#I mean this from a purely platonic and character writing perspective but

[undyinglantern]

[dilf-c0nn0isseur]

I think people only see logan as a dick like yeah the guys kinda an asshole but the same asshole goes out of his way to help people for no gain. In the first xmen, he helps Rouge and even makes sure she's ok throughout the whole film. Let's not forget "come on, I'll take care of you". In origins, he comes back to save the woman who betrayed him and saves her sister and other mutants on top of it. Like logans good man trying to be bad because he fears losing who he cares about. So he pretends not to care. We only see logan just purely be a dick after everyone is dead in "logan" even so he still takes care of Charles.

Idk I feel like people forget he's actually kinda a softy to those he cares about romantically and platonically.

Oh, and in "the Wolverine." he stops miriko(I think that's her name) from killing herself and saves her from tbe yakuza. I the whole time he patronized and called her princess, but he still fights to save her despite his healing factor being gone.

His whole character is when someone ask for something he says "no" while doing the thing they asked😂😭 sorry to ramble, but it's kinda been bugging me

WARNING: SOME DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE SPOILERS!!!

i absolutely love how in depth you went with this!! i totally agree with everything, this is exactly how i want to write him. i do heavily support different writing techniques/headcanons/styles/etc though, i definitely think a lot of it is based on his character in d&w which is pretty accurate i mean he is a mean old man. my truth is that’s literally how i thought his whole character was when i saw it when it first came out because i’ve never gotten into xmen or deadpool or wolverine until now🤫🤫 so my earliest writing of him is more like that.

but now that i’ve gone back and watched the xmen movies, my whole perspective of him has changed so much. i love the variant of him in the new movie, but i just cannot get past his selfless, caring nature in the xmen movies. the way that he almost can’t bring himself to kill jean once she’s turned evil and the fact that he did literally EVERYTHING in his power to save her.

even in deadpool & wolverine, we still see these underlying traits in the ‘worst’ wolverine variant; him trying to take wade’s place in the end knowing that whoever goes in that room won’t come out alive.

ugh i love rambling about these things!! i still need to watch xmen: days of future past and the wolverine for him. i’m so scared to watch logan cause i know i’m gonna SOB.

ALSO!! this is not by ANY means me hating on any writing style of logan. i honestly love all of it and think that a lot of it is justified. this is just my personal preference on how i view him, and how i wanna incorporate it into future writings of him. ♥️♥️♥️

[horizon-verizon]

Jon/Arya is interesting to observe from the perspective of how the story evolved and George's gardening method took him to other places. I consider myself a Dany and Jon shipper, and I prefer Jon and Arya's relationship to be purely platonic. I try to be as fair as possible, focusing on textual evidence only, as opposed to personal investment and headcanons. And when I look at the text, I believe that Jon was conceived and written as the ideal partner for Arya and not for Dany. That's why the girls he's interested in are more similar to Arya. And their bond is so unique and deep that they're able to talk in unity, and this is emphasized throughout all the books. Ironically, it might be the most balanced f/m bond because most of the big moves come from Jon. Arya is the person he's most loyal to, devoted to, and the one he prioritizes over bigger threats, and that's not going to magically go away. Arya being referred to as Jon's heart and by himself is adwd material. Ofc, it's true that there's a lot of subversion in Dany's arc. But as much as I like to delude myself by saying that Jon was written for her, I know that deep down he was written for Arya. It's uncomfortable to think about (no doubt), but he is Arya's soulmate. You can take this platonically, as I do, but it's in the current text.

Maybe when George was transitioning from one relationship to another, he ended up creating problems and not rebalancing his writing. And right now, the relationship between Jon and Dany is not designed to be one of equals, he means much more to her than she means to him. I like them truly, but I'm trying to be more pragmatic and realistic. Even if Jon does big things for Dany, I worry that it won't have as much emotional impact because it's already something is used in Jon's arc in ADWD. Do you know what I mean? It seems like there's some kind of exclusivity missing from their future relationship. And the Jon who woke up from death might not be willing to treat his love interest like a big deal? And considering all the obvious logistical issues, how can a believable, transformative super romance happen in the space of one book? Specifically, between profoundly changed people. I think George has a big challenge to solve. But I also can't just blame him because the expectations created by the fandom sound pretty unrealistic. Over time, I've become very skeptical of them and suspect that George will write it as a romance that flourishes in times of hardship but doesn't survive the aftermath, perhaps due to duty, differing perspectives and desires. I genuinely don't see Jon wanting to follow Dany to Essos or being just a consort in Westeros. If George claims to be moving forward with the endings he planned since 1991 and in 1993, he wanted Jon and Arya to end up together. Did he always plan for Jon and Dany's relationship to be in the final book? Or were their futures always separate? In acok we have the most solid proof of Jon and Dany in a romantic sense. Was it something thought up after 1993 or did it already come up in 1991? How can these ideas be reconciled? Will he transfer the ending he had in mind between Arya/Jon to Dany/Jon? These are questions I always ask myself. In a story where there is so much subversion, I don't see the secret prince/bastard ending up with the main girl and reigning together. That doesn't mean I believe they are doomed. In the outline, George explains that it is a generational saga, where the characters grow and change the world as they change themselves. An idea that aligns with George's notion of heroes, those who try to make the world a better place, regardless of the results. Dying before the age of 20 in a world where there is so much to be done doesn't seem fair to either of them. And given that, I think their story is heading towards separation. With her finishing what she started in Essos and prospering. And him helping to rebuild the North. Maybe it's not the ideal ending for shippers, but it's something that imo makes sense for their individual journeys so far.

I hope I'm not being super annoying, but I wanted to offer the perspective of someone who likes them and has difficulty in navigating with the idealized versions of them proposed by the fandom. I've been reading some of the more critical posts here and agreeing a lot with what I see.

Anon refers to this post.

Even if Jon does big things for Dany, I worry that it won't have as much emotional impact because it's already something is used in Jon's arc in ADWD. Do you know what I mean? It seems like there's some kind of exclusivity missing from their future relationship. And the Jon who woke up from death might not be willing to treat his love interest like a big deal? And considering all the obvious logistical issues, how can a believable, transformative super romance happen in the space of one book? Specifically, between profoundly changed people. I think George has a big challenge to solve. But I also can't just blame him because the expectations created by the fandom sound pretty unrealistic. Over time, I've become very skeptical of them and suspect that George will write it as a romance that flourishes in times of hardship but doesn't survive the aftermath, perhaps due to duty, differing perspectives and desires. I genuinely don't see Jon wanting to follow Dany to Essos or being just a consort in Westeros

You're not being annoying, I like what you're putitng down, too. I feel a lot of this, that i don't have much to add, really.

[no-psi-nan]

I mean, from a real world perspective, no one because he's the shonen protagonist of a gag manga.

From an in-universe perspective, inarguably Aiura.

The narrative states and validates the fact that Aiura's predictions are NEVER wrong. While Saiki can use knowledge of her predictions to change the future and alter the timeline, it's extremely unlikely that this is affecting his actual soul enough to break a soulmate bond, if that's even possible.

And let's be real. 99% of the world understands the concept of soulmates to be explicitly romantic in nature, so to claim the soulmate bond is purely platonic in this case even though Aiura obviously has romantic attraction is kinda bullshit.

Back to the real world perspective though, it wouldn't make any sense to introduce Aiura as Saiki's canon soulmate and make them have instant chemistry and have her be instrumental to him saving the world if Teruhashi was meant to be the end-game romance option.

I think Aiura was specifically introduced to avoid having to do a romantic endgame at all, since Asou himself says he's not good at writing romance, but the fans would be expecting it if Teruhashi was still in love with Saiki and had no competition.

And making Teruhashi fall out of love with Saiki would kill one of her two jokes, making her extremely difficult to use as a gag character because the "perfect pretty girl" angle has already been beaten mostly to death. Plus, by the end of the series, Saiki has never been his real self around Teruhashi (except when he stole some of her milkshake) and Teruhashi still struggles to think of literally anything positive to say about Saiki to his grandpa. Not exactly very romantic...

So yeah, if there was to be a love interest for Kusuo, it would have to be Aiura, no contest.

Which I prefer anyways because they have a funnier and healthier dynamic by far and have been shown to enjoy each other's company in canon. Aiura won't compromise her morals for Saiki, Saiki trusts her enough to be open and vulnerable with her, they know they can always count on each other in an emergency, and they work together flawlessly to save lives.

