#and it’s JUST the girls for most of the episode

[brainrot-yumm]

Might be a bit silly to study but I also love how deeply respectful it is even with the main antagonist being explicitly transphobic. The other team's coach doesn't misgender Brooklyn, doesn't taunt her by saying she's masculine, doesn't talk about biology or testosterone or religion or anything. She doesn't imply that Brooklyn could be faking her transness or otherwise invalidating her. The statement being argued over isn't even "someone who used to be a boy/is pretending to be a girl is on the girl's team and I don't like it" or something like that, it is "someone who previously was on the boy's volleyball team is now on the girl's team and I don't like it." At most the mother says it wouldn't be fair.

The episode isn't crass or triggering in it's antagonism to tell it's story, it doesn't feel the need. The fact that the mother keeps telling Brooklyn to step down, threatens her, then tries to sabotage the game for everyone and puts her life & other lives in danger (the escape rooms) in the process is more than enough. While she is a simplified caricature of a person as every children's show character is (not an insult), the show doesn't fall for a lot of strawmanning tactics that can far too easily worm their way in, the kind that inadvertently dehumanizes the victim in a way that goes against the theme.

Brooklyn is never made to be seen as less than a person at any point, not even by the main antagonist. Sure, she's made to feel guilty, ashamed and tired over the whole situation, but she's always treated as a human, as a girl, as a trans person. Her plight mainly comes from knowing that her being trans is something that cannot be changed about her and the frustration of being endlessly harassed by it. But her being trans is never called into question. The theme that's taught isn't even just "LGBTQIA+ people should be accepted," that's honestly almost a B point. The main theme is "community changes the world, and support saves lives. Break free from old tradition and find your place in the world where it matters." and that's really important to tell kids when it can sometimes feel so devastating and agonizing to live in the modern day.

It's honestly quite elegant the way it toes the line, you know? It really is something special.

Just watched the banned Moon Girl episode.

>the episode addresses the topic of trans kids in sports >the entire episode is about how bigots will always move the goalpost, and playing by their rules is pointless >the solution is not to play their game and break the rules >it also states that trans people should never feel like a burden >the character Brooklyn is explicitly stated to be trans >there is also an explicitly nonbinary character >multiple mentions of pride and depictions of pride flags, trans flags and progress flags

I'm not at all surprised this didn't get past the censors but I'm so mad that it didn't, because this could've been something really special, and the fact it was canned after being fully finished is downright painful. This episode was wonderful and I'm grateful to all the people who worked on it, and angry that their hard work was wasted. Disney did not deserve you.

Here's a link, as long as Disney doesn't take it down

[olderthannetfic]

Ok. Dumb question incoming, but I'd much have a 'conversation' than try to read fanlore or watch video essays or something because I want to hear individual people's contributions.

Why Star Trek?

Don't get me wrong - I like the franchise! I'm not super duper familiar with it, but I do enjoy the bits and pieces that I do know. But I am wondering why that in particular is hailed as the grandmother of all fandoms? Obviously people were fannish before Trek, but I don't think anyone can deny the impact that OG Trekkies had on fic, zines, and eventually on the internet.

I know that it's always been popular and well-liked, but it's not as if there was NO SUCH THING as popular culture/fan culture before that (I mean, come on, the term "parasocial" predates the first Star Trek episode by 10 years!) . Was it just a perfect mix of timing + popularity + etc? Is there something in particular about ST that "hit different" than other series at the time? Or is the fandom really really just that mighty and it's almost "luck" in a way? I guess I'm wondering what particular dominoes cascaded in a line in order for Star Trek to have the impact on fandom that it does today.

or am I wrong? were there just-as-big fandoms before and I simply overhype Trekkie power in my head / happen to see more talk of that than I do of other fandoms? It could definitely be a social circle bias thing.

Ugh. Asking OTNF why Star Trek is so important to fandom history feels very much like asking a Russian History major why War & Peace is so important to literature - hence why I warned you that it'd be a dumb question! But I am just so damn curious what sort of crack was in early ST fandom that made it SO widespread and SO strong.

Like, I guess the TLDR is: what was particularly 'different' about Star Trek, either as a fandom or as a franchise or both, that made it Theeeeee OG fandom, rather than something, like, i dunno, LOTR or the earliest versions of Marvel/DC comics or General Hospital or something else like that?

--

I await the hordes of angry Man from U.N.C.L.E. fans eager to prove that they were first.

And, no, it wasn't that popular. Hence the aggressive Save Our Show campaign and explosion of fan culture when it ended after three seasons.

Part of the answer to your question is that there were like three things on TV at the time. What big fandoms? 'Parasocial' was about non-subculture people feeling warmly towards news anchors or hosts of variety shows or something, wasn't it?

LOTR got rediscovered in the 60s or 70s from what I hear, but science fiction and fantasy books were for fringe weirdoes. SFF was not mainstream for the most part. There are a bunch of History of Book SF Fandom things on Youtube, and you should consult them on the complex role of LOTR in that space. LOTR wasn't a mainstream thing until there were live action movies a billion years later.

The key about Star Trek is that it was a hit with the pre-existing book SF crowd. They were an organized subculture. Some of their favorite writers wrote episodes. Other shit on TV was for people who did not form subcultures in that way. Other shit for SF fans had an audience 1/10,00th the size.

MFU was insanely popular. Illya Kuryakin was the heartthrob of a certain era of girl and inspired many a Russian major. (Seriously, there are soooo many Russia-boos of a certain age who probably still have a poster of him somewhere.) The actor set a record for fanmail. The show may have more influence on fandom history than we think now, but it also didn't rerun the way Trek did, at least in some eras, and it didn't have sequel series in a franchise. I'm always finding 2015 movie fans shocked that there's a still extant and semi-active fandom—or even shocked that the movie is based on something.

Starsky & Hutch was also hugely important and is the moment slash fandom and "Media Fandom" really split from book SF fandom. As Trek fans moved on to buddy cops, they were into a completely mainstream show but in a non-mainstream way. Trek was an awkward bedfellow at SF cons, but S&H just didn't fit at all.

Of course, while Trek is the grandma of AO3 type fandom, don't forget that a shitton of modern fans who are doing "research" just look at the same few sources. Enterprising Women is great and all, but even other fans of the same stuff are like "Oh, that was just X's friends. Where's [thing] and [thing] and [thing]?" Ditto Textual Poachers and the other scant early sources that people think have academic weight.

While Trek would still be central, the picture of what was going on in the late 60s-early 80s would look a bit different if you just found a bunch of 70-something nerds and asked them than if you regurgitate other people's research, you know?

