#I understand what they're trying to say but MAN

[seriousbrat]

I love that you actually discuss and debate the reasons why people dislike James instead of just going "You're wrong I'm right" about it. But, I still hate James I'm so sorry but Lily deserved better and she settled, and I don't even care if that's offensive to say, it's the truth. It will never not be ridiculous to me that there's all these jegulus and jily fighting out there- like, are we serious? He is just a man. He's not even The Best Man, he's just one of them.

And like forgive me for saying this but isn't him being an anti-DeathEater person kind of.... the bare minimum, or should be the bare minimum anyway, if he's dating a muggleborn girl or having kids with a muggleborn? Like that feels like a standard level of respect and decency, should it not be? Like I don't think he deserves praise for it.

I could be wrong tho so thanks anyway and sorry if this annoys you, I know you love James (but thanks for loving Lily more <3)

Haha to be honest I was more debating why people hate James in an academic sense, like out of curiousity, I obviously don't think people HAVE to like him. I'm definitely not trying to convince anyone to like anything!

I will say I personally don't really understand character hate in general, since I rarely hate characters (usually the only characters I dislike are ones I feel aren't held accountable for their actions by the narrative, which is not James's case and imo isn't really the case of any HP character. Like for some reason the only character I can think of that I hate rn is Bates from Downton Abbey dkghkdjgh)

Anyway-- of course you can hate James if you like, I can definitely see why people hate him. Maybe Lily did deserve better lol but oh well. She seemed happy with him and personally I kind of prefer imperfect relationships in fiction anyway. From Lily's perspective I think she would have felt that she was only compatible with someone who was also in the Order, because that's what she would have prioritised. In some sense maybe a nice stable guy with a good job would have been a better boyfriend, but that's not what was important to Lily.

Like I guess maybe she could have married Caradoc or someone random like that but tbh she chose a guy who she was attracted to, was happy with, and who was willing to fight for the same things she was-- and that's not nothing. Honestly what's kind of funny is the way I see James I think he'd agree that Lily deserved better than him lol

and like forgive me for saying this but isn't him being an anti-DeathEater person kind of…. the bare minimum, or should be the bare minimum anyway

you're right about that! Although I will say that imo James wasn't just anti-Death Eater. Slughorn is anti-death eater as a character, so is Fudge. James is very vocally and actively pro-Muggleborn at a time where there's a distinct danger for being so. Not just Muggleborns but also werewolves, and I don't think it's a stretch to extrapolate that he'd have a similar attitude towards other groups like squibs and half-giants-- and the thing that I think does distinguish James is that he does put his money where his mouth is (both figuratively and literally.) He goes far out of his way to help Remus, and dedicates his life to fighting in a pro-Muggle resistance group at the age of 17.

In my view at least, that's quite a bit more than just being anti-death eater as like a vague stance. Risking your life for a cause is quite a bit more than the minimum, because most of us never risk our lives at all if we can help it. And if it is the bare minimum then all of us are currently failing haha. A majority of HP characters are anti-death eater, but what they're willing to do about it varies. So the same way I think snaters often downplay Snape's sacrifices, I think jaters can often downplay this fact about James.

Tbh it makes sense given that in the books joining the Order is kind of presented as the bare minimum, because that's how Harry views the issue. There's no way that Harry as a character wouldn't join the Order, because Harry is an exceptionally brave and selfless person. But if it was the bare minimum, why weren't Lily's classmates joining the Order in droves? As is explained in OotP, the Order's situation in the first war was much more dire and hopeless than in the second war, as it was unknown whether Voldemort could be defeated at all. The Marauders were likely the only seventh years willing to join the Order, so to me it makes sense that Lily would grow closer to them and to James in particular.

