#I'm all for exploring aspects of a character with another one whether they've interacted in canon or not in a romantic or platonic way

[hassiegfrieddoneanythingwrong]

I think the craziest pairing I've seen with him (I wouldn't really call it a pairing but more of a kink), is him/tentacles. Although that...fic...was more of a nonsense way by the author to free the Apocrypha copy of him from Gordes. Don't ask for details, I've scrubbed my brain of it in a hurry.

The second craziest being Siegfried/Sigurd and Siegfried/Siegfried (it's an au fic in Chinese so good luck). I swear I found the former somewhere on AO3, and only recall Siegfried viewing Sigurd as a better version of him from when I skimmed it out of morbid curiosity.

But the other pairings/interactions I've found with him that I do like are with Beowulf and Robin. All general and done by the same author way back in 2016. I would have never thought of such an idea (minus Beowulf because it's fun imagining how much he'd bellyache at him over Siegfried gaining powers with dragon blood while he died to dragon blood).

If you know how Robin handles himself in Extra, having Siegfried for a partner would be another drag for him because oh no another chivalry-soaked partner to deal with. But then also think about Robin in Salem, how he advises Ritsuka that no matter how hard they try, they can't save everyone. He cares in his own way. Bit of a shame Robin isn't the same Robin that had a friendship with Richard the Lionheart - otherwise I'd start making parallels if I wrote this pairing.

But man I do love the fic where Siegfried is dragged into a spice eating contest by Jeanne Alter and they win a vacation for it, in exchange for a stomachache. That one was funny.

Ah, but it is nice to speak about crack pairs involving Siegfried, especially since couple servants tend to make it difficult to talk about them without someone getting mad on behalf of a fictional couple who will never thank them for it. Thanks for that.

I've actually read the tentacle one before (back in '20 or '21, one of those years), and it's... definitely something. 😅 I think I've spent too much of my time on the internet to not be that squicked out on it, or something along those lines.

I'm curious - in a slightly twisted way - on the Siegfried x Sigurd ship, since I haven't seen it pop up before. Siegfried x Brynhild, yes, but not with Sigurd. And since they're counterparts to each other, would this be a variation of selfcest? 🤔 Great now I'm going to think too much on this

I haven't really seen Extra (have seen CCC, just not Extra), but I do know that Robin's deal in that entry is that his Master wishes to play fair and Robin... can't really do that as he is. So these two having an interaction, either as a ship or just in a platonic way sounds fun (Robin understands what Kriemhild and Master goes through on the daily 😔)

Ditto for Beowulf, that sounds like a really funny interaction (reminds me of how during the Apoc rerun I found it wild that in Siegfried's raid battle he would drop poisonous needles, like, "why are you dropping poisonous needles honey, is there something that you're not telling me???" lol).

I don't think I've ever seen the Jalter fic that you're talking about, but that also sounds really funny (they won the vacation, but at what cost?).

[tommykinard]

Serious question, no hate or anything but why are so many people convinced that Ryan and Oliver would love for buddie to happen? Because everything they said sounds quite like the opposite, especially from Ryan. He said the same thing since 2019, he wants to portray this vulnerable, close, platonic friendship/bromance without it turning romantic. He also said he doesn’t even see or play Eddie as gay. And Oliver also said he doesn’t even know if he would actually want it to happen. Which means he doesn’t even think about it actually happening. Sure they love the (non toxic) fans and their love for the characters but I really don’t think they’re dying for buddie to happen. They always say they’re open to it if that’s what Tim decides and if it doesn’t come off as fanservice. But they know exactly it could never be anything but fanservice if it happens. And even if they absolutely wouldn’t want it to happen, they couldn’t say it or else they get called homophobic. So what is it that makes people believe they want Buddie to be canon?

Okay so I'm gonna answer assuming this was sent in good faith, but I really don't like the putting of words in people's mouths and also this extremism re: :they never said that", "this will never happen", etc.

I can only speak for myself, not for anyone else in fandom and definitely not for Ryan or Oliver since I don't know these people personally and I can only assume that you don't either. And as much as we joke about them being unhinged and out of PR jail and whatever, we have to remember these people are professionals who have been in the industry a long time and know how to interact with journalists and press because it's their job. They're never going to outright confirm or deny anything, they can only speak to what material they're given in the moment. As of right now, buddie is a vulnerable, close, platonic friendship. Neither of them have any reason to suggest otherwise. Also please remember that they are actors, they don't write for the show, yes they can offer input into the storylines but they cannot definitively change the trajectory of the show. Sorry anon, but Ryan and Oliver saying that they don't know the future of buddie does not mean they "don't even think about it happening". You don't know what they think, I don't know what they think, so let's stop with these extreme assumptions.

