#and if you think about him being trans it just adds another layer to that

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

was having trans marty thoughts again and i came to a realization about this scene

[dykedvonte]

Can you talk about trans!Curly a little bit more? I'm curios if you have any headcanons and the like

-💀

It's just such a thing in my mind because it adds a truthful sadness and differing aspect to mouthwashing.

If Curly was trans it adds the horror of the horribly selfish thought he could have easily been in Anya's situation. It could've been him but it wasn't and he so conflicted on the pit it put in his stomach that brings and the shameful relief it wasn't. In this scenario he is friends with Jimmy for a long time still. Jimmy likely knew him pretransition. Maybe he gave Curly weird looks then, maybe they never stopped after, maybe they seemed meaner. They are guys now, bros, both of them are. He doesn't really have to worry what those looks mean anymore, Jimmy just has that face with him sometimes. It's recontextualizing a lot of things for him that he was in denial about or too ashamed to admit. How naive he was being and how he let that get another person hurt.

Specifically with Anya, it's he knows the dread and fear she's feeling. He can understand it because he had to live with it for a good portion of his life, he knows it cause he still does, just in a slightly different way. It makes him think of all the times he's been alone with Jimmy, all the times he's been way more drunk off his ass and not remember the night, Jimmy was always with him the next day. Makes him think of the comments he would laugh off both because that's what guys do but because that part of being a girl says to laugh so Jimmy doesn't do something. It's the selfish realization that he was never safe and he's uncertain now too. Mad at himself for forgeting that feeling, espcially since for a long time he would've been considered the only woman on a crew (with all that implies) for a long time.

He should've taken those blinders off, step back into that position for just a moment and it's so much more painful that Anya likely came to him because he should've gotten it. Those thoughts don't leave his mind after the crash when he's in an even more vulnerable position than she was...

[infizero]

my sources for shuichi being trans:

girl voice (in the original jp - voice is noticeably higher and more feminine sounding than any of the other boys)

general appearance (prominent eyelashes, fairly soft features, pretty androgynous esp when you pair with the jp voice, at certain points if ur insane enough it kinda looks like he has a binder outline)

wears a hoodie to the beach

gets really weird about having to go into the girls bathroom (obvs for different reasons but if you view those lines thru a trans lens then it honestly makes a lot of sense)

depressed and suicidal (not explaining)

im trans and i said so

[kanguin]

Apropos of nothing, here's my top 15 anime and whether the story would be improved if you made the main character a trans girl:

1. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - You can't transition Rimuru in a way that matters, but honestly if Rimuru did start to ID as a woman over time, that would be cool. Unlikely though considering his human form is the body of Shizu, so a fully fem form would feel pervy to Rimuru.

2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Well it'd certainly make the title funny if you made Edward into Edwina. And it'd make Ed/Winry into yuri. But honestly it'd change very little imho. Though it would be interesting to explore transition in a world where alchemy exists, but just in a different story. Might make for a fascinating post-canon fanfic?

3. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation - Oh god would it. The story is already focused on exploring identity and already has dysphoria when a god he talks to forces him into his pre-reincarnation body on the astral plane. Making Rudy into a polyamorous trans lesbian would literally be peak and elevate the story so much.

4. Kaguya-sama: Love is War - You know what? Yeah. I can vibe with making Miyuki Shirogane trans. It would add another layer of intrigue to the story AND make it gay. It could even be funny if Kaguya or Chica found out before Shirogane did. Wait. No. It would be hilarious if YU ISHIGAMI found out first, and just, assumed Miyuki was closeted, and not just, clueless. Yes this could add so much entertainment value.

5. Dungeon Meshi - Lord almighty get this autistic furry a choker and some estrogen, stat. I make it no secret how I feel about the Trans Touden Sisters interpretation.

6. Dandadan - Make Okarun and Jiji trans girls and make the main cast a messy polycule and sign me the FUCK up please! It would be so funny and so much fun. I NEED this version of Dandadan. It'd be even funnier considering how much is focused around Ken's junk and him being partially possessed by an old lady.

7. Overlord - NGL I'm not even sure anything would change if you made Momonga into a trans woman. She'd act the exact same, and so would everyone else. Interesting for sure, but fruitless, ultimately.

8. My Dressup Darling - Crack? Crack cocaine? Do you realize how amazing it would be to make this into a story about a gyaru girl pulling a closeted trans girl excitably out of the closet?! This would make this so much cuter than it already is, I think I'd EXPLODE.

9. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom - It wouldn't change much narratively, but the world could always use more stories with polyamorous trans lesbians as the protagonist.

10. The Faraway Paladin - Wouldn't change much honestly, but it would be cool. Tbh Season 2 Will looks like a stealth/closeted trans girly already.

11. Mob Psycho 100 - Again wouldn't change much but would be fun. Put Mob on estrogen and watch her transform from anxiety autism failboy to anxiety autism failgirl. And then still be the kindest person in any room.

... Okay though, on second thought, getting to see her go ???% on a transphobe would be cool as shit.

12. One Punch Man - another no change case. One Punch Woman. She has boobs now. She probably transitioned in like a day somehow.

13. My Hero Academia - I think putting Midoriya on estrogen would fix the show actually. Maybe also put the writer on estrogen just to be sure. (joke)

14. Kill la Kill - Making Ryuko Matoi a trans girl would actually be really cool, especially with her challenging establishment, with the themes of clothes being a restrictive aspect of society, and with her gay romance with Mako. I've seen so many trans girls on Tumblr with Ryuko's exact shameless, confident personality, I just know it'd be epic.

15. Cautious Hero: The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious - It would change little about how Seiya acts, but realizing she's trans would definitely give Ristarte's bisexual ass a nosebleed. Though Seiya would probably be ultra mega hyper closeted behind numerous mystic barriers, so that'd be fun to explore.

[ironunderstands]

Not a question, just very happy it's not just me loving IP3 (or trans Ratio for that matter). Yap away on both

Ugh I love them both so much

Most of my headcanons are when I find something to be better and/or more interesting than it is in canon, or something that’s a great extension of canon, and that’s exactly what trans Ratio is to me.

