#I love to talk to other fans in a positive and constructive way

[capricornsicle]

So here's a comment I received on this post (I shared the promo picture of Amy Workman as Hikari Zhang for the Teen Wolf movie, as well as a behind-the-scenes of her that was posted on her official Instagram page).

(Image: Comment from Tumblr user @thyfggfy. It reads, "I don't see a problem as long as she looks the part. I mean isn't that the whole idea of acting? Pretending to be someone you are not. Should we also be mad that Stiles wasn't portrayed by a half Polish actor?")

My tags on this post, which thyfggfy responds to, are basically "hope they don't send her to the desert" and "there's a joke here about Hollywood assuming all East Asians are the same".

To take things one at a time, the first statement. I am assuming none of this is meant in malice, and is genuine, as I see no reason to assume otherwise.

"She looks the part." But does she? Amy Workman is a Chinese-American actor. Hikari Zhang is a Chinese-Japanese character. There's a similar situation with Arden Cho (Korean-American) as a Korean-Japanese character. Can you hire any East Asian to play another, or to play a mixed East Asian character when they are not mixed?

Well, yes. You can hire anyone to play anyone. But is it good? No. Because saying a Chinese actor looks enough like Japanese to play the character is like to say a Russian is basically Serbian or Bulgarian or Polish or Swedish. It's not the same, and people will get offended if you assume it is. Especially when there is race involved, because it's so common in the US (where the show/movie is made) to hear "all Asians look the same" or "all brown people look the same" or "all poc look the same", or so on. A close Chinese friend of mine is often asked to translate something from Japanese or Korean. I am often called Mexican (I am mixed Native American/Cree and Arab/Syrian). It's rude, and it's racism.

Not to mention, you can circumvent this problem easily. Either send a casting call for a Chinese-Japanese character, if one is needed, or change the character to be just Chinese when you hire a Chinese actor. I like the second, as Amy Workman is fantastic and I'm excited to see her in the movie. It's not like kitsune is specific to Japan. In Japan there's きつね/kitsune, in China there's 狐狸精/huili jing, in Korea there's 구미호/kumiho or gumiho, in Vietnamese there's 狐狸精/hồ ly tinh. All are fox spirits. So why keep the character mixed Japanese? I think because, to Hollywood, and especially to the Teen Wolf writers, it's close enough, right? But it's really not.

Next, "acting is pretending". You're right, it is. In grade school productions, I pretended to be Brutus in Julius Caesar, a forest fairy in Midsummer Night's Dream, a man with a broken hip in The Man Who Came to Dinner, and, in other plays, variously dead, grieving, injured, drunk, old, young, rich, poor, a traitor, a villain, a hero, a martyr, and so on. But I was pretending to be a kind of person having a certain experience. I wasn't pretending to be another race. Because that is a bad thing.

Lastly, "should we therefore insist Stiles is half Polish?". Well, first of all, he's not. What we know about Stiles' ancestry is this: he is named after his mother's father, his grandfather, who is Mieczysław, a Polish name. That's all we know. We don't know if his maternal grandfather is Polish or he was a first- or second- or x-generation immigrant or anything else. We don't even know if this person was Polish, or if it was another Slavic country. We certainly can't say that Stiles is half-Polish. We don't know that his maternal grandmother is, we don't know that his mother is. But it's fair to assume that Stiles is around 1/4 Polish and his grandfather is a first- or second-generation immigrant.

And because literally all we know about Stiles and being Polish is a name, we can't say that the character himself would identify as Polish, would speak the language, would practice Polish culture. We simply don't know. Fandom likes to assert that fanon and headcanon is basically canon, but headcanon does not make absolute truth, and it doesn't serve in place of canon. We can't assume a level of Polish heritage is absolute fact that may or may not exist.

That's not to say that you can't headcanon Stiles as being thoroughly Polish, because you can do whatever you want, and that's why there are such excellent fanworks as this one by KuriKuri (a fantastic Sciles fic that heavily involves Polish language, food, and overbearing grandmothers -- go read it!). I enjoy anything that expands upon the world characters live in.

But another important thing here is that Polish is not a race. It's a nationality. You can cast one white American guy to play another white American guy no problem, because you can't visually tell one white American from another. The only real differences are language -- there are dialects and accents in English that are harder to imitate and, depending on what kind of story you're telling, might have benefited from a different actor or a change to the character.

And if casting for a character who is European-American, you can often benefit from an actor who is the same, especially if the story involves them speaking the language a lot, but it doesn't necessarily mean you need an actor of the same heritage. For example, while Crystal Reed is a great actor, she did not make a very convincing French woman in 5x18 Maid of Gevaudan, and as a native French speaker I would have preferred if they had taken some measures to alleviate listening to a fake French accent that wasn't very good -- an American accent would have done less to take me out of the story, or if her lines had been dubbed over by a French speaker, or whatever. But it's not hurting anyone to have someone do an unconvincing French accent, because French is not a race which is often discriminated against and subject to racism. The same does not apply for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean actors and characters, because racism is always hurting people.

In fanwork, though, you can do whatever you want. Let me not be maliciously misquoted as saying anything but. You can write characters with how much or how little heritage you like, because you're not tracking ancestry, you're telling a story, through writing, through art, through audio, through any medium. But it is vitally important to recognize fanwork as just that. Fan-made work that appreciates some part of the source material, and fills in a gap that the source doesn't go into depth on -- or tears it down and rebuilds it, for fix-its and AUs and the like. Fanwork isn't canon, and you cannot treat it like canon. Everyone's interpretation of the source is valid and acceptable, because it is an individual, personal interpretation they have chosen to share. Biased? Often. Prejudiced? Unfortunately, also often. But acceptable? Always.

Though when it comes to Teen Wolf, well... A lot of the time people who headcanon Stiles as more Polish than he appears to be on the show also refuse to believe that Scott is Latino. His mother's maiden name is Delgado, both his parents are Latino, the actor is Mexican. And yet so often fandom will, on the one hand, call Stiles Polish and talk about his heritage and culture, refer to Derek's "Native American cheekbones" (I wish this was fake. I wish I did not read the post that talked about this. Sometimes I hate it here.) and assume based on a later-retracted tweet by Hoechlin that he was learning more about his ancestry and believed there was something Native American there (and I have a lot of posts about dubious Native American "ancestry") that Derek is therefore Native American (I love fanwork as much as the next person, but No.), or blah blah blah, and insist that Scott cannot be Latino.

And of course there is a lot of racism there, because there is a lot of racism in this fandom. I don't think the vast majority of people are doing it on purpose (although I can think of a few people who have all the resources to know better and remain obstinate about being a tool), but it's impossible not to notice when you look for it.

If fans want to talk about characters having interesting heritage to connect with, how about the Hispanic/Latino heritage of Scott McCall/his family (actor/mentioned in canon), Erica Reyes (by surname), Nolan Holloway (actor is Latino/Caxcan), Gabe Valet (actor is Brazilian), Josh Diaz (surname/actor is Brazilian), Theo Raeken (actor is Penobscot tribe -- like, actually a member), Tracy Stewart (actor is Chinese -- and while there's a lot to dislike about Kelsey Asbille her character remains interesting), Danny Mahealani (actor/character is Hawaiian), Corinne/The Desert Wolf (actor is Latina), Nathan Pierce (actor is Singaporean), the Calaveras (all Mexican), Hayden Romero (surname/actor is Latina), Jiang (actor is Chinese), Satomi Ito (Japanese), the Yukimuras (Korean and Japanese).

The reason no one seems to want to write about these characters, and Stiles is always the center of attention, even in posts like these where he was never even implied? Well, to paraphrase @princeescaluswords, I'm sure it has nothing to do with race.

[longagoitwastuesday]

Every day I am haunted by the fact JJK could be amazing but it will be just idk Bleach or something

[lordofdestructionm]

Wick Sable

The odd duck in the guilded cage

Despite this being a feral Mordecai and Viktor account I do occasionally like to dig into the others.

Wick is a character Lackadaisy fans love but don't talk about very much. He just the rich friendly geologist with a love of illicit beverages and a crush on Mitzi. Indeed he is all those things. But I want to dig a little into what may be hidden depth (geography joke haha)

Professional dissatisfaction

When we first meet Wick he is behind his desk looking very tired and beaten down. Forcing himself to keep working late into the night with excessive coffee. Attending to a large pile of paper work for tomorrow.

His expression shifts slightly when he sees the Lackadaisy pins fall out of the envelope and realises the letter is an invitation to him (and his fellow aristocrats) to the speakeasy.

This hatred of paper work and the administrative side of his business is a recurring issue for Wick. Making the reason for his reliance on the capable and attentive Lacy very obvious. Exhaustian and too much alchohol are no doubt partly to blame, but it seems to be something that puts him in a very depressed state of mind.

But when actually on the job, overseeing the hands on work of blasting a new quarry, his mood is much more positive. Indeed he has a very real and sincere love for geology and the nitty gritty work of his business. When he first went to the Lackadaisy he was spellbound by the lime caverns themselves as much by Mitzi's charm.