Also "they're not dying for buddie to happen"? I never said that they were. I said that from everything I've seen, I can tell that Ryan and Oliver know their characters and love their characters better than anyone in this fandom ever could. And understanding and loving Eddie means knowing the full depth of how much he loves Buck, whether that be platonic or romantic or some secret third thing. Same goes for Buck. I think if it goes the romantic route, Ryan and Oliver would have a blast getting to explore and portray another aspect to the buddie dynamic. If it doesn't go there, I think they would still knock it out of the park with how they portray a very important relationship in these characters lives, and I think they would still have a blast with it, like they've been doing this whole time. But again, I don't know them and I could be wrong, I'm just going off of the bare minimum info I have.

As for "they know it could never be anything but fanservice", did they tell you that? I've seen time and time again how this show surpasses expectations, I for one did not want an Eddie cheating with Shannon's doppleganger arc when it was speculation, but the show surprised me with how much I liked the way they did it. Same goes for buddie, if you think it can only ever be fanservice, just give them a chance to maybe surprise you. Ryan and Oliver are gonna get shit on no matter what they say in interviews. If they talk about buddie too much and hint about it being romantic, they're going to get accused of queerbaiting. If they don't talk about buddie at all or keep emphasizing that buddie is platonic, they're going to be called homophobic. It's a lose lose situation.

And another thing? Interviews are not word of god. This fandom (and any fandom) needs to stop placing so much weight on them. They're a fun behind the scenes look into the conversations and decisions surrounding different scenes and storylines, but that's it. Personally, I don't care what Ryan or Oliver might feel about buddie. It's fun seeing them be supportive of it, sure, but they could outright say that it was never going to happen and I wouldn't care, because they're not the writers or showrunners, what they say in an interview has no impact on the show. A lot of people weren't there or have forgotten when Tim made comments about how much he loved Taylor Kelly and wanted to pursue more journalist storylines, or when he said Eddie would have no PTSD after the shooting. So even if Tim confirmed or denied buddie in an interview? It means nothing bc it didn't occur in the show. We'll all find out whether Ryan and Oliver wanted buddie to happen or not if/when it does happen, or when the show ends. Until then just stay along for the ride or hop off if you're not having a good time.

[amemenojaku]

Askgame 001: Seija/Shinmyoumaru

When I started shipping it if I did: Right when the full version of DDC came out, so... more than 10 years ago... It's hard to believe it's been a full decade LOL

My thoughts: They've been my favorite touhou pairing ever since then so I have a lot of thoughts, but in general I think they're one of the most interesting relationships in the series (and ZUN's favorite in DDC apparently >:3), whether it's interpreted as romantic or not. That being said, there's clearly some kind of affection or attachment in canon given how much they've interacted and how they stuck together in the end despite how things started, and that makes me really happy. I love the push and pull, the "we're partners in crime and then I turn on you and then we're together again etc" of it all... It's just really really good.

The other day I was talking with a friend about the amount of canon content they got for a duo that isn't made of main or recurring characters, and it's actually... a lot... A lot more than I would've believed 10 years ago at least!!

Things done in fanworks that annoy me: I'm not super vocal about it because I did it too back in the day, when there wasn't much to work with besides DDC's basic plot, but with everything we got now I have a hard time enjoying works where Shinmyoumaru's just a poor victim of Seija's lies and nothing else. Or the other way around where there wasn't any conflict and manipulation at all, although that's much more rare lol (but I've seen it)...

Things I look for in fanworks: The main appeal to me nowadays is how they change one another in a way that just wouldn't happen in their interactions with other characters, so I'm very fond of works where her meeting with Seija allowed Shinmyoumaru to finally know freedom, or how Seija somehow both mellows and gets worse when Shinmyoumaru's around, etc. Something else I love to see is pre-DDC works where Shinmyoumaru is aware of Seija's lies but rolls with it anyway. I think it goes well with the previous thing of Shinmyoumaru finally getting to live the life she wanted; she gains something from being a pawn anyway, so why would she care?