It takes his already present insecurities and squares them, as now the doctor has to contend with not just being a SMART enough man, but being a smart enough MAN, and adding that extra layer of misery and complexity is just so delightful.

By taking a character racked by self doubt and adding another layer to it, like Ratio being trans, you complicate his current insecurities and give new perspectives to look at them from.

Like in canon Ratio exercises so much because he wants to be the most perfect, best version of himself and has been doing it since a very young age (middle school).

But then you add him being trans to that, and suddenly he’s not just combating being perceived as not good enough, he’s combating being perceived entirely, attempting to try and get others to view him the way he really is, and attempting to live up to whatever masculine ideal that would push away his dysphoria, something prominent within his life from a young age.

I’ve kinda dived into this within my fics about it, but I like the idea that Ratio keeps this a secret from everyone- and I mean everyone. He already doesn’t live up to his own expectations of himself, so to have the rest of the galaxy find out that he doesn’t live up to their expectations of him either (ie being a cis man I mean you cannot tell me there aren’t like hundreds of people in universe begging for his uh- yeah), it would crush him.

I mean considering how guarded he is already, adding another thing to hide behind that alabaster mask would be fun, even if I think Ratio is likely at least a decade post-op + post-transition, so it’s not like he has to bind or anything, but the threat is still there. Especially considering his well known love of baths- imagine if he avoided the public baths at his home planet (considering how heavily Greek/Roman inspired Ratio is), and how that might affected him growing up, or just the tendency of shirtlessness in general.

There’s just a lot of possibilities and intricacies to it that makes me really like this particular headcanon, and it will always be canon in my heart haha. I have some more silly things behind it, like me wanting to give Aventio and Ratiopaz biological kids because it would be cute, or just the inherent joy of the big buff guy actually being the trans one rather than who you would expect it to be/who it’s stereotypically made as- Aventurine, as I like when characters have traits you don’t expect them to possess.

I also tend to dislike Aventurine being made ftm because he’s implied to be an SA survivor and rep for amab victims is already kinda abysmal so I don’t like taking it away, also I just think it’s boring tbh, at least for me it just doesn’t interest me.

Trans Topaz is a whole other discussion, personally I think she’s mtnb, and more femme presenting (I’d make her use she/they in my fics it’s just pronoun swapping when writing polyamory is miserable and anybody who’s ever written it can attest to that 😭, it’s there in spirit I promise!)

I honestly don’t have deep reasons behind this one, it’s just pure vibes. Someone was like, “Topaz gives nonbinary” once on here and I’m like yeah, yeah she does 😭. She reminds me of Childe a lot and I also view him as nonbinary so she’s kinda in a similar boat.

I think she’s very motherly but like in the way Mother Nature is if that makes sense? Mother is mothering but she’s also a creature tm* and certified tax collecting humanity loving entity. Also I have a close friend who’s a trans woman and Topaz reminds me of her so like, bam ur trans now lol (hi Alice if ur seeing this).

As for Aventiopaz, I fear I’d need a whole other post dedicated to why I like them. You guys know why I like Aventio, Avenpaz also require a whole other yap session, and Ratiopaz is the best rarepair ever fight me. Generally I like it because it’s really sweet, the dynamic is hilarious, they are the power trio of all time, they have great gameplay synergy, and their designs complement each other a lot- being primary colors and all.

I also enjoy their individual unique relationships to the IPC and how that might affect their interactions with one another, both in canon and in my brain. Moreover the trio of coworkers who are well known around the office for a) getting the job done and b) being absolutely obnoxious around one another (in a good way) is incredibly fun and I enjoy the idea of all the shenanigans they would get up to.

Perhaps my next Aventiopaz fic would be them going on a mission together or something, as I definitely want to write another one, and also update my slideshow of the parents au, I’ve just been so busy and a bit unmotivated 😭 so hopefully I can get to that soon

[butchcarmy]

trans carmy. TRANS CARMY. Just. (Falls to my knees) listen to me. It just makes sense

It starts with him growing up an awkward kid, the outcast. I feel like he felt different than others in a way he couldn’t place which is so trans of him. I mean also his cptsd which is a big part of his character for me but that’s another gigantic post.

There are physical aspects that really add to this well. For one, he’s a short king. So trans of him. Another thing is his staple trans masc fit. White t shirt and jeans give him gender euphoria and he is sticking to that. Also the little chain…. Not universal ofc but my fellow transmascs and I love a good chain. Even him being muscular asf is so trans, like bulking up when you go on testosterone bc it’s so much easier to is so real.

AND HIS TATTOOS. UGH. The tattoos are a layered thing. It makes me think about that awful head chef carmy worked under. The lines I’m thinking about are when he’s saying to carmy like, “you think you’re so tough, you’re worthless, you have those tattoos so you can feel like you’re tough but you’re nothing”. I think the tattoos are epic but also an extension of how he expresses his gender. it validates his masculinity for him.

He’s really eager to prove his masculinity to the world, particularly to the culinary world. I mean masculinity in the sense that he wants to prove that he’s man enough, that he’s made himself into a man that’s just as good as the cis men around him. I think there’d be a ton of pressure to feel like he’s up to par, especially in a super competitive field with a lot of men.

It’s even in his name. Carmen. Carmy. The way it’s masculine and feminine, the way he might’ve been born as Carmen and just decided to keep it that way. The way he goes primarily by a chosen name, even if it is just a nickname.

I feel like it even adds layers to his relationship with Michael, too. I see Carmy, who feels isolated from his peers for being trans (and just different in general), and Michael being one of the only people to really affirm who he is. Carmy and Mike were best friends. I have no doubt that Carmy really felt secure around him, which is why the betrayal of not letting him work at the restaurant hurt even more than it already did. Why Mike’s death would be even harder for Carmy to stomach.

His transness is why Carmy is the black sheep of his family. Why he doesn’t come home. Why his relationship with his mother is strained. Of course, I think this is all primarily because he has a dysfunctional family and lots of trauma, but it still adds to my vision.

