#and it’s not “toxic’’ to have that as an opinion so long as it’s not expressed disparagingly

[riddlers-roulette]

Probably a bit of a hot take, and definitely petty fandom salt, but i’ve come to notice that in recent years, with most fandom spaces becoming puritanical in their efforts to ice out anything that can be labeled toxic, or anything that just doesn't fit the fandom’s prevalent opinions on a situation or character–a phenomenon that has only been exacerbated by TikTok and the overuse of “therapy-speak”--there seems to be a general lack of nuance and/or sense of media literacy in most vocal fandom spaces when it comes to a story that is not just black and white.

Arcane is one of the most recent example of this, with (arcane s2 spoilers ahead) characters caitlyn and vi being discussed pretty heavily with the terms like “domestic abuse” and “abuser apologism” particularly when it comes to caitlyn’s act of jabbing her rifle at vi’s side before walking away, leaving vi anguished. Now, i’m not saying domestic abuse is not real–i’m just saying, that in this instance, I don't believe that the act was domestic violence, nor do i believe that any of the parties that make up CaitVi are abusers.

Arcane itself is a complex story with heart shattering situations that the characters find themselves in constantly, often putting them at odds with their morals, the morals of their environment, and the morals of the audience. Do I think caitlyn was right to jab her rifle at vi? No. But we as an audience can tell that neither does Caitlyn herself. Neither does Vi. But when Caitlyn did so, it was when she was under immense emotional duress, her mother’s killer getting away, and she was blocked from taking vengeance by the person she trusted the most. When she said the horrible things she did, she was hurting and angry and lashing out–she was punching the walls like a woman gone. And why is it that we can offer characters like Jinx the grace to absolve her of her crimes due to her own psychotic breaks, but not other characters to their own actions done in moments of their own breakdowns? Vi punching Powder, for instance. An act that had Vi villainized by the fandom for a long time. 

Which brings me to another point–absolution. It is one the extremes characters tend to fall into when it comes to fandom, with the other extreme being amplification. A character’s sins tend to be glossed over, or explained away so that the character in question becomes an unquestionable angel and champion of justice, or, in other cases, tend to be overly exaggerated, making the character out to be the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low. Rarely is there an in-between, with multifaceted characters complete with riveting backstory and motivations and complicated characteristics inevitably losing a little of what makes them, them, all in the pursuit of woobification, gratuitous groveling from other characters, and victimization; it’s an apology fantasy on steroids. In other cases, and often, connected cases, if one character is getting the baby treatment then chances are that another is getting the villain treatment, becoming a sort of caricature of themselves. Motives and environmental factors and politics are all thrown out the window, and all that’s left is cartoonish, flat, oft one-dimensional portrayals. 

Arcane’s Silco is an example of the former, with the singular trait of caring for Jinx becoming twisted and emphasized until he is nigh unrecognizable. His harmful actions towards the undercity are erased and he is lifted up instead as something other than he was. He is transformed from the fascinatingly flawed, human depiction to something bland and uncanny. He is just a Poor Sad Betrayed Meow Meow who is also a Good Dad. But it’s okay because he also does crimes! Except wait, those crimes are also sanitized and cutesy, or horrific and without reason or logic. He has lost what makes him, him.

And for the other half of the coin, the unnecessary villainization, we have Jayce! Jayce was hated upon widely, especially after the release of Season 1, and his struggles were erased.

(and yes, there were struggles. Jayce was more privileged than those from the Undercity, that is unquestionable, but he was not as privileged as the other Council members or even most of his peers. He had the fortune of a patron, but that was something that had to be earned, and he could always risk losing. He was from a House, yes, but it was also a minor one, and he would have labored in his factories alongside other workers–he wasn’t a crazy wealthy guy. He staked his entire life on his research that he was actually going to take his own life when his dream was taken from him. His dream wasn’t to generate wealth by unlocking the arcane, but rather, it was to put these tools in the hands of the common man too. One of his first act as councilors was to immediately try to root out corruption. He was able bodied and from Piltover, and so, had more privilege than Viktor (who is my favorite arcane character) that is undeniable. But Jayce did have struggles, he wasn’t taken seriously by the Council due to his own status and had to go through them initially when it came to his own HexTech. Jayce had struggles,but Jayce is a POC and Viktor is a white boy, so Jayce’s problems are gonna be minimized by fandom but that’s a whole other issue–)

And yet, three years ago, the Jayce hate was at a total high, with every action of his being dramatized so as to make Viktor’s pain far more excruciating. 

