't owe that to anyone else. With sincerity, honesty, and courage, it can be done if you want to move forward, even if some things will still be remembered. It's literally the conversation Karen and WPNZ had in the movie:

Karen: "Fancy words don't change what you did to me, what you did to my kids." WPNZ: "I know that doesn't change anything, doesn't make up for what I did. But I'm sorry, Karen." Karen: "You've grown alot for the better, but there are some things that just can't be forgiven."

Like I said, redemption was extremely close for WPNZ. The problem was that stopped him stemmed from the loneliness he had, it's why he tracked them down in the first place. He didn't go to them bc he saw how terrible being in Hitman Inc. actually was, but bc he missed the thrill of having Karen (or Katana) around. The missions weren't the same without her. When the kids were upset during the mission, he didn't take responsibility bc he didn't understand that these were kids scared for literally being thrown in a dangerous situation, but bc Karen sheltered them from their so-called roots that the kids need to train to be stronger. Pretty confident that he was recruited by Hitman Inc. at a young age, and he had to deal with what the kids did and be strong too. He didn't want to be alone but he couldn't identify what the true problem was, and therefore stuck with the mindset he had.

Same goes with Puzzles. Truly, the only thing he had in his life growing up was a TV. He didn't have friends. His dad was a narcissistic, neglectful asshole. His mom is implied(???) to be abusive to him, otherwise she's out of the picture completely. He literally locked himself in his room and didn't come out for years. When Puzzles eventually did come out of her room, she went on to cut her head off. You'd think that a parent would be worried for their child and rip the door off its hinges just to know if they're ok from the start. But no, it didn't happen. And the mindset she has, Puzzles thinks that by achieving her dreams to absolute perfection would make her happy, that being popular would "help" her loneliness, that she can prove that her whether-or-not-living father that she proved him wrong. It's why he made Puzzlevision or Puzzle Park.

And for the first time in her life, when someone did care, she got very attached to Leggy, upset when the Crew "took" Leggy away, so much so that he made Leggy 2.0.

WPNZ and Puzzles did the things they did because they were alone. Bc of the mindset constantly being reminded to them, they're blinded to the actual true problem. Believing that some things, like revenge and pushing boundaries, could potentially "solve" mistakes. Shifting blame without acknowledging any fault they've done themselves. Even after their defeat, they simply can't let go of the past, WPNZ with the kids and Puzzles with Leggy. They believed they moved on, and though it's true in some parts, they're still stuck in the past. All dealt with in an unhealthy way.

And now with each other. Realistically, they won't know much of each other's past but slowly, some things may start to come up and eventually, they believe that they're probably the only ones who understand each other. Not that it would be true, but it's likely what they're going to believe, again in a very unhealthy way. A level of understanding that they only know.

This is where the OG bladerunner scene comes in (see? I told you it would)! Based on what I know, and hopefully I got some points right, is that the announcement for the holographic companion (Joi) is persuading the protagonist (K) by forming itself to look like K's ex from a previous romantic relationship. The fact that Cube tweeted this meme in the middle of the hitman arc without context, the movie literally having an eerily similar scene, and then the Team ACTUALLY recreating the meme into a render, this was intentional. Fr explain to me why did the Team chose to use that (bisexual) lighting when they could've chosen any other colors? Why did they decide to recreate the meme at all?

The details they chose are intentional but not in the way most think (hitshow). With the original context in mind, the reality is that WPNZ is being persuaded with the ideal life, one where WPNZ could be with his kids and ex-wife. That his problems could be "fixed" with what's essentially a toxic option. After all, he was left broken and betrayed in the streets, still stuck in his mindset. Karen literally destroyed him limb to limb. Hitman Inc.? WPNZ was an expendable asset, they don't give a shit about him.

And yet, it seemed like someone did. She was there. Perhaps he can be fixed up again, everything could be fixed. The life just as he wants it to be, if he takes her deal. But like the bladerunner scene, it's not real. What they thought would truly make them happy, it's not what they really want. And even then, what else can they do when they only have each other? If what was done to them is done? If they believe there's no choice otherwise?

There's no such thing as "fixing", but healing. That's what they don't see.

That's the potential I basically see. Oh, it's going to be toxic as hell, no doubt about it, but it sure will be an interesting dynamic to see in the show! It's just so fascinating to me, and it doesn't necessarily mean it's meant to be viewed as romantic.

I might be hearing an angry mob with pitchforks coming my way for what I said, but do ask yourselves: is there a chance, no matter how small, for WPNZ and/or Puzzles to have a redemption arc? Not what the Team plans, not what other people think. Not if they deserve it, bc it wouldn't be classified as redemption.

Is there a chance at redemption?

Probability-wise, yes. There is a chance. They would just have to recognize their own faults, that their childhoods were fucked-up, and that the mindset constantly reminded them isn't right or healthy for them. Once again, redemption is their choice. If they let themselves see past the fog, there's a way. Forgiveness (and remembering) are other things that most people usually get stuck on and possibly confuse it with redemption. If WPNZ redeems himself in the future, it's Karen's choice to forgive him. If Meggy or even 4 chooses to forgive Puzzles after a redemption, that's their choice. Not everyone's willing to forgive, and that's fine. It's real. At the end of the day, it's their choice that they have to come to their own terms. Not even the audience could force them to make a decision. Like Karen said, some things aren't unforgivable. Some things we can't forget. We ourselves have made thousands of mistakes, probably done things that unintentionally hurt others. You've done them, I have too. We are human, they are too. All of them.

It doesn't necessarily mean they're justifiable, but understandable. That's why 3's redemption is also so fascinating to me. He's done terrible things for an understandable motive, and he chooses to change for himself, not for anyone else. From greedy desires to acts of selflessness, though he doesn't outright admit it, he does care. I've already praised the Team SO many times about design details, but the progression of 3's model from blue to purple to represent his change to be his own person, it's absolutely brilliant.

The only difference is that while the Crew has each other for support, WPNZ and Puzzles don't. We know why that is, we're shown why that is. But they could, if they let themselves. Not that they have to join the Crew, they can go on with a better way of life. There's simply a chance to change, it just takes time and effort to find it.

.......I do hope it didn't sound like me going around in circles. I just think a WPNZ and Puzzles team-up would be cool to see. I know hitshow's not gonna be canon (it's not, guys, I'm pretty sure) but like. that's the whole point of shipping? As long as there's no harm, it's fine. welp, fuck it, I'm calling hitshow toxic yuri now.

...but WPNZ isn't.....?

WPNZ can be fem now, or I can label WPNZ as honorary lesbian. People are already coming for my head for the whole redemption thing, so I might as well pick my poison. You can always call it toxic love for gender neutral anyway. I ain't going to change to say "they don't deserve redemption" or something like that, I'll die on this hill.

Some people change, good for them. And some don't, and that's okay too! But don't deny that chance!