Also I am a very simple person and seeing Shinmyoumaru sitting on Seija's shoulder or Seija holding her in her hands (and being gentle as she does so, unconsciously) is always the best to me and I hope people continue drawing/writing that. I eat it up

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Realistically, no one lol. I love what happens when you add Reimu to the equation (and Marisa for even more of a mess), and Reimu/Seija is by far my favorite rarepair, but I don't think any of it would work the way seishin could work (with all its ups and downs, but work nonetheless)...

My prefered future/ending for them: I think they should stay the way they are forever :] I'm serious I think it's already perfect the way it is, with the push and pull and sometimes they fall down and they get back together and they annoy everyone in the process etc. I do think Seija's gonna outlive Shinmyoumaru eventually but that part isn't something I enjoy thinking about, as opposed to other pairs where it's a big aspect of it.

What is their favorite activity together: Going places they haven't seen before (mostly for Shinmyoumaru, I think Seija's been around long enough to know most of Gensokyo), and just moving outdoors in general. There's no way either of them can sit still inside for a while without going nuts. And there's more people to bother outside anyway!! I love pictures of Shinmyoumaru exploring nature and I think Seija who spends most of her time outdoors anyway would appreciate the company, regardless of what she says about it.

[rulersre4chf4n]

Do you write / have an A03? Also, how did you feel about the finale for the show, and do you think we'll get any animated Owl House content in the future? Finally, why do you like The Owl House so much?

Nope, I'm not a writer unfortunately. That's not to say it'll never happen, but I don't have anything written or in the works at the moment. Thank you for your interest, though!

I personally really disliked the finale if I'm being honest. It was definitely my least favourite episode and kind of retroactively ruined the show for me a bit. If someone wants me to elaborate I can, but I won't go into more detail than that for now as it would be a very long rant lol. Nothing but respect for the Owl House crew of course; I know they put a lot of effort into it.

As for the potential for new animated content, I could not say. I couldn't even speculate as we really don't know anything. That will pretty much all be up to Disney and whether they think it worth their money. If we ever did get new content, it would probably be a young Eda spinoff since it seems that's what Dana wanted to do. That wouldn't be of particular interest to me, but I guess I would watch it in hopes for some more content regarding Darius. A lot of people have also wondered about a Wittebane spinoff, and before the finale came out, this was the spinoff I was most in support of and would've paid basically anything to see. But considering how much I did not like the writing of the Wittebanes in the finale and what Dana has shared of their story in Posthoots, I've decided I actually do not want them to elaborate any more on that story and I would actually prefer there to not be a canon account of what happened lmao.

I know this would not happen, but if they were to make more Owl House content, I would personally love just to see more content of the Hexsquad's time in the Human Realm. Give me some cute slice of life content with some character studies! Show me how the kids adjusted to being there and how their friendships deepened during that time! It wouldn't even have to be a full TV series; they could just post some shorts on YouTube or something if that would be more profitable for them. Disney if you're listening feel free to steal this idea please

Why I like this show so much is a hard question to give an answer to; I love it for so many different reasons! But the main reason has to be the characters. In my opinion, The Owl House is at its strongest when it takes the time to really focus in on a character's motivations and arc, as well as their relationships with other characters, above other aspects like the overarching plot, worldbuilding, etc. as I feel these are its weaker aspects. Characters who stand out in particular to me in terms of their strong writing are Luz, Hunter, and Belos. But as I said really any moment dedicated to exploring character development and interactions tends to be really well executed in this show.

Another aspect I love is of course the representation. I get a little choked up when I think about how the kids who watched this series are going to grow up having seen gay people completely normalized onscreen, and how lifechanging that would've been for me when I was a kid. Also I feel like we as a fandom do not talk nearly enough about its depictions of mental health, and especially its depictions of a panic attack and a real breathing technique you can use in that situation! I know I for one have made good use of that technique, and I've heard other people online mention that they've used it too or even that it's helped their kids and I just :') :') :') thank you Dana

And of course I couldn't answer this without highlighting my favourite episode, Hollow Mind. I was a fan of the series before it aired, but this is the episode that fully activated my obsession that has endured for over a year now. 10/10 writing, storyboarding, dialogue, voice acting, art, animation, music, everything. This is the episode that also fully introduced into the story the Wittebane brothers and the Grimwalker plotline, which anyone who spends any time on this blog can see live rent free in my brain at pretty much all times :)

[june2734]

