#and I just don't like these changes. I know it's a superficial thing to complain about

[badpanduhmemes]

Okay, so the new design choices for Shen are bothering me. Like, I know it's Her impersonating him, but I don't like how fluffy they made him. It's messy to look at, and part of his character is metal.

Like, he was supposed to look cold and sleek, like metal. Because it makes him look more lethal, and sharp. (Like a stabby weapon.) But metal is also kind of his element.

I don't know, but to me the changes make him look less regal and imposing, and more... frumpy?

[writinginatree]

Cared For

Relationship(s): Bodhi Durran & Xaden Riorson & Riorson!reader

Summary: Xaden takes care of you and Bodhi after RSC.

Warnings: Mentions of torture, injuries, nonsexual nudity (showering together), reader has heart problems

You stumble from the interrogation chamber with the rest of your squad, blinking into the late afternoon sunlight as the professor who just finally released you drones on and on. You should be listening, in case he's talking about something important, like having to do this shit again or something, but you can't focus on the words, mindlessly clinging to Bodhi, whose arm is linked with yours so you can help each other stay on your feet.

Well, okay — if you're being honest, it's mostly Bodhi helping you. He's worse for wear too, but still faring decidedly better than you.

You're not sure why it is that they went especially hard on you — because your father had been the Great Betrayer, because they recognized you as the weakest link of your squad, or because you refused to show any pain and they were determined to change that. In the end, it doesn't matter. You didn't break. You survived. That's what you have to focus on. Another one of the stupid trials this cursed place puts you through that you've overcome. One step closer to eventually making it out of here alive.

Finally the professor is done talking and allows you to leave.

The walk back into the quadrant proper passes in a blur, one stumbling step after the other as Bodhi pulls you along. Since he's well aware of your aversion to healers, and since neither of you is that badly hurt, he doesn't bother to suggest going to the infirmary and takes you straight to the dormitories. Your room is closer to the stairs than his, so that's where you go, slumping onto the bed side by side, too exhausted to lift a finger, though you know you need to get cleaned up, or at the very least remove your boots. In a moment, you tell yourself. As soon as the room stops spinning, you'll get up and do it.

Minutes later, a knock sounds on the door, startling your poor, tired heart into doubling the pace of its beating.

"I think Cuir asked Sgaeyl to send us Xaden," Bodhi soothingly murmurs, sitting up and unlocking the door with lesser magic.

Sure enough it's your brother who enters the room a second later, grimacing at the state he finds the both of you in. "Shit, are you guys okay?"

"Yeah," you and Bodhi mutter, "Sure."

Admittedly, that's a bit of an exaggeration. But okay is a flexible term, and you suppose things could be worse. You know the question was just reflex anyway, and Xaden is perfectly aware that no one is ever truly okay after just getting out of an RSC torture session.

He comes over to the bed, crouching down beside it. You feel shadows stirr underneath and all around you — no doubt Xaden 'subtly' taking inventory of your injuries. You've lost track of what hurts where about an hour into the exercise, your whole body one big ache, but you're pretty sure most of the damage is superficial. It's your heart giving you the most trouble, thanks to having missed this morning's dose of your medication, and simple dehydration.

"Are you feeling strong enough to shower?" Xaden asks.

Bodhi nods, but you hesitate. Getting up the stairs without fainting had been challenge enough, so you roll over to turn a pleading look on your cousin. "Can we go together?"

When Bodhi nods, you nod too, and Xaden helps you to your feet.

"Alright," he says, "you two get cleaned up, and I'll be back with some food and a first-aid kit."

The showers are blessedly empty, and you let yourself plop down on the floor, the cold tiles digging into your bare knees as Bodhi turns on the water, a less than lukewarm spray raining down on you. Cold as you feel, you would have preferred your water steaming hot, but you know that would only make your already too low blood pressure worse, so you don't complain.

Bodhi sits down behind you, takes a handful of soap and gently massages it into your scalp, careful to avoid pulling all the tangles that have formed in your hair from the rough treatment you'd been given.

"You don't have to," you half-heartedly mutter.

In truth, you're not entirely sure you can muster the energy to do it yourself, and with the way you're finally starting to relax under his touch, Bodhi rightfully ignores the protest and continues to help you wash.

By the time you dry off and pull on fresh clothes, you're shivering with cold, but your head is a little clearer, and you don't feel like you'll pass out any second anymore, either.

Xaden is already waiting in your room when you return to it, the soft glow of mage lights illuminating the space since dusk has fallen while you were in the shower. He has brought not only the promised food and first-aid supplies, but also Garrick.

Taking a seat on your bed, you don't bother reminding him that it's illegal for more than three of you to be together; he's doubtlessly well aware of the trouble you'd be in if you're caught, and simply doesn't care because he can tell how much you need the company right now.

You shudder to think that he and Garrick had to go through the same experience last year without anyone to comfort them. Thinking back, you try to remember if you'd noticed any injuries on them around this time of year, but you can't recall. Even if you had noticed, Xaden would have brushed you off with some excuse to stop you from worrying.

The thought makes you frown. You have no doubt they'd been as hard on Xaden as they were on you — probably even harder. It's not fair that he'd had to get through that on his own, that he always has to go through everything alone because he thinks that's what being the one with all the responsibility means. Ever since the apostasy, since he took on that responsibility for all your lives, he never lets himself be weak in front of anyone — even you. Of course you're grateful for everything he's done, is still doing, his care and protection, but you wish he would let himself be taken care of, too, when he needs it.

His hand on your shoulder snaps you out of these thoughts, and you blink up at him, wondering when you closed your eyes. The plain worry on his face makes your eyes swim with tears, and you tell yourself to pull it together — to no avail.

"They did that to you too last year," you mumble, not quite a question. "You should have let us be there for you."

"First-years aren't allowed to know about RSC," Xaden reminds you, hand on your chin to angle your head sideways so he can get a better look at a scrape on your jaw.

You know that's not the reason he kept it from you, at least not the only one, but you let it go, knowing he just wants your best.

Treating your wounds doesn't take long. Mostly it's bruises — a lot of them, swollen and hot to the touch, decorating you in various shades of red, purple, and blue. There isn't much Xaden and Garrick can do about those, though they diligently smear them with some stinky salve that's supposed to soothe the worst of the ache.

To you it just feels cold and nothing more, but you don't complain. Not about the useless stinky ointment, nor about the burn of disinfectant in your open scrapes and cuts. You're simply too exhausted to do anything but force yourself to stay sitting upright, letting Xaden do whatever he wants. He knows better what you need right now than you do, anyway. You're limp in his hands, letting him turn you this way and that to get at all your wounds, his shadows supporting you when needed.

He pays extra attention to your wrists, the skin there rubbed raw from your fruitless attempts to slip free of the chains they'd put on you in the interrogation chamber. Even through the fog of exhaustion hanging over your mind, you don't miss the sorrow that passes over your brother's face as he takes in the harm you did to yourself. He is uncharacteristically gentle as he bandages your wrists, even going so far as to press a little kiss on top of each, the way your dad used to do when you were little. You tear up again at the action, have to bite your trembling bottom lip to keep from crying.