If you want an idea of what else was going on in SF fandom back in the day, check out Galactic Journey, where they roleplay that it's 55 years ago and review SF things "as they come out".

If you want to understand MFU, here's a vid of Illya:

--

What say you, readers?

What have acafandom and fandom history and meta left out?

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 4 part 2

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3])

THE LITTLE FLOWER POPPIN. THE M'LADY

seems like agatha is having An Emotion

but look! look! rio is once again being super special extra on purpose!! because if she just strolled in agatha would be overwhelmed and run away again. so what does rio do??? she corners her with a grand zombie entrance!!! the more over the top she acts, the more agatha is in her element and comfortable interacting. and in this case, angry is a better start than sad. all part of rio's Brilliant 66-Steps-Plan To Win Her Wife Back™ (or was it 666?)

her face omg

oooh are you mad??? are you big mad at little ol' me???????

agatha is like nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope

imagine being aubrey plaza and being born so effortlessly cool. she's cool even when she's awkward dear lord

jen and alice: kinda stunned by both her hotness and her weirdness

lilia: VADE RETRO SATAN (lilia's spider senses are already tingling)

will I ever be over the fact that Death is just one particularly powerful green witch?? that she's a gentle if odd girl who grows plants and flowers and mushrooms and is called the River of Life??? that she is the embodiment of life in all her forms? that decay and regrowth are all part of the same natural cycle? that the hardest and most inexplicable thing a living being can go through is also the most reassuringly organic and normal???

have I already said "i love you patti lupone" today?

we're off to see the wizarrrrd. her cute peter pan outfit!

what do we think, billy? does she want to talk about it, or does she have the emotional maturity of a baby ostrich?

same girls, same

whoa there ladies, calm down. I'm already taken

lilia is also having an Emotion. it must be pretty weird to realize that your mortal foe is this hot

alice going NOPE when she sees her mom's house. the leaves are red alice, honey. it's your turn.

(does the back of rio's jacket look like a ribcage?)

it's going to be fine baby. your friends are all here. you can do this. deep breaths.

fire moon! fire moon! fire moon! oh this is my favorite trial

*grabs the mike* WOULD

from right to left: would, would, would, would, would, oh hi joe

rio: BITCH I AM?!?!?!?!?!?!? (everyone say thank you costume department)

the Road isn't subtle, BILLY.

sure, there wasn't enough sexual tension already, let's add side boobs, shall we? and rio being like hey agatha, hey agatha, hey. guess what. I'm here again agatha. you're not gonna get rid of me this time agatha.

I keep thinking that every reflection agatha comes across is a "te veo". and even when rio isn't there she is watching from mirrors and from puddles.

OH MY GAWD AGATHA how can you expect me to cope when you look around to make sure nobody is watching and then you lean in so so so sclose and then you say no with such a deep soulful voice and so much intimacy and such quiet anger and not one lil hint of clownery. I AM ABOUT TO GO FERAL

agatha around rio is like, mind screaming in anguish and body screaming in horny. lethal combination

lilia who's been trying and failing for centuries and centuries to come to terms with the violence human beings inflict on whoever is different

if there is one thing a broadway pro is trained to do is making people cry while wearing increasingly stupid wigs

JEN SEEING MASKS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HIDES BEHIND THE MONSTER THAT BOUND HER

fletwood mac?!?!!?!?!?!?!? in this economy?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I cannot handle much more of this, my emotions are raw and fragile and tender as it is already!!!!!!!!

oh, alice.

well this episode is making me feel like agatha: sad and horny. weird vibe but okay.

go to episode 4 part 3

[adieutristana]

kissing headcanons / arcane women x fem! reader

summary: headcanons for what kissing arcane women would be like.

characters included: jinx, vi, mel, sevika, caitlyn, lest.

tags/warnings: fluff, mentions of making out, mentions of poor mental health. could be suggestive in some spots.

men and minors dni.

jinx;

✧.* jinx is a very playful and spontaneous kisser. she’ll cut you off in the middle of a sentence just because she couldn’t resist, your lips are right there after all.

✧.* there’ll also be times she’ll just swing a leg over to sit in your lap and begin kissing you without warning. jinx is honestly the human embodiment of free will. if she wants a kiss, she’s gonna get a kiss.

✧.* honestly, it really depends how jinx is feeling when it comes to her kisses. when she’s happy to see you, she’ll leave a trail of kisses all over your face before ending on your lips. when she’s tired and feeling relaxed, her lips will softly brush yours as she hums.

✧.* when she’s upset or on the verge of an episode, she’ll kiss you deeply, hands firmly grabbing your top or shoulders just so she can be reassured that you’re actually there.

✧.* morning kisses with jinx. she’s usually up before you are, and most of the time, she’ll let you sleep. there is the odd occasion though where she’ll decide it’s too long of a wait, and she’ll wake you up by peppering kisses all over your face, giggling the whole time.

✧.* “g’mornin’ toots! i didn’t wake ya up, did i? oh, oops!”

✧.* there’s also the times when jinx wants to go slow. it’s not very often, usually preferring to plant her lips onto yours boldly. but there will be times when her lips gently capture yours, her tongue gently prodding at your lips for entrance. she savors these.

✧.* jinx loves when you brush her bangs to the side and kiss her forehead. it makes her freeze up for just a second every time, before she becomes visibly flushed (which is a rare occurrence.) she’ll deny it until she’s out of breath, but you think you’ve cracked the code.

✧.* “wh- i am not blushing! stop it!”

✧.* she doesn’t really talk during kisses, preferring to be present in the moment. she will tell you, very boldly, how much she wants to kiss you, though.

✧.* “can i get a kiss from my pretty girl? pleeeeaaase?”

vi;

✧.* vi is rough the majority of the time. she’ll thread her fingers through your hair or tug on your top, crashing her lips into yours desperately.

✧.* still, she can be soft when she wants to. usually when vi is physically exhausted, all she wants is to be close to you. she’ll gently place her calloused hands on your shoulders, leaning in ever so slowly to capture your lips in a kiss.

✧.* “mhm.. i’m fine, baby. just tired. i missed this.”

✧.* hair was briefly mentioned, but please put your hands in vi’s hair when kissing her. she will positively melt. putty in your hands.

✧.* as i’ve previously mentioned, vi isn’t the best at communicating her emotions, but she’ll kiss you to take the edge off. it’s a temporary stress relief, isn’t it? and she gets to be close to you. a win-win.

✧.* vi has been clearly upset or stressed more than once, trying to figure out how to verbalize those feelings before she just gives up and kisses you, putting her full body weight into it.