And all that in such a short time! Aiura only shows up halfway through the second season and yet the very first time she interacts with Saiki it's just so perfect and awesome, Saiki being a badass and sarcastic mfer while Aiura puts aside her shock to help save her new friend over and over. Like, Aiura probably was not expecting to fall that deep in love so soon but who wouldn't under those conditions??

On top of that, Aiura is chill and flexible with her romantic approach, switching tactics when she sees that a "lucky feel" technique isn't going to work for Saiki, asking for permission to kiss, and immediately getting dressed when she realizes she misunderstood his request.

Clearly Saiki trusts her to be cool about her interest because he easily agrees to going out on a dessert date and basically tells her she doesn't have to ask, while he usually has to be forced by 3 different kinds of social convention to go anywhere with Teruhashi and he's looking for an exit the whole time.

In conclusion... AIURA MIKOTO!!!!!!!!!

[crystallinestars]

I don't normally interact with people online bc it's lowkey scary, but I recently discovered your blog and saw the thing about the anon who acused you and then blocked you and the following convos w a different anon and I just want to say that I like how you state it outright that you're not really into BL. I also think you and the other anon definitely have really in depth perspectives on the whole thing from Hoyo and I agree w you guys on it. There's definitely room for interpretation, but nothing is truly confirmed.

Like I have no problems with people who ship guys or girls or a guy and a girl but I can't respect people who go out of their way to harass someone over a FICTIONAL couple. It's kind of mind boggling even if there's an explanation. Two wrongs don't make a right and being online definitely makes people more nasty when they go after others. I think your takes are completely valid as someone who has a hard time interpreting things as romantic and see characters as platonic friends unless explicitly stated to be together.

I hope that no one else goes out of their way to be rude or mean or harass you. You seem like a genuinely good person who puts thought and care into things so I hope good things come your way!!! (Sorry for the long msg, have a good day/night)

Putting yourself out there on the internet for strangers to see and judge, and even potentially confront you about it, is definitely scary. So thank you for going out of your way to send me a message, Anon!

I agree with you, even if there’s a reason for why someone harasses others for having different opinions on fictional ships, that doesn’t make it okay. We don’t go around bullying people for not liking our favorite food, so why is shipping so different? (There’s probably a good explanation for it, but I haven’t pieced together my thoughts on it yet)

Honestly, Mihoyo writes characters in Genshin and HSR from a platonic or familial angle. It’s purposely done to leave things ambiguous, but I’m the kind of person who doesn’t buy into the “These two characters are implied to be a romantic pair canonically”. Unless it’s explicitly stated in the game, then it’ll forever be just a platonic bond in my eyes. Sure, I have ships I like, but I can also see the characters’ interactions as being purely platonic, and I’m cool with that. So, I agree with you on this take as well, Anon! Its completely valid to not see characters as romantic pairs if there’s no explicit indication of it.

I don’t really think of the BL anon’s message as harassment, though it was rude of him to block me without hearing me out. Still, I appreciate your kind sentiments! You are very sweet 😊 I hope good things come your way, as well!

[sauronpilled]

for the ask game: sauron + 3, 13 and 22 <3

AHHH HIIII HARA !!! 🙏❤

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

i'm going to be honest. i don't think i have any "least favorite canon thing" about sauron. he's a very well written villain with flaws and soul. like, okay, tolkien i see the vision.

13. What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

🩸💥💢 - this is the emoji i like to associate him with. red like his hair and his uncontrollable bloodlust <333

💘💝💋💌💖💞💗💓💕💔❣🖤💫💣 - THIS is the emoji sauron would use #tome. i just know it in my soul that he love hearts emoji, while tweeting or posting the shadiest shit about someone. like- just straight up mean shit 😭😭😭 he DON'T HOLD BACK. if he has a priv he's the kind of mutual that would openly talk shit about you.

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

OOF good question. i'm going to list my top three that i like and i hate when it comes to sauron in fanfic. starting with what i like :

1) i love it when author present sauron as this ancient spirit that has a strong allegory to fallen angel. like they don't even hide it, because that's what he is and melkor inspired by!!! it just feels right when i see him characterized like that. it also add to this creepy factor where you know- that this creachure is evil- and YET- he dress himself in light. there's something uncanny about that. it's like he's a shadow of what he used to be. BONUS : when it's written from his perspective and he curiously thinking about how fragile everyone is,,,, oooh so good.

2) that he has a genuine connection with the characters he paired with ( romantically or platonically ). it's so SO GOOD. i don't like it when villains are spiteful with no substance. i find it so much more interesting if author intepret sauron as someone that yearn to bond. when i think about the valar, maia, and ainur, i like to base them off from most folklores where spirits can still have attachment towards (im)mortal beings. sauron may be hateful but he can still appreciate and adore the elves and men of Eru.

3) there's a balance between sauron the cruel and sauron-that-believe-he-Did-The-Right-Thing. OOOOOH when the author hit this perfectly, i did a little dance. i just love it when author emphasize sauron's tragedy with his own blinding pride. he is capable of kindness, but his belief deny him of this. once in a while he would show fondness to the children of Eru- BUT- his hatred would take over that light in his heart. so basically more sauron inner struggle.

NOW FOR THE THINGS I dislike :

1) when he's so.. humanized. as in his character doesn't feel like this creepy spirit that haunt the entire middle earth lmao. this is purely my personal opinion, but i want to be unsettled when i read his pov. i don't like it when he talk like a common man or think like a common man.

2) when the author write him as TOO nice. unless it's an au, i could never continue a fic where he's being so out of characterly sweet. he need a little sprinkle of darkness there. PLEASE.

basically that's it. lotr writers are so talented i could barely think of another point 😭 the good outweight the bad.

[furys-mercy]

6, 9, 25, 39 for the oc shipping process game :> - @redwayfarers from main

How easy do you find it to write (or otherwise portray) non-sexual affection between characters?  This might include terms of endearment, "pet-names", descriptions of cuddling or stroking the other's head in their lap etc. 

This has always been pretty easy for me. Even back when I was scared of writing sex scenes in my early days of MMO RP, I never really had a problem with the little bits of affection that happen between characters. These things don't even need to necessarily be romantic. I have written some very emotional and absolutely gut wrenching hugs between friends. I have characters who give pet names to all of the people they care about. I enjoy writing platonic cuddling, lap sitting, little signs of affection that bloom and grow over the course of a friendship that show how close characters have become. It's one of my favorite parts of RP.

How confident are you in writing about or otherwise portraying kissing between characters?  Did this take practice?  How much detail is enough?  How much is too much?

Totally comfy with kissing. I will say that I do not usually tend to get too into the mechanisms of kissing. I will occasionally describe the pass of a tongue or snag of teeth against lips, but I tend to lean into the emotional impact of kissing rather than the physical movement of lips. Not that I would say there is such a thing as too much detail, really. It's just my own personal preference there.

Other than your own characters' relationships, can you give an example of someone who is particularly good at writing or otherwise portraying romantic and/or sexual relationships?  What is it about their work that really stands out for you?

This one is really hard for me to answer since I am exclusively an RPer and do not get too into reading or writing fic, which means that I am not really on the up and up with who to admire in that particular arena, and since I am not supposed to point you towards my own ships, I can't name my RP partners, either. Not that naming them would do much good as they don't really write fic, either. So, you can't get much in the way of examples, which I think in the intent here.

What, if any, is your biggest source of fear or anxiety when it comes to writing or otherwise portraying romantic or sexual scenarios?

My anxieties about this sort of thing come wholly from the perspective of a roleplayer. What I am going to say here won't apply to writing a solo ship at all, really.

My issues here mostly come from worries about bleed and proper boundaries with my RP partners. I have gotten a lot better about as I have found safe people to write with, but there's always the concern that something I write ICly will be taken OOCly and boundaries will be crossed. There is always the risk that someone's interest in a character will bleed over into an OOC interest. But the same can be said for conflict or really... any sort of RP you do. It is not unique to romance or sex, and the only real solution is open and thorough communication.

Oh! I suppose from a not purely RP perspective, I have been wading into romantic and sexual interactions between monsters (werewolves, dragons, etc.) and I am a teensy bit worried I am bad at writing that. But, I'll get over it.

Thanks for all of the asks!! I really appreciate it!

[reveseke]

If i'm being honest here, the first time I thought of sidekick!Spencer and BW!Reader, I imagine them as romantic, but I must say that now that the au is created, I absolutly love them as platonic (if that makes sense ??)

Tbh I can easily see Aromantic!BW!Reader and Aromantic!Spencer here

-🕷anon

Ah, personal reflective headcanon on my part as a queerplatonic aspec individual lol.