ANYWAY, all of that isn't to convince you of anything haha, I'm just sharing my thoughts. Sometimes you just dislike characters and I think that's perfectly fine. This definitely doesn't annoy me btw! Thank you for being polite and also loving Lily, that's the energy we need in this life ❤️

[rainbowsky]

Anonymous asked: Hello Rainbowsky, Did you see what happened on [Twitter BS redacted] What do you have to say about the whole situation? Could I stay anonymous please I’m new here 💛

Hi Anon,

Be forewarned, rant incoming.

As a new person I'll forgive you for not already knowing that I hate it when people bring Twitter drama over here. There is a reason I am here and not over there. What's the point of having come here, when people keep trying to bring garbage from over there to here? I feel chased by this BS.

This is exactly the kind of thing that made me close my anonymous inbox a while back.

All that aside, people should not be bragging that they're on Twitter. Anyone still on Twitter loses my respect, sorry - and that's the politest way I can stomach saying it.

I just can't understand how anyone could remain on a platform run by a neo-nazi scumbag whose entire personality and value system revolves around getting richer (despite being the richest man in the world) by exploiting everyone 'beneath' him and destroying everything that any decent person holds dear.

He's racist, xenophobic, misogynistic (and notoriously predatory/abusive toward women), he's deeply homophobic, anti-trans to a... nazi degree... let's just put it that way, anti worker rights, anti science unless it furthers corporate exploitation, anti-environment, and his primary goal is to destroy all the institutions, regulations and infrastructure that were built to protect human rights, human health and equity in society. He has voiced that he'd like to destroy the people who believe in those values, too.

He says that EMPATHY is the biggest human weakness/problem. Yes, this asshole genuinely believes that empathy is a negative trait in human beings. WTAF.

He supports everything Trump is doing - including handing Ukraine to Russia (after exploiting them for every resource they have), handing Palestine to Israel (after ensuring all the inhabitants have been obliterated), destroying global alliances that are the only thing maintaining world peace, and invading other countries - including my own!

He has the money and power to do this, and he is working on it all as we speak! Pull your head out of your goddamn asses, people - he's an imminent existential threat to this planet and everyone on it!

If you're on Twitter right now, you might as well be on Truth Social AFAIAC.

I have never liked Twitter - it's a cesspool of hate (as is evidenced by your ask, Anon), and always has been. Yeah, of course good things have been done on Twitter, and good people have been on there over the years, but those days are long past. The few stragglers still on there are constantly embroiled in drama and feuds, and the only reason they cling on is because they can't let go of the vanity of seeing the big follower numbers on their profiles.

There's absolutely no excuse for people to remain on Twitter. None. There's no rationale for remaining on a neonazi platform, propping up and validating this awful man. It's disgusting.

That there are still turtles on Twitter is a constant source of shame and grief for me, frankly. Those who are still on there show their lack of commitment to queer rights, human rights and equality, world peace, the environment and everything that is good and right in the world. They either lack the values or the moral courage to make a change.

And there's no excuse for it. There is a solid, fully featured (in fact, with all the features Twitter once had, but which that dirtbag removed or destroyed) alternative that is easy to migrate to. The community there is infinitely better, and most people already have an account, they just aren't using it.

I don't know what it will take, or how many more horrors we'll need to witness and experience before people wake the fuck up.

As for the petty arguments with XFX, block and ignore, and get off of Twitter. As fans we should be focused on GG and DD, not on the behavior of other fans. Block and ignore.

Or of course you can do whatever you want, but you asked my opinion, and here it is.

Related posts:

Why I closed my anonymous inbox

Feminization of GG in the Fandom

Oversexualization and homophobia among turtles

Fandom Survival Guide

If you're new here, you might also find my masterlist post helpful.