✧.* you can, at times, taste a bit of whisky while kissing vi. it’s one of the things that make her so unique, that smell coming off her just the slightest bit.

✧.* vi loves to hold you close to her while kissing. she’ll hold you flush to her chest, one hand cradling the back of your head and the other firmly gripping your hip. it makes her feel more secure, being so close to you.

✧.* vi loves to talk to you while kissing. little ‘i love you so fuckin much’s and ‘you’re perfect’ whispered against your lips, her voice low and smooth.

✧.* “look at you, just wanna kiss you so bad…”

✧.* vi would absolutely love if you kiss her wounds ‘better’ after patching her up. she’d act like it’s stupid and childish and she doesn’t like it, but you can see right through that.

✧.* it probably sounds weird, but i think vi would sometimes have her eyes slightly open while kissing you. yes, it’s a bit awkward, but she just wants to see you.

mel;

✧.* god help you, mel adores kissing. kissing, kissing, kissing.

✧.* if you like that, perfect! if not, too bad. and she’ll probably take it personally.

✧.* mel doesn’t do pda, but the second she has you behind closed doors, she’s ushering you to sit down so she can finally get her lips on yours.

✧.* mel will kiss your knuckles, she’ll kiss your temple, kiss you upon greeting and parting with you.

✧.* although as mentioned, mel doesn’t do pda, if there’s a time at a gala or conference where she’s simply overcome with the urge to kiss you, she’ll grab your wrist without warning to drag you into the next room and desperately kiss you.

✧.* “hush, they don’t matter. i just need to be with you right now.”

✧.* this woman needs no excuses, she just loves you so much and craves that contact.

✧.* you already know mel would leave so many lipstick marks on you. of course, if you’re going out, she’ll scramble to grab a rag and wipe the stains off your skin. but if it’s just the two of you for a while, she’d adore you wearing the marks for a little bit.

✧.* “you look just darling like that. who would’ve thought my lipstick would look so good on you?” she teases with a cheeky smile.

✧.* mel loves to take kissing slow. she doesn’t particularly care for chaste or brief kisses. she wants to take her time with you, enjoy you while you’re here.

✧.* so don’t rush her. if she feels like you’re trying to go too fast, she’ll let you know as much.

✧.* won’t talk during kisses, but she’ll lightly chuckle and hum into them. mel will make little noises to let you know that she’s enjoying herself.

sevika;

✧.* sevika is surprisingly pretty gentle most of the time. with you, the one she loves, she doesn’t want to hurt you. that’s not to say she won’t accidentally manhandle you, she’s very strong, after all.

✧.* of course, she can be rough when she’s feeling like it, and if you ask her to be a little more harsh, it’s like a switch flips.

✧.* sevika is a busy woman, so she doesn’t always have a lot of time to be attentive to you. when she does, though, believe she’s savoring every moment.

✧.* “i waited for this all day, yeah? come here.” she’d say, patting her thigh.

✧.* please sit in her lap. not only does sevika love holding you in general, but having you in her lap while kissing her will have her on cloud nine.

✧.* sevika will have one hand holding the back of your neck, her mechanical hand wrapped flush around your waist to keep you close to her, pressing long, hungry kisses to your lips.

✧.* on the flip side, sevika will lay beside you, her eyelids heavy of sleep and a calloused hand gently cupping your cheek. she’d lift your chin up to softly kiss you, letting out a relaxed sigh through her nose.

✧.* sevika not only talks to you while kissing you, but teases you.

✧.* “you’re this desperate for a little kiss, eh?” and “patience, hun. don’t worry your pretty little head, i’ll give you more.”

✧.* sevika just likes to see your cute reactions. whether that’s your eyes widening, your breath hitching, or you averting your gaze to try and hide your expression.

✧.* the latter of which, she won’t tolerate. she’d grab your chin and turn your face back to her. sevika wants to see you.

✧.* sevika would melt if you kissed her hands. she doesn’t know why, but it just feels so tender to her.

caitlyn;

✧.* she prefers long, lingering kisses. caitlyn usually does prefer to be in control while kissing you, though.

✧.* caitlyn will mostly only give you short kisses when upon greeting you and parting with you. otherwise, she likes to take her time with you.

✧.* call her pretty while kissing her. not only will it cause her to press into you further, but it gives her a good ego boost.

✧.* “caitlyn, you’re so beautiful, you know th-“ you mutter, before you’re cut off by caitlyn’s plush lips on yours.

✧.* caitlyn likes to have her hands on your waist while kissing you. there’s no particular rhyme or reason why, she just has her hands there. it also allows her to move you freely if she so wishes.

✧.* she’s a busy woman, but constantly stressed and has so much tension built up. poor girl, her shoulders and jaw are always so tense. but you’ve figured out that kissing you is a huge help when it comes to caitlyn releasing tension.

✧.* caitlyn would come home, visibly exhausted and wanting nothing more than to get some rest. before she opts to get ready for bed, though, she’ll come up behind you, turn you around, and begin slowly kissing you. kissing up your neck, landing on your lips and savoring the moment.

✧.* “long day, dear. forgive me if i was too forward.”

✧.* she’s not sorry at all, just trying to talk to you.

✧.* caitlyn is used to getting what she wants. of course she’ll never overstep your boundaries or do anything that would make you uncomfortable, but she’s very convincing. even if you’re not sure sneaking away from a council meeting to be swept off your feet by your girlfriend is a good idea, caitlyn has a way of looking at you. a look that says, ‘just trust me.’

✧.* caitlyn’s lips are very soft, and you can almost always taste some kind of strawberry or vanilla chapstick whilst kissing her.

✧.* caitlyn is also a big charmer. she’ll bring your knuckles to her lips, gently kissing them while looking you directly in the eyes.

✧.* “a charmer? you’re not so bad yourself, you know.”

lest

✧.* lest is also somebody who likes to take her time. it’s rare that she gets time to herself these days, so every moment she does get with her beloved, she wants to take full advantage of.

✧.* lest absolutely purrs into kisses. quite literally. you can tell that she’s enjoying herself because her lips will be on yours, both hands gently grasping your cheeks as she purrs deeply. it’s adorable, honestly.

✧.* she’s rather serious and stern on the surface, but you get to see the more playful side of her. lest purposely leaving lipstick marks on your face while wearing a smirk, giggling into kisses…

✧.* lest absolutely knows her way around relationships and kissing, so she’ll tell you exactly how she wants you to kiss her without fear.

✧.* “hold my shoulders. yes, love, like that. a kiss, then?”