Its his special interest and he will go on long unprompted monologues on the topic if given the chance. Meaning it is specifically the being trapped in his office dealing with the red tape that makes him so unhappy not the industry itself.

Its almost sad that he is the one in charge of the company rather than in a role that puts him closer to the action which seems to bring him real joy. Like someone who loves cooking being in charge of a restuarant or someone that loves drawing running an animation studio.

They love the product/industry but that doesn't mean they enjoy their specific place in it.

Unimpressed Peers

Despite Wicks enthusiasm it proves not be infectious with his fellow elite, who complain about being dragged out of town to watch something, that while very important to Wick, they clearly could not care less about (even not that quietly mocking him and his love for rocks and construction)

When the evening doesn't go to plan due to the uninvited pig farmers Wick has an interesting exchange with Edmund Church, seemingly the most prominent of the St Louis upper crust in the group. Warning him about getting any more involved with an unsavoury crowd, especially Mitzi, outside of simply enjoying the occasional drink.

Wick doesn't take kindly to the snarky criticism and borderline threat to his reputation and responds with a much more direct statement on his peers sour nature

Tracy has mentioned that Church has a role yet to play in the story and it seems safe to assume from this it may well involve Wick in a less than friendly way if he continues to associate with his "lessers" as Church and the others see things.

Despite needing to remain on civil terms to keep them invested in his business, Wick clearly has little love for them, a feeling that is mutual as they have little respect for him and see him as an oddball, only tolerating him because his talent in his field can help make them a tidy profit.

But while he doesn't appreciate Church's sniping Wick IS concerned about his reputation, but not entirely for his own sake or that of his elitist associates, but for the many people who rely on him for employment, who could be hurt by extension of he gets pulled too deep into the less than repectable world of bootlegging

Romantic life

Outside of the crush he has had on Mitzi since first meeting her at the Speakeasy, we have very little information about Wicks love life before this. Being a handsome and wealthy gentleman from a good family, you would think he would he fighting women off with a stick, maybe even be a bit of a playboy.

Instead you get the impression Wick is pretty far away from being a ladies man. Mentioning to Mitzi that he doesn't even really know how to talk to women unless its about rocks, bugs or limestone.

He is clearly attracted to her and is tempted by her to risk his reputation and by extension his business to get closer to her, but so far his fear of the very real consequences are deterring him from taking that gamble.

Though there is that personal aspect to it, it seems that in a more abstract sense Mitzi's appeal to Wick is not just in her beauty and seductive personality, but in the excitement and thrill of her Speakeasy and bootlegging operations.

In that sense Mitzi represents that touch of danger and excitement that during prohibition many otherwise law abiding citizens enjoyed indulging in illegal drinking establishments. Being* just* naughty enough to give them a fun thrill while being detached from the more brutal blood soaked aspects.

Wick is a good natured person (the worst thing he has done is shoot a duck in his youth which he was forced to do) living a very "respectable" life, but that makes the superficial glamour of the world of underground drinking establishments and secret booze stashes even more appealing. Thats why despite his concerns and responsibilities he keeps going back ,not just to Mitzi, but to the Lackadaisy specifically. It has pretty geography, a pretty owner, and an open door to a more exciting avenue of life

Its for that same reason he doesn't seem to be overly uncomfortable with lovable bi disaster Zib flirting with him at the bar. He may have no intention of reciprocating, but it couldn't be a more different experience to the world he is used to

Even if he doesn't yet want to take the full plunge it all excites him enough to keep him circling the edges.

Because despite having so much going for him there are things about his life that not only bore him but make him unhappy. Whether its piles of paperwork, dealing with much stuffier "conventional" fellow aristocrats and not wanting to be like them, or just a general lack of true passion in his life, he is clearly a man looking for something more satisfying

Whether or not he remains a "tourist" or decides to take that gamble, throw his reservations to the wind, and take a more active role in the gang, is yet to be seen...

Assuming Rocky doesn't set fire to him first of course XD

[catcake24]

Oh god, I just had a brilliant TFOne KO/BD fic idea.

So you know how G1 Knockout is a construction worker and G1 Breakdown is a racer?? Well, in TFOne we see Breakdown is one of the racers in the Iacon 5000 (I don’t have the screenshot, but I do remember seeing his name along with the other Stunticons).

So… what if Knockout in TFOne is one of the many cogless miners???

So, here’s my idea (spoilers below):

Knockout is one of the few on-site medics for the miners, there for work related injuries (like Jazz’s leg in the movie). He’s not a worker because he has a processor bug, where he faints whenever he gets overwhelmed or too excited - which wouldn’t be a good trait for working in the dangerous mines.

Because of this relatively safer position, he tends to be cleaner and shinier than his fellow workers - cleaning and buffing his plating during work hours. He’s not the most well liked, but he’s good enough at his job that people just deal with it.

Knockout is a racer fan, and wishes he could compete in them very badly. Like many miners (at least in my fanfic), he feels like a piece of him is missing and would love to race if he could transform. He’s much like his TFP version in personality, sassy mean girl personality, maybe a bit nicer since he’s younger and already treated like shit.

Breakdown meanwhile, he’s a somewhat cocky racer who’s been apart of the Stunticons (who are basically just brothers who are all racers) since he was born. Due to being a transforming mech though, he hasn’t had much contact with cogless bots.

This changes when the Stunticons decide to go drag racing in a cogless residential area, a somewhat common thing since the roads are clear of other cars and the locals can see some drag racing without needing to get time off work. Knockout is one of these spectators, though only because he had a rough shift and needed something to blow off steam.

During the race though, there’s a crash and Breakdown needs medical attention - and the closest medic is Knockout.

Knockout ends up repairing Breakdown, who was curious about meeting a cogless bot, and from there it’s pretty typical KOBD I imagine. Breakdown might be more cocky here, but Knockout can match it easily and sass him for overworking his engine during the race Breakdown likes a mech who can talk down to him, and ends up flirting with KO… who faints from surprise and excitement.

Idk where to go from here, but I really like the idea of this being a bit of a roleswap au for the typical TFP KOBD and to mimic the “lower and higher class romance” stuff we see in tfp megop. I feel like these two would totally carry on a star crossed romance, meeting in semi-secret and Breakdown learning about KO’s life as a cogless bot and taking him on dates to places he could never access before.

BUT!!! After the events of the movie, Breakdown sees it all go down from the broadcast and rushes to see if KO is okay. He hasn’t seen him in awhile since all the miners were suddenly pulling mandatory extra shifts and injuries had increased exponentially. He bumps into a red racer on the way, trying to squeeze past, but then realized it’s Knockout who now has a t-cog. He came looking for Breakdown to show him.

Breakdown happily lifts up KO, who narrowly avoids fainting this time, and they go on their first racing date - and Breakdown is only more smitten when Knockout narrowly beats him.

(Please feel free to use or expand on this, i haven’t written knockout before so I would love some input on how he would act lol)

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Canon events aren't bad, Miguel's just projecting his trauma.

One of the things that will always stand out or bother me in this scene are these three lines from Miguel:

Because... Wait what?

SOME OF THEM ARE GOOD??

Miguel admits himself that some canon events can be positive - but he names none, refusing to show any of these instances, instead surrounding Miles with images of loss and grief.

Even he admits that Canon Events aren't inherent tragedies.

They only come off that way, because he's hyperfixated on suffering. Largely, his own.

People have talked about Miguel's background in the past and that's a job for a Spider-man 2099 fan - but in short, Miguel DID NOT have a good life.

If you think about it - it's extremely hard for Miguel to POSITIVELY connect with other Spider-people.

He lacks the spider-bite, has no MJ, Harry, Doctor Octavius, or May. He's never had the experience of happily and excitedly coming into his powers.

The only thing he has, is a lot of tragedy.

Him not having many positive events in his life is just another reminder of how he's othered.

Because he's unable to connect to other Spider-people based on things like biology, love, familial connection to aunt May, the driving lesson that 'with great power comes great responsibility'.

Much of all knows is tragedy.

Because of this he hyperfixates on traumatic Canon Events, using the resulting fear as a source of unity, rather than uniting them all over good, constructive Canon Events.

Idk it just always stood out to me. Cause what do you mean GOOD???

Either Miguel is wrongfully weaponizing 'Bad' Canon Events as a source of authority - protecting his trauma and ignoring the good-

OR he's lying about there being good Canon Events, and that's something he tells them to make them feel better. Which would be fucked up.

OR OR The Canon Events he considers 'good' aren't actually good at all. Marrying your MJ might be a 'good' canon event. But you still have to do it. Even if you aren't into marriage.

Isn't that an arranged marriage?

If I don't wanna marry my MJ, but that's my Canon Event, is Miguel gonna beat my ass over it? 🤨😐

[Yes, that's apart of Dianes lore lol Her MJ Martin is a poseur-punk asshole rich record producer whose bordering misogynistic. He hates Hobie. But uhh oh he's supposed to be a 'good canon event']

But like...