[notashadowbutawave]

okay i'm supposed to be working but, here are my thoughts on 8x11 Holy Mother of God

firstly

i said i just wanted a good Bobby plot and idk??? Lesley Ann Warren was ON One (complimentary) but I do not think Bobby's mother deserved a kind of unconditional forgiveness for how Bobby's childhood played out. when Bobby called her out in her hotel room I was like YES GET HER and i think what i wanted specifically was maybe for Bobby to reconcile with his brother but recognize that reconciliation with his mother will be incomplete even if they end up back on speaking terms and that would have rung more true to me. this show has a long history of doing very forced parental reconciliations, even if they do kind of walk them back a bit later (SEE BUCK & TOMMY'S CONVO ABOUT BOBBY BEING "THE FATHER [BUCK] NEVER HAD "BUT YOUR FATHER'S ALIVE"), and I'm wondering if both FOX and ABC have provided guidance at the network level that parental reconciliation is required in some way for these scripts even if they don't hang their hats narratively on those relationships. like i should have seen it coming but. whatever. peter and angela are delightful. i'll allow it

okay but----

I don't think ANY of the interviews about this season have misled us in any way. it's simply not that deep. the show does what it says on the tin. Tim Minear is objectively a dumbass and probably not a very good showrunner and I think the writers' room is succeeding at advancing certain plots and character development in spite of him. everything he says is completely incoherent but not deliberately, I don't think, misleading. for the sake of scholarship, read what, say, Rolin Jones says about AMC IWTV or something, and then go back to a Tim interview. these are not people on the same level. also IWTV is good and on cable and films their whole season before they release. the network TV production schedule and State Censorship requirements, combined with MANY recent events (ex. last year's dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the LA fires, gestures the united states of bottomless despair)… i think a lot of things contribute to this season being disjointed in its vision and execution and SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE AND NOT WORTH BEING MAD ABOUT. i honestly don't know how much juice this show has left (please feel free to reach out to me privately if you want to read my essay about the show's inextricable link to the soul of this cursed country, which is also going down like the titanic) but they're giving us bucktommy and it is doing exactly what it says on the tin. the text is the fucking show.

but moving on to the MEAT, the DISCOURSE, the FLESH, THE CONTENT

i don't buy that buck was hazing ravi like he was a shitty little brother. where does that come from. i think the writing was just trying to establish that Buck is still a fucking mess because he's clinging to Ravi like "if I don't talk to someone new about my feelings rn i will literally fucking die" instead of like actually trying to be Ravi's friend.

king shit by Ravi to bring Tommy over to Buck and leave him there. and an incredible fit. that shirt and those gently pleated trousers? i say this with love to Oliver and Lou and Kenny and Peter and Ryan and everyone but Anirudh Pisharody is the best looking man on this show. if i look at him too long i start drooling. sorry Anirudh.

but what i mean to say is that Ravi was right to do what he did. "Please take care of your tipsy ex, I've already worked beyond my shift. please fuck it out of him. i can't take it anymore. i need rest. yes, i know, twist your arm man, but if that's what it takes. he's gonna need that dick to touch his brain stem"

THIS IS WHAT THE NARRATIVE HAS SHOCKINGLY CONSISTENTLY ESTABLISHED… that Tommy saw Buck and Eddie together, saw Buck realize his sexuality, and simply thought his days with Buck were numbered because he would realize he was actually in love with Eddie, because they already had such a deep connection. IRONICALLY, THIS SITUATES BUCK AND TOMMY WITH THE MOST EQUAL FOOTING THEY'VE EVER BEEN ON. THEY BOTH HAVE HAD PARALLEL DUAL FUCK UPS. ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS FOR THEM TO TALK IT OUT.

to wit:

Buck was uncomfortable with his queerness and with being with Tommy, was desperate to make Tommy not leave him and skipped all the steps to get to that point, the deepening of their relationship, the hard conversations. notice how EVERY TIME Tommy brought up something he was feeling during the first six months of their relationship, Buck didn't directly address it, shuffled into jokes or "uh yeah obviously, DUH." See: their conversation about fathers, Tommy talking about wanting a family like the 118 (who all completely ditched him when he dumped Buck, not even checking in with him to hear his side!). Buck tried to speedrun the whole fucking thing. and then asked Tommy to move in with him. Tommy freaked out and broke up with him. and Buck couldn't move on. Couldn't. he knew there was something special there, something that couldn't be replicated. He reacted badly. They both reacted badly.