✧.* lest would definitely take her scarf off just so she can use it to pull you into kisses. she finds your surprised reactions adorable, and the more you get used to it, the more she loves it. she’s grown to associate that scarf with you.

✧.* she likes to talk to you while kissing, as well. her voice is so low and soothing, it’s like you’re under a spell every time she opens her mouth.

✧.* “you’re beautiful… oh, stop. you flatter me. i’ll have to shut you up then, i suppose.”

✧.* lest doesn’t really have a preference as to control. she initiated the first few kisses, but she’ll gladly let you initiate them and take control every now and again. it’s nice to let go and relax, she trusts you.

✧.* sleepy kisses with lest. her job takes a lot out of her, being with customers all day, she’s usually drained by the time she’s finished. but nothing completes her day like crawling into bed with you, trailing kisses up your jawline and hearing your satisfied hums.

[chocolatemoneyrascalparty]

"Charlie is the most annoying person on planet earth and driving his boyfriend into depression and yet feeling no regret". Charlie is sick. Of course everyone around him gets affected. He needs help and support and love and he makes bad decisions and what I've read/seen in heartstopper he isn't aware about how Nick is feeling. They don't exactly talk about it. Charlie needs support and I can absolutely agree with you that Charlie is the reason why Nick feels how he does, because it's exhausting to care for a sick person. Especially for a 16/17 year old. But also because Nick thinks he is responsible for Charlie's wellbeing (which he isn't and which his mother made clear in book 3, though Nick struggles to let go of those thoughts and to let actual adults take care of Charlie. Which is fair because Nick cares *a lot* about him).

"Tori is played by an actor 10 years older than the her Canon age". This has been done before. There are multiple movies where an adult plays a teenager (derry girls, for example). And sure, while it isn't ideal and it is a little weird, Tori's actor is super good at acting so why bother caring? While we're at it, we could also discuss why every single one of the Paris Squad is also played by an actor atleast 4-5 years older than their canon age, but again why does it matter?

"You have a group of friends who never seem to study but also has amazing grades". It's a story. Who would watch a serie/read a book where the main characters does homework all the time? And they do homework from time to time (Nick and Charlie bonding over math, Nick doing his homework on the way to class in one of the first episodes of s1, Tori writing a text about pride and prejudice in solitaire). Homework is still a part of their lives. We just don't see the characters do it that much bc that would be boring.

We can argue a very long time whether Heartstopper is realistic or not, but in the end it's a story that needs a plot. And while the plot might be a little cringe and a little overrated and a little "black cat, golden retriever"- types of gay relationships, we need those stories too.

Also, while it isn't a perfect queer representation, it's atleast queer representation. Yeah, we shouldn't be satisfied with that BUT it's made by a queer woman for queer ppl and it got canon queer characters which is more than most stories. I'd rather take queer rep by queer people than queer rep by cishet people.

(I can talk about the way queer media keeps getting created by straight ppl in a fun little "omg look they kiss and they gay and one is the bottom and very sensitive" for long time but that's for another time)

the whole “heartstopper isn’t realistic” argument is so stupid to me because everyone who says that has clearly not been able to understand the show/comics correctly. you have charlie literally fainting because he’s not eating enough, you have nick doubting himself because he doesn’t know how to help one of the people he cares the most about, you have elle experiencing identity issues surrounding her current life and friendships, you have tara having self esteem issues because her girlfriend is kind of giving her the silent treatment, you have darcy hiding from her friends the literal hell she’s going through in her house, you have isaac experiencing his sexuality awakening alone because he feels he can’t trust his friends, you have imogen literally going through another sexuality awakening after being heartbroken two times, and finally, you have tori literally at the brink of tears in every scene because of depression. heartstopper IS realistic. you are just too obsessed with drugs and over sexualisation of teenagers. grow up.

[thewistlingbadger]

In the few episodes Isha was in, she was able to remind the audience and Jinx of the three most important people in Jinx's life. The fact that she parallels all three of these people at various points proves to me that Isha is the symbolic embodiment those Jinx has lost.

1. Silco. Just as Jinx loses Silco, Isha miraculously comes into her life. Suddenly, Jinx is thrust into the same exact position Silco was thrust into all those years ago. She's tasked with taking care of a small child and having to raise her. Jinx's relationship with Isha makes her reflect on her relationship with Silco. When presented with a difficult choice- do the right thing or stay safe- she goes to Silco's office alone to "consult" him. This can be seen as a parallel between the difficult choice Silco had to make: Zaun or Jinx. In the scene, she says that she probably owes it to Silco to make things right since she killed him, but "I've got something good going. A friend. Maybe that's what I was for you."

2. Vi. Although there are similarities between the relationship of Jinx and Silco and the relationship between Isha and Jinx, the relationship of Isha and Jinx is not a parent-child relationship, like the relationship between Jinx and Silco. Their relationship is more like that of siblings. We see that their relationship is more casual and fun and we see them do things that Jinx never got the opportunity to do with Vi, and things she actually did get to do with Vi. We see in Isha's memories they danced together and parkoured around the city, two things we know Jinx and Vi did as kids. Jinx protects Isha like Vi protected Jinx, but because Vi was missing for such a long time and because she was older and much different than her sister, there were some things they didn't get to do as kids that Jinx is doing now with Isha. When Jinx dies her hair, she says, "You know, I never got to do this stuff with my big sis. She was more into hitting things."

3. Powder. Isha is a small, helpless little girl with blue hair. She's obviously supposed to mirror Powder. We see that the more time Jinx spends with Isha, the less like "Jinx" she acts. She stops being so violent, she starts being more carefree and at peace, and she reconnects with her first family. Isha is quite LITERALLY healing Jinx's inner child. Jinx is even starting to answer to the name Powder, that's how effective Isha's presence is. The resemblance between Powder and Isha is so strong that Jinx tells Isha "I used to have a different name. Powder. It's stupid right? I thought I got rid of her but you remind me of her."

[m-e-stanley]

Isha Brain Rot ✍️

Isha was probably the weird kid. A kid that didn't speak? She was definitely the weird kid. She definitely either went through something mentally traumatic that made her stop speaking, or was probably lonely for so long that she just stopped speaking because there was no one for her to speak to. And at such a young age, she was chased by adult killers and was just trying to survive. She probably thought her life would just be one long battle for survival before she died. But she was brave, and she fought on.

