#I wish it was acknowledged more in fandom spaces

[jlf23tumble]

"#but again--nonfandom friends not marinating in gifs from 14 years ago 24/7 #there's a very binary attachment to early larry video proof that current-day larries CLING to as current-day proof"

this is it right here, fans are marinating. i don't think it's very good for fans to be stuck in 2011-2015, being mega fans of 1D included. it's like how the Harry Potter fandom is still so strong years and years after the story ended. A good story can continue on as a fandom forever, which is what I think is happening with larry/1D. The problem is these are real people, and the "story" we know about them is through minutes of their lives, seen through screens, then slowed down into gifs and cut into videos, and then dissected again through fan interpretations and fanfic. This "story" is then used as justification for all kinds of bad fan behavior in the current real lives of Harry and Louis.

Once you step out of this fandom space for a year, it's very easy to let go of larry and 1D, because it doesn't exist in current year.

Oh, I agree, and having non-fandom friends who are open to all kinds of thoughts only underlines that removal underlining the negative space of it all. And to be clear, I personally don't mind if someone wants to marinate in content from more than a decade ago, enjoy!--I take offense when there's a hostile refusal to open ANYTHING up to context, to consider ANY other option because it flies in the face of the binary, and let's be real, fanfic-based/steeped in amber view of larryTM (caveat: I say this as someone who still vividly remembers being told how I should just kill myself because I suggested two famous teenagers fucked back in the marination years, oh how the turns table). I really am curious about new fans, the ones who are just coming in to the purely giffed and fully removed from context years, because not many self-proclaimed gold-star larries even bother to look at the two-minute clips from which so many beloved gifs stem from (truly sad, so much more proof from that particular moment in time)--what's that like now, so far removed in 2024? Especially when you have so many solo albums' worth of lyrics (and those from the last album from the band) pointing to something so much more nuanced? I would imagine it feels kinda hostile, which makes me sad because there IS room for nuance, and even if you aren't in that fandom, or you've stepped away, you can still see echoes and enjoy some seemingly basic concepts that simply aren't embraced because you aren't a true believer, right? I have two hands and a brain, I can imagine all kinds of shit (that if it's not too far off the mark isn't miles away, if you feel me)

[hoziersong]

do you mind if i ramble in the tags about my weird relationship with making art in fandom for a second

[frownyalfred]

Hi. I'm not a canon purist and enjoy some fanon content very much, but I do think people in the fandom should at least familiarize themselves with the canon content and source material. It's easier to break the "rules" so to speak and experiment with canon when you know what that actually is. I've noticed a lot of fans that are only familiar with fanon criticise content that doesn't line up with what they believe to be canon but isn't. The Red Hood for example. I've seen writers who portray him as the violent criminal he is in much of the canon be completely decimated by Jason fans who only know fanon and the retconned version of Red Hood and completely deny canon even exists and refuse to even glance at the comics. Transformative works are important and playing in the sandbox is for everyone but fandom literally cannot exist without canon. Canon is important and people can do whatever they want with it but they should respect it enough to at least look at it.

Hi anon, I'm going to hold your hand as I say this, and I will say it as gently as I can: This is still a form of canon purism.

We can absolutely agree that readers shouldn't berate or abuse writers for how they choose to portray characters in fic, whether that's a more canon-faithful characterization or a popular fanon version. If readers don't like how a character is portrayed, we should encourage them to hit the back button instead.

I want to draw your attention to some of the words you used in your ask above: "should" "respect" "decimated" etc. Those are some strong words to describe how you think people need to behave, in order to exist in fandom. Of course, there is no fandom without canon source material -- I'm not denying that. But with such a wide and varied canon, the DC fandom has examples of the Red Hood you mention above, AND the "retconned" version you also reference. Both are canon, as in actually, officially, canon. WFA is canon, and that Red Hood looks very different from the Red Hood you describe.

Now, I think your issue is that you enjoy a certain version of canon, and you're frustrated that the fandom doesn't also, as trends ebb and flow, enjoy that canon as much as you do. Again, I want to acknowledge that just because a certain version is popular, it doesn't give folks the right to berate authors for writing a different version. But again, I don't think that's what we're really talking about here. From your ask's tone, I think you're suggesting that people should, in order to participate in fandom, read that older canon, that different version, or as you say, "glance at it" before enjoying or writing the fanon version.

Guess what? They actually, really, really, don't have to. It sounds like you have some issues with judging your fellow fandom members who don't read what you do or reference certain canon. But the magic of this fandom is, you can enter it at any point. We're a big pool, and if someone's entry point is the Lego Batman movie and that's it, that's still valid.

Fandom stems from canon, yes, but I almost never hear people talk about movies, or web comics, or other media when they talk about "required reading." It's always a comic. I really wish people would reflect on that before suggesting it as the one true path to being a fan.

The other thing I don't see asks like these reference ever is the reality that sometimes a fandom outstrips its canon material, and that that's an eventuality in some spaces. Fanon interpretations become popular, and people write about those specific characterizations or scenarios. They ebb and flow, like I mentioned, and some are more canon-faithful than others. Some completely reject canon, and again -- it's still fandom. It doesn't make it better or worse than a more canon-faithful fic. It's just different.

I had a couple asks about this topic a few weeks ago, and I'm assuming you haven't read those or you likely wouldn't have sent me this ask. But in them, I discuss how sometimes we need to suck it up and be unhappy that canon-faithful fics aren't as popular in a fandom at a specific time, and stop punishing fellow fans for writing and enjoying those fics. And we really need to stop shitting on them publicly on Tumblr.

