#also don't think i don't see the fandom reacting COMPLETELY differently

[pumpkinpaix]

Very curious for your opinion- what do you think of it when people write modern au wwx as being very active in social justice movements? Personally, I can buy it but I don't think it should be a given?

maybe an unwise first question to pick out of my moldering askbox but whatever it's the first one that i felt like i had an answer prepared for off the cuff so yolo i guess!!

short answer: at this point, i don't buy it. It's a detail that I can and have put up with for fics i really like for other reasons, but i think it's pretty far off the mark in terms of how I understand wei wuxian's primary motivating forces.

ok now to get into the weeds! :D

there are several reasons why wei wuxian being heavily involved in social justice movements doesn't ring true to me--the easiest one to point to from outside the narrative is that the sort of activism wei wuxian is written to participate in is often modeled on how social justice circles look in the US. It feels really culturally alienated in a lot of ways. I can't really blame authors for this, though, because it's a very understandable approach to write what you're familiar with--but it does often take me out of the story because i find it kind of jarring, especially if the story in question is ostensibly supposed to be set in China where modern social activism necessarily looks very different than in the states.

but that kind of feels like metagaming the question, so: in terms of interpreting the text, i really just don't think wei wuxian would be inclined to that kind of work for two main reasons.

first: I think he'd be really bad at it lol. social activist movements are necessarily collaborative, and wei wuxian is kind of terrible at playing well with others, compromising, discussing, etc. he often favors action over diplomacy and has terrible impulse control, tending to act first, think later, often to pretty devastating consequences for the people he's ostensibly standing up for. See: antagonizing Wen Chao, which precipitates the chain of events that ultimately leads to the massacre at Lotus Pier; confronting the jins and basically threatening to kill everyone at jinlin tai if they opposed him, thus alienating all his potential allies and leaving the wen remnants essentially completely dependent on his individual power for survival etc. thus dooming them entirely when he died.

(also see: "can we stop talking and just start killing each other" at guanyin temple)

even really minor events in the past show the same kind of pattern, such as at the qishan conference when he throws his support behind wen ning as an archery competitor--wen ning panics in the spotlight and flubs his shots to public ridicule from being put on the spot. jiang cheng is the one who drags him away in mortification while wei wuxian simply doesn't give a shit about how it reflects upon him, not really considering how it might reflect on his sect.

i'm not saying that these were "wrong" actions to take in the moment: wei wuxian has an admirable righteous streak. he does not, however, always take other people into consideration when he makes his decisions. he basically ignores anyone who tries to change his behavior, sometimes carelessly, sometimes reacting with anger (Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, literally everyone post-sunshot frankly). that kind of individualist mentality is really ill-suited to activism, which requires an understanding that the individual has less power than the group and that you cannot bend the world around you. a lot of fandom comes down super hard on characters like jiang cheng and yu ziyuan for the things they say to wei wuxian, but i think they're honestly quite understandable, even if the way they express themselves is sometimes cruel or hurtful. the rationale isn't particularly surprising. It's one thing to act in a way that gets yourself hurt. It's another to do so when you know that your position will drag a whole lot of others down with you.

i feel that even if wei wuxian had the interest in joining a social activist group, he would probably eventually butt heads with the others until they either expelled him or he left himself. his thick skin would be a great tool in certain calculated actions (he would do very well as a symbol or a charismatic fall guy) but unfortunately, he's not very good at listening or adhering to a plan.

second: i just don't think wei wuxian thinks about systems of oppression very much. i summarized how i feel about his relationship to class already in this post from like 4.5 years ago (jeez.....) and I still stand by it! wei wuxian is not particularly class conscious because he is, in fact, relatively wealthy. he also like, pretty clearly doesn't think very hard about women's work or status either, except in personal terms--after all, he plays with A'Yuan frivolously, planting him in the dirt and does not think about the kind of work that goes into maintaining a standard of living, which is often women's work. (before anyone says anything, yes, i am aware he is not outright misogynist about women's work). throughout the text, wei wuxian just doesn't put a whole lot of thought into how a woman's gender might affect her status and power.

furthermore, this is kind of mentioned in the class meta, but again--wei wuxian's defense of the wen remnants isn't singularly motivated by the desire to uplift an oppressed class, because the wens are not an oppressed class. They are a sect, which is both familial and alliance-based, not an ethnic group or a class of people. Their treatment is still unconscionable, but it's not systemic oppression. the attempted killing of all the wens is not much different than xue yang's vendetta against the yueyang chang clan, except in scale. and until wen qing comes and personally begs him to help her find her brother, wei wuxian doesn't really have any thoughts to spare for the wen remnants and how they might be faring. he goes to help wen qing and wen ning because he owes them both a serious personal debt, which is something that he feels strongly about! and once he gets to the camps, he obviously isn't going to just ignore the other people suffering (esp because they are the wen sibs' immediate family). he is righteous, after all, but often fails to apply it in a big-picture way.

wei wuxian cares a lot about paying back those who have been kind to him or have helped him, which is pretty evident through his self-sacrificing streak throughout the narrative. he often forgets or deliberately does not take his own well-being into consideration--but, as established, he also forgets that he is not an isolated entity and that his well-being is tied to the well-being of others as well.

throwing himself in front of the brand to save mianmian, making sure everyone else gets out of the cave before he does, immediately coming to terms with having his right hand cut off, giving up his golden core, publicly distancing himself from yunmeng, personally defending the wen remnants, taking jin ling's curse mark onto himself, making himself into the yin flag at the second siege and so on--it's all one long extension of paying back debts, in some way.

personally, I think this is because he considers his entire life to be one that is owed--his life, his skills, his body etc. is all owed to others. I also think, however, that this tendency is often confused by fandom into characterizing wei wuxian as having low self-esteem, which he patently does not. wei wuxian thinks he's hot shit. he's arrogant, a show-off, and is so insistent in his own skills and abilities that he icaruses himself into literal bits. when he thinks he's about to lose his right hand he's like welp. guess i gotta learn how to do this with my left, without really any question about whether or not he can. of course he can! he's wei wuxian! can he bring wen ning back from the dead? for sure!! definitely!!!! can he totally do this night hunt blindfolded? hell yeah he can! and he's usually right. i think wei wuxian has very low self-worth, which is a different thing: he throws himself away at the drop of a hat for others that he cares about or feels indebted to because, whether consciously or unconsciously, he thinks that their well-being, survival, happiness etc. is something he should ensure at any cost, even himself because he owes it to them. he owes his whole existence!

so circling back to the initial topic, I think this pattern of thinking is pretty at odds with social activism. he puts those he feels he owes above himself, but doesn't have a lot of attention to spare for people he considers irrelevant--which is most people. (never learning jin zixun's name, for example). I think that while he understands the nature of systems of oppression to a certain degree (like, he understands jin guangyao's motivations, but he's not particularly interested or sympathetic), it's not something he's really passionate about correcting. his reaction mostly seems to be like "well, that sucks". he only really goes out of his way to defend those that he has personal affairs with or those that happen to pique his notice

wei wuxian doesn't actually have big-picture ambitions. he didn't want to be a leader of anything or start his own sect or anything else. he doesn't spend much of his thoughts on making a better world so much as how he might be able to be content in the world that exists with the people that he cares about. that kind of self-focused drive leaves me unconvinced that he would get involved in social justice in any meaningful way in a modern au. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i think that makes him a really fun protagonist, tbh. the tension between his selfishness and his propensity for self-sacrifice makes for a very interesting dynamic.

.....

:'] i guess i never left the weeds.

(ko-fi)

[peachyprophets-blog]

hey! Is it possible you could make part four of the story? I wanna see where it goes and I'm hanging on the edge of my seal lol. But if your busy it's fine or if it's discontinued sorry lol. Just wondering

DROWNED LOVE, LET ME SEE YOU AGAIN...

Various! Yandere/Obsessed! EPIC Characters x Reader

Content Warning: Yandere themes, Odysseus' obsession with you grows stronger, mention of themes

Description: While Odysseus meets the prophet Tiresias in the he learns about his future, but what about you? He has no answer to that (or does he not want to give an answer?). Meanwhile, Hermes visits Circe who wants to find out more about you, so Hermes decides to take you to Circe when Apollo, Athena or one of the other gods isn't looking and then things start to get different…

Part 4: Whispers of the dead and other ways of persuasion

A/N: here is the next part :3 I'm so sorry that none came, I'm currently in training and in exam phase, I try to upload at least one part every weekend. I am so grateful that you like this series (maybe I'm planning one-shots from other fandoms)

PREV / Part 5

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Odysseus POV:

The air is cold, voices echo from every corner and I have the oppressive feeling in my chest that I can no longer escape from here, from the underworld. Circe sent me and my men here, a prophet who can help us get back home. But I don't want to go home until I find (Y/N), I need her by my side. The souls of my deceased comrades are tugging at me, I can't stop thinking about the past events. A short time later I hear a familiar voice, but it can't be, "Mother?" I ask quietly as I see my mother's slightly glowing soul on the other side. "I'm waiting... Odysseus... (Y/N) when are you coming home?" her voice sang, I didn't know what to say or how to react. My mother and loved ones have died, what should I do? I said goodbye to my mother quietly and prayed to the gods that I would find (Y/N) here, but it was in vain, where was she? She must be here somewhere if Poseidon really killed her back then. (Y/N), where are you... I'm waiting..