And then, she found love in the most unexpected of places. With arguably one of the most dangerous people in both Zaun and Piltover. Jinx. She fell on Jinx, saw Jinx kill the people that had chased her for so long and in that moment, took a risk and followed Jinx

Look at her death. She saw Jinx on the floor and looked around. She wanted to see if there was anyone who could help, but there was no one. And that brave little girl tugged her hat and ran into what was certain death.

You can see her tearing up as she runs past. She cries as she remembers the times she spent with Jinx. Those were tears of happiness. Of gratitude. Happiness that before she would die, she got to experience what it felt like to be taken care of. She got to experience family and love. Gratitude to Jinx for saving her from death in that alley, and saving her from the loneliness and lovelessness she lived with for years. As a child growing up in Zaun, she always knew she lived with the chance of dying anytime. But she probably never expected that she would get to be loved before that end.

And that gave her the strength to run towards certain death. Jinx was the darkness of Piltover, but to Isha , Jinx was the light. And she could not let that light extinguish. But she was also Jinx's light, and Jinx too could not let it go, which was why she tried running after her. But Jinx is also one of Vi's lights and so also, Vi could not let her go into death. At the end, is that not love? The act of being selfish, because that selfishness is centred around someone. To be selfish and selfless all at once.

And just before she dies, she looks at Jinx. The person that saved her in so many ways.. The person she admired to the extent she dressed like her. The person she has so much faith in. Isha said a goodbye in a way she that was more profound than words. A way only the two of them knew. She faced death, with a smile at the person that mattered to her the most, and closed her eyes.

In a way, she reminds me of that one story from Harry Potter. Of the Peverell brother that lived a life with his family and faced death with a smile. But while Ignitious Peverell was an adult and faces death as an old man, she was just a child.

Honestly thank God they didn't have Isha speak. That scene would have been more devastating if the only word we ever get to hear Isha say was goodbye

We're going into the final episodes tomorrow, but mark that Isha has left on me will live with me for years. If last weekend was the last time we get to see her alive, I'll smile like she did for the same reasons she did. She survived the loneliness. Found someone who cared for her. She lived, she laughed, she loved, she fought and she went out protecting the reason behind her happiness.

In death, she won.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I interpreted the "adaptation from the manga" thing to imply that they'll animate the 3 Yuus (like you said) but my partner proposed smth to me that raised my concerns... what if they only animate Yuuka? or like- default to a female Yuu? I could see that bc it would be probably easier for them to have only one protagonist.

don't get me wrong I like Yuuka and I know a lot of TWST fans are women but since the studio involved is apparently known for shojos I'm scared they'll make it seem like the story is romantic/the game is an otome... Which I mean- we do have SOME fanservice stuff but it's definitely not a romance story. That's why I'm scared 😭 if they do go that path... I much rather prefer the disconnection (?) of having 3 different Yuus than the possibility of this...

Also I'm just 🥲 I'm scared ppl will see that and say ahhh So Yuu has always been a woman!! Because as a trans guy, one thing that rlly made me feel valid in a way was seeing that in the game Yuu has no gender at all... I don't go by they/them but I'd much rather be referred as that than to be misgendered. It's a small thing but it's such an important detail for me (the fact that Yuu is gender neutral/can be whatever u want them to be) that it being erased in the anime would make me pretty sad... even more if ppl take the anime as "confirmation" of Yuu's gender, which it wouldn't be regardless if they end up giving us a girl OR guy Yuu- it would just be another Yuu interpretation different from the game.

But yeah, personal stuff aside, I'm more scared by the possibility of them making it seem like it's a romance story 😭 or ppl calling TWST an otome... which I mean... some people already have that misconception, even some fans...

[Referencing this post and this news!]

I definitely think they're probably leaning towards a new Yuu every season; otherwise, there would be a very uneven distribution of screen time for one Yuu over the others, and that leads into the problem of one Yuu being "more" canon than the rest. Yes, it will probably be easier logistically speaking to keep the same Yuu for the entire anime--but I also said the same thing when we only had the Episode of Heartslabyul manga, and look what happened with that. We ended up getting Yuuka and Yuuta following Yuuken, regardless of the logistical inconvenience of it all. I think if the anime intended to have a singular Yuu to follow for the main story, they would have chosen to adapt the light novel (which has Yuuya across multiple volumes) instead of the manga. The conscious decision to adapt the manga (with changing Yuus) says something to me. So really, I don't think we have to worry about one "kind" of Yuu dominating the anime. I took a look at the portfolios of the two studios collaborating for the Twst anime and didn't see a ton of shoujo myself. There was definitely a handful of them, but overall there was a spread of genres. I think Yumeta Company (one of the studios) has Tokyo Mew Mew New under its belt, which is probably one of its better-known works and maybe that's where the "they're known for doing shoujo" allegations are coming from? Don't quote me on that, though. I'm not someone who closely follows anime studios.

I would, however, like to point out that we shouldn't put all our stock into the studios behind the anime. Yes, they are obviously animating the project and thus have an influence on how the final product is. However, there are tons of other people involved (like the script writer) that will dictate how the anime looks and feels. (In fact, the script writer for the Twst anime, Kato Yoichi, is not known for writing shoujo.) I highly doubt all the staff involved at every possible level of production are conspiring to make Twst a genre it's not. (Related: I blame socialization for this, but it's a little sad that most of us by default think one woman + a bunch of men in a cast must be romantic.)

Now, to your main point. I understand the initial fear of people misunderstanding Twst as a dating sim/otome from how it is presented. Really, I do. I also understand the frustration that comes with people claiming Yuu's identity or gender or what have you is "confirmed". But to that, I ask you: so what? And I don't mean that in a "your feelings aren't valid" way (because your feelings are very valid!) I mean in like... Do these misconceptions others have truly impact your own enjoyment? Do the people believing in these falsehoods erase what you know is the truth? I would wager it doesn't. There has been and always will be those who see Twst or interpret Yuu as something they are not. Lots of us (myself included) thought Twst was an otome game when they first heard of its concept. People claimed Yuuken was the definitive Yuu when the first chapter of the manga dropped. That's fandom, especially the larger they get. If we fixate on those sore spots, it will ultimately make us unhappy because there will never be an end to misunderstandings. I would advise that you try and detach from those worries and just focus on having your own fun in the fandom rather than worrying about how others are consuming or reacting to Twst. Yes, we want Twst, a franchise we've seriously been invested in and love, to be seen a certain way--but I don't think that should come at the cost of your enjoyment. Fandom is meant to be fun, and we don't want to make ourselves miserable by stressing over the "what ifs", you know? Please focus on yourself!!

[weskerpounder]

the fact that 90% of re fans just CANT get weskers characterization right just pisses me off so fucking bad.