Anyway I could go on but these are the main point. I just think Carmy is transmasc as hell

[penguin--person]

i think it's really cool to imagine vace as transfem and here's why!!

so, first off, i wanna take a sec to explore the enviroment that vace grew up in.

it's easy to see the character we meet and think that he's always been like this, but he's 18 when we meet him. he grew up on the helios. what we see ingame is the result of 18 years spent being conditioned for these views. as my friend put it, "vace wouldn't have just popped out of the womb with toxic masculinity!!"

nomi says that there's not many (if any?) nonbinary people on the helios. i think its safe to assume that this extends to queer people as a whole. lum has a very gendered view of things - he adresses the crowd as "ladies and gentlemen", despite nomi, possibly sol, and most likely other nb people being there. given these things, there definetely wasn't a lot of room for experimentation on the helios.

speaking of lum - vace says that he's good friends with him. they're really good pals. he never says anything about friends his own age, though. sure, he's a leader, but that doesn't make the people following them his friends, even if he's on friendly terms with them. lum is the only person that vace considers a friend, i think.

another important part of his character imo that he wasn't always a leader. he says he used to be the runt of the litter, like rex. he only gained respect when he broke rex's arm, proving that he's worthy of that respect. he hurts more people to gain more respect after that, until he becomes the person we meet.

it's so... he earned this. he worked for it. roles of leadership, especially in the military, are typically seen as masculine.

with all that said, i want to delve into why it adds a new cool and interesting layer to his character if you read him as transfem.

he's 100% repressing it. he's refusing to acknowledge this part of himself because he's a Leader. accepting that he's part of the group he's been taught to see as 'other' - that he's part of the group he's abused - would complicate things. what would the soldiers that follow him think? vace isnt 'other', obviously, hes their leader!! but also she's trans?? what're they supposed to do now?? this goes against all that they've been taught - all that he's taught them!!

that doesn't really matter, though, because i don't think vace would ever come out. he likes being a leader too much. he enjoys the violence he partakes in. takes pride in it, even. he's not gonna give that up for... what, gender euphoria?

coming out, transitioning, when just acknowledging that he's trans would mean letting go of everything he's worked for. but he's earned this. he deserves to keep this.

even if he did come out: what would good would that do him? he can't just out with the stratos. he can't pretend he hasn't hurt and abused many of them. he enjoyed it, and they know it. rex would def support vace, but, c'mon man. you think vace is turning to rex for support?? i think, if rex offered it, vace would reject it out of pride, imo.

a really neat thing, to me, is that, like... accepting that he's transfem would not only mean giving his role up, it would also mean accepting that he really is just like rex. he's just like the guy he bullied for years - regularly "beat the shit out of", in rex's own words. he would have to accept that he 'deserved' to be grouped in with rex and nomi. if everything worked according to his beliefs, he'd be the one that had his arm broken.

he's both the victim and the perpetrator and he's stuck in hell. any choice he can make is shitty in one way or another. the easiest thing for him to do is to repress it. acknowledging it in any way would mean disturbing the status quo.

... but, as i've said, he wants the status quo to stay the same. he wants to keep his status, the power it gives him. she's not gonna confront this part of herself until sol pries it out of her

there's also the obvious, like vace's fragile and toxic masculinity - his insistence that He's a good leader, Trust. He's manly. Trust him. He's so manly and masc. but there's not much i can say about - it feels so obvious im not even sure what to say about it? im just pointing at this

that's it i think <3 thank you for reading!! i hope u can find it in your hearts to become transfem truthers with me, iwatex fandom...

if anyone has any thoughts on transfem!vace - please please please share them with me!!! i'd love to hear what people think about her!!!:)

[normal-thoughts-official]

transfem wyll is so fucking top tier though

like. okay. first of all, the obvious. wyll's forced transformation as a metaphor for the expectations forced on trans people's bodies. because nonconsensual body modification aside, the problem with wyll's transformation is and has always been the way this will make him be perceived by others, not the form itself. this works whether you have transfem wyll or transmasc wyll, but transfem wyll opens the door for transitioning as a form of healing from that transformation, too

wyll hasn't had any bodily autonomy in, well, pretty much ever, considering the pact was made when wyll was still a kid and it's heavily implied that ulder had a pretty military style of raising wyll (making wyll recite the four principles every morning and shit like that). mizora could, and would, change that body to her own will, pretty much whenever she wanted, as a natural extension of owning wyll's soul. wyll frequently refers to himself as mizora's puppet; a metaphor that directly evokes a lack of control over one's own body

so in that context, transitioning also means reclaiming herself. it's taking that body back and making it hers, to represent who she is, and now who mizora wants her to be or what other people expect someone with her body to be. that is always the case with transitioning, of course, but it also adds an extra layer of more obvious healing in that context

i also think wyll's core issues as a character work very well as an "egg" metaphor; wyll is a person who lives, first and foremost, for other people. he (and I'm using "he" here because I'm referring to wyll's canon character, not my hcs as a transfem wyll) is what he thinks he needs to be to be able to help others, what he thinks others want him to be. he is not himself. he is constantly playing a game of pretend, to be this picture perfect hero, more of an image (and a myth) than a person. if that isn't the pre-transition experience, i don't know what is

it also adds a new layer to why wyll has these issues in the first place. like, don't get me wrong, i think they make perfect sense in canon. but if she's transfem, then her willingness to endure pretty much anything for the sake of others makes even more sense. she's already constantly uncomfortable, constantly feeling out of place, constantly feeling like she's coming up short of what she needs to be, is expected to be, and feel and act like. so what's another discomfort, and another, and another, and another, and another? what's giving up one more part of herself when she doesn't feel like she gets to be "herself" anyway? what's constantly ignoring her own needs for the sake of prioritizing other people?

more of the same

and that's easy to do

and so she does it, and sacrifices every part of herself she has to give, again and again and again. wyll's fundamental disconnect with wyll's own personhood (as in being a person who has needs and flaws and is more than just a means to help other people) makes even more sense if she's an egg, and, in turn, also helps explain why she hasn't realized she's trans. she's never stopped to think about herself as a person with needs and wants, so why should she?