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

While Odysseus let his gaze wander towards you, they arrived at the prophet, but what Odysseus said was not what he expected. The prophet who went by the name "Tiresias" spoke his prophecy without mentioning you in any of his syllables, like a secret that no one should guess. "I see a song of past love, I see the sacrifices of men, I see depictions of betrayal and a brother's last stand. I see you on the brink of death, I see you taking your last breath, I see a man coming home alive, but it's no longer you." Those were the words of the prophet Odysseus was shocked but his question about how you are, where you are and what your future looks like, are he and Penelope still a part of it, continues to circle around in his head but Tiresias apparently has no answer to that. The only thing he answers is "Your future is dark." After Odysseus was on his way out of the underworld, a slight glow appeared around the prophet, he had successfully completed the task of not telling Odysseus about your future, he can now also see your future without having to see Odysseus in it like a stain that tarnishes a beautiful painting.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Meanwhile, you are sitting in one of the magnificent gardens on Olympus, surrounded by every imaginable kind of flower, they shine in their full splendor and even glow a little. It is rare that you are alone at the moment, as you are usually always accompanied by a god or goddess. But right now you are completely alone, listening to the trees rustling in the wind in the garden, the quiet conversations of the nymphs and the twittering of the birds. While you are completely alone in this quiet moment, you don't know what Hermes is planning.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Hermes POV

I visited a good friend of mine again, Circe. The sorceress saw me and looked annoyed, to which I just laughed quietly. "What's that face for, my love!" I called out in a good mood. After she told me what had happened, I had to laugh quietly and shrugged my shoulders. "It was funny," I answered skillfully. But then her expression changed. "Tell me more about her." I knew what she meant and I'll be honest, I told her everything about her. We decided that I would bring her with me. I was aware that I had a challenge to get past the other gods. But please, I stole my brother's cows when I was a baby. I knew that our dear (Y/N) was alone at the moment, so why don't I take her on a trip to Circe Dawling.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Protected by the warm sun, you were still sitting alone in the garden until you felt a gust of wind. When you opened your eyes, Hermes was standing in front of you with a broad grin. "Lord Hermes?" you asked the god, but you couldn't say anything else. The god lifted you up in his arms and with a grin he said, "We're going on a trip now, Dawling." And before you could process it, you felt the wind blowing through your hair as Hermes ran off at his inhuman speed. In less than a few minutes you were already on a beautiful island, and in the middle of it stood a magnificent palace. The palace was not like the one on Olympus, but the palace was perfect for a goddess. When Hermes let you down, you felt the soft grass and the gentle wind. When you turned your gaze in the direction of the palace, you saw two white lions approaching you, but when you wanted to back away, he held you with a gentle grip, "Don't be afraid, they won't hurt you." The lions sniffed you curiously and led you towards the palace.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Reader POV:

I don't know how I got into this situation, I was just on Olympus and now I'm standing between the messengers of the gods Hermes and the sorceress Circe. Circe's fingers gently stroked my skin and her voice was soft and she cast a spell over me. "Don't be afraid, my love, you'll really like it here, I just hope Hermes was gentle with you too." These words penetrated deep into my heart, she seemed to be worried about me. At least that's what I thought, her eyes were full of affection. "Hermes has already told me so much about you, I just had to see you in person," she whispered softly to me. "And I must say, you are even more lovely than Hermes described you." I blushed at her words, these words touched my heart and spread a warm feeling. "Thank you Lady Circe..." I managed to say. I flinched when I felt Hermes' hand on my hip. I took a step forward out of reflex and felt Circe's arms wrap around me. "Hermes, not so rough, it could break." She warned the god and gently stroked my hip and whispered in my ear in a seductive tone, "Don't worry, my little flower, I'll make sure you're okay here." I felt the heat spread across my face, my vision began to change. Circe looked so beautiful and Hermes' proximity put me in a state that was hard to explain.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

As you stood between the two of them, you felt a pair of lips sliding over your shoulders. A slight shiver ran down your spine. "If it's too much, tell us, little flower." Circe's voice rang out before she lifted your chin with her fingers. You nodded in agreement, a slight gasp escaped you as Hermes began to kiss your neck. "Don't worry, my little flower, I'll make sure it's the best for you," Circe assured you with a gentle smile before you felt her lips on yours, her kiss was gentle and tasted sweet like honey...

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Peachyprophet

[unfortunatelyphoenix]

So I had another idea that I wanna share, btw I still know barely anything about either fandom and am going off fanfics for info. Also I'm really tired rn so don't expect everything to make sense.

After a nasty accident the portal blew up with the explosion being so big it would've destroyed the entire planet and Ghost Zone if Danny hadn't managed to absorb the majority of the blast, but with how much power it had been Danny wasn't able to completely stop the destruction and was sent into a centuries long coma to heal with Clockwork and Frostbite putting the energy (both his and everything he was able to absorb from the blast) into a large pearl-like object and storing it into some ancient ruins to help protect him. But despite having taken so much of the force humanity was pretty much given a hard reset in advancements and created metas.

Now, centuries later, the JL hear of a villain (idk who) having pinpointed the location of an extremely dangerous magic artifact that could send everything back by centuries if not outright destroy the planet and obviously go to stop them, with a 10 year old Damien who is determined to become Robin managing to catch a ride and sneak along with them. Somehow Damien ends up in a position where he's between the villain and the artifact and is severely hurt, but he refuses to give up and the fighting makes a ruckus, enough of a ruckus that Danny wakes up.

Danny, who has absorbed all of the energy into is own being and now looks like some sort of animal-like creature, wakes up to see an adult hurting a kid so badly it looks like their gonna kill him and immediately goes into hero mode to save the child. Thanks to pretty much having the power of several Tsar Bombs now, easily finishes the fight and quickly starts panicking over the small injured child and does his best to use his powers to heal the kid whose barely even conscious.

At some point of Danny's frantic mother-hen-ing one of the JL members, who is also really injured, manages to get to the room to stop the villain only to find the villain unconscious, what looks to be a brand new Robin barely conscious, the artifact missing, and some sort of monster that looks to be made of space, shadows, and ice panicking over the small child and quickly getting protective once noticing the other person and putting itself between the JL member and the hurt kid to protect him, seemingly shape-shifting to appear more dangerous.

After somehow calming the thing down (which was pretty difficult due to a language barrier) the JL and JLD come to the conclusion that somehow the magic artifact must've reacted to Damien and bonded with him since it's refusing to leave his side.

Danny on the other hand thinks he's been out for maybe a month max and was transported to a different universe thanks to the existence of powers, superheroes, and the very prominent language barrier between them. He just hopes that this strangely stabby child calms down soon so he can find his way into the Ghost Zone so he can return to his family and haunt.

[dalliancekay]

Aziraphale and Manipulation

I want to address a couple of things re: manipulation

Aziraphale is naïve and gullible and easily fooled

Aziraphale is a manipulative asshole who doesn't take no for an answer

Metatron

Points 1 and 2

Funny how both of these seem to be true at the same time for people who dislike Aziraphale or think that Crowley should never be challenged or disagreed with or teased, even though in canon, he literally says or acts in ways that prove he absolutely loves his unpredictable spouse who makes him laugh and react and act in unexpected ways.

Which also points to the strange discrepancy in how fanon Crowley is incredibly powerful, having had created the entire Universe AND brought a human back to life (neither of which is true btw) and also weak cos he gives in to his partner against his will (I know this is not how manipulation of that kind works, but I also don't think people who accuse A/C of this unhealthy dynamic understand our couple so it's just a stupid comparison because Aziraphale knows exactly when to back down from teasing his love, much like he did with the car colour to calm Crowley's agitation).

I am not going to address these points at any length anyway, because I think they are, frankly stupid. I am just pointing out that people who make Aziraphale a villain can make him a villain in any way they wish, even if the points are on opposite scales and both untrue.

And just so you know, Crowley would hate you for this. Crowley adores the angel because Aziraphale is constantly challenging him, surprising him and bringing his best self out. Because Aziraphale is silly and kind and believes in the best of everyone and thinks being good is a superpower.

Point 3

I feel like my manipulative and your manipulative might be different manipulatives in the fandom. Especially when it comes to Final 15.

For me, Metatron being manipulative means him not saying things straight, not saying what he really means, because such things as he wants and plans are not really 'good' good, if you see what I mean. And we can't have that for Heaven. After all, we aren't killing Job's kids... we are just ... not stopping Hell from killing them - Gabriel learned from the best. When Metatron decided on running circles around Aziraphale and has carefully chosen his words ("Now if you wanted to work with him again, that might be considered irregular..."), he made sure Aziraphale understood that the 'offer' was actually a way out of something far worse that Metatron was not going to stoop down to name (or perhaps he did but we didn't see it).

And Aziraphale understood and his heart broke and he started to feel truly terrified (we saw it in real time - just compare the above gif with the below one when Furfur too, threatened Crowley

And then poor Aziraphale tried to go on and explain all this to Crowley while not knowing how and suspecting he will be closely monitored while doing so.

