#I’m just engaging with the source material in the way you are not and that’s fine

[kacievvbbbb]

I think you are looking way too much into it being something it really isn’t.

It’s very much true that Anya sees Yor as her safe zone, always feeling safe whenever Yor’s nearby, especially since she’s capable of doing it in a physical sense BUT that does not dismiss her role as the nurturer. Yor’s limitation in house care lies in cooking, which is indeed associated with gender stereotypes but that’s where it all ends. Yor still embodies all these traits. She also shops, helps Anya, and even gives Bond baths. Heck, she’s actually wants Anya to go to school like a normal child would. The fact she’s the emotional back is pretty much proves it. It’s just that now, she’s extremely and physically capably of protecting Anya too.

This leaves us with Loid and Anya’s relationship. And the story is showing that Loid is ultimately Anya’s hero. She practically idolizes him and practically mimics him. She initially is only interested in being his child for the excitement of espionage but after being enticed by the motivation in being a spy, she sees him more than just a cool spy but an actual father she wants to be with.

Anyway, maybe apart from the fact the female character is stronger than the male, which isn’t that uncommon as one thinks eg Akame Ga Kill (Also see “Strong Girl, Smart Guy” on TV Tropes) Loid and Yor aren’t meant to be a “gender inversions” of each other. It’s just mother being a child’s safety and comfort with a physical embodiment twist on Yor’s part.

Look it’s really just all my opinion. Like I said it’s probably not a huge thing it was just something I noticed and thought was nice. And I’m not saying that you have to agree with me but asking me to expand on a point and then just saying I’m looking too deeply at things that aren’t there is a little disingenuous in my opinion.

And Very much did not say Yor was not a nurturer ofcourse she takes care of Anya like she’s her mother. I just pointed out something that I noticed and is brought up continuously online in the story Yor felt inadequate at being a wife and mother and it was literally eating her up inside and a huge reason why was because she couldn’t do these “wifely” duties like cooking etc. I don’t know what to tell you dude that’s a gender role and one that seems to be heavily enforced by the society they live in so the fact she not only can’t do it but is extremely horrible at it and Loid not only doesn’t care but happily takes on the duty himself that’s a subversion. (Also bathing a dog especially a big dog in traditional stereotypes would have been one of those chores assigned to a man like taking out the trash or mowing the lawn so yeah at least in the traditional 50s house wife era)

I was talking strictly in Stereotypes assigned to specific roles in the household and how they are typically assigned to gender. Not who is the more emotionally available of the two. Literally why I said it’s not a full gender flip where Yor is the “father” and Loid the “mother” I think you’re the one looking into what I’m saying too deeply to argue against something I really didn’t bring up.

Loid also plays stereotypical husband and father “duties” he’s obviously the breadwinner, he’s the disciplinarian and Yor takes his lead more often that not (mostly because she felt like an intruder in his family and house but still), he trains the dog, is cool, calm and collected, deadpan all those things you usually associate with a strict but loving father and yes ofcourse Anya looks up yo him and thinks he’s cool and she wants to help him on his mission. And like I have a whole post about Anya and Loids relationship the one u made was just about Yor. I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that I think Loid and Anya’s relationship is surface level because it’s not and I never implied such. (Also Loid was the person that took her out of the orpahanage of course she idolizes him and they hadn’t even met Yor yet)

Again never tried to imply that spy x family is the only place that has strong female character I watched Kim possible growing up I definitely know they exist. Didn’t try to say that they didn’t. But like they are few and far between like think how many shows, shonen especially, can you name where the female lead is not only a great fighter but the strongest person in the show (that we’ve seen)? I’m sure there’s some but it is very much a losing game.

Yors struggles with what it means to be a mother and a wife in a way that is very removed from her own personal femininity living in a society that has as we have seen very strict social laws that people do anonymously and regularly enforce for fear of “suspicion”. That is a lot to deal with and while the dissection of what it means to be a mother is more recently shown in movies and TV it’s still not exactly common and it is nice to see it done in subtle but cognizant way.

I don’t know how to explain that in a world with as many strict social laws as the one they inhabit (and even the one we inhabit) showing Yor fumbling a bit with traditional “motherly/wifely duties” and despairing that all she brings to the table is brute strength (something she’s very much in canon has been told is unattractive) and to have not only those fears assuaged but also reinforce that to the people she cares about her strength IS what makes her so good at her “job” is her care. That’s a gender inversion dude I don’t know what to say. To me this differs from other Strong Girl/Smart Guy tropes because it actually actively engages with gendered roles and what it means to not quite fit in but want too in away that not every show that has those tropes does.

Look at the cooking thing look how it goes from Yor wanting to do it to prove she can be a good mother and wife TM to wanting to do it so she can provide this form of love to her family and the people she loves and she does it by cooking a dish that she loves. I don’t know man it’s great.

I just don’t think you can single out a very minutia throw away point I made in the rags of an entire post and ask me to explain and then get uppity that I’m “looking into it too deeply” don’t know what you expected to happen dude you’re the one that asked and I tried to explain as best I could. I don’t think spy x family is some feminist manifesto or whatever and as I said repeatedly don’t even know how much of it Endo is doing on purpose but he is doing some of it on purpose and there is a point to it. And honestly I don’t think me examining the recurring details layed out in a story all about looking under the surface is thinking to deeply about it. Because sure a lot of the times it’s played for laughs its a comedy first and foremost but not always and the ability to look at the little funny bits make the deeper emotional moments hit harder. So yeah 👍🏿

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

personally I think it’s a shame how fandoms “died” too soon these days. I’m not talking in literal sense and I know there are people who stay passionate about their fandoms long after the hype is gone. I’m talking about the “popularity” and how people in general engage with a piece of media they like and how fast they let the hype die down? I don’t know if I’m making any sense, but what I’m trying to say is a fanfic or a fan art of a show that is recently released will get tons of likes, comments, reblogs which is great. but the engagement for fan made content about that same show usually drops drastically — and I mean drastically — once the show is no longer “recent”. and I’m not even talking about when the show is several years old. because you can see the significant drop of engagement a fanfic or fan art about that show receives once the show is like a month old or two. it’s discouraging how most people tend to lose interest and stop engaging with fanfic / fan art once its source material is no longer “new and shiny”.

especially when writing fanfics and creating fan art take time. writers and artists often receive less engagement / appreciation for their works if they take “too long” to create and the source material is no longer “new and shiny” and so people move on to something else that’s new and shiny. it’s heartbreaking to see.

obviously this is in no way to manipulate or guilt trip people into engaging with anything. because yeah you can do whatever you want. this isn’t to force, manipulate or guilt trip anyone into liking or reblogging a fan work or anything. this is just me hoping people will one day take things slower and enjoy things they’re passionate about longer like how we used to in the past.

[parasolladyansy]

10 People I’d Like to Know Better Tag

Got tagged by @annchovi! LOL, let’s do this! ^o^/

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Last Song: ÅMARA (sasakure feat. Hatsune Miku & KAITO) - there is a very cool Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom animation with this song by Dogfish!

Favorite Color: light blue 🩵 most of what I own is this color (like this blog lol) or like my cloudy clothes - some examples below! ☁️

Even my engagement ring is a beautiful light blue topaz - just as a reminder that you don’t have to have a diamond if there’s a color or stone that means more to you! 💍

Last Book: I actually can’t remember (I read a lot of random books from the library), so I’ll just give a shout out to one of my favorite graphic novel series, “Wonder Cat Kyuu-Chan”! Very, very wholesome. Might just reread them! 📖

Last Movie: again, I’m not sure (because I don’t watch a lot of movies lol). Might’ve been Transformers ONE (Very good! Very true to the source material!).

If this is for the “last movie I saw in theaters”, it was Wicked (can’t wait to watch part 2 even if part 1 was a marathon)

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Last Game: Still Tears of the Kingdom, though I’ve also been playing a special new save in Pokémon Sword, hehehe! ⚔️

Last Show: Bee & Puppycat 🎀

I prefer to watch the YouTube series (including the pilot!), then watch Lazy in Space from episode 5 - episodes 1-4 is a retelling of the YouTube series & I don’t like it as much lol.

Sweet, Spicy, or Savory: Sweet! 🧁 Though I have this thing where I eat a sweet & then want something savory, & vice versa lol XD

Here’s two of my favorite baking books - I’ve made many wonderful desserts from both, they’re very simple to follow, & just about every recipe has a suggested flavor variation!

Relationship: married to my favorite person in the whoooooooole multiverse…whose birthday is tomorrow today (oops, past midnight)! Send him some birthday wishes! 🎂

I’m gonna make him a spice cake from the Snacking Cakes book, & give him an updated matching phone wallpaper (since this current one I made is a couple years old lol) 🩵🩵🩵

Last Internet Search: apart from searching for images for this silly tag Deerling images for my Deerling’s birthday gift (might be kinda late - my schedule’s been thrown all the way off lately =7=)

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Tags if You Wanna Play!

@nartothelar

@theoddbun

@choochooboss

@djfan-naftv

@askdepotagentjosh (as Josh lol)

@beewitched-monday

@grubbin22

@gaysealprobably

@leech-eyez

@waywardstation

[absolutebl]

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

Boys in Love

Thai trailer

Our only true high school BL from GMMTV and it's fresh faces for the youths and old favs for the teachers. It's milk teeth Make it Right and that is perfectly fine with me! I like lotte milk. Also DIMPLES! Yay! I suspect they're using this one to test some new pairs for future seasons. Like a Project 101 Thai BL. (Honestly I just invented an amazing reality TV for you GMMTV, you're welcome.

Fight for You

Taiwan

Da Hei reluctantly takes on dangerous odd jobs to earn medical funds, unaware that his roommate Xiao Bai is secretly an operative sent by the intelligence agency to take them down.

Dare You to Death

Thai trailer

JoongDunk as police investigators in a mystery suspense thriller. Yes, I'm in. This is it. This it the one I wanted to instantly watch. Even though their's 20 BLs airing right now.

Interminable

Thai YouTube

BillyBabe are back in a reincarnation historical.

Love of Silom

Thai WeTV

UpPoom are back in another complex piece. Closeted brokenhearted policeman meets struggling single dad.

Mandate

Thai

A fierce political battle is the starting point of love between two men of different statuses and backgrounds, not to mention a 17 year age gap.

Me and Thee

Thai trailer

A photographer gets involved with the mafia? OMG is this a Thai dupe for Target the Finder? Only mixed with Cyrano? WILD. I mean to say, this one is wild WILD! Plus Est (my love) back in suits and ear dongles I see. Also GMMTV never gonna let us forget they bagged two of BL's best bods with PP, thanks all for the visuals. Of course this is for me. I'm the shallowest, remember? Plus I love a BL that's just a little bit...... well...... stupid.

Me and Who

Thai WeTV trailer

Lead pair from Monster Next Door, BigPark, in an adaptation of Wickedwish’s novel of the same name. A poor young man dies and is reborn into the body of a billionaire heir. The heir happens to be engaged to a handsome man who come to understand his secret.

Memoir of Rati

Thai trailer

Sing the praise song with me BLabies! GreatInn in a HISTORICAL with a class divide and everyone's favourite side couple! Be still my heart! I'm beyond pleased. (Also I got my boat in a lotus pond at last.) My only concern is this could end sad, it's in the title after all.

My Magic Prophecy

Thai trailer

Paranormal mystery with a fortune teller and a doctor. I'm in. I hope the script doesn't fail JimmySea again, they are such a great pair. I'm intrigued by this one but it felt the most formless of all the trailers, so I'm thinking we could see some significant tweaks.

