#and yet if there are other wlw ships they are either a background couple or pushed aside for an mlm ship

[citrsworld]

Is it just me or there are rarely any canon/popular wlw couples in viv's shows

[xaibaugrove]

Addressing the Casual (and Direct) Biphobia in the Korrasami Community

So this will either get a lot of flak or fade into obscurity. I am a member of the Korrasami community who has not been here for nearly as long as the more notable members and I am not very active to say the least. But this platform gives me the ability to speak my mind and after letting this topic fester within me for as long as I’ve been in this community, I am going to speak my damn mind because this shit needs to be said.

The Backstory

I won’t bore anyone with my whole confused bisexual life story, because this isn’t about me. But just for some background here, I was a confused bisexual for my entire life until Korra and Asami basking in the light of the Spirit Portal made me see the actual light and recognize my sexuality. Which was a little crazy for me to realize that, yeah, there is a way to be attracted to men and still be attracted to women.

I saw so much of myself in Korra. She was super awkward around guys she thought were cute, she was buff, she was tough and sometimes she just blurted out all her deep seated feelings towards guys she just met and you know, I felt that. She also fell in love with her female best friend and I felt that, too. Naturally after rewatching the series as an adult, I wanted to see if there were others out there who appreciated this couple as much as I did.

The Issue

While I found a vast online community that had as much love for Korrasami as I did, I quickly found that there were a large majority of lesbian/WLW fans who didn’t have as much love for Korra and Asami’s very real attraction to Mako. 

Take a look at the Korrasami AO3 tag. I’ve actually had someone tell me that no one who reads Korrasami fanfic wants to read anything featuring Korra or Asami with Mako. I’ve seen fics that have a timeline that starts with both women being toddlers growing up into adults without one single mention of them being attracted to boys or men at all, nonetheless attracted to Mako. And in the rare scenario that a relationship with Mako or any male is mentioned, then comes the frustrating storybeat that they either dated men because they were too shy/scared to approach each other (thus rendering the men as just things to do in the meantime) or worse yet, because they were CONFUSED OR CONFORMING TO SOCIAL/GENDER NORMS.

In the 3 or 4 years I’ve been part of the fandom, I’ve had actual conversations with lesbian friends who have found every way possible to wave away Korra and Asami’s attraction to Mako. Or even reacting in disgust to Makorra or Masami at every mention of it. Which is fair, if you’re a KA fan of course that’s an expected reaction to another ship involving your OTP but, to completely dismiss the importance of it...? There are those who would call those parts of the series “pointless” or “ridiculous”. It’s really disheartening to know that a lot of lesbian KA fans consider the queer rep in the series soured by the 2 seasons where they had to watch Korra and Asami, two bi women, be attracted to a man.

It was jarring to say the least, to have conversations with friends where I couldn’t bring up Korra or Asami’s relationships with Mako during discussions about their development without being shot down and having the relationships be dismissed. The reaction to Korra and Asami’s attraction to men was so strong that I even started to feel ashamed about how “frivolous” or “trivial” my own attraction to men was perceived. 

Not too long ago, I saw a meme on Reddit that sent me over the edge and inspired me to write this post. The user has since deleted the post, but I remember it very vividly, only because I’ve seen some version of it many times before. The meme basically referred to how frustrated the viewer had been after being told that TLOK had great queer rep, but feeling as though they were cheated having to watch them “fuck around with guys for 2 seasons” (their words), only to be saved at the end, when Korra and Asami finally get together.

When I saw it, I was immediately fuming. Because at that point, I had seen this shit so much, it hurt more than anything else. And the pain mixed with the rage but...I think the pain still comes through in my reply to the post. 

I’ve seen sooo much content and sooo many posts or comments where a user asks whether TLOK has good LGBTQ+ rep, only to have someone reply that it’s a letdown because the queer rep doesn’t happen until the finale. Another all too common discussion I’ve seen is where fans call Korra and Asam’s bisexuality into question. One example 

I understand that it sucks that we didn’t get more romantic interactions between the two women during the show for external reasons outside the creators’ control. I wish there had been a kiss here, more blushes there. But the crushes on Mako were real. And their interest in each other, albeit all too short in its depiction, is also real. And that means something to me, a bisexual woman. To say the rep is a letdown is...sad. Because Korra is featured in every episode starting from the first and Asami is featured in every ep from the 4th or 5th episode. And they’re both wonderfully, beautifully bisexual. Seeing that mattered to me. 

So, to anyone who is a lesbian or WLW and a Korrasami fan and you’re reading this post and feel attacked, just stop instead to examine your language within the fandom. I understand you want “pure” WLW content or whatever... but just stop making me feel ashamed for being a wlw who is also attracted to men... and please stop erasing that attraction from two of the few bisexual characters I have that are like me... I’m tired, so tired of having to defend my attraction to both sexes with people outside the LGBTQ+ community and those within it. 