No, he woulsnt like girls half his age. As we've seen with excella he was VISIBLY uncomfortable/not interested in any of her advances. Excella was 20 something ? late 20's most likely.

The fact some of yall don't realize that re5 was Babys first manic episode. Please play a game other than 5 and you'll quickly see that Wesker is not mentally well at all in 5. It literally shows you WHY he is not mentally well too. Imagine being told that you were and have always been nothing but a tool in the eyes of (who you think is) your father. You'd go fucking batshit too.

I normally don't care about mischaracterization, but don't go around making fun of Wesker lovers because YOU were drawing eyes in english class instead of learning how to analyze media

[llamaisllama777]

I Wanna talk about today's LAES episode!

Okay, I loved this episode and am pleasantly surprised by how mature most of them handled this, especially Lunar and Moon. Lunar knows he messed up, and he really has no excuse for what he did. He made a dumb mistake with MAJOR repercussions. He takes his punishment like a man and accepts it won't be easy to earn everyone's forgiveness, and it's up to Earth if she wants to forgive Lunar or not and that's fair.

Monty and Moon are rightly mad at Lunar, and while I think Monty shouldn't threaten to punch Lunar, it's entirely fair. That's just who Monty is. He's an angry guy and doesn't like it when people hurt people he cares about, so while he shouldn't have threatened Lunar, it is to be expected. Monty loves Earth. She's one of the best things that ever happened to him, and he adores her and hates seeing her get hurt and betrayed... again. While yes, it was an accident, it was a very poorly and badly timed accident.

We don't know if Earth is gonna be okay.

-Best case scenarios

They get all the negative star power out of her and she's back to her old self again

Or she's fine, but she just feels numb like Monty's arm did for like five months.

-WORST case scenario

She dies.

Monty has all the right in the world to be mad. Everyone here does. Lunar could have killed Earth! Or hurt Moon, or Jack, or Dazzle. They have all right to be mad!

I'm glad all of them still care for Lunar and still see him as a brother and don't want anything bad to happen to him. I'm proud of Moon despite the fact that he was very hurt by Lunar's words he still loves him. If this had been how OLD old Moon he would have torn Lunar to shreds verbally... and then maybe physically.

I'm proud he's grown from his angry past.

Sun and Solar seem the most sad to kick Lunar out, but they understand his actions NEED to have consequences.

I've seen some people say that it's not fair for them to kick out Lunar and say he's dangerous...

Guys... HE IS. Lunar is basically a walking BOMB!

Yes, Monty has access to dangerous weapons, and so does Solar and Moon... but they keep those away from Earth in places she won't find them or get hurt by them.

Sun has magic.... he can control it.

(when he's not having a nightmare)

While everyone in that room is dangerous, they're all careful. Lunar wasn't.

So, now he has to face the consequences. It's sad to see Lunar be separated from his family and still have no idea who he is or what he's supposed to be... but who knows, maybe this is what Lunar needs. Plus, if Lunar doesn't want to stay in THIS universe, I can think of one universe that could be a big help to him...

*Cough! Eclipse and Puppet's! Cough!*

This could be the first step in the right direction.

I get why people are upset at the Celestial family and Monty for kicking out Lunar... BUT I can't argue that they didn't do anything wrong. I think the Celestial did the right thing.

Actions have consequences both GOOD and BAD.

Also... does anyone else think Lunar's apartment reminds them of Peter Parker's from the Tobey Maguire Spider-man movies and Spider-man No way home. It just gives me that vibe.

Also... I feel SO BAD for Earth!

The girl has been betrayed by

-Her father

-Her brother (Nexus)

-Monty for not telling Earth about his crimes (They worked that out)

-And now Lunar!

Girl probably gonna have trust issues after this.

[magpod-confessions]

I'm writing this while waiting for my doctor's appointment so if it's incoherent it's because I'm very stressed thanks for providing me with the distraction

I love Joshua Gillespie as much as the next guy but he's not as awesome as people say he is and he would not be "the only one to survive the apocalypse" or whatever. Dude was just avoidant and accepted the horrors but if the horrors were more aggressive it would get him killed. Literally one of my favorite quotes from this show "it's funny how fear can become as routine as hunger" comes from this episode and it shows exactly that. I get why people think that because freezing the key *was* smart but he still took that coffin in at the end of the day.

What I'm trying to say is none of the characters are smart or dumb, some of them are just luckier than the others and their fear response happened to go against the fear that tormented them.

He's still one of my favorite statement givers but not because he's the perfect final girl who would always survive but because he's just a guy who had fucked up nightmarish thing happen to him and survived in the most underwhelming way possible.

.

[maeral33n]

So, I’ve been watching Arcane with my mum. She loves it by the way. (Technically we’re rewatching all of season one again just to refresh our memory and so I can take notes cuz god damn this show has the most meticulous detail in both writing and animation.)

And I’ve decided to share my mums most notable commentary on each episode:

Season 1:

Episode 1-

Mum: What’s up with the weird hair colours? Is this one of those anime’s you used to watch?

Me: No ma. And that’s just how their hair is.

Episode 2-

Mum: Haha, I like Mylo. He’s funny.

Me: 🙂

Episode 3-

*Mylo dies*

Mum: Nooo not him. Why couldn’t the blue haired girl die?

Me: Ma! Why do you want Powder to die!?

Mum: 🤷‍♀️

Episode 4-

Mum: That guy with the weird eye is kind of sexy.

Me: You mean Silco, yeah valid.

Mum: Definitely sexier than your dad.

Me: We ain’t unpacking allat tonight.

Episode 5-

*No commentary*

Episode 6-

Mum: So are Vi and Cait…you know?

Me: No ma they’re just really good friends. Two gal pals is all. A pair of besties.

Mum: …right.

Episode 7-

Mum: *gasp* It’s that black boy from the start! He’s still alive? What’s his name, what’s his name?

Me: Ekko…

Mum: I like him.

Episode 8-

Mum: You could tell Vi was gay from the start. 🙄

Me: Haha Yeah…*sweating because I’m trying to figure out if she meant that in an observant/joking way or a derogatory way*

Episode 9-

Mum: 🥺

Me: 🥺

Mum: I hope Jinx dies next season.

Me: 😦

(Also she loved the music at the end of this episode and she wants it in the car playlist)

Season 2 (Spoilers obvi):

Episode 1-

Mum: I don’t think I like Ambessa very much.

Me: Yeah me neither (I want Ambessa to fold me in half)

Episode 2-

Mum: *see’s Jinx* ugh what now 😒

Me: Why do you hate Jinx so much?