Now. Anyone who thinks Aziraphale would want to make Crowley an angel to make him HAPPIER has completely misunderstood both Aziraphale and imo, Good Omens too.

Crowley was happy when we met him before time in S2 because he was innocent and fully himself (3/4 goofy, 1/4 part self-centred). This is not something Aziraphale could achieve (even if wanted to - but why would he?) by making him an angel again. And he's definitely not stupid to think this would happen. It might have happened if they took Crowley's memories perhaps. And he'd be back to his young self. Like Gabriel/Jim. And if you think Aziraphale would agree (or like!) that, you are insane.

This:

is a threat. Letting Aziraphale know that him going to Heaven (and Crowley agreeing to one more drastic change on top of going there) is the only way they could perhaps work together again. Staying, was never an option. And I don't actually care if that's something that can be done and/or whether Metatron would have followed through if Crowley by some miracle had said yes.

Because Metatron clearly expected Crowley will say no (I also suspect he had good reasons to expect this, perhaps some that Aziraphale doesn't know of), and I bet Aziraphale knew in his heart of hearts that Crowley would never agree either. Perhaps he didn't even want him to agree. He wouldn't want Crowley to be unhappy. But then, he was going to end up unhappy anyway, was he not? They both were. There was no other way. So if Aziraphale allowed himself a bit of hope that they could be together still, who are we to blame and judge him for it? (No, don't answer that.) He must have thought this is forever. That they are parting forever.

But for some people, it seems to me, Metatron being manipulative means that Metatron pulled on some of Aziraphale's 'strings' and blinded him to make him come to Heaven against reason/common sense/better options/forever and ever with his love.

Whether it's his trust that Heaven can be made good - Aziraphale is many things, but he is not vain, he could not possibly think he can fix Heaven by himself like some incarnation of Melon Tusk. Try? Perhaps. With Crowley? Maybe. But in current situation? He did not believe that.

or perhaps Aziraphale missed Heaven? Missed being part of the Plan? Missed God? Wanted to get back on it? Like the poor little lost sheep he is? Please. The angel pursed his lips and looked over his shoulder when Crowley was happily switching on stars in his Nebula, talking of suggestion boxes. Aziraphale knew Heaven was far from perfect or benevolent or merciful or even understanding, long before Crowley.

So no, Aziraphale wasn't led like some puppet on a string, fed a few lies, gotten a few bits of praise and forgotten everything he ever thought or knew. Do you think Aziraphale is so stupid he didn't see Metatron wanted him to come to Heaven without making a fuss? He didn't need to see (what Crowley saw in Heaven) to understand he was being made to come quietly. And perhaps Aziraphale understood too, that coming without cuffs and with his memories intact will give him whatever little leverage he can get.

Metatron also knew giving the wayward angel in front of him any spare moment could end up in disaster, because that exact thing happened before.

What was Aziraphale supposed to do if Metatron didn't take a no (a several of them in fact) for an answer? Metatron is the Voice of God, apparently the highest being after God. Was Aziraphale to ignore Metatron? Go back to the bookshop and lock the door?

What would have happened? Metatron would throw his arms up and go - oh well, I guess I'll leave them to their Armageddon averting, huge miracle making partnership where they can easily fool and blind both Heaven and Hell combined with barely any effort. No reason I should worry.

But he should worry.

Because Aziraphale fooled Hell easily once

And he can do it with Heaven too

And he will.

[everythingannoyingpjo]

i really don't like how Riordan wrote Octavian in HOO. during SON, it really seemed like he had something planned for him, some backstory or reasoning for his actions, but when he saw the way fans hated on him he decided to just make him a laughingstock. he's supposed to be this powerful guy, Hazel even says so, and he's supposed to be able to talk the senate into almost anything, and yet we don't see any of this past SON. and the hypocrisy for him! with Luke, people forgave him even though he tried to literally destroy Camp Halfblood, gr00med children, and obviously did not care if his own allies got killed. his main reasoning was "I don't think my dad cares about me so I'm just gonna injure and/or off dozens of children!". Octavian does try to destroy Camp Halfblood (which I'm not gonna say is okay, bc it isn't) but he has an actual reasoning! his home had been attacked and the people who did it just ran away with no explanation. yes, Leo had been possessed, but nobody even told Octavian that! so his rage was absolutely reasonable. and he actually cares about his allies. he waits to attack several days to a week just so the onagers would arrive, that way there would be no casualties on his side. plus, it seems like people just ignore the fact that he was manipulated by Gaea and was obviously having a mental breakdown near the end. it's constantly brought up in arguments for Luke like "he was manipulated by Kronos!!" but when a similar thing happens to Octavian, nobody mentions it or seemingly cares.

Note: OP has a negative opinion of Luke and of some fans differing reactions to Luke and Octavian as antagonists. However this is not a fandom complaint or character complaint blog. It is a book complaint blog. This ask was sent before that point was clarified. Please try to limit complaints and discussions to what occurs in the source material only.

Yes, I agree. I tried to make a list of your points below for clarity.

during SON, it really seemed like he had something planned for him, some backstory or reasoning for his actions

It did seem that way. There are a lot of implications behind Octavian and not much fact.

It is implied he was raised in New Rome. This means he was raised in a culture that promoted suspicion of/aversion towards greek demigod culture. (You can see this aversion in the way people/the laeres react to Percy when he arrives at CJ.)

It is implied he has prophetic powers.

It is implied that he is unwell/unstable. It's implied he is being manipulated by Gaea.

It is implied that public opinion of him is favorable.

It is implied he wants to go to war, specifically against greek demigods should they exist, though he should have no proof of their existence.

It is implied that he killed Gwen.

It is implied (in TOA) that he has a connection to the triumverate.

None of this is ever explained/explored/given more detail. Why does he believe Apollo supports him? What is the extent of Gaea's influence on him? Why does he angle for war before the attack on Rome even happens? What does he know and how?

he's supposed to be this powerful guy, Hazel even says so, and he's supposed to be able to talk the senate into almost anything, and yet we don't see any of this past SON.

Given every implication above, he should be powerful, or competent, or at least have the backing of competent people. We never see that. We never know why he makes the decisions he does and how he accomplishes his goals is almost never shown or explored.

Octavian does try to destroy Camp Halfblood (which I'm not gonna say is okay, bc it isn't) but he has an actual reasoning! his home had been attacked and the people who did it just ran away with no explanation.

Octavian was pretty clearly angling for war even before the attack, but certainly that cemented the legitimacy of such an action in his mind. Yet from SoN onwards Rick treats Octavian as a complete joke. Which honestly, I do think Octavian is funny, but I also think the story would have been better if I believed Octavian was a legitimate threat. And I don't because he basically disappears from the narrative at this point except to exist as some sort of omnipresent boogieman. None of his actions, motivations, or reasoning is ever explored. Any shadow of substance he had in the previous books is flattened. He becomes completely two dimensional.

It's hard to even be mad at people for not seeing the legitimacy in his attack when it's the result of Rick completely ignoring his character. After SoN he basically only exists to create a sense of urgency in completing the quest.

and he actually cares about his allies. he waits to attack several days to a week just so the onagers would arrive, that way there would be no casualties on his side.

I mean, this is largely supposition. The narrative heavily implies the wait for the onagers is because he wants to win with overwhelming force. But you are right that his compatriots safety could be the reason he wants to win with overwhelming force! But we don't know, because again, he was never fleshed out!

plus, it seems like people just ignore the fact that he was manipulated by Gaea and was obviously having a mental breakdown near the end.

It's pretty clear he was being manipulated. I think one thing it's easy to forget is that all these characters are teenagers. Octavian is a child. He has been put in a position of responsibility that should be reserved for an adult. It's hard to think Octavian is 100% evil or that he 100% deserves to die. EXCEPT that Rick has prevented us from being allowed to see him as a real person. He has made him feel like a complete caricature of a human being. And even then, it still disgusts me that Rick made his death a complete joke, something to laugh at.

If Rick was trying to say that "people who think this way are a joke" he should have shown us more of Octavian's thoughts. He should have given us the oppurtunity to see the point he was making by laughing at him.

Instead we have the implication that there was more, and no answers. He never even gave Octavian a last name. I do not like Octavian as a character, but everything about how he was written is sort of fucked up.