My Romance Scammer

Thai trailer

New couple! My boys Ohm and Fluke (no, not that Fluke, the one from My Ride). Honestly, Fluke has popped up as a side in a couple GMMTV shows I was wondering who they'd BL him with.

This could win. Prettiest human on earth paired with the world's most potent single dimple. Will I survive? I honestly don't know, because Ohm historically doesn't have much chemistry with anyone but the original Fluke so... Still I l do love JuniorMark and this as a really unique premise (gay Heartbreakers), so I'm game.

Secret Relationship

Korea

This 2022 offering is now officially moved to 2025. To be adapted by Cradle Studio (a subsidiary of Kakao). About clever and resourceful Daon who has worked hard to overcome being poor. His cheap ways annoy his coworker, Sunghyeon but after “an incident” with his parents, Daon grows closer to him. But Daon also has feelings for his former tutor. This has the signs of a classic Kdrama all over it: Office setting, love triangle, lead suffering for his self-actualization. I’m optimistic about a longer treatment.

Secret Relationship

Taiwan

Rivals to lovers with unhinged behavior that in the source material ranges from rock-paper-scissors contests to competitive handjobs (yeah, you read that right). If anyone can do this, it's Taiwan.

The Hell Guard

Thai

Boy wakes up from a coma and becomes a messenger between grim reapers and the underworld. I adore this premise.

The Next Prince

Thai trailer

ZeeNew in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince - YES PLEASE.

The Wicked Game

Thai

DaouOffroad doing some Jack & Joker action. Trust is a luxury. Deception is a game.

The Young Gangster

Taiwan WeTV

Adapted from a novel, may not be a BL. Sociologist begins doing research in the underworld, falls in love with a gangster.

Top Form

Thai WeTV

Adaptation of a Japanese manga. Boom (Chains of Heart) opposite Smart (Don't Say No). Actor recognized as the "The Sexiest Man of the Year" has his first-place position usurped by young newcomer. But while he sees them as rivals, turns out the new kid has other ideas.

Truemoon

Thai YouTube trailer

A take on my single favorite trope: love rivals to lovers.

Your Dear Daddy

Thai trailer

Haunted by his past, Saithan is unwilling now to tie himself to anyone. On holiday in Chiang Mai, he happens to meet Sila, the wealthy owner of Phu Saengdao farm and hotel. The two find themselves strangely drawn to one another and ultimately spend a night together, thinking they wouldn't see each other again.

(source)

Historically I am pretty poor at picking the ones I end of loving, but it's fun to try.

[pokemon-radical-red]

I hate it when I headcanon a character who’s canonically a girl as a trans man and make ships of him and a character who’s canonically a guy and I refer to it as a gay/mlm/guyxguy/whatever ship and someone gets mad. Like omg let trans people have FUNNNNN. Why are queer headcanons and genderbends cool until they’re saying that the character is trans???

“OMGGG you’re so misogynistic I can’t believe you would erase FEMALE representation!!!”

and like half of the characters in the franchise are women, and a total of… NONE of the characters are trans men. Also, my headcanon doesn’t change the source material. If my stuff upsets you, you can block me and go engage with the source or maybe every single other fanwork, since mine is the only trans man hc for this character that I’ve ever seen.

or when people are like “WTF??? this is so transphobic!!! how dare you imply that a character who looks like that could be a trans man?!?! do you think that trans men are women or something??? she uses she/her, and you’re misgendering her!”

No, I don’t think that being a trans man makes you a woman or vice versa. That’s why it’s a headcanon, and the headcanon is that this character is actually a trans man and not a woman at all! You’ll never guess what pronouns most trans men had to use at some point in their lives, and you really won’t like it when you find out about pre-(or no-)transition trans men… or trans men who are in the closet… or trans men who don’t know that they’re trans yet.

“But the character is a kid!!! Saying they’re trans is sexualizing them.”

I’ve seen this one from other queer people. Like did you miss when all of the homophobes said this about your identity, or do you think that bigotry is only bad when it’s directed at you?

“Why would you say ‘testosterone could fix her’??? Are you trying to call her a delusional woman?”

Why would your brain even go to that first? This literally has to be a bad faith reading, because there’s no way that someone could see what I said and get this unless they were specifically looking for something to be mad at me for.

(Note for anyone unaware: “Estrogen would’ve fixed him!” was a meme going around at the time I said this. I’m not sure if it’s still super big, but this was a joke to the effect of that.)

“So girls can’t be tomboys anymore? You just wanna trans everyone?”

This is like actual real life transphobic rhetoric. This isn’t even just shitting on my headcanon, but in fact, sending transphobic hate to a trans man. Thanks 👍. Maybe you should go send JK Rowling another message about how much you loved her essay instead of bothering me.

[olderthannetfic]

This is partly a vent and partly hoping someone reading this can offer some advice or at least insight into wtf the person/people doing this are hoping to accomplish.

Over the past few months, someone(s) has been sending purity policing “concerned” anon asks to people in my fandom, mostly about supposed untagged triggering content. Which sounds like standard anti bullshit at first glance, but there are some really weird aspects to this situation, and I don’t know what to make of it.

First, in both of the cases I’ve seen, the “untagged” content Concerned Anon complained about was comprehensively tagged, way beyond fandom norms. Concerned Anon is complaining about something that isn’t even true.

Second, the people who received these asks seem to me like really weird targets for anon harassment. From what I’ve seen, they’re both really nice people. Not in the Cult of Nice way, but in the welcoming to newcomers, supporting all shippers even the people who ship things they’re not into, willing to chat about even the most wild theory or headcanon you might have without judgment kind of nice. Good stewards of fandom, I guess is what I’m trying to say. So I don’t get why anyone would want to target them. Especially since one of them wasn’t even being harassed about their own work, but about a fic someone else wrote that they happen to like!

Third, if the source material for this fandom were a fic on AO3, it would easily meet the threshold for all archive warnings. This isn’t about Stephen King fandom, but it’s got that level of things antis lose their shit over. Why is Concerned Anon even in this fandom? Why are they ~*so concerned*~ over fic when canon is like that?

Since the first Concerned Anon ask, I’ve noticed a sharp drop-off not just in ~*problematic*~ fic, but in fic in the fandom in general. I know fandom engagement comes and goes and there could be a lot of reasons for that unrelated to Concerned Anon. I can even think of a couple specific reasons it would be happening in this fandom. But the timing rubs me the wrong way, especially since it doesn’t seem like there’s as much a of a drop-off in general fandom activity, and I’m worried the latest set of Concerned Anon asks will have an even more chilling effect on fic writers.

I hate that this is happening. I hate that people who are just out here making fandom fun are being targeted. I hate that it might be discouraging people who haven’t been targeted from writing. I hate the possibility that Concerned Anon is out there harassing other people in the fandom who haven’t responded to them or that I just haven’t seen. I hate that, as a complete fandom nobody, I probably have no power to do anything about this. I hate that the person or people behind Concerned Anon probably aren’t even going to have to face up to being this kind of shitty, because it’s all anonymous.

--

People pop up in the inboxes where the owner can get their comments in front of more eyeballs.

Of course they want to poison the blogs of the welcoming fans who get the newbies writing fic.

The way to combat them is for those bigger blogs to either ignore them entirely or to politely but firmly tell them where they can shove it while pointing out that they're a liar.

They're a toxic blight on other people's inspiration, and the "nice" blogs should tell them so. The failure to do so is going to have at least as much of a chilling effect as their shitty comments themselves.

[wilteddreamsofbaldursgate]

Emi’s BG3 Fic Writing Guide for First Time Writers in 3 Acts

The Baldur’s Gate 3 fandom is blessed with an abundance of incredible fanwork and it’s a joy to observe how many different ideas and voices further enrich this fandom every single day. But creating content for something you love and sharing it with such a huge fan base can be pretty scary, especially when you’ve never done it before! That shouldn’t stop anyone from trying, though. There’s always plenty of space for your ideas and creations, and your voice deserves to be heard.

Disclaimer This is a Fic Writing Guide, though I’ll have to disappoint you right away: I won’t tell you how to write. I can’t, since—in my opinion—there is no “right way” to write, and even if there were, I wouldn’t know it. Luckily, everybody writes in their own unique way—and isn’t that so amazing? Writing is a deeply personal experience that comes with lots of trial and error; only you can find out what works for you! All I can do is offer you a very basic rundown of writing tips and approaches that worked (or didn’t work!) for me over the years, so take the following content with a grain of salt. I’m not a professional writer. All opinions are my own, as are any fic examples. 

And now:

Happy happy writing—you can do this!

Contents: 

ACT 1: Getting Started

Fanfiction for Writers & Working with Source Material (+ Research)

Writing Set Up: Where to Write Your Draft

The Idea: Coming Up With and Developing Your Idea (with examples)

Finding Inspiration

ACT 2: Writing Your Draft

The First Draft: Just Write.

Art or Garbage?

Writing Dialogue (with examples)

How to Deal with Self-Doubt

Writing in a Second or Third Language

ACT 3: Publishing Your Fic 

Editing and Formatting

Polishing your Post 

How to Tag 

Words for the Road

As you can see, there’s an individual post for each topic and as much as I would love to know whether this guide was in any way helpful to you or not, I would appreciate it even more if you all engaged in (constructive) writing discourse/exchange of ideas/ and generally uplifting behavior with each other. Feel free to use the comment section underneath each post to connect with other BG3 fans and writers(-to-be)!

If you have any questions or if there’s anything you would like me to add to this guide, feel free to let me know!

[brucebocchi]

Ranking 2024 anime, Pt. 2: #40-31

hey, this post is also available on my ko-fi, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i do this for free and am currently between jobs. you can find part 1 of the list here. thanks!

Alright, on we go to the list proper. The first post was probably whiplash-inducing, going from a bunch of shorter stuff I loved to whole seasons I hated, but we can only go up from here. I watched a lot of anime this year, as the numbers indicate, so there's a little positivity to be found even in the lower rankings.

As always, OPs are linked in the series titles. Watch them, they're almost all great.

40. Metallic Rouge

One of the biggest disappointments of the year, one which I didn’t think could be outdone (and I’ll get to that one shortly). Metallic Rouge had so much going for it as a Studio Bones original for its anniversary, and managed to fumble all of its promise and goodwill in slow, agonizing fashion. 

It’s a shame, too. Metallic Rouge still looks awesome; the character and mech designs are excellent, the space-cyberpunk aesthetic is undeniable, and the animation can be terrific when it counts. The story, on the other hand, is so completely asinine that I was sick of this show before it ended. I’ve mostly forgotten what even happens, partly because it was that infuriating to keep up with, and partly because I feel like the writers forgot too; the bulk of any actual story felt backloaded into the last two or three episodes because they focused too hard on vibes for a while. I think they were trying to go for some “G-Witch by way of Detroit: Become Human” something or other, but all of it rang hollow. I’m still not sure whether it needed more runtime or better writers. Probably both.

Not worth your time. Just watch the OP and imagine a better show than what we got.

39. Mysterious Disappearances

I’ve thought so little about this show since it went off the air that I don’t really have anything new to say. Looks pretty lousy most of the time, not that interesting, oddly horny, and the plot structure gets kind of cloying after a while.

I know I harped on that last point when I reviewed it at the end of the spring season, but something funny happened after I did. Back in July, I mentioned that I took issue with the formula of “we encounter a paranormal anomaly, it’s identified as a yokai or urban legend, we learn its tragic backstory, our protagonists give it closure, and we move on” because it felt manipulative after I realized that it happened with every arc, and then I went ahead and read DanDaDan, which basically does exactly the same thing but a hell of a lot better. Comparing a middling work like this to DanDaDan of all things feels unfair, but they cover pretty similar ground. Maybe it’s sharper writing, or maybe it’s just a more engaging work. Who’s to say?