Mum: She killed Mylo.

Me: Fair.

—

Also mum: *See’s Isha* oh no please tell me Jinx isn’t going to kill that kid.

Me: *Sighs*

Episode 3-

Mum: *Cait and Vi kiss* God finally!

—

Mum: This is the prettiest fight scene I’ve ever seen.

Me: I know right!

—

*Jinx gets her middle finger shot off*

Mum: Haha you deserved that!

Me: 👀 *realises I have a psychopath for a mother*

—

*Cait and Vi break up*

Mum: Oh you’ve got to be kidding me. They just got together!

Me, under my breath: Average first sapphic relationship.

(She had so much to say during this episode lmao)

Episode 4-

*Isha and Jinx are playing*

Mum: Oh…so…she actually likes the kid? Whatever his name is?

Me: HER names Isha. And yeah Jinx likes having her around. Kinda like a mother or older sister kind of way.

Mum: oh…

*Cue mum slowly falling in love with Jinx and Isha and their whole relationship*

—

*Jinxs fights off the beast and Sevika runs off with Isha*

Mum: Dear god Jinx please don’t die.

Me: 🥹

Episode 5-

Mum: Jinx is gonna die by the end of this show isn’t she?

Me: Idk, I hope not. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Mum: I can’t believe I’m about to say this but I REALLY don’t want Jinx to die.

Me: 🥹

Episode 6-

*We’re both crying as the episode ends.*

Mum, wiping tears: I hate this show.

Me: same.

And that’s it so far. Will definitely update this when the last episodes come out. This shows is going to be the end of me and I don’t know how I’m going to move on from it lmao.

[reignpage]

hello

what's your process of writing smau's? like the idea and how do you decide to implement it and everything?

thanks in advance and pookie don't forget to rest

Saw this a while back and finally have time to answer

I've already touched on this in my recent Announcement

Here is my start to finish process:

I have a list in my notes app of story ideas divided by smau and fic

and within smaus, they're further divided by angst/smut/fluff

Many are popular plots like

Clingy? (they call you clingy)

Birthday Girl (forget your birthday)

And the others are things I've just thought of for example:

A New Friend (or more popularly known as 'Keiko')

Tell Your Friends About Me

When it comes to making a smau, I first have to ask myself what kind I wanna make

To make a oneshot, my process is:

Start with Gojo (I always go in order of their appearance, it's just easier to transfer the screenshots from my phone to my laptop and organise them when they're already in order)

Change the contacts (his picture and name)

And text myself my initial thoughts

Most of the time I never plan what I'm going to say, like the plot for each character or the exact wording, it just comes to me naturally. But there are times when I have to trial and error what feels best. Regardless, there's a lot of deleting happening. Which is why I prefer the single page layout because then if I have to start over because of a mistake or typo, I don't have to recreate as many lines. It's less tedious.

To make a series, I like to generally follow a 4 part stage:

Problem

Confrontation

Explanation/Grovelling

Resolution

Which is why I was actually surprised a couple people thought I was excessively making parts, because looking through my masterlist, that just doesn't seem to be the case

Anyways

Each part and each character are like episodes of a telenovela in my head

That's why some people might think the conversations end suddenly and then people have to read back to understand the new part. I never thought that was a bad thing. In fact, it was actually quite intentional. These messages are dramatic like Vampire Diaries or Greys Anatomy and not realistic because realism is boring.

The children yearn for escapism!

Sometimes there's even minor time jumps between parts where reader has avoided the men for a couple days for example. Each character's plot plays out in my head like a show is the best explanation I can provide.

It's the same for the Modern au!smaus

Some people didn't get the Modern au!Nanami ones because they couldn't tell when a text is a pre-relationship text or when a text is during their relationship

First 3 texts are pre and the last half are established relationship texts Some texts are a continuation of a story, others are a snapshot of a moment in their lives

So it might not make sense immediately and that's because it's not supposed to be linear

It's like an episode!

Think of the Modern au!Nanami one titled 'Newton's first law'

First text is a snapshot of their first every conversation From reader's perspective, it's their first time meeting So in the beginning of an episode, it'd be like a flashback Then the episode picks up where we left off from the pre-relationship timeline, when Nanami got fed up because of the drunk party stunt reader pulled, and reader apologises and begs for another chance. The third pre-relationship pic is still following that event in the episode, but is a couple weeks into the future, where reader has kept her promise and been distant, which Nanami picks up on. THEN the three next pictures are in the present time, during their relationship, and we see they're having an issue, they even go on a break. But the episode ends with them reconciling and it all connects back to the first pic (the snapshot of their first conversation) with a reference to a text reader sent nanami

See my vision?

It might not be executed perfectly, but I hope you guys can at least see where I'm coming from.

If you've made it this far, you're a champ

Once I've reached the final character

Either Sukuna (or Shiu) in my 18+ works or Toge

I crop the pictures and I create a post on Tumblr using my laptop

I colour the title using a website

Paste it on the post

Get my template:

Smau: in which they/you..... Warnings: ..... Featuring: Gojo, Geto, Choso, Toji, Nanami, Sukuna/ Yuji, Megumi, Inumaki

I copy and paste the tags from my notes app (I do not type them out one by one anymore it's tedious work) and just edit out the inappropriate tags like if it's not smut, I'll take out every 'jjk character smut' tag etc.

And then transfer the pictures from my phone to my laptop, and then place the pics into Tumblr

I do final checks

Sometimes I forget to crop a picture or I didn't screenshot a character's conversation (I have to take a lap when this happens because that means I have to change out the contact pic and name and scroll up and go through the process ugh)

But if all looks good on my front, then I don't hesitate to click post!

Thanks for reading and hope that was informative!!!

[barbielore]

It's been quite a while since I talked about a Bob Mackie Barbie just for the sheer joy of appreciating one of his designs. I thought I'd go back to that well today with 1997's Madame du Barbie.

Her official description advises that she was designed to capture the "majesty and opulent elegance" of the French royal court in the 18th century.

There were a great many Madames that may be associated with the royal court of France of that era, but I know that for me, my mind first goes to mistress of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour.

As seen across many depictions in pop culture, but notably on the Doctor Who episode "The Girl in the Fireplace".

I can see also, however, that significantly more design features of Madame du Barbie seem to be drawing inspiration from Marie Antoinette and women of her era.

I really like a lot of the historical and internationally inspired Barbies, but that doesn't mean that I actually know anything about them. As a result, I couldn't actually tell you with confidence what Madame du Barbie's inspirations were, nor whether they are replicated in doll form with any degree of accuracy.