Done with your wounds, Xaden helps you get comfortable sitting against the wall with a pillow at your back, a soft blanket over your lap and tucked in around your waist. Bodhi already sits next to you much the same way; the comforting warmth of his shoulder against yours helps you ground yourself in the present.

Xaden puts a bowl of soup into your hands, ordering you to eat. It's not quite hot anymore, having stood on the desk while Xaden and Garrick patched you guys up, but still warm enough, and you consider it a bonus that you can't burn your mouth on it anymore.

When you're done, Garrick takes the empty bowls and leaves, but Xaden remains.

"I guess we'd better get you two to sleep," he says. "You've had a long day."

"Can Bodhi sleep here tonight?"

"Does Bodhi want to sleep here?" Xaden counters, looking to your cousin for answer.

To your relief, he agrees. You're not sure you could stand being alone right now, with the memory of today's torture still so fresh in your mind and the lingering dizziness you can't seem to shake.

"Okay," Xaden nods. "Then he can."

After tucking the both of you into bed, Xaden turns to leave. Before you can think better of it, you reach for his hand, silently pleading with him to stay a little longer. He sinks back to the floor beside the bed, brushing a hand over your face in an attempt to get you to close your eyes.

"Sleep. I'm here."

Bodhi moves closer — at this point he's practically lying on top of you — and butts his head against Xaden's hand with a little whine. Your brother gets the hint, and starts to pet Bodhi's hair, his other hand still gripped tight in yours. He doesn't need to have his hands free to make you close your eyes again — a soft layer of shadows descends on your face like a blanket, leaving you in complete darkness. It should be unsettling, but somehow, it isn't. Encased in the safety of your brother's shadow, you can finally keep your eyes shut and actually try to fall asleep.

Which is easier said then done, despite your exhaustion. While your body is fully ready to shut down, your mind won't stop racing. Bodhi is having the same problem, if the way you feel him fidget is any indication.

Xaden starts softly humming, and after a moment, you recognize the melody as an old Tyrrish lullaby. It had been your favorite one as a child, but after all these years, you'd almost forgotten it. Now the words come back to you like magic, even if Xaden doesn't sing them.

Trying to remember the song text and sing along in your mind gives you something to focus on other than the day's events; your racing thoughts can finally settle down. Slowly the tension leaves your body and your breathing evens out as sleep descents over you.

But just as you finally drift into that calm drowsy state, your heart skips a beat and you jolt wide awake again.

Xaden is quick to soothe you. The shadow over your face disappears, replaced by others that gently hold you so you don't startle Bodhi by sitting up. Xaden gives your hand a reassuring squeeze, more shadows caressing your face as he murmurs, "Shh, you're okay."

You slowly relax again, nuzzling your face into Bodhi's shoulder and mirroring his slow, deep breathing. Xaden starts to hum the lullaby again.

He stays until he is sure both of you are fast asleep, then he gently removes your hand from his, placing it in Bodhi's instead, and slips into the hall.

[pomefioredove]

since my little dorm post has been getting a lot of notes(?!) I wanna explain why I feel I'd get sentenced I mean sorted into diasomnia ^^

the thing about twst dorms is that while there are superficial traits (ignihyde students being introverted, savanaclaw students being athletic, etc), those are more like stereotypes, and are not why you would be sorted into one of those dorms

the dark mirror reads your soul, not your hobbies. it's not a quotev quiz that'll ask you what your favorite color is. it's about you as a person: your values, beliefs, dreams, wants and needs, etc

like, epel felmier is a rough 'n tumble rural boy who swears and picks fights. but he belongs in pomefiore, because pomefiore isn't actually about looking pretty and doing fancy things, it's based on the fairest queen's tenacity. no, epel isn't proper or polite, but that's not what the dorm is about. he's a goal-oriented, determined, hard-working young man who embodies the spirit of persistence. that is why he's in pomefiore, and not savanaclaw or what have you

so when talking about diasomnia, I am never saying "oh, I think I'd be a really powerful mage" because that's not what the dorm is. that's just a stereotype. etc etc

(I feel like what we actually know about diasomnia itself is quite limited. at least compared to the other dorms. the thoughts I have of it could be completely non-canonical, but I have thoughts, nonetheless. so)

I said somewhere on this blog that I put a lot of value on things like politeness and civility and respect, and that I consider myself a polite person. I was raised to mind my manners and put aside my personal feelings for the sake of formality. I have never started a fight in my life, but I do get very upset when I feel as if I'm being disrespected. my family observes a lot of old traditions that are rather outdated

ex:

if you are invited to something but don't attend, you still send a gift

if you are invited to something, you invite the host to your future events

you always say thank you after receiving a gift

if you don't have anything nice to say, then you can complain about it at home. but you never, ever insult a host to their face. it's so uncouth and terrible it's like a deadly sin to me

things like that. lots of rules about hierarchy and respect. doing something disrespectful or impolite (especially without an apology) is enough to create schisms in my family. we hold grudges here

when I think of the thorn fairy's "nobility", this is the sort of thing that comes to mind. the high emphasis on the hierarchy of respect, on civility and graciousness. the value of tradition, and doing things the old-fashioned way (and the dislike, or fear, of change seems to be a common theme in diasomnia)

you could surely look at the things I just said and say, "well, you would also fit in at pomefiore" because, sure, I would! I can do the rules, I can respect the housewardens, but I lack the tenacity and the want to be something that makes the dorm what it is. diasomnia may have some similarities, but its reluctance to embrace change is what makes it so different

I, as a person, do not have dreams. most of my life has been spent just trying to get by whilst at the level of this hierarchy I was born into. I couldn't be in pomefiore because, unlike epel, I don't have big goals to work towards. I feel more comfortable being a follower than a leader, and I have a tendency of structuring my life around the lives of others rather than my hopes and dreams. I do not live boldly

and it doesn't bother me. I've found that there are benefits to staying in the shadows, and I'm comfortable with my socially nocturnal life

that is why I'm diasomnia, and not pomefiore

my favorite fairytale, which is not sleeping beauty, is very much about social structure. it's about a heroine's malicious compliance to that structure and how she manages to turn it in her favor

ironically, it also is about a spinning wheel

[yandere-sins]

have you ever thought of the scenario where the reader is eventually released in some of your prison projects? Mostly pertaining to the guards since they wouldn’t be able to get to the reader much. As an aside of sorts, I’m glad you’re doing better.

I thought about this more than I want to admit if I'm honest lol! 

♡ It probably comes down to the personality of the yan! There are always those imprisoned yandere that would go absolutely crazy and mad with heartbreak now that the darling is gone. They are irritable and moody, and the other prisoners learn to avoid them for their own health. The yandere are restless, searching, trying to replace the missing piece of their heart with violence and superficial pleasures, counting down the days until their release with the image of you always at the forefront of their mind. They'll be bursting through the prison doors once they open, hunting you down like rabid dogs high on adrenaline and their need for you. They'd do anything to hug you again, and it's the only thing keeping them alive while they anxiously await their time. But once you are back in their sight, they'll make sure to never let go of you again.