I’ve derailed a little! The point of this post was to point out the “therapy speak” in fandom that often comes at the cost of lifting one character up and bashing the other, all while skipping over the context and nuance for the gray situations the characters found themselves in. All this to say–with fandom’s recent behaviors when it comes to relationships in fandom, it really makes you wonder if people have forgotten that relationships aren’t easy and actually require constant work and effort. That relationships change and evolve and grow with each obstacle that comes one’s way, and that sometimes things get rough, but that love is being able to understand and empathize with one’s partners–that not everything is black and white and that not every mistake is irredeemable.

edit: also, don’t really care enough to argue with ppl on this point in the notes. it’s tired and repetitive and half the time it’s like arguing with a brick wall. if this gets out of hand I will start deleting and/or restricting replies

[night-triumphantt]

I have some thoughts about the arcane ending w nowhere to go but uh, if ur not here for some critique keep it pushing loll

Now that I’ve had a day to digest I’m actually v disappointed w the way the story gave up on its revolutionary messaging. The focus of season one is the piltover and zaun plot, the oppression of Zaun and its impacts on the characters, it is how vi and powder are orphaned, it’s why viktor is disabled, it is why the undercity struggles, Zauns independence is what silco was fighting for, vander and silcos ideological disagreements are based on it etc etc. the tensions between the two cities is rising and rising and then it just, fizzles out and pivots and makes viktor the main antagonist without any recognition of how he got here. And don’t get me started on how there’s zero consequences for cait who is?? Still an enforcer??

The plot highlights through Vi that the enforcers are an oppressive arm of a system w how she was treated as a CHILD and even as an adult and she betrays her ideals, to do what she thinks is right bc she thinks she has to take out her sister and bc cait asked her to do so as an enforcer. And then in doing so she betrays her ideals so aggressively that she is now the exact thing that hurt her, an enforcer, traumatizing a child, utilizing the gas on the undercity, excusing the consequences. And when she faces Caitlyn, cait obfuscates and says she wouldn’t have missed even tho that’s not *better*. Bc ok let’s say she didn’t miss, she just kills jinx in front of isha? and she just gassed the city w what we know is toxic gas? And then she discards vi bc vi isn’t going along with what she wants. Cait then is never shown reckoning w the biases and cruel things she’s done and said after that. There is ONE conversation w her and Vi and it’s framed as Ambessa is the issue which, she is partially but like, topside enforcers were all behind her and Cait was quick to lean into all her preconceived notions of zaunites. (Speaking of making what’s her name a mole was stupid and imo done just to make it so Cait doesn’t have to have that convo w her?? Idk)

Also, Vi goes on a drinking spree in which we never actually see her reckon w what she did as an enforcer, (it’s mostly framed around Cait) and then she hurts isha and,,, nothing?? No sorry?? Nothing. Vi has no plot that shows us her thoughts, her reckoning w what she did, or anything. In my opinion it’s bc the writers wanted cait/vi to work and if Vi actually had to think about what happened and what she did then they wouldn’t have worked out. Vi w/ no one to protect who has to rebuild her identity and really decide how she ended up where she did, I would have loved to see it. Her and Jinx’s convo where she says u don’t need me to protect u was actually rlly good, them reconnecting as equals & Vi seeing how jinx became a symbol of the undercity, fighting for it together, finding how she lost her way, like, cmon. Jinx not ending her story w yea actually u should die previously suicidal character, (don’t worry, this is a good way to die) and instead doing the hard work of rebuilding, and seeing a future for herself that isn’t painted in tragedy, surrounding herself w ppl who love her and help her grow (while silco loved her he could not help her grow bc of his own unhealed wounds) using her ingenuity to rebuild w ekko, like, ugh. These are very rough thoughts that got kinda, long, but yea in conclusion, while I loved the characters, the refusal to *commit* to the political message they started hurt the show a lot, and I’m rlly sad for what could have been.