If Jessica Drew's canon event was getting pregnant and the next one is like 'nah I want my tubes tied' Miguel gonna be like 'sorry no can do'?????????

HUH... IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN BY GOOD??? Compulsory 'positive' events.

BUT NO REALLY what the hell is Miguel talking about???

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

#23: “The Miraculous Ladybug Movie May Give You What You Want, but My Show Gives You What You Actually Need! You Don’t Work in Television, so You Wouldn’t Understand.”

I've been running this blog for almost three years at this point, and I've seen Astruc talk trash about various things while claiming his show is better, like Winx Club, Paw Patrol, Pokemon, and Pixar as a whole. I never thought I'd see Astruc act like his show was better than a movie based on his show though.

For those who don't know (and you'd be forgiven, seeing how Astruc has barely talked about it on his Twitter), there was recently a movie that hit theaters based on Miraculous Ladybug called Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie. Supposedly, it's meant to be a retelling of how Marinette and Adrien met as civilians and as heroes. While I haven't seen it, it seems to be getting good reception, with some saying it's better than the show it's based on.

Of course, Astruc had something to say about this.

Okay, I sort of get what he's trying to say here. It's hard to compare the experience of watching an hour and a half long movie and a TV show with five seasons under its belt, but at the same time, the way Astruc phrased it still made it seem like he was trying to say the show was the better option because it “gives you what you need”. Nobody was expecting the Love Square to be resolved in a few episodes. Most people at least wanted more stories about the two to be told that don't involve constant padding. Astruc also acts like the Love Square is the only draw for the series instead of, oh, I don't know, the superhero action? You're really telling me they couldn't have tried focusing more on that after resolving the Love Square? I'm just saying, if The Office can continue after Jim and Pam got together, you can at least try to actually write other stories after the Love Square becomes canon.

One user in particular had some things to say in response to Astruc's claims, and you can guess how well Astruc took that.

Again, nobody is saying that working in television is all sunshine and rainbows, Astruc, but just because someone isn't familiar with dealing with network constraints and test audiences, it doesn't mean that they're unable to provide any meaningful criticism.

Also, Astruc is once again using a psychology term, in this case, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, to act like he's smarter than the critics. This man took psychology as an elective in college, didn't he?

But then again, this is coming from someone who doesn't think constructive criticism is a real thing.

Funny how he once again acts like anything that isn't positive feedback of his show is delusional, isn't it?

Eventually, this devolved into Astruc posting a little tangent about how fandoms have only gotten more toxic, which would have been a decent point... it if didn't come after all the things he said about fans not being able to criticize his show.

Again, there's nothing wrong with what he's trying to say here, but it feels less like a critique of how fans have become more toxic with the advent of the internet, and more like he's complaining about how mean people have been to him lately.

And, of course, this led to the usual fare of people calling out Astruc for his close mindedness, and Astruc once again saying how people aren't allowed to criticize his show in any way that isn't blind praise.

And here's the thing. We're still not done yet. This little tangent only warranted more comments about how Astruc handles criticism, only this time, it's also about calling out the people who think they can do a better job handling the show.

First, do you mind giving us an example of what kind of constraints you have to deal with, Astruc? We all know that TV executives suck, but I think we'd have more of a reason to understand your struggles if you actually explained some things that needed to be changed because of executive meddling.

Second, nobody wants a beach episode, Astruc, especially after that one issue of the comic you're choosing to ignore. We just want a more consistent story that doesn't rely on endlessly padding out the Love Square.

And finally, did you just say you have to be French if you want to rewrite Miraculous Ladybug? What does being French have to do with any of this? I remember seeing a little tweet a few years ago suggesting you would be a good choice to write a Superman story, but last time I checked, you aren't American.

Let's review in case you got lost. Someone tweeted that they thought the Miraculous Ladybug movie did a better job at the story it set out to tell than the Miraculous Ladybug TV show, Astruc tried to explain how his show is still good in its own way while justifying how long it's been going on for, he ranted and raved at fans for daring to criticize his team's writing before going on a tangent about how the internet has made people more hostile over the years, and when people still weren't happy with him, he claimed that you could only criticize or rewrite the show if you're an experienced French TV writer like him.

So just keep that in mind, fanfic writers. Unless you're French and have experience writing for television, you don't have a chance in hell to successfully write your own version of Miraculous Ladybug.

[alicedrawslesmis]

I know I just said I didn't want to just be complaining about everything so I'll try to word this in a more constructive way asdfghjkl

It's hard to be an Eponine fan in a world where the musical -and On My Own specifically- is sooooo mainstream. Because imo as much as On My Own itself is kind of a half-decent, if simplified, encapsulation of Eponine's struggle with her love for Marius if you analise the lyrics in isolation, the musical as a whole, her role in the narrative as the unrequited love diva (I'm also simplifying here. I don't think this is super fair to the anglo musical, but compared to the book there's no question of how they reworked her into a glamorous 80s diva contralto because musical theatre has usually very strict gender roles), did her so dirty. So dirty. And imo often her character is reduced to her pining in fandom as a result. And I don't like that, personally.

I love that girl so much. I love that she is just young enough to still be a child but adult enough to be aware of her social role. She has one foot in the gamin life and one foot in the adult world. I love the tragedy that is the fact that she likes the beauty and pomp of high society girls and wish she could have silk shoes but knowing she can't.

And also being super resigned to her class despite it, she doesn't believe she ever will have any of that. She resents that too, somewhat. The tragedy of her knowing that she couldn't be with Marius because of his social class and her accepting that (angrily? sadly?). I love her self-banishment as his guard dog because of this. I love her drunk sailor voice. I love how manipulative she is and that she isn't Marius's friend at all. He's just her one neighbor who wasn't a total asshole one time. He was, later. But not at first. And she can't be in his head and know he thinks she's kinda despicable because crime because Marius is a judgemental little shithead.

And Eponine isn't an idealist, she's resigned to her position. I understand why she gets paired with grantaire in fics but her canon narrative parallel is Javert, they both believe they are excluded from society from their outcast position and so become the watchdogs for it. Eponine a kind of guardian (in her own words a devil, not an angel) and Javert the same. That's why he's the one person who sees her in the barricade, he's the same as her. Marius saw her but that's only cause he had a use for her in that moment, as soon as she didn't he forgot all about it.

I think also Gavroche, with his ability to be kind of a figure above the narrative, with his gamin skills of being almost omnipresent is something Eponine used to have, but with her age she's starting to lose that. She's starting to grown old enough that she's required to be IN the world and not supercede it. Gavroche is also almost there, if he had been allowed to grow up he would've lost that ability too. They both inhabit this sort of magical surreal world superimposed on our own.

A lot of Les Mis and Notre Dame de Paris can be kinda described as magical realism, I would go so far as calling them urban fantasy. And characters like Babet, Thenardier sometimes, Gavroche, Eponine (and Javert sometimes as well) are inhabiting this magically charged layer. This reality that's imposed Over the real world.

Talking about that One Series Of Wizard Books is a bit passé rn so uh. Doctor Who. Particularly the initial New Who seasons before they got that huge budget. That's a good parallel to what I'm getting at. The real world is still the same but there are certain characters that inhabit this mystical overlayer and are able to transverse from one to the other (Javert can't really because he is stuck forever outside and the second he understands that you CAN'T be an unbiased outsider who only enforces the norm without participating he freaks out and literally dies about it). Eponine is right in the eye of the storm tho. She manipulates reality to get her way, to die with Marius, because that's as close as she can get to being with him. And she manipulates reality to protect him too. Contradictions be damned. She has many contradictory feelings that make her complex and cool and an awesome character whom I love and wish would stop being reduced to the glamurous mysical theatre role with a single black stain on her face and a beautiful actor and a big unrequited love song about a random boy (whose personality was also changed for the musical and I argue is probably the character that was most fucked up by it in the public perception because he's such an weird little self-insert of an even weirder guy. But I get it, the musical is long enough as it is).

Anyway, I wish eponine could be more of a mongrel, a little gremlin. A little rat child that's just beginning to grow into an adult and is self aware of her role in the narrative society. She's a teenage girl which already sucks to go through when you're not constantly starving and cold and being forced by your father to work and do con jobs. Marius is the object she attaches herself to, but it could've been literally anything. Javert did that with the social order, he protects and guards it. She just chose Some Guy instead. Which, we all have that one friend who does that too. Like girl you're too good for him. Come on let's get you sone ice cream. And clean clothes and a roof. Literally anything. Bread.

I think if Eponine had a roof over her head and like, food on the regular she would forget Marius exists. Same as Cosette if she had moved to England. Like he'd be that one intense crush they had as teenagers. Can't say the same for him tho. He would hold onto that for the rest of time.

[kurogane2512]

Hello there! I'm a big fan of your work and I've read almost all your stories on wattpad and Damn I love it so much 😌.

Anyway, can I request a one-shot where the reader is working under Beidou, as her first mate and because of that, the reader does work that roughs up her hand, like you know, her hand is rough and dry and Ningguang took notice of this one day and decided to do a full body care for the reader.