For the side of the AU I'll be writing on my blog specifically, I'll be writing them (BW!R & Sidekick!Spence) as being in queerplatonic relationship, because I want to do that.

However, genuinely please keep in mind that what I write independently about them in my personal headcanons are as such; personal, especially when it comes from headcanons that were not requested for. They don't need to be used by others if for them the headcanons I've made don't apply when it comes to the characters, attraction & relationship, or any other points that folks may not personally like about my headcanons/feel like it would be a headcanon that applies for the characters in their opinion. :D (/info/not mad)

(in a way the qpr headcanon was also related to personal headcanon of Spencer being a-spec and romantically bi-curious (angled aromantic specifically and completely asexual + I think Spence would fit a few good tertiary attraction terms as well due to neurodivercy, but that's just me lol.))

—

Since I'm not the one that initially came up and created the AU, (that was you, I simply indulged into it and wrote based on what was talked about :3) that means that I'm not the one that polices what the characters *have to be* and what is ""true to the canon"" (double air quoting that because it's an AU of a crossover that's not really even canon compliant in any way lol.).

So everyone can make their own headcanons and thoughts on the AU if they want to write for it, please don't take my personal headcanons as the main base for the characters if they don't apply with your own headcanons and thought about them since my own headcanons are purely done from my perspective on what I think the character(s) are or would do in my own opinion (requested or not). :3 (/Info/genuine)

—

Also a funny tidbit about tertiary attractions is that tertiary attractions are not exclusive to a-spec folks (noetic [aka personality related iirc] attraction, familial attraction, and aesthetic attraction for bare basic examples) and neither is queerplatonism only a-spec folk thing, you can feel romantic & sexual attraction and be queerplatonic that's possible after all.

Even cishets who mutually want to label their relationship as queerplatonic can do so. Even romantic friendships exist without them having to be relationships for the individuals who label it as such, same with unlabeled (relationship-vice) couples exist.

^so Sidekick!Spence and BW!R don't really even need to be on the a-spec for them to be in a queerplatonic relationship.

I'm only making that point because of the mentioned aromantic Spence & BW!R, however I'm not making it to denote that possibility of aromantic BW!R & Spence lol. More or less it's made as an informative point out, because I'm not exactly sure if it's already known. /Genuine

Before you close out of this answer, I want to point out that it is late at night for me (fifteen minutes and it's midnight) so I'm tone tagging this specifically, because I have little to no sense of tone in text at the moment. I do not intend to sound rude, denoting/down putting, or passive aggressive. This text is made with genuine and positive intent. c:

(I have too many bad experiences with my lack of tone comprehension during evening hours that I'm not taking the risk of possibly sounding rude or anything lmao.)

[brilliant-red-eternity]

There are several reasons why Japanese fans stick with Kouaka even after PPP. Many have been with PP for years, producing lots of fanart and writing stories themselves. Fans who invested so much love, time and energy inevitably become deaf in one ear, but not in the sense of ignoring canon and being completely delusive. I think they just don’t take interviews and marketing stuff that seriously and continue to have fun in their long-time communities on social media or at cosplay events. Some of them may not even know about the interviews, they simply watch the anime and let the impressions sink in. A story is not always just what I’m being told by the writers. It’s the sum of what is presented, how I feel about it and how I interpret events or relationships based on my experiences. Interviews can be a great guidance but they can also contradict what I myself believe to be true and honestly, I think there's nothing wrong with seeing different perspectives as there is no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to the human experience. Japanese Koukas simply enjoy their ship and they stay optimistic about it.

A little knowledge of Japanese language and culture is very helpful to understand Kouaka and its Japanese fandom. I don’t have the interview at hand, but I’m sure the authors didn’t say that Akane and Ko are nothing special to each other. Quite the contrary. They care about each other, they protect each other and they write letters in which they share their innermost thoughts. Ubukata said that “their relationship is platonic and therefore appeals to the audience.” The word platonic doesn’t necessarily mean “friends” in Japanese. It can also be seen as a pure, chaste love. That’s why some Kouakas interpret it as a love story between two individuals (ai), not exclusively a love story between a man and a woman (romansu or ren’ai). But still, even if Kouaka is devoid of carnal desires and sex in the anime, it is recognized by many as a potential romantic relationship that hasn’t yet come to fruition. Fans love to think about the future and it’s possibilities. They make fanart about it or write fanfics. They are hopeless romantics indeed, but yeah, even romantics don't like to be told what to think or to be mocked. The authors should have left Akane and Ko's bond open for interpretation, I agree. The word “buddy” is quite neutral because it describes the circumstance of being partnered with someone you trust. When I think of Akane and Ko in PPP, that's about right. The current status is that they are not a couple. There’s trust, care and understanding between them and for most people, this is the necessary basis for intimate relationships and marriages.

I think Fukami said that “there are no romantic feelings between Akane and Kogami” while talking about PPP days before the official release. I don't know why he said this or why it was said before anyone had a chance to see the film and form an opinion. Fukami (Urobuchi's coauthor at the time) has been writing the PP novels for 10 years and he has given us quite a bit of romantic Kouaka in them. I can only speculate that it has to do with the male audience ("herbivore guys" LOL) and marketing or some pressure from the producers. Rumour has it that tickets didn't sell well at first and there has always been a lot of criticism that the PP audience is way too female. I think it's about 50:50 but maybe they want it to be 80% men? Changing the main characters in PP3 was probably also a way to reshape the fandom but that's a different topic.

This month, Fukami admitted in an interview with Newtype that he had drafted a scene between Akane and Ko in PPP that looked like a romantic comedy. Change of mind? The magazine features a Kouaka poster titled “to the future beyond” and to be honest, Ko and Akane walking under Sakura trees with petals raining down on them really looks like the beginning of a love story. I think it was also Fukami who stated that if Ko and Akane were in a romantic relationship, they would quarrel half of the time because of their differences in personalities and because “they are one another.” And then Shiotani brings up the handcuffs in a radio interview last week. The PP crew talks a lot about the relationship of Akane and Ko, and it’s often very contradictory. It sounds as if they haven’t yet decided what to do with Akane and Ko in the future which of course creates room for speculation. Or they are in disagreement, idk. But I think it’s also a strategy. They string us along with the promise of Kouaka to keep a considerable amount of (female/first gen) fans interested.

Another example is the stage play at the Psycho-Pass FES that featured a story about Akane and Ko after their reunion in FI. It was written by Fukami and it looked very much like a rom-com in parts despite the retrospective elements. There is an awkward silence between them at first in the car until Ko starts to speak and it reminds me of the phone call in PPP. At the end of the play, Akane says “I still haven’t decided what to eat, right?” and Kogami suggests “What about a hamburger?” (his favourite food). Akane simply declines the offer by saying “… I don’t like it” and the crowd starts laughing. It sounded as if she’s teasing him, and even Seki-san had to laugh. Right after that, they played the Egoist song “All alone with you” which is a love song. The Japanese fans were quite surprised to get so much Kouaka content. Maybe the authors have finally realized the hype they created and the sales market that will follow? Who knows, but that cute little Kouaka keychain was sold out in a couple of hours.

The circle has closed in PPP (as @whatsyourcolor so beautifully put it) and it seems to make Akane and Ko more equal and attractive than ever. I was a bit surprised to see so many new Kouaka fans in Japan – young men and women. Some of them were with PP since the start but they had no opinion about Kouaka until Providence and now they ship them. Others are completely new to the fandom, because they watched the movie by chance. If they all didn't understand that Kouaka is meant to be "platonic", you probably have to blame the authors for not correctly representing it. I myself have had close friendships with guys in my life, and Kouaka definitely feels different. Just saying! AND there’s more Kouaka in Providence than a shipper can hope for so I’m really looking forward to watching the movie this summer. I can't see why westerners in particular see the relationship between Akane and Ko in PPP so negatively. It isn’t negative or bad at all. And it isn’t a happy love story either. It’s the story of two human beings who, despite many ups and downs, try to connect with each other but are destined to fail miserably. It's tragic, but I guess that’s why the demand for a happy ending is now growing in Japan, hence the optimistic Newtype interview and the rom-com stage play.

This is a weird ask but is there any reason JP kouaka fandom is so convinced of Kouaka post PPP?After Ubukata and Fulani doubled down on the fact they are nothing more than comrades fighting a shared enemy and they are nothing special to each other.And they said it right before PPP release as well knowing people would speculate heavily(which they did and still doing regardless).The whole thing is so confusing to me.