Because often, what you're really saying is that you wish more people would write more canon-faithful fics, and stop writing ones about fanon topics you don't enjoy or think are accurate. And to that, I again say, there is nothing you can or should do to change that behavior from others. If you want to read it, write it, enjoy it, etc, do it yourself. Build the comic-faithful community here, write fics and promote challenges, create a discord channel and discuss your "required reading" there.

We are all writing and reading fanfiction at the end of the day. It is a great equalizer in many ways. My silly Lego Batman fic is just as valid as a canon-faithful rewrite of a certain Batman issue. One is not better than the other, or more deserving of respect. You will never get me to admit otherwise on this blog.

tl;dr: people should absolutely not berate authors who choose to write canon-faithful characterizations. however, there are layers of judgement and disdain many DC comics canon-faithful authors/readers have for their fellow fans that I think we need to examine critically in order to coexist respectfully.

[theunsinkableship1]

If You Know You Know

I don’t know how many times I’ll have to say this, it must be tiring for some, but I need to reiterate this CLEARLY to be properly understood:

I WILL NEVER SHIP THEM WITH ANYONE ELSE.

This makes absolutely no sense to me. The only reason I’m here is to support Luke and Nicola as a couple. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I won’t do it again after them. Hopefully, if they become an official couple, I’ll step away because my purpose will be fulfilled.

I joined this fandom because I saw something extraordinary between them, something I’ve never witnessed in my entire life. Their connection felt so unique and undeniable. Other relationships, real or supposed, simply don’t matter to me in this context. I initially believed people supported them because they, too, recognized the magic between them. But clearly, that’s not the case for everyone, which is disappointing.

To me, there’s no point in being part of the Lukola fandom if you don’t genuinely support both of them together. To be clear, I deeply admire and respect both actors, and I support their careers wholeheartedly. But that’s not why I’m here. I’m not here to support two talented actors, I’m here for their LOVE, for that incredible bond they share.

I’ve seen many relationships in my life, but nothing like this. Their dynamic is something rare, something worth rooting for.

To be a true shipper is to stand firm in your belief, to celebrate the connection you see and cherish without hiding behind the guise of "realism" or "pragmatism" to spread negativity. If you don’t believe in the ship, that’s fine, but then, why stay? Why participate only to criticize those who do have faith?

Truly shipping them isn’t about constant doubt or spreading cynicism; it’s about what you see and feel between the two people you root for. For those of us who support Lukola, our belief stems from the extraordinary connection we’ve witnessed between Luke and Nicola. It’s something that doesn’t come along every day.

It’s not about shipping every supposed relationship they might have, that approach dilutes the magic of what we see in them. Even if they confirm that they are indeed in those relationships, will I support those ones? Not really because I’ve seen many of those; if they love it, I like it .Their lives, their choices. Not every relationship needs to be shipped, and that’s okay. If Lukola isn’t your ship, then jump ship. No one is asking you to believe, but also, don’t bring your doubt and negativity into a space meant for those who trust and support this connection.

This space is for believers, for those who see and celebrate something extraordinary. If you can’t see it or choose not to, that’s fine, but don’t pollute the energy of those who do. We’re here for Luke and Nicola together, and our faith in them doesn’t need validation from those who don’t share it. Let us enjoy this space as it’s meant to be a celebration of love, connection, and the beauty of their bond.

It’s not about being delusional or not accepting the facts as reality. It’s about recognizing something profound, something rare that transcends other real or supposed connections. We don’t believe their bond is just platonic, just PR, or just friendship. If you still think that you need actively LISTEN and pay a closer look and EAR at what is publicly available. It goes beyond that. What we see is something that defies the boundaries of ordinary relationships.

This isn’t about diminishing the significance of other relationships they may have; it’s about acknowledging that what Luke and Nicola share is singular, a once in a lifetime kind of connection. It’s not something that can be replicated or overshadowed. It’s more.

This ship isn’t built on superficial observations or wishful thinking, it’s rooted in what they’ve shown us. It’s something you don’t see every day, and certainly not in every connection. It’s about believing in the rarity of what they have and celebrating it for the unique bond it is.

For those of us who believe, this feels more like something bigger, more meaningful, and more enduring than any fleeting moment.

This corner of the internet wasn’t created to be all things to all people, it was built with a clear and intentional purpose: to celebrate, believe in, and support the connection between Luke and Nicola. It’s a space rooted in trust, admiration, and the shared belief that what they have is rare and extraordinary.

If someone finds that they no longer resonate with that purpose, that’s okay. People grow, perspectives shift, and interests change. But the respectful and graceful thing to do is to quietly take your leave. Staying to criticize or sow negativity only detracts from the energy and intention of the space, which is to uplift and celebrate, not to argue or debate.

This community thrives on faith and positivity. It’s for those who still see the magic, who choose to believe, and who want to nurture a space filled with that same belief. If that’s no longer where your heart lies, it’s perfectly fine to move on, do the same if you think that we’re crazy, but let us continue to build on the foundation that brought them here.

"If you know, you know."This phrase perfectly encapsulates what it means to believe in something that isn’t always spelled out but is undeniably felt. Like the kind of connection that doesn’t need an announcement because it’s there, plain as day, for those who see it.

“If you know, you know" speaks to the undeniable energy and chemistry between Luke and Nicola. In their silence, because sometimes, what’s not said speaks louder than words.

For those who know, no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t, no explanation will ever be enough. That’s the beauty of it. Some things are felt, not proven, and if you know, you know.