♡ On the other hand, are the imprisoned yans that won't let you be taken from them. They will try to prolong your sentence for as long as possible, pulling the strings in the back while you cry to them about how awful the judicial system is, happy to comfort you. If you do manage to slip from their grasp, they have the freedom to decide to finally play nice. They'll be a paragon of a model prisoner, so helpful and well-adjusted to society that they can quickly be released sooner. And until then, they'll have someone they know outside of prison follow your every step and report back, salivating over the pictures of you doing mundane tasks. They imagine the picture-perfect life you two will have after their release, and the anticipation is such delicious torture for their mad minds that the line between their sweet imagination and the horrific reality grows blurrier by the second.

♡ It's somewhat the same with the guard!yandere. Some of them might resort to more crude tactics like becoming your stalker whenever they are off work, breaking into your home for souvenirs to fawn over while they are at work, and watching you dance around your kitchen from across the street, imagining themselves being by your side. They have the means and skills to work undercover, so you will barely perceive the changes their presence brings to your life. Or, if available or by pretending, they'll take up the job of being the officer assigned to ensure you're following your requirements for your release and that you won't relapse into your crime. Hence, they still have a chance to be around you with no one suspecting anything. You will know, they will know, but their track record is better than yours. Who will believe you if you complain about an upstanding officer? How about, instead, you just try to enjoy the alone time the two of you finally have, just like your yan does?

♡ Others will do anything in their power to make you stay right where they can watch you—in prison. It's easy to prolong a sentence when they can connect you to a crime, like paying some thugs to instigate a fight to ruin your good reputation that would allow you to leave early. Or maybe they'll leave a door open that you and some others can find and try to 'escape' from so your record will have an attempted breakout in it. How about they just kill your cellmate and smear the blood on your hands? It's so easy for a corrupted guard who knows what they want to make sure you'll never get out as long as they are there. Most of them are not shy to let you know why your sentence was prolonged and why your life has become an even bigger hell; more prisoners now angry with you since they have all been punished as well. You'll need to stick close to your guard if you don't want to get hurt! Not that they'd let anyone hurt you; they are your guard in shining armor, after all. But they'll wait eagerly until you search for their protection and comfort, even if their patience is wearing thin.

[sincerelyyadere]

Match made in mana/Lillian of Turin review [no spoilers] 6/10

reborn in a novel theme, male Yandere, two yanderes, soulmates, dependant on each other, Weak x Strong, submissive top, submissive yandere, fluff, miscommunication, hurt n comfort, slowburn, tbc

recap: MC was reborned as a character of a Novel she knows by heart, taking control over her life and changing the destiny that awaits her. But it seems the ML who was supposed to ignore her, does quite the opposite...

Plot: ★★★☆☆

Storytelling: ★★★☆☆

Characters: ★★☆☆☆

full review [no spoilers] ->

I almost dropped this one because realistically the real plot starts only when the MC finally meets ML, so if u want to read it, just bear until then.

This is a typical reincarnated into a book styled manhwa, but with how quickly the MC changes the decisions of the previous owner of her body, the story goes in completely different direction.

Okay, let's try to unpack this.

Firstly, some plot points were stretched unnecesserily and while some parts bothered me less than the other, the frustration of the people in the comments was more than visible, although i did not always agree with them.

Another thing is the MC's character. While i understand that she wants to change the future that awaits for her, in my opinion she tended to be a bit overly virtous and perfect, to be realistic. The character writing lacked here, seemingly leaving MC with no flaws, except maybe her not communicating her feelings and needs with others.

The 2nd season is out now, with a changed artstyle almost EVERYONE was complaining about in the comments, as well as the storytelling changes a bit. It didn't bother me that much, but i hope with next episodes it will come back to the level it established in the 1st season.

ALSO, THE FIRST TITLE WAS BETTER, IDK WHY THEY CHANGED IT TO LILLIAN OF TURIN

To really deep dive into this manhwa i would have to unpack every arc and choice made by the author, but i'm not here to do that.

So let me review it like this: This is a manhwa for those, who don't have high expectations for manhwa, just want to have a good time. There's no nsfw, usually fluff with some hurt n comfort and miscommunication. It's not special, but i read it whole which means it's pleasant to read either way. It's this sort of manhwa you need to build your own opinion on, cause the choices the author made leave so many things to discuss the opinions will vary very much so.

This manhwa is not for people who want some quick action, realistic characters or deeper themes. It's pretty superficial and flat in that matter.

To summarize: Good for some unbraining, bad for braining.

Peace out.

[justalittleprince]

I just came to remember The Grays from Netflix ig??? while I was taking a bath after work and I was like

Like I know maybe not many people are talking about it now but I haven't complained about anything today and since I can't be happy, here I go. Because oh boy, I have A LOT of things to say about this

Starting with the modern environment. I know, the story could work in a modern environment because of the context of the whole story and it's meaning. But I can't help but think in a more superficial way (which I KNOW they are) the portrait itself doesn't work... Internet filters, Photoshop, PLASTIC SURGERY IDK. There, problem solved. I'm just saying incoherent stuff at this point bc I want to complain about something. But going to the thing that actually matters...

Dorian's and Basil RELATIONSHIP. Who tf told them it was a good idea to make them siblings??? SIBLINGS.

They're ruining their complete relationship, Basil's whole character arc. They're changing it completely and I don't like it. His own thoughts about Sybil Vane. There was a scene in the book that broke me, where Dorian, Henry and Basil are on their way to the theater and the absolute heartbreak that was reading to Basil's thoughts alone during the whole ride, it's something I won't have. THE LOVE CONFESSION.

That is such an important piece of the story, it's indicative for Dorian that he has power over Basil. Of course, that was also changed in that weird movie back in 2009 (the only piece of cinema I've seen because I cannot find the others 😞) but at least personally I liked the kiss part, idk.

I just DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY'RE DOING

And like, 2 things came to my mind, one more possible than the other

1. They're gonna do really weird stuff

2. The most probable one, they are literally changing things so much that at this point it won't be The Picture of Dorian Gray, it will be just a random story with their names on it (except for Basil my poor baby doesn't deserve this)

And last but not least... Henry. What are they going to do with him, what are their plans? I am not really informed what the whole thing is going to be, but I don't know what's going to be with Henry. Modern environment, knowing how Henry is the minimum thing he would say and he would be absolutely BLASTED in social media, cancelled on Twitter and all /j

Or, just my thoughts I really don't know, but seeing how things are going they could change his character so much he wouldn't be Henry Wotton and would be more like Enrique Waton

Anyways, I finished rambling now, imma disappear for another fifty centuries

[randomthefox]

I have looked at every possible angle about why people claim Sonic is weak in Frontiers because he "obeys" a figure of authority ( because The End told him what to do to save his friends )

Even when I explain to these idiots that they're wrong, they still hold their own opinion.

Even claiming that he acts too much like his IDW version ( which boils my blood )

Where does he act like that???? Fcuking. WHERE????

He doesn't trust Sage because he knows she's made by Eggman and he urges her to become good, HE REFERS TO HER AS A GHOST GIRL. He asks: What is going on? She constantly tells him to fuck off because he's an 'enemy' he doesn't listen, gets his ass kicked, until he defeats one of the titans, because that's the ONLY clue he got to save his friends.

Where does he acts like his IDW version???????

Haven't heard that one lol. But nothing would surprise me at this point. People have to make up some pretty inane things to complain about when it comes to Sonic games because they lack any legitimate criticism.