[utdrmv-confession-box]

Transcript: I love Underverse. It is one of my favorite UTMV medias. I cannot overstate how much I adore this series and everything it is. But I cannot ignore its continued influence on the fandom's overall perception of Ink in place of the original Ink. I'm talking about the *Ink becomes a threat to others when he runs low on paints* point that shows up in almost every fanwork since 0.4 and Underverse's reinforcement of the misconception that Ink "doesn't feel pain" in later episodes. I'm mostly talking about the XGaster vial scene and the fight with Fatal. Spoiler for later in this rant: Yes, the original Ink feels pain. I've heard all of the explanations and excuses like Jakei didn't know, it's Jakei's story, Jakei doesn't have to be accurate, it's an AU so who cares?, and so on, but allow me to be frustrated. Underverse is one of, if the the most influential UTMV media out there. If someone sees something in UTMV, it's likely going to be Underverse and only Underverse. Many go to watch Underverse without knowing about the characters original stories and form their view of characters solely on Underverse's portrayal, then go on to create in the fandom. They do not have to seek out more information at all but it is frustrating when they then try to say they are being accurate to the "original" version of the character when they are so obviously basing the character off of the Underverse versions. If I see X-event or Cross in a "canon Ink lore" discussion I'm out. Imagine this: imagine we did not know how Dream fought before Underverse season one started. If Jakei had Dream use purple magic attacks and a spear, many in the fandom would think he did that in Dreamtale and would call it canon to the original Dream. That's an exaggeration but you get my point. Many don't know the Gasters in 0.6 are Ink's dads because it's not in Underverse's episodes! This is why the fandom reactions to those Ink scenes frustrate me. The emotionless scene might have been written when less was known about Ink but the "Ink does not feel pain" moments were way too recent for that information to not be out. When Ink runs out of paints, the person that is most threatened is Ink. He is helpless to the point where he can't react even if someone hurts him. He can feel pain and has felt pain. It's not always as intensely as others do but he can still feel it. I have seen the idea that the original Ink can't feel pain at all pop up more after Underverse 0.7 came out and I don't think it's a coincidence. I am NOT blaming or upset with Jakei by the way. I want to make that clear. Jakei cannot control what ideas viewers cling to and it'd be ridiculous to expect anyone to. I wish people would stop claiming Underverse Ink is a completely accurate representation of Comyet's Ink or saying he is "canon Ink, just in a different situation". He is not. Both Comyet and Jakei have said he is not a fully accurate representation of Ink. Saying that he is does a disservice to both versions of Ink. Underverse Ink is Jakei's version of Ink, that's all. And before it's brought up again: Yes, Ink's emotions are real. That is what his vials do. He feels so much he vomits, part of his character is that he struggles to understand and cope with his own emotions, and he dies without those paints. I will not lie; I am wary of anyone who tries to claim his emotions are fake because he's soulless and or because they come from the vials. Wariness is also an exaggeration but I cannot think of a word to say my point, sorry. Let me reiterate: I adore Underverse. It is fantastic and influential. I am more frustrated with parts of its fandom than Underverse itself. I beg more to stop taking Underverse Ink's actions and lore as canon to the original. At least read Ink's FAQ on Comyet's page and look into Ink's original lore instead of looking to Underverse for "original Ink" ideas and discussions. And if you are talking about Underverse Ink, please do not try to say you're talking about the original one. The same for other characters and their lore too.

(This vent got long. Sorry, mod)

[Mod note: Holy shit, you reached the character limit.]

[madschiavelique]

was a bit hesitant to ask this but thoughts on how Miguel would feel if reader was vv self conscious abt their body/said anything negative abt their appearance..? (talking abt this as someone who's also self conscious abt their body cuz i need to know how he would react/what he would say to the reader tbh 😭)

AAAAAAA BESTIE I FEEL YOU !! I'm part of the self conscious about their body gang - i just had to write more than just a thought on this<3

when it comes to self consciousness about my body, there's always one line from the song Paradis by Orelsan (french rapper), that says "Je comprends pas pourquoi tu t'inquiètes quand tu prends du poids. Pour moi, c'est ça de pris, ça fait toujours plus de toi." which i used in this text (clue : it'll be in italic)

summary : miguel reassures a self conscious reader on their body content warnings : comfort, fluff, miguel being a worshipper of you, genderneutral!reader, no use of Y/N word count : 739 tag list : @fandom-ash

Miguel is a man who notices details, all the more so when those details are related to you. He noticed how you looked at yourself in the mirror from time to time, how you sometimes stood on your tiptoes when you were sitting to make your thighs look less large, how some days, even when it was hot, you wore a sweater covering you completely.

You were used to wearing baggy clothes, oversized sweaters and t-shirts, baggy pants, nothing that showed too much of your curves.

He'd noticed how you'd changed your diet lately, and how the portions you allowed yourself were... far too small for a normal meal.

You were depriving yourself of your favorite snacks, and even when Miguel offered you some, you begrudgingly refused. He could see the pain in your eyes, and he couldn't understand.

Then one day, standing in front of the mirror in your underwear, you started to cry. Miguel came running straight to you, taking you in his arms as you wept silently, little jolts shaking your body.

He stroked your back and hair gently, letting the sobs take their place as you sniffled against his shoulder.

"Hey hey hey," his voice was low, as if he felt that a word or a gesture a little too strong could break you into a thousand pieces, "nena, what's wrong?" he asked, stepping back.

He wiped your tear-streaked cheeks, your eyes were reddened and your lips bulged with heartache.

"I hate my body."

His heart cracked, and he came to take you in his arms again. So that was the reason for all this, for your restrictions, for all these choices that were doing you more harm than good. He couldn't understand how you could think such a thing, because he worshipped you like the goddess or god or deity you truly were.

"I wish I just looked different," you murmured against him.

"Why?" he asked, pulling away from you again to cup your face.

"Because, I look ugly, I feel ugly..." you sighed, your brow furrowing as hot tears rolled down your cheeks.

His lips were parted, he couldn't understand how it was possible for you to feel this way, to think this way about yourself. He found you so beautiful that the very thought of you thinking that way seemed almost impossible.

"I'm not pretty enough to be with you. There are so many prettier girls and boys than me-" you began, but he cut you off, not even letting you finish your sentence.

"Don't ever say that again," he said, his tone serious and almost warning.

He looked at you, sorry and almost angry. Because he was wondering who he was going to have to correct (annihilate) for having succeeded in making you think you weren't beautiful.

"Come here," he said, lifting you with ease to rest you on the sink while you were still wiping your cheeks. "Listen to me: Your body is not the reason I love you. I've fallen in love with your soul, your qualities and your flaws... even if I'm still trying to find the flaws."

You blew out a quick laugh from your nose, a tear running down your cheek as he brushed it away.

"It doesn't make you a failure, or undesirable, or ugly not to have the body of a celebrity on the cover of a magazine." he said softly as he kissed your cheek, his hand gently caressing your thigh. "Why should you worry about gaining weight?"

"Because it makes me ugly." you murmured, but he gripped your chin between his fingers so your eyes observed the truth in his.

"No, it doesn't make you ugly," he assured. "Even if you do gain weight, for me it's a given, because it always gives me more of you."

Your chin trembled slightly, and you bit the inside of your cheek.

"No matter how long it takes, I'll make you love yourself," he confirmed. "I don't care what you look like, I'll still love you."

You smiled, tears still gently flowing, Miguel coming to place both his hands on your cheeks to clear them. You let out a little laugh:

"Even if I was a worm?" you joked.

He smiled, sighing softly.

"Yes, even if you were a worm." he laughed, kissing your forehead before hugging you again.

"Lucky worm." you whispered, wrapping your arms around his back.

"Lucky me." he whispered against your hair, stroking it gently.

[cosmicjoke]

Is it ever frustrating how some of your stories are more popular solely because of the ship even when your other stories are as good or better? I write for a different fandom (ATLA) and people only pay attention to one story because it’s the more popular ship (Sukka vs Maiko) and I see that happening to other writers and I wonder if it frustrates them as much as it frustrates me. I’ve noticed your Eruri stories are a lot more popular than your solo Levi or Rivakopon stories when those are more interesting to me personally

Hey there!

Yeah, if I'm being honest, it bothers me somewhat. There's no doubt that my eruri fics are a lot more popular than my solo Levi or Rivakopon fics, and like you, I'm generally more interested in writing the latter, just because Levi as a character in and of himself is what I'm primarily interested in, not "Levi and Erwin". There definitely seems to be an unfortunate trend among some Levi fans of only really liking Levi in relation to Erwin. Not that I'm saying that's the case with my readers, but there's a lot of Levi "fans" out there who treat him like his only value as a character is as an accessory to Erwin, and we see that play out in the popularity of eruri fics over solo Levi fics or fics pairing Levi with anyone other than Erwin. The truth is, I've put a lot more effort into "This Life, After" than "Only the Lonely", but I've had several people tell me they think "Only the Lonely" is "better", and I'm pretty sure the only reason they feel that way, deep down, is because they like the pairing better. I really enjoy writing "Only the Lonely", but it's been a lot more flying by the seat of my pants in the writing process than it has been with "This Life", so it's kind of amusing to me when people tell me they think it's better, because I certainly haven't made more of an effort with it.

But, at the end of the day, you can't control what people want or how they react to things. I like "This Life" more because it specifically explores Levi's life post-canon and deals with a lot of real-world issues. People tell me the angst in "Only the Lonely" is more intense than "This Life", but I don't really agree. It's a more extreme scenario in "OtL", with Levi being tortured and paralyzed, etc... But "This Life" deals in a more real way, I think, with the daily, and perhaps more mundane realities of living with mental illness and physical disability, not due to any sort of extreme circumstances, like Levi being captured and tortured by the enemy, but because that's just the reality of Levi's life. A disabled man struggling to find his place in the world after the thing that he felt most defined him, that being his physical strength, is gone, and he's no longer needed as a weapon for humanity. And it's also about finding a sense of belonging in the people he's surrounded by, with Onyankopon, Gabi and Falco.