[housederiva]

monarch why do we hate gaider i'm so behind the times

I'm gonna start out by pointing out that it's wild to dislike someone just because a large group of people (ie a fandom space) say they're a Bad Person™ and that it's important to form your own opinions away from herd mentality

Around 2010 he called the qun a “militant islamic borg” and that's something a lot of folks latched onto and haven't let go of 16 years later, however once it was pointed out relatively soon after how buck ass wild of a take that was he corrected himself: “As soon as it was pointed out to me,” he shared, “I was like ‘Oh wow, I did not mean it that way.’ It was in a thread where I was talking about… this is early, this is before Dragon Age: Origins even came out, and people wanted to know more about the world, and they were looking for analogies between real world history and what was going to be in Thedas.”He cringed and acknowledged that he could see the harm in his words, however.Pretty much looks like a mistake he wish he hadn’t said to me. No use in trying to make it stick for all eternity. x

I'm not going to make a Gaider Call Out Post in the year of our Maker 2025 the length of my forearm, but my personal dislike of him stems from how he's viewed elves and, by extension, the dalish in the past as someone with indigenous family By claiming that the ancient elves were to blame for their enslavement

Other folks feel free to chime in but if you're going to claim something I want you to add a source link

[uriekukistan]

i wanna talk about this thing gege said

i’ve seen a lot of people saying that this is a bad way to write a story, and i couldnt disagree more. from a writer’s perspective, there is no reason to kill off a character if it’s not going to have impact.

in any case, i think this reaction points out two things i’ve noticed about the jjk fandom.

i. jjk fans prioritize enjoyment of characters over the plot

which is fine, i guess. i’m not gonna begrudge any readers the space to enjoy their fav characters. however, what i disagree with is the constant trashing of gege and jjk as a story because the narrative doesnt treat the characters as you want it to.

i mostly talk about these things from the perspective of someone who has been writing for a while, so i will take a second to acknowledge from the reader perspective. it’s easy to get attached to characters and see them as real people in your life.

but they arent real people. they only exist for the author’s intentions. every time i see someone complain that “x character only died because plot” i just think “yes?” characters exist for the plot. they exist to serve the narrative. they live and die for the plot, and that isn’t a bad thing. this is a story. that is how stories work.

with characters like gojo or choso, it’s easy to look back and see their character arcs and how their ends fit their purpose in the story, but i think people get so caught up in wanting to fuck the character, or fanon, that they forget their original purpose is to do what gege wants them to do.

this is a war against the most powerful, most evil sorcerer in history. of course characters are going to die, and of course it’s going to be characters we love. it’s honestly unrealistic to expect anything else.

and i think it’s really disrespectful to say so many rude things to gege because he is thinking about the story he wants to tell, and not the story that best suits your favorite character.

ii. few people want to feel anything from what they’re reading anymore

which again, is totally fine, but maybe read something else?

tragic stories have existed and enjoyed immense popularity for millennia. and theres nothing wrong with that. there’s nothing wrong with authors intentionally stirring up their readers’ emotions.

i wanna bring attention to the origins of the words “tragedy” and “catharsis”

“tragedy” is a genre that stems from greek drama based on human suffering and the terrible or sorrowful events that befall the main character. the intention of of tragedy is to invoke “catharsis”

“catharsis” is commonly used to refer to the purification of thoughts and emotions by way of expressing them. in terms of tragedy, this refers to arousing a negative emotion with the intention of expelling it so the audience can walk away feeling relieved.

for all intents and purposes, jjk is a tragedy. it’s meant to make you feel sad. that’s gege’s intention. yet every time people feel upset by a specific event, they call “bad writing.” if anything, according to what jjk is, it’s good writing if you feel sad.

i have seen some people say that jjk wasn’t set up this way, and i disagree so strongly that it’s hard to comprehend.

jjk0 ends with gojo having to kill his best friend, his one and only. tragedy. yuuta’s story is tragic too, having cursed rika and accidentally isolated himself just because he didn’t want her to die.

jjk starts with yuuji faced with execution just because because he wanted to honor his grandfather’s dying wishes. within a handful of chapters, there’s yuuji’s “death” and junpei, and there’s a clear set up of tragedy and repeated loss, despite characters giving their best effort.

i could get into how this relates to my interpretation of the themes of jjk, and sharing burden/responsibility to be stronger together, but that’s another point.

tldr; the point of this post is to say that gege killing characters and making readers feel sad is not bad writing or a bad narrative choice. it’s true to his intentions and the essence of jjk. if you don’t like that, then don’t read. but there’s no reason to disrespect gege and his hard work just because it’s not your cup of tea

[ringsofpowerconfessions]

"Not ship shaming at all, I truly believe in "ship and let ship". Everyone should be free to enjoy their own interpretations and preferences without being harassed for it. But as someone who ships Haladriel, I have to say that I really wish more of us would acknowledge and call out the toxicity that some members of our ship’s community have been directing toward others?..... I’ve seen fans of different pairings, especially non-Saurondriel ships, being attacked just for existing, for enjoying their own ships, or even for simply having different interpretations of the show. And some of these attacks have been downright violent and disgusting. What’s depressing is how often this goes unaddressed. It feels like too many people in our community are either looking the other way or outright pretending it’s not happening. I can understand that speaking up can be intimidating, especially when the loudest voices are often the most aggressive ones. But the truth is, this kind of behavior isn’t just hurting other fans, it’s also giving Haladriel/Saurondriel as a ship a bad reputation. It makes it seem like we're all okay with this level of harassment, that we're okay with violence, when in reality many of us aren’t. Silence can sometimes feel like complicity, and I don’t want to be part of a fandom culture that allows bullying and toxicity to flourish unchecked. Again, this isn’t about telling people what they can or can’t ship. It's basic decency and respect for fellow fans. No ship, no fandom space, should be a place where people feel unsafe or targeted just for engaging with the story in their own way. And I hope more Haladriel shippers, myself included, can start holding each other accountable so that we don’t let a vocal toxic minority define how the rest of the fandom sees us."