Sonic is not "obeying" The End, he clocks the "scary sky voice" as probably a bad guy literally from moment one, and just goes along with it because it is literally the only direction he has at all and would be running blind otherwise. He makes it clear to Sage he considers the voice to be a potential threat that he is prepared to deal with when the time comes.

Anyone who says any of the characters in Frontiers act like how they do in IDW is making shit up. I'm still mildly convinced that Ian Flynn didn't have anything to do with writing this game BECAUSE the characters don't act or speak ANYTHING like how they do in the IDW comics.

Not to throw shade because I know they asked it in good faith, but I'm reminded of how when Scrapnik Island was coming out I actually got a few messages saying they were anticipating me not liking the comic because of this panel. Because it superficially resembles this panel with metal Sonic that I'd criticized in the past.

To which I said no, I actually LOVE the Scrapnik Island moment. Because (despite being a little wordy) it's actually VERY in character for Sonic, unlike the Metal Sonic moment. The Metal Sonic moment is Sonic IGNORING AND DISREGARDING Metal Sonic's previous statements that he was literally reprogrammed by Eggman to have no free will whatsoever and saying he would burn the world to the ground to try and find him again. The Scrapnik Island moment is Sonic ADMITTING HE WAS WRONG and APOLOGIZING to Mecha Sonic for being hostile towards him due to their past, and acknowledging what Mecha has been doing to try and change his nature in the here and now. The Metal Sonic moment is Sonic BEING A SOCIOPATH, the Mecha Sonic moment is Sonic BEING SONIC.

But they superficially resemble each other I guess. So people aren't really looking at the substance of what's happening in those moments, and just assume they're the same because they kinda look similar at a glance.

So I assume that's what people are doing when they compare Frontiers to IDW. The people who complain about how bad Frontiers is sure as fuck haven't actually played it themselves. So it sounds like they're just going "yeah, looks the same" and not actually PAYING ATTENTION to what's HAPPENING.

[springseasonie]

Valentine | LMH

words: 672

Inspired by this cute song 🩷

You weren't at all used to attention from guys, let alone anyone. There were many times here you thought that would just be your reality - to be alone forever. You were okay with that for the most part but then you met someone. That someone was Mark Lee, the cutest most genuine person you knew in your life.

You had feelings this strong for a person before, but he did all the things you never knew you needed. He was just so nice, so affectionate, so funny, just real.

Mark is huge on skinship. His friends and family always say he hates to be hugged, but he never seemed that way with you. Mark hated to be away from you for too long. Sometimes, he felt like he couldn't go through his day without you hugging him or kissing him, almost like a drug. He would sometimes just tackle you onto his bed, trapping you under his body as he wrapped all his limbs around you. Mark loved to nuzzle his face into your neck, saying that's the part of you he liked the most.

You always loved how much he made you feel loved with his words. You love the way he'll tell you "you're really pretty" or "I really like you." But he never just stops at superficial things. He always makes it a habit to tell you things like "I'm proud of you" or be sure to ask how your day was. Mark is always so attentive, noticing things about you that even you don't seem to care about. You won't ever forget the time he noticed you changed your lipstick color. "It looks great on you. Everything looks great on you." "You're so cute." "I love your smile." "You did well today." All these things stick to you like glue, and you will never forget them.

Mark always remembered your interest, everything from your favorite color to your favorite holiday. So when valentine's day came around, you knew you could expect something, but you didn't know what. Mark knew you weren't a fan of grand gestures or cliches, so you knew he didn't have much to work with. You trust him and he trusts you so you had nothing to worry about, right?

You couldn't be more wrong.

That night, Mark cooked for the both of you knowing he couldn't cook at all. You loved every second of it, every second you cringed every second he complained, everything that made what was supposed to be the most romantic night of your life good, be absolutely disastrous. You have never laughed so hard in your life till that night.

"I like that you appreciate my mistakes, even on a night like this."

"Of course I do dumby! No one has ever done this for me before. I love you and all your mistakes."

That was the first time you told him you loved him. He remembered how your expression dropped, how fast his heart started beating. You couldn't look him in the eyes after that. He wanted to say something, but was afraid he would say something wrong. Mark had never felt so speechless in his life. You didn't know this, but you were his first 'i love you.'

"I'm sorry Mark. I don't know what came over me. I was just-"

"Don't apologize. Never apologize. I love you too, more than you know."

The feeling in your chest from when Mark kisses you after confessing still lingered for weeks. Sometimes you still think about how it felt, how emotional it was for the both of you. The way his hands pressed into your lower back as he pressed his body against yours in a desperate attempt to keep you with him for as long as possible. When you finally pulled away, you couldn't help but giggle at the sight of his big eyes looking down at you.

That moment was the moment you knew you could never be alone, especially if it wasn't being alone with him.

[asterjennifer]

Personal

Pomni asks Jax if he doesn't want to get out to see his loved ones again.

Jax hit the golf ball with momentum, it flew across the bright green filed that should've represented grass and close to the hole. A mile away it crashed back down. Looking so uncomfortably artificial when hitting the ground. He rolled his eyes by the fact it came so close — didn't go in though.

»Uughh... This game is so boring.« He moaned out annoyed.

The sun that was on the sky shone as long as they desired. The purple rabbit placed his hand on his forehead, gazing up into the false clouds and blue sky. The silence around had been accompanying him for about an hour now.

Pomni and Ragatha were the first to go spend time in their rooms. The redhead insisted that, sometime soon, the sun should be setting for the night to peek out. Zooble didn't feel like joining for a play of Minigolf in the first place. Therefore it left the other three to finish by themselves.

But once that game was over, with Kinger winning and nobody having an idea how, the two decided to leave as well. Gangle had complained because of her fatigue. It made Jax try to hit her with the Golf Club. However, the comedy mask was blessed with some luck that day and ended up dodging his subtle try by swinging out.

They made their way into their private walls afterwards. Leaving Jax to decide for another, smaller round of Golf with only his humble self. Sometimes you need a challenge on your level, he told himself with a grin rushing over his face.

Although the game's getting quite boring quickly, he somehow refused to go back to his own room. For a moment nothing seemed to move — no particular sound and no distant life to be found. It's really unsettling sometimes. Especially once everyone else left for their own business.

Jax threw the Golf Club to the side before sitting down. He placed his arms over his knees, taking a deep breath of whatever the hell it was that replaced the air. Maybe it's just the thought of taking a breath, he thought absent minded. For a while there wasn't any movement inside his body. Instead he stared at the empty things that made out these way too familiar surroundings.

At some point the sun nodded to the moon — giving the premission to change the time into nightly peace. The sky turned a dark blue with the clouds shrinking into million of stars. The moon now the only presence besides himself. Jax continued to watch whatever his eye managed to perceive, or rather make out in the darkness.

»Jax, why are you still here?«

A wavery, little voice asked behind him after who knows how many hours passed by. His long ears itched by the sound and moved accordingly. Then he lifted one hand to his chin, taking a second to answer.

»Admiring the beautiful sight.« He replied with obvious sarcasm.

»Can I sit with you?«

»I don't care. Just don't ruin the silence.«

She hesitated with her steps until she came to an hold next to him. Pomni pulled her hat a bit in anxious manner, she felt unsure how to approach anything else other than superficial conversations at this point. Once her panic wore off some more, replaced by fear bubbling under her suit, she started to try getting to know the others better.