Plus, I do wanna see fics and fanart of them acting like a bickering old married couple. And maybe they kiss as a treat. Anyway, friend, you already said so much about WPNZ/Puzzles/hitshow, and I love reading your posts, but I did wanna to say a few things not only about what I see in hitshow but to also support you! "extra based", I'm pretty sure I'm not but thanks anyway, that's really touching to know that you feel heard. Here, bud, have some hugs 🫂💙 /very pos /gen

And to everyone else, stories are grounded in reality. While it's a "silly meme show", the Team does take some real issues into the show. Not ALL but some, and I appreciate that. I just hope yall could understand things aren't always black and white, or an easy path. There can be a change.

Ultimately, the choice is yours.

thanks for the ask!

[acourtofthought]

My husband finally put into words for me something that has been the main problem with this whole Anti Gwynriel because of Gwyn's past narrative.

According to Anti's, it's not ok to ship Gwyn with Az because she's not healed enough and hasn't shown that she's ready for a relationship.

According to Anti's, fanart of Gwynriel in provocative positions are not appropriate because it's disrespectful to Gwyn due to her SA, that she needs to first give verbal consent before we're allowed to imagine what a HEA for Gwynriel might look like.

And at first, it almost feels like a gotcha for them because you question whether you're disrespecting real survivors by saying, "she doesn't need to give consent for us to ship them since it's a book." This statement is true, I don't think readers should be forced to abide by real world morals when it comes to possible paths a characters arc might take, however it makes you pause for a moment to question whether what you're saying is disrespectful to those who have been victims.

But he actually flipped that entire thing on it's head when he said, "if the issue is about consent, then why is only being applied to a SA victim? Shouldn't consent be applied to everyone?"

It was kind of a lightbulb moment for me because those Anti's never vocalize how it's wrong for people to ship Eris & Az, Mor & Emerie, Vassa & Lucien (SA victim), Lucien, Jurian & Vassa, the LoA & Helion (because at this point they are not a consenting pair), Nesta & Eris. There are a bunch of non canon, non consent ships in this series and nobody has an issue with those. Nobody takes up the crusade arguing that it's wrong for people in the fandom to imagine those pairings together or drawing fanart of them in NSFW positions. Most of the time they're celebrated but has Emerie consented to having a sexual relationship with Mor? All she did was call her beautiful and Feyre had done the same in ACOMAF. Why do they never call out fanart of that pairing? Or Neris after Nesta harshly rejected him? Where Eris is currently suffering torture at the hands of Beron and we've got no clue as to his sexual preference. Also, Elain only consented to a fully clothed kiss in the bonus (remember, she grew up with human morals which she still holds fast too, she didn't jump right into bed with Graysen), we have no evidence she wanted more yet there's plenty of NSFW E/riel artwork out there and I'm betting some existed before SF, before she even consented to a kiss.

The only time I've ever heard anyone argue for consent or argue against NSFW art is in relation to Az and Gwyn and the message they're sending is that only female characters who have been SA need to give consent before fans should be shipping them.

That's when the shipping agenda makes itself known because if no other non-canon / non-consenting pairing disturbs them to the point they need to create post after post surrounding how wrong people are for shipping them, then it's clear to see that it's only Gwyn being shipped with Az that they take issue with and when only E/riels make these arguments, it seems highly suspect.

Gwyn's SA is irrelevant in terms of consent because EVERYONE should have consent before engaging in physical acts with others no matter their past. However, Gwyn's SA should not be the weight dragging her character down, the scarlet letter on her chest that means the fandom isn't allowed to give her the same treatment that all other characters receive. Where we're free to imagine and create fanart / fanfiction / headcanons (even the NSFW variety) for any pairing that we desire, regardless of their past or preference, even those who have never expressed romantic interest towards one another, except for Gwyn.

Consent in the actual book will be important but consent having already been given in our imaginations so we can imagine possibilities beyond what is currently written is the right of any reader.

[eddiesheep]

Bro, can I say, I actually hate when Sonic ships turn lustful. Like, I physically CANNOT imagine any Sonic character (aside from Rouge, bc... c'mon) in any sexual situation EVER!

No shade to the people who like that sort of art, you go girl.

It's just annoying in a very specific way for me because... I see this absolutely adorable piece of Kittails fanart, completely SFW, like, they're just hugging or kissing each other on the cheek, could even be interpreted as platonic by some. Then I see some mf comment shit like: "They're children!" or "isn’t Tails 8?"

Like??? I'm sorry, is this too much for you? Two cute foxes kissing or hugging is too much for you?? Why are you bringing up their age right now?? Do you see this as sexual?!?!

I don't wanna think about these foxes getting it off! Why are you making me think of these foxes getting it off???

They don't even realize how fucking creepy they sound. It's no different than those boomers who see two young boys holding hands, and just because it so happens to be two boys, they immediately think of degenerate shit and assume all these disgusting things that the boys might do, because they don't see gay people as people, but as porn tags.

Bro, if you see fanart of two fictional characters, (who are anthropomorphic foxes may I add) kissing or hugging and immediately feel uncomfortable because you think hugging or kissing is too far I guess, YOU are the wierdo.

YOU are the one making it sexual.

YOU need to go outside and hug a tree or something. Bc the internet has clearly damaged your brain.

[anime-grimmy-art]

It’s this time of the year again, folks. Time to wrap up the art Ive made in the last 12 months in another Year in Review! I’ve noticed that this is my fifth Year in Review in a row, so I’ll be making an extra post looking back on the progress in those last 5 years!

I've got a lot to say about this year, but purely art wise, I've gone all when it comes to comics, damn! I've kinda found a format that is messy, and therefore more time efficient, yet still looks good. I even made 2 animatics and lotsa shorts/reels! All that on top of opening coms twice, and, oh yeah, MAKING A WHOLE ASS 4MIN ANIMATION ON MY OWN.

How is my hand still alive.

2023 has been….interesting, to say the least. The first half year I was working on my thesis project, aka making an animated short all on my own (in the art department), which makes it honestly surprising how much I managed to churn out between animating. Trigun rly did have me in a choke hold.

Summer was a bit more spotty, esp. with me not being able to draw anything during August as I was writing my thesis (and doing commissions). And towards the end of the year, Kingdom Hearts tried to save me, but alas, Genshin Impact has finally sunk its teeth into me and dragged me to the bottom of the rabbit hole. It all started with me watching a story summary and lore videos while I was sick after my thesis and I was too intrigued to not dig deeper and well, first I fell in love with Kaeya and then the ships started dropping in left and right.