[supercasey]

What Your TMA OTP Says About You

By a dumb asexual who makes too many sex jokes

Jon/Martin: You project onto/kin at least one of these two fools, but no matter what, you are yearning for a relationship like theirs. You're also probably a theatre kid, at least spiritually.

Elias/Peter: You like the dynamic of Jonmartin, but you think it would be 10x better if Martin bullied Jon back and if they were both GILFs. You also probably have "Big Boy Man" as your ringtone.

Tim/Sasha: You believe that both of these characters deserved better, and you probably love the Archivist Sasha AU more than life itself. Also, Tim gets pegged.

Basira/Daisy: You are a hotbed of drama, which is completely unintentional on your part and you rarely participate in it at will; you just want some quality wlw content, and you will not be stopped from getting it.

Melanie/Georgie: You are completely done with Jon's shit, but you still find him somewhat endearing in his panic induced stupidity. You are also a wlw and want to live in a small apartment with your gf and cats, but only if the apocalypse is happening in the background.

Michael/Gerry: You like Jonmartin, but you also want to crank that shit to 100 and blast MCR in the background while they kiss. You also might kin Nico from PJO, and you are most certainly a scene kid.

Jon/Gerry: You are all about that sadboi content, and I honestly can't tell which of these depressed motherfuckers you kin, but I know you kin at least one of them.

Jon/Martin/Gerry: Same as Jonmartin, but you're dead certain that Gerry would be an amazing addition/middle man for them and that he would've gotten them into a relationship together by the end of season 1.

Gertrude/Agnes: There is literally nothing more heartbreaking yet addictive to you than starcrossed lovers that can never be together because of circumstances outside of their control. You're also gay.

Leitner/Gertrude: You honestly just find it so funny that Jonny Sims' parents voice these characters so that's why you ship them. You either hated or loved when they roasted Jon at the end of S3, there is no in-between.

Jude/Agnes: You are a Jude Perry kinnie/you want to set the world on fire beside the woman of your dreams. Probably a top.

Jon/Tim: You lived for the sassy bits between Tim and Jon in seasons 1-2 and you would give anything for Tim to have kissed Jon to shut him up midway through a rant.

Mike/Simon: You're here to love Mike Crew and fuck some GILFs. Press F to pay respects to our short king.

Jon/Michael: I don't know what's going on with you after S3, but dear God do you wanna fuck monsters, specifically if they look like a Bill Cipher humanization that you can only perceive while doing acid.

Jon/Elias: You are an Eliasfucker and you wear that badge with pride.

Martin/Peter: You are an Eliasfucker and you hide this fact at all costs. Also you probably have a very complicated relationship with your father.

Jon/Basira: You thought Tim was spot on about these two being good together; they're bookworm buddies!

Jon/Georgie: You cannot get enough of absolute off his shits college!Jon and frankly, good for you. You also want Georgie to peg you.

Melanie/Basira: Just a couple of gals being pals, and nothing is sexier than performing life-saving, non-consensual surgery on your GF so she doesn't start killing people... according to you, apparently.

Jonah/Barnabas: You heard Jonah say that he held affection for a character mentioned exactly one time even though he left him to die, and you went fucking feral. Tbh you just wanna get with a Victorian dude.

Jonah/Mordecai: This is just Elias/Peter but with more Victorian outfits and letters that would be considered incredibly scandalous, even for the era. Also it makes Elias/Peter 100x more uncomfortable, but I guess some people are into that???

Jon/Martin/Tim: Why be just friends when you can all be in a gay polyam relationship together and kiss? In other words, every fight between Tim and Jon has gutted you like a fucking fish.

Jon/Martin/Tim/Sasha: Same as before, but you stan the first season of the series so hard that people outside the fandom think it's an office comedy.

Gertrude/Elias: Somehow you came to the conclusion that if Elias got pegged then none of the bullshit in the series would've happened.

Melanie/Helen: You're similar to the Jon/Michael shippers in that you wanna fuck monsters, but more like the kind of monsters that make your eyes bleed and your brain melt when you fully perceive them.

Jon/Helen: You either started shipping this as a joke or to cope with the death of Michael, there is no in-between.

Jon/Nikola: You heard Jon admit that he got daily, fully body lotion massages from Nikola and you lost your fucking mind. Clownfucker.

Breekon/Hope: Breekon's statement made you cry for a hundred thousand years, and you will never be over it. Fuck getting a bunch of divorces like Lonelyeyes, you wanna stay with your soulmate until the end of time!

Nikola/Jane Prentiss: You want more wlw content, but specifically you want them to be cartoonish supervillains who can't stop kissing each other in the middle of trying to murder Jon.

Alright, that's all the one's I'm doing. Please don't send me any hate, these are all just meant to be jokes!

[norgestan]

norandro, eva/nora, amiris 👀❣️

NORANDRO:

i mean, starting off pretty strong with my favorite eskam couple. oh god. THEM