I mean, you see a lot of resistance to the idea that Levi was able to find new people after losing Erwin and Hange, etc... with so many people in this fandom saying it would have been better if Levi died, insisting he must be miserable now and has no reason to live because he doesn't have Erwin or Hange, or because he needs a wheelchair. And I find that completely absurd and, frankly, insulting to Levi's character, when people say stuff like that. Part of Levi's character has always been defined by his ability to love and lose and yet still carry on. It's been something he's lived with his entire life, starting with the loss of his mother, and then Kenny, and then Furlan and Isabel, and finally Erwin and Hange. But each of those losses was succeeded by Levi forming new friendships and bonds, and it's really no different with Onyankopon, Gabi and Falco. People that say Levi has nothing to live for and nobody left don't understand this fundamental trait of his character, which is that Levi has such an open and loving heart, that no matter what, he'll always land with more people he ends up loving and caring about. Levi's never been someone who's given into or succumbed to a sense of bitterness or resentment, despite all he's suffered and all he's lost, and that's part of what makes him humanity's strongest. It isn't his physical prowess, it's his continued ability to love and care for others, even when he's had to pay for caring time and time again It's really more a reflection on the people, then it is on Levi himself, when they claim Levi has nothing to live for and no one to love . I think those people are projecting their own bitterness and resentment at the loss of Erwin and Hange onto Levi, and expecting and wanting him to feel the same as they do. You see people do the same thing when they say crap like "Levi hates Annie", or "Levi should hate Annie". They're projecting their own ugly feelings onto a character who's never been defined by ugliness, but instead by compassion and kindness.

Anyway, that kind of got a bit off topic, lol, but basically, what I'm saying is, I enjoy writing "This Life, After" so much because I think Levi's life obviously still has meaning and hope and beauty in it, even after he's lost so much, and I think we see without question that he's continued to love and live post-canon, with his formation of a unit with Gabi and Falco and Onyankopon. That isn't just in my story, that's a canonical fact. Just like he formed a family unit with Furlan and Isabel, and then Erwin and Hange. That's just what Levi does. He finds people to love and he sticks with them, and Levi is loved in turn. That's really what "This Life, After" is about. It's about Levi's life after everything else, and to show that life is still worth living.

[saeyoungchoismaid]

Okay so I just finished my first round of Andromeda Six and here are some thoughts I have (both good and bad!). Pls feel free to comment with your thoughts or send asks or message me or whatever!! I'll update this anytime I get more info or think of smth new to add lol. Warning: obvi will contain spoilers.

The amnesia thing - I think the biggest thing for me that I wanna talk about rn is the whole royalty thing. While in general the whole thing is a really cool idea and either way I still love the plot, I think the whole 'I'm royalty' thing was WAY too obvious. Like the SECOND the a6 crew revealed where they found me, I was like "okay cool so I'm the princess got it." and then everything after that only fueled that theory (which obvi turned out to be right). Idk I just think if you're gonna have a game that's based around your main protagonist having amnesia, you need to make the player just confused as the char yk what I'm sayin? Like I shouldn't be able to know stuff that the char I'm playing as doesn't know yk? 😂

Nerissa - I think one of the biggest things for the fandom (that I've seen really only on Tumblr by the way lol) is the whole Nerissa thing so here's my two cents lol. I actually really like the plot twist of Nerissa being alive. My only thing is that it doesn't really make sense and bc she's alive, the whole thing with Vexx at the prison where he breaks down kinda gets (almost?) vetoed in response. To explain, I think it doesn't really add up that, at first, Oppo and others were like 'yeah, only the youngest princess' body wasn't found' (which in general was already weird cause ??? how do they know that her body wasn't found but then people also apparently quote unquote "didn't know she existed" like huh????). They mentioned NOTHING about the literal heir's body being missing??? Like idk if Zovack did that on purpose (and if so ???? homie wyd lmao) but if not, it's a big plot hole in my opinion lmao. Also just the fact that she was literally shot by Vexx (who held her bleeding out and dying body in his arms) and then shows up later like 'yeah no I'm completely fine actually' is CRAZY. Like what kinda medicine do these folks got that makes that so easy?? Like she's not on crutches, has a cast, a limp, like ANYTHING. It's absolutely bonkers to me. It's just very OP like okay so she can literally be shot in the future now and I literally won't react cause she's apparently immortal 💀 N e ways I think it's cool that the MC can choose to basically defy Nerissa and be like miss girl you're so wrong and I don't wanna do that is SO SLAY. Cause yeah no she was not it at first (and I lowkey didn't like her for a phat min). Also, kinda off topic, but I was surprised they actually showed what she looked like. Like, I guess her skin tone is ambiguous enough to work, but I think it would make more sense if they just said somewhere that the king had more than one wife, had a side hoe he got pregnant, yk smth like that lmao

Different species/race - As someone who has only played the game once, I'm not completely sure about what I'm about to say next, so pls correct me if I'm wrong! I think it's really cool that you get to choose from 3 different species in the beginning of the game. I was hoping that this meant that this would change your backstory, but from seeing some posts about this on Tumblr, I'm assuming this means that certain things will change but overall your backstory is the same and you're still royalty. Which is fine as long as the different species thing actually makes a difference. I just thought it'd be cool for one if it's like oh you're a human? Yeah, you're Peg'asi. Oh, you wanna be Tilaari? That's cool, but this character doesn't like you bc of it. Like that kind of thing would be super cool! Anyway, either way it's fine lol it's just a thought I had

Vexx - I haven't seen anyone say otherwise, but I personally really love Vexx and his arc/development. I never really blamed him for what he did since it was literally done against his will (and turns out Nerissa is alive anyway so it's like okay I can't even be upset that you killed her when she's literally alive). Something I will say though (which is kinda similar to my stance on the amnesia thing) is that I think it'd be nice to have a little more doubt on whether or not Vexx is on our side or not. Like, when you first find him and regain your memories, he's pretty cutthroat after the shock he initially feels. After that though, anytime you see him, it'd be described as 'an emotion I can't decipher crosses his face' or 'a piece of the old him flashes in his eyes' kind of thing and I was just like "yeah okay so he's good but is just being brainwashed or being blackmailed or smth." Like, there was no danger in it. Not once was I ever like "omg no he's gonna kill me/my friends/my boyfriend/etc!!!!!" Like no dude he's just a lil guy that needs help lmao. So yeah, a lil more uncertainty about him would've been super cool (or even an alt route where he really is bad and they didn't make him do anything. like there could be choices in the memory section of the game of your time in the palace where like if you were rude to him, he actually betrayed y'all kind of thing)

Kitalpha - I might just be dumb, but when Aya was explaining her backstory about her home planet, I was a little lost. Like, I understand the basics ig, but I overall am still confused on how it actually got destroyed lol. I read the Wiki and it still kinda doesn't make sense to me. Also, the info dump they give on this (and a lot of stuff in general) is CRAZY. Like I need so much time to process what you just said and you're already laying another bomb on me lmoa. That aside, I think it's really weird that such a (apparently) major planet that (apparently) hosted a major species went supernova 10 years ago and you just never hear anyone talk about it??? Even Aya says that people kinda just forgot about it and moved on. Like girl HOW?? (Like okay yeah with the whole Zovack thing I can understand cause they got more important matters ig but he only overthrew the throne a MONTH ago like what were people doing before then lmao). It also didn't make sense to me as to why no one wanted to help them??? Like Aya explains that they were just met with closed doors from EVERYONE. Like why??? What about a dying planet/species is so bad that people are like 'yeah, that sucks and all, but we aren't gonna help. Good luck w that tho! 🥰' Also, I saw someone on here say that they wish there was more definitive features for the Kitalphan than just having gills and I agree! I didn't even notice that Vexx had them for the longest time. Also the fact that we never get a scene where Aya/you/Vexx get to actually use them (to my knowledge anyway) is insane. Like, what's even the point of giving them the gills then??? lmao

Update: I found this post that explains more in detail about the races. "It was, despite that, their own choice as to whether to live above or under water, and those who chose to do so submerged, had their bodies altered to further adapt to their environment; webbed fingers and toes, bright colored skins to allow for better camouflage among sea life, nictitating membrane over their eyes. Those who chose to live inland, on the other hand, kept to the more human appearance, with only the gills telling the difference." So, from my understanding, those who choose/chose to live underwater are the ones that are more fish like whereas the ones who choose/chose to live on ground are the ones who look like Vexx and Aya (more humanoid looking but still fish-like qualities like gills). Still think it would be cool if we could then meet a Kitalphan that chooses to live underwater!!

Time - speaking of it only being a month, it's only been a MONTH bro???? Like, Zovack overthrew the throne, had the entire Peg'asi family killed, you've been with the A6 crew trying to regain your memories, visit like 4 planets, find love, discover your sister is alive, and start planning out your plans for a war all in ONE MONTH. Like, ig it's not super inaccurate, it's just kinda crazy yk? 😂 I saw someone say that they wished we could've spent more time on all the planets and I completely agree. For some like Orion, it makes sense that we couldn't really stick around lmao. For others though, I didn't understand why there couldn't be more downtime ig? Idk maybe it's as simple as there's nothing interesting enough to write about that will keep the player's attention that's not just boring filler? But eh idk how much I believe that. Instead of info dumping a lot of stuff, they could've spread it out for moments like these where like yeah we aren't exploring this planet or whatever necessarily, but we are learning more lore while we are here getting gas lol. Also the fact that other planets get mentioned but we don't actually get to see or learn anything about them. I can't think of any examples off the top of my head (but if anyone really wants I can go through the logs to find them), but like planets or stations they'd stop to refuel or whatever just never really get talked about. I think there was a place that was similar to Teranium or Cersa that everyone was like 'omg be careful here like don't wander off alone' and then like nothing happens (or am I crazy and mixing my stuff up and I'm just yappin??? lmao. I'll probs come back and edit this once I play the game again). (I actually think it might've been the pitstop they mentioned that was ruled by mercs so they probs wouldn't have any problems with the K'Merii. Maybe it's the place they're supposed to go to on their way to Goldis?? Cause isn't it that the place that Khandar (help is that their name??? Google isn't telling me his name help pls 😭) said he has contacts??)