[fictionalreads]

I Wish I Loved You Like I Miss You

A/N: A short little thing while I try to get past a block on the boxer AU. Hope y'all like it! Title is from After All These Years by Camila Cabello.

Masterlist

Fandom: Bad Boys

Pairing: Armando Aretas x Reader

Summary: Armando runs into you after your break-up.

Warnings ⚠️: Angst.

The barista calling out your name is what caught Armando’s attention. It wasn’t an uncommon name, but it was like he instinctually knew it was you. Looking up, he saw you walk to the counter to grab your coffee. Your hair was longer than it was the last time he saw you, reaching mid-back now. It was now black rather than the chestnut brown he was used to, still curly as ever. You looked leaner with more defined arm muscles, maybe you had finally started that boxing class you’d always said you wanted to try. You smiled at the barista in thanks and his breath was taken away at the way it still shined.

Your smile had always been his favorite thing about you.

He wasn’t prepared to see you. He had thought about what he’d do or say to you if he ever did see you again from time to time but there was never a concrete plan. In the beginning, he thought it was temporary, that you’d come back and he’d beg for your forgiveness and you’d take him back. There was no way a love like yours could just be over without trying to fix things. He’d been prepared to give you whatever you wanted, if only to have you back. After a while he realized you meant it when you said you were done. He had been angry at first, thinking you were just like everybody else in his life, quick to use him for what you wanted before leaving him behind like he wasn’t worth it. As time went by, he realized it wasn’t that you thought of him as not worth it, you simply valued yourself more.

He could understand you needing to put your own peace and happiness ahead of his, especially because he never considered your needs the way he should have.

So he decided he would leave you alone if he ever saw you again. He’d give you the thing you wanted most, the space from him to move on and find better. He owed you that much. But seeing you now, he couldn’t let you pass him without a word. He wasn’t sure how to approach you, how to start an apology that you didn’t need from him.

How to ask for closure from you when you’d already found your closure by leaving.

You checked to make sure you had everything before making your way through the small crowd in the shop. You didn’t get frustrated with anyone, simply said excuse me and waited for them to move, no anger if they moved slowly. He had about five seconds before he lost his window of opportunity, but it was like he was frozen. Overcome with emotions that he couldn’t untangle enough to put into words. Guilt and yearning at the forefront.

Four

He couldn’t help but think of all the ways he’d sabotaged the relationship. All the times he’d started arguments because he was scared, afraid you’d decide not to love him after all. When he’d decided for you that you couldn’t possibly love someone like him. All the times he pushed your patience, trying to see how far he could push you before you broke.

Three

He had thought he’d made his peace with losing you but seeing you now brought back all those old feelings he’d once carried around. Maybe he hadn’t moved on as much as he’d pushed it all down in an effort to forget, to dull the pain of loss, because he craved the feeling he would get when you smiled at him. He wanted you to look his way, to simply acknowledge he was there. He wanted to be the center of your attention once more, vowing he’d do better at making you his in return.

Two

As you got closer to him, he noticed a ring on your finger. One that meant you’d clearly moved on, found the person who was able to give you what you needed, who didn’t take your love for granted. Someone you didn’t have to make excuses for, someone who prioritized you. Someone who was ready for you. Was it fair of him to bring up the turmoil when you were happy now?

One

A/N: I thought about writing if Armando reaches out to her or not and the consequences of whatever choice he makes, but I kind of like that it's open ended. Don't forget to comment, like and reblog!

Taglist: @d4rno @yeahnohoneybye @nelo0wesker

@omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @bootlegroach

[ghoulxh]

Light In The Shadows

Astarion x GN!Wizard!Reader

These pictures are not mine! You can find the originals on this Pinterest account!

MASTERLIST

Word Count: 700 Not Proofread Warnings: hurt/comfort, fluff, Cazador's name in the first sentence, maybe Astarion is a tiny bit out of character. If you'd prefer to read this on AO3.

A/N - Hi! This is my first time posting something I've written outside of the Ghost (band) fandom, but I've been playing BG3 since August and it's taken over my life. I might write for more BG3 characters in the future, but for now here's some Astarion since he's what got me into the game in the first place! <3

It had been a few days since Cazador was finally defeated, and Astarion had yet to acknowledge it. You’d given him as much space as he desired after swaying him away from the choice of completing the ritual and ascending himself and allowing him to deal with his grief in his way. Yet as his partner, you only wished to comfort him and help him deal with his loss.

As your other companions retreated to their tents for the night your eyes lingered on Astarion who remained seated by the dwindling glow of the campfire. The corner of your mouth twitched upward into a small smile as you watched Karlach pass by him and give him a firm pat on the shoulder with a reassuring nod.

You took a deep breath before finally going towards Astarion. You said nothing as you sat beside him, your eyes fixed on the dancing flames of the campfire before you. You left some room between yourself and Astarion, being cautious as the last thing you wanted to do was upset him any further.

“Once this is all over this is what I’ll be reduced to.”

You turned away from the fire and looked towards Astarion. “What?” 

“Once we’re all done with this tadpole business I’ll have to return to living in the shadows.” You hardly knew what to say. Was there even a cure for vampirism? Could you create one? “I’ll be alone one day once all of our friends and you…”

“Don’t say that,” you said quietly.

“But why not? It’s the truth is it not?” You stayed quiet for a few moments before speaking up again.