also, that sense of guilt trans people often have, of trying to compensate for their whole existence, feeling like they're gonna be "found out" and not even knowing as what, goes so well with wyll's obsession with moral perfection. if she is trying to compensate her innate sense of wrongness and unbelonging that she doesn't understand and can never quite get rid of, of course she would try to be the most picture perfect person ever. who can do no wrong, always puts others before herself, never makes any mistakes. again, wyll's reasons for acting like that make perfect sense in canon, but wyll as a transfem adds even more layers that i think are juicy to explore

and of course most of what i cited here is also experienced by transmascs, but i think wyll's issues are so much more fitting for a pre-transition experience. also, im a transmasc wyll enjoyer too. we should all kiss about it

in short: wyll's character as a metaphor for living pre-transition works exceedingly well, and that also means that transitioning can be an experience of healing from all the trauma wyll went through. transitioning is always healing, in my opinion, but in this case it can be a culmination of finally allowing herself to think about herself and her needs first, and taking her body for herself, which makes it more powerful

disclaimer: im not claiming these are universal trans or transfem experiences or that everyone deals with being trans this way. im just saying those are common feelings among trans people that can find reverberation in wyll's character

[prince-liest]

oh my god…. prince……. you can’t do this to me. you’re saying next fic has vox getting fucked, focuses on vox’s transness (AH), AND ALSO HES ON THE OFF SEE SAW OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH VAL?????? ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL MEE?!!?!!????? I THINK I MIGHT ACTUALLY COMBUST. and bc another anon asked abt how alastor views the violence in voxval’s relationship, i have Another thought on the matter. as much as alastor looks down on vox, they can be Very similar sometimes. they are both egomaniacs and very prideful. i don’t think vox, without outside interference, would ever ADMIT that the violence he faces is 1) something he truly hates AND 2) out of his control. he can’t admit he hates it, because then why isn’t he stopping it? that would be admitting to not being powerful enough or strong enough. and hello, 50’s toxic masculinity coming through, he CANT be a victim of domestic violence. he’s a powerful, rich, and important man. it all comes down to perceived weakness. so, the solution is to pretend he’s mostly fine with it. sure, he can act disgruntled and upset in the moment, but i don’t think he’d ever let himself take it seriously. because then he has to start drawing lines in the sand, and what happens then? will val look down on him? will he lose val? yeah, he is not risking that over a problem he mostly refuses to acknowledge exists. and as you said, this is all happening in the setting of hell, where ultra violence IS the norm, and vox himself is excessively violent. it’s the most delicious 50 layer cake of fucked up-ness.

RANT ASIDE THO. i have a question. 2. do you ever plan on having vox interact with the hotel crew outside of angel? ANDDDD what would charlie’s reaction be to their friendship/situationship/ kinda love affair. i think she could add SOOOOO much hilarity and Intense Emotions to this series. not that the boys haven’t been doing their part in that so far. charlie just intensifies everything she does, god bless her. -🌓

The "getting fucked" bit and the trans conversation bit are directly related to and relevant to each other, and frankly I'm just very happy to be out here writing the specific flavors of deeply queer shenanigans that I'm writing, and to have people actively enjoy that. It genuinely means a lot to me that I've strayed so goddamn far out of the bounds of good old top/bottom yaoi archetypes that introduced me to fandom and yet have a wildly enthusiastic audience nonetheless. So, that was my long way of saying that you bring me a lot of fucking joy, anon, hahaha.

As for everything you're saying about Vox, power, and masculinity: YOU! points dramatically at you YOU GET IT! YOU GET IT!!!!!! Everyone just read this, this is it, this is the thing. I have no notes to add. There is a reason that the main point he raises the moment he actually says something vulnerable about it (before he immediately cuts himself off) is a complaint that he's an overlord, so why—?

And with regards to your questions: I'm not gonna lie, my actual planning for 666 is usually, like, extremely by the seat of my pants. I plan nothing except, "Oh, shit, had an idea for the next one. Lesgoooo—" and that's been the case for literally every single installment. It's all just been evolving naturally and building on top of itself. So! I can't say that I plan to have Vox interact with the hotel crew or Charlie, but I also will never say that I'm actively opposed to it.

That said, I do think a lot of this fic is kinda structured around hitting specific topics that come up in intimate settings between Vox and Alastor specifically, with occasional tag-ins from Angel Dust, so I don't really know if there's anything in particular I'd like to write that I think would work better in this series if more characters got involved. But, hey! Never say never!

[sunbunnyyy]

So I just saw your tags on the Mo Xuanyu art I reblogged - please talk Mo Xuanyu headcanons to me!

(I saw fanart with him and Jgy the other day and I'm like actual Mo Xuanyu is not explored enough. I need more of him)

Thank you ♡

hello friend!!! sorry I’m getting to this after so many days have passed—obligatory work life etc commitments that left me drained and not ready to answer!

I’ll list my biggest headcanons—I’ll admit that I haven’t explored him as much as I’d like, but these are the things I take into every scenario regarding him!

1. Mo Xuanyu is trans!

There’s something a little bit tragic to me about the way gender is handled in Ye Olde Ancient Societies. As much as I love what The Untamed did as far as removing some of the perceived gender biases of MDZS (such as female cultivators being Kept Apart in Cloud Recesses and showing us maybe?? one? female sect leader?) I do love playing around with two types of characters—those I can shoot with my “trans laser beam,” and tragic ones.

My specific headcanon for Mo Xuanyu (which gets explained in wi3!) is that his mother was told if her child was a girl, she would not be acknowledged and Second Madam Mo would be cast aside. Knowing what that would mean not only for herself but for her child, she raised Mo Xuanyu as a boy, and it wasn’t discovered until much later by a certain Jin that the truth was revealed. For his part, Mo Xuanyu never felt like a girl, and never wanted to portray himself as one.

I think Mo Xuanyu being trans also adds a fun little layer of struggle to Wei Wuxian’s return—he went from a cis man to a trans man and suddenly has to deal with that dysphoria, too.

2. Mo Xuanyu is a little crazy, but not the way he’s described in the books.

This is another thing that comes up in wi3–Mo Xuanyu’s mental health vs. his intelligence!

While Mo Xuanyu never thought twice about being a boy, it sure doesn’t change the dysphoria of being told you’re something that your body doesn’t reflect! Not only that, but the poor treatment from the Mo family against him and his mother that I can’t believe didn’t happen in the ten years between when Jin Guangshan abandoned him and when he brought Mo Xuanyu to Carp Tower? During such formative years, it’s not a wonder to me that Mo Xuanyu’s not quite all there.