Like Ningguang applies hand cream on the reader's hands, she massages the reader's face and stuff like that. I'm kinda bad at explaining things 😭

Aww anon this is so cute istg comforting/caring is one of my favorite tropes with all my wives especially the ones who are more authoritative and hold a high position (Ningguang and Signora come to mind most). And dw your explanation was perfect I get it :))

Ps this turned out longer than expected hope you don't mind

Game: Genshin Impact

Characters: Ningguang x fem!reader

Type: Fluff (caring and pampering from mommy Ningguang)

The Tianquan sacrificed her Jade Chamber to protect the people of Liyue and now it was time for the people rebuild that same abode for their Tianquan. Ningguang organized a competition to gather materials and labor for the Jade Chamber, many businessmen and merchants attracted by the prize took part in it and diligently worked day and night to gather materials.

"Baiwen, isn't that the First Mate of the Crux?" Ningguang questioned her secretary while looking at the construction site of the Jade Chamber, inspecting the working when she spotted a familiar yet unexpected face.

"Yes, Lady Ningguang, she is." Baiwen replied.

"Why is she helping among the construction workers? Did Beidou send her? Are there any other members of the Crux helping around?" Ningguang questioned more as she looked at you carrying and assembling construction materials around like a daily wage worker, appearing as common labor hired to rebuild the Jade Chamber.

"From what I know, there is no other member of the Crux seen on the site. I will find out more, Lady Ningguang."

Ningguang pondered for a moment, her gaze fixated on you working so hard with a smile on your face. "No need, I will talk to her myself."

"As you wish, Lady Ningguang." Baiwen bowed and excused herself away. Ningguang didn't come to meet you immediately, she decided to wait and see what your intentions were.

She observed the site for 3 days and saw you every day doing the same kind of work; sometimes transporting materials from one place to other, other times assembling the materials as instructed and so on. Her curiosity perked, and she finally decided to indulge it one day. She walked up to you and you immediately greeted her then engaged in conversation.

"I have been observing you for some days now, First Mate of the Crux." Ningguang didn't waste time and jumped to the topic of concern, "What might be your reasons for engaging in common labor like this? I believe this is rather below your paygrade. And I hope you are aware that this is separate from the competition to acquire the materials, there is no special prize for this only the appropriate wage."

"Oh, yes I know, Lady Ningguang. I'm not here for money or even the competition prize....."

"Then what might your reason be? I don't believe Captain Beidou sent you to assist considering there are no other members of the Crux here."

"Yes, she didn't send me. I came by my own accord. Captain Beidou is helping in acquiring the materials of the competition so everyone else is engaged in that. I....um....I was just more interested in this kind of work so I came...." you trailed off and made-up whatever reason came to your mind. You weren't expecting the Tianquan to notice you this way and question you, you almost felt like you did something wrong due to her constant questioning.

Ningguang chuckled after a moment of pause, "How interesting~ I was right to think the First Mate of the Crux was much more capable and fascinating than the Captain. You have my gratitude for assisting here, if pos—"

"Oi! Look out! The ropes will snap!" suddenly someone shouted and you noticed there was a trolley carrying stones right above you and Ningguang that broke from the rail and came crashing down. You swiftly reacted and jumped away pulling Ningguang along with you, both of you falling on the ground. You softened the fall for Ningguang by taking the force and shielding her above you, your back hitting the ground first with Ningguang wrapped in your arms.

The trolley crashed with a loud thud, alerting everyone on site to come rushing and see what had happened. Baiwen came running to look for her Tianquan and was relieved to see her safe and unharmed as you pulled her away at the right moment.

"A-Are you okay, Lady Ningguang?" you asked out of concern, slightly panting beneath her. She was shocked for some time until she grasped the situation and realized she was lying above you in your arms. Baiwen came to your side and helped Ningguang stand up then Ningguang offered her hand to you and you happily accepted then stood up and brushed your clothes while Baiwen checked Ningguang all over.

"I'm fine. What about you, Y/n? You took the fall, I hope your head isn't injured." Ningguang almost instinctively caressed your head but held back and folded her arms over her chest.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, Lady Ningguang. Your safety is more important here."

Ningguang let out a sigh then turned around to look at the scene, her eyebrows furrowing as anger rose in her.

"Baiwen, get me whoever is responsible for these trolleys and the ropes. Have a thorough inspection of every trolley and rope before resuming the construction, I do not want anything like this to repeat."

Ningguang ordered with a glare and Baiwen immediately rushed to complete her command; it was rare for Ningguang to become so worked up, after all. The crowd of on-lookers gathered quickly dispersed away as well then Ningguang turned to face you before gently holding your hand, the action causing a blush to spread across your face.

"You can take the rest of the day off and rest, I will compensate you for this."

"O-Oh, no, it's okay. I'm completely fine, Lady Ningguang. Please, allow me to keep working."

"Not much construction is left now, I will pay you for all the days the construction went on. You can rest easy and go back."

"I...." you hesitated to reply but seeing Ningguang's gentle and concerned expression made you melt and agree, "As you say, Lady Ningguang. Please do call me if you need more workers any time."

Ningguang smiled and gently caressed your hand before releasing it and allowing you to leave. She watched you walk towards the harbor and board the Crux then looked at her own hand that was previously holding yours and pondered, "....Such rough hands. What a shame someone as adorable as her has to live a life like that. And I wouldn't be surprised if Beidou gives all the dirty work to Y/n while she drinks and slacks away. Hmm, perhaps I could do something...."

The Jade Chamber was finally rebuilt after another 2 days and Ningguang gathered the winners of the competition to let them collect their prize. The top 3 winners were the Traveller, Yun Jin and Captain Beidou herself who went a little later as she was with the crew giving out instructions.

"Keep your eyes and ears open for anything once the battle begins."

"Yes, Captain!"

"Oi, Y/n. Are you sure you don't want to come up there?"

"Huh? For what?"

"For your prize, of course! I won't let Ningguang get away with making you work your ass off and paying nothing!"

The crew let out a laughter while you sighed, "Don't say that to her, Captain. She has promised me she will pay me everything."

"Hah~ You...." Beidou let out a drawled sigh and left the crew in your hands then went up to the Jade Chamber where Yun Jin, Shenhe and the Traveller had already asked their questions and Paimon prompted Beidou to be next.

"Huh? No, I have nothing to ask. If anything, you should compensate my First Mate for all the work she did for you."

"Don't make it seem like I forced her to work, Beidou. She was there by her own accord and I already promised her the right amount."

"Yeah yeah, she was there for you, after all~"

Ningguang squinted her eyes in confusion, "What are you implying, Beidou?"

"Huh? Don't tell me you are so thick headed that you didn't realize even after she did so much....Hah~ This girl, I told her it's futile but she still insisted to help you just to please you."

"Please me? And whatever might that mean?"

Beidou clicked her tongue and turned around to walk away, "Never mind, forget I said anything. I'm going back to the ship to prepare."

Ningguang was about to call her back but Beidou descended long ago, leaving Ningguang confused and pondering. "What is that supposed to mean? Please me as in.....please me to get on my good side for her own benefit? Is that what she means?"

Ningguang looked down in contempt and thought back to what you said to her and bit her lower lip, "So, she's just like everyone else too....get close for benefits from my position. Haha~ can't say I'm surprised, I suppose...."

"Lady Ningguang, it's time." Baiwen called out to her and she put all her thoughts aside and began the ascension of the Jade Chamber. A fierce battle ensued soon after with Beisht over the sea, you commanded the Alcor alongside Beidou while Ningguang soared in the sky in her Jade Chamber and defeated Beisht together. Nobody was gravely injured thanks to the Traveller and Shenhe's help with the combined efforts of the Millelith.

"Y/n, come on, Ningguang has called us to see Yun Jin's show right now." Beidou informed you after the battle, preparing to go up the Jade Chamber.

"You can go, Captain. I'll stay and look over the damage and if anyone requires medical help, then we have to treat the crew as well."

"Ah, shut it. She specifically asked you to come so move it."

You found it hard to believe but Beidou left no room for negotiation and practically dragged you along. You reached the Jade Chamber and found Ningguang seated on one of the tables, she looked at you and squinted her eyes before standing up to greet you. You watched the show together sitting on the same table until Ningguang asked you to accompany her to get something from inside and you agreed hence went to her office.

"As promised, here is the remuneration for the days of the construction." Ningguang handed you a bag of mora which you hesitantly accepted and thanked her, she then stayed silent for a moment before walking up to her table and leaning against the edge.

"....Ask away what you require and I shall see that it is done." Ningguang spoke in a serious tone, glazed with her usual formalness.

"What do you mean, Lady Ningguang?"

"Wasn't that your purpose for helping in the construction? To please me? Well, I was pleased. Now state your requirement and our deal will be complete."

You looked at her wide-eyed, "Why do you think that, Lady Ningguang? I-I wasn't—"

"Your Captain told me you wanted to please me; naturally, I understand you must have something you want from me for which you wanted to get on my good side and gain favors. It is quite a common strategy in business and I believe in equivalent exchange so I'm ready to give you what you want."