“You don’t have to do this alone, you know.” You reached over and placed your hand over his, your fingers slowly wrapping over his palm. He looked over at both of your hands and you noted the way his thumb caressed your fingers softly. “I’m with you until the end. If you’re cursed to live in darkness I’ll endure the curse alongside you.” 

Astarion finally lifted his head and looked at you, the soft look in his eyes was a sight of which you were sure you’d never grow tired.

“Besides these stars are beautiful,” You said, looking away from him to look up at the stars that had finally emerged. “And if these are not to your liking I remember the Underdark had some beautiful sights as well. A night under that Sussur tree I’m sure would be a night to remember.” 

Astarion smiled softly at your words. “I do not deserve you.” 

“Nonsense.” Astarion shuffled closer to you and pulled you into his arms as the fire in front of you became even dimmer. You rested your head on his shoulder as you both admired the stars in the distance. “And we can… pretend while we figure this out.” 

You held one of your hands out in front of the two of you, as your fingers brushed gently through the air golden threads of arcane energy came from your palm enveloping the two of you. The navy sky above you began to turn into a beautiful shade of light blue, the stars expanding into fluffy white clouds, and most importantly the moon faded from silver to gold. The ground changed from stone to grass.

The two of you were now sitting in a sunny field looking up at the sunny sky. Though Astarion could feel the slight chill of the night, he could also feel the warmth radiating off of you and that was more to him than any warmth the sun could ever offer him.

“You never cease to amaze me, my love.” You smiled as you melted impossibly closer to Astarion.

You had hope that one day the both of you could lay under the real sun together without the assistance of a Mind Flayer tadpole. Until then you’d follow him into the shadows. His love was all the light you could possibly need in your life, the same could be said for him. The light of the sun could never be compared to that of which he found in your eyes every time you smiled at him, and laughed with him.

Thank you so much for reading this if you made it all the way to the end!

Please consider reblogging! It's free, and it would really support my work! 🤍

[sapphicscholar]

CW discussion of racism, kink, transphobia, and sexual violence in fan works

Look, I wish this wasn’t something I had to say in 2024 in a space (fandom) that touts itself as queer and feminist and progressive but:

1) Kink is not a cover for forsaking sexual ethics. Just because a character is into something doesn’t mean that consent falls away as a concern or that their desires and pleasures outweigh their partner(s)’ needs and wants. Fic can be a space to explore desires that you’ve never actually lived—yes!—but that means it’s also a space for listening and learning from those who may chime in to say “this kind of behavior isn’t okay.” It’s okay not to know in advance, but redress needs to involve proper tagging and/or changing tracks with the way you write these kinds of dynamics

2) If you show a character saying “no,” “stop,” and “I don’t want this” on the page, particularly without any discussions (shown or implied) beforehand that would turn this sexual encounter into a carefully negotiated sexual scene with its own safe words or escape plan, the sex that follows is not consensual. That is rape. Even if you believe your characters love and desire each other, one person’s willfully ignoring another’s demand that they stop is rape. Full stop. And choosing to passive aggressively respond to a comment requesting proper tagging by noting that the chapter contains “very trace elements of dub-con” is actually far more disconcerting and harmful than not tagging it at all. I am decidedly not saying these works can’t exist, but proper tagging and acknowledgment of what is on the page (even when it’s your OTP) is necessary.

3) While reiterating that I am not opposed to the existence of works that don’t mesh with my personal politics or sexual interests, I want fans to sit with the question of why it is almost always women of color (and often woc who are conventionally feminine in canon) who are made in fic to occupy particularly violent and misogynistic butch/masc identities, transmasculinity, and/or gender fuck/play and who are written as enacting forms of sexual violence or other forms of harm on their white cis femme partners. Ask yourself why these characters are so often cast in these roles even when they are so far from anything like it in canon. (And tbc these are critical self reflections that should include but also extend well beyond baseline facts like the fact that trans and gender nonconforming people, esp trans and gnc folks of color, are far more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators of intimate partner violence.)

A wide variety of stories can and should exist in and outside of fan spaces. I’m not saying they shouldn’t! But nothing exists outside of its social contexts, and failing to be attentive to these larger questions is actively harmful to so many people for whom spaces of imaginative creativity should be a liberating and welcoming venue.

[jevilowo]

Not sure if ive already done this. But.

Predictions for COMIC 7

CHARLES DARLING WILL BE THE FINAL ENEMY besides Helen. Trust me on this one I swear they wouldn't have brought him in if they didn't have plans. ALSO the mother of the Mann triplets (Bette Mann neé Darling) was RELATED TO HIM HE'S RELEVANT. I'm so convinced he's the one Helen made a deal with and he's going to make a grab for Mann Co.

We'll get to see Bilious Hale in a flashback and find out what happened to him. Bilious Hale, oh guy who punched coal out of mines and sat on John Wilkes Booth while other people shot at him, my beloved. I hope they don't reveal he was a bad father or anything.

A woman is nice to Ms Pauling for once and she gets a smooch. She deserves it. Hopefully it won't be a smooch from Helen (DAMN YOU 4CHAN LEAKS), the old lady's had her hired since Pauling was in her mid teens.

WE GET HORSEMANN LORE! this is just wishful thinking on my part the Horsemann makes me insane. Shout out to Silas Mann fr. If he doesn't show up, I hope they at least acknowledge or reference him. I swear they had plans for him back in 2010. Which they then immediately abandoned in favour of developing Mann vs Machine.

Spydad reveal. Pretty much a given. No need to elaborate. I hope Scout’s mother shows up I love her.