I’m not gonna lie, the last few months have been weird. I finished my masters in October, and have been on job hunt since, sadly without success so far. I’m existing in this weird limbo of still not grasping I’m not a student anymore after 18 years in education, not really being able to accept I’m an adult, yet desperately trying to find something so I can make a routine, cos rn Im too scared to build a rhythm as I know I’ll have a so much harder time readjusting again. It’s left me in a weird emotional state, where most of the time I feel fine, but when it counts, there’s just, nothing. No joy at getting my diploma, no anticipation to finally go to a convention again, neither any sadness hearing my grandfather died. It frustrates me that it extends to my art as well, there’s excitement over ideas and concepts, but no motivation to pick up the pencil, which makes me either not finish art at all or making so many shortcuts and just ending up with sth not satisfactory to me since it’s not the idea I sought after.

Tho, not everything is doom and gloom. I DID finish a whole ass short animation and got my masters degree, that IS sth to be proud of. Also, while Im struggling at drawing, I’ve also kinda started integrating my shortcuts into my style and some stuff I’ve thrown together actually turns out real good nowadays. Also, and this might be a bit of a weird one, I’m so fucking happy to know I can still enjoy gay ships. I’ve been a bit uncertain over the last few years because when I was around 16-18, I had a real big yaoi phase, which mostly came from the fact so much stuff came out that tickled my brain in the right way (Free, Haikyuu, etc.). But over the years, my enthusiasm died down, and I even started to resent some ships because it’s all some fandoms produced. I often found myself liking a hetero ship more than the popular gay ship, which really made me not wanna stick around because I did not care for most fanart and you can only go through a tag with art you don’t care about so long before you lose interest. I think in retrospect that it rly had nothing to do with the ships being gay ships but rather cos the fans just shoved it in your face when you didn’t care (and shipping culture nowadays also can get real scary). But I’m so happy to see I can still get obsessed with a ship and it’s all thanks to Haikaveh/Kavetham. It really just needed the right flavour for me to dig in again. And oh my god, I FINALLY like a ship with a SHIT TON of art and fanfictions, no more scrounging the crumbs from the bottom of the barrel. 

Anyways, enough lamenting. Here’s to hoping I can bite my tongue and get shit started properly in 2024, and that my brainrots may make me obsessed enough to churn out an obscene amount of fanart again.

[illicien]

What drew you to winterbaron as a ship? What kind of content do you read? Is it different from the kind of content you write? Would you like to rec a few winterbaron works? My friend is into the ship and I'm trying to see if it's something I might like but all the fics they've recked me are kind of the same in tone so I'm looking for others opinions for some variety.

Hmm! I've sort of answered some of this in the past so sorry to my moots getting this rehash.

A friend of mine dragged me into WinterBaron (kicking and screaming!!!) rather simply, actually, though what kept me here was the more grand implications of her simple origins. I'm kind of a sucker for a true power bottom, and fanart my friend kept sending me implied the fandom saw Zemo as such, and I was at least a little bit intrigued there. Enough to take a deeper look, at least.

The better discovery wasn't that the fandom had decided he was a power bottom, but that there was a strong push and pull of power in their dynamic. Bucky has all the physical power between them, it's a big thing, he's strong as hell. On the other hand, Zemo is just a guy, and yet despite that Bucky should logically have all the power between them, Zemo's intelligence and knowledge tend to leave him with an edge. That continues to be the fascinating concept about Zemo to me, but that's a different matter.

So for me, it's the manipulation, the push and pull of power, it's Bucky trying to break free of being the Winter Soldier and Zemo trying to decide if Bucky's just like every other super soldier. But it's also about understanding that Zemo knows Bucky in ways most people alive don't. He knows and understands Bucky's history as the Winter Soldier both through his research, and as a man who did horrific things on behalf of his country. And that thought can sometimes lead to softer moments of understanding, I think, that can be enjoyable in fic.

As for content I read vs write: I generally gravitate towards dark fic with these two, though there's plenty of really good stuff that isn't. There are some excellent explorations of kink in the fandom for them which is refreshing. I don't really write them as dark as I read them, since I enjoy writing the power dynamics more than the overt manipulation, but if you're looking for more tonal variety I'm sure I can make some recommendations! (Under the cut!)

** Please make sure you read all of the tags thoroughly. What I enjoy in fiction may not be to your taste, and I respect that, but the best I can do is to link to the site with the tags. 💜

Recs (under 20k words)

Just A Little More by @six-demon-bag epitomizes a lot of what I've said above, and if I didn't start out with it on the list here I'd be doing myself a disservice for how often I reread this.

Bucky goes into a painful rut and Zemo seizes the opportunity to sink newer, more subtle hooks into him.

Breathless by @zsparz is one I like to return to whenever I'm looking to feel sad but don't have a lot of time to read. I can't explain why this one hits me so hard but holy smokes does it make me weepy. Sparz is great at making me cry, though, so like - anyway.

The water kept rising. Bucky could hold his breath a long time underwater, and he remembered vividly how he’d acquired that knowledge. Sam might find him in time.

But Zemo would be long dead by then.

Past Indiscretions by @sagegarnish makes me laugh, genuinely. The whole idea of it brings me a lot of joy, and the execution is delightful.

Bucky and Zemo are trapped in 1941.

Unfortunately Bucky's past self is the only one who might know where the missing Pym Particles are that they need to get home.

When young!Bucky pulls Zemo into an alley, Bucky is forced to watch as a drunken forgotten night from his past becomes a lot clearer.

Recs (20k+ words)

That Which You Fear by @spintwinwb is a trilogy that starts off feeling like an AU and turns into something really fascinating imo. Lots of extra goodies here for comics fans, too.

Instead of freeing the people of Westview, Wanda pushed out across multiverses to get her brother back, and the entire world was caught in the crossfire. Cast in a new, peaceful life in upstate New York in a world with mutants, no Avengers, and no HYDRA, Bucky Barnes struggles to reconcile memories and dreams that no longer make sense with what he thinks he knows about himself.

One Two Many by @six-demon-bag is sweet and fun and complicated, and I really did try not to double-up on authors here but agh. What am I supposed to do??

Bucky and Zemo meet on an anonymous dating app and find a deep connection in each other. In the meantime, they grow closer in person without realizing they’re falling in love online too.

Too Good To Be True by AnadoraBlack is really one of those fics where the tropes are used so well, imo. A very enjoyable read.

Bucky wakes up with no recollection of where he is, how he found himself there, and what the heck is going on. There's also a ring on his finger, and time lost. What the living FUCK?!

The Original Sin by @zsparz because I might as well completely fail at the "only one per author" in spectacular fashion. This sits here because it sits on a very peculiar line between canon and AU and just... like I said. Sparz makes me cry. This isn't a departure from that fact.

Bucky and Zemo keep meeting over the course of several lifetimes. Zemo remembers everything. Bucky doesn’t, but there’s an eerie impression of familiarity he can’t shake — an old pain he can’t explain, with roots too deep for him to reach.

AU Recs

Removing Bucky and Zemo from the context of their complicated history in the MCU can highlight different aspects of their characters that are really interesting to explore, as someone who finds their unique characters quite interesting as well, though I also know it isn't for everyone. Neither of these recs are short so if you don't mind an AU, set some time aside for these ones.