Damon - I'm so down bad for this man it's not even funny. His route is the first and only route I've done so far and I really just have one thing to critique I suppose. I fell in love w his char bc he's this super tough, mysterious, elusive guy that teases the shit outta you and just in general dgaf lmao. When you choose his route, pretty much all of that goes out the window. Now, don't get me wrong here. I still love Damon and I love that we get to see his sweeter/softer side, but I don't like how his bad boy side kinda just disappears. Like, maybe in chap 9/10 it'll show up more, but since choosing his route, he's kinda just become a big ol softy (which again I love that about him but I just kinda miss mean Damon lmao). Like, when the whole Wren thing happened, I feel like as soon as Wren points the gun in our face, OG Damon would've gone FERAL. Like, even if knows he can't actually like stop them or whatever by fighting, like just starting to mouth off to get attention off of us would've been so UGH. Idk maybe this is just a me thing bc I like crazy men but yeah would've liked more consistency ig in that aspect?? lmao. Like, there was one point in the game where I lowkey almost didn't choose Damon cause he was such an asshole (and almost went w the other loml Bash). Like THATS THE ENERGY IM HERE FOR. Make him a morally grey char and stick w it yk what I mean? Yes, he has walls up and he's actually very sweet and care about his found family and has a soft spot for cats and blah blah blah, but you also need to remember his upbringing and why he is the way he is ykkkkk

June - Maybe this gets explained later or more in his route, but when he's explaining his backstory and who he is, I was a little stumped. I mean, he wonders the exact same thing, but why is it that he can withstand the testing that was done to him and is now a super human, but his own twin brother and soldiers and whoever can't. What makes him so special? I figured he was able to become this super human and the K'Merii and whoever couldn't bc he was being tested on when he was still in the womb. Again though, if this is the case, why did his brother not make it? Would love to know more about that whole thing

Okay I'll stfu for now...but I'm sure I'll be back LMAO

[tragicclownwrites]

Why the ending of "Sponge-Cano!" was great SquidBob fodder

Hello! I'm back with an analysis post as I came across something recently and wanted to share some thoughts.

I'm likely late to the game here, but I saw an old post in which the author (a fellow SquidBobber) was upset by the ending of "Sponge-Cano!" and I just have to say... huh!?

Were we watching the same episode? 🤨

Needless to say, I was thoroughly perplexed by this reaction because I personally read into it much differently. Then again, I am a clown.

Therefore - in the spirit of friendly fandom discourse - I wanted to provide another perspective on this episode. Absolutely no shade to the OP either - people are allowed to have differing opinions, after all.

If you're with me, let's clown around below the cut!

The lie that started it all

Before we dive in any further, let's take a look at the scene that started this whole conversation.

Essentially, after Squidward's heartfelt confession to SpongeBob, while he's hanging on for dear life over a boiling volcano...

Squidward: "Please SpongeBob, I didn't mean any of that! I do appreciate your friendship. I am grateful. I'm… I'm… I'm grateful for the life I'm living! Who knows how long I'll have it? I learned that from you, remember?"

He says this after being rescued by his true love SpongeBob:

Squidward: "You know SpongeBob, in light of everything that just happened... I lied to you. I am not grateful for anything! I mean look at me. I don't even have a roof to sleep under, anymore!"

Now, this is the moment that had the OP so heated about this episode. After everything he said, after SpongeBob saved his life, he just... lied?

Weeeell, not exactly.

The truth always reveals itself

Now, for my hot take... I don't think Squidward was lying at all when he said he was grateful for SpongeBob.

Before you immediately decide that I've completely out-clowned myself this time, just hear me out!

There are a few reasons Squidward may have reacted the way he did in the aftermath of the volcano debacle.

He's Squidward

Our man's just lost his whole fucking house for the billionth time

The reality of what he just said is slowly catching up with him

He's Squidward

Unlike his more chipper counterpart, the guy doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve and has been shown to struggle with vulnerability and admitting failure. I mean, he can barely manage to apologize for his less savory actions without choking and sputtering like a fool!

However, when his life was on the line in this scene, he was vulnerable in more ways than one. Physically, he was quite literally dangling over an active volcano - you can't get more vulnerable than that! Emotionally, he bore his soul to SpongeBob because he thought he was going to die and wouldn't have another chance to say any of that again. Keep in mind, he truly believed he wouldn't live to see SpongeBob ever again.

I've mentioned this in my Reigisa x SquidBob masterpost, but there have been several other instances where - particularly, in a dire situation - Squidward will openly admit that he has always liked/cared for SpongeBob. And similarly, he's also tried to take it back or act like he didn't mean it when everything turns out okay or if other people aside from SpongeBob hear his confession.

So, as much as he "hates" SpongeBob and can't stand him, when it really counts, the truth always reveals itself.

Is it possible that he was just trying to play at SpongeBob's heartstrings to save his own ass? Perhaps.

But then, he accepts his fate. He loses his grip, giving everyone a tearful farewell. That is, until his little yellow angel comes to his rescue.

SpongeBob: "Squidward, I always knew you felt that way. Aw, buddy. Thanks for finally opening up to us."

⬆️Just look at the pure love in his eyes! (*Patrick voice*: LOOK AT IT!) The sappy sponge was even prepared to sacrifice himself for him. 🥺

While there was absolutely no way SpongeBob would actually let Squidward perish - promises be damned - it wasn't until Squidward poured his heart out, putting his true feelings towards SpongeBob out in the open, that he was saved from certain death.

You know how they say, "the truth will set you free"? No kidding!

As for why SpongeBob was completely fine with Squidward's lie after the fact (another point of contention for OP), well... he loves him. Period. And I think, despite his emotional constipation and frequent annoyance with the sponge in question, it's pretty clear Squidward loves him, too.

Therefore, SpongeBob wasn't upset by Squidward's outburst here because, as naïve as he may be, I don't think that fact is lost on him either.

In conclusion...

I think it's safe to say that "Sponge-Cano!" was a pretty great episode to add to the ever-growing SquidBob pile.

And if you thought the scene I talked about above was the last of it, ohohoho~ 🤭😏

You. Just. Wait.

At the very end of the episode, after Squidward loses his home and complains that he no longer has "a roof to sleep under anymore," SpongeBob does what SpongeBob does best: he offers to help him out.

Even after Squidward's selfish actions in "Can You Spare a Dime?" (which had some great fodder as well, such as *ahem* Squidward making SpongeBob wear a sexy maid outfit), SpongeBob still lets him stay at his house for an indefinite amount of time. Continuity? I don't know her.

To which, this gets even better.

Squidward doesn't refuse and find somewhere else to crash. After all, wasn't SpongeBob the reason he was miserable enough to be sacrificed in the first place? Why would he subject himself to even more SpongeBob, if that were the case?

At SpongeBob's house, he doesn't sleep on the couch or in a spare room. He doesn't even take SpongeBob's bed for himself while SpongeBob sleeps elsewhere - just like he did in "Can You Spare a Dime?"

NO.

The two of them share SpongeBob's bed. As in, they sleep in the same bed together.

Are these two fucking serious!?

They totally cuddled. Maybe even kissed.

All that to say, as much as Squidward whines and gripes about how much SpongeBob makes him miserable, it's clear to see that - even in the face of life-threatening adversity - SpongeBob's presence in his life is the key to his happiness. In this case, the key to his survival as well.

Now, if only our favorite grumpy octopus would take that spongey key, embracing him fully, to unlock that door... 🌈

[aingeal98]

Hi, so I was reading some of your Stephanie Brown meta & kudos, serious props yours is excellent. I also noticed you seem to be among those who picked up on the worrying undercurrent of Stephanie's relationships with older men. So double kudos for that.

Especially as its one of those things that tends to get glossed over in fandom & I am unsure at times if some writers even grasped what they were doing. Though that may say more about how girls tend to be treated/viewed as adults rather than children, teenagers or victims, save when its convenient to judge them as such.

Sorry not sure where I am going with this, but I think your stance it from that "Five ships that won't happen" section of the Steph ask as well thought out and covered a lot, so third kudos just for tackling that heavy topic so deftly and efficiently.

Ah thank you! Stephanie's relationship with men is so fascinating to me because she's been hurt so many times and the dissonance between her canon and fanon versions are pretty grim yet interesting. Like in early canon she was the Faith to Ariana's Buffy, the Veronica to the Bettys that were Tim's other love interests at the time. And various writers had various ideas about why she was the way she was, a common theme being that she had difficult relationships with the men in her life and had been hurt in the past. Be it a villain, a friend of her fathers, Cluemaster himself, or a shitty clearly too old guy named Dean. I don't think it was meant to be a pattern, more likely just individual ideas about trauma Steph suffered in her past that ended up turning into a consistent trait.