Demo gets something important to do! He's only been there for comedic bits so far really, so I think he deserves some Serious Plot Stuff.

Build up to and cop out on Pyro face reveal. The whole thing of Pyro's character is the mystery, so I think the funniest way to go about a face reveal would be for us to only see the team's reactions and have them all react very differently e.g. Scout vomits, Demo gives them the thumbs up, Spy starts taking horrified notes, Engie looks vaguely lovestruck, Saxton Hale expresses annoyance that they aren't actually *insert obsucure species of something here* like he thought.

CONAGHER LORE!! By which I mean Engie shows up and has a chat with Fred about Radigan and immortality and whatnot. Fred has to have been spared from the bloodshed for a reason, right?

Classic Medic shows up! Or they confirm he is dead. Or they confirm he is Pyro which is a funny theory I read once but sincerely doubt. Maybe they'll pull a Bea and have him have been a girl the whole time.

I have a crackpot theory that Helen/Elizabeth is actually Bette Mann (again, mother of the Mann triplets), and while it's unlikely to be true, it would genuinely be so funny if I'm right so WATCH THIS SPACE. My main reasoning is Helen started her Australium search the year the triplets were born, aka the year Bette DIED, and also Bette is a nickname for Elizabeth. Also also it adds to my theory that she will team up with Charles Darling, who is, as I've already said, related to Bette.

Olivia gets to do something important also. Saying this bc she's mostly been a prop so far. I'm manifesting a sideplot where she summons the Horsemann to beat up Charles Darling for her.

Merasmus returns! Last we saw he was arrested, but Jay Pinkerton really likes his Soldier/Merasmus interactions so chances of him coming back are high.

There will be a joke like "geez it feels like it's been seven years since we beat grey mann" and a panel where everyone just lets that process before going back to plot stuff

Chances are, a new comic after so many years means there will be new writers, and the fandom has changed quite a bit since the last one. There will be SUBLIMINAL SPEEDING BULLET SHIPPING. There will be MORE FOCUS THAN IS REALLY NECESSARY on Scout. SOMEONE WILL THEY/THEM PYRO which sounds great actually you know what I forgot where I was going with this godspeed.

ZHANNASOLDIER WEDDING FINALE!!!

[verdantwyrm]

So you can absolutely delete this if you wish but I'm being kinda pissy

I swear most of this fandom hates Curly because he is a male

If Curly was sa'd by Jimmy I would hope the fandom would have treated him kinder but with the way they treat his mental/emotional abuse I don't have hope

If Curly was a girl, I bet I would see people calling her a pick me girl despite that fact that'd she still have been emotionally abused by Jimmy. Just the fact she'd wasn't sa'd would make her a "lesser victim"

This is how I see the majority of the people in the main tag

I would love to hope that in those supposed worlds that Curly would be understood as a victim but they don't even acknowledge he is one in this world

Even if they do they still call him awful

You and a few others are such a breath of fresh air from a fandom that almost made me drop this game and story

No no, you are very correct, anon! Men don't usually get taken seriously when they come forward about abuse, even more so because a large percentage of abusers just happen to be men, it makes people think that they're incapable of being abused or raped.

I do absolutely think that has an impact on how people treat the idea of Curly being a victim, either intentionally or subconsciously. And you're especially correct about the comment of if Curly was a girl, she would be treated just as worse because he trauma wouldn't be "as bad" as Anya's (being raped/assaulted) as it happens literally all the time irl and I've even experienced it myself on both ends in multiple situations.

People do make every excuse to hate on Curly, and I've never said he is completely innocent because he isn't, but he is in no way as guilty or as responsible as Jimmy is, but people love trying to make it out to be that way.

Thank you so much and I'm so glad you're able to enjoy the game despite the fandom being very annoying sometimes, I'm honestly still reeling from how much attention my posts have gotten, and I treasure every ask I get! Happy to be a part of such a space where I can speak my thoughts as they are. ⸜( ´ ꒳ ` )⸝

[olderthannetfic]

Being aroace on the internet is weird as someone that feels in general ambivalent/nothing towards shipping, because for whatever numbskull reason shipping discourse is what any random selection of aro, ace, or aroace people seem to be the most vocal about, in a very specific tone that implies that you are a bad person for writing anything shippy. Not just that it’s personally not their cup of tea, no, but they insist that the tea is itself poisonous. Because that random shipfic with 4 comments keyed their car and changed the canon. And I swear this pops up fairly frequently outside of fandom spaces aswell.

And it’s just. Idk I didn’t expect for this to be a thing I would need to filter people out for in my own community?

Maybe I’m just unlucky that I find the annoying people first and the impression of my own community is this, but man it sure feels like it’s so pervasive and for what?

Note: this lament is entirely in the context of fanfic. If I were ever to acknowledge every single crumb of nuanced discussion of fiction any at all and large, this ask would never end. I wish there was a more elegant way to say; please assume I am probably aware of your nuanced point and I’m pinpointing here a specific thing that kinda sucks.

--

[w1tchybusiness]

possible spoilers for Warframe: Jade Shadows ahead

i wish people would stop, take a breath, and actually think about jade shadows from an analytical place before they leave their reviews rather than just going "i think it's icky" because like. obviously it isn't perfect, i don't think anyone's arguing that, but it isn't gross or wrong- it's art, it's evocative, and it's going to resonate differently with everyone. i want to pick apart some common criticisms i've seen here from the perspective of someone who's played a lot of warframe and thought about some of the heavier themes present in the quest quite a lot.