What I can say is that she is damn beautiful, and a lot of effort clearly went into the design. I can't recall any Barbie from the last few years even coming close.

I do, however, feel obligated to mention that there was a Marie Antoinette Barbie in 2003 as part of the Women of Royalty series. She's one of the most expensive dolls on the secondary market; I've seen listings pushing $3000, while Madame du Barbie comparatively accessible, under $600.

This no doubt owes a lot more to the rarity of the respective dolls than it does to their actual designs.

Nonetheless, she is an exceptional doll and I just wanted the opportunity to talk a little bit (and showcase my absolutely profound lack of knowledge of historical fashion).

[lanawinterscigarettes]

Maybe something with love quinn dating a really picky eater? Like EXTREMELY picky. Thqnk you <3

I decided to go with headcanons rather than a fic, I hope that's okay! (I'm autistic and have food sensitivity so this was so relatable haha) hope you like it <3

Love Quinn dating someone who's a really picky eater

Warnings: referenced eating disorders, I think that's it??

Love is a lot more observant than most people give her credit for, so I think she'd recognize your pickiness right away

Making other people food is her love language, so she'd probably invite you over to her place or maybe even Anavrin's kitchen as one of your first dates so she can find out what your favorite meals are and make them accordingly

You know how in the first episode of season two she took Joe to all those different food places in LA so she could make him the perfect roast chicken after? That's how dedicated she is to finding out what you like

She keeps a mental (or maybe even a physical) list of all the things you like and don't like, textures that bother you, what your safe foods are, what you're open to trying, what's completely off limits, ect.

If you're the type of person who always orders the same chicken tenders and fries off the kid's menu at any semi-fancy restaurant you go to, she's more than happy to order it for you if it makes you feel embarrassed (and she's not afraid to chew someone out for making you feel bad about your eating preferences)

She makes it her personal goal to make sure you eat something at least once a day, just to be sure you're getting the proper nutrients that you need. Love knows that some pickiness when it comes to food can stem from some type of eating disorder, so she always gently encourages you to at least eat something small even if you're not very hungry

If you feel better eating with another person, then she'll always take her lunch breaks with you so you guys can eat together. If you'd rather eat alone, she'll check in on you just to make sure you're okay but other than that will leave you be (and of course she makes you lunch everyday, what kind of girlfriend would she be if she didn't?)

Even if you only eat the same five things on rotate, she still keeps the ingredients for said meals stocked up in her house so she can always have something that you'll want to eat (and if you ever fall out of interest with any of those things, no worries because she can just use the leftover products for Anavrin)

If you're ever having a day where nothing seems to strike your fancy, she'll take that as a challenge and makes it her personal mission to find at least one thing that'll spark your interest, even if the serving you eat is super small

No matter what your preferences are or what kind of struggles you may have with food, Love will always be understanding and supportive, doing whatever she can to make sure you always feel comfortable and safe with eating the food that she makes for you

End notes: this is kind of short but I hope you liked it regardless <3

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[mysticcoffeecat]

I love this headcanon! Fantastic post, OP.

It’s interesting though because I’ve always seen Shelley as being the least favorite, but only because I see Randy as trying to live vicariously through Stan. That said, I think the reasoning I have for this could very much also be interpreted in the sense that Stan is his least favorite, depending on how you view it. (I think he genuinely loves both his children, but is too much of a narcissist to express a healthy type of love for either of them).

We see lots of instances of Randy living vicariously through Stan, such as:

Pinewood Derby- he takes Stan’s pinewood derby car as his own chance at redemption

Stanley’s Cup- the way Randy takes Stan’s coaching so seriously- he somehow makes his portion all about himself

Something You Can Do With Your Finger- Randy becomes furious when he learns Stan being in a boy band, but it’s all just him projecting his own failed band issues

Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub- he somehow turns Stan’s innocent friendship with Kyle into his own projections of sexuality

The Losing Edge- very similar to the hockey episode. It seems like any sport Stan plays, Randy is eager to make it about himself in some kinda way

Anytime Randy shows love for either Stan or Shelley, it’s almost always overshadowed by somehow making it about himself. Like when he saves Shelley from the musical bj, he has to become the ‘hero’ of this story even if that means killing an innocent child, or when he has to be the ‘hero’ of saving his son from drowning in PiPi’s Waterpark. Whenever Stan goes to him with genuine questions like about sexuality (Tweek x Craig, The Cissy), Randy somehow always makes those conversations about himself too.

He seems to equally get verbally frustrated with his kids- often calling Stan things like a ‘freak’ (Assburgers) or ‘piece of shit’ (Credigree Weed St. Patrick’s Day Special), or calling his daughter things like ‘slut’ like in the most recent special.

I wish we saw more of Shelley to see even more of their interactions. Because she’s a girl, I don’t think he uses her in the same way he does Stan in trying to relive his glory days. I’m honestly not sure whether this means he prefers her or not, but you bring up good points that that may be the case.

Luckily I don’t think Stan got the worst of his dad by any means (while he can be selfish, he’s nowhere near Randy’s narcissistic level). As you mentioned, Stan often has to take on the role of ‘parenting his own parent’ with Randy- he almost always has to take on the responsible role in his relationship with his father.

Stan absolutely got Randy’s impulsiveness, though in a quieter way, and to an extent some of his selfishness as well as his genes for being addiction-prone (like you say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree). And he got his mom’s sense of logic (and his mother’s facial expressions, such as pinching the bridge of his nose lmao).

He’s a good blend of both his parents along with his own unique personality traits.

despite everything, i do think that randy loves his kids deeply, BUT i totally see shelley being his favorite. maybe it's because she never accepts his nonsense, but it's more in an "angry teenager" way, so they manage to create some kind of father-daughter bond. maybe the fact that she's the firstborn helps too. it's cute how, in a way, randy always has this desire to be her hero.

while with stan, they have a more messed up relationship and stan always ends up being the "more rational" one. it's like the roles were reversed, and stan is the one who has to be the dad, even though he's just a kid – the worst thing is that a lot of what stan likes is something that randy likes too (music, football, etc.), but not even that can help that much, because randy is always being randy.

on the other hand, stan is totally momma's boy. idk if i would use the word "favorite" here, but i feel like he is the one who is closer to sharon, and he does looks like her as well, personality-wise. and things are just normal with her, stan doesn't need to worry about parenting his own parent. he's just his mom's baby.

and that shaped stan's personality; he got the worst from his father, and the best from his mother. he's the perfect mix of both, even his design shows it (the same clothes colors as sharon, but he's physically a copy of randy). the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree lol