Your heart almost broke at her words, you didn't understand why she reached this conclusion.

"I....Y-You misunderstand, Lady Ningguang. I did want to please you but not for this....I don't want anything from you or your wealth, I just wanted to help you rebuild your home and see you happy...."

Ningguang was also surprised now and walked closer to you, standing in front of you with her arms crossed over her chest.

"....So, you don't want anything materialistic? Why would you even want to see me happy?"

Your face turned red and you shyly looked away, appearing extremely adorable to Ningguang who had rarely seen you this way.

"I....I happened to see you at the harbor one night a few days after you sacrificed the previous Jade Chamber. And....you looked really upset, sorrowful. I couldn't bear to see you that way....I wanted to do something but it was difficult from my position. Then I heard about the reconstruction and urged Captain Beidou to return so that I could participate....I would have participated in the material gathering competition but I felt that wasn't enough so I let her handle that and I came to the labor side."

Ningguang felt her heartbeat fastening at your honest confession, an unexpected feeling of relief spreading in her chest.

"Well then, you did accomplish your goal. In return, would you let me do something for you now?~"

"H-Huh?! I don't want anything, Lady Ningguang. E-Even this mora isn't required but I can deposit it in the crew's treasury, other than this you really don't have to bother!"

Ningguang smiled and gently held your hand, the blush on your face darkening feeling her so close.

"It's not a bother. Come with me~"

You slowly agreed and let Ningguang lead you towards her private chamber, you felt her soft and delicate hands hold your dry and rough ones and suddenly felt nervous, even distant. It made you recall the distance between you both and the differences in your state of living. You were proud of your job and didn't regret it ever, but falling in love with the Tianquan made you almost wish you were in different circumstances.

"Have a seat." Ningguang made you sit on the bedside while she went to her dressing and picked out a few things before coming to sit beside you.

"....Life at the sea must be tough, right?" she spoke as she took off her gloves then proceeded hold your hands and caress them.

"Uh, i-it is but it's also fun with everyone around, and Captain Beidou especially keeps us well-fed and entertained."

"Hmm, well-fed for sure but not well tended to." you felt her soft fingers brush across your palm before intertwining with your own.

"That day when you saved me from the falling trolley, I felt your rough skin as you held my arms. I wouldn't have noticed it in the moment of panic but it felt uncharacteristically prickly that I couldn't help but remember and I also confirmed it later by holding your hand." she let go of your hand then gathered some cream on her own.

"I understand you cannot take care of your skin and personal appearance at sea much; you'd prioritise health and hygiene more. But still, you shouldn't let your adorable appearance go to waste this way. You are still a young girl; don't follow in Beidou's steps and become a brute like her, at least." she proceeded to rub the cream across your palm followed by your forearm.

"I....I j-just never cared for how I looked, especially...." you trailed off and averted your gaze, making Ningguang concerned as she massaged the cream on your hand.

"Especially?" she asked in a soft voice.

You furrowed your brows then swiftly pulled your hand away from her hold, catching her off-guard. "You don't have to do this, Lady Ningguang."

Ningguang looked at you firmly and lightly held your wrist, "I want to, let me."

"W-Why do you even want to? You don't have to pay me back for what I did, you don't have to waste your time on this."

"I decide how I spend my time and I deem this to be worth it."

You knew it was pointless to argue with the Tianquan once she had decided something. You were feeling overwhelmed seeing how eager she was to do this; you didn't understand her reasoning at all. A celebration was being held for her outside at this very moment yet here she was tending to a mere pirate. Ningguang observed you for some time before shifting closer and gently cupping your face, making you move your gaze towards her.

"Hmm....now that I'm seeing you up close this way, you really are quite cute and have rather youthful features, at least compared to the other crew members I have seen~"

A dark blush spread across your face at her compliment and how close she was, Ningguang rubbed her thumb across your cheek and slid it up towards your eye-patch in an attempt to take it off. You reacted out of instinct and stopped her hand from moving further, earning a soft smile from her.

"Let me see, I have always been quite curious about it. Not to mention, I need to apply the cream on your face so this needs to be removed anyways."

You bit your lower lip and slowly agreed then moved your hand away and let her slide off your eyepatch. She then brushed aside the bangs hanging over your eye and tucked them behind your ear before gathering moisturizer on her palms and gently spreading it in circles on your cheeks. Ningguang's gentle smile didn't fade even for a moment, she was focused on applying the cream all over your face and covering every part.

You noticed how she was especially careful when rubbing it over your eye as if the scar still hurt you— which it didn't as it was years old now. It almost shocked you how accepting and normally she was treating you; you knew the Tianquan was rather humane than what people made her to be but this felt extraordinary. Her soft and gentle fingers drawing circles on your face made you relax into her palms and close your eyes to relish the feeling.

"....Would it be okay to ask how you got this scar, Y/n?"

The question caught you off-guard but you agreed to tell, "Yes. It was before I joined the Crux, I was attacked by some Treasure Hoarders who raided my village. I got careless and let down my guard which gave them the chance to attack me and....yeah, that's how I got it."

Ningguang looked at you with a sympathetic look, "My apologies if it was uncomfortable to recall...."

"N-Not really, it was a long time ago. In fact, that's when Captain Beidou took me in. Seeing that she had a similar injury and how confidently she carried herself gave me some motivation too but...."

"....But you still remain insecure about your appearance due to it, right?"

You nodded in guilt, feeling weak in front of her. You didn't expect to tell your deepest secret to the Tianquan at all, but you also felt lighter telling her because of how accepting she was.

"I-It's okay now, Lady Ningguang! It's not like I brood over it all the time, I see it as a battle scar and know nothing can be done about it. I'm blessed nobody mocks me for it and the crew makes me feel accepted for who I am...."

Ningguang smiled wider and nodded in agreement, "Well, would you mind taking off your shirt? I wish to apply the cream on your body as well~"

"H-Huh?! I can do that myself, Lady Ningguang!" you exclaimed, feeling extremely flustered. Ningguang let out a chuckle then patted your head, "Alright then, let me apply on your back, at least. It would be difficult for you reach there anyways."

"Uh...o-okay."

You turned over and pulled your shirt up till your neck to expose your back to Ningguang. She saw the scars and injuries adorning it as well and felt more upset for you but decided to not bring them up and continued rubbing and massaging the cream. Your face was red up till your ears, the feeling of her smooth fingers rubbing over your bare back sent shivers down your spine and you did your best to hold back any kind of strange noises.

"Alright, it's done."

Ningguang helped you pull your shirt down then you turned to face her and she gently smiled, "I'll have some of these products delivered to you tomorrow. Try to apply them as much as you can, I can assure you that you will see improvement very soon."

"....Thank you very much, Lady Ningguang. T-This wasn't required at all but you—"

"Shh~" Ningguang put her finger on your lips, "Consider us even now, I won't listen to any excuses~"

You nodded in agreement and she retracted her hand then both of you proceeded to go outside. You stood at the platform to go down and bid farewell to her and thanked her once again for what she did, she smirked and all of a sudden walked closer then you felt a kiss planted on your cheek, near the place where your scar was. Your heart skipped a beat and you looked at Ningguang with a flustered expression while she looked as confident as ever.

"I'll call you if there are more similar jobs in the future for you to do. We can also discuss the right kind of remuneration for them~"

[biggie-chcese]

ranking rain code lets plays on how much i enjoy/would recommend them

hi did you know i am incredibly autistic about this game and have watched, in full, several lets plays of it? and im still going? haha yeah im normal. anyway here goes... all lets plays ive watched from best to worst:

#1 Highest recommendation: JustOneGamr. ESPECIALLY for people who are going in blind. im so serious. it's the best way to experience as much of the game as possible without playing it yourself. They go through all of the content, side quests, gumshoe gabs, profiles, DLC, and even most of the flavor text. it's also a no commentary run, which i personally see as a massive boon because they aren't influencing your opinions of the game

#2: Pixel Partners. they've got real good vibes and they actually do the side quests. it's also fun to listen to their theories and see their reactions. they're one of the few who dont spend their time complaining and give more valid constructive criticisms than others. they also have the funniest reaction to the chapter 5 reveal

#3: JohnAwesome. his humor sometimes isn't particularly for me but boy is his lets play enjoyable. also has lots of positive vibes and is generally pretty entertaining. i dont remember if he does side quests but im pretty sure he does. he will easily make chapter 4 even more gut wrenching thanks to a very specific kind of incompetence on his part, which in hindsight is really funny

#4: NyanCave. they're pretty fun and also have great vibes! i like their chemistry a lot. they have some pretty good theories and good jokes, but they will spend a lot of time on responding to chat donations. this is fine like get that bag kings but if you're impatient like me it might get annoying after a while lol. it's especially bad in chapter 5, where the tension dies because of their waifu fight donations

#5: NicoB. I was never really a NicoB fan because he's a bit too loud and high energy for me, but his rain code lets play is still pretty good! he seems to have fun playing the game and even has a few good jokes. i think he does the side quests which is a plus but i could be misremembering. i still quote "and now back to yuma crackhead" to this day so there's that

#6: Faz Faz. This another no commentary run but for people who are in a rush. they go through the game as quickly as possible. frankly, i think these kinds of lets plays are not as good as the ones that go through the sidequests, but hey, it's there if you just want the main plot and gumshoe gabs

#7: Save Data. I don't recommend this one to people experiencing rain code for the first time because they will talk over the cutscenes and dialogue and that will get annoying. they also complain quite a bit about the same things over and over which can also get tiresome (im sorry guys i do Not care about graphics as much as you do). however, they're really funny and it's good for a second or third experience of the game. "this city..." is a highly prevalent vocal stim for me thanks to them. they will shit on on the game often though, so if you really love rain code and dont want to hear that, then avoid this one lol. but you do get to see my art at the end of their vids! that's pretty cool!