Pomni sat down hesitantly. Both arms coming around her legs to hug herself — she did the opposite of Jax. No staring at the sky since it made her even more anxious. Therefore her eyes fixated on the green filed underneath them both. Nothing interesting to find, but at least that didn't make her feel all that pointless.

She grazed his expression with her stare for a short second, trying to see anything on the rabbit's face. But like usually — there's not much to find. Only difference was the fact his smile died down into a normal, rather neutral line.

The air thickened, or perhaps the tension did when it came to her. Although she couldn't speak for the guy next to her, the odd feeling lingered on her weird skin until it crawled down her back. She hugged herself tighter and cleared her throat.

»Jax? Did you ever... Look for the exit before?«

Her voice quavered more than needed, she almost accidentally cursed herself. Jax sighed deep, his facial features staying immobile as if he expected something like this to happen eventually.

»Never. This is a beautiful dream to live.« He then looked at her from the corner of his eye.

She met them, brows frowning considering she couldn't really tell if she started to become upset by these rude answers or if she found it sympathetic. He appeared to be the kind of person to naturally have sass. He must've held onto it in some way. Jax shrugged his shoulders.

»Give it up, Kid. This is your home now and better accept it if you don't wanna end up like Kaufmo.«

His finger pointed over his shoulder at the big tent. A shiver ran down Pomni's body at the memory of her first day. Not that long ago — yet way too much time she already spend in here aimlessly. Her lip twitched after the rabbit looked back into the sky. Pomni shook her head unconsciously.

Her tone close to a whisper. »Did you never see the exit door?«

»No, but after what you said you found there, I don't think I need to.«

Frustration began to find its way inside her digital veins, burning in the depths of her chest wider than a wildfire. Time passing by, nobody knowing how quickly time moved in this place, but none caring about finding the way out back into their real lives. She gritted her teeth when pulling at her jester hat. Voice mumbling albeit hard.

»You don't care seeing the people in your real life..?«

Immediate regret consumed her after he suddenly scared her. Jax stood up pretty fast and kept both hands into tight fists. His narrowed eyes judging her.

»You clown have no right to say that...« He growled. »When you're clueless, you better keep your whiny mouth shut.«

The conversation found its unwell end as Jax turned around and left Pomni sitting by herself and the slight feeling of guilt she now had to deal with.

She watched him leave for a second. His walk's stubborn in the sound of his steps, turning her head back in order to hide the face behind her arms. She didn't mean to snap at him, it just happened due to all these helpless emotions suffocating her soul and mind.

The shame died down enough for her to go back to her room, brushing off the nonexistent dust off her legs as she closed her eyes for a long second. Her head titled back — she finally found the courage for her eyes to meet the sky above her head. It lightly contracted her heart. Pomni's lips pressed against each other when the faces of the others flashed into her mind.

Realizing that even the mosh distant figure of the group missed home.

[itwoodbeprefect]

5, 8, 13, 37!

5. Share one of your strengths.

i was trying to think of something i haven't answered to this type of question in similar ask games before, so i'll go with a slightly sideways take and say, hey, i like my own writing. which is great! it means i get to have fun writing it, and it's (mostly) not a chore to read it a dozen times, and then once it's posted i optionally get to sit down and read this story i like that checks off a whole bunch of specific things i want from fic. i would never ever have been able to write as much as i have, or learn to write as well, if i didn't enjoy reading my own writing.

-

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

this is from something that still hasn't been posted (though soon, hopefully. let's ignore that i've been thinking that about this fic for at least six months), but i think it's a fun exchange that fits the way steve and danny express their love through their bicker-banter dynamic, and i really enjoy how this flows with the bits of description too:

The door to the master bedroom doesn’t creak either, but the bed rustles when the dark shape of Steve’s head pops up. “What’s happening?” Steve asks, at a tone a touch too proud to be a whisper. He doesn’t sound like Danny just woke him up, but that might just be Steve’s Steveness.

Danny pauses at the foot of the bed regardless. He’s tired, so he figures it’s best to go hard on the offensive rather than prepare for a lengthy sparring session. A little too much truth usually does the trick. “I miss you.”

“I’m right here,” the Steve shape says, from right there.

Like Danny doesn’t know that. “I know that,” he says, because he does know that. He knew that even when he was in the other room, and it didn’t functionally change anything. “Did I say I was being rational about this?”

The Steve shape is quiet for a moment, like he’s waiting Danny out. “Well, what are you doing all the way over there?” he asks eventually, like that’s the part of what Danny is doing that’s insane.

Danny’s chest finally feels whole again, but he ignores it because he’s busy walking around the bed and getting in under the sheet and complaining. “You hadn’t invited me yet. I’m not in the habit of climbing into other guys’ beds uninvited.”

Steve flops down on his front, muttering right into his pillow, “Yeah, you are.”

-

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

show don't tell? which is tricky because like almost any writing advice, it's not a magical rule that always applies and can never be broken, and you do need to learn how to apply it well. but oooh. ohoho. if a newer writer starts figuring this out, it levels up their writing tenfold. i know mine got better when i started doing this more intentionally.

-

37. Talk about your current wips.

oooh, i don't even know what counts as a current wip for me at the moment, so this will be very scattered. but i guess the things that have been on my mind the most are the last chapter of A flip-flop state of mind (it will happen! at some point!); the nearly finished h50 fic that the snippet above is from (which is superficially about junior moving out of the mcgarrett home, but that's just a cover for a very domestic getting together fic); another h50 fic that's, well, more domesticity (but established relationship), and is 95% dialogue so far, though it's not supposed to become a dialogue-only fic; somehow two different starsky/hutch fics of which both are in some way inspired by a song by dutch singer boudewijn de groot; another starsky/hutch fic based on a dutch song, only this time it's by someone else (and more actively relevant to the fic. i may end up translating the whole song if this fic ever gets posted, purely as optional context); a bad buddy fic in which pat and pran's respective best friends try to be annoying (affectionately) but get outclassed by patpran's competitive streak, and they all acknowledge (some with more dismay than others) that they've become friends; and finally another bad buddy fic which. i think it's done, probably. it's been done for weeks, i just can't decide if i like it the way it is or if i need to figure out a way to switch a certain part up before i hit post. i think at least in part it's that i'm running into the inherent difficulty in getting a character to Sound Right through a translation, which has made me go "oh my god how did i do that" a lot at the many many years i was constantly writing dutch fic for english media. but i'll figure it out! i hope.

[cruyuu]

the anon is right I dunno why that fandom keeps complaining, meanwhile those like us who like Yuji are disappointing that now ther the manga focuses on him again the manga will end that soon, while go Jo got A LOT of chapters for himself (and his fans made me dislike the fight now, though I never liked the character much to begin with, I want to see sukuna yuji not sukuna and go jo)

I hate how they downplay this one and previous chapter......

Yeah, like I had stated in the answer to one ask, this fandom will always place focus on others more so than a certain someone who held more connections with Sukuna than all others ever did. I never liked that because I believe that a character who "resurrected" said character, who was fascinated by him and changed because of him, is definitely more important than others ever will be.