I have a lot more thoughts about sevika and Mel as well but I’m mostly just bummed.

[signanothername]

Kay some asks tend to glitch and this was one of them, so had to screenshot cause i can’t answer it directly

Now to the point ycchch

See, forgiveness is earned, not given, and even when it’s earned, it doesn’t mean that those Nightmare hurt have to forgive him even if he truly changes for the better, even when he tries to make it up to them

To ask whether he deserves forgiveness is a question best asked to his victims, whether residents of AUs he attacked, Dream or MTT, which each would have a different opinion depending on their experiences, personalities, and overall situation

That’s why i think a better question would be, does he deserve a chance to change? And I’ll always answer this with yes

Everyone deserves the chance to change for the better, including Nightmare, it still does not mean that his victims have to, or would forgive him, or that Nightmare even remotely deserves to retain a good relationship with one of those he abused

I know for a fact none of the MTT will forgive him for the hell they experienced, for the abuse he put them through, they were already living bad lives and all Nightmare did was make them live even worse lives, they are hurt, angry, and bitter, and they deserve to feel their feelings, they deserve to look at Nightmare head on and tell him to fuck off, tell him that they will never ever forgive him

Dream always forgives him, but the hurt always stays, it’ll never simply disappear just cause Dream forgives him for his actions, Dream’s forgiveness doesn’t just come from a place of kindness, but rather a biased view considering the fact they’re twins

Regardless, each victim would have their own views of whether Nightmare deserves forgiveness

I think Nightmare should be given a chance to change for the better, I also think there’s a limit to how many chances you give someone before it’s apparent they are never gonna put in the effort to change, and I also think that whether someone deserves forgiveness is up to each victim and their views, however, forgiveness still shouldn’t determine whether someone chooses to change for the better or not

Not everyone is going to forgive Nightmare, and that shouldn’t determine Nightmare’s decision to whether he should change or not, cause for Nightmare to truly change for the better, he needs to make amends for his horrible actions best he can, all while knowing that it still wouldn’t grant him forgiveness

If one of those he abused sees that the best course of action Nightmare can take to make it up to them is to never show his face in front of them ever again, then Nightmare should respect that

Cause it’s not about him, making amends isn’t about his own peace of mind, but rather making it up for those he abused on their own terms

That being said, chasing forgiveness isn’t an attainable goal, Nightmare has to find his own path in life afterwards, in which he never repeats his abusive/toxic actions to others ever again, it’s what would also truly show if he’s actually changing or not, of course, old bad habits die hard, and change isn’t an easy straight path, but as long as Nightmare truly shows a genuine commitment to changing for the better then that should also matter in his own story

[sokuly419]

Now that Arcane is done, I’ll share my thoughts as I did with the previous two acts. It won’t be as long probably, but it would feel weird to me to not do one for act 3/Arcane as a whole.

I have some mixed feelings on it like everyone else it seems. Really, I agree that so much more could have been done if they were given a third season. I think it would have been better.

Overall, I loved this act and I loved the whole show. Of course I have some issues with how it played out this time. It was all rushed and crammed. A third season would have done WONDERS. I see those complaints, and I acknowledge them. I also understand not seeing the conversations and growth that happened off screen. I agree that we were robbed of Vi’s arc and her trauma. We were robbed of a Cait and Vi actually rebuilding their relationship. Season 2 was flawed, yes. But I don’t know a show I’ve watched that isn’t. This includes She-Ra too.