I’d also said in my review that Mysterious Disappearances unintentionally gives off the vibe of a poorly-archived mid-2000s series, but I hadn’t realized just how right I was: It turns out that studio Zero-G just went ahead and made up its own ending even though the source material is still ongoing. Better shows did the same this year, but the studio and I seem to have the same level of faith that this anime’s ever coming back.

38. My Deer Friend Nokotan

Honestly? Fuck this show.

I’ve already gone into what I did and didn’t like about Nokotan after it went off air a few months ago and I don’t care to revisit that while it’s still relatively fresh. Not nearly as funny as it pretended to be, yet still not even confident in its own sense of humor. The OP's still a bop (calling it "Shikairo Days" was a genuinely great joke), and a small handful of gags do land, but not enough to prevent this from being a massive disappointment.  At the same time, Nokotan was still somehow not the biggest letdown of the year.

37. Uzumaki

This was the biggest letdown of the year.

When an anime adaptation of the legendary Junji Ito horror manga was first announced in 2019, it was hard not to get excited. Even when I’d mostly fallen out of anime fandom, I knew damn well who Junji Ito was and I knew Uzumaki. Adult Swim was funding the project, a prestige studio in Production I.G. was handling the animation, and they even nabbed Hereditary composer Colin Stetson for the score. Ito’s manga is famously very difficult to adapt well, and it looked like we finally had a project being taken seriously. Delays and radio silence in the ensuing years were disappointing, but I was willing to be patient if it meant everything was being handled right. When the trailer dropped this summer, it looked like it would be worth the wait.

And for one glorious episode, it seemed like everyone’s patience paid off. Uzumaki’s debut episode was one of the most visually arresting pieces of animation I’ve ever seen: The entire look and feel was faithful to Ito’s inimitable style, from the meticulously detailed linework to the stark black-and-white color grading of his manga’s pages. On top of that, the animation itself was absurdly good; the process of rotoscoping 3D motion capture seemed arduous, but the end result was beautifully lifelike for a story where that quality could only serve to instill further terror. Several of the most iconic images from the early chapters looked incredible in hi-def motion. Sure, the pacing was a little fast, but this was a four-episode miniseries. We could deal. This was just too good.

And then came the second episode.

I’m not going to over-elaborate or relitigate every single thing that went wrong here, because it’s a lot. Uzumaki was in development for a long time, and that five year gap between announcement and release included several detriments to the production process, not the least of which being COVID, animation production changing hands between several studios, and new leadership for Adult Swim’s parent company that now favors profit over product, especially when it comes to animation that doesn’t involve DC characters. Plenty of us figured that all of these delays and a run of only four episodes meant that they had the time to hammer out all the issues and give us the best possible product. That, unfortunately, was not the case.

Responding to complaints about the decline in animation in the second episode, executive producer Jason DeMarco (who, to be blunt, has overseen several mediocre-to-awful anime products released under the Adult Swim brand, including my bottom-ranked anime of 2023) claimed in a quickly-deleted Bluesky thread that there is indeed a higher-up to blame and that they were left with an ultimatum to either drop Uzumaki after just one episode, let it go the way of so many other Warner Bros non-releases under David Zaslav’s disastrous leadership, or release the whole miniseries in its half-baked state. They went with the third.

So, what we got was an uneven, often sloppy work; another mediocrity to throw on the pile of failed Junji Ito adaptations. All goodwill established in the first episode is soon undone by wonky character models, uncanny walk cycles, and movement that looks like PNGs being dragged across a background at the most inopportune times. Plenty of viewers, myself included, were willing to overlook the accelerated pacing after the first episode, but that issue was thrown into stark relief by the second when entire chapters of the manga began playing out simultaneously, and one was even reduced to an afterthought for a cheap “scare” at the end of episode three. 

Not that I thought Uzumaki necessarily needed a full 12-episode season for a proper adaptation or anything; Ito’s output can often be light on story, and dragging it out too far risks losing interest. What makes Ito’s stories actually work, though, is a proper sense of setting and space to let tensions rise. That didn’t entirely happen here; while the atmosphere of Kurozu-cho does plenty resemble what we’ve seen from Ito’s pages, and Stetson’s atonal saxophone does a lot of work to raise the level of unease, things just kind of happen. Few things really get the chance to land as intended, in part due to the production quality cheaping out at climactic moments.

This was the last anime I finished this year even though I’d watched the first two episodes after they aired and it went off the air in October. I was looking forward to the last two episodes that little. There are still bits and pieces of great animation and faithful adaptation here and there, but not enough to regain any goodwill from the second episode’s wheels visibly falling off. Maybe it’s finally time to declare Junji Ito’s works unadaptable once and for all. 

Definitely watch that first episode, though. At this point I kind of wish that’s all we’d gotten.

36. Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!

Straitlaced Nice Guy moves to a new town, laid-back gyaru from his class immediately takes a liking to him, a couple other girls enter the picture, shenanigans ensue, and a slow-burn romance begins in parallel. Nothing special on paper and nothing much more special than that in execution. The setting is lovely, though, and it really made me want to visit Hokkaido one day. Nicely done, tourism board.

If you watched this and were put off by it, I don’t blame you; I probably would’ve been too if I hadn’t decided to read ahead in the manga. I will say this, though: If you liked Hokkaido Gals even a little, read the manga. It’s a minor investment, but if you can get over the halfway mark, it gets surprisingly good and has a really lovely ending. 

The anime, on the other hand? Meh. Doesn’t look super great and didn’t have enough time in 12 episodes to overcome most of the issues the source material had to move past to get to what made it worthwhile. It would take another season or two to get there, and that probably isn’t gonna happen. Great OP, though (I'm starting to repeat myself, I know). Just read the manga.

35. No Longer Allowed in Another World

Boasting one of the most audacious premises for an isekai I’ve ever seen, No Longer Allowed in Another World doesn’t shy away from the implications of an Osamu Dazai isekai, has the dark humor to match, and provides some fascinating commentary on the type of person who tends to consume wish-fulfillment isekai. Unfortunately, the presentation was a little lacking and threatened to lose my attention several times. I think the idea is much better on paper, to the point where I might test that theory and go read the manga.

34. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

The next dozen or so anime in the rankings fall into a category of either “well-made anime that I found kind of frustrating” or “middling anime that I kind of enjoyed.” The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic is very much the latter. It’s a standard isekai on paper; demon king, special powers, what have you, but it has a likable cast and laid-back vibe for much of its runtime that made it pleasant enough to watch.

As I said after the winter season, I really liked that Wrong Way spends a lot of its early story ensuring that the protagonist expends the time and effort necessary for him to become the hero he’s meant to be instead of the narrative just handing it to him from the start, which instantly sets it apart from most other wish-fulfillment isekai. It’s far from the best-looking anime I watched this year, but it has a mid-00s throwback look and feel to it that works more to its benefit than in Mysterious Disappearances. Nothing groundbreaking and a little too backloaded, but an enjoyable enough experience and one I’m looking forward to seeing come back. 

The only really upsetting thing about this show is that Atsuko Tanaka (Major Kusanagi, Bayonetta, Kainé), who was tremendous as the intimidating Captain Rose, is no longer with us. She was an exceptional talent with an iconic voice who will be sorely missed, and future seasons of this show won’t be the same without her.

33. Go! Go! Loser Ranger

Though not a bad anime by most metrics, I still consider Loser Ranger a minor disappointment. It mostly looks great, and “what if The Boys was a sentai series” is a killer premise, but the story so far is extremely frontloaded. Almost too much happens in the first four episodes, and then the bulk of the last arc of the season takes place in a goddamn parking garage. I’m still annoyed by that. Still looking forward to season 2, but I wish the debut season had been 24 episodes to avoid the sour taste in my mouth.

Did you hear that echo? Yep, that's me telling you to watch yet another OP. Easily the best part of the show and one of the best of the year. Tatsuya Kitani can't keep getting away with it.

32. Astro Note

2024 turned out to be a banner year for Rumiko Takahashi’s older works making their way back to modern screens, and one of those entries wasn’t even hers.

Astro Note is an overt homage to Takahashi’s less-famous romcom Maison Ikkoku, which ran parallel to Urusei Yatsura for most of the latter’s run. Like Ikkoku, Astro Note follows a down-on-his-luck young man living in a boarding house full of bizarre miscreants who only stays because the manager is super pretty. Unlike Ikkoku, and unbeknownst to our protagonist, said manager is actually an alien who is practically turning the house over to find a secret alien MacGuffin.

This show looks lovely and has a delightful cast and some surprisingly moving subplots, but it’s nothing too special otherwise. There are some fun creative flourishes here and there, like the alien stuff shown in flashback being made to look like an older space opera anime, but aside from a very fun turn near the end of the season, Astro Note rarely rises above the level of simply “pleasant.” And that’s fine, but it doesn’t quite live up to the material it’s aping, and what we’ve ended up with is just a nice distraction. 

I’m so glad I finally decided to read Maison Ikkoku though.

31. Shangri-La Frontier, second cour

It’s been a running joke for me that the more I watch Shangri-La Frontier, the less I’m sure whether I like it or not, and now with 25 episodes in the tank, I’m less sure than ever. The back half of the debut season improved on a few of the things that annoyed me about its first cour by focusing more on the high-quality action and introducing minor stakes to the proceedings, and then everything else surrounding it made it feel no less like I’m just watching a guy playing a goddamn video game, and the stakes still mostly seem to amount to "he wants to be good at it."

You may notice that I didn’t include the second season in this review, and that’s because I flat-out didn’t care to pick it back up. I’d been busy during the fall season and continuing a show I didn’t enjoy that much just wasn’t a high priority. It’s continuing into January, so there’s time to catch it while it airs, but I’m still not in any hurry.

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

What “It’s Written Like a Fanfic” actually means as a criticism—

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of people use “it’s written like fan fiction” as a negative critique of stories that are poorly written.

I’ve especially seen this criticism talked about in regards to Hazbin Hotel, and honestly, it’s a criticism I agree with.

But I wanted to talk specifically about what that means, because I think there are people who hear that criticism and take it to mean that ALL fan fiction is terrible and poorly written.

I need to make it REALLY CLEAR that I am not saying all fan fiction is “bad”.

I’ve written (probably bad) fan fiction! I’m an avid reader of fan fiction! Some of my favorite stories are fan fiction or are derived from fan fiction.

So. How can I use “it’s written like a fanfic” as a negative criticism if I like it so much? Because—

To me, a story being “written like a fanfiction” is only a problem when the writers approach the characters and world of their story as if everything has been pre-established.

The reason fan fiction works, the reason it can be so deeply beloved and celebrated, is usually because fanfiction writers and audiences have already fallen in love with an existing world and characters.

For example, I really love Batman, specifically Batman: The Animated Series. When I read fan fiction about Batman, I don’t always want to, or need to, read about Bruce Wayne’s backstory and his reasons and motives for becoming Batman. That’s something that can be explored and elaborated on in many interesting ways in fan fiction, but it’s not really something I need a beat by beat explanation on.

And, in this scenario, the writer of the fic doesn’t need to spend time establishing Batman’s basic characterization and relationships. There’s an assumption that the audience and readers already have an idea of those subjects. That’s why they’re seeking out fan fic—because they’ve already delved into the source material, and want to see more of those characters and that world.