I think the writers and animators taunted that poor fandom so much with Kokane, that the fandom couldn’t give two craps about what they say anymore. Also, they understand Japanese so there may have been pieces of dialogue in the movie that fueled their resolve. In the Psycho-Fed there was a little keychain with Akane and Kogami. I think it’s the first time we get merch that is just the two of them in the same piece.

The live reading was about Akane and Kogami talking too. I know none of this is explicitly romantic, but in PPP their dynamic is different. Most of the time Akane seems pissed at Kogami while Kogami seems cold. Some people may have interpreted this as something personal going on between them. In the end, he rescues her and he also gets super pissed and worried when he reads her letter.

Overall, it’s like they’re past the point of formality and are now involved with each other in some new way. Or the writers just didn’t study these two characters enough. Akane taking Kogami’s cigarette right out of his mouth means they’re closer in a way. I can’t imagine her ever doing that before. Kogami from S1, the one who told Akane to kill Makishima, wouldn’t give two shits if Akane set Nona Tower on fire. But now he cares and is clearly upset.

It’s the beautiful closing of a circle. Akane is making a stand and Kogami disagrees and wants to stop her, but he can’t. Kinda how she tried to stop him before. In a way he has to “lose” her now.

Interesting too that she waited until he went to the isolation facility before she did what she was planning to do. Maybe he’s the only person who could’ve stopped her.

Again, they leave these things in the air… people will make conjectures. What can we say? The PP fandom is full of hopeless romantics.

[thebibliosphere]

So I'm currently unemployed because I got fired for taking too much sick leave (it was legally sketchy blah blah blah but in the end I just can't work and take care of myself and investigate my mystery health problems at the same time). So I've been spending more time writing!

I really admire your writing and loved Hunger Pangs. I'm looking forward to the poly elements developing and I'm wondering if you have any advice for writing about poly. I've made one of my projects a snarky take on "write what you know" ... Apparently what I know is southern gothic meets Pacific northwest gothic, chronic illness pandemic surrealism, and falling back-asswards into threesomes.

I know this is a very open-ended question and I don't expect an answer, I'm just curious about it if you have the energy. As a writer, trying to write honestly / realistically about polyamory/enm, I'm curious if you have any thoughts on what's different about portraying monogamy or nonmonogamy in books, romance or erotica or otherwise.

I'm trying to read examples but it's hard to find examples that fit the niche I'm looking at. Excuse me if this question is nonsense, it's the cluster headaches.

I'm sorry to hear you've been dealing with all that and solidarity on the cluster headaches. But I'm glad you're finding an outlet through writing! And I hope you're happy with an open-ended ramble in response because oh boy, there's a lot I could talk about and I could probably do a better job of answering this sort of thing with more specific questions, but let's see where we end up.

There's definitely a big difference between writing polyamory/ENM (ethical non-monogamy) and what people often expect from monogamous love stories.

Just even from a purely sales and marketing standpoint, the moment you write anything polyamorous (or even just straight up LGBTQIA+ without the ENM) you're going to get considered closer to being erotica/obscene than hetero romances. It's an unfair bias, but it's one that exists in our society. But also the Amazon algorithm and their shitty, shitty human censors. Especially the ones that work the weekends. (Talking to you, Carlos 🖕.)

So not only do you start out hyper-aware that you're writing something that is highly stigmatized or fetishized (at least I'm hyper-aware) but that you are also writing for a niche market that is starving for positive content because the content that exists is either limited, not what they want, or is problematic in some fashion i.e. highly stigmatized or fetishy. And even then, the wants, desires, and expectations of the community you're writing for are complex and wildly varied and hard to fit into an easy formula.

When writing monogamous love stories, there is a set expectation that’s really hard to fuck up once you know it. X person meets Y. Attraction happens, followed by some sort of minor conflict/resolution. Other plot may happen. A greater catalyst involving personal growth for both parties (hopefully) happens. Follow the equation to its ultimate resolution and achieve Happily Ever After. 

But writing ENM is... a lot more difficult, if only because of the pure scope of possibilities. You could try to follow the same equation and shove three (or more) people into it, but it rarely works well. Usually because if you’re doing it right, you won’t have enough room in a single character arc to allow for enough growth, and if ENM requires anything in abundance, it’s room to grow.

And this post is huge so I’m going to put the rest under a cut :)

There's also a common refrain in certain online polyam/ENM circles that triads and throuples are overrepresented in media and they may be right to some extent. Personally, I believe the issue isn't that triads and throuples are overrepresented, but that there is such minuscule positive rep of ethical non-monogamy in general, that the few tiny instances we have of triads in media make it seem like it's "everywhere" when in actuality, it's still quite rare and the media we do have often veers into Unicorn Hunter fetish porn. Which is its own problematic thing. And just to be clear, I’m not including this part to dissuade you from writing "falling back-asswards into threesomes." If anything, I need more of it and would hook it directly into my brain if I could. I'm just throwing it out there into the void in the hope that someone will take the thought and run with it, lol.

I’d love to see more polyfidelitous rep in fiction, just as much as I’d like to see more relationship anarchy too. More diversity in fiction is always good.

Another thing that differs in writing ENM romance vs conventional monogamy is the feeling like you need to justify yourself. There's a lot of pressure to be as healthy and non-problematic as possible because you are being held to a higher standard of criticism. Both from people from without the ENM communities, and from the people within. Granted, some people don't give a shit and just want to read some fantastic porn (valid) but there are those who will cheerfully read Fifty Shades of Bullshit and call it "spicy" and "romantic," then turn around and call the most tooth-rottingly-sweet-fluff about a queer platonic polycule heresy. That's just the way the world works.

(Pro-tip for author life in general: never read your own reviews; that way madness lies. I glimpsed one the other day that tagged Hunger Pangs as “ethical cheating” and just about had an aneurism.)

And while that feeling of needing to justify yourself comes from a valid place of being excluded from the table of socially accepted norms, it can also be to the detriment of both the story and the subject matter at hand. I've seen some authors bend so far over backward to avoid being problematic in their portrayal of ENM, they end up being problematic for entirely different reasons. Usually because they give such a skewed, rose-tinted perspective of how things work, it ends up coming off as well... a bit culty and obnoxious tbh.

“Look how enlightened we are, freed from the trappings of monogamy and jealousy! We’re all so honest and perfect and happy!”

Yeah, uhu, sure Jan. Except here’s the thing, not all jealousy is bad. How you act on it can be, but jealousy itself is an important tool in the junk drawer that is the range of human emotion. It can clue us in to when we’re feeling sad or neglected, which in turn means we should figure out why we’re feeling those things. Sometimes it’s because brains are just like that and anxiety is a thing. Other times it’s because our needs are actually being neglected and we are in an unhealthy situation we need to remedy. You gotta put the work in to figure it out. Which is the same as any style of relationship, whether it’s mono, polyam or whatever flavor of ENM you subscribe to* And sometimes you just gotta be messy, because that’s how humans are. Being afraid to show that mess makes it a dishonest portrayal, and it also robs you of some great cannon fodder for character development.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to my current pet peeve in how certain writers take monogamous ideals and apply them to ENM, sometimes without even realizing it. The “Find the Right Person and Settle Down” trope.

Often, in this case, ENM or polyamory is treated as a phase. Something you mature out of with age or until you meet “The One(tm).” This is, of course, an attempt to follow the mono style formula expected in most romances. And while it might appeal to many readers, it’s uh, actually quite insulting. 

To give an example, I am currently seeing this a lot in the Witcher fandom. 

Fanon Netflix!Jaskier is everyone's favorite ethical slut until he meets Geralt then woops, wouldn’t you know, he just needed to find The One(tm). Suddenly, all his other sexual and romantic exploits or attractions mean nothing to him. Let's watch as he throws away a core aspect of his personality in favor of a man. 

Yeah... that sure showed those societal norms... 

If I were being generous, I’d say it’s a poor attempt at showing New Relationship Euphoria and how wrapped up people can become in new relationships. But honestly, it’s monogamous bias eking its way in to validate how special and unique the relationship is. Because sometimes people really can’t think of any other way to show how important and valid a relationship is without defining it in terms of exclusivity. Which is a fundamental misunderstanding of how ENM works for a lot of people and invalidates a lot of loving, serious and long-term relationships.

This is not to say that some polyam/poly-leaning people can't be happy in monogamous relationships! I am! (I consider myself ambiamorous. I'm happy with either monogamy or polyamory, it really just depends on the relationship(s) I’m in.) But I also don't regard my relationship with a mono partner as "settling down" or "growing up." It's just a choice I made to be with a person I love, and it's a valid one. Just like choosing to never close yourself off to multiple relationships is valid. And I wish more people realized that, or rather, I wish the people writing these things knew that :P

Anyway, I think I’ve rambled enough. I hope this collection of incoherent thoughts actually makes some sense and might be useful. 