Tommy consistently had this insecurity… that Buck is actually in love with Eddie, or at least that he wasn't ready to be with Tommy, because Buck wasn't taking those steps towards deepening their emotional intimacy. He intentionally injured Eddie, probably never shut up about Eddie and Chris the whole time they were dating because he has no filter, and then MOVED INTO EDDIE'S HOUSE. I think Buck was shocked by this revelation that Tommy had had this brewing in the back of his head the whole time, because to him, this is just what you do - if there's something you can do to help your best friend, you do it, with no strings attached. Tommy was out of pocket and it cut Buck deeper than he could have been prepared for.

BUCK HAS NEVER HAD A FUNCTIONING CLOSE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING WITH THESE SCENES IS THAT TOMMY PROBABLY HASN'T HAD A FUNCTIONING CLOSE PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP OR FRANKLY RELATIONSHIP OF ANY KIND THAT WASN'T FULLY MEDIATED THROUGH HIS DEEP INSECURITY THAT HE ISN'T ACTUALLY WHAT THE OTHER PERSON WANTS. we have two specific examples of this in the narrative: Abby (with whom he tried, but was closeted, and he's a self-described Kinsey 6), and his own father, with whom he doesn't even talk. and we have the 118, who lost touch with him after he went to Harbor, reconnected with him when he started dating Buck, but he was only ever "Buck's boyfriend" and apparently his inclusion in the group was totally conditional. Tommy has never been the person someone else wanted. He has no idea how to believe that he is the person Buck wants. So he reacted badly. They both reacted badly.

This isn't to say they're "even" but for the purposes of the narrative, they are both poised on the edge of reconciliation and admitting these issues to each other and actually talking about them. Everyone said they were doing a romcom. And you don't do a romcom without a happily ever after, but multiple speed bumps are needed to get to that point. Meet cute to first kiss to first stumble (the aborted first date) to second stumble (the breakup) to third stumble (the smoking hot false restart). it is so endgame shaped it might defy the laws of physics.

(never in my life have i seen a show's writers have to completely dismiss a fanon ship in the script because certain elements of the fandom had become so unbalanced that it had started to interfere with their ability to work lmao - like i'm not laughing really because it's kind of upsetting but i am also laughing because Oliver's delivery of those lines was sending me. such conviction)

(like everyone else, i need to write porn about everything that happens after the shirt pull, not like i have a bunch of other WIPs or anything)

im whatever, they are feeding us, we are eating at god's most perfect table. bless us lou and every one

[smolstarthief]

*sigh* I guess I have a strong need to let it out but...

I will admit all the gatekeeping at how Viktor should be written in fics can feel pretty discouraging sometimes and maybe even disrespectful depending on the context?

Like... It's hard to explain but it can be frustrating over time. At the same time, I understand the same people's frustration whether it be how his overall character and even his disability should be portrayed (such as removing it entirely post canon) so I get it. It just should be done as constructive criticism and giving advice, not bullying or gatekeeping as every person's experience is different and not the same. And if the author or creator is being rude about it then I probably just not engage further but that's just me, it can vary.

Idk, I do feel less and less confident over time b/c I just mostly see takes like, "How can people write him so mean?! He's a kind good boy!" or "He'd never do or say that! How can you be so stereotypical and ableist?!"

Just the way I see him I think is a slight reflection of my own experiences and I understand people doing the same in writings.

He's snarky and a bit blunt, kind but not a complete pushover either (whether or not you subscribe to him being manipulated by the Hexcore or not but that's another thing entirely), he's a pacifist but I'd say more of a relative pacifist since he does resort to a bit of violence during the show's climax, point is that he's multifaceted. Plus sometimes the same people do tend to hypocritically subscribe to either the same or even a different stereotype of his character that they're calling out so it can be like... Oy... Which is it?