So you've got an abusive father, at least two cases of SA that I can remember (her babysitter and Black Mask), a pregnancy with clear subtext that the father was older than her, and the general way Batman treats her.

Not to mention she was a minor when all this happened. Like Steph has so many issues that she deserves the chance to unpack but instead they've just kind of... softened her down. Like her Batgirl run was the first chance she'd gotten to be the actual hero instead of The Girl in a story written by sexists, and she deserved every second of that. There had been too much injustice done to her character and her Batgirl run did a good job at setting the baseline for giving her a decent narrative. But afterwards, the New 52 could have delved more into her psyche instead of leaning into her waffles and sparkles fanon characterization. But because the New 52 is the worst, it didn't. And now here we are.

It's one of the reasons I'd really love to write a story about Steph realising she's bisexual, because I think in some ways her view of men are due to feeling trapped by heterosexuality and the patriarchal society. It's hard to explain fully without going into a whole other meta but the way she reacts to Tim showing her bare minimum decency is heartbreaking. Like yes men are awful and have been awful to her but she still likes them, she's going to settle down and marry one eventually right? She just has to find the right one, and Tim didn't treat her like complete garbage so he might be it for her!

And then for her to realise that no, she doesn't. She can marry a man if she wants to but if she wants romance there's also women... I really think bi Steph could be so much more than a simple "Oh hey I like girls now cool lol." Like it would shake a significant amount of the misogyny she's internalised and directed towards herself, it could alter the view she's taken of the world, and it would allow her to see her past trauma through a different lens, maybe with less subconscious self hatred.

Sorry this turned into a giant ramble haha, but thank you for the ask!

[calexo]

HI HELLOO YOUR WRITING IS SO <333

may i request a teasing/(slightly? one-sided) rivalry mc with qiu + tama ?? :]

MMMMM YES DINNER now I'm not sure to whose side we're referring to by one sided so I'm gonna say based on the situation or smth Idk how else to say it

extra note/s: I've never ever tried turning down/using negative dialogues towards Tamarack so I can't say much T T I take all my info from the fandom wiki hahah. This is also a bit shorter than my last TT TT I'm a bit focused on onlf yn hshshsh

more below the cut !!

✧ As seen in step 1, AUTUMN is kinda already teasing towards MC, so it really isn't anything new.

In the game, he isn't at all bothered by any rude responses. Whether or not you're serious, his ego remains unscathed.

✧ Sometimes, he might tick you off. Completely unintentional though. Tell him and he'll apologize immediately. Whether or not you do, you will notice him toning it down or at least indicating what he does and doesn't mean. He picks up on the little things, so nothing goes unnoticed.

✧ As for rivalry... T T I read somewhere in Vianca's profile on the wiki that Qiu doesn't realize she considers them a rival and I'm not sure if he'd notice it.

If it's regarding his popularity, then he has no problem with it at all. If anything, he's glad you're making friends. Even more so when you easily get along with Baxter and Ren.

So basically, you see it as rivalry while he sees it as you getting comfortable with everyone.

✧ Meanwhile with TAMARACK, she doesn't react that much to teasing. I mean, she responds as bluntly as ever so you can't exactly tell if she can tell.

✧ The closest to a negative dialogue I've ever chose with her was "I don't think you're pretty" in step 1 in which she replies with "I think you are"

And this leads me to think that she'd reply similarly in other cases.

Some say it's a killjoy, but you two treat it as an inside joke. It's just something you two understand.

GUYS I'M SORRY I CAN NEVER BE MEAN TO TAM I LOVE HER TM

✧ As for rivalry, the only scenario I can think of would be when you're playing.

It's all fun in games; she takes it very seriously when playing against you, to say the least.

✧ AUTUMN by fourteen is really no different. Any teasing between you two as friends is like routine. Unless you come up with something like qiu-liet, that is.

Still, they are unbothered whether or not you're serious with your comments. But unlike then, they'll instead brush it off or follow with sarcasm rather than teasing.

✧ Rivalry?? Now I don't think they'd bother to compete, especially if it's regarding their popularity. You can have it, they'd think.

But it's pretty much the same for every case. Whether or not they're aware of you seeing them as a rival, they wouldn't hold you back or try and go against you.

The thing is, if you can't keep up then it wouldn't be their problem.

✧ As for TAMARACK, she too has gotten used to your teasing. That's if it's been a thing between you two long before.

You two came up with inside jokes, silly nicknames and even code names for people you may dislike.

✧ Rivalry I think could apply to if you both do band? Unlike before, she wouldn't go against you whether or not she knew how you saw her. In fact, she'd like if you two practiced together<3

Her kindness actually makes you forget that you see her as a competition. They could never make me dislike you, Tam ☹️

[eisforeidolon]

…. I think people are being very unnecessarily harsh on Jensen for his answer about WOM. Steve had told everyone previously he took inspiration from the angel storyline in supernatural. Jensen literally just parroted what Steve, the main writer and his good friend, had already said directly to fans. This was also after Jensen completely sat silently during a Misha answer about destiel. Jensen didn’t react at all, so as not to give hellers anything. Jensen said nothing about the ship in his answer. He’s in a ridiculous situation where he’s being held responsible for how hellers twist, manipulate and out and out lie about things. Are we ever going to get a “because it doesn’t exist,” moment again? Probably not. Jensen was crucified for that and things are *way worse* now for actors/actresses that don’t cater to shipper agendas, especially in the lgbtq lane. (I’m part of the community, but my God we have a lot of psychos who are militant and LOUD about bullshit….not to mention the straights who fetishize us.) The guy can’t win. He will never satisfy all the factions. We can’t all jump him if hellers find imagined holes or proof in things he says. They’ll do that no matter what. Jensen has stayed true to who Dean is for 20 years. He still adores Supernatural and wants to be with the fans. Him and Jared are gems and I’m tired of them being lambasted for everything they say- even from NON hellers

I see where you're coming from but I don't entirely agree.

Like, I agree that while hellers are obnoxious and deserve to be shut down hard at any and all attempts to reframe reality and the show, doing that isn't actually in Jensen's best interest. For randos who don't know half the history of hellers badgering him about their ship trying to talk over him and shoving porn in his face? Him going on a vehement rant could easily come off like an actor man being mad at fandom for doing fandom. Not great optics. Also, because the ship is literally not a thing in canon (a one-sided ambiguous queerbait does not a relationship make)? What little is in the show isn't even about his character, and speaking over a coworker on their character also is not great optics (if only Misha got that...). Yes, especially given the LGBT+ angle of it all where fandom loves to try and use representation as a cudgel to enforce their personal entitlement. At the end of the day, giving the ship that much acknowledgement is over-inflating its importance - it literally isn't worth the wasted breath, let alone the tantrum backlash.

Furthermore, Castiel was on the show for a long span of time - if not for a great majority of the hours. He was the main interaction point for heaven once angels came on the scene in the original throughline of the apocalypse across the first seasons. You know, the angels shaping the Winchesters' lives before they were even born and through the events we saw onscreen? He was their main ally once Bobby was no longer around, for a given value of ally. So actually it is reasonable to have thoughts about the character and think about him as a part of the show because he was a figurehead for heaven in the early years and treated by the scripts as the Winchesters' best friend/family in the later ones.

Except Jensen has to know at this point that for those certain, loudest, pushiest fans? Him saying literally anything about Castiel that isn't entirely negative is going to be taken as a hint their ship is totes real. Which was presumably why he hasn't mentioned Misha/Castiel that much in recent years unless the fans brought him up. Is that reasonable or fair to have to tap dance around? Obviously not, but it is what it is.

So it seems pretty clear to me that it would have been better to answer a question that wasn't even about the show differently than he did. Because Steve saying a thing was vaguely about angels and SPN and Jensen agreeing with a fan who asks if it was about Dean and Castiel are not the same when there are fans desperate for Jensen to talk about Castiel/Misha. The two of them having different viewpoints was already put out there by Steve, so something like, 'The show was contextually in the background but personally I was thinking more about X' or 'It was about a lot of things, art is about interpretation, great you see something in there about Y'. Instead he went with 'Yeah, sure, it's partially about Dean and Castiel'. Now anyone who has paid attention to literally anything he's ever said about the show and the relationship between Dean and Castiel within it? Knows that has sweet fuckall to do with romance. Which is not and has never been hellers. So while you are absolutely correct that he did not actually in any way validate their ship and they were going to make up stories about what he REALLY meant regardless of what he said? I do honestly think he set himself up here to get subsequent batshit, "So now that you've admitted you're writing love songs about Castiel..." questions in a way that a different answer would not have to the nearly same extent.

I'm not mad at him over it. I think it's silly to characterize acknowledging Castiel as part of the Winchester's lives and the show's story as pandering. I don't think he deserves to be badgered for it, and he was inevitably going to get weird-ass heller questions again anyway. But I also think that given the way that certain part of the fandom very obviously operates, he actively did himself a disservice with that answer.

Obviously, YMMV.