It Started Out With a Curse by Thorny is a fun AU I never really expected to find in this fandom. I personally have a history of writing in fantasy settings so this one has a special place in my heart.

What happens when the King and Queen of a human kingdom slight a powerful fae Lord known only as "The Baron"?

Enter a world of FairyTale/Fantasy Shenanigans as Prince James navigates his deadly curse and his confusing feelings for one (seemingly) cold and untouchable fae Lord. Meanwhile, something sinister is afoot trying to gouge a rift between the feywilds and the human kingdoms...

A Gentleman and a Scholar by EternalBeta is a no powers exploration of their dynamic that's... Beautiful. It also tackles a lot of things about kink that it feels like most fic and stories generally seem to ignore. There's also an amazing sequel series.

(this series doesn't have an easy summary available so I uh... I'll give it a go here: college student Bucky has a thing for his professor, and a whole series of bad decisions behind him. The trouble is, Bucky is impatient, and Professor Zemo doesn't fuck students. So Bucky better hurry up and graduate.)

Many of the writers above have at least a few WinterBaron fics, and I do highly recommend checking out their collections. Sparz and Six-Demon in particular have some really widely varied concepts and stories they tackle, and if you're curious at all I'd also recommend checking out Sholio who has some excellent Sam/Bucky/Zemo fics! I didn't toss recs here because they weren't the heart of the ask, but I gobbled those up easily for some very sweet treaties.

[prince-liest]

i know you didn't mean anything bad by it, but it really discouraged me to see you rb that anti-reader-insert post. i write and enjoy both reader-insert and shipfic (my 2016 baby-in-fandom roots were in shipfic, but i'm pretty active in the reader-insert community as well these days). i really look up to you as both a current med student would to a resident (i'm an m2) and a writer would to a more-experienced/established writer, so i guess seeing you agree with a post that disparages a part of the fanfic community that we both engage in made me feel upset.

i definitely understand where people come from when they complain about xreader fics flooding the tags. i've felt that exasperation and annoyance of scrolling through the tags both on ao3 and tumblr, searching for fanart or shipfics of my favorite characters, only to be inundated with reader-insert works that i'm not in the mood to read. so, i get it.

i guess my point is: i look up to you. i really enjoy your writing. and because of my parasocial connection to you (i.e., enjoyment of your fandom takes and writing), it hurt my feelings that you seem to hold a pretty negative opinion about a side of the fandom writing community that i happen to pour a lot of myself into.

please don't feel pressured to respond to this at all-- residency is hard enough without some random anon on the internet nagging at you about some random reblog that is not nearly as important as patient care or saving lives. i don't even really know what the purpose of telling you this was; i'm not trying to change your opinion about reader-insert or anything like that. i think i just wanted to let you know how i felt seeing your reblog, with no expectations that you do anything with that information /gen. but yeah. i hope you're able to get some rest and take some time for yourself soon, and i look forward to continuing to your fics in the future.

Hey, there anon! First of all, it may make you feel better to know that I actually have absolutely nothing against x reader fics at a baseline. It's not my thing, I don't read it, but I don't have enough of an opinion on it to dislike it. I'm a big proponent of "write what you want" and while I've never written x reader content, I've roleplayed plenty of canon x OC ships back in the day, and write a lot of stuff that needs the dead dove tag. This post, to my understanding and in my intent, was meant to express humorous frustration with the ongoing issue specifically of a lot of x reader fics (particularly in the last several months, I suspect either because of Tiktok or due to Twitter's downward spiral) being tagged with irrelevant tags. I've actually had to ask on multiple posts something like "Why is this tagged with [canon ship]?"

Most people have kindly removed the tag and explained that they thought it was good exposure and didn't realize that wasn't how things work on Tumblr, which is great, but it's still frustrating that it's hard to scroll through a lot of tags without seeing lengthy and explicit x reader fics that are either tagged with unrelated ships/characters/fandoms, or undertagged with blockable x reader tags.

Even if I did dislike x reader, though, I just want to emphasize to you: I really appreciate that you look up to me and I'm really happy that I'm able to provide some encouragement to you in the form of someone with a similar creative hobby on the same career path, but also, my opinions on matters of personal taste really don't matter. I am, at the end of the day, A Random Person On The Internet Who Has A Blog, and I encourage you to look at opinions of mine that grate on you and think: "Eh. Just another random person I don't happen to agree with. Whatever, I guess." and move on, because in the long run this will be more fair to both yourself and me. There are indeed actually popular but harmless parts of fandom that I'm growing to dislike a little bit, and it feels strange to be unable to casually refer to or joke about that without being worried that it will hurt someone's feelings that I don't personally like the same thing they do. This is actually some of why I'm on Tumblr and not Twitter - the parasocial issues tend to be stronger on there! I confess that I don't really know exactly what to do about this problem yet, but I'm going to endeavor to not censor myself (as long as I'm not being a dick, ofc) while also encouraging people to not put me up on too much of a pedestal.

At any rate, I'll clarify in the tags of the post what I meant by my reblog, and I hope this at least offered some reassurance to you!

[yuseirra]

what do you think of aquakana chances to be endgame? lately i am wondering and feeling like it wouldn't make sense for them to end up with anyone else as much as i see hate towards them

Hey anon~ :) good to see you!

I'm confident about the predictions I make about my series. I've got so many things right thus far. Here's some (spoilers up to ch 160!)

I predicted that Aqua had feelings for Kana all along. (Ever since I picked up the comic)

I predicted that Ryosuke and Nino would have visited the hospital, not Hikaru, immediately when 155 dropped. (The guy has no reason to kill Gorou, and he wouldn't have had an idea about it if he were to send Ryosuke to Ai on his behalf)

I had a vague idea that Ryosuke and Nino would have been close acquaintances after her mention of him in 158, I was like, wait, why is she talking about him like that? were they dating..? but I didn't write that because it felt like a stretch;; turns out they REALLY were; (I have no idea why the heck would nino wish to date such a guy but I guess...okay..)

I predicted that Hikaru would have only wanted to send the bouquet to Ai, and he never intended to "scare Ai" after I read CH 154.

I predicted exactly what Ai would have said in her video message towards Hikaru, that she lied about being unable to love him and actually had feelings for him all along (when CH 152 was the newest chapter)

I predicted that Ai would have trusted Hikaru with her children and had him in her plans about her future (I had a vague idea of it when I saw her making the the phone call)

I predicted that Hikaru would have wanted to raise his children with Ai but she left him on an abrupt note to "save/protect him from the burden that is her"(after 152)

I predicted that he would have had no idea why she broke up with him, but also that he would have been totally unable to hold her back as it did (also after 152)

These are just some of the things that I was able to guess in an accurate sense (I've been SCREAMING about a lot of these things since June? July? and it's all confirmed now despite Aqua claiming there's somehow more to it)... if my line of thinking is correct, then there's a lot more that I will guess right. I'm looking forward to that being a reality. At this point, I feel like I can predict the "feelings" of the characters of this series if I really set my heart to it.