Again, I get some writers and artists can be pretty problematic so I don't blame anyone trying to call them out but then there are writers that just didn't know what they were doing so just seeing the toxicity can be discouraging if that makes sense?

I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking it since I have mentioned being a cane user irl and see a lot of myself in him (complete with lung problems in hindsight but I highly doubt asthma counts so probably not) and I have been infantilized frequently in the past so... I just don't know man... There should be a balance for sure but not like this.

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

Roy Phillips Isn't a Monster, Actually

I know a certain portion of the Fallout 3 fandom might object to this take, though I suspect many of those people won't be found following the ghoul fucking blog, frankly.

The game came out in 2008, well before I ever got into gaming enough to actually play anything myself, so its presence has sort of lingered in the background of everything I've ever heard about the Fallout franchise. Many of the characters are well-loved, so well-loved that I felt fairly well acquainted with them before I ever successfully booted the game up (after several soul-draining hours of trying). On the other hand, many of the other writing aspects, including the backstories and plot arcs of said beloved characters, are cloaked in an infamy that almost makes it hard to see the game impartially going into it.

Many of the side quests of Fallout 3, especially, are discussed as weak points in the game, whether in terms of the game's writing, its code, or both. There was a reason Tenpenny Tower was at the top of my list of side quests to complete myself when I started playing the game for the first time: I'd argue that no other side quest is more contentious among the fan base. This isn't shocking, since the writing almost seems intended to cause arguments (and, if I'm so honest, to enforce bias against ghouls...but then again, I suppose you should never attribute to malice what can be attributed to pure ignorance).

Quite frankly, my case for Roy's humanity is simple. The game gives you plenty of evidence in his dialogue that he's not exactly foaming at the mouth to cause the deaths of the non-bigoted Tenpenny residents who will inevitably get caught up in his feral ghoul plan. Between the exchange you see between him and Gustavo at the beginning of the quest, Gustavo's dialogue when he propositions you to kill the ghouls, and Roy's claims when you speak to him, you see that he has more than exhausted the "diplomatic approach", only to have the door slammed in his face over and over again. The ghouls aren't demanding to move in and change everything; they're only asking to be allowed to live in the Tower, pay rent, and follow the rules like everyone else. When you tell him that you've successfully convinced everyone (or convinced them to leave), he's excited, praises you, and even remarks that he doesn't "have to" release the ferals into the building.

This man may relish in the misery of those who discriminate against him purely for existing (which...fair, if you ask me), but ultimately he really does feel that his hand is being forced in this situation. Notice he says he was "willing" to do what he was planning to do, not that he wanted to. If you ask me, part of his viciousness towards smoothskins is Roy projecting the way he knows most people already see him. When he first tells you about his plan, he essentially says as much:

The idea of asking the community how they feel about Roy and company moving in doesn't even come into play until you get involved; though Gustavo claims he's only doing Tenpenny's bidding, he, personally, doesn't like ghouls, and wouldn't allow them into the tower if the choice was his and his alone. He's not exactly jumping up to put the whole thing to a vote. I'm not saying Roy would necessarily accept a building-wide straw poll that didn't favor them, but they aren't even given that pittance of consideration. They aren't seen as humans, but animals, creatures that belong outside, scuttling around some dusty abandoned building or dank, dark train station.

Or worse, in a mass grave.

Frankly, I think if you find Roy completely unsympathetic, 100% evil with no redeeming qualities, you either missed this line of dialogue that makes his motivations and logic very clear:

...or you're intentionally choosing to let the writer's shitty choices for the ending of the quest's plot retroactively color your understanding of what are, really, very graspable thoughts and feelings. It speaks to a certain lack of perspective, if you ask me. Not that you did. This is so clearly about much more than having a nice place to live to Roy. It's about clawing back a piece of their humanity, asserting themselves as people who deserve rights and comforts just like anyone else.