----

*A good resource book that doesn't pull any punches in this regard is Polysecure by Jessica Fern. It's a wonderfully insightful read that explores the messier side of consensual non-monogamy, especially with how it can be affected by trauma or inter-relationship conflicts. But it also shows how to take better steps toward healthy, ethical non-monogamy (a far better job than More Than Two**) and conflict resolution, making it a valuable resource both for someone who is a part of this relationship style***, but also for writers on the outside looking in who might have a very simple or misguided idea of what conflict within polyam/ENM relationships might look like, vs traditional monogamous ones.

** The author of More Than Two has been accused of multiple accounts of abuse within the polyamorous community, with many of his coauthors having spoken out about the gaslighting and emotional and psychological damage they experienced while in a relationship with him. A lot of their stories are documented here: https://www.itrippedonthepolystair.com/ (warning: it is not light material and deals with issues of abuse, gaslighting, and a whole other plethora of Yikes.) While some people still find More Than Two helpful reading, there are now, thankfully, much, much better resources out there.

*** Some people consider polyam/ENM to be part of their identity or orientation, while others view it as a relationship style.It largely depends on the individual. 

[lokisprettygirl]

First of all - I LOVE your fics!! 🥰

Second - I was wondering if you could do one where Loki witnesses reader having a huge argument with their father qnd brother and y/n reminds him of himself and later finds y/n sitting in a park alone, crying and he can't help but comfort them. they build a friendship (preferably a platonic relationship between loki n reader, reader age range 19-21, Y/n kinda sees Loki as their big brother if that's okay for you. you could do romantic connection between those two if you're more comfortable with that.) and loki went with the avengers on a huge mission and they come back without loki. y/n overhear a Convo saying loki's dead and they are upset about it. one year later, Loki knocks on y/ns door and a lot of fluff happenssss. <3 I've been feeling very lost recently and literally need that kind of fluff fic. 😥

Hi dear, first of all I hope you feel better soon my dear and I hope this helps. I'm not used to writing gender neutral character but I tried to be as careful as I could so apologies if I made a mistake, feel free to correct me. Also I made the relationship between loki and y/n purely platonic so I hope that's okay. I just can't imagine him as brother even if I'm writing from others perspective 🥲

Loki X GN!Reader - You're my best friend

"When will you learn y/n? For god's sake you are in your early 20s now officially" Tony yelled at you, ever since he adopted Peter after may died, Peter became the child your dad always wanted, he was smart, a genius like him, a superhero. Everything you were not, everything you'd never become "I'm sorry dad I was just trying to help" you said meakly and ran out his room, you were helping Peter with his project when you accidentally knocked over the prototype he made for his college project, and Tony was furious, you ruined his favourite son's hardwork.

You had to leave the tower and run somewhere, no matter what you did, you just never felt enough for him and it has started to take a huge toll on your mental health. You felt incompetent during such times, your dad always picked Peter over you. You ran towards the nearest park and sat down on the chair, then you cried your heart out.

"Hey kiddo, can I sit?" You wiped your tears and as you looked up you saw loki, you'd sometimes bump into him in the tower but since you were not an avenger you didn't really got to see him much

"Suit yourself, I do not own this bench" you crossed your arms and he smiled at you. He saw Stark yelling at you and he felt as if he was taken down into the memory lane, same situation, he have been through it, feeling like you're not enough is the worst feeling in the world, Odin always picked thor over him and he hated it, even when he tried to do everything according to his father, thor would still get praised while he got scolded. Later he found out that he was adopted and it made sense but your situation was the opposite of it.

"I know how it feels y/n" he scooted closer to you and he wrapped his arms around your shoulder to comfort you, as soon as you felt the calming touch you sobbed even harder "It's alright, let it out, cry as much as you want, I won't stop you" he caressed your head and you cried for good five minutes, he didn't say anything at all while you sobbed, just held you affectionately.

"Feels lighter?" He asked you and you looked at him "A Little" you mumbled and you placed your head down on his shoulder. Who would have thought that out of all the people loki would be the one comforting you? You didn't, he was so misunderstood and he didn't speak much to anyone and nobody ever cared for that either.

"Will I ever be enough Loki? Will he ever be proud of me?" You asked him and he shook his head in no "For him ? No y/n you would never be enough for him, he would always find something to complain about, he would find excuses to berate you but just because he's your father that does mean he's right all the time, You are talented and, sweet and one of the most kindest midgardian I have ever met, do not misplace your worth in his words, never ever put your worth in their opinions sweet y/n, opinions are just that, words, they are not facts"

He smiled at you as he finished his little speech, his mother said that to him once and it helped him, now he wanted to help you the same way "Wise words from a wise man" you chuckled between your tears and he put his head down on yours "Thank you loki, I just wish sometimes he would see me you know? That he would notice me"

"I know and it never goes away, the feeling stays but with time, you'd grow and realise that you were not brought into existence to please other people, not even your parents, if they're not happy with who you are, just learn to ignore everything they say and you'll see that their words are so meaningless as soon as you stop caring about them"

After that day, your bond with loki only got stronger, he became your best friend, everytime you had a problem, doesn't matter what kind of problem, he would be there for you, You liked someone but felt nervous to tell them? He would help you figure a way out, you wanted to go watch a movie but had no one? he would be your partner, some random person annoyed you? He would gladly opt to murder them, though you didn't allow him. Soon he became your closest friend, you shared everything with him and he did the same.

He also had a conversation with stark and made him see how much of a bad father he was to you, your relationship with him also started to get better because of him. Loki sworn to always be there for you but it changed one day, it changed when he didn't return from a mission, everyone got back except him.

"See you in few hours y/n, I'm excited to watch that movie about that wizard kid with you" he told you before he left, he smiled so widely, he seemed calm and happy, but he didn't come back to you, you lost your best friend and he was gone just like that, you'd never get to spend time with him or hear his voice encouraging you or watch him gigglinng as he'd watch tom and jerry re-runs "This cat is such a dumbnut, reminds me of thor" you smiled as you reminisced about the time you spent with him but then you broke down soon after, you lost your best friend. You'd never get to see him again, Why him? Why did he leave you?

A year passed but you never did forget him, how could you? he was your best friend, you can never stop grieving your best friend. Exactly one year ago you lost him, you missed him all the time but this day only made it extra awful, you still had pictures of you two hanging in your room, you'd watch his videos that you sneakily took on your phone and for a moment it would feel as if he was out there somewhere still looking out for you, still alive.

You wiped your tears as you heard a knock on the door so you got off the bed and opened the door "Hey y/n" you slammed the door shut as you saw him, did you really see him ? Or your mind was playing tricks on you? Are you going crazy ? "Y/n I know you're upset with me ...for dying and disappearing..but if you'd listen to me...I c-" he stopped talking as you opened the door and hugged him tightly, he looked the same as you remembered him. You can't believe this, he died right? "You died loki you died on me ..how could you do that?" He teared up himself as he heard you sobbing while you smacked on his chest with your fists

"I'm sorry I really am, I never wanted to trust me" he chuckled and you pulled him in for a hug again "Oh god I thought I lost you forever, don't ever die on me again loki, I have missed you so much" you mumbled as you held him tightly, it was nice to feel him around you again. You have missed him every minute since that unfortunate day.

"I'm here now, I won't go again I promise, I missed you too y/n, more than anyone else" he caressed your head and you looked at him "What happened to you loki, oh my I'm so stupid, tell me everything, I'm here for you " you grabbed his hand and you made him sit down on the couch, he was in his Asgardian attire "I wasn't dead y/n, I was lost in some other dimension, strange fucked up the mission, it took him a year to get me out of there, I know it's been a year since that day but it only felt like a month to me, but I did miss you immensely in those days"

"I'm going to kill Strange" you groaned and he pet your head "Easy easy, I guess they were afraid to tell you the truth so they lied, in case I would never return, they thought you'd make peace with it" he said to you and you nod in no "You're my best friend loki, I would never forget you, Please don't leave again" you sobbed again but he hugged you tightly "You're my best friend too y/n and I promise I would never go on a mission with strange" you chuckled as you heard him. Once you calmed down and realised that he was there for real and it wasn't just some dream or you were not losing your mind, you told him everything that has happened to you in last year. Everything he missed out on.