#8: Rat Attack. i straight up don't recommend this one. it's easily the worst one i've seen and that's sad because i really love their pngtuber avatars. they're not finished with the game yet and that's probably because they spend so much time ranting and yapping about everything else, or just concocting the most baffling theories known to man and spending wayyy too much time on them. you will also hear a lot of unfunny halara gender jokes sorry. sometimes they are funny in other ways but it's honestly not worth it unless you're like me and keep watching out of obsession for the game.

that's all the ones ive watched in full (so far)! here's a couple others i haven't seen in full but have seen small parts of:

Weeby Newz - she's got some fun reactions from what ive seen and is pretty funny too. i have only really watched her play chapters 4 and 5 though, so i cant give a full opinion. i dont care for yakou fathero as a concept though and she seems pretty heavy on that, but if you like that you may enjoy her let's play. i may go back and finish it soon!

CurtStreamy - genuinely very funny from what ive seen though in chapter 5 his whole crew has a pretty fundamental misunderstanding of makoto's character, which can be a little irritating. either way, most of it is great but his live chat sucks. i still need to watch the rest in full to form a full opinion

CrystAAHHL - ohhh she did Not like this game lmao. she is a based makoto enjoyer though. i only watched the highlight reel though i think watching her full streams would just make me tired. i personally dont like watching lets plays if the person playing isnt having any fun

JazzyGuns - unfinished but she is really funny and has good vibes. if you can cope with her probably never finishing the game then go for it

khee chu - im still in the process of watching this one in full but it's fun so far. i will say CHECK OUT KHEE'S MERCH AND SHINIGAMI X JUNKO ART!!! THE ART IS RLY CUTE!!!!

and that's everything! there's other lesser known ones out there but im just one guy i cant watch em all despite how determined i am to do so </3 above all else i want people to get the game but like, yknow, some folks dont got $60 to spend on a game lol. anyway have fun and happy watching!

[typicalbrunette]

I’m conflicted about how to be a respectful fan and realistic human at the same time. I was leaving out names while writing this but I realized that it was slightly hypocritical of me. So I’m just going to say what I was gonna say and it’s about Ashley Johnson being in the news for filing a restraining order against an abusive ex who I don’t feel like naming.

I 100% understand the impulse and intention of everyone saying to not look up the article or information that came out about this situation. It was irresponsible reporting, it put people in danger, and it was totally intrusive.

However, I also feel weird about saying “don’t look at it!” because us not looking is not going to change the fact that the info is out, the damage is done, and I fear that by constantly saying “don’t look at it” we’re going to wind up with even more destructive speculation than just allowing the facts to exist. So far there’s already a lot of “Wait what happened?” responses from people unaware of the situation which is going to lead to a lot of word of mouth info spreading and we all know how well that goes (I mean just look at Narrative Telephone).

So I feel like we have a narrow line to walk with the whole thing. To ignore it once it’s out there is frankly naive, however we CAN and SHOULD do our best to be supportive and RESPECTFUL fans. And let’s remember we are FANS, not friends or family and that means we MUST remain at a distance!

So how do we remain respectful and supportive in this very complex situation?

• Just don’t bother talking about the ex.

- It’s not constructive. At best you’re giving them publicity, at worst you’re unintentionally hurting victims of intimate partner abuse who may be dealing with a history of gaslighting. Talking shit is honestly just not helpful right now.

• Focus on showing support for the person being victimized

- The easy thing to do is to focus on those feelings of anger at the abuser, but the MOST HELPFUL thing to do is to try and focus on your feelings of love for the person they have hurt instead.

Look at it this way: If you come across a victim of a violent mugging, someone who is clearly hurt and needs help, but see the mugger running off down the street, what’s the better choice: Get mad and chase down the mugger or stop and help the injured person?

Obviously, you stop and you help and you make sure the person who is hurting is okay and help them feel safe. And that’s what we should be doing now.

• Support but don’t intrude

Like I said earlier, we don’t actually KNOW Ashley Johnson. We’re fans of her and her work. But that doesn’t give us any kind of right to intrude into her life even if it’s to wish her well. So how do we support her respectfully?

- You can post about your love of her work and how you think she’s a cool person but without mentioning this whole thing. Give love without bringing in reminders of the bad. If she wants to talk about the bad, she will do that with the people of her choosing, but it’s not going to be us and we should be cool with that.

- A lovely idea that’s floating around is to donate to the Critical Role Foundation of which she’s president and clearly cares a lot about.

- You should NOT try to send her messages or letters that in any way reference this situation.

- You should NOT post any kind of speculation about what’s going on in her head or what she’s up to or dealing with.

- If you do happen to read an article about the situation, don’t comment on it or try and get into it with the author. Trolls are trolls even when they’re professional trolls and the best course of action is to simply ignore them and move on.

Basically, be kind, be positive and don’t start spouting off in anger about other people’s business. Even if Ashley doesn’t see what you say, other people in similar situations might and it can be really hurtful to them.

I get it, we all feel protective, but the best kind of protection we can all give right now is to simply aim kindness and love in the right direction and respect Ashley’s privacy and wishes. So let’s do that.

[thehollowwriter]

*ahem* anyways after a some time under a video critical of the Murder Drones finale, I've got some fandom reminders for, well, anyone ig.

Being critical of something does not equal hating it

Being critical of something does not make you "ungrateful" for it

Constructive criticism helps creators improve and trying to stifle that and allow only blind praise simply does them a disservcie

Just because the company is indie doesn't mean we should just praise whatever they put out

People have the full right to be disappointed when they waited for 3 years for a 20 minute finale that left several things unanswered and defeated the cosmic level threat that was the villain in a few minutes

Not liking something or critiquing the pacing or writing doesn't mean someone has "No media literacy" my god, people, thinking critically about what you're consuming is PART OF MEDIA LITERACY

This is a problem that's become increasingly prevalent in fandoms (or maybe it's always been there?). If you like something it MUST be a flawless masterpiece. If you feel any negative feelings towards it you're not a "real" fan and you "can't enjoy things." If something is disliked it MUST be the gum on the bottom of your shoe, and if you like it you have "no taste" or in some cases "you're a bad person". Shows can't be "okay" or "good, but flawed", it has to either be groundbreaking or utter trash.

In my opinion, it also kinda ties into the idea that the characters need to be morally perfect for you to like them, and if you critique their actions you're also "attacking" the people who like them. Idk, there's just this idea that everything must be perfect all the time to be enjoyed, so if you dislike this "perfect" thing then you just "Don't understand it" or are just a "hater."

It also ties into this site's obsession with curating your experience. Yes, I do agree that just blocking people rather than fighting and arguing and getting angry with them is better. Yes, it is good to filter out content that triggers you.

But making people post criticism or even expressing their dsilike of a character in separate tags so you don't have to see it? (E.g: Helluva Boss critical) trying to treat it like it's something that doesn't belong in the "main" tag?

I personally dislike this idea of blocking out any other opinions or anything that casts anything you like in a negative light or anything you dislike in a positive light. You're just locking yourself in an echo chambers that convinces you that other opinions are just blind hate and that you are always right.

I used to think this too. I would get really angry when I saw people critiquing Twisted Wonderland (the way Book 2 was handled, the questionable parts of Fairy Gala, etc) or criticising people for hating certain characters. I used to really dislike Vil, for example, and I thought with confidence the people defending him didn't know what they were talking about.

However, actually reading and thinking about what people had to say made me stop. They are not blindly hating or trying to attack "me". Often people who critique media are fans who want to see it improve.

It's important to understand that constructive criticism is not some malicious outside force trying to tear down something you love. Sure, there are haters who don't even watch or like the show or movie, but that's not constrictive criticism.

Do I make sense or am I just yapping

[batsplat]

uuuu im obsessed with vale/jorge dynamic recently. Jorge used to obv hate vale during their years together but now its his biggesr fan and vale is very clearly fond of him nowadays (inviting him to la 100km dei campioni etc.)