Whether or not you agree with or approve of his actions, his distrust for smoothskins, is irrelevant. The distrust, especially, is justified. Even the Tenpenny residents who are open to the idea of the ghouls moving in make shockingly ignorant statements about them, down to claiming they look forward to putting them out or even hunting them for sport if they step out of line. The man has a reason to be as ready to fight as he is. If it's you or me (because you've decided we can't occupy the same space), I'm choosing me.

Most everyone in the Wasteland is incredibly indifferent to the suffering and the death of ghouls. By and large, they're seen as pitiable wretches deserving of a merciful death, at best, subhuman monsters at worst. When no one is ever on your side, when no one steps up to protect you when you need it most, you come to value protecting yourself and those like you more than anything else. Gustavo isn't the only resident who expresses a desire to be able to pay to wipe the ghouls out of existence. If you tell Roy that Gustavo offered to pay you to kill him, he isn't even surprised. If his life, and the lives of the people he values the most, are worth that little to most folks, why would he give a single shit if a few "innocent" people die when he makes his stand? Those people refused to have empathy for him, and now he has none for them.

Obviously, a lot of people understand all of that. I think most people who really hate Roy either hate him because he's willing to commit acts of violence to ensure rights and protections for himself (to which I ask you: name any of the major rights anyone ever won through simply asking their oppressors to stop treating them unequally), or they find out how the quest ends if you help the ghouls move into the Tower and they write him off as a bloodthirsty hypocrite.

I can't describe how much the whole "an unspecified Incident occured and every non-ghoul in the tower was murdered, the end" choice for the diplomatic route's ending pisses me off. For one, it only stands to reinforce the bigoted statements of those who had previously claimed to fear for their safety. And for what? To make the writers feel smart because they get to pull the rug out from under your feet? Roy's "couldn't have done it without you" line is literally just them rubbing it in your face that they got one over on you. "Ha-ha, dipshit! You believed in the better of man's natures and had a modicum of hope that diplomacy, the core of human society, might've stood a chance. More fool you!" Let me roll my eyes harder.

As an outcome, it doesn't gel. The slaughter just seems completely indiscriminate in a way that could have been avoided, unlike when the plan was to release a bunch of ferals. Even Herbert Dashwood, who has a pretty decent reputation among ghouls, all things considered, is slaughtered. The fact that they don't even tell you what triggered it is lazy and cowardly. It feels simultaneously unfinished and finished poorly on purpose, a half-thought-out twist thrown in at the last minute to make things seem more "morally grey" when the correct way to handle the situation is painfully clear. Thank god for mods.

And yet, despite my venomous hatred for how his one side quest canonically ends, I find Roy Phillips to be both a relatable and a incredibly sympathetic character. The man is deeply misunderstood, and by no one moreso than the people whose job it was to tell his story. However, an unsatisfactory ending doesn't change the fact that his struggle is noble.

Plus, he's one of the most fuckable ghouls I've come across to date. That certainly doesn't hurt.

[pumpkaboo-man]

"I don't think felix is the shadow man 🤷 he may have killed two kids but he's not outright evil."

-a person from reddit

[jon-sedai]

And remember kids, the next time someone tells you, "George R. R. Martin wouldn't make Jon Snow the typical fantasy hero because that's cliche".....

Oh yes he would!

One viewer wants to know what character would you play (on the show)? GRRM: If I could magically clap my hands and become a different person, it would be cool to play Jon Snow who's much more of the classic hero. Everybody wants to be the classic hero! ABC Interview, 2014

GRRM: And the character I’d want to be? Well who wouldn’t want to be Jon Snow — the brooding, Byronic, romantic hero whom all the girls love. Meduza Interview, 2017

In fact he already has ☺️

[fuumiku]

Demon AU (krkb)

+ bonus Kuro

Kurokabuuu!! If Kabru gets to be naked then so does Kuro, equality for all 🔥Not to break the mystique but in that intro comic Kuro isn't flexing he's just pushing Mickbell away bc he about to be in business mode gdbdg. Was weird trying to make Kuro look more demony, did not work very well except for making him buffer but hey...! A black dog demon yeah yeah yeah...!