"I have someone now" you blushed as you told him and he smiled "they are nice? Better stay on their best behaviour because you know I won't hesitate to kill" he tried to sound intimidating but he just seemed adorable.

"We will see about that, it's good for now lokes" you put your head down on his shoulder and he held your hand in his

"I promised you something right, let's watch that wizard movie" he said to you and you jumped off the couch to put the first part on.

Your best friend was back in your life and you couldn't have been happier.

[sophielovesbooks]

Mid Year Book Freakout Tag!

I’m a bit late to this party… but I wrote this a few days ago when I wasn’t feeling 100% after getting my second Covid vaccine and took the entire day off. So I finally had the time to write this :)

Let me pull up my Goodreads real quick and have a look at the 33 books I have so far this year.

1. The Best Book of the Year So Far

Hmm, let’s see. I feel like it’s fair to give two answers to this one, because on the one hand, there is the book that qualifies as “the best” from a literary perspective (at least in my opinion) and that would be CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS by Sally Rooney. Definitely had its own style and felt… infused with a deeper meaning, at least to me. It was also very compelling. Personally, I couldn’t stop reading it. And I feel like it had a lot to say about modern-day relationships (romantic, platonic… all kinds really).

Then, there is the book that I personally enjoyed this most, and that was probably THE GIRLS ARE ALL SO NICE HERE by Laurie Elisabeth Flynn. It kind of felt like your standard thriller, but also not. While it was super suspenseful and fun to read, I also genuinely cared about the characters and loved the portrayal of toxic teen girls’ friendships and generally teenage cruelty in the context of wanting to be cool/to fit in. It made me reflect on a lot of things, so to me, it’s definitely more than a thriller that you forget right after reading it. And it also definitely qualifies as dark academia, and discovering a new DA book I love is always great! <3

2. Best Sequel of the Year So Far

Wow, I am NOT big on sequels. I have only read one this year, which is just further proof that I’m not very into book series and much prefer standalones. The only sequel I have read this year was also a very good one, though: MISTER IMPOSSIBLE by Maggie Stiefvater. Much anticipated by me and thankfully, I had a great time with it. :)

3. A New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

I’m going to go with MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Read! I was gifted this book by my boyfriend’s grandma for my birthday on June 29 (so sweet!) and I think I will read it next. I am very excited for this one!

4. Most Anticipated Release for Autumn/Winter

Two books I am VERY excited for are A LESSON IN VENGEANCE by Victoria Lee and IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE by Ashley Winstead. I’m not even really sure why. I don’t know that much about either of them yet. But they just call to me, just like The Girls Are All So Nice Here did. And that one didn’t disappoint, so hopefully these two won’t either.

5. Your Biggest Disappointment of the Year So Far

Maybe THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley? I mean, it wasn’t awful. But I remember that I wasn’t impressed and had been expecting more somehow. Objectively the worst book I read this year would have to be THE SHARP EDGE OF A SNOWFLAKE by Sif Sigmarsdóttir, lol. But that one doesn’t count as the biggest disappointment, because I didn’t go in expecting that much. It was just an ebook that I bought for a low price at one point.

6. Your Biggest Surprise of the Year So Far

Definitely THE GIRLS I’VE BEEN by Tess Sharpe. I did not expect a YA thriller to be as intense and emotional and fun and just plain well-written as it was! Biggest positive surprise of the year so far, I think. :) I felt similarly surprised by  A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson. Another YA thriller (or mystery, I guess?) that was so much better than I had expected! 

7. New Favourite Author

I’m going to have to say THE MOTHER by Tess Stimson. I was expecting it to be a semi-fun thriller without much depth to it, just easy entertainment, I suppose. I was extremely surprised by the emotional depth I encountered. The death at the heart of this story is that of an infant, but I was expecting the book to sort of gloss over how tragic that actually is. Instead, it leaned into the grief so much, I found myself absolutely shook? The book almost moved me to tears several times. The mystery was so intense, I kept guessing and guessing. At one point quite early on, I had the solution, but the author masterfully misdirected me from that again, so that the twist at the end came as the biggest shock! Yeah, I loved this so much more than I had ever expected! Well done, Tess Stimson!

8. Your Newest Favourite Character

I haven’t absolutely fallen in love with any new characters this year, but three that stand out to me (in the order I encountered them this year) are:

1) Pippa Fitz-Amobi from A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson

2) Katrina Hawkins from THE STARLESS SEA by Erin Morgenstern

3) Nora O’Malley from THE GIRLS I’VE BEEN by Tess Sharpe

9. Your Newest Fictional Crush

Umm… absolutely nothing comes to mind lmfao. Fictional crushes have become so rare for me!

10. A Book that Has Made You Cry

THE MOTHER almost made me cry, I think. Not sure if there were actual tears. CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS and NORMAL PEOPLE both (almost) moved me to tears several times. But I didn’t have any break-downs over books this year. At least not yet.

EDIT: Omg, omg, omg, I forgot A LITTLE LIFE! How the f did I forget about A LITTLE LIFE?! I broke down over this book several times. It was awful. Never before has a book made me suffer so much. I mean that. I didn’t just cry, the book also made me feel physically ill several times. Very well written, yes, but not one I can recommend in good conscience. This is not one of those instances of “You’ll cry, but you’ll love crying”, at least not for me. This is something I perhaps should have not put myself through. Because the experience overall was painful, first and foremost. Stay safe, kids. This one is… a lot.

11. A Book That Has Made You Happy

This is so sad to say, but none of the books I read this year gave me that warm, glowy feeling of pure comfort and happiness you get from books sometimes? Some passages of THE STARLESS SEA came the closest, I would say.

12. The Most Beautiful Book of the Year So Far

Again, I need to mention THE STARLESS SEA with the beautiful prose and imagery! <3 Also A LITTLE LIFE maybe? Beautifully written at times. Absolutely heart- and gut-wrenching at others.

13. Some Books You Need to Read Before 2021 Ends

Hahaha… so many. But I’ll pick out a few that I will likely finish until the year is over: MALIBU RISING, AN OCEAN OF MINUTES by Thea Lim (birthday present by a close friend! <3), THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS by Micah Nemerever (birthday present my dad gave me! <3) and THEY NEVER LEARN by Layne Fargo (bday present my godmother gave me! <3). You see, I am much more committed to reading books that were given to me rather than books I bought myself. So these have good chances of being finished in 2021. :)

14. Tag Two of Your Favourite Community Members

@books-and-cookies Have you answered these questions yet? And @augustinianseptember? Would REALLY love to read both of your answers! <3<3

[lookmomitsmytmblr]

NO ONE IS DONNA Big oof with everything u said about Martha. I was so proud of her when she “got out”, like cheering at the screen, then I found out lots of people thought she was annoying and I was like ??? She’s literally just a queen??? Pure class and smart as a whip. Love her forever. I like to think of myself as a certified t*nr*ose hater lollllll

The relationship between her and nine was just so… pure? I could actually believe she wasn’t cheating on Micky while as an audience understand the chemistry? And then I hated The Christmas Invasion where her entire character is reduced to “oh nu, nu Doctor can do nothing.” I was personally offended by that writing choice. I TOTALLY agree w what you said about her getting over the whole thing so quickly. With how absolutely distraught she was over him regenerating (which is understandable in a sense but must have been pretty hurtful for him) she seemed to get over his personality change too quickly. It really made me resent her for not taking time to really mourn nine, if you know what I mean. I made a whole post about this a while back, but the writing reads to me as Rose treats ten differently than nine because she thinks he’s attractive… which is just bleh. Not to mention basically the first thing they do in s2 is establish she hasn’t broken up w Mickey but is obviously trying to start something w the Doctor. Why??? She’s like a totally different character.

from a structural narrative perspective, the way they handled the regeneration was awful if they wanted me to buy she was his soulmate or whatever RTD says. In view of what actually happens in the show (ahem, Journey’s End, School Reunion, ahem) I was convinced I was supposed to believe that she loved him, but she couldn’t fully commit, or more importantly empathize with, the more alien aspects of him. Which is fine, totally understandable. But that’s why I just can’t get behind them as a couple. I genuinely thought they were setting up that Rose loved him, but she wanted things from him he couldn’t give, partially because she couldn’t give him what he needed as an ageless being who lives a life that humans can’t really comprehend. Someone to empathize with the unknowable, and stop him when he goes too far. and they both move on with their lives, even if they didn’t want to be separated the way they were. I thought it was very mature and a good end. I was pretty miffed that they made her reappearance in JE all about wanting to get back to him, because I wanted her to be her own person! Like she was in s1! You’re telling me it’s been ten years or some and she’s still only about him, not her dad who so much of her character was devoted to??? Not her mum??? Don’t get me started on JE how she just starts kissing his clone w out a toss for hurting him.😤

which was, I might add, perfect setup for Donna being the person who could give him that understanding of his burden, challenge his assumptions, accept his differences, endlessly curious but never pushing for more than he could give…never asking him to be something he’s not… I felt like with her he could have been able to truly have a relationship with an equal. That brought out his better qualities because he finally had that need to be challenged and understood filled. If they had more time, I really think they would have been inevitable. RTD tried so hard to keep them platonic in one packed season and he kind of failed lol, imagine if we had more seasons. Ugh I just love them… especially that they could have been canon without having to go back through the series and scribble out previous relationships. Their connection is strengthened to me as a viewer by the contrast to previous loves. They feel like a warm hug, like coming home. I’m gushing oh no, oh dear.