I can't predict the exact outcomes that'd result from these emotions the characters have, but I still can see the things they have very low chance of doing, to say the least. So, the things that WON'T happen or won't do. It's a bit like erasing the odds, but there are still many possibilities left...

There's hate towards Aqukana?? Why?; I don't really understand why they'd have the hate but I guess it may happen..

However, they're the ones that's got me back reading the series! If you see my older onk fanarts from last year, they were the ones I drew! :)

When I saw that ep where Aqua confesses he had feelings towards Kana all along to his visions of Gorou in.. CH 150? was it? I was like YES!!!! I knew it!! There is no way that it could have been any other way... it's been so obvious... Even before the whole Hikaai thing hit me like a truck, Aqua and Kana was a ship that was just...there. It's something that's very strong in the plot despite you liking it or not.

Aqukana is the endgame ship. They like each other and the feelings they have are mutual, so it's definitely going to be a given that it's going to be the ship for both characters.

However, whether they would actually end up together is a bit ambiguous… I feel there's high chance that they will come to at least acknowledge their feelings towards each other. Aqua's too focused on his parent's affairs right now for him to focus on his own love life, so we first need to get that out of the way.

If onk gets a "happy ending", then they can end up together.

Here's an analysis I have of them: Kana trying to be Aqua's "favorite idol" is actually what keeps her from becoming his lover. The fact that she will graduate from being one is ACTUALLY a good sign in terms of the ship's outcome. Ironically, she has to step down from being one in order to be on an equal standing with Aqua and come to love each other as a person.

The more I read this series, I feel that this work is emphasizing that fantasizing about the other party is not the right way to love. Ai struggled because people failed to recognize her flaws and insecurities as a person, and people like Nino and Ryosuke could not forgive her for being human(which is such... an ugly, and an entitled thing to do. They have no right to have treated her like that.) People send out expectations then get disappointed all on their own because their "idol" could not fulfill their delusions. Even if they're the "good" fantasies, at the end of the day, you have to accept that idols are just people too. I feel that's the message and what onk has been trying to express as a whole.

Gorou's approach from the very first chapter was a lot healthier as a fan, he accepts Ai's feelings when she says she wants her happiness as a mother as well as being an idol, and he's there to support her and her wants. He's the "good fan", while people like Ryosuke and Nino are his polar opposites.

Hikaru's approach about her was actually pretty decent too. In 154, he recognizes that Ai was just an ordinary girl. He STILL loves her despite her flaws and even while believing she didn't love him back. That's why I started to think maybe he really is the right guy. I understood why Ai said all these things about him. I keep stressing this, but he didn't like her because Ai was an idol, he loved her because he thought they understood each other and felt "they were the same". They really are in many ways. I'm going to draw something based on that after I reply to you )

Aqua actually understands Kana really well, as a person. That's a good sign. That part was prominent in the earlier part of the series, when he supports her having disguised as Pieyon in ch 35. He liked her and took an interest in her even before she was scouted as an idol, and that's pretty similar to how Hikaru was towards Ai. Aqua doesn't like Kana because she's an idol, he likes her because she's hardworking, and loves the determination, the strong gazes she has. He's also aware that she's sensitive and has a sharp tongue. (ch 150) These traits of Kana doesn't really go anywhere because that's how she is as a person. He will love her, whether she becomes his favorite idol or not.

So regardless of the fact he does go to watch her concert of not(it would be better if he does), their future is bright, if Aqua decides to accept his feelings and head to the future. I feel like he's working towards that in fact, even in the end of 160, he has those sparkling white star eyes, doesn't he? He's telling his dad to "disappear", and that's a warning, I don't think he's going to stab him. If you're up to actively hurting someone, you don't show off the cards you have. If he was going to stab Hikaru, he would have just gone and done so without a word. What Aqua's doing here is telling him to leave. From Aqua's perspective, if Hikaru would just listen to him and leave on the spot somehow, he'd really just be able to head to the future with Ruby...(I don't think things would go that smoothly since this is a manga and things need drama, though.)

But I don't know just what events would break out in the story just yet. If there's just one ship that'd happen in onk at this point, it'd be Aqukana with all the buildup they have, but there's just so many things that can happen in between that could occur as an obstacle. The author might suddenly? decide that they want the ending to be "bittersweet", "realistic", or have everything turn out to be all "fiction" and end the story on a note that it's the heart that matters no matter the outcome or whatever.. it's really up to them to decide although I really do want them to get a happy ending after all this; I feel like the authors could have this desire to put in a twist to it all and leave a bad taste to it which I really hope not. I wouldn't like to see that happen after seeing all the suffering the characters had to go through.

However, like what you said, it doesn't make any sense at this point for either Kana of Aqua to end up with someone else at this point. At least that much of it is clear. I'm with you on this one, and I can firmly say you're right. So either they do end up together or they end up with no one.

Overall, I predict the chances of them actually becoming a real, happy, loving, dating couple to be about 80%. The other 20% comes off from the authors putting in a twist for.. some value they may have as a creator!

Thanks for the question~ It's been awhile I talked about Aqukana, but they're also something I can talk about! :) I may be able to do that more if the plot touches on their relationship. RN the dad is sort of taking all the spotlight.. but there's going to be more to the plot, I'm sure. I like the dad, but he isn't the main character.

I really do hope they get the development and some proper closure!! The fact that they held out so long to get their screen time means that it's going to be handled in the very end. That's not a bad sign, quite the contrary, actually. If anything, there is going to be more that's going to come out of their relationship, I just don't know if they WILL handle it delicately but I hope they do!

[oshiawaseni]

I recently am now looking through the mha fandom for the first time and discovered your blog. Looking through your posts and analysis you seem like you’re quite knowledgeable about Horikoshi’s writing or him in general and are confident about the potential of bkdk being canon. In fact, quickly looking through the bkdk tags, a lot people on here are quite confident about the relationship, whether viewing it platonic or romantic. Now I kinda expected that, as a bkdk shipper as well, but I became confused when I found alot of people implying that Horikoshi “ships” bkdk or encourages it. For the longest time I’ve only ever consumed the anime and never really knew what’s been going on in the fandom. So I don’t know much about Horikoshi, but I swear I heard way back about him not liking the ship bkdk and deliberately implying the relationship between Izuku and Uruaka. The questions I’m getting at here is, what makes you think that Horikoshi wants bkdk to be canon and is there any hints about it outside of the main anime/manga that supports that? I acknowledge how it’s hinted at that bkdk heavily “need each other” or something like that in the anime/manga, I just always thought it was always going to be platonic and that Izuku and Uruaka will be end game. Maybe it is that and everyone is just joking about Horikoshi, idk I’m confused and lost lol.