(I resonate a little with this headcanon. Okay, I resonate with this headcanon a lot, actually.)

But! I don’t think Mo Xuanyu’s unintelligent. The opposite, actually—I think he’s very intelligent, although not quite as smart and calculating as our boy Jin Guangyao. Because of the treatment at the hands of the Mo family, I don’t think Mo Xuanyu’s mother was healthy enough to have as much of a hand in Mo Xuanyu’s life as Meng Shi did with Jin Guangyao, but he was a young master of an affluential family who were under the belief that Jin Guangshan could, at any point, come back and claim Mo Xuanyu like he said he would. They would’ve given him at least some education, because it wouldn’t have reflected well on them had they not. And, given that they were an affluential family—they have a Manor and a Village, after all—they likely could’ve afforded much better learning materials than Meng Shi (who did her best!).

3. The Incest.

The allegations that Mo Xuanyu came into Jin Guangyao and whether or not they’re true are such an interesting thing to play around with in my brain.

I think this aspect for me will vary greatly depending on what I’m writing. They may be true in one fic, or completely fabricated in another. Or maybe they’re only slightly true! As mentioned previously, Mo Xuanyu isn’t quite in full control of his cognitive thought processes. I’m not sure if I read it as a headcanon or part of canon or one of mxtx’s interviews or even a different fanfic or the wiki, but I read somewhere that Jin Guangyao was actually quite kind to his half brother, despite the pointed way with which Jin Guangshan brought him around as a way to bully Jin Guangyao. I think that would have a very lasting effect on Mo Xuanyu, who likely only saw kindness from his mother by that point in his life.

Whether or not Jin Guangyao takes advantage of it… 🤷‍♂️ again, varies on the fic I’m writing, I think!

These are my big three at the moment. I’d love to hear any that you or anyone else might have! I really want to write a modern fic and it’d be fun to have Mo Xuanyu in there being the annoying younger brother to Jin Zixuan and Meng Yao* he deserved to be.

[cherrytimemachine]

Breakdown: Arcee

Boy, do I have a treat for you.

How I feel about this character: Sheeeeeeeee. <3

I haven't read any of her stories in the comics, but I enjoyed the Arcee from TFP a lot. She's got her own struggles, she broods a lot, and she has to learn to heal from her trauma over losing her previous partners and let go of the hatred that clouded her judgement at times. I vibe with her closed off defensive personality, and I think her being trans like in IDW1 and being wary of mistreatment would add another layer of depth to her personality and motivations.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Hehe, I like the Greenlight ship. Yeah yeah, I'm using the IDW1 trans identity and the IDW2 lesbian relationship. You can't stop me. I find their potential interesting, with Greenlight being a more level headed scientist who already has a community among Elita One's team, while Arcee is still trying to find her place in the Autobots when she meets her. Arcee hasn't been there for that long compared to the other Autobots, and she hasn't felt at home there yet. Granted, she hasn't felt at home anywhere she's been since her childhood, and even that was kinda shit. So when she meets this group of women, some like her, she feels like the world got brighter. And that connection she makes with Greenlight gives her something to be happy for when she wakes up in the morning.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Tailgate, Cyclonus, Prowl, Springer, Hot Rod, GALVATRON- She has a lot of people around her that she has interesting dynamics with. I mentioned this in my Cyclonus breakdown, but I think they come from similar backgrounds. Like Cyclonus, Arcee and her twin were forged with dark sparks (my current term for the Dark Energon sparks), and they both grew up in different versions of that culture. Cyclonus was part of his town's church in Tetrahex, and he grew up playing the ceremonial drums and singing holy ballads since childhood. The twins, however, were basically raised in a cult town (more on that later). Despite that, they have a shared heritage that isn't often discussed or appreciated like those of the Thirteen. Arcee and Cyclonus have a mutual respect for each other, both as fighters and as comrades. He was rather disappointed in her when she defected and left Galvatron behind. He's not one to forget a slight against his faction, and he can hold a grudge for a long time if he believes it's justified. He was still upset at her for a long time after she left, and he still was a few million years later when they met again.

Tailgate was her partner in the intelligence department. It was Prowl who took her in as one of his subordinates, as the other members of high command weren't too fond of her. He had a preference for pairing up his subordinates; one he kept from serving as an enforcer in Praxus. He intentionally paired Arcee up with Tailgate, who had recently returned from medical leave after battling Cybercrosis, which he was able to beat thanks to Pharma developing a cure. His extended absence left him without a partner, and Prowl saw it as the perfect opportunity to expose Arcee to socializing in their faction. At first, Arcee was less than pleased to be working with Tailgate. His chipper demeanor and childish attitude made her feel like more of a babysitter than an equal partner. She didn't even like kids. After working with him, she finds that he's quite intelligent, more than she gave him credit for, and he gets shit done on missions. She decided he wasn't so bad to hang out with in time. It was Arcee that originally didn't want Tailgate hanging around Cyclonus, but she was moved after a little while of Cyclonus being there.

Ok, now this is getting kinda long, so I'll just do one more. GALVATRON. Her beloved, stupid moronic twin brother. Her and Galvatron have always had it rough, even as children. The two of them grew up in what was basically a cult that worshipped Unicron as their god. Their town in the Darklands was small and rather rural, and they weren't welcome outside of their own community due to the fear around dark sparks. They always supported each other, even when no one else did. Galv was the first person to really listen to Arcee about her struggles with gender, and he still is her most vocal supporter. They fought like hell to stay together, even when outside forces tried so hard to separate them. They bicker and argue all the time, and from the outside it seems like they don't like each other, but they have an unbreakable bond. Galvatron was devastated when she left. They'd stuck together all this time, and when they finally have their own freedom and control of their lives, she ran away. He was hurt and angry with her, but he was also very sad, even if he refused to show it. They wouldn't end up meeting again face-to-face for a few million years, but they crossed paths many times, and each knew when the other was near. Both of them see their broken bond as a tragedy.

Enough of my ranting, back to the post.