[laconchadetumadre]

We all know I’m obsessed with making Kyle suffer soooo tell us your angstiest Kyle headcanons😼

Yay! An ask! Thank youuu

And like, same. I think liking kyle comes with liking to see him suffer (tho i personally prefer to have him learn from it unlike mattrey who seem to just find his suffering funny lol)

somehow this turned into a top, sorry lol

. kyle and stan angst:

I see so much of it lately. Despite how ooc it can get, especially when fandom makes kyle out to be a bad friend to stan or stan to be completely harmless, it still does it for me. I think the angstiest hc i have of them is that they are in a bit of a "zombie" friendship. like those friends that stay together out of grief for how close their friendship used to be. they both have betrayed their friendship so many times (stan for not standing by kyle more, kyle for failing to understand stan's sensitivity and hiding things from him) but i think their biggest mistake is their refusal to be vulnerable in front of the other. im not saying their relationship is unhealthy to the point of toxicity but it almost feels like they both want to act emotionally tough in front of the other when in fact they are both so prone to crash outs LOL

. broflovski family angst:

the most popular brand of this is sheila ansgt but tbh gerald and kyle hit me just as hard. gerald during the entire skanhunt arc was just awful to kyle and i hated him so much, but what hurts more is that kyle seems to just have accepted it.he doesnt even seem to have any resentment towards his father after everything gerald put him and ike through which is just so.... ugh. i hate that kyle is slowly losing his bite man.

after Gerald, Sheila angst is obvi very painful too. i like that recently so many have pointed out what a good mother she actually is, but she's still got some in her. Take, for example, the vaccination special, where gerald told kyle that not bringing them vaccines would kill his mother and sheila is right there, sitting by him, not even reacting to the awful shit her husband just told her son. and it kills me that this basically implies sheila is FULLY AWARE of how much kyle loves her and wants to protect her and the family and just TAKES ADVANTAGE OF IT. The way I see it, Sheila is usually a good mother to kyle but if she sees it fit, she will manipulate him into doing what she thinks is best for the family. and yk what, this kinda angers me cause sheila seems particularly offended when kyle betrays her. Remember in 20 x 9 "not funny" when she repeatedly finds kyle and ike on the computer after grounding ike for allegedly being the school trolll? she loses her shit at both of them, but this is particularly what she says:

Sheila: I don't care, I said no computers! You kids are addicted to the Internet! You're sick, and you're addicted! It's changed your brother, and now it's turning you against me, Kyle!

Kyle: I'm not against you, mom.

Sheila: You are! Your father goes away on business and all you do is defy me at every turn!

Like, do we see how differently she talks about ike and kyle?? Ike “has changed”, but kyle? kyle is against her, almost attacking her. Sheila seems particularly bothered by the idea of kyle secretly hating her which is just so.... fucked up.... but also very realistic and i love it LOL

its also quite disheartening that in the midst of being yelled at by his mom and being wrongfully accused of being sick and addicted kyle only speaks up to reassure her that he isn't against her, he doesn't hate her, he still loves her.

i'm gonna stop here or this is gonna turn into another one of my annoying long ass essays LOL

.Kybecca

this is another unpopular ship i keep talking about. the only reason i'm bringing them up is because, much like kystophe, i don't see them being endgame (for too long at least). while christophe is thematically perfect for kyle, i think rebecca represents a more traditional sense of success for him. my hc is that she is the mother of kyle's future kids but we never see her because she is either dead or her and kyle are divorced. either option would essentially break kyle's sense of stability and completion. kyle seems like the type of guy who would feel realized for having a traditional hetero family, but given the lack of becca's presence, it seems it won't last for long and i'm sure kyle would find a way to blame himself for it (atp the only true ship for kyle is kyle x guilt and pain)

you may be wondering how come i didn't bring up cartman... well, thats because that turned into a whole essay of its own that i may post later if i finish it and if i don't fall asleep.

anyways thanks again for the ask! i keep feeling like i'm doing this wrong, i somehow end up writing meta instead of headcanons but oh well lol

[klerothesnowman]

Okay fine fuck, one person messaged me about it so under this unbearable pressure I'll rapid fire what I was going to say about the Mouthwashing discourse.

Mouthwashing spoilers beyond and CW I mention SA but not the one you probably think:

Swansea isn't your cool dad, Anya told him about Jimmy too and he did nothing and continued to belittle her.

Curly isn't Anya's special protector and lover, he failed her because he valued his own comfort over her safety and didn't want to rock the boat.

Neither of these are hot takes, this is the literal text, why are people getting upset at people for this?

Also Curly and Swansea aren't just as bad as Jimmy, they're dudes who exist in a patriarchal structure. They're likable and sympathetic and they're also Problematic.™

Again, not a hot take, literal text.

I feel like people's inabilities to reconcile stuff this is a problem with modern internet fandom culture that bleeds into how they react with real people also being Problematic™ See: Minecraft YouTuber drama (People calling GeorgeNotFound a sexual predator because he believed he had enthusiastic consent from someone who felt like she had to give it and WilburSoot fans still defending him despite his abusive behavior because they intuited that certain details are likely because he was struggling himself. I hate that I have opinions on these topics.)

On the flip side, getting on people's asses for making fanart of these people being better than they are in game is also fuckin' weird. The characters in Mouthwashing are likable and it's nice to imagine something horrible didn't happen to them.

But double wombo flip combo, I do not understand why people are making AUs where nothing awful happened to these characters and they're now completely different and also bikers or work in a vet hospital or some shit. Don't get it, this is a me thing, why not just make your own OCs guys?

Most importantly, people getting upset at people making "Toxic Yaoi" with Curly and Jimmy are peak ridiculous. "It's not Toxic Yaoi it's abusive" yeah no shit, that's what the game is about. They're exploring the relationship presented in the game in a slightly different direction. If you don't want to see a piece of shit manipulating vulnerable people then why did you enjoy and continue to seek content the horror game about a manipulative piece of shit manipulating vulnerable people?

[teaffrogy]

Hi! I saw you were looking for ideas so I'm going to submit a couple if that's okay! Feel free to ignore if not lol

First idea is for Gale (he needs more attention in this fandom!!) Tav who's kind but completely oblivious when it comes to flirting getting hit on and just not picking up on it, how would Gale react or not react? Would his reaction be different if he saw it from afar, up close, or just heard about it? Can be pre-relationship or during :)

Second idea can be for any or all companions (personally tho I think it'd be interesting for astarion, halsin, and gale) Their reactions (separate) to Tav realizing there's mutual attraction so they take them aside and nervously confess that they're asexual and would understand if they don't want to be partners after knowing this about them and that they wanted to tell them before things got serious.

Sorry for rambling in your inbox but I hope this was atleast somewhat helpful :D

Omg yes both I love sm omggg okay imma work on one first then the other. And I totally agree! Gale deserves more attention! I adore that man sm😭❤️ also so sorry it took me a while I have been taking care of my cat who got surgery

Oblivious Tav

Gale x Reader(Tav)

I honestly believe Gale immediately Knew Tav was super oblivious to people Flirting on them And he first found out About it when Lae'zel made the first move. Instead of falling for her words, you just gave her a puzzled look. “I'm sorry Lae’zel. I don't want to fight with you.”

The second time he saw it was with Astarion at The tiefling party. Of course he put his Vampiric charms on you but it just flew past you. And Astarion had this look on his face that made Gale burst out laughing. Some of the tieflings gave him a puzzled look.

Another interaction was when a tiefling was flirting with you. She rubbed your hand up and down softly that he himself even felt the shivers. She had tried to tell Tav how gorgeous they are and how even better they would look under her. But that left you confused. “Why do you want me to lay down?”

Like always, he found it funny because what you say and the other is the person's reaction. But Gale wouldn't lie, he had fallen in love with you the day he taught you how to cast spells just so you could feel what he feels, the magic of it. It was just the way your eyes shined as you looked around you. The moment you Two had made him realize how much he wanted you in his life, read a book beside you, be on his balcony, have a cup of tea or coffee, whatever you like to drink! And just read a book with you, watch the sunset, see the boats sail away, watch the waves of the sea. And just be with you. He loves you.

After that, he did try to make some moves.

Gale didn't know if he should feel bad or

embarrassed for you.

No matter how many times he tries to flirt, it simply just flies Over your head. You two were in the shadowlands and he took so much time and dedication to say those words to you that it simply flew past you. Astarion couldn't help but let a Laugh. Shadowheart was holding hers in. He knew you were obviously but not that much!

He tried it again, a small pick up line and you just stared at him and gods he loves you but oh my god he also is embarrassed when you simply don't get it. He had to actually say those three words.

“What I am trying to say is that I am in love with you. I love you.” Gale says and your eyes go wide at those words. “And I have been trying to make you get the hints that I am really in love with you but it just flies by you. I was thinking it was the tadpole wiggling those words out but that's just how you are.” He says and you feel embarrassed. “Oh.” You say and Gale holds your hands. “I'm in love with you Tav.” and he brings your hands close to his lips, kisses each one hand and looks up at you. “I love you too Gale.” You say and he's more than happy to hear those Words come out.

And even now that you two are together, it simply flies by you. From times you do get his little pick up lines, but there are those other times where it flies by.

But Gale loves that about Tav and finds it cute.