They went from being each other biggest haters to a kinda friendship? Or at least respect and giggles lol

Also jorge/vale rivalry was one of my fav back then in 2008/9

so this has been one of the numerous jorge/valentino asks sitting unloved in my inbox because I burnt myself out on that rivalry after writing the 2008-10 long post, BUT I realised I had a take on this exact aspect... here goes. jorge in many ways is the valentino rival who has processed the whole experience™ the best. like he made it, he survived and kinda even thrived. and I have some thoughts on this

main take: jorge/vale rivalry at its height was definitely pretty nasty, but when it comes down to it jorge is the guy valentino feuded with who is most likely to fondly reminisce about the whole experience. this is obviously because he's insane and matched valentino's freak in the yamaha garage from day one... it's just pretty funny how intensely up for it he was going into the rivalry and how totally willing he was to move on afterwards. his happy memories of all the times valentino tried to murder him. picture frames for all the assassination attempts. for all the undeniable headloss jorge went through while fighting valentino, he actually emerged from the whole thing with pretty minimal psychological scarring. inspiring

secondary take: jorge and casey both still semi-regularly talk shit about valentino but it's a COMPLETELY different vibe. like jorge's kinda just talking himself up, wanting to make himself look good in that rivalry - BUT he's also going 'yeah we were the best... wish the guys today were still like us'. the most pro-alien alien!! whereas casey brings way more of a 'That Day Taught Me About Man's Capacity For Evil' vibe to the table. and a big reason for this. imo. is how jorge already went into that rivalry with so much psychological baggage BUT his issues are pretty disconnected from valentino for the most part. jorge desperately needed a positive father figure, not a less aggressive rival. so valentino did torment jorge plenty but also it's not actually adding any long-term psychological scars... jorge had to eventually make his peace with the fact that he wasn't going to be the next valentino rossi but he DID and in a way that was a good thing... jorge spent so much time trying to construct this persona for himself that would both be the ideal racer and get everyone to love him, and he needed to let go of that! he grew up a bit and he became his own person and he stopped trying to invent a perfect character for himself and he became somewhat less insecure in the process. and there's way less resentment towards valentino there, because valentino isn't contributing all that much to what remaining angst and even grief jorge is still going through related to the sport. if anything, with the benefit of hindsight, jorge kinda got a lot of the things he wanted out of the valentino rivalry! including, let's face it, the drama of it all... by contrast, valentino's entire deal just happened to map on at about 98% level of accuracy to casey's preexisting psychological baggage, it's actually pretty impressive. basically almost every single thing that caused casey angst throughout his career, including the stuff that goes back to his childhood racing experiences in australia, can somehow be related to the valentino rivalry - and casey is very happy to make those connections himself. so for casey his rivalry with valentino actively made everything so so much worse and is still massively interwoven with ALL of his angst related to the sport. because valentino is basically the most horrible casey foil anyone could possibly have invented. that's his shadow... kinda fucked up how they invented a guy to torture casey specifically

in conclusion: it's very funny how quickly jorge and valentino got over it after both of their yamaha stints, ESPECIALLY the second one. jorge can make motegi 2010 instagram jokes now. "this is only for p3 and we're team mates but fuck it: this is all about honour!" right........ yeah you really were the perfect valentino teammate, truly a match made in hell heaven. came in prepared for drama, got the drama, now fondly remembers the drama. knew what he was getting himself into and lived the feud experience to the max. made it out alive with minimal long-term psychological damage. an icon a hero a role model for us all

[yonpote]

sorry i dont have anyone to talk to this about lol so it's going in your inbox but i'm in my mid-20s and only now for the first time in my life have i changed my mind on rpf specifically because of phanfic. i'm a returning phannie but like.... the last time i watched them was all the way back in 2012. and was very ani-rpf then and have continued to be through the years. and i think in a lot of cases i maintain that position. but after falling back in love with dnp and the phandom and caving into the urge to read some phanfic knowing that dnp themselves encourage and respect it im kind of shocked to find it's actually a really beautiful, metatextual, interactive creative outlet. i think youve talked a bit about how phanfic isnt really rpf to you and i kind of agree, because dan and phil to me are like.... an idea, a mythology, a narrative, that theyre aware of and have built as well as being aware that we're aware of. like the idea of dan and phil has been constructed by them and their fans hand in hand for over a decade. and i find that phanfic itself is very aware of this and exists to expand upon those ideas. lol. yeah that's it sorry for this ramble. i just find it surprising that something could change my mind on that in this day and age but it's been a very cool experience.

hello welcome youve come to the right place for this yap because i COMPLETELY understand you. like genuinely i am not this attached to any other "rpf" content like this? ok i had an egobang phase but honestly arin and danny have grown to share a similar but not exact same connection as dnp BUT I DIGRESS

but yeah i think a lot of it is due to the contrastive relationships between the brand of Dan and Phil™, their separate individual brands Daniel Howell and AmazingPhil (particularly dan), the Phanon dnp, and the actual real people dan and phil. i always go back to the fanfiction segment of tatinof but its just such a perfect example of what i mean. like, the entire idea to have a fanfic scene was ofc the real people's idea, and they used tropes they would see in the phanon to convey the audience interactive story, but at the same time had to keep it at least Somewhat appropriate for the Brand™ at the time being very pre-teen and teen focused. honestly idk how much you've gone back and watched of what you missed, but i would suggest doing that not just cuz theres some incredible stuff from those eras, but also seeing the intersection of the brand, fanon, and real people and when they split apart. you see it a lot especially in gaming videos imo where theyre unscripted, and once they got more comfortable in the gaming channel roles the energy shifting away from Brand but never too far... until ofc now where what even is their brand anymore just Chaos and Queerness i guess

OH ALSO go read some old fic and compare to newer ones like its not just that writing styles changed or that dnp themselves have changed, but the like. energy and intent put into fic has changed. i would say in the past it was more exploratory, putting dnp in AU's and imagines, or exploring what Could have happened. whereas now, yes ofc there are au's and fic for the purpose of exploring a concept or world, but also its a lot more introspective. exploring the inner world a bit more. idk i just thijk dnp are funny lil guys and they accidentally created some freaky lil creatures in a lab somewhere...

[pussyandpetrichor]

Imo, the fact PCap Doctor was a trans woman is why the Doctor regenerated into a character played by a woman. And, of course, PCap's egg was cracked by Gomez!Master/Missy who by actual chance regenerated into a woman but fully embraced the transition and loved their new form. Though one might consider World Enough and Time where Missy meets Simm!Master and teaches him how to apply eyeliner as Missy cracking her own egg from the future. PCap!Doctor has dysphoria which affects the subsequent regeneration.

In contrast, I think the Doctor's mind reverts to their basic form in regeneration which I actually do think is "man". The way I see it, Hartnell!Doctor was a trans man.

A diversion to clarify what gender is to Time Lords in my headcanons.

What is gender? Gender is a social construct that dictates what the dominant culture expects from you in terms of capabilities in certain fields, jobs you can/should do, your political standing, and what colors it is socially appropriate for you to wear. Sometimes, there are school that exist only to cater to members of the designated gender. As such, gender is most closely associated with Chapter in Time Lord society.

The Doctor was assigned to the Pryxonian Chapter. Chapter transition can only happen in a couple of ways -- by norms, one cannot transition from one Chapter to another, one can only leave the Chapter framework. By indication from a Faction Paradox nov, a Time Lord who becomes a renegade can officially remove themself from their position in their Chapter and their given name. Alternatively, there is indication that joining the Celestial Intervention Agency is the other way to transition beyond the so-called gender senary. You have a different expectation of clothing -- the black and white robes -- and a new job that appears to be able to be taken on regardless of Chapter assignment. Interestingly, being a Renegade and being a CIA agent are both groups known for going off-world.

The Doctor went renegade and has taken on a new name as well as his given name being struck from the official record. This could indicate that he has undergone a Semantectomy (the official name for the name removal from Faction Paradox). As such, it can be assessed that the Doctor is canonically "trans", though with a little semantic shuffling. A Semantectomy is the process of taking on a new name while disavowing onself from the chapter/gender one was originally assigned.

The Doctor has then taken on presentational traits indicative and inspired by human men. And while has had a number of refusals of the label "man" (see: Pertwee, McGann, Tennant, and of course Capaldi Doctors) is still able to and generally does move through human society under the auspices of male gender presentation. And then see how incredibly uncomfortable Jodie Whittaker's Doctor is every time that Doctor is referred to as a woman. The Doctor has an incredibly palpable sense of dysphoria, even coming down to out of character terminology where Jodie Whittaker rejects the instinct of fans to refer to her Doctor as a Time Lady, asserting that she is still a Time Lord.

I know this began with an expectation that I was talking about my understanding of Peter Capaldi's Doctor as a trans woman, which exists in this context and also with the perception of Gomez/PCap as a t4t transfem couple, but that serves as a part of the larger conversation about the Doctor's gender.

Is it any wonder that this show is what cracked my egg?