The Short Lived Golden Age of Nerdy Web Shows

There was a time between the years of, let's say, 2007 to 2015 that I like to call the golden age of nerdy web shows. It consisted of a lot of small low to no budget productions that had a lot of heart, the kind you just don't see very often anymore for some reason. Many of these show have found a dedicated home on streaming services like The Fantasy Network, some have even gained enough steam to be featured on big name services like Netflix and Amazon like The Guild and LARPs The series respectively. I'm not exactly sure why the web show trend died out so hard, maybe the crowds just aren't there for them anymore like they use to be with some many pieces of high budget productions on streaming services vying for their attention. Every once and a while I'll jump onto Google to try and find new web shows that have that same heart and feel but rarely if ever do I come up with anything. As far as I can tell the only place new nerdy low to mid budget web shows or films gets any attention is at GenCon or small streaming services like The Fantasy Network. Who knows if there will ever be another nerdy heartfelt web show created that captures the spirit of those old series I hold so dear to my heart, but regardless if it happens or not I'd like to bring some attention to a few of my favorites. They may be old by the standards of the internet and maybe even cheesy by today's standards, but I really think they were something special and if you give them a shot maybe you'll think so too. If you have any others that you think would fit in with shows like this feel free to let me know.

The Gamers: Hands Of Fate

Zombie Orpheus Entertainment use to be one of my favorite channels for nerdy fantasy related content back in the day. You could always see the quality and passion that they put into every piece of content they out out on their channel. They're still around today but they've shifted their focus to other ventures such as the ever popular trend of live streaming table top games rather then making scripted content. That being said their old stuff is still well worth a watch and The Gamers series, particularly The Gamers: Hands of Fate, is some of their best work they’ve ever put out. The series centers around a group of table top gamers(the same that can be found in most of the other The Gamers creations by ZOE), particularly the character by the name of Cass, as he steps into the world of one extremely popular card game hopes of impressing a woman who's a huge fan of it. But this is seemingly simple premise is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this series. The show also features a secondary narrative that involves the characters that actually exist in the card game as as the players decisions in the real world effect their lives and leads one character, Buckstahue(not sure if I’m spelling that right), in particular to start questioning what mysterious forces are controlling their lives. The show is a real treat filled with twists and turns I never saw coming, it's fascinating seeing how the real world actions of this card game effects the card characters lives as well as question if and when Buckstahue will figure out what strings control her actions. The stories surrounding the other characters in the party might not be as engaging but they are by no means a weak point of the series either, many of their subplots are engaging in their own rights and pay off certain character moments established in proper The Gamers creations. If this peaks your interest then the series can still be found on Zombie Orpheus's Youtube channel or as a movie on The Fantasy Network. ZOE had pivoted more towards live streaming as opposed to the scripted content of their past but I'd love to see more content from The Gamers one day. Source

LARPs The Series

LARPs The Series first premiered at GenCon 2014 and took home the award for Best Independent Series. The year after it was picked up by Geek and Sundry as a part of a push for more scripted content on the channel which was where I and many others first got a chance to watch it. When the short trailer for popped up on the G&S channel everything about it screamed that I was absolutely going to love it, and I wasn’t wrong. The series centers around a 4 man party of larpers (AKA Live Action Role Players) by the names of Will, Brittany, Arthur and Sam and their DM (Dungeon Master) Evan as we follow their lives in and out of the game. The show is surprisingly heartfelt and sympathetic towards the characters involved in this often misunderstood and mocked hobby as it shows how larping enriches their often turbulent lives and connects them all as friends on a deep and meaningful level. These characters felt real and you really rooted for them as they deal with, work, relationships and the many other hurtles of adult life as they wait eagerly to gear up for whatever peril might befall them in their next campaign session. The show was also pretty hilarious, seeing them play out classic predicaments that any party, whether they be larpers or table top roleplayers, have experienced such as one player trying to roll to kill a tavern owner or romances between PCs were always a joy to watch unfold.  Another thing that most will notice right away is how the production value and direction are surprisingly astounding as well, especially in season 2. I was shocked by just how much quality was put into the show from the costumes and sets as well as from a writing standpoint. If you're interested in checking out the show then it can be found on Amazon Prime but they can also still be viewed for free on YouTube or in The Fantasy Network. Beanduck, the production company behind LARPs The series, is working towards a funding campaign in hopes of earning enough to produce a third season so if you have any spare change you might want to toss it their way in support. Regardless if you decide to help or not, LARPs The Series is a show that I think any nerdy individual will enjoy. Source