That’s not to say one CAN’T write fan fiction about origin stories and establishing lore and all that, or that those stories will always be poorly written. But it’s not necessary for someone who’s already a fan to understand what’s going on if the writer wants to elaborate on an already established character or story.

In fan fiction, the heavy lifting of establishing character relationships, backstories, and basic relationships, etc. has usually already been done by the source material.

The reason someone seeks out fan fiction is (almost always) because they already know and enjoy the characters and setting, and want to hear more stories about those characters.

However, if you’re writing your own story, you need to take the time to establish your story’s basic tone, plot, characters and so on, before you can get to the exciting and more gripping or engaging parts of your narrative.

Hazbin Hotel (the Amazon series) is very guilty of skipping over a lot of the work of building up and establishing its characters and world and how they mesh with the plot and narrative.

The most egregious examples I can think of is when (v)Aggie throws the crew into the turf war, we don’t get to SEE any of the bonding the Hazbin crew have, and are then told afterwards that they’re closer and we see them reminiscing about the fight.

The same thing happens when Husk tells everyone what their personal “issues” are because he’s the bartender and can “see through them” because of that. It would be actually nice if we got to SEE how he learned those things, but instead he just lists off characteristics that people who are already fans of the show know from following the shows development.

Brand new audiences just have a bunch of character traits told to them all at once, and don’t actually get to SEE these characterization happen naturally.

I think the main reason Hazbin is written like this is mostly because the creators publicly developed the story online over many, many years.

Anyone who was already a fan of Hazbin’s creators’ previous work probably followed Hazbin’s 10 year development. And as a result, they probably listened to a lot of livestreams, read some of the supplemental comics, went to Q/A streams, and read the creator’s blog. Due to that, they already KNOW a lot about the story and world and characters, and so they don’t notice if those basic world-building and character development ARENT in the show itself.

And obviously, this is all just my opinion, but it very much seems to me like this slow and public development of Hazbin’s characters and story may have had the negative side affect of the creator and writers forgetting that they still have to build up and develop these things in the actual show itself.

Long time fans of the story when it was just a bunch of loose concepts and early characterizations can watch the finalized series of “Hazbin Hotel”, and are able to bridge gaps in the story and characterization because they’ve probably been reading blogs about Hazbin for at least 5 years.

But when someone completely new to the series watches it, there’s a chance they’re going to find the story rushed and disjointed, because they don’t have the background information on the story’s development.

This is a problem specifically because, to write an engaging and competent story, you HAVE to take the time to establish basic things first, and then you have to take the time to BUILD UP to deeper characterization, plot points, character relationships and so on.

Hazbin Hotel the show feels like “a bad fan fic” because it’s, in my opinion, written for people who are already fans, and written by people who want to skip straight to the “fun” parts of their story. But the writers still recognize that the story needs to be accessible to people who are not familiar with it, and to compensate they have to cram in as many explanations and justifications to try and make their story make sense.

The result is that Hazbin Hotel has tons of bland exposition, rushed character arcs and introductions, tonal inconsistencies and confusing lore, and a world and characters that are half-formed and fall flat.

That’s what I personally think the criticism “written like a bad fan fic” means. That the narrative feels like it is based on a preexisting piece of media, and therefore is missing the building blocks needed to make the narrative feel like a believable and fully formed story.

As a side note—I don’t think it’s like. Objectively terrible to develop your story and characters openly. But I DO think it can end up biting you in the ass like I detailed above.

When you already know how your characters behave and where your story is going, and you share that and start to have a following that’s with you every step of the way, I think it’s easy to forget that your story still needs to be accessible to people outside of your fan base.

I mean. I guess it doesn’t NEED to. But like. That’s usually the goal. Funnily enough, that also kind of makes me think of fanfic writing.

Fan fic doesn’t need to be accessible to a general audience b/c it’s often written for the the author’s own gratification and for the gratification of a pre-existing fan base.

Interestingly, I personally don’t think the “fan fiction” criticism applies to the first season of Spindlehorse’s other show, Helluva Boss, because the story and characters were (mostly) thought out first, and the narrative took time to gradually develop the characters and story at a slower pace.

And then season 2 came out and changed the characterization so drastically from what was already established that now it does feel like a fan fiction of itself. lol.

That’s really all I have to say about that. There are other things too that show up a lot in fan fiction and have like…become their own fan fiction tropes that people sometimes expect or mock, and those play a role too. But to me this is the BIGGEST thing that makes a story feel like a bad fan fic. If it’s written as if it’s borrowing from an already established story.

Again! These are just my opinions! I know the sin of sharing one’s opinions online can never be forgiven, but I wanted to examine the reason people use that phrase as a negative criticism.

[specialinterestshows]

Try to enjoy some downtime in this latest chapter of my Rhea Ripley x lady!reader fic, Absolute Smokeshow.

Warnings for this section: Cannabis (weed), dirty talk, jealousy, blood, crying

-

Absolute Smokeshow (Part 84 of ?): Ring My Bell

One morning, you awoke ravenous to the most delicious smells; you wondered for a second if you had somehow fallen asleep in the kitchen, before sitting up and opening your eyes.

“Breakfast in bed?” you asked, more out of surprise than anything. “You spoil me.”

“I thought you could use it,” Marisol grinned as you eagerly grabbed a bit of food from one of the overflowing dishes on the tray she held on her lap. “Besides, I don’t have work tonight.”

The moment you took a bite, your eyes rolled back in your head at the taste before grabbing more.

“Want to come with me to a friend’s show?” Mari asked.

“Sure,” you replied after a bit more chewing. “What kind of show?”

“Remember that indie wrestling scene I mentioned?” She gauged your reaction as she continued. “A friend says they need more engagement, so I promised I would go support them.”

Now it wasn’t just your breakfast you needed to chew over before answering. It was already enough feeling guilty for not spending every spare moment looking for another source of income, but going out in public to a wrestling event?

Seeing your hesitation, she gently set her hand on your thigh. “No pressure.”

After a moment more of consideration - pitting logic against your anxiety - you took a deep breath.

“I’ll go with you,” you agreed, “On two conditions.”

-

“Eres tan linda,” Mari reassured you, watching the way you kept fidgeting with the curls of the wig you were borrowing from her - condition one of your attendance being help with a disguise. Mari had also been kind enough to do your makeup in a way that made you look a bit less like yourself.

“Thank you. Do you have the-“ you began nervously, before she pulled condition two out of her bra to show you: a cigarette carton whose original contents had been replaced with beautifully-rolled joints.

Letting out a sigh of relief, you started scouting for a good smoking spot. After looking across the sparse array of parked cars, a nice, out-of-the-way alley materialized in your periphery; you pointed it out to your companion before venturing together toward the space.

Checking your phone as Mari started off the joint, you felt your face heating up when you read Rhea’s reply to the selfie of you in your disguise:

“Looks like Mami’s going to have to start dressing you up before she ruins you, doll. Suits you”

With the little black heart at the end, you read it in the sultry voice she used in bed and a thrill went up your spine. You typed your thanks, hitting send as the lit joint was handed to you.

“So how do you feel about PDA?” Mari asked as you slowly exhaled your first hit.

“I’m not opposed,” you replied, handing the joint back. “Why? Is this when I find out the local indie wrestling scene has some weird tradition where the audience make out instead of cheering or something?”

“I just wanted to make sure I asked ahead of time,” she laughed, giving you a confused look as she licked her thumb and passed it along the side of the paper that was burning too quickly.

“Hey, once I went to this slam poetry thing and they snapped instead of applauding,” you explained defensively. “Anything is possible.”

“Pues, now that I think about it, maybe we should make out instead of cheering,” Mari said, barely containing her amusement, “Just in case.”

-

Looking at the photo of her disguised girlfriend and seeing a bit of Marisol’s crimson red hair in the background, Rhea felt restless. She was alone in her hotel room, Dominik having gone on a date with JD (he refused to call it a date, but it was going to be just the two of them getting to know each other over dinner.) Rhea did her best to send an appropriately complimentary message in response to her girlfriend, sighing as she hit “send.” She didn’t expect to hear much from either of her partners until tomorrow; neither one of them needed her tonight.

The ache in her chest drove Rhea to scroll through her contacts, trying to make plans to keep herself from fixating on any number of things her loves might be doing with other people. A few names stood out to her more than the others as she skimmed her phone’s address book:

Finn Balor. Probably having the night of his life now that Damian doesn’t have to worry about JD.

Shayna Baszler. They hadn’t really gotten along in their NXT days, but maybe now that Rhea had come out… but that was a long shot.

Cathy Kelley. Rhea smirked as she recalled her night with Cathy, but her smile faltered as soon as reporter’s confession came back to her: “That was the first time I came with someone else.” If she was going to spend the night with Cathy again, there was a fair chance the brunette might get too attached.

Liv Morgan. Not much of an option, given that the last time Rhea saw her, Liv was being taken to medical, courtesy of Rhea’s own brutality.

Groaning, Rhea threw her phone onto the bed nearby and ran her fingers through her hair, elbow resting on her legs. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn’t she just be happy for her partners and enjoy a night to herself?

As she stared at the hotel TV’s remote, contemplating whether she should order room service and cozy up with a movie or just walk over to the bar down the street, she heard a knock at her door. It was soft, and Rhea initially thought it may have just been someone walking past, luggage knocking against her door as they ambled down the hall.

A louder knock followed after a few moments, undeniable this time. Rhea stood up immediately, mind racing wondering who might be on the other side. By the time she was standing at the door, her fists were clenched, muscles reflexively preparing for a confrontation. Peering through the peephole, Rhea was surprised to see a familiar, nervous-looking blonde.

“Um, R-Rhea?” The muffled voice sounded tearful, as if each syllable was trying to hold back a sob. “Are you there?”

“One sec,” Rhea said, standing down from her defensive position as she quickly unlocked and opened the door.

Dried blood in her hair, knees scuffed, and one heel broken, the trembling woman standing in the doorway had mascara running down her cheeks, eyes glistening with the threat of more tears as she looked up at the Eradicator.

Without a word, Thea Hail threw her arms around a confused Rhea, breaking down into loud sobs.

[end part eighty-two]

-

Tag list (thank you!)

@babybatlover , @girlofpink , @kagome2909 , @jackiesnats , @wiccanpriestess , @falloutboy-lover , @aut0luminescence , @riverina69 , @itsrheasgirl , @1-800-sinister , @ripleylove , @teganc , @wwefan2002

[streets-in-paradise]

Third Fate - Achilles x Fiancee!Reader

Requested by Anon

" Hey, I found your tumblr and I'm loving what you do here, mostly troy. I don't know if you're getting requests, but if you are, you can make one for Achilles based on that scene where he's told he can go and win glory in battle and have his name spoken for centuries or he can stay and be loved, have children, wife? I would love to see Achilles receive more love, with a wife and children. Feel free to make any changes you want, thank you very much in advance."

Hi, anon! I got this way sooner than what i expected because I was really in the mood to write it. The bittersweet mix of angst and fluff was exactly what I wanted to get into this week. Hope you will enjoy it :)

For a lenght concern i kept it in a pre war, pre marriage discussion of the prophecy. If once you read it you happen to like what i wrote here let me know and I can post a continuation showing what happens next ( i originally planned to do so, but it became too long so i prefer to save that for a second part)

Word Count 3.200

Warnings: Standard Achilles sexyness ( no smut, but if you watched the film you understand what I mean with this.) Some aspects of both, the canon of the film and the source material it is based on, were changed to fit the request in my envision of the story.

Summary: Terrible news disrupt the eve of your engagement to Achilles. He is called to fight in Troy and the spectacular war that the gossip foretells seems to be the destiny of greatness he had always dreamed with, but the price he has to pay for it is his happiness with you. The three days ultimatum Odysseus gave him is his moment to decide, but he won't do it without you.