They may have fumbled a bit, but I still personally enjoyed it. The lesbians won, there’s some open ends for the other locations they want to explore, and so much more.

Unfortunately I’m already seeing caitvi turn into the catradora wars. I’m not engaging in it. If you call caitvi toxic and not catradora I don’t know what to tell you. That’s my position on it. Y’all can be critical about it, that fine. We don’t have to agree, but I’m not dealing with the arguments and I’m sure not going to involve myself in them. Just like catradora, in my opinion, a lot of growth and redemption arcs took place off screen. It’s a major, major bummer. But these arguments are literally catradora all over again.

At this point, you want a redemption arc? Fanfic is the way to go. I’ve already read some amazing ones. Post canon and dealing with the trauma and losses, exploring Vi’s pit fighting phase, Cait’s redemption/realizations in those 7-8 odd months they were apart, the arguments of the things that happened, the AUs even. Soft fics, smut fics, it’s all there. I’m even writing some myself.

So like… take a collective breath, criticize all you want. But there’s no need to turn this into the catradora/She-Ra wars all over again with all the arguing. People genuinely enjoyed the show. I know I did. I’m sad it’s over but so, so glad it happened.

[zeynyukine3011]

Hey what do you think about Flatline and Damian

Hiiii thank you for the ask <3

Hmmm, my feelings for Flatline is a bit complicated. But first I just wanna say I love her design. It's one of the coolest character designs I've ever seen.

I'll be honest, I hated her when I first read Robin (2021). But wait, read till the end.

My reasons were:

1) She was a very powerful character who killed Damian (my FAVOURITE character) 😭

2) When they stood side by side, other characters would start saying things like "ohh love birds" etc. I hate it when writers do that. Another example is Fullmetal Alchemist. Characters would say things to Edward like "Oh your girlfriend's coming to Central" or something, when they clearly are not dating. It's just an automatic NO for me when the narrative do that.

3) The writer nerfed Damian to show off his OC(s).

4) She was introduced to be a love interest and I don't usually like characters who are just there to be love interests.

5) She betrayed Damian and it wasn't addressed properly. Even after they started their relationship.

Then later she betrayed Damian again in B&R(2023), so...

6) They got into a relationship too quickly for my taste. I prefer ships to have a long period of friendship first.

And I was just like " My son is too young nooo😭😭😭"

I still wish Damian got to grow up more without having a love interest. Idk if it's just me but 14 is too young to make lovers in my opinion ┐⁠(⁠´⁠ー⁠｀⁠)⁠┌

When Flatline returned in Batman and Robin (2023), I became more furious at Flatline because she betrayed Damian again and it was mostly brushed aside and how dare she!!!!

But then I stopped myself. I started thinking, what would I do if I were in her shoes? I have an elder sister who I love more than anything, I thought I would do everything to protect her, just like how Flatline did. She tried to protect her sister even if that meant doing some bad things. I didn't blame her for doing that anymore. Because I understood her.

My only criticism toward writer is that they should've made Damian and Nika talk more about their relationship. Talk about more Nika's betrayal and their feelings overall. It was just done in 2-3 panels and never addressed again.

But again, I understand her and don't blame her. I'm just bitter on behalf of Damian.

When the comic progressed and when I saw more and more Flatline, I warmed up to her more. And what made me get rid of my dislike and bias was these pages.

With these pages, we saw how Nika cared about Damian. And that's really what matters to me. Whether she cares and loves Damian or not.

When I saw how Nika hugged Damian and how she talked about him when he wasn't near, how she said Damian needed to be protected... Yeah, she really loves Damian and Damian really loves Nika. That's what I want. I don't want Damian to have a toxic relationship with only betrayel, uncertainty and doubt. I want him to love and be loved. So, I'm happy DC gave him a relationship like that.

And I think Flatline's character developed over time. She warmed up to Damian and loved him more and more. I saw someone on Twitter say "Damian fell first but Nika fell harder" and I think that really describes them very well. Nika needed time.