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

Aren't you worried that another billboard will result in even more people harassing fans which will cause a significant decrease in people engaging with the fandom. I think you guys are shooting yourselves in the foot here in terms of morale and you should probably stop and just refund the money. I don't want an influx of people in my inbox again and I think that is the general consensus among fans. the first billboard was a pr nightmare the second one will have even more diminishing returns. Please if you are involved in the save ofmd crew reconsider your plans and if not reconsider shilling for them

Hi Anon! I appreciate you writing in! As I've mentioned in my previous post, I'm mostly here for supporting the renewal effort by spreading information. I realize it probably looks like because I'm forwarding information from saveofmd that I'm a decision maker. The SaveOFMD team does vote on various initiatives (for example I'm currently on a Taika Appreciation project, and helping suggest charities to support) so it's not just the billboard going on in there. They are one of the initiatives going on in the SaveOFMD Crew. To address your question:

"Aren't you worried that another billboard will result in even more people harassing fans which will cause a significant decrease in people engaging with the fandom"

To be honest, I'm not, but that's just me. If that's something you're concerned about, that's entirely valid. For me, what I've found is that, nothing I do online, in any fandom is going to be accepted by every person. I choose to continue discussing things with people who are willing to be positive, or at least have constructive and are willing to work through things (like I try to). The way that I like to look at it personally is, there are always going to be people who harass us. Being a queer woman, I've had that problem my whole life. What matters is how we as a fandom, or individual deals with it. If I go out on the street in mens clothes because they're comfortable, and I get made fun of by someone, or called a slur (which has happened many a time) does that mean I stop doing what I'm doing? For some people, they choose yes, for me, I don't. If someone is harassing you friend, 1. I would recommend looking for support in your other fans. 2. Block them if they aren't willing to compromise, or you don't have enough spoons to deal with them. No matter what we do, someone is not going to like us, that's just the way the world works.

In regards to:

"I think you guys are shooting yourselves in the foot here in terms of morale and you should probably stop and just refund the money."

I'm happy to pass on this suggestion to the billboard team (again, I'm on the server for other purposes so I don't usually get involved in that) but I'm more than happy to recommend it for you on your behalf.

In regards to:

"I don't want an influx of people in my inbox again and I think that is the general consensus among fans"

I 100% understand the want for not having your inbox flooded. Might I recommend you set some boundaries on your blog? (This is coming from a place of love, I promise I'm not being sarcastic). If you don't want people talking to you about this, or continuing to ask, I'd just recommend stating that in a pinned post (and/or turning anons off-- I've had to do this before to set a boundary) To the second part of your statement: "I think that is the general consensus among fans". I would have to respectfully disagree. I've heard much more excitement than I've heard hate regarding it (and I have heard some negative feedback for sure, but I'd say it's 10% concern and 90% for that I've run into), but perhaps I'm not following the right people (so it could be a bias on my part). If you'd like to send in another anon request and forward me to some places where I could find more people who are upset, I'd be more than happy to read through to see what the concerns are.

I try to be sort of a liaison between the fandom and the various renewal efforts going on (including save ofmd crew), so I'm more than happy to pass on information and provide the concerns to people who are headlining that particular initiative.

In regards to:

"the first billboard was a pr nightmare the second one will have even more diminishing returns."

Can you please provide me with a little more information regarding this? From what I saw in every platform online, the billboard was a PR success in terms of getting noticed by studios and media. There was some backlash among fans / other efforts around the world that thought "the billboard was a waste of money" but the specific purpose was to raise awareness and did get us (the fandom) recommendations from David Jenkins on where to focus efforts. And that's not to say that bad PR didn't happen. Specifically I know a lot of people were upset because "why pay for a billboard when you can help palestine". I will continue to repeat myself in this particular situation because I think it's important. 1. We are allowed to have things we love (everyone in the world is) 2. We are allowed to fight for those things if we feel the need/ability to do so. 3. Just because a fan supports a billboard, doesn't mean they aren't supporting Palestine, or any other efforts going on around the world. 3.5: Many of us don't show what we donate to for privacy reasons, and because we don't feel the need. The purpose of donating to Palestine for example is very different than the purpose of donating to a billboard (the billboard is meant to get attention) and Palestine is too, but my/anyones donating to help people in Palestine doesn't get attention because the attention is already there. The problem is in the leadership in all our countries literally not doing anything to stop the genocide happening there, despite constant reminders. --- BUT THATS A DIFFERENT STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY. 4. We are allowed to have silly little things that make us happy because otherwise life isn't worth living. <TW: Death/Trauma>: I grew up in VA during 9/11 the DC sniper all within my high school years (and one of my friends parents were murdered by the dc sniper). </end TW: Death/Trauma> I say this not for pity, but to point out that I've lived through enough trauma in my life, and gone through enough to know I have to have my silly little things in my life that make me smile, and WE ALL NEED THOSE for our mental health. If someone else doesn't like that, that's their problem, not ours. Please don't let their inability to cope affect your ability to do so.

"Please if you are involved in the save ofmd crew reconsider your plans and if not reconsider shilling for them"

I made a post earlier tonight regarding this situation. Here's the post so I don't have to repeat it again (and other people dont have to read it again here!) Just like any fundraiser, or watch party, or really anything in this fandom, if people choose to be a part of something, that doesn't mean you or anyone else has to. There are people who put money towards cameos, and I know some people think that's wasteful, but that's not up to them, it's up to the people who want to put in for cameos. I'm not a huge fan of EdIzzy fanart (I know, gasp) but if I see it on my tumblr I just scroll through it. I don't tell people not to make it, or make them uncomfortable for doing it. If I may, I would suggest, since the billboard is something that you dont support (and anyone who feels this way)-- 1. feel free to provide feedback, which you have, and I'll forward that on for you, and then 2. move forward and scroll past. The Save OFMD Crew, just like anyone asking for people to join on cameos isn't demanding you help, it's offering it in case you want to join in-- the answer to that can totally be, "No".

Alright anon, thank you again for the feedback. I appreciate you reaching out, and I'll bring these concerns up with the team in the A.M. (for me). Hope you have a good night and things end up being a little calmer for you in your inbox. To others: I will probably get more asks tonight (I already see the numbers going up in my inbox lol) but I'm gonna wait til tomorrow to answer them because I still have to finish the recap AND do another hour work (and its already 10 PM here) so if I don't get back to you tonight---please know it's not because I don't want to talk, it's just cause I'm running out of hours in the day :)

[idrellegames]

This isn’t a question as much as it is an agreement with your last ask (talking about how romance is both looked for and expected from IFs). I’m personally pansexual and love a good harem, but it is growing more and more evident that that is what readers/players are expecting from our stories/games. Maybe it’s a maturity issue with the fans begging for more romance options and the anger when a plot point doesn’t play out the way they want; but you also see that with grown adults in other fandoms—namely Star Wars or A Song of Ice and Fire.

I enjoy writing romance and I do write it, but that is not the only thing my stories are about. It gives me anxiety when my readers expect more than what I’ve promised. And I always gaslight myself into thinking that I should be giving them what exactly they want instead of writing for myself.

I suppose I do have a question: how do you maintain fan expectations in your IF and stay true to your vision with/without worrying about their opinions? <3

Unfortunately, there is no way to stop your audience from having expectations that don't match up with the story you want to tell or where you want to take your characters. This is a normal part of writing fiction--everyone is going to have an opinion, everyone is going to want different things, and some people are going to be disappointed when you don't follow through with the thing they imagined in their head.

And, as an author, it can be a lot to handle.

Managing feedback--whether it's criticism, wildly off the charts expectations and assumptions, hate messages, or actual constructive critique--is a skill. It takes time to learn how to manage it without feeling like you're attacked and need to go on the defensive. It can also be really hard not to sit with all of this feedback and want to change your whole story to fit your audience's demands.

There's no easy way to get used to this. I think a good starting place is to have a dedicated beta group--either your playtesters, an editor, a few trusted friends with whom you share in-development things--so you can get genuine feedback before you put it into the public eye. It's really easy for writers to isolate themselves because it's a one-person job, but you need to have people with whom you can safely share the unpublished stages. Once something gets published, it's a free-for-all and you can't control how people react to your work, positive or negative. You cannot rely on that for the kind of feedback you would get from a beta group.

Furthermore, you are not writing for one person, regardless of how many times they ask (if they want something personalized, they can commission you). A lesson that was stressed to me in grad school is how fragile a playwright's new work can be when it is in the workshop/staged reading stage. People are giving you their opinion constantly. You make changes, you make edits, you come back one day with a whole new draft of Act 2 and the actors have to adjust. It's really easy to want to make changes to the characters so they better suit the actors originating them. Sometimes actors make demands because they had an idea about the character they are playing and they were really excited about it and they come to you with questions. The fate of a play is that it will be performed multiple times by many actors, not just the first one.

My supervisor told me: "Don't write the role for the actor--their job is to play the character you wrote, not the other way around."

And I think this can be applied to IF. Be clear about the direction of your game from the beginning. If players want something that isn't part of your vision, it's OK for them to voice that--but they may also have to accept that this isn't the type of game for what they want.

At the end of the day, you need to let your audience have their opinions on your work. That doesn't mean you're obligated to listen to them.