Okay what you're asking for is a little strange, because Hori's storytelling really does speak for itself, his heart shows up the most in his writing of bkdk, but here goes…!

In regards to Hori’s feelings about them, hmm I’m going to get there one day soon(tm), but I’ll give you two examples outside the manga that show bkdk are important to him and why Hori is a bkdk like us.

First is when an interviewer was asking about Kirishima saving Katsuki and Hori responded to him with a sentiment that sounded a lot like “actually the takeaway from this scene was bkdk. that it was a bittersweet moment because Izuku couldn’t be the one to take his hand… but the decision was made." He really deflected the topic away from Kirishima and pointed at bkdk "Look at them instead".

Showing importance of that decision to bkdk’s development because THEY are what’s most important to the series, not any of their relationships with the main side characters. (And then we got the parallel to this where Katsuki feels he didn’t have what it took to take Izuku’s hand during the Deku retrieval arc. Regrets, regrets, regrets... everywhere. Now Katsuki is dead and Izuku "still hasn't told him ____")

My second example is something I bring up on twitter a bit, but that's only because it's so validating.

So you know when Katsuki died, every bkdk was crying and/or freaking out, right? Back then the mood was… “How is Izuku going to react to this?” And in a lot of bkdk’s hearts, we imagined Izuku kneeling at Katsuki’s side, embracing him, possibly acting very protectively over his body. People drew fanart of this.

I also had this kind of vision of him... but back then, MANY of us did.

But for the most part, we knew it wouldn’t be practical in the middle of a fight setting and then come January, Horikoshi showed us he felt the exact same way as us about them with his Volume 37 cover “illustration.” It was like a brainworm image of Izuku and Katsuki he couldn't get out of his head unless he drew it for the cover, something he felt bkdk deserved, but he couldn't give it to them in the manga because of the unrealism and impracticality of it happening mid-fight.

What I’m saying is: when Katsuki died, all bkdks dreamed of Izuku holding him close and/or protecting him and Horikoshi turned that collective vision, that many of us felt in our hearts, into a freaking volume cover.

As bkdks, we have this idea in our heads of these characters; what motivates them, what or who are important to them, because this far along the story, these characters are basically writing themselves. And by him and us connecting on this feeling Izuku has with Katsuki, Hori is confirming the way we see Izuku and the importance of his intense love for Katsuki as "the correct version" of Izuku that also exists in HIS mind, and he showed his hand to us of him being the biggest bkdk out of all of us. He quite literally is our King of BkDk.

The reveal of this cover is the moment I knew, without a doubt, that Hori was one of us. And that's not even factoring in that Edgeshot quote. Even that is a whole thing in itself to unpack, which I've done multiple times already.

If Hori's chosen composition and overall mood for this cover weren't already damning enough evidence for his love of bkdk and intent on making them canon, the other thing of note is that the red fingers in their background are HEAVILY inspired by Berserk.

When I saw it, I got flashbacks of the eclipse, and the hand that lifted Griffith out of Guts' reach. It also turns out there was a very similar "lovers" pose between Guts and Casca for that eclipse content. And then there are all of those Spider-Man death embraces with Gwen Stacy.

The inspirations for this volume 37 for the hero comic-loving Horikoshi are quite clear: Izuku is embracing his future lover.

[soullessjack]

so one of my other problems with babyjack is that the fandom just seems to have this sort of collective cognitive dissonance about it, in almost any context or discussion. like this post as probably my only standing example (bc it’s the only one to have gotten traction), there are all these tags about how babyjack leads to bad dean criticism, or how it’s nice in aus but they want canon complex jack, and like I’m not entirely disagreeing with that, but it is so fucking frustrating that people are still ignoring the actual problem with it and either only focusing on the most surface level issues that personally affect them or their corner of the fandom, or making up some point of acceptability for it that frankly isn’t theirs to make.

it’s the autistic experience of our struggles never being seen or cared about until they become other people’s inconveniences, and our voices being used to say something else entirely. when the main takeaway of that post is how the fandom’s treatment of jack being in a way he’s explicitly shown to hate being treated directly mirrors autistic people’s struggle for autonomy in the real world, I really do not need you to make it about how it makes your golden website boy dean look like a big meanie pants, okay? that’s definitely a part of it, but it’s not at all what we are talking about, and it 100% should not be the only reason you care.

and especially when the other takeaway is how this is just a smaller scale issue that comes from autistic infantilization, the absolute last take I want to hear is that you find that infantilization acceptable as long it’s an AU or something else separated from canon. believe me, I’m beyond glad more people actually prefer canon complex jack—like, I don’t think you guys understand that that is legitimately a rarity to find here— but the thing about babyjack is that the concept itself is inherently ableist, and directly relies on his complexities (and the representation he means for us) being removed and erased so that he can even exist in the context of those AU’s. It feels very… ‘have your cake and eat it too’ to me.

I’m trying not to sound angry or accusatory, but I am also tired of having to force civility on a problem that’s pretty much just an open secret thar everyone collectively ignores and beats bushes around solely because they prioritize #domesticdestiel over all. I mean, do you guys even hear yourselves sometimes? Like half of it just boils down to “Autistic infantilization is always bad, except for this one context where it makes my ship look domestic and redeems my blorbo,” and it’s getting really fucking annoying to have to constantly explain something that is not only painfully easy to understand, but is understood and actively ignored, and still play nice so that somebody out there might listen.

So many people will say they like canon Jack and want more of him from the fandom, and I more than agree, but motherfucker you have a blog! You have the tools! Be the change you want to see! He doesn’t have to be your fav or your blog thesis blorbo, but if you want it, you are literally fully equipped to make it! Write some meta, draw some fanart, whatever. Better yet, you could even stop engaging with and perpetuating content that actively pushes down on what you want and, I must reiterate, is actively harmful and ableist. If you want domestic silliness go right ahead, but you don’t need to resort to ableism to do it.

I don’t think I’m asking too much or asking rudely, and frankly I don’t even think I owe niceties to anyone when it’s a problem that has been openly ignored for 6 years and holds plenty of bearing in the real world concerning my identity and community and shit we face constantly. Outside of our screens, we are constantly fighting for autonomy and recognition and representation, and even to be seen as people. Online spaces, especially fandom spaces, are a huge source of escapism and support that we wouldn’t get otherwise. So for the love of god, please stop bringing that fight here.

[grilledcheeseandguavajelly]

I have been seeing a lot of discourse on certain tags lately about fanfiction and writing fics that are “out of character”. And I don’t like conflict, so I was keeping my nose out. But now I’ve seen some things that I just can’t let go, and as the self-proclaimed fandom mom, I feel like I need to step in and state this loud and clear—

Fandom is for you.

The whole point of fanfic and fanart and cosplay and anything fan related is for you, the fan, to take a work that has already been created and have fun with it. Make it your own. Dive in and explore and do what you will. Fandom is meant to be a creative outlet where you can share ideas and art with other people who have the same interests as you.