I hope we get to see Flatline and I hope DC explore her character and her relationship with Damian more. And I just pray that their relationship doesn't get ruined, toxic, bad or anything like that. I hope they get to be happy forever.

[tenaciousdragonmoon]

Kaz makes the world safer....by forcing the girl he owns to kill both good and bad men even when she doesn't want to - even when it's against her core values and religion. "he never hinted it was less a command to be obeyed"

Ahem, where to even start.

Oh I know, but let's adress it part by part shall we:

“girl he owns”

1. Six of Crows : chapter 3 :

“It had been a gut decision to pay off her indenture with the Menagerie, and it had cost the Dregs sorely.”

2. Six of Crows : Chapter 25 :

“Slavery is illegal in Kerch. Indentures are not. I know this contract is a sham and any thinking judge would, too. Unfortunately, Heleen has many thinking judges in her pocket. Per Haskell is offering you a loan – no more, no less. Your contract will be in Ravkan. You’ll pay interest, but it won’t break you. And as long as you pay him a certain percentage every month, you’ll be free to come and go as you please.”

So to clarify : Inej was forced into prostitution (simply put : underage rape) by Tante Heleen's Menagerie working as an indentured labour.

It was Kaz Brekker who recognized her talents, convinced Per Haskell to pay off her costly contract.

He then hires her, to work as a spy for the dregs. HIRES , I repeat. Which isn't completely freedom ofc but far beteer than the menagerie.

As as far as loans go, you'd know they have to be paid back with interest.

3. “He’d liquidated every asset he had, used the last of the savings he’d accrued, every ill-gotten cent.” : there you go the final bomb, crooked kingdom chapter 25

.............................................................

“forced the girl to kill both good and bad men, even when it goes against her core religion and principles ”

1. Yes, Inej did kill Van Daal in 2nd Chapter of Six of Crows: was she forced? Kaz wasn't putting a gun against her head, forcing her to kill the guard. In fact Kaz was in the shooting range. Inej killed the guard to avoid compromising their mission.

2. Other times she killed was to protect her crew (Kaz, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan) , to complete their heist and to protect herself.

..................................................................

Okay, hear me out. I’ve got a few more questions regarding this—I'm assuming from the same user? They mentioned that the power imbalance between Inej and Kaz is toxic and claimed that Kaz forced Inej to kill people (using the term “innocent men”). Here’s what I have to say:

1. It seems like you didn’t enjoy the book, and that’s okay. The morally grey themes it explores can be uncomfortable for many readers. I have nothing against anyone who doesn’t like this book; we’re all entitled to our opinions. That said, no one should force their perspective onto others.

2. Nobody is obligated to agree with the majority. Heck, even I don’t like certain things that are widely loved.

3. Personal preferences aside, I actually appreciate when people question the norm—it shows critical thinking. And that, my friends, is how we move forward as a society.

4. That said, if you’re going to make claims about a book, it’s important to back them up with specific citations. This ensures the discussion is grounded in the text and not just opinion.

5. Facts can be debated, but arguing about opinions is like going in circles. It’s pointless and exhausting.

6. I enjoy questions (I’ve always loved a good challenge), but what I don’t enjoy is when those questions turn into passive-aggressive jabs. Let’s keep things civil—it’s much more productive and enjoyable that way.

7. At the end of the day, we’re discussing a book. A fictional book. No book is perfect; all stories have flaws and plotholes. And we’re all allowed our own interpretations of the content.

8. As an asexual person, the dynamic between Kaz and Inej resonated deeply with me. It reflected a relationship where physical affection wasn’t the core foundation, and I saw myself in that. When I say this book is dear to my heart, I mean it wholeheartedly.

9. That said, I understand this duology isn’t for everyone. Believe me, I’ve often found myself on the other side of these kinds of debates.

Bottom line: Let’s be rational, respectful, and kind to each other. Disagreeing doesn’t mean we have to be unkind.