As much as I'll miss jjk, I will definitely not miss its fandom, that's for sure.

I also started hating the Sukuna/Gojo fight because... well, you already know because of who. Gojo fans. I also never paid Gojo much attention and still don't know what people see in him, since he was pretty superficial to me. Just a pretty face with a strong technique that plays pretend to have depth, that he's interesting, yet he has nothing underneath. You know that meme? Nothing behind those eyes? Well, that.

There's a reason why identity is in big focus when it comes to his character arc and why Geto asked that question in the first place yet the fandom kept misinterpreting it, as they continually keep misinterpreting everything about his character.

Outside of fights, Gojo had little going for him because his actions kept contradicting his words and I couldn't make sense of him nor figure out why the fandom loved him so much when he was a walking mess. In the end, he cared more about reaching Sukuna than rescuing the student he was a father figure to. That fact, however, won't stop some fans from talking your ear off that he did care about Megumi and I... am so tired. If they wish to believe so, let them. My opinion is that he didn't.

Still, the most frustrating thing is that Gojo fans got everything– a backstory, character conclusion and even got a long battle with Sukuna, and yet they're still not satisfied. Despite Sukuna's praise, they're still not satisfied. They want him to come back, they want him to be the MC. It's gotten so bad to the point that now that Yuuji is finally in focus, the fandom is dismissing the fact he is directly involved in that "teaching Sukuna about love" plot line that they claimed and theorized belonged to Gojo. Like the amount of posts I've seen where the focus is on everyone but Yuuji, despite the recent chapters, is straight up pissing me off.

My question to others is if Yuuji was Gojo, would he still be treated as fodder or would people be crying tears and screaming about him to not die? And the answer to that pains me because I know he would be treated differently bc the double standard is real. Yuuji truly cannot have shit, nor exist, in this manga without it being brushed off or credited to someone else. Even tho he has his own version of Dismantle, people brush it off as Sukuna's, yet when Sukuna uses Divine Flames, I don't see anyone brushing it off as a Jogo's own CT rip-off. And no, this is not me shading him, because I love him as much as I love Yuuji. This is just me stating a fact.

You can tell I'm frustrated but it's mostly because when people claim they care about Yuuji, they still don't treat him as a character but rather as a device meant to move the plot, to fulfill a role and everybody is still relevant but never him. Never him even though he was the one who brought back Sukuna who is the main villain of this entire manga. Like???? Come on now, man. Put some respect on Yuuji.

[nrilliree]

https://www.tumblr.com/lady-phasma/751954243043442688/this-is-the-most-diplomatic-way-i-have-seen-this?source=share

Do people struggle with the concept of CONTEXT ?! No ?

How would Rhea be an equivalent to Rhaenyra ? Demon hated Rhea. Just because he killed her, doesn't mean he'll hit Rhaenyra in the future. To say yes, under the pretext that both were married to him is only a SUPERFICIAL comparison ! Daemon wouldn't even consider this woman as his wife. And of the consensual relationships that we saw him have with women, he was never violent with them. There's a distinct difference between Rhea and the other women in Daemon's life. It's grasping at straws to say that the strangling scene is consistent because Daemon killed his first wife. Once again, this is a superficial comparison on the grounds that Rhea and Rhaenyra were both married to Daemon. News flash, people generally don't behave the same with those they love and those they hate.

And once again, people are complaining about the strangling scene, especially because it's yet another demonization of the character Daemon who was never reported to have been physically abusive with Rhaenyra in Fire and Blood, and didn't even kill his first wife. So yeah, the original Daemon probably wouldn't have hit Rhaenyra.

Not only all that, but it adds gratuitous physical marital violence to a female character who is already experiencing various canonical violence ! Why add domestic violence in Daemyra ?! But it's the same with all the other characters. Aemma who dies during childbirth ? Not hard enough, we have to cut her belly open while she's still conscientious. Laena who dies after giving birth to a stillborn baby and trying to join Vaghar for one last flight but dies suggesting they go join her dragon ? No, not dramatic and horrible enough, let's make her choose to burn herself alive with her baby still inside her! Alicent is not the victim of “marital rape” in the book ? Let's change that to make the main villain, before Aegon II, a victim !

But people refuse to understand these basic things !

And I hate this type of thinking even more :

“Do they also think that the history books of the time would simply say that Daemon murdered his wife or that Criston literally beat up Joff Lonmouth in the middle of a party?”

Well YES actually ! Completely !

Fire and Blood does not hesitate to accuse Daemon of other murders that he is not proven to have committed ! So, believe me that if he had been also suspected of having killed his first wife whom he hated publicly, so something that everyone knew, it would definitely have been proposed by the maesters telling the story, mostly pro greens and who hated Daemon. Daemon who was AT WAR when Rhea Royce died, and who was in agony for 9 days before that ! It's that simple !

So in addition, yes, if GRRM who never hesitated to show the various violence suffered by women, including domestic violence, he would not have forgotten to suggest that Daemon was perhaps violent with Rhaenyra if that had been the case. And so, if he had wanted us to understand that, in the Fire and Blood universe, there is no way that the pro green maesters hating Daemon would not have reported this rumor if it had existed.

We must stop only under the pretext that Fire and Blood is a historical text, that we can invent our own fanfiction even if it means saying everything and its opposite.

And I'm not even going to touch on Criston's case because we know very well how Joffrey died in Fire and Blood. During a tournament, where accidents like Joffrey's case were common (even if Criston Cole probably let off steam during this fight). A much more logical death, because it is in fact impossible that, according to the laws of Westeros / the GRRM universe, that Criston in HOTD can keep his position and on top of that have a promotion in the future, just because the queen / Alicent covers him ! It just doesn't work, because going against guest rights is probably one of the worst crimes in Westeros, right up there with killing a family member. This is a complete inconsistency in the GRRM universe, but it was done, just to have sensational gratuitous violence in HOTD.

This kind of comment is basically simply saying that since we don't know absolute reality we can invent absolutely anything we like, even if it means throwing coherence and the laws of the universe out the window, and the original characteristics of the characters ! This is disturbingly stupid. And I am NOT sorry to say that. These kind of people think they are smart but they are just stupid again. They like what they see, so they inevitably think it's good and will go against anything that indicates otherwise.

I will add that a lot of people still seem to be unaware of this, but HOTD is not a retelling of the events of Fire and Blood. They may have originally claimed that, but their rhetoric changed when fans pointed out all the inconsistencies compared to Fire and Blood. HOTD is clearly a fanfiction inspired by Fire and Blood. The show and the book have their own separate canon.

Anyway, I'm tired of these people who claim that yes, all the horrible things that the writers make Daemon do without any coherence in HOTD show himself must have also happened in Fire and Blood. This is unspeakable bullshit.

And again, sorry to repeat myself, but the fact that Daemon killed Rhea Royce in HOTD (horrible thing that I'm not nor justifying) is not proof or a foreshadowing of Daemon physically harming Rhaenyra. For that he should have been shown doing it with the women he chose to have relationships with as well, not just one with a woman he hated. That Rhea Royce and Rhaenyra were both married to Daemon has nothing to do with the strangling scene. For the last time, this is a SUPERFICIAL order comparison.