My unpopular opinion about this character: They make her so dainty and thin in everything, and I'm not a fan. Like, especially with her relation to Galv, and them having a similar frame type when forged, I feel like she should be more buff. She did get a reformat done, but I feel like she would still be a bigger bot based on my interpretation of her. She was a gladiator, she's a heavy hitter, and she values her power as a means to defend herself from further hurt. Let her be buff dammit.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Let her be bros with the Wreckers again. The dynamic between her, Springer, and Hot Rod was funny. I want that, except with her as less of a generic woman character. They weren't great at writing female characters in the 80s. And I'd like them to have a friendship without there being this implied love triangle thing or whatever. One thing I appreciate is when there are explicit platonic relationships between men and women characters without the "they have to be romantically involved" subtext. That doesn't mean don't ship any characters if they work well together, but I hate forced straight relationships where the writers feel like they have to make two characters kiss because they're the opposite gender. Write people normally, please.

If you want more of these, please ask. I love doing these. I have a more in depth origin story for them, including the cult they grew up in and their tenure with Jhiaxus.

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Sorry if you've already talked about this but with Maria being deceased, who do you pair Shadow with in the present? (I've mostly been focused on your sontails content so I don't know if you have any other favourite pairings.)

It's no problem!

As for Shadow, it really just depends on the question. For ships with him in general (aside from Shadow/Maria of course), I really like Shadow/Mephiles, Shadow/Tails, Shadow/Sonic, Shadow/Knuckles, Shadow/Silver, Shadow/Omega, Shadow/Commander, Shadow/Infinite, etc. I...ship him with a lot of people😂

But in terms of Shadow's future (like, the kind of person I could see him staying with given the present state of canon) the pool really dwindles for me. If we're going as close to canon as possible, I really think that Team Dark is a great place for Shadow to be. While Shadow/Omega is the only angle that I explicitly ship, I really love this trio's general relationship. They're enablers for each other, but they're also good for each other too. They trust each other. They care for each other.

If we step a bit farther away from canon, I can see him having something casual with Tails. Maybe not a commited "we're settling down" relationship, but definitely the kind of thing where Shadow can confide in him when he needs, and Tails does damage control/provides him funding without Shadow knowing. There's also something interesting about the idea/potential headcanon that Tails' home/lab is always open whenever Shadow needs it too, just like Sonic, just that Sonic isn't aware of this. I also happen to be into aus where Tails is essentially if Maria was (1) trans and (2) "her" personality/consiousness was essentially uploaded into/copied into a mobian body as a failsafe (in the event that she's dying and Gerald can't save Maria as he'd planned). Something like that kind of reveal would add another layer to Shadow and Tails' relationship (particularly increased softness and protectiveness from Shadow's end), while also providing some delicious angst. Under that kind of outcome (depending on the circumstances and how it turns out), I can definitely see Sonic and Shadow ending up having to share Tails (a scenario called "this is how sonadails can still win"😂)

And my final leaning, is probably Shadow/Commander (Abraham Tower). I only got into this one recently, but there's just something to me about the idea of Shadow (who'd never really reached out before) ending up finally taking that step to hang out with Abe (since they are the last living people who knew Maria). Like the Tails one, this answer is more self indulgent, but I like the idea of these two bonding over Maria and eventually coming to find comfort in each other through this. I haven't decided whether it's a funnier situation for Abe to cheat on his wife with an anthropomorphic hedgehog as his lover, or for Shadow and Abe to start reconciling and building bridges of the heart while Abe is going through a quiet divorce. I couldn't see them settling down together and building a life together or anything, but I could see Shadow having something committed yet casual with Abe, where he pops into Abe's life kind of whenever he feels like. And Abraham, who is living and organizing life largely normally, leaves his home open for Shadow (and is probably secretly not so secretly jealous of the idea that Shadow might have something going on with other people lol)

So yeah. Tl;dr: I ship Shadow with a lot of people. Realistically, I think no matter his romantic prospects it's good for him to remain part of Team Dark for the forseeable future and for them to continue getting closer with each other. If we step into self indulgence area I can't see him settling down with anyone per se (or not easily), but I personally can see him having a casual relationship (more of a friends who happen to have benefits) with Tails or Abrabam Tower

ㅤ

Thank you for the ask btw, anon! If you do end up having any other questions re: my ships or any explanation you'd like to hear out of me, or anything else, feel free to shoot me another ask🥰💖

[wlwanakin]

You asked for Grelle asks, so I have some!

1. Do you think she regrets killing Ann?

2. What does she think of her job? Does she see it as a means to redemption? Or does she feel trapped and not care, since she’s broken so many rules?

3. What do you think her human life was like? Family dynamics?

BLESS U i love these questions

1. she 1000% regrets killing her and you cannot convince me otherwise. it’s like pulling teeth to get her to admit it but it was such an impulse move that she definitely did not think out and the severity of the literal murder she committed doesn’t hit until after the fact. grell and anne were definitely like…insanely codependent and there’s no way their relationship wasn’t tumultuous and i’ve always hced that grell regularly tries to test the limits by sabotaging the relationship when she’s pissed except OOPS this time she can’t take it back. and she pretends it doesn’t haunt her but it very much does and she misses her so bad and wants to jump off a cliff about it.

2. she deserted the second she saw a hot girl covered in blood to go kill people so she’s definitely not that worried about her immortal soul. i think bc of the fact that she’s trans in the 1800s (a definitively unfun combination) she probably already had brainworms drilled into her head about her existence being sinful or whatever (i’m just assuming she was raised christian cuz like. probably) so when she bites it and is presented with a variation on purgatory and the eventual promise of something vaguely heavenlike she’s just like “hm are we sure about that” which is probably part of her willingness to say fuck it and commit atrocities. there’s also the existential terror of it all cuz like killing yourself and then being immortal is a Bad Predicament and worse when u add the trans layer and that probably contributed to her general attitude and probably made her not very fond of the divine powers that be. so i feel like her mindset is kinda just “idk if i wanna go to heaven this god guy kinda sucks.” so yeah she just sucks up work to pay her divine rent and also cuz the immortality thing makes her able to express herself but the actual redemptive point of reapering is not something that she cares about that much and she kinda thinks she might be a lost cause at this point. it’s just a job to her.