THAT BEING SAID: it is never. And I repeat, NEVER okay to gatekeep fandom. And yeah, I fucking hate the word gatekeep. But it’s the only way to describe what I’m seeing happening. And so I’m going to use it again—

It is never okay to gatekeep fandom. It is never okay to gatekeep characters. And to throw negativity at anyone’s work, let alone come straight out and tell them that they’re wrong for shaping a character a certain way— I’m sorry, but where do you get off? I am completely understanding of wanting characters to stay true to the source material. I am completely understanding of having your own opinions about/expectations for a character and wanting them to behave a certain way. But YOU, my dear friend (or rather, we), are not the creator of those characters. Which means that we have no right to tell someone else what they can or cannot do with them.

The whole point of fandom is to let your imagination run wild. And if that means that a typically good character leans more evil in a fic, fine. If they make decisions you don’t agree with, great. If they do things that directly contradict what would have happened in the source material, even better!!

LET. PEOPLE. CREATE.

Let them throw characters into crazy situations and analyze how they react. Let them stretch them out like putty and poke at all of the soft bits inside. Let them shape them into something completely other just to see what happens. Let them be curious. Let them explore. Let them have fun.

Fandom should be fun.

And the second one person starts dictating what is right or wrong for a character or a ship, that’s the second it stops being fun. And that’s when fandoms die.

Don’t gatekeep something that doesn’t belong to you. Because again— It doesn’t belong to you.

You are allowed to have your own opinions. You are allowed to have your own expectations for characters. But who do you think you are, to flat out tell someone (or a group of people) that the way they write someone is wrong? That the way they have imagined something is wrong? That their creativity, their expression, their joy, is wrong? Or, as I’ve seen more recently, when someone gets dejected by the posts you’ve made telling them they’re creating wrong, you have the audacity to tell them “that’s okay, now that you know you did something I don’t like, you can reevaluate your work and try to improve!”

How dare you.

Because once again, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not the creator of these characters. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the actual creator is probably just so happy to see the diversity of idea that has sprung from their creation. So who do you think you are, to dictate an entire fandom?

If you don’t like it, move along. Click out of the fic, find something else to read. I understand having frustrations when things don’t go as you’d hoped, when a piece of work that you were excited about crosses those outer lines of your expectations and you feel disappointed. Again. But you know what? That’s your expectation. What about the person halfway across the world who reads the same fic and finds themselves in it? Finds a small piece of comfort that encourages them to hold on for just one more day. What happens when your words completely discourage the creators of your fandom, have them second guessing themselves? What happens when they lose confidence and stop creating completely? What happens when the fandom dies, and suddenly there’s nothing new to explore— to your standards or not?

You are allowed to have your opinions. Of course you are. You are allowed to express them. But you are never. EVER. allowed to tell people that they are wrong for making art that you don’t agree with. For using their imagination in a way that doesn’t fit into your small box of approval.

Let creators find happiness.

Let creators create.

[wandixx]

Hey! As you may or may not have gleaned from my deranged rambling in your comments section, I absolutely love your writing, and I love your Danny/M'gann ship. Anyway, I got super inspired after reading the "relationship reveal with ghost summoning on the side" one shot you wrote, and the rest of the Spearmint one shots, so I made you fanart! It's acrylics on watercolor paper.

It's the scene where M'gann summons Danny during the fight with Desiree! The circle is my take on Danny's summonings; I know you said that it was drawn fairly simply in chalk, but I figured that once the summoning began the circle colored itself in or added detail or something. I like to headcanon that a ghost's personal summoning circle is very, well, personal, and has their death, their mentor, their greatest title, and their obsession on it, plus whatever they hold dearest. So, Danny's circle has the "on" button from the portal, the hourglass for Clockwork, the crown for defeating Pariah, and Danny's own symbol of protection (I kind of just went with protection being his obsession for this painting). The outside flower wreath is for Sam, and the sun is for Tucker. Space is in the background because I headcanoned that he had a space core for this, and the red circle in the middle is Mars, for M'gann (she's literally in the center of his universe)! That is supposed to be her hand reaching over the summoning circle, though I'm not very good at drawing hands yet, so you'll have to excuse the wonky fingers. The circle's supposed to be glowing/splitting as the portal opens for Danny to come through. Oh yeah and the crown is made of ice for Frostbite and the yetis (I tried to include as many parts of Danny's titles/the incantation that M'gann said in your story that I could).

Anyway, sorry, that was a lot of explanation for one painting. Main point is, I absolutely love your writing, and I hope you like the fanart! Have a good day, friend!

From,

Pickle :D

Pickle, Pickle, you're making me loose words in very best possible way. Like, I literally spent last twenty or so minutes just internally screaming in absolute excitement and joy and wondering how I can convey it all into language. I'm dangerously close to opening thesaurus and writing down every synonym for positive emotion I can name in English and I don't think it'll be enough to express all of the feelings I have.

It's absolutely stunning artwork, and level of attention to detail is making me giddy, over the course of these few dozens of minutes I read your explanation at least five times because it all just makes sense and I'm just... ugh, I can't even begin to tell you how much I love the idea you went for when designing this summoning circle and you actually reached to who Danny is deep down and put it in a single painting that is just perfect.

Like, I wasn't really imagining this circle in any way (ah aphantasia my beloathed) but I feel that there is no better way to do it than you. Like, not only did you fulfill this sentence:

"Drawn representation of who he is, the deepest and truest parts of his soul written in the language that only Universe itself could fully understand."

but you also did it in a way that we don't need to, you know, be The Universe themself to understand it.

And this thing about what's dear to him being his friends and M'gann as a center of his universe is so cute I can't. Just kjnonkpehwiwjenpiuweriveowvweeweeow

And this hand looks great, different textures are just *chef's kiss* it all looks fantastic, if my friend lived a bit closer I'd brave snow and late night to run barefoot to show her in person to share the happiness but as it is, we're freaking out over messeges because I can't reiterate it enough, this is absolutely breathtaking

Also, serious question, would it be okay if I tried printing it to hang by my desk?