It's weird that Jade is pregnant because I'm afraid of it/it's gross/it's fetishistic

Personal feelings of revulsion are not a reason to judge something on an objective level. It's perfectly valid to come out of Jade Shadows feeling weird about it- I do think that's kind of the point. The quest has a content warning before you begin it, because the subject matter is something that is really uncomfortable for a lot of people- that doesn't mean that the game shouldn't be allowed to explore it. Also, even if it was wrong to include something like this as fetish content, this argument would imply the game has already gone to weirder places. Looking at you, Grendel.

It's weird that they make the operator give birth via transference

This argument has a little more ground, but also kind of misunderstands how transference works. Yes, it is a hand-wavy "linking of the minds," but we do see clearly in quests like The Sacrifice that when linking with the more sentient frames like Umbra for the first time, the Operator is not fully controlling the frame. I think Umbra is the most appropriate comparison- when linking with Umbra properly for the first time, you don't immediately control Umbra- it's a more spiritual "linking souls helping him find peace" thing. I'd also say that even in the case the Operator was fully in control, I don't think what happened was remotely equatable to literally giving birth. Like. She breathed for 20 seconds and then dissolved into light and died, then there was a baby there. I don't know if you've ever seen a birth, but that isn't how it works. I feel like after all the shit our Operator has been through, "giving birth" through transference is kind of a drop in the bucket.

It's misogynistic to have Jade die in childbirth

????????

Ok. So let's pick apart the possible reasons that this would be misogynistic. Maybe fridging the woman? But. Not really, because she isn't really gone- the game even acknowledges that she will live on through you and through the motes in Hunhow's message. You can literally craft her and then boom, she's back. She may not have a gigantic speaking role, but no warframe does- hell, even the Stalker barely grunts out single words.

Another one I see a lot is the argument that her sole role in the quest is the whole "her whole personality is motherhood" situation- and that is fair, her role IS that- but that is the point of the quest. They hid this in the teasers because they wanted the reveal to be significant, not to intentionally obfuscate their misogynistic writing- while I certainly do agree that it is all too common for female characters to be pushed aside and relegated purely to motherhood, particularly in fandom spaces but that's an entirely different discussion. I think Warframe handled the motherhood issue well- a person used as a tool of unjust death for years (remember the Jade Light?) giving her own life to finally bring life into the world rather than taking it away- it clearly had purpose and thought behind it, and Warframe has already spent years providing female characters that don't revolve entirely around motherhood- though they aren't pushed into your face and provided immediately without any exploration, so it makes sense that some people on Tumblr would miss them. Warframes don't generally have fully fleshed-out personality- the more sentient frames like Dante and Umbra are an exception. Jade was on the verge of death, it's not shocking that we didn't see much of her personality. I don't doubt that we'll get some codex entries explaining more of her actual personality and story- the quest was just not the place and time.

At the end of the day, Warframe is a game about love, family, and sacrifice. Jade Shadows ticks all 3 of those boxes, probably in the most on-the-nose way we've seen yet. I'd love to make a post soon lauding the things I liked about it, the real narrative depth it presented, the meaning behind and the significance of the discomfort rooted in its themes, and its connections to Warframe's broader themes, but I've seen more negativity than positivity thus far which is... genuinely shocking. When I played it I had nothing but praise. Warframe's writing is usually a bit clunky, so I hadn't noticed anything particularly out of the ordinary, but a lot of people seem genuinely convinced that this expansion was somehow the worst we've ever seen when that is far from being the case. Operation Belly of the Beast has been a ton of fun, and the seeming finite nature of what's left adds a real gravitas to farming for Jade. I'm not shocked the quest itself felt a bit half-baked, I'm surprised they released this at all with 1999 coming up- I'm just happy to get some new content and a new frame whose concept I really enjoy.

[pinkyjulien]

I did not expect hostility over my Flat Chest mod, so I'll half acknowledge it and kill some of the assumption before they take roots in other people's minds

No, I did not make this mod *because* I refuse to support Na's flat chest mod

Initial Mod idea was a working "binder" for Fem, something you'd equip to flatten the chest- like a real life binder, basically. It's part of my To-Do list of June, for Pride

The mod evolved as I got more ideas, I also started working on a body replacer, it's basically ready to ship as well, but I decided against it; not to step on toes and causing confusion with two "flat chest" body mods, knowing there is also another one in the work from a fellow modder

(the binders themselves will come much later, and will be available for both fem and masc body frames!)

Again, the mod started as a "binder"- I mentioned it multiple times, either in servers where I started sharing the idea, and in the tags of my mod post

"Binders" are not costumes. They are gender affirming aid, something a lot of person use; I've made a couple of "wearable" / "switchable" body parts mods in the past already, including a trans masc vagina, I really hope you don't see this as a costume as well?

In the universe of Cyberpunks, implants and synth skin are used by everyone, for all kind of purpose; GNC people, trans people and gender-fluid people would probably use implants and cyberware to sculpt themselves, feel comfortable in their body

Who's to say some rich citizen wouldn't have some fancy switchable body pieces- hell it's even canon in game, Mr.Stud and Mrs.Midnight? Switchable boobs are already a thing, I don't see what's wrong with switching up for a flatter chest

The survey's results aren't out yet, so I couldn't know. But that's beside the point, as my mod isn't a "bandaid" for any issue this fandom may have

If the name is causing trouble, I'm open to changing it; but the main goal, again, was to flatten the vanilla fem V chest, and I think "flat chest" is pretty straight forward for nexus users

Mmmh. Sorry but, no

Everyone is different and handle their own space differently, and I do not want to support people who did me, or my friends, any serious mental health damage. Be it from harassement, witch hunt and whatnot

I won't be dragging in there old drama from 2 years ago, but I simply won't support someone who tried to get a friend of mine fired from their work place, threatening to send a 30+ pages google doc to their leads and boss, and dragging all of their personal beefs to the public on multiple social medias. They ruined my friend's mental health, and I simply won't forgive nor forget.