3. *cracks knuckles* oh i could talk about this FOREVERRRR my backstory for her is so fucking detailed for no reason. but yeah her human life SUCKED! it sucked real bad. she was a sad little pushover with an abusive dad and a mom who Did Not Want Her and she lived with them until she died. she was a Problem Child and she kinda just retreated into herself the older she got bc she was trying to not get abused about it. she has def always been deeply unstable and that was noticeable to the people around her (including her parents who Did Not Like That and were generally ashamed of her) and bc of that she was a very lonely person.

her dad was a bookbinder (according to my notes app. i think i looked up like middle class jobs 1810s or something but if that’s inaccurate just replace it with like a standard middle class job. point is her family was normal and boring financially). her mom was significantly younger than her dad and did not want to be married to him but was essentially baby trapped and grell faced the brunt of that resentment. very bad household to exist in general but especially when u are a deeply mentally ill queer child. they were also religious which is just another fun layer bc i like projecting my horrible experiences onto my blorbos. but yeah grell grew up in that hellish house and never got out. she wanted to pursue acting but it never went anywhere. she had a brief on and off fling with a guy in her early 20s but she was uncomfortable for gender reasons she could not verbalize so she basically sabotaged the shit out of it. she stuck it out until she was 27 but after years of literally nothing good or interesting happening ever and her just constantly feeling miserable and like peeling off her own skin she reached a breaking point and boom now she is immortal. would go into more detail but i’m too lazy to do the historical research rn lmao

[batbeato]

What would be your thoughts on George if he was transgender? I'm curious, because a very very very large part of his upbringing was Eva attempting to outdo Krauss in, if not being the perfect heir, raising one and, usually, I think I've only seen portrayals and analysis of what that would mean for Battler and Jessica.

You have one of the best (at least in my opinion) understandings of the characters, and I read your Jessie+Yukari fic (and they were...so...cute! Also, good on Krauss and Asumu, there!), so I was wondering what you thought of this scenario.

I'm afraid I don't have a very good grasp on George's character, but he seems to have had a pretty strict upbringing in regards to his education. Being raised to become the perfect heir would also meaning confirming to the gender role of a man - even though he (she?) wouldn't truly feel that way. Or alternatively, be so deep in denial, actively wading into the closet so far back s/he ends up in Narnia.

As much as Eva loves George, I don't think she'd react well to him being transgender. Considering...everything, especially in the Ushiromiya family. This sounded more thought out in my head, but it's all kind of bleeeehh written out, sorry! I wanted to ramble more and my mind just went absolutely blank.

Thank you for your faith, ahaha. Not sure it is merited but I appreciate it <3

Honestly, I feel like George being trans would be... very difficult for their family to accept. Like, Eva loves her son a lot, and she worries a lot about forcing George to be the "perfect Head", but in the end despite her worries she still gave George a very strict upbringing and George is a lot closer to his easygoing father than he is to his very strict mother (who also wants to arrange a marriage for him). He doesn't even clearly express that he isn't interested in an arranged marriage to Eva. He just plans to spring his engagement with Shannon on her and everyone else in the family. A big public show of things, probably to make sure Eva has less of a chance to force him to change his mind or marry someone else. It's... not really the actions of a person who trusts his family to be normal about him disobeying expectations.

If George was trans I can imagine them repressing it, because they were raised with a lot of stuff about gender roles and misogyny and just. Yeah. I can imagine their relationship with Shannon being a sort of "look, I can be Normal, I am definitely a Man who loves Women" (is actually a trans lesbian using attraction to women to deny transness). Would add an extra layer of "fucked up" to the whole thing where the jealousy of Battler is more about Battler being a man (something they're supposed to be but aren't deep down) and being jealous of Jessica is about Jessica being an open tomboy not conforming to gender norms or expectations of being a proper lady (ignoring or just being ignorant of the fact that Natsuhi punishes her for it, or just that Jessica can keep being a tomboy in spite of Natsuhi's disapproval/punishment).

I just feel like George... wouldn't be open about it. At all. Not even to Shannon. Another tragedy of Rokkenjima where if only people had opened up they'd have found they weren't alone in the terrible misogynistic patriarchal society they feel so trapped and lonely in. And it would probably fuel George attempting to fit into the masculine, patriarchal expectations where they're supposed to take this leading role of a provider/leader and treat women a certain (terrible) way and they're trying very hard to fit those expectations to the point where they're blind to how it hurts Sayo even as they try to improve and self-reflect because it's ultimately a defense mechanism to hide their transness and perceived 'otherness'. Lots of internalized transphobia there.

[optiwashere]

Hi just wanted to say from one trans person to another I love your trans headcanons and the way you depict various characters as trans, the T4T dynamics, the dictotomy between ones who are more like irl people who've been on hormones for a while and ones that are more fantastical, it's delicious it's great I'll eat it tf up every time ❤️‍🔥✨

Gender is a metaphorical buffet and we can pick and choose what parts we wanna devour 😋

Trans Karlach with trans Shadowheart is definitely one of my personal favorites, they're so goddamn cute and sweet together, I will gladly devour more content about them any day 😈 also trans Lae'Zel, she can get in the cuddle pile too, as a treat

Having said all that, I know you mainly write transfemme characters since that is what you know the best, but do you have any thoughts on transmasc characters? I'd say Wyll would do fantastically as a trans man and it'd add another layer to being rejected and kicked out by his dad so to speak. Also his pact with Mizora could give him a monster devil cock as one way of gender affirmation, as you do. T4T Karlach and Wyll is very important to me ❤️‍🔥🥺

Right out the gate, I just want to say a blanket thank you! 💜 I love writing the varied experiences of trans women, just like you said in your very kind words. Sometimes it's more heightened and intense and super explicit and matches one group's experience, and sometimes it's very lowkey and not very graphic, if it's graphic at all, and matches others' experiences. There's an infinite variety of trans women out there, and I try to match what I know with my friends and others while sprinkling on our version of the fantasy on top (heh)

I love to hear it, and I'm hoping to write as much Karlach/Shadowheart as I can manage between my beloved OC ship as well as all the rat posting.

I've mused over trans Minthara before, a drow trans woman is so JUICY for familial trauma and how to be the "correct" kind of woman. But trans Lae'zel I haven't! Her experience would be so interesting as a githyanki...