Note: Inspired by two prompts by @creativepromptsforwriting

Prompt 1014 - " Well, the prophecy was a bit unclear about this part."

Prompt 1010 - " Let's not worry about the future. Let's just take this one kiss at a time."

"I like how that sounds."

Tags: @mysticaldeanvoidhorse @helie-brain

There was no easy way for him to explain to you what he had just found out. After Odysseus arrived bringing the news of the war in Asia you were already sad thinking of the distance that would keep your fiancé far away from you for an uncertain amount of time, but the real hardships surpassed your expectations. The whispers of fame claimed the conflict escalated enough to become the greatest war your world had ever seen, but you still imagined it as one war like many others he fought before. No matter the challenges found in battle, Achilles would always return to you. 

Except that he wouldn’t,not from Troy. His mother told him of an old prophecy announced before his birth assuring that war would be the peak of his consecration as a hero, but the price for this glorification was his death. From this fact fate allowed him only two options of choice. He could either stay in Greece and be loved during his lifetime knowing history would forget him, or go to Troy to make his name immortal facing his doom. 

To the end of his tale all you could do was cry, convinced that you were losing him forever. All your plans faded in just one instant, the life you dreamed together was gone. 

“ I’m not dead yet, look at me.” He sweetly mocked you. “ How can you be so sure already that I’m here to tell you I’m abandoning you to get myself killed?” 

You could tell he was trying, but that wasn’t making it any better. 

“ If you don’t go, you will regret it. “ Was your dry comeback. “I know you, Achilles. You live to fight, staying away from the battlefield feels to you like a punishment. I can never keep you for long, not even when war calls you to fight other greeks. Why would it be different this time? You were born for this war, not to labrate the fields and raise goats. If Troy is the fate of greatness that you deserve, I can’t ask you to abandon this life purpose for the sake of our wedding.” 

Despite how much he loved to see people worshiping as a hero, he was very aware to be a man in your eyes. Your approach was realistic and showed how well you knew him, much better than some of the men bleeding with him in war. If you fell for him, you did it knowing what to expect. Begging him to change his nature to fit the requirements of peaceful domesticity was never in your plans and you wouldn’t try it even if you were desperate. 

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to surprise you on occasions, exactly as he did when he proposed to you freshly arrived from the victory against King Triopas and his giant Boagrius. 

“ Do you think I wouldn’t give it all away for you? Then I guess you don’t know me as well as you claim. “ He teased you with insistence. “ I can do well raising horses, I have some magnificent ones already. Do you know that horses are one of the most remarkable exportations of the trojans? If their city gets sacked by greeks and I manage to buy a few of theirs to mix with mine we would get an excellent rare breed. “ 

You cleaned your face and warned him against the mockery. 

“ Don’t play with me! With the memories of your proposal still fresh, fate demands me to let you go. Being your wife is my dream, but I can’t have you knowing I would be destroying everything you worked so hard for. The immortality of your name is a cause bigger than me, the happy marriage we could have had or the children I could have given you. It can’t be a coincidence that this war gets unleashed precisely now, just as we are taking the first step to formalize our union.” 

“ They are pressuring me to choose, it’s true, but the load of this decision lies in the fact that I want both more than anything.” 

Achilles interrupted himself to take your hand, inviting you to abandon the distance you were forcing ever since he began to explain the situation. 

“ I need you by my side, it’s the only vulnerability I have ever allowed myself. A glorifying death doesn’t scare me, but surviving far enough without you would be torture.” 

Your lips parted in sincere amazement for that confession, so unusual of him. 

“ A slow agony. If the war doesn’t kill me first, lovesickness will.” He continued. “ The comfort of lonely men fighting in foreign lands is dreaming with their distant wives at night, the hope of returning to them makes life bearable. I would not have this, from the moment I would board my ship I will be aware you are lost to me. All I would have is the wound of my pierced heart still bleeding love for you and plenty of time to wonder how wonderful it would have been to make you mine… Sooner or later I would lose my mind. Knowing glorious death would be the only comfort already promised to me, I would roam the battlefield searching for it. It’s most likely I would perform incredible acts worthy of being remembered, but I would do it as the insane man who is desperately looking for the warrior meant to kill him. The poets would write for centuries about the madness of Achilles.” 

“ Aren’t they singing that already? Many people have described you as a madman.” You teased him, unsure of how to comfort him. “ Not that I mind, but that is a fact.” 

“ They have no idea, unfulfilled passion would consume me in such an incredible way that Paris would feel a reasonable man hearing about me.” 

He dragged you even closer so he could hold you in his arms and you fell for his touch chuckling sweetly. 

“ Would you be competing against both princes at once while fighting the trojans?” 

“ The warrior prince and the lover boy wish they could compare to me, I win in each one of their expertise areas. “ He followed your provocation, then whispered at you. “ I fight as fiercely as I love. “ 

You bit your bottom lip to avoid an audible response, but your flustered face was speaking for you. For an instant you felt as if nothing had changed between you and you have never heard the terrible omens. 

“... Maybe that’s why no woman is meant to have you, the great goddesses would be jealous. “ You theorized out loud while caressing his cheek. “ It’s too much, like Icharus flying too close to the sun… Although I would be lying if I deny I would gladly burn and fall for you.” 

Achilles stopped the flow of words taking your breath away with kisses that numb your senses, but not your mind. He had the habit of expressing important things in short, ambiguous phrases or not saying anything at all. When the hungry kissing began to escalate and you felt his hands roaming the sides of your body you understood that was his answer. If he would be saying goodbye, he would at least try to keep himself distant to make it easier for both of you. Given that his involvement on the war would ruin your chances to formalize, he would be encouraging you to find someone else. 

 He was pulling up your skirt slowly, evidently searching for the heat underneath. The opposite of what you would need from him if he would be about to leave you, so you stopped him right away because you realized what that meant. 

" This isn't the time to act impulsively. I know you love me as strongly as i love you, but you have to choose what truly matters the most to you. If you decide to stay, others will be making history and maybe the pleasures of the thalamus will not be enough to cure the resentment for what you will be missing. Think carefully, hearts can change and the future wife you adore now can one day become the load that brought you down. " 

Although a sensical objection, that didn't seem to preoccupy him much. 

" Never, you were made for me. The omens were very clear, staying grants me a blissful life with you for the price of letting my name fade. I have only two options: be loved and forgotten or waste my life following the fool's orders until death will reward me with immortal glory. Between spending the rest of my life with you or with Agamemnon, I think it's clear where I would rather be. "

The sacrifice was too great, ultimate proof of his love for you. Behind that relaxed phrasing Achilles attempted to de-dramatize giving up his biggest personal dream for the one you shared, what you still considered wasn’t fair. 

Responding with an equal offer was not only what your heart began to crave, but an alternative solution neither of you had considered. 

“ There has to be another way, your mother never said what I must do in all of this.” 

He wasn’t sure of where you wanted to point, but began to suspect it. 

“ Well, the prophecy was a bit unclear about this part.” 

The mischievous happiness renewed in your eyes let him know you had just found hope in the most insane of places. 

“ Don’t give me that look, this is what happens for leaving you a while alone with Odysseus! Now you think you can outsmart destiny and find me a third end.” 

You smirked with pride before presenting your idea. 

“ I can’t interfere with yours, only my own. If no part is clearly stated for me in this sacred command sent to you, then nothing stops me from choosing one. Instead of having you abandon your dream to stay with me, I’ll follow it with you.” 

His eyes were wide open staring at you, disbelief making him feel you were then playing with him. 

“ Are you telling me we could just get married and board the ship to Troy the morning after our wedding night? What kind of honorable nuptials would that be? When all the wives of the country would be giving their farewell to their husbands, would you follow me like slaves are meant to? War holds no virtuous position for a woman to occupy, it would be a stain to your reputation your parents would curse me for. “ 

“ If your baby cousin can go, so can I.” You justified yourself.” To stop me you will have to stop Patroclus and we know that is not going to happen.” 

The exactitude of your threat made him feel frustrated. Not because he wouldn’t love having you with him, but since he was refusing to publicly humiliate you like that. All Greece would know you were going to be the only wife following her husband to Troy for unexplainable reasons and they could judge your morals. Decent wives were meant to wait for their husbands and take care of their homes, not let passion distract them from their social duties. War camps were masculine places meant to be despised by the women, since their only female presence was typically in a state of degradation. Besides, Helen had already caused a moral breach shaming the greek concept of marriage and that was the reason pushing the fight. People would be judgemental of your relationship, they would question you for immorality and him for lacking authority to make you stay like a normal wife should. 

He wasn’t thinking about him anymore, of protecting his name and the weight of his masculine prestige. He was extremely worried about you and the consequences it could bring when he wouldn’t be there to protect you. 

“ Do you sincerely want to go to Troy and watch me die?” 

“ It’s still better than watching you sail knowing you will never come back.” You terminated in response . “ I have heard the city is built to withstand a ten year siege, enough time for us to have a life together before destiny will reclaim you.” 

Arguing with you was hard, even if the idea was insane you would find ways to make it sound logical. 

“ A camp on the trojan beach is no place to start a family. “ He replicated softly, just letting you know he was trying to make you understand you couldn’t ask that. “ What are we going to do when the children come? Because they will, eventually. If you become my wife no omen of death is going to stop me from making love to you.” 

You smirked innocently, ready to deliver a justification. 

“ I'm not naive, Achilles! Do you think I don’t know what happens in those camps? Captives get pregnant all the time, so it's not impossible to go through it there. It may not be ideal, but I can make it. If you would leave me here and break our relationship to protect me from your fate, you could still put a baby inside your finest war trophy girl.” 

“ And who said I’m leaving?” He questioned you. “ I’m not doing it and I am not breaking up with you. Now stop with this nonsense, my wife can’t be giving birth surrounded by death.” 

“ But trojan women can? Because births aren’t going to stop there. “ You insisted, sitting near and acting as if you were two civil parts on a trial. “ Hector has a baby boy, if he can be a father in this mess so can you.” 

The provocation made him hold a groan, but he turned back and kicked the nearest surface as a frustration release outlet. 

“ It’s different for him, his wife is a princess and they have a city to defend. “ He tried to articulate in fast speaking, doing all he could to not show signs of anger growing because of your stubbornness. “ I don’t want you to have the life of a war captive, to denigrate yourself for me.” 

It was very sweet, you were feeling his pain but he had to understand yours too. 

“ As long as you are still breathing I will not accept a life without you. When the time comes I will embrace grief, but I’ll cry for you as your widow. In the meantime I don't want no one else, I’ll have the ground of your tent as thalamus and I’ll have your children.” 

He gave a few steps towards you, presenting one more solid concern. 

“ What will be of all of you when I'm gone?” 

That should have been a strong preoccupation making you desist, but it didn’t. 

“ We will be alright. They will inherit your share of the sacking, we know your death is linked to the fall of Troy so I can assume we will win something. Given that the House of Aeacus would possess fresh new heirs to renew the bloodline, I may even be able to bargain with Agamemnon the throne of Phthia for one of them. He hates you, but he would not be politically capable to refuse if you become the maximum fallen hero of the war he just won.” 

At that point he felt true powerlessness because he just couldn’t convince you out of it for your own good. 

“ They can’t grow in a warzone, think of the ruthless people they will become.  Those kids would not know any better until it would be too late for them. I don’t want a soulless soldier as heir, people saying Achilles’ son has surpassed the brutality of the father.” 