The strangest comments are the ones where such people insist that Daemon was 100% exactly the same in the book… even though there was absolutely no indication of that. Daemon did not show any aggressive tendencies towards anyone there, and all his relationships were with adult, mature women from various social groups. Daemon hated his first wife (and this is also interesting: Alicent in the series, as a 16-year-old girl, was forced to marry a man she did not love, and she is THE victim, but 16-year-old Daemon in the book, forced to marry a woman he did not love, cannot be victim…), she didn't really like him either, so they lived separately. And she died. And that's it. He had absolutely nothing to do with it, and in the meantime he was in a relationship with Mysaria, whom he wanted to marry and with whom he wanted to raise a child. It was Viserys who actually harmed Mysaria, not Daemon. Then Daemon married 23-year-old Laena, with whom he had a healthy relationship… And there were no signs of violence either. And if there was even the slightest hint of violence towards her in his relationship with Rhaenyra, the maesters would blow it up so much to show that Rhaenyra is a "weak woman who cannot control her husband, let alone a kingdom." ". (I don't think so, I'm saying what they could write.)

Plus - yes, HotD definitely has a weird fetish for depicting female harm that was in no way present in the source material. Aemma's death, Alicent's "sacrifice", Laena's death, Aegon's victims, violence towards Rhaenyra - there was nothing like that in the book. Scenes of violence against women appear much more numerous and frequently, much more often outside the source material, than those against men. Does anyone really have a sick fetish there?

[notafunkiller]

Her SIL saying family in her story holding hands (yes I know they have done this before but it’s been way more prominent here) taking photos on the red carpet what’s changed from Cannes and Berlinale? Her posting a video where there are posted by GG only on a story but that’s for now I bet we will see more later today we will probably get a photo on the grid which she never has done but because everyone else has been given the green light she will probably be ‘allowed’ to. //

Not only that, in these years he has practically never said her name or made any effort to say anything about his girlfriend, he has spoken many times in the last few months about Leighton and now it's an "I love you" during awards season?

Maybe they are made for each other, they are just as hypocritical and superficial. It disgusts me that they think that these are "goals." I wouldn't want my boyfriend to talk badly about things that I have done (like plastic surgery, botox, stalking on sm). Talking about his ex several times...

Damn look at Leighton and her husband she didn't want to take pictures with him because it was HIS moment not hers and yet HE wanted her by his side he called her.

The only one who will end up having this blow up in his face is him. For my part, I am sick of hearing him say such profound things and do the opposite with his actions. I will no longer be in this fandom. I do not plan to support someone who has become another Hollywood puppet (don't start saying that this is not how it happened because even producers are complaining that the largest number of winners were from the CAA agency).

Yepp.

It's really questionable that CAA got so many.

[thestrangestthing89]

I think people get so blinded by their obsession with Steve that they completely miss the point of his character arch. He doesn't know what he wants. He has no idea what he is doing with his life, which is fine he's like 19 or something, but it's the entire reason he acts the way he does. We see him talking to Robin in the car in the beginning of the season and he saying how he keeps going on these random dates that are meaningless and only ever about sex and he's not sure that's what he wants. Which leads to his fixation with Nancy. He clearly has an idealized version of her that doesn't match reality because they dated for a year and he didn't know she would never want 6 kids. (The main theme of "forced conformity being a bad thing comes into play here. Conformity is a familiar thing so it's comforting. It's a lot scarier to figure things out on your own and do your own thing, so he fantasizes about what he's "supposed to".) Nancy was very much not into that idea and even called it a nightmare. The way she says his name when they are in the upside-down is the same "let him down easy" tone that El uses with Mike in the pizza place. I would argue that even Steve doesn't like the idea of 6 kids considering how much he complains about having to babysit. He doesn't like getting stuck with the younger kids. He made that very clear this season every time he ditched them or tried to pawn them off on someone else. To be clear - I don't mean that he doesn't like the younger kids. I think he just wants to stay in a peer/friend role rather than one with more responsibility. This probably has a lot to do with all the dangerous situations that they are in and him not wanting to be responsible if something bad happens to one of them - especially after what happened to him and Robin in season 3. Getting drugged and beaten and then needing a 13/14 year old and a 10 year old to rescue you and take care of you has to leave you wanting to not get into those situations around them again. As for Nancy's behavior this season - her vaguely flirting with him like twice doesn't mean anything. Her checking him out doesn't mean anything - Max did too and she's not going to be in a relationship with him. It's also made clear that every girl in town likes him. It's superficial. Nancy was lonely because she didn't know where she stood with Jonathan and the second he comes back to town she doesn't even glance back at Steve. The only time he got brought up again later was Jonathan mentioning him and she responded with the same thing everyone else says about Steve lately - she's surprised he handled things well. It's not a romantic comment. Eddie and Robin have both said this recently too.

(I'm also pretty sure Nancy wasn't jealous of Robin when they were in the library. I don't think her impatience with her had anything to do with Steve. Nancy hasn't had a girl friend since Barb died and hasn't gotten close to anyone female since then. She wanted to go to the library alone. I think she was uncomfortable at first. Especially since when Robin mentions she isn't with Steve and they are just friends Nancy's attitude towards her doesn't immediately change. She still irritated with her the entire scene after when they are researching. Her attitude only changes when she realizes Robin is right and was helpful.) I would honesty be surprised if there are any scenes just with Nancy and Steve next season. The way Robin was was patting his back when Nancy was happy to see Jonathan made it clear he understood he was rejected. They don't need to talk about anything. What would they even talk about? Nothing really happened with them. I can see Steve talking about it with Robin but I don't think Nancy was as affected by their interactions and he was. I think Steve is following a similar arch to El where they find independence and figure out what they like and want. Steve doesn't deserve a girlfriend or Nancy just because he waited long enough. She isn't a prize for good behavior. Him figuring out what he's doing with his life is a win for him. Also just the end shot - they could have easily had Steve and Robin at the cabin helping out and ended with Nancy and Steve next to each other hinting at a future relationship but they didn't.

[bonaesperanza]

7 and 17 for the ask game!

7. I'm gonna be honest and say that this happens very rarely to me because if there's one virtue I have (and I have very few of them) it's the capacity to attribute blame correctly. So if fandom is weird about a character I usually start hating the fandom and withdrawing from at least that part of it rather than letting it influence my opinion about the character. Alternately, I'll perhaps review the canon and realize that the fandom is right and I had skipped some key details about the character or how they were presented, which will make me change my opinion about the canon character or the canon's framework overall, but I don't think that's what the question is asking.

BUT there is one notable exception, and that's Dara from the Daevabad trilogy. Which is barely a fandom LOL, like the entire series gets 2 Tumblr posts every six months, but I do love those books and I do get livid about the way the fans treat this particular character to the point that each time I see fanart of him I recoil in disgust.

I put in a cut because this turned out longer and angrier than I expected lol but I guess that is the spirit of the poll?

Basically you know the age-old debate about whether Kylo Ren fans are racist towards Finn and whether Kylo is a better or worse character than Finn and whether people just like him more because he's white etc. etc.? I generally think that's a stupid thing to hoist onto the sequel fans when it's the canon itself that encourages a superficial reading of Kylo as tragic and dramatic and of Finn as a plucky comic relief guy whose emotions shouldn't be taken seriously. But Dara and Ali from Daevabad are the perfect examples of the trend the people who complain about it are trying to highlight and I reeeaaally wish those books were more famous in wider fandom circles because we would be Having so many Discussions about them.