[pickypickypeak]

hey is it just me who just find it baffling why Starboy even has a fandom? Normally I don’t like to be a party pooper regarding interests and selfshipping is fine but I never like how his fandom ignore Asha’s ENTIRE DANG ARC and think it’d be better if a twink was there. Yes we need more black lead romances but it screams regressive to me. Because I remember Disney was constantly hit with piss poor takes abt romance from “critics” and now y’all want a romance? Even if they give the Starboy x Asha ship y’all want ppl will then say it’s forced het. It’s just sad bc I appreciate the movie as is

Exactly, I also hate to be a killjoy when people feel inspired to actually be creative and do something in the fandom by making fanart or fics instead of just moaning endlessly about something they half read on tiktok (that was also… mostly made up). I still don’t hold anything against starboy or even an asha romance concept, I just think it’s sad that 1. People think she NEEDS a boyfriend in order for wish to be a good movie and 2. They act like disney never gave us a heterosexual couple?? Come on now. Many starboy essays I see around can be summarized with: “why did they get rid of the sexy twink??😭” which is… I mean… And I’m not trying to diminish people’s work, really, I’ve seen some AMAZING fanart for asha and starboy. I just wish they stopped with the insufferable captions (“we were robbed!!!! This is wish as it should have been!!!!”) because what they do is only fueling further hate from half disinterested people who will look at their posts while scrolling and say “yeah, this was so much better, disney sucks”. And yes, about the critics; people spent years criticizing snow white for being “weak”, then when a latina actress was cast as her and said the same thing, The Knights of Snow White rose to defend her because she’s apparently everyone’s favorite princess now.

[brookiidookiii]

oughhh jock! jock i love you jock. for the ask

Oh thank you for this. They’re my childhood OTP so I do have a lottttt to say. Sommeliershipping permanently doomed me to only enjoy rivals to lovers dynamics

1. What made you ship it?

First off they are constantly touching each others chests MY GOD. Not to mention how often they get up in each others faces holy shit.

That is ZOKE levels of closeness. Jesus

I think you have to be dumb to not see why people ship it. Also that whole “need to be dominated” scene with dawn, then jo shows up right after that and bosses him around. COME ON. Then the rest of that scene and how it played out. Him poking her chest and then she pushes him away in a way that’s like “oh I’ll show you who’s boss.” Squat thruster ‼️‼️‼️ (why did she do that) Plus she seems to have genuine respect for him which is really nice. She’s given him the most nicknames out of everyone too.

Also 2/5 of bricks confessionals are about jo. The other three times he’s just talking about himself. I thought that’d be fun to mention. Jo wants to feel good about herself and brick wants to be a fashion designer and he can make her cute clothes i think.

I am never going to let anyone ever forget about that “maybe brick and jo wanna kiss and make up?” line UGHHH. Even Chris low key shipped it. There’s just sooo much to them. Also comedy potential with lightning thinking Jo’s a gay twink the whole time and idk maybe there could be something with jock and lightning. I’m convinced at least a few animators shipped them.

Just WIWJWJEN there’s so so so much. She’s the only person who convinced him to go against his code. That man is devoted. And then when she pulled him out of that grave and there was music playing and they zoomed in on them holding hands.. I initially shipped them because when I was younger I was looking for fanart and came across a fake screenshot of them kissing and 9 year old me beloved it was real 🥲 you can imagine my disappointment when they didn’t end up smooching. In the finale they’re constantly next to each other too. There’s way too much going on between them, I also take Jo’s dream about letting a guy win because she found him ‘attractive’ as a jock crumb. + they have a good ship name.

That rock climbing scene where brick talks about his rock wall climbing badge or something and jo seems genuinely impressed for a moment, then he goes on and says how he dislocated his hip and jo is like “oh never mind he’s weird.” LMAOOO. Brick really wanted to show off there huh. They’re both so fucking stupid iwhwnsnens

Plus we know Jo’s type is dark hair and cleft chins. She really needs to kiss her rivals okay

2. What are your favorite things about this ship?

Basically everything I mentioned before. Bricks “need to be dominated” basically confirms that jo would be his type, what can I say. And he calls her ma’am, and is just generally very respectful even when she gets under his skin. I really really love how jo tries to get under his skin, it’s so fun. And brick is slowly losing his mind. Also he didn’t vote for her in ep7, he voted for lightning, and we know that because jo got her marshmallow first, meaning lightning got one vote from brick. That is soo. Yeah. He probably would feel bad if he voted for her. He probably didn’t vote for her in ep4 either.

And he breaks his code for her. Like, his entire thing is never leave a man behind, and jo convinces him to leave everyone behind. And that causes his first elimination but MANNNNN…. He really really respects her. And I really like women who bully their boyfriends, it’s so fun. There’s probably so much more that I could say about them that I forgot to add.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

When people write their platonic dynamic in fanfics is always so. Meh. They treat it like she just harasses him but he views her as an equal, and she sees him as a competitor she can actually have banter with. Also please stop calling them mlm/wlw solidarity. I’m not saying that because I ship them but because she has made it her life goal to make his as miserable as possible. HOSTILITY.

I’ll make my own analysis on their rivalry, not to be shippy but so people just understand how they interact because a lot of people don’t get it.

Jock is very very special to me. The only way I can enjoy m/f ships is if they’re fighting 24/7. It’s awesome. Plus he’s also the only man I can ship with Jo tbh. Other m/f Jo ships make me like ehhhhh I dunno

[goat-and-a-pig]

See the Light Info Post!

Here's a couple of things that you need to know for next month:

-I will be posting one chapter daily. Due to the fact that April is a 30-day month and not a 31-day month like I originally planned, the story will begin on March 31st with the prologue and end May 2nd with the epilogue.

-If I miss a day of posting, I will post two chapters the next day so that I stay on schedule. Please don't come for me if I post late! I have a life that will get busy mid-April and I apologize in advance but you shouting at me can't make the chapter come any sooner. Thanks!

-I will post the actual chapter under the read more so that a) people won't see spoilers accidentally and b) people can look at the other stuff I've posted without having to scroll down so far.

-This fanfic is mostly about family! Yes, there's romance, but it is not, I REPEAT, NOT, between the character in Rapunzel's role and the one in Flynn Rider's role. DO NOT TAG MY FANFIC AS INCEST. I WILL BLOCK YOU.

-I'm posting the summary tomorrow!

-You can send asks about the fanfic all throughout the month! I'm not going to reply to any that have a spoiler as their answer, so don't get offended if I don't answer. I'll be holding a headcanon ask day on May 3rd so that you all can ask your burning questions. All throughout the month you can ask for clarification on something in the chapters posted. I have a lot of knowledge that might make some things make sense that I couldn't fit in there (and some that has nothing to do with it at all lol). I can't wait to see what you come up with!

-Feel free to make fanart! NO INCEST, PEDOPHILIA, OR BILL SHIPPING. As, I said before, I will block you. I would also prefer no NSFW, as I am ace and I made this fanfic friendly for all ages, just like Gravity Falls itself is. But I'd truly love to see your fanart, please tag me so that I can find it easier!

-If you post anything about my fanfic, please give me credit where it's due. Thank you!

-I'm also going to post an internet friendly acknowledgements for all of the people who deserve the acknowledgement, probably also on May 3rd.

-There's no swearing, only jokes about it (just like Gravity Falls lol). I can't promise that it won't make you say "Hot Belgian waffles!" for real though, when it comes to some suspense. ;)

I think that's all, if I missed anything I'll add it on later. Send me an ask if you're curious about a detail I might not have added in by accident! I'll see you all in the light of tomorrow.

Reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold, bye!