That is my right. And I wish people would accept and respect that.

I won't tell anyone who to support or what mod to use/not use, NOBODY should tell you what to do, what to support, who to like or dislike; and nobody can control who I must support and what I must do. Simple as that

And I'm glad the flat chest body mod exist for people who wish to use it! I'm offering another option that I'm sure some people will find useful

Thank you :)

People already gave me trouble in the past for "doing work that already exist"

Those past few weeks has been eventful when it comes to "drama" especially involving Zwei, who's notorious for having a modding monopol and gatekeeping ideas in general

Let's not bring that same mindset here, yeah?

Everyone is free to mod what they want, whatever body they want, to refit what they want!

Again, just to point it out, mod isn't there to fix a problem, that's just a mod I wanted to make

It's a brand new mod, meaning it needs refiting; I did not test the flat chest bodymod, nor tried the already existing vanilla refit. And I won't, for the reasons I cited aboved a few lines before.

I'm glad you agree! Nobody has to do things they don't want to

You call it disingenuous, and I call it having principles/self respect; again, crazy how different people are from one another, and how we just can't assume everyone work and react the same as we do

I see, I see, the name is a big issue; I'm open to suggestion, feel free to leave a reply and I'll see what catches my eyes

Cause It's still my mod, so I get to decide

Anyway, hope this cleared up a few things, and sorry this made people upset!

For everyone else, thank you for the support 🧡

[violetmuses]

Loose Ends - M. Lowrey 🚔🖤

Title: Loose Ends - M. Lowrey 🚔🖤

Fandom: “Bad Boys” Universe 

Character: Mike Lowrey 

Pairing: Mike Lowrey + Female Reader 

Main Storyline: When Detective Mike Lowrey needs a favor, who knows what could happen next?

@nelo0wesker @sofia-da-1st

====

1995

“I'll pay right under the table. No backup involved.” Detective Mike Lowrey wanted to enter this prison with you, one of the covert specialists. 

“Who are we visiting?” You whispered behind closed doors as officers and other staff members filed out. Marcus Burnett already drove home. 

“Isabel Aretas.” Mike revealed, almost nervous regardless.

“Benito’s wife?” Files detailed the Aretas Cartel for quite some time. 

“Yes.” Mike nodded, crawling through the proverbial abyss. 

“Don't you dare.” You pulled defense, angered and scared all at once. “She could kill us.”

You've heard too many stories, especially when Isabel turned lethal with dark magic. 

“Not now. She's incarcerated with a child.” Mike explained more and still leveled his voice. 

“What the hell?” You then stepped back, flabbergasted.

Benito Aretas stood infertile and this side of the family hadn't even adopted children, not based on your notes anyhow. 

“Everything will make sense when we get there, all right?” Mike grabbed his coat and you sprint toward Miami's heated night, just bewildered. 

______

The darkened hall grounded identical cells up and down every single wall. Metal clanked alongside vocal noise as you walked right near Lowrey. 

“Hola, mami!

“Hey, girl.” 

Bring her over here, man!” 

People kept shouting, but you ignored everyone and headed in the opposite direction. At least this facility volunteered guards around you and Mike. 

Another wing organized placements for children and mothers. Sleazy remarks would no longer echo from all corners of this large-scale building. 

Instead, your heart would break every time babies started crying.  

“Isabel?” Mike stepped toward the final placement and stood with you. 

Isabel, this drained yet beautiful and dangerous woman, glanced up while holding an infant. 

“Hola. ¿Quién es?” Isabel stands to greet Lowrey from this space and continues holding her child, but faces you as well. 

“One of my partners.” Mike cleared his throat and acknowledged you. 

“Hola, Señora. Este niño es muy lindo.” You offered Spanish with Isabel due to your profession. 

“Muchas gracias, su nombre es Armando." Isabel kissed the baby's cheek and told you his name. 

Moments later, the baby cooed regarding Mike and smiled without teeth. 

“Hey, man.” Mike waved toward the child and genuinely beamed, almost laughing

Within seconds, dots finally connected in your head. 

Badass Mike Lowrey had a son. 

“He's so adorable.” Despite the realization, you pulled together and still compliment this moment. 

“Not even a year old.” Isabel traded accented English, but visitation concluded before you really talked. 

“Gotta go, bye little man.” Mike's voice would echo in the distance as you left with security

And before time dwindled further, baby Armando wailed through tears. 

=====

2024 

“Gotta visit somebody. Wanna ride?” Detective Lowrey spoke up again. Almost two decades later, you remained loyal with the Miami precinct. 

“No other choice.” You jokingly rolled both eyes and reached the passenger seat of Mike's famous Porsche. Family time still kept Marcus Burnett home. 

_____

“Armando?” Mike questioned his son while standing in front of this prison cell with you. 

“Didn't think I'd see you again.” Armando faced Mike, but realized your presence just like his now late mother. “Who's that?”

“My old partner, she was there when you were really little.” Mike nodded toward you. 

“I hoped that you wouldn't move like the family, but it's wishful thinking at this point.” You shake your head, disappointed that such an adorable child walked this horrible path in adulthood. 

“My mother's choice.” Armando said. 

“I know, but we actually have an opportunity for you. Interested?” You continued. 

“Yeah.” Armando took this moment and you veiled the genuine smile that almost reached your face. 

Second chances made a difference.