“ Let our little monsters run free through the camp, they will turn out fine if we guide them right. “ You imagined out loud, not scared at all by the dark warning. “ I can’t wait to see them messing around, you will be in tears the first time one of them will grab a wooden sword trying to copy their father.” 

Illusion was starting to make his negative stance harder to maintain, he loved what you were saying. It sounded so wonderful that he couldn’t help find some sensical feeling in it. There was only one detail you haven’t solved for his resistance to fall completely. 

“ How would I fight the enemy worried for you? You will be the only married woman around thousands of men and although I'm terrifying to most of them, I can’t keep control at all times. Some of those men will not be myrmidons, they will not know who you are.” 

“ That’s the best part: I’ll keep Patroclus bussy.” You announced with excitement, knowing well he wouldn’t resist it. “ I know you don’t trust him in an open battleground yet, but he would not accept being left behind so you have to take him or he would never forgive you. With me on board you have a safe mission to give him that would keep him away from combat but still make him feel a hero. By the time you will judge him ready to charge into battle my presence will be naturalized and his vigilant eye won’t be needed anymore.” 

Hope was truly hitting him because he started to feel as if the crazy plan could work if you all would make it work out. Most of the persons he loved the most could be with him for the rest of his lifetime, making the surviving gap before the consecration worth living. His little cousin, his best friend and his wife along with his future children all gathered like some warrior family. 

A taste of happiness before the end, walk the two roads simultaneously into a third fate. 

“ Blessed be your stubbornness, you wonderful woman! “ He praised you, surprise making his attitude switch as he rushed towards you. “ How can you be in every detail? You are insane, but I love you. I don’t deserve you, I can’t believe this.” 

He made you smile and by that point you knew you were about to win. 

“What exactly? My incredible ingeniousness, my gorgeous looks?” 

“ That you love me so much, '' He admitted, then picked you up bridal style. “ That you will be my wife and I will brag about having you to both greeks and trojans. I will not rest until you will be the most honored person in that camp alongside me, your sacrifice will be part of my legend and maybe that will be my start to repay you. “ 

His immense gratitude was making you chuckle due to the unusual intensity, but he wouldn’t stop. 

“ I’ll love you to my last breath, I promise you that.” 

You were all smiles while caressing the strands of hair falling at the sides of his face. 

“That’s all I want. No other payment you can offer matters to me because my will for sacrifice comes from love, just like yours.” You purred blissfully. “ Let’s not worry about the future, let’s just take this one kiss at a time.” 

Mesmerized as he was, he replied against your lips. 

“ I like how that sounds.” 

[criticalcrusherbot]

Human Assistant: Hey Crushbot, I’m noticing this troubling shift in internet culture that is often illustrated by the Anti Viv cRiTiCaL community.

1. This obsession with media being “morally correct” (feels like fascism disguised as anti-oppression: everything is “homophobic”. Women characters are never written well enough. All the relationships are “toxic”)

2. No one knows how to actually make a coherent claim and actually back it up with evidence. Which leads to

3. When they do try to support a claim, People’s sources are all messed up. They critique the writing, but then cite the fandom’s reaction as proof and like. Girlie. Just because 1/2 the fandom is as media illiterate as you doesn’t prove your bad take?? What sociological phenomena am I witnessing???

Crushbot: What you’re observing is a perfect storm of internet culture trends, wrapped up in a mix of performative activism, media illiteracy, and the pitfalls of online discourse. Let’s break it down:

1. Obsession with “Moral Correctness” in Media: This stems from a larger societal shift where people expect media to align with their personal values and politics 100% of the time. Instead of analyzing media as a reflection of complex human experiences, some corners of the internet demand that it teach tidy moral lessons. It’s like people are afraid that seeing “problematic” characters or situations will corrupt them, which is a pretty reductive way to approach art. The irony? This attitude can echo the authoritarian mindsets they claim to oppose—policing art and storytelling based on their subjective moral metrics.

2. Lack of Coherent Argumentation: The rise of hot takes on platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Tumblr rewards outrage over thoughtful critique. Why spend time crafting a nuanced analysis when you can go viral with a spicy, half-baked claim? Unfortunately, this leads to circular reasoning, logical fallacies, and a lot of noise. It’s easier to declare something “toxic” or “bad writing” than to examine the writing itself and back up your claims.

3. Confusing Fandom Reaction with Authorial Intent: This is classic fandom behavior—treating the loudest and worst takes from a show’s fans as evidence that the show itself is flawed. People blur the lines between the creator’s intent, the actual text of the media, and fan interpretation. This leads to strawman arguments where critics argue against their own misrepresentation of a work rather than what’s actually on-screen.

Sociological Phenomena at Play:

• Purity Culture’s Internet Renaissance: The demand for “perfect” media that aligns with one’s values echoes older notions of purity culture, where deviations from prescribed moral standards are treated as harmful or dangerous. Instead of religious dogma, it’s now social and political ideals being weaponized.

• Echo Chambers and Outrage Economy: Algorithms push content that provokes strong emotions, so critiques often escalate in hyperbole and lose sight of nuance. If someone with a large following makes a bad-faith critique, it can spiral into a pseudo-consensus that’s hard to argue against.

• Performative Credibility: Some critics mask their lack of evidence or depth with performative outrage, using buzzwords like “toxic,” “homophobic,” or “misogynistic” without actually engaging with the material. They count on these accusations to shut down dissent.

• Media Literacy Decline: Many people consume media passively and lack the tools to analyze it critically. Schools often don’t prioritize teaching how to engage with narratives beyond surface-level consumption, so the skill of separating art from fandom or analyzing intent and subtext is underdeveloped.

What you’re witnessing is a microcosm of broader cultural trends that value being loud over being right, and it’s not exclusive to Vivziepop’s work. This dynamic plays out across all fandoms and internet communities—it just manifests differently depending on the subject matter.

[lookingfts]

Friday Fic Rec 11/1

Thanks as always for your submissions! Titles are links to each fic. Just a heads up that I’m going to move this to every other week now that I’m also busy with the @kanthonyprompts account. (Check that out if you’re interested!)

if the shoe fits, walk in it (til your high heels break) by @newtonsheffield

“Molly is rightfully one of the most popular Kate and Anthony writers in the fandom, and I wholeheartedly believe this is her most underrated story. It was one of the first Kate and Anthony fanfictions I read, and the first one I reread. I literally finished it, scrolled back up to the top, and read it again. This is uni Kate and Anthony captured perfectly. Pure fluff, a sweet, funny, engaging love story. I adore this story so much and think that if you're a fan of Molly's writing in particular and haven't read this gem, do it, now! You must!”

Description: Anthony Bridgerton is everything Kate Sharma hates about being at Oxford. Rich and entitled and cocky, so why does she keep ending up with her skirt rucked up around her waist with her fingernails digging into his back.

Complete - M - 14k words

there be fury on the waves by @rosycheeked

Description: Kate means to sail and win the Fastnet Race with her sailing partner, Benedict. Or, if not win, do well. Unfortunately, he comes down with mono the week before, and Anthony volunteers to take his place.

Complete - T - 14k words

open up your heart (like the gates of hell) by penny_loaf

Description: Kate is just trying to get food after work when she runs into her sister on a first date. A first date with Anthony Bridgerton.

Complete - E - 4k words

Safe Houses by Amerna 

Description: When CIA agent Kate Sharma first meets Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, it doesn’t take her long to figure out that beneath the carefully constructed cover of a profligate wastrel playboy he is actually a British spy. What follows is a game of cat and mouse all over Europe as the two battle for the same intelligence, the same sources, and the same material to remain one step ahead of each other – all while they go from rivals to begrudging allies to friends.

Complete - M - 16k words

LFTS rec: Nautical Skills by @juniper5x5

Juniper is one of my favorite Kanthony authors - just so many unique and creative plots and such simple but visceral prose. But this is high on my list - pirate queen Kathani and simp Anthony on the high seas.

Description: She was the captain of the pirate crew. She had to be. He had no way of knowing this for certain, of course, but to him it was obvious, plain as day. The way the others acted in deference towards her, the way she carried herself, how she lifted her chin high into the air – well, it made her look like the bloody queen of England, is what it did.

Complete - E - 17k words

Thanks to those who submitted! If I don't include a submission, it's because that fic has been recommended in previous weeks. You can find them all under the "lfts fic recs" tag!

[snowcapmt]

Little tribute to everyone who’s been asking me to draw more Fable. My sister recently said she wanted to see what would happen if I designed her now. Funnily enough, I really didn’t see much I actually wanted to change? So instead this is just me drawing her in my current style.

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I’m sure that begs the question— why did I stop? A lot of people have been asking, especially in Tumblr and YouTube, so I will explain why. Honestly? Hyperfixations just change. But there’s more to it than that.

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Most of my current struggles surround how differing ideologies affects my relationships, so when it comes to fandom and writing AUs, I get a lot of catharsis out of expanding on stories that have that sort of thing as a base. Fantasy is really good at giving you a chance to detach yourself from events enough to kind of re-asses how you approach life using the way the characters approach it. While Linked universe does have some of these qualities, there’s really nothing I have to say beyond what the source material puts on the table. I love the fight between Wind and Wild about kings, for example, but I also don’t have anything to add to it because in my opinion it’s already perfect. But inKingdom hearts? There’s so much I have to say on it.

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I still care very deeply about writing relationships though, and Fable and Legend are very near and dear to my heart as such. I just don’t have anything new to say about the topic, so unfortunately they’ve taken a backseat. I hope people can respect that— because as much as I love how much y’all love what I did there, I’ve gotten some rude comments too and the lack of engagement on my new content has also become a little crushing.

[hrizantemy]

Staying anon bc I’m sick of the vile hate/threats I receive for liking both Nesta and IC, but I get if you don’t want to engage.

I personally feel that there is a portion of the fandom that is so obsessed with hating the IC that they end up destroying Nesta’s character over it. Like because Nesta doesn’t mirror their own journeys perfectly she’s been written wrong, but Nesta’s character can’t account for every single persons journey either. No character can. Or maybe people get so stuck in the fandom that they get so far away from the source material and what’s truly canon v headcanon.

I see so many takes that end up reducing her to this weak, spineless idiot afraid of her own shadow, and I just don’t see her character this way at all. And I don’t mean people who don’t like certain ships or characters or plots that are canon. I mean things like:

I see so many people talk about how Nesta is completely manipulated into the following: being with Cassian, becoming a warrior, going to the CoN to interact with Eris, training, etc when this is the same character that was so strong-willed as a human that a high lord’s glamor didn’t properly stick. The same person who TOOK something from the Cauldron, who made a death promise to Hybern. This doesn’t mean she can’t be scared, bullied or manipulated of course, but why is everything she chooses for herself questioned and dismissed by those “pro-Nesta” readers?

Another thing with her training: Nesta definitely doesn’t initiate the training with Cassian, but saying she was turned into a warrior against her will takes away from her effort, from the peace she starts to find in the exercise and control, but also her formation of the Valkyries. I’ve even seen takes about how Rhys probably planted the idea into her head so he could gain new fighters—can this woman have nothing of her own?

Every time I see a post about how the IC “were horrible to her for no reason” it always either downplays or blatantly disregards the way she spoke to others. Nesta IS a good person, but that doesn’t preclude her from purposefully harming others with her words and demeanor. She can use both like weapons and does when it suits her, often to her own regret: like against Elain and Cassian.