Glitch

Glitch was another show produced by the team over at Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, but it never seemed to get the same kind of love as many of their other productions. The concept was brilliant: What if one day you woke up and found out your life operated on the logic of video games? Well this is the predicament that a programing temp nicknamed Glitch finds himself in. Most episodes of the show centered around particular game mechanics causing problems in his and his friends lives and how he tries to figure out ways to work around or fix problems they've created. Glitch, Wyatt and Samus were all fantastic characters and it was always fun seeing Glitch trying to work through some real world problem with game logic like trying to flirt with a woman he likes using a conversation wheel like in Mass Effect or figuring out how to "defeat" his boss at work who he see's as an actual game boss. Another thing I liked about the show was how the characters really felt like real people I knew, they played games on the couch, debated about which Sci-Fi starship captains were the best, and they grilled each other in nerdy ways while working in slang from their favorite bits of nerd culture into their daily vocabulary. I always hoped that ZOE would eventually put out a second season but unfortunately for whatever reason that never became a reality. Now days the channel that originally hosted Glitch has changed their name to Burger Orchard and rarely if ever uploads anything, but luckily those original episodes of Glitch can still be found on their. Give it a watch, it's short but sweet and if you really enjoyed the show a lot there are little companion shorts that can also be found on the channel. Source

The Street Fighter

The Game Station was an early find for me back in my early college days, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I shaved away many hours watching all kinds of gaming related content on that channel instead of studying for exams. One production, created by one of the channels founders Layne Pavoggi, which came out in late 2011 and was a cut above much their already fantastic content was a short lived series was called The Street Fighter. The series centered around a single dad by the name of Phil who has just lost his job and decides to take up a short career as a professional Street Fighter player to provide for his son as well as keep his mind off of the stressful and highly competitive job market. This a real underdog story that’s extremely reminiscent of old sports 80s films where the protagonist has everything working against them, with that being said you might think that such a trope filled narrative would make things a little predictable and you wouldn’t be wrong but there’s still plenty to love since this concept has really never been explored with videogame to my knowledge. Phil is a guy you’d be hard pressed not to warm up to, especially when you see him interacting with his preteen son Ryan or his best friend/semi love interest Camile (played by former All That star and all around spectacular person Lisa Foiles). Seeing him trying to make his way into the job market, taking odd jobs here and there just to try and get by while also playing Street Fighter to destress and become better for the sake of winning a competition for money to support his son really makes to root for him through all of it. One aspect of the show that I really this is fantastic is how it feels truly authentic to the FGC (Fighting Game Community) when it comes to talking about all of the technical aspects of play Street Fighter on a competitive level. There are moments when Phil goes into detail about his “bread and butter” combos or talks about different strategies when it comes to taking on different characters compared to his main. The show was short lived but it can still be found on The Game Stations channel, if you’re looking for a heartfelt underdog story then I highly recommend giving The Street Fighter a shot. Source

Versus Valerie

Versus Valerie is a bit of series finale for a fictional character created by Hannah Spear for the character more commonly known as the Sexy Nerd Girl on her YouTube channel. Even if you didn't watch the characters vlogs over the years leading up to the web series I still think you'll find something to enjoy in this extremely charming show. It centers around Valerie Lapomme, the titular Sexy Nerd Girl, as she lives life hanging out with with her best friend Guy, shopping for comic books, going on dates, vlogging, and trying to make something of herself as a mid 20 something living in Toronto. The brilliant thing about this series is how each episode is structured like or makes homage to popular shows, films and games such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, Memento, and The Matrix just to name a few. On top of that the show is surprisingly well produced and written for something that spawned from a fictional vlog series, Valarie and Guy are much more fleshed out and all the characters including them have some really fantastic character arcs and moments in the show. Valerie’s awkwardness and extremely nerdy imagination felt embracingly relatable to me personally since I often imagine different situations in my life in relation to my own nerdy fandoms. What I was often taken aback by when I first watched the show years ago was just how enjoyable all of the episodes were in their own special way, and the pay off of it all really feels like a proper satisfying ending to the strange and imaginative journey we’ve been on with Valerie. If it peaks your interest at all then you can still find the full series on the Veruse Valerie YouTube channel as well as some of the vlogs prior to the series on the Sexy Nerd Girl channel as well. It’s well worth a viewing and aside from the fantastic lead characters of Guy and Valerie the show also managed to grab Mark Meer as a supporting character, aka the voice of COMMANDER MOTHER F^*$(^% SHEPARD BABY!!!  Source