I just don’t get why The Ship(TM) for so many is t*nr*ose and im a crusty old fanhag about it.

Hey random sorry but I love your account

THANK U SO MUCH!!!! I was looking at the tags u left on my Death and The Queen essay the other day and I was like !💖!

mad respect for the nine/rose content btw, they really were phenomenal. I try to be the change I want to see (read: shamelessly stanning tendonna) but I adored the relationship between rose and nine.

[adashofniallandasprinkleoflunacy]

It's uncanny, really, because the vampire has never been one to believe in fate in the slightest— not for centuries, at least. He thinks it to be childish and superstitious, which is ironic given his identity, but he's just never been a fan of metaphysical philosophy. The idea that a person carries a predisposed bond with someone they have yet to meet is pretty ridiculous, or that a connection two people form of their own accord is somehow written in the stars, as if coincidence and effort aren't the major contributing factors, rather than some silly mystic fluke. It's just so unrealistic; destiny doesn't really seem like a plausible theory. People write their own stories, and smudge their own mistakes, and sketch others in and out of their narratives as they see fit. Harry has dulled enough pencils and worn down enough erasers to confirm that. Everyone has control of their lives, and whether you decide to forfeit that authority or not...that is your own doing. Simple as that.

Humans (and those that are anything but) scribe their own vendettas with their own personalities and errors, and he had thought this thesis to be true, since it had proven itself valid time and time again across all the decades he'd endured. Harry just doesn't want to entertain it— he doesn't want to entertain the notion that he was meant to die, and that he was meant to lose his loved ones as a result, and that he was meant to roam the earth for the rest of eternity as some sort of freakish urban myth. Maybe he's being a bit of a bigot, or maybe he's being selfishly protective of the last shred of dignity he has left, but he's always waved off any attempts at converting those ideals, standing his ground solidly for the better half of two hundred years. The whole miracle debacle is about as probable as his heart magically restarting.

But regardless of his doubts towards the concept of kismet, Harry can't help but think that maybe he and Y/N were somehow meant to be. That doesn't necessarily mean he thinks their relationship was aligned by the planets, or inspired by the constellations, or whatever other supernatural metaphor a wannabe indie poet decides to scribble onto overpriced merchandise. But perhaps...perhaps he does believe that they were intended to be in each other's lives, one way or another. Whether they had remained a momentary blip in the form of a singular heated night, or spoken a few times after and then drifted apart and forgotten the taste of one another's skin, or continued their purely platonic "no strings attached" arrangement until they'd drained its enjoyment, he feels that their meeting had been the perfect introduction of something much deeper than meets the eye. Whether they had remained less than lovers, or more than friends, they had been ordained to cross paths for better or worse, and he likes that it had been for the better. He likes that she'd stuck around, and that he'd allowed her to do so— that amidst the iron bars where he'd imprisoned himself, she'd somehow snuck in between the cracks to meet him on the other side. There had been nowhere for her to stay, but she'd stayed anyway.

hello I just wanted to tell you that I really loved this part of chapter 12. I loved Harry’s entire view and analysis of the concept of fate and spirituality, it’s a very realistic perspective and I loved seeing him pull his beliefs from both sides of the spectrum. You give your characters such fascinating depth and insight, and seeing how and why their minds work the way they do is always so interesting! Thank you for sharing this with us :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I was really proud of that bit 🥺 and it’s important because it’ll kind of be alluded to in future chapters 👁 IM SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT EEEEEEEEEEE

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

Ao3 Fic Masterpost

alright, this is going to be a bit of a long post, but i have been meaning to make this for a while!

so my Ao3 is hearth_goddess, in case some of you didn’t know!

i know i post most of my updates for my fics on this blog, but i thought i’d just do a whole masterpost of all the fics i have on my Ao3, with a bit of a summary on the series and why they’re organized the way they are!

check out my fics if you haven’t already, and feel free to send me prompts and/or suggestions!

Non-Cats Stories: these are stories I’ve written that aren’t in the Cats category at all, but I still love them! 

back then was when we touched the starlight: my first Starlight Express story! I loved writing this, and I’d love to write more StEx in the future!

Soldier, Poet, King: a Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus songfic I wrote concerning my favorite trio of demigods. After listening to the song over and over again, I realized how well it fit, and I had to write something, and this is what came of that!

Choices: My first fic published on Ao3, and a Carlos-centric Disney Descendants story that doubles as a tribute to the late, amazing Cameron Boyce.

after the strike: a 1992 Newsies fic that I rewrote after posting it years ago on ff.net! I’m a sucker for protective!Jack Kelly, so this fic is purely self-indulgent!

and they lived happily ever after: literally pure Belle and Adam fluff for the 30th Anniversary of my favorite Disney movie!!

Chronicles of Narnia: i'm planning on adding more fics to this section, because CoN is so important to me

oh, brother of mine: a peter-centric story that focuses around peter's thought process as he finds edmund on the battlefield after jadis is killed

Stranger Things: the growing list of fics I've written that focus around the Stranger things characters

show no fear, for he may fade away: a stranger things fic focusing on Dustin getting Vecna'd and Steve being the best big brother bc i think they deserve some hugs <3

to the boy i wish was my brother: What Max wrote in her letter to Steve, plus Steve getting to cuddle with his two favorite kids

if you only hold me tight, we'll be holding on forever: the most angsty platonic soulmates Stobin fic that takes place during s5

come back to me, please: more Stobin s5 scenarios, except this one is soft and full of emotional reunions between my beloved dinguses

The Madrigal Triplets and their Mirabel: some sweet, short fics about Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno and their daughter/niece, Mirabel

green glasses: a sweet, fluffy, slightly angsty fic focusing on Bruno and Mirabel Madrigal from “Encanto”! I love their relationship, and couldn’t resist writing something for them!

little cloud: a short fic that focuses on Pepa and Mirabel Madrigal, and their relationship prior to the events of the movie and during the movie.

quiet smiles: a short focusing on Julieta and Mirabel Madrigal, and Julieta's inner monologue about the changes that she sees in her daughters prior to, during, and after the events of the movie.

we see how brave you've been: Pepa, Julieta, and Bruno's perspectives during Antonio's Gift ceremony and Mirabel's ceremony at the end of the movie.

visions: A brief glimpse into Bruno's visions, and how Mirabel became his favorite sobrina, even before she was born.

Aboard the Havoc Marauder: a collection of shorts about the Bad Batch, Omega, and their adventures around the galaxy!

is there an echo?: my first Star Wars fic featuring my favorite group of boys, the Domino Squad from Clone Wars, and the Bad Batch! (but specifically feat. Echo, because I love him.)

bigger than any of us: the Echo and Rex hug we should have gotten at the end of episode 7 of The Bad Batch, complete with some emotional heart to heart between the boys!

no one cares who your father was, only the father you will be: just Omega and her five dads being the softest family in the galaxy. They get all the hugs they very much deserve in this fic!

guilty conscience: Echo’s reaction after Hunter orders the Batch to leave him behind, and the overwhelming guilt that follows.

shadows: Echo being the best ori’vod to Crosshair, and Crosshair finally getting the hugs he deserves from his two older siblings (hint, the other older sibling isn’t Hunter)

a vod's hug: Echo's hugs, and how there is definitely something a little magical going on

plan 88: how season 2 should have ended, aka my determination in my delusions about Fives being alive and him and Echo reuniting

Standalone: these stories are part of the Cats category, but don’t fit in with any of my series!

Hearth’s Writing Corner: a collection of all the shorts I’ve written here on Tumblr, mostly Cats. Categories vary and updates are random.

tomorrow they’ll see what we are: my Cats/Newsies AU!! I’m so proud of this fic, and getting to write a story for two of my favorite musicals has been so much fun.

the magi-coolest cat: my forbidden Tuggoffelees fic that was 100% supposed to be written as a joke but i took it a little too seriously and now it’s one of my favorite stories.