So, eventually I'll have to add a bit about this to my FAQ in a way that makes any amount of sense. As much as I would love to write transmasc characters, I'm just not convinced of my ability to do it justice without either falling into fetishism (either in smut or trauma fetishism) or requiring the kind of care that I don't really think I have the time for right now.

I'd also want a beta with sensitivity reading/editing experience for that specifically, and I'm not in the market for one at the moment!

I saw a post here musing about trans Wyll and I love it, and frankly I want everyone to have a giant pile of trans fics one day. But I'm only one woman, and my skillset is only in one area, sadly. T4T Karlach and Wyll would be magical, I agree.

Trans Wyll in particular works so well for all the reasons you described. He's so young, he's dealing with a lot on his plate as it is. Adding in familial issues and fears of rejection leading to self-rejection? That's good shit.

Gotta trans 'em all.

[clocks-are-round]

In regards to your post w/ hcs about why they enlisted, maybe Donut enlisted since he's from Iowa and was enlisting since the army would pay for his college tuition? (Obviously dependent on your headcanon of Donut's home life but this would be assuming he grew up on a farm or something)

That’s a reasonable assumption for sure. I want to figure out a reason that alludes to what is known about him in canon, suits his personality, and ideally— is emotionally poignant in a way that adds layers to his characterization and explains why he stuck around and how he’s just as fucked up as the rest of the crew. So in short, it needs to be both likely and compelling.

Example with another character (because I love excuses to ramble about headcanons)

Simmons

- kissass to authority father figure (sarge)

- knows how to code and is viewed as smart (supposedly put in sim troopers due to being annoying and test anxiety rather than having low marks due to lacking knowledge)

- daddy issues (dad wanted him in women’s sports and seemingly didn’t take no for an answer, at least for some time)

- could be interpreted as a trans man and achillean from various lines

Why didn’t he pursue a degree and job in computer science/programming?

My headcanon: Simmons’ father is very traditional, a firm believer in the ideals he was raised with: homophobic, transphobic, and legacy is very important to him. Many women in his family were successful athletes, a few even Olympic level, and he expected this from his child. Though Simmons’ mom was… better at meeting his needs than his father, she was also hard on him and held him to high standards due to image being so important to her. This resulted in a irritable people pleaser with self-worth issues so desperate for validation from his neglectful father that he dropped everything he had worked for in life to risk his life in an attempt to prove himself because Simmons is nothing if not petty.

Reason for enlisting: desperate for validation

If this concept intrigues you, read my fic Dysfunctional on AO3

So following this method, Donut.

- grew up on a farm in iowa

- spent a lot of time repressing thoughts he had on the farm

- loves “feminine” things like decor and fashion, but was too insecure/guarded to really talk much about it towards the beginning (the “lightish red” bit, the seeming change in characterization through the first few seasons) until he warmed up to the team and lowered his guard

- was sent to conversion therapy at one point (came back to write this after writing everything down below but: i think he mentioned his dad here. but i might’ve come up with him to justify it when his mom is sapphic? seems a little weird if so because internalized homophobic mom putting her son through that before coming to terms with it and regretting it as she hypocritically starts dating a woman for the first time. they laugh about it but really both feel the tension that can’t be fully erased. please tell me i had a reason for putting homophobic dad man in the picture when the other option is more compelling PLEASE. ooh if not maybe HE’S the internalized homophobia all along oohhhh EDIT: yes his dad did “send him to a compound” so that part was a thing)

- two moms i misremembered this, it’s more OR less than one mom. the exact quantity of moms was not stated, only assumed by fanon (it’s from a psa but other things in this post are also from dubious canon sources. unless it directly contradicts canon proper in a way i cannot justify, i try to incorporate it)

My headcanon: Donut grew up on a farm with his mom and dad. He always felt like he had a pretty solid relationship with his dad as a kid. Many fond memories of playing catch, and his dad cheering him on at baseball games. As he got older his dad became more hostile about Donut’s other interests, suddenly dress up was a problem. His dad started becoming very vocal to him about what it meant to “be a man” and what needed to stop. Donut was also a theater kid, of course. When he was 15, his dad started sending him to “therapy.” His mom found out after two years of conversion therapy crumpled up the blabbermouth ray of sunshine into a more antsy and withdrawn teen. After about a month of heated parental arguments, his mom divorced his dad. It wasn’t long, months maybe, before she started dating a woman.

This Donut headcanon is rougher than the Simmons one. It hasn’t been considered as deeply and I haven’t cemented it into existence with fics. But there’s a key part that is missing:

Why did Donut enlist? What would be compelling while also cohesive with the character and backstory? As far as I remember he never mentioned college (correct me if I am wrong), or a previous career. Because of this and vibes, I headcanon him as enlisting right out of high school. I could put off the divorce until he’s already in space so that he enlisted to ‘toughen up’ for his dad, but that feels too similar to Simmons’ reason. He could enlist for college funds— but afaik he doesn’t go. Was it a lack of direction? Did he feel uncomfortable with a new person in his life replacing his dad, even if there were conflicting emotions there? Or maybe he wanted the money for a different reason. To help his family? Maybe his dad made a lot of the income before and the farm was falling into disrepair from lack of funds? That one feels close to my Caboose headcanon (wanted to apply to college to get an engineering degree to get a higher paying job than without a degree so he could make enough money for his mom and family to leave his abusive dad; then when the sign ups ended up being for the unsc he just rolled with it) but it’s different enough that I could potentially work with it. So for now, my best theory is feeling a little uncomfortable with the changed family dynamic, wants to help out his mom, and thinks the space marines sound cool (because of course he does). This doesn’t really resonate like the others did though, it doesn’t feel like it adds much depth or has that “that makes so much sense and explains so much!” vibe. I won’t feel confident about it until it feels right, and today just isn’t the day that I solidify my Donut backstory headcanon unfortunately. But that’s okay.

I don’t particularly want suggestions as a follow-up to this, but thought it would be fun to try to explain the subconscious process i go through when coming up with these.

I do appreciate the ask, as it gave me an opportunity to brainstorm as well as ramble for you guys haha