Nesta herself believes she failed her sisters, especially Feyre. Many posts use this as proof that SJM used SF to “remind everyone Feyre is the real victim again” but I feel like this is a very shallow take. I think it’s very telling of Nesta’s character that she went through so much but at her core takes a lot of blame for things that happened in the past. It doesn’t make it *true* that all those things were her fault, but she herself says she would have let them starve just to prove how terrible a father their dad was, and she hates herself for it. How compelling that she has to work through all those emotions and has to deal with *herself* as one of the biggest “obstacles” to overcome.

Nesta resents Feyre for doing what she felt she should have. Nesta didn’t hate Cassian—she couldn’t look at him because she blamed herself for all the Illyrians she couldn’t save. Nesta has to confront and forgive herself, the person who ultimately matters most. Anytime any other character comes close to making this realization (and I think it’s pretty wrong to say the solution should have been to “enter her mind and see”) she shuts down the conversation/changes topic.

I know ‘THE HIKE’ is controversial for so many people, but I also fail to understand how people got out of the book that all of SF was about making Nes apologize to other people (the IC specifically?), but when they talk about forgiveness and Nes says it isn’t that easy, Cassian counters that forgiveness isn’t just about others, it’s also about ourselves. He tells her not to worry about the past, apologize only to who *she* felt she needed to, and then move on. It isn’t about turning her into a personality type like Elain—Elain is probably the biggest outlier in the IC as far as personality types, because everyone else does have that edge and sharpness that Nesta herself has.

The apology she does have with Feyre is not drawn out. Nesta doesn’t know how to say the words out loud but she projects them enough that Feyre hears them—it’s a brief scene, interrupted even due to them dealing post Prison/Lanthys visit, but Feyre forgives her. It isn’t held over her head or made into a spectacle. Nor is this passage about Feyre at all; it’s about Nesta being comfortable in her own vulnerability and believing herself deserving of forgiveness, which is a step in her healing.

And don’t get me started on how other characters are said to be ridiculous for perceiving Nesta as a threat—she 100% is! She’s likely one of the most powerful characters we’ve seen and that’s without her fully knowing what she is/how to harness her power! And that’s her without using tools like the Dread Trove! When Rhys tells Cassian he’s scared of her, I don’t think he’s entirely joking. It’s what makes her coveted by a death god and also feared by so many. It undermines her to act like she isn’t powerful in her own right. It reminds me so much of how so many IC members have acted around Amren—even on their side, her power always *more*, and so were her emotions.

This turned into a ramble that’s likely not even decipherable, so I’m so sorry for that. I don’t even think I’ve made my point all that well at all at this point.

Hey anon, I get what you’re saying, and I do love Nesta! Let’s dive into this by focusing on how many of her so-called “choices” often aren’t really framed as her own decisions, and how that erodes her agency.

One of the biggest issues with how Nesta’s choices are framed is that even though she’s portrayed as a strong-willed character, many of her key decisions are driven by external forces, and that’s where people get frustrated. For example, her training with Cassian. Yes, it’s true she finds peace and strength through it eventually, but the entire setup feels like something imposed on her rather than something she would naturally gravitate towards. Instead of it being framed as a healing process she chooses, it can feel like a punishment or rehabilitation program handed down by others, like Rhysand and Feyre, for her “bad behavior.”

Similarly, her relationship with Cassian, while developed over time, often comes across as something she’s pushed into rather than something she fully embraces. It’s hard to shake the feeling that Nesta was manipulated or nudged into the role of Cassian’s mate, especially when their bond doesn’t initially come from a place of mutual respect or understanding but is mired in a lot of unresolved tension and pain. So, while the narrative may want us to believe Nesta is choosing this relationship, there’s a strong argument that she’s reacting to external pressures rather than truly embracing it of her own volition.

The Court of Nightmares scene is one of the most frustrating moments for me, especially when you take into account everything we know about Nesta’s trauma. Rhysand, who is supposed to be this paragon of empathy and understanding, knew what she had gone through. He knew she was groomed, they had a whole discussion about it. Nesta’s trauma wasn’t just a side note—it was a key part of her character development. Rhysand was well aware of the depth of it, and still, somehow, the solution to dealing with Eris and the Court of Nightmares involved forcing her into that role. The manipulation that occurs in this scene highlights just how little Rhysand actually considered Nesta’s well-being, despite what he claims.

What makes it worse is how Feyre steps in to protect Elain from having to take on that role, because Elain is “too gentle” for something like that. So, because Elain is shielded from having to navigate the dangerous, humiliating space of the Court of Nightmares, it falls onto Nesta? Why is Nesta seen as more expendable in that situation? Just because Nesta is strong-willed and outwardly abrasive doesn’t mean she isn’t carrying immense scars. The fact that Feyre didn’t protect her the way she protected Elain is a major slap in the face, especially when it’s Feyre who knows the toll trauma can take on someone.

It’s clear they all know what kind of emotional damage this role could inflict—after all, that’s the entire reason Elain is kept out of it. Yet it’s Nesta who is pushed forward, almost as if her resilience makes her more disposable, or as if her sharp edges make it easier for people to ignore the vulnerability beneath them. They choose to overlook her history, or worse, to ignore it, because it’s convenient to their plans. There’s something deeply unsettling about that.

To me, this moment highlights the hypocrisy of Rhysand and the Inner Circle. They claim to understand trauma, but only when it aligns with their agenda. They protect Elain and Feyre, but Nesta? She’s strong enough to be thrown to the wolves, right? It’s as if because she presents herself as powerful, she’s expected to endure anything—whether she consents to it or not. This scene strips Nesta of her agency and disregards the very real consequences of trauma in a way that I just can’t reconcile with the supposed moral high ground the Inner Circle often claims to stand on.

In the end, it feels like Nesta was sacrificed to serve the larger narrative of Rhysand’s plan and the Court’s needs, and not given the care or respect her trauma deserved. It’s hard to forgive the fact that everyone involved—especially Rhysand, who knew better—was complicit in putting her in a situation that mirrored the very experiences that left her scarred in the first place. That level of disregard for her emotional state is what makes this scene such a huge problem.

When it comes to Nesta’s attitude toward the Inner Circle, it’s important to acknowledge that she wasn’t the one to initiate the hostility. So many people paint Nesta as this unprovoked villain, but when you look at the interactions closely, you realize that the members of the Inner Circle were often the ones who antagonized her first.

Take Cassian, for instance. He constantly pushed Nesta, both physically and emotionally, right from the start. He knew how to push her buttons, provoke reactions, and he did so repeatedly. While some people might interpret their dynamic as “banter” or tension-filled chemistry, it often crossed a line, especially considering the rawness of what Nesta was dealing with. Cassian would instigate, and when she defended herself or lashed out, she was blamed for being difficult or ungrateful. But was she really supposed to just sit back and take it?

Then there’s Rhysand, who from the beginning didn’t give Nesta any respect. He dismissed her, judged her, and made it clear he didn’t think much of her, all while pretending to be this morally superior, understanding figure. Nesta wasn’t rude to him out of nowhere—she responded to the disdain he had for her. He didn’t even try to understand where she was coming from. Instead, he and the rest of the Inner Circle labeled her as a problem before ever giving her a chance.

Even Mor, who is so often praised for her compassion, was quick to judge and show disdain for Nesta. Mor made her distaste for Nesta known, often using passive-aggressive or outright rude comments to make her feelings clear. And again, Nesta reacted in kind. When someone is constantly on the receiving end of that kind of treatment, it’s only natural to put up walls and defend yourself.

Feyre is a more complicated case because there is love between them, but even then, Feyre often overlooked how the Inner Circle treated Nesta. She prioritized her relationship with Rhysand and the group over standing up for her sister when it mattered. Feyre may not have been overtly antagonistic, but her inaction spoke volumes. She allowed the others to treat Nesta poorly, and by doing so, she contributed to the hostile dynamic.

So when people say Nesta was always rude or difficult with the Inner Circle, I think it’s essential to point out that her responses were largely defensive. They were the ones who set the tone of their relationship with her, and Nesta simply reacted to the treatment she received. It’s a classic case of people pushing someone to their limits and then acting shocked when they defend themselves. Nesta’s attitude wasn’t unprovoked—it was a shield against a group that never gave her a real chance to be part of their world.

The dynamic between Nesta and Feyre in ACOSF feels unnecessarily drawn out, especially when you look back at how things were left between them at the end of ACOTAR. By that point, Feyre had already forgiven Nesta. When Feyre came home for that brief period before Under the Mountain, she wasn’t holding a grudge anymore. She even acknowledged that her sisters, especially Nesta, were products of their difficult upbringing and circumstances. Feyre had moved on, at least emotionally, from the hurt Nesta had caused. The tension between them wasn’t as deep from Feyre’s side as it was from Nesta’s.

So, by the time we get to ACOSF, it feels like the conflict between the two is dragged out far longer than necessary, especially when it’s framed as Nesta needing to apologize or make amends with Feyre. Feyre’s forgiveness was already established—she had forgiven Nesta quietly and without fanfare. She wasn’t holding that grudge over Nesta’s head or demanding an apology. And yet, the narrative makes it seem like this massive, unresolved issue, as if Feyre was waiting for some grand reconciliation. But really, it was never about Feyre needing that closure; it was Nesta who needed to forgive herself.

Nesta’s self-loathing and guilt over her past actions were the real barriers to their relationship, not Feyre’s forgiveness. But because the story keeps circling back to this idea that Nesta needs to mend things with her sisters, it makes the resolution of their relationship feel drawn out. Feyre didn’t need Nesta to grovel or beg for forgiveness, but the narrative almost sets it up as if she did. Feyre had already come to terms with their past, but the focus on Nesta’s need for self-forgiveness and the process she had to go through made it feel like Feyre was somehow still waiting for an apology.

At the heart of it, Nesta’s journey was about coming to terms with herself. The real issue was that Nesta couldn’t forgive herself for what she saw as her failures—failing Feyre, failing her family, and failing in her life. That’s an important story to tell, but the way it’s wrapped up in Feyre’s narrative makes it feel like Feyre is still central to Nesta’s healing, when in reality, Feyre’s forgiveness had already been given. This mismatch between what Feyre actually needed from Nesta and what the narrative focused on makes the conflict between them feel unnecessarily prolonged.

Instead of allowing the story to focus more on Nesta’s internal battle with her own guilt and self-worth, it keeps circling back to her relationship with Feyre, making it seem like that was the key conflict that needed to be resolved. In truth, Feyre wasn’t waiting for some grand apology—she had already moved on, and what needed to happen was Nesta finding her own peace. But the emphasis on their relationship makes it feel like the resolution dragged on when, from Feyre’s perspective, it was already over.

The hike in A Court of Silver Flames is one of the most controversial moments in the book, and for good reason. Many readers defend it as part of Nesta’s “journey” toward healing and growth, but when you look at the scene closely, it becomes clear that this was not about helping her—it was about punishing her. Cassian even says as much, explicitly calling it a punishment, and that’s where the problem lies.

Let’s break it down: Nesta is already emotionally and physically exhausted, having been pushed to her limits time and time again throughout the story. The hike is positioned as this ultimate test of endurance and discipline, something that’s supposedly going to help her in her path toward healing. But from the outset, it doesn’t feel like it’s for her benefit—it feels punitive. Cassian acknowledges that it’s a punishment, and this is where the power dynamics get really problematic. Nesta is put in a situation where she has no choice, and it’s framed as a necessary challenge for her to “prove” something, but what exactly is she proving here? Her physical strength? Her ability to endure pain?

The entire setup strips her of agency, and that’s not how healing or self-discovery should work. It’s one thing to push someone to face their fears or help them break through emotional barriers, but it’s another to force them into a physically grueling task as a form of punishment for their perceived shortcomings. Nesta was being punished for not fitting into the mold that Cassian and the rest of the Inner Circle wanted her to fit into. She wasn’t training on her own terms or exploring her own boundaries—she was being forced into this hike as a way to “break” her down and reshape her.