The Alley Cat: my Thomas O'Malley is a Jellicle fic that focuses around him, Skimbleshanks, and his reunion with his family in the Junkyard.

Jellicle Prompts and Jellicle Shorts: these are the fics I’ve written that take place within the “canon” Cats Universe, though aren’t canon within each other

A Cursed Dream: Munkustrap-centric

The Adventures of Plato, Alonzo, and Etcetera: just a couple little snippets about some underrated kitties!

A Jellicle Through and Through: George-centric

Mr. Vague and Aloof and his Terrible Bore: Tuggoffelees-centric

His Precious Flower: Munkustrap and Jemima-centric

Terms of Endearment: Tuggoffelees-centric

The Story of Seven Kittens: Mistoffelees-centric

Until the Jellicle Moon Appears: Munkustrap tells the kittens about how the Jellicles came to be

hush my darling, don’t fear my darling: Deut Bros-centric

hold on tight, we shall never let go: Alonzo-centric

thrill of the chase: Tuggoffelees-centric

We’re A Family, We Stick Together: a human AU feat. OCs created by myself and my mutuals!

***please pay attention to the tags/warnings in some of these fics

Serafina’s Story: OC-centric

Jubilee’s Story: OC-centric

Athena’s Story: OC-centric

making the choice: Tuggoffelees and OC-centric

settling in: Tuggoffelees and OC-centric

ornaments and family: Jellicles-centric

don’t take the girl: Deuteronomy Bros+their girls-centric

i keep your memory, you visit me in my sleep: Seruggoffelees-centric

the long way home: Macavity-centric

missed opportunities: Seruggoffelees-centric

twitterpated: CanonxOC pairings-centric

1998/2019 Switch: the full versions of the blurbs and brief plots i mapped out here on tumblr under the same tag!

The Magicians: Mistoffelees-centric

Hearth and Home: stories concerning my OC, Hestia the Hearth Cat, and everything within her “canon”! these fics often feature the OCs of some of my mutuals, and i always list whose OCs are whose!

heart of stone: Serafina's backstory and how she left Macavity

Hearth and Home: How Hestia came to live with Tugger and Mistoffelees

The Hearth Cat and the Library Cat: Hestia and Jubilee meet

The Jellicle Ball: Hestia’s first Ball (aka the Musical Ball)

Ghosts: Hestia meets a stranger who seem oddly familiar

Family Photo: Tuggoffelees + their kids take a picture together!

Halloween: Some unexpected visitors come to the Junkyard

the pocket watch: Tumblebrutus gives Hestia a very special gift

i thought i'd never see your sweet face again: a 5+1 Tumbletta story within the Henchcat!Tumble AU

Tuggoffelees Week 2020: all the prompts from Tuggoffeelees Week 2020, including a prompt that launched the inspiration for my Newsies AU!

curls and coffee: First Meeting, Human AU

kisses and coffee: Kisses, Human AU

buttons and maybe: Fight/Reconciliation, 2019-verse

sure as a star: Favorite AU, Newsies

dyin’ ain’t so bad: Kidnapping, 1998, warning for character death

terribly aloof, vaguely boring: Personality Switch, 1998

i think i wanna marry you: Wedding/Engagement

Macavity's Victims: these are “canon” compliant stories that focus on the Deuteronomy brothers and Demeter and Bombalurina’s relationship

The Tale of Two Sisters and Three Brothers: how Demeter and Bombalurina ended up with Macavity, and what happened when they returned to the Junkyard.

A Strange Sense of Peace: After the Ball, and another semi-analysis of the Deuteronomy Brothers

[merriconstance]

That Time I Wrote an Essay About Gelphie

I wrote this essay at like 1 A.M. so enjoy lmao

Wicked is perhaps one of the most well-known and best contemporary musicals. It's known for its powerful storytelling, outstanding music, and intriguing, morally grey characters. It opened on Broadway in 2003 and is still running today, as well as productions in other countries. However, the standard audience is unaware of the romance-coding (although if you, like me, are a flaming homosexual obsessed with musicals, it's pretty easy to tell) with the characters Glinda and Elphaba.

First and foremost, romance-coding is when two characters of the same gender are coded to be in a romantic relationship. It's often confused with queer-coding. However, romance-coding is a bit different. Characters can be coded as romantic regardless of sexuality, gender, or sex. Neither Glinda nor Elphaba are coded as queer, necessarily, but instead coded romantically. If you want to learn more about it, I recommend Rowan Ellis' videos.

Glinda and Elphaba initially clash, loathing each other. However, the song itself, What is This Feeling, has some rather queer undertones. It was written as a parody of standard love songs, with lyrics such as “My pulse is rushing, my head is reeling, my face is flushing. What is this feeling?” However, both girls come to the conclusion that it’s loathing. While that seems like a conclusive end, it could actually very easily be read as a misdiagnosis of the situation. If one of them were a man, most people would definitely read it this way.

Glinda does most of what she does for the attention and praise, which could be relevant to the line, "Was I seeking good or just seeking attention? Is that all good deeds are when looked at through an ice cold eye?" in No Good Deed. Glinda can be rather shallow, and while she does have a good heart, she is undoubtedly superficial at first.

One of the most important things about Glinda to note is that her first actual good deed she did, not for the approval of others, was dancing with Elphaba at Fiyero’s party while everybody else stands aside and laughs.

However, after Fiyero's party, the too get over their fit of "loathing" and become best friends. Thus, Popular.

Do I even have to explain Popular? I think the line, "Why, Miss Elphaba. Look at you. You're beautiful," speaks for itself. Glinda is the most earnest she's been in the musical during this scene. She hadn't even done much, just taken Elphaba's hair of her braid and stuck a flower in there. I don't think it's that far of a stretch to think she thought this even before Popular.

My next talking point is Defying Gravity. Defying Gravity is possibly the most iconic contemporary musical theatre song. Even those who have never listened to a single musical likely know of this song.

Glinda and Elphaba fight, neither of them being able to see the others perspective. Glinda thinks Elphaba should apologize, get in good with the wizard, and slowly make changes from the inside, even if it means compromising her morals. Elphaba can’t stand to do this.

Elphaba laments about how she’s changed and this is no longer what she wants, and that she needs to make a change herself.

Then, in the main part of the song, Elphaba tells Glinda to kiss her goodbye. How much more explicit can it get? They even kiss in the novel it’s based on, but don’t worry guys, they aren’t gay! It’s totally platonic.

Elphaba asks Glinda to come with her, but deep down, she knows Glinda won’t. Elphaba won’t be happy if she stays, and Glinda won’t be happy if she leaves. So, the two have to let each other go, because at the core of their relationship, they just want each other to be happy.

They are the definition of if you love someone, let them go.

Glinda and Fiyero are soon engaged. Glinda tries to act positive, as she is now a public figure actively advocating against Elphaba, but you can tell in Thank Goodness that she regrets her decision and misses Elphaba more than she will admit.

Some plot stuff happens that I'm going to assume you know if you're reading this essay, and now Fiyero is presumed to be dead and Elphaba fully embraces the label society has given her.

And then For Good happens. For Good is one of the most genuinely beautiful songs I've listened to and I tear up every time. The two women love each other so much, probably more than they want to admit. Whether you personally see their relationship as more platonic or romantic, you can't deny how genuine and pure their relationship is.

Plus, Kristin Chenoweth took the low harmony and every Gelphie shipper started screaming about the symbolism and how they've both changed so much (me. thats me.) and if you weren't already crying, you are now.

Compare this to As Long As You're Mine. It has a haunting sound and Elphaba feels truly wicked for the first time. For Good is simple and honest and truly feels like love.

This is a good segway into talking about Fiyero. Glinda liked Fiyero for shallow reasons; he was a prince and charming, while Elphaba hardly even knew the dude; they saved a lion cub together once and apparently it's true love? I do think that both Elphaba and Glinda loved him, but I don’t think they were in love with him. He often takes second-hand to their friendship and never really builds a foundation of love and caring with either of them.

Then there's a dumb deus ex machina where Elphaba doesn't die and ends up with Fiyero, which was cheap in my opinion. Elphaba's story is a tragedy and the happy ending felt unearned. That's off-topic, though.

Glinda and Elphaba had such a beautiful relationship and so much potential, but it was misused and now I have to write essay's at 1 A.M. instead of sleeping.