[vulpinesaint]

people may accuse me of being problematic for "romanticizing" or even "sexualizing" this. i am doing NEITHER of these things. what i am doing is a secret third thing. and it's worse <3

[enchantrum]

Dragon Age fandom had its problems but at least almost everyone understood the usage of tags like "character critical" "character hate" etc and didn't just throw big tirades against characters in the public tags where their fans obviously hang out. and when they did do that even people who also hate the character told them to stop

BG3 fandoms treatment of tags is like "fuck around and find out" and then when OP finds out they cry that everyone is so rude and unfair. like bro you did the equivalent of walking into a clubhouse and telling everyone there you hate the thing the club is about????

yeah people are gonna call you dumb and tell you to fuck off

[gingermintpepper]

I've seen so many interesting and fun greek myth ships over the years both divine and mortal supported by text and just for fun, and yet I fear tonight, I will be throwing my hat into the ring as a propagator of niche greek myth ships because like, no seriously how is Aristaeus/Dionysus not already thing.

[kidrunaway]

I'm thinking about Simon and Markus very hard. How they hold each other so gracefully. How they took their time to trust one another. How Simon listens to Markus and cares about what he wants to do in his own way. How they stare at each other like "I want you but I can't have you." How Simon was so desperate to live but gave his life away to Markus and confessed his love in such a subtle way. How Markus looks so content around him. How Markus is the first one to pull him to a hug after Simon nods giving him approval, and how Markus concern shows on his face. How worried he is about Simon. The list goes on.

[graveyarrdshift]

my birthday is in exactly ten days

[year-of-the-rabid-dog]

Look even as someone who really disliked the new Crow movie, the ongoing attrition between hyperdefensive Brandon Lee fans vs. hyperdefensive Bill Skarsgård fans who demand either purely spiteful criticism/forced positivity when discussing the 2024!movie has effectively mutated every online convo regarding The Crow into a immature sludgefest.

[leechandoki]

I feel constraints on what I can draw and what I cannot draw all because of purity culture. It really sucks that I preach about just going for it/draw what you want. And then become a coward in drawing it.

I only dipped my toes in a more suggestive drawing in the past but even that has some restraints in it. I want to draw more freely without the pressure of purity culture. So that is what I'll do in 2024. I want to explore more with my art and improve instead of being stuck.

Don't get me wrong, I love my art and I love where it is going but, I believe it can go further. I believe I can push myself to do better.

[ssaalexblake]

the number of people who think they're entitled to your time bc you like 13 is Staggering.

[animationismycomfort]

I wish twdg explored more on how though human beings can become closer through awful times…..sometimes that’s not always the case

[aflockofravens]

Not to get absolutely uncomfortably vulnerable on main or anything but

Nobody tells you how weird it is to finally want to *live* after so many years wanting to...not.

The biggest takeaway from quitting my soul sucking job, and leaving my abusive fiance, and finding my mental health for the first time in more than twenty years is that it's hard to reconcile waking up in the morning and wanting to still be here, instead of choosing to keep going despite it all.

I used to have panic attacks when thinking about the future. I couldn't picture what it would even look like, and the thought of slogging through things for decades more seemed overwhelming.

I had a deadline (literally, lol) and that was as far as I was gonna get, if I even made it that far.

And now I feel panicky and upset at the thought of not being around anymore. Of not seeing my friends, or annoying my cats, or enjoying the moon (I don't like sunrises, they happen too early). I cry if I think about my partner suddenly dying.

I remember being in my early twenties and confused about how to navigate my life beyond that point because I never expected to make it that far. I didn't have a plan because there was no point.

I thought peak acceptance was believing that not actively wanting to die was the antithesis to wanting to kill yourself.

I preached to others that "it gets better!" without truly understanding what "better" was.

The shitty thing about making progress is that it's not linear, and some days you wake up and it's like it used to be. Those days suck worse now because I *know* what it feels like to want to be alive, so the feeling of wanting to die hurts more somehow.