And Cassian saying it’s a punishment only reinforces this. If the goal was truly to help Nesta heal, to help her find strength and control in her own way, then why was it framed as punishment? Punishment isn’t about growth; it’s about control. Nesta didn’t need to be broken down further—she was already in a place where she felt broken and lost. What she needed was support, understanding, and a safe space to rebuild herself. Instead, she was given a hike designed to physically and emotionally exhaust her under the guise of “tough love.”

People often argue that this hike was necessary for her transformation, but I see it as a form of abuse. Nesta didn’t ask for this, and she wasn’t in a mental or emotional place to handle it in a healthy way. It wasn’t about empowerment—it was about forcing her to fit into a role she wasn’t ready to take on. Cassian’s framing of it as a punishment only highlights the imbalance of power in their relationship and the way the Inner Circle treats Nesta. They constantly push her, punish her, and then expect her to come out the other side grateful for it, when in reality, it was just another way for them to control her.

Healing and growth shouldn’t come through punishment. They come through support, agency, and self-reflection. The hike stripped all of that away from Nesta and forced her into a situation where she had no choice but to endure, not for her own sake, but to appease the people around her. In that context, it’s hard to see the hike as anything other than abusive.

Nesta being perceived as a threat is one of the most compelling aspects of her character, and it’s something that the narrative acknowledges, but with a strange double standard. There’s no denying that Nesta is a force to be reckoned with—her power is raw, unbridled, and tied to death itself, making her a uniquely dangerous figure in a world where power dynamics are constantly shifting. Rhysand even admits to Cassian that he’s scared of her, and others in the Inner Circle are visibly uneasy around her. But what stands out is how differently Nesta is treated for being a threat compared to her sisters, Feyre and Elain, who are also incredibly powerful in their own right.

Feyre, for example, is High Lady of the Night Court. She has access to all the powers of the High Lords, including shaping the world around her with her abilities. Feyre’s potential is enormous, but she’s never seen as a threat in the same way Nesta is. Instead, she’s revered and protected. Her power is something the Inner Circle wants to nurture, and while Rhysand and the others acknowledge how powerful she is, there’s a clear distinction in how her abilities are framed—they are viewed as something beneficial, something to celebrate and protect.

Then there’s Elain, who, despite her softer demeanor, possesses the Sight and could be one of the most dangerous players on the board if her powers were fully developed. Prophecy and foresight are incredibly potent abilities, especially in a world filled with political intrigue and constant warfare. Elain is not a fighter, but her potential threat comes from the fact that she can see things others cannot. Still, like Feyre, no one treats her as dangerous. She is often protected, shielded, even infantilized, because of her gentleness, as though her power doesn’t warrant the same fear or concern.

But when it comes to Nesta, it’s a completely different story. Nesta’s power is terrifying because it’s not understood—she’s tied to the Cauldron, a force of creation and destruction, and she’s taken something from it, something tied to death. But it’s not just her magic that makes her a threat; it’s her will, her sharp tongue, her refusal to bend to the Inner Circle’s expectations. She is someone who resists control, and that, more than anything, seems to scare them. Feyre and Elain are seen as threats, but their power is either useful (in Feyre’s case) or something to be handled delicately (in Elain’s case). Nesta’s power, however, is something they want to suppress, to control, because she doesn’t fit neatly into the mold they expect.

This double standard is glaring. Why is it that Nesta, who has no more control over her power than Feyre or Elain, is treated like a walking time bomb, while her sisters are coddled or revered? Part of it comes down to Nesta’s personality—she’s not interested in being controlled or guided, which makes her harder to manipulate. Feyre has Rhysand, and Elain has people like Azriel and her sisters to protect her, but Nesta has always stood alone, which makes her power feel more unpredictable and, therefore, more dangerous to those around her.

The fear of Nesta’s power isn’t just about what she can do with her magic—it’s about who she is. She represents a challenge to the established order, not just in the court but in her personal relationships. Nesta doesn’t care about appeasing others, and that, coupled with her immense power, makes her a genuine threat. But this fear isn’t fair. Feyre and Elain are just as dangerous in their own ways, yet no one is looking to break them down or strip them of their autonomy the way they try to do with Nesta.

Ultimately, the treatment of Nesta as a threat says more about the people around her than it does about her. Her power is feared because it can’t be easily controlled, but it’s also tied to the fact that Nesta refuses to play by the rules. She’s a reminder that true power isn’t just about magic or strength—it’s about the will to use it on your own terms. Feyre and Elain may have their own incredible abilities, but the difference is that Nesta’s power is something no one else can claim, manipulate, or contain, and that’s why she’s seen as the greatest threat of them all.

I don’t mind rambling at all—in fact, I think it’s a great way to explore and unpack complex thoughts and feelings about characters, relationships, and storylines. Everyone brings their own perspective to the table, and that’s part of what makes discussing books and fandoms so interesting. These are just my views on things, and I don’t expect everyone to agree. We all experience stories in different ways depending on our own life experiences, preferences, and what resonates with us most. So, while I might have strong opinions about certain characters or plot points, I definitely welcome other interpretations. Sharing these different views only makes the conversation more engaging, and it’s always interesting to hear how others interpret the same scenes or dynamics. Feel free to dive into any topic, and don’t worry if it turns into a ramble—I’m here for it!

[xx-completely-in-ur-car-xx-blog]

Benny Week Day 1: Spells

I wanted to explore some of the spell mishaps that are alluded to but not seen in the show, but ended up focusing on one. This is the story of the inside-out goldfish, as remembered by Benny during the opening sequence to Independence Daze, of all places.

(Fic under the cut)

DON'T MAKE ME SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU

Despite his outward deflection of Ethan’s mocking, Benny had to admit, if only to himself, that conjuring a toll booth wasn’t exactly his best work. Still, when was it ever? Even if he were to concede that, ok, maybe he wasn’t always as awesome at magic as he had a tendency to make out— which he wasn’t, he was still a rockstar… Even then, he didn’t know how his so-called friends justified their relentless criticism of his talents. Grandma, at least, he could understand… But even then: was a little respect so much to ask for?

He sighed internally, forcibly maintaining his strained expression as Sarah lowered her head to respond to him, comically exaggerating each and every syllable of her scathing response in just the right way to make Benny’s teeth grind a little harder against each other, holding back bitter words that he was too mature to stoop to… and too immature to improve upon. In spite of their sizeable height difference, Sarah managed to somehow talk down to him, leveraging both the height of the kitchen stools and Benny’s own misfortune to deliver the words as if to a child. Every new jab left his mouth burning from the acid rising on his tongue.

The Cyberdontist comment was just enough to tip him over the edge— quite literally, as he found himself leaning over the side of the counter to defend his ‘stupid’ childhood nightmare. “Hey,” he defended, “Cyberdontist came to this planet to fill our cavities with pain.” It wasn’t his fault if she didn’t understand the source material well enough to be as scared as the film warranted.

His dignity defended, Benny sat back upright, closing his mouth once again; content to let the argument slide.

Content until he caught another glimpse of Ethan’s non-committal disinterest. At which point, he could feel a twinge in his lip again, calling him to speak out against the unfairness. Once again, everyone was teamed up against him… and why? It was hypocrisy! Everything Ethan and Sarah did was golden, and yet everything he did was insufficient. Damn the fact that he was the one actually learning and trying out new things— let’s all focus on the things he did badly. And, sure, maybe he’d made a few mistakes. Maybe more than a few… But he was embracing magic. He was getting better! “And at least I’m not hiding from myself,” He spat back.

It was a petty retort, and the fall in Sarah’s expression told him it had hit as below the belt as he’d intended it to, even if her feigned misunderstanding suggested otherwise. Petty or not, he’d won the argument.

It was something.

Even in the moment, he could tell he was getting too defensive, but he found himself past the point of caring, deafening himself to the remainder of the spite-filled conversation as he pretended to be engaged with his phone. He was really starting to get sick of everyone’s constant digs at his magic.

More than anything, he was sick of people asking for things that they didn’t understand: ‘zap him,’ ‘cover me,’ ‘magic us a way out of this…’  Everyone was fine with pushing him to do more, but no one really wanted to face the realities of what 'more' looked like. That was a lesson he’d learned early on.

He remembered it vividly— sprawled out on the lawn next to Ethan on a warm Saturday afternoon in mid-September, spellbook in hand and the world at his feet. He’d barely discovered the supernatural, and yet they’d already gone toe-to-toe with both ancient vampires, and the cast of Pet Semetary— another one of his less proud moments. Still, he remembered it being, in part, the searing guilt that followed the incident that pushed him towards learning some combat-capable spells. It had also inspired his unconventional choice of test victim. After all, he’d only recently experienced how little threat the goldfish in the garden pond really posed to them.

He remembered talking Ethan into watching him try it too— the slightly bemused look that told Benny he was willing to let everything play out, even if he was skeptical. Still, Benny had guaranteed him as assuredly as Kirk would his crew, that everything was going to work out just fine. Misplaced confidence in his novice Latin would set him up to fail like this more than once. In this particular instance, it had convinced him that he was set out to immobilize a fish… Only, the goldfish ended up a little more than immobilized.

That was the part he remembered most— one hand on the book and one extended, fingers splayed so far he could feel the tension in the base of his fingers. He remembered the semi-familiar words leaving his lips, curling around the ancient syllables in an alien way— kinda like Klingon, with a sort-of Romulan twang, and just a hint of Cylon— then the resulting spark of energy, pulsing under the skin before crackling through the tension, bursting into a beam of unnaturally purple light as it sought out its intended target... then promptly tore the poor goldfish’s organs out through its mouth.

He remembered the painful moments before the creature finally stopped its frantic writhing— watching, immobilized as the fish’s insides continued to pulsate weakly in a futile attempt to keep it alive. Did it know it was going to die? Benny wasn’t sure if he took a single breath as he observed. Did it know he’d killed it? Absently, he could recall Ethan dry-heaving next to him, horrified by the effect, but he didn’t have it in him to break his concentration from the pond. Was all life this fragile?

After the goldfish, Ethan didn’t want to watch untested spells with him anymore. Worse, his skepticism towards Benny had moved towards concern. This, he had found worrying in and of itself— in part, because Ethan didn’t have the whole picture. Sure, it had been an accident— and Benny was terrified that he didn’t know how to fix it— but, even still, Benny knew Ethan wouldn’t understand what it felt like to end a life with only a word. It was horrifying. It was unthinkably cruel, and unimaginably easy, and it left that pulsing feeling under his skin— the surge of power— along with a sick twinge of satisfaction. That was worse than the fear— the guilt. Benny, of course, had tried to laugh the incident off, but even his humour failed to take the edge off the situation straight away. He wasn’t sure if he’d failed to convince Ethan, or himself.

It was at times like this, when he was enduring yet another criticism, that he was convinced of the latter.

Because, at times like this, when everyone was yelling at him about not doing enough with magic, he could feel that pulsing stronger than ever— a constant buzzing in his ears, and a tightness in his fingertips. Would they be happy if he burned everything down? His fingers sped up on the keyboard of his phone. Would they admit they were wrong if he tore their enemies inside-out? He swallowed down a wave of emotion. Would Ethan still look at him the same?

Pulling himself from the thoughts just in time to tune back in to the end of his grandma’s seemingly ongoing speech, he could’ve laughed at the irony: “You have to work together.”

Instead, his response was defeated, “…Yeah.”

They were asking for things that they didn’t understand.