I have accidentally recreated Howl's Moving Castle... NOW HEAR ME OUT- The base concept for my satyr Kabru AU (the initial idea was the sketch where he has no horns haha) now turned demon AU was materializing Kabru's fear of anything monster, particularly his insecurity as a kid of being an incubus('s child and that making him a monster), and helping him work through it so he can love himself and others and the world better, but everything started clicking only after thinking about Kuro's role in the setting more. He's this feared dude with a witchy reputation and a lil rhyme about how everyone should stay away from him for their own sake etc etc, but he's not a demon just a dog dude really. The setting in this AU is much like Dunmeshi, but all monsters are called "demons" instead and tied with this concept of demonic not just monstrous, there's special generalized fear in them being kinda fundamentally evil. But they're just beasts, and sometimes just demihuman races, like Kuro. Magic does exist though, and curses, and yeah just a folk kinda vibe!

Kabru because he's become supernatural knows how to speak Kuro's tongue now too, or maybe he's always known it idk... But Kabru sought Kuro out because he's The demon guy around, thought if anyone around would know how to do anything about his having become a monster it'd be him- Mickbell is there too ig like waaa this innocent-looking (def isn't) human loves this demon and lives with him, alone but peaceful as hermits in the woods? Wah wild. Wah we can still have love?? Wah we can fall in love together and live happy monster lives even if ostracized??! Wah wait I'm not even a monster it was just my own latent magical powers cursing myself because I worried and believed myself to be a demon so intensely for so long?!! Wah we can truly have it all...... Growth feels so nice. Except Mickbell, that grown ass man is not finding inner peace yet. Still he's chill here since he's a side char not a main one

It's how Kuro's confident in himself despite everything being stacked against him, it's how he still trusts and likes himself, it's how he just wants a simple happy life and pursues what he wants, it's how he takes things simply... Self-critical Kabru always neglecting himself over obsessing about the greater good could learn from him........ Kuro is the only one after his transformation that unconditionally welcomes him and shows him compassion and it's all so confusing to him, especially since at first Kabru wouldn't even offer that same humanization to Kuro, only risked it out of necessity for his own circumstances, but he gradually becomes able to see the humanity in him despite his appearance, mannerisms, way of life and ideals, until he sees the humanity in him and himself too despite their appearances, until he finds there's nothing wrong in this routine and life of theirs in this isolated magical little place, until........... Just about accepting all of those fuzzy inbetween ways to be that are unclean and hard to understand from the outside, and growing comfortable in them and loving himself and kuro and the life they've made together.......!!!!!! What if through humanizing you I humanized myself... What if through growing a understanding for each other wevalidated ourselves, love as self-love...

I love including Rin into things, for a more plotty story it'd be neat if she tried and followed Kabru... He up and disappeared and she's a capable mage and she doesn't know what his plan was because he never tells her anything so she goes out and pursues him- Could even be the main antagonist besides just idk self-hate and townspeople lol, like she thinks Kuro is keeping him prisoner or something and also because she kinda represents the same kinda social trauma Kabru has, where she's strict about conforming and being an irreproachable undeniable human so she kind of wants to drag him back to that state he was in of anxiety over acting and being human enough...... But of course in the ultimate confrontation when she has her staff pointed at Kuro and they talk, she's hurt by him not confiding in her and thinking of her as someone who wouldn't help, but she understands and stops and yay happy ending :> And if we want them to be in this Holm and Dia may be allies I feel 🤔Like maybe they help out Kabru when they see him, help him escape their human village at one point or something, Holm is quite nice and cares for spirits and Dia's fled her home too so they kinda get it in a way, it'd contrast Rin... This isn't about the Laios party lol. Rin & Mickbell shenanigans would lowkey be fun like maybe Mickbell tricks Rin into thinking Kabru IS there against his will so she can take him away and the status quo of Mickbell not having to share Kuro with anyone is preserved, or maybe they just shittalk and grumble together. Gbdgd this is a plotline about accepting change and these two are noooot happy about it