Dara and Ali are basically the two angles of what's a lowkey love triangle with the series' (awesome!) protagonist, Nahri. In my eyes, Dara and Nahri have so little chemistry that I nearly quit the first book 30% in because I thought it would all be about them, but YMMV I guess. Then I saw Nahri and Ali interact once, thought "man, I wish these two were being set up for a grand romance instead" and was then thrilled to discover that actually they were and the author was clearly phoning in the Dara/Nahri parts because they were there to make a point rather than to be romantic or appealing.

Dara is an asshole, but in canon, he's a well-written asshole and there's a point to his characterization. He's an extremely talented Proud Warrior Guy who is really patriotic and cares about his family and his country and about making them proud. He's also arrogant and short-tempered, but so is Ali. The thing is, Dara's superiors send him to commit genocide, and Dara does so to mixed success. Then the people he's tried to genocide come for his own people to exact revenge and brutally kill his family. This all sparks a massive civil war, in the middle of which Dara ends up trapped in a Fate Worse Than Death kind of situation for thousands of years, until he is somehow saved and joins the protagonist. He feels anguished and vengeful about his family dying but is also still chauvinistic AF and never examines his own role in all of this. He still believes that blindly following authority and being loyal to people of his religion and ethnicity is his highest moral duty. This makes him commit even more war crimes, end up in another fate worse than death situation, and only manage to get out of it by sheer luck and through the other characters being kinder towards him than he would have been in their shoes. He also always thinks he knows better than anyone else and routinely overrides Nahri's wishes because he thinks he knows what's good for her.

Now, he also has positive traits, like he's a kind and patient teacher and has a code of honor etc. etc. but his narrative is clearly about radicalization and cycles of revenge and, well, toxic masculinity. There honestly isn't much else to him.

Ali is also stubborn and arrogant, quick to judge people who are different than him, and prone to foot-in-mouth incidents. He's more of a warrior poet type, equally badass but also bookish. BUT he's also Black and a practicing Muslim, which I guess puts some people off of him. The thing is, Ali is a wayyy more complex character than Dara, he has a whole-ass family and his relationship with every one of its members is lovingly and intricately drawn by the author, and he also has nuanced and complex thoughts about his code of ethics, the system of governance of his country, his religion, and many, many other things. He is put into a lot of interesting situations and forced to make many difficult choices and is just overall a more complex and interesting character.

And still! STILL! Like 80% of fanart and fan content for this series is all about Dara, a frankly quite unsympathetic character if you think about it for more than 0.2 seconds and the flattest one of the main three to boot. I would have been content to read Dara's canon story and recognize it for the well-crafted story it is and even empathize with him (he was quite young when all that happened to him) but the amount of passionate insistence by the fans that he is the poorest meow meow and so much hotter and more interesting than Ali makes me have an irrational and visceral negative reaction whenever I see him.

17. Superficial answer?

We need more Padmé Amidala/Asajj Ventress content. For some reason I really like the idea of the two of them together and there are like 4 fics with them on Ao3 of which 3 are orgy fics with 10 different characters. The reason I like the idea of the two of them together is totally not because they represent the two types of women I tend to develop crushes on and I'm just mashing my dolls together.

Deeper answer?

I really really love those posts where people apply whichever discipline they're working in or are passionate about to fandom works? Like that biologist who made up a theory according to which Wookies and Caminoans have a common ancestor?

I can never get enough of that and wish I could see it more often. I want more biologists squinting at the weird plants in the back of scifi series. I want political theorists to try to make sense of the politics in Vorkosigan. I want art historians to try to develop a theory of how art and fashion changed between Hot and GOT.

Make me a bastard child of your fandom special interest and your professional special interest. I will eat it up, I promise.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@thealmightyemprex @makingboneboy @professorlehnsherr-almashy @princesssarisa

So last night I watched Super Eyepatch Wolf video essay 'What the Internet Did to Garfield', which analizes transformative fan art made on the Internet, that transformed the gag comic strip into more dark scenarios focused on a portrayal of Garfield as an eldritch entity that drags the anxious and depressed Jon Arbuckle into a neverending cycle of abuse and torment from which not even death can save him.

The video essay itself is more analytical of why the proccess of making this transformative works happen, and what is their appeal, and how the maker of the video saw itself in Jon Arbuckle in both the strips and the transformative artwork, which is good, but my problem is with the transformative art works itselfs: how they can be so lost in imitation, and so focused in one aspect of the Garfield stories that they loose grasp in other aspects.

You know how when works about making fairy tales dark or cynical like Into the Woods and Shrek came out, and they were very good, but then a wave of writers and filmakers tried to imitate to the point of saturation, we started to notice how superficial their understanding of fairy tales was to properly make deconstructions or parodies, and then you just wanted a return to the wholesome fairy tale content with happy endings again?

So, that is what happened in most Garfield fan works on the internet:

Somebody saw one aspect of the stories (Jon's loneliness and sadness while Garfield failed to properly show empathy), made some fan works about it, and then everybody started to make fan works on this grimm dark line.

And I get it: with the gag comic strip that goes on for 40 years, following a basic formula of character writing, with some subtle changes to the status quo, can give this more sad view of characters living in the formula structure without changing (just look at audiences reaction to Marge and Homer's relationship problems in 34 years of The Simpsons).

But the thing is: the gag comic strip is not the only place where the story was told.

The animated series Garfield and Friends and their specials are another, if not more important part, to consider in the portrayal of the characters.

There, the characters could be allowed to be more complex, not restriced by formula.

So you saw narratives about:

Jon getting to save Garfield from his own imagination;

Jon and Garfield travelling to a cheap hotel in a Pacific Island, and slowly enjoying themselves despite all the trials and tribulations;

Jon taking Garfield and Odie camping, the cat initially complaining, but eventually getting to enjoy the forest, going to save his friends of a wild panther in the clímax despite being terrified;

Jon and Garfield enjoying a wholesome Christmas with Jon's quirky and loving family;

Jon successfully amusing a young lady who has similar problems with awkward social interactions.

This goes to give dimension to the characters, showing Jon not as "just a pathetic looser", but as someone who, while branded a looser by others, and ocasionally acting melancholic, is still optimistic and adventurous.

Showing Garfield as a pet who can be capable of moments of sensibility, sharing his owner's sad moments, initially judge his choices of fun, but slowly learning to enjoy himself.

And Odie, how so much of the edgy fan works just make Odie exist in the middle as the dumb dog, when his character is the heart of the disfunctional little family: a bit naive, but capable of showing great inteligence when the other characters don't expect it?!

We shouldn't just see Jim Davis as the creator of the characters: few people talk about it, but besides voicing Garfield, Lorenzo Music was also a writer, producer and composer in his animated encarnation!

His input, alongside Low Rauls and Desiree Goyette's music, helped flash out the characters beyond being just mean spirited gags!

What I mean is: the dark and edgy had their moment of the zeitgeist, but I think highliting what is good and wholesome about the characters will be even more revoluctionary artistically, and show a better understanding of the characters beyond the limits of the three framed panels.