So yeah he hates being a monster that's the schtick!! Won't a cool dog man pleaseeee turn me human again. Surely he can do that right. So he goes to live with this feared coolass magicky guy and that guy's little guy at his weird home and through making connections and self-love the curse you actually unknowingly put on yourself gradually lessens and disappears, but you don't care anymore because that's the point 😌 Which is why I call it a Howl's Moving Castle recolor gdbd

Kabru is usually the voice of reason within kurokabu so it's really fun switching the roles in that way. If you're just stumbling into this and are sooo confused first of all congrats on getting so far second I can't overstate how unironic this is + if you want more explanation about the ship I made a brainstormy manifesto here <3 Like, did you know Kuro's name is actually Yodan? He was likely called Kuro by Mickbell due to the language barrier. In this AU it's because no one's interested in him as a person so people just give him an ominous title that means black. But Kabru learning his name and Kuro willingly giving away that information and Kabru feeling the weight of it because he really thinks this'd allow him to control him (he can't actually control bc he's not a demon! No one's a demon yay! Just weirdo humans who get otherized)......

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other vers because I 1) really like it and 2) am very indecisive. I overthink every single slight color change I stg lol

Sigh....... Like bro what if we were both so so far away from home and we knew we can't really go back and we've made our peace with that but man I miss not having been ripped away from my homeland and we are both so so isolated in our own ways in our presents and with a small yet gigantic gesture of compassion and of seeing each other we can learn and grow together with secret study dates where I teach you how to communicate the same way you're teaching me your language, we are both reaching across to each other we are both finding in one another a presence and humanity that feels so rare anywhere else. A sliver of warmth a sliver of home but also a sliver of the new, and embracing that things are changing and that we've changed and wow the animality within humanity and the humanity within animality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey bro your humanity I am only now fully grasping and coming to terms with is so hot bro............ What if your beastly features ended up making me more comfortable in my own stinky human animal flawedness bro........ What if we could just be together reassured through each other that we're human enough no matter what and that's all we need to just be and wahhhhh aughhhhh

Kurokabu is Kuro needing to choose between Kuro and Yodan. Kurokabu is needing to feel comfortable in animality within humanity. What if we stopped repressing ourselves 🫶

[buckbuckleyscouch]

crazy to me that eddie was an entirely reasonable level of frustrated at his friend acting genuinely insane and unfair and now some people are trying to stab him with knives about it.

[americankimchi]

wish i knew what to do with this helpless frustration i feel every time i see people vilify the jedi for their way of life when the person doing the vilification doesn't even understand them properly. it's one thing to criticize and dislike them if you have an accurate picture of who they were and what they're trying to do vs. hating them because you straight up don't understand them at all 😭

[xerith-42]

Y'all will say an m/f relationship is "Yuri to me" and then not even headcanon them as trans feminine you just like calling male characters girl terms and nicknames because you find it demeaning and/or cute

[hibernating-stag]

God I still haven't gotten over the gut punch that was Millia saying "God, I hope not."

That ending is seared into my subconscious.

[fishparasite]

"your father thinks it's all my fault, your sister thinks it's all my fault, you think it's all my fault" okay at a certain point you have to look inward and ask yourself "am i making life difficult for everyone around me?"

[girlivealwaysbean]

.

[linguenuvolose]

I do a lot of translation in my job and I've started enjoying it so much more since I started letting myself be a bit more free in my translations. Communicating the message and the vibe is more important than the phrase structure or wording being exactly the same.

[volivolition]

what's the theme you're fucking going for here voliiii!!! what are you fucking getting at!!! what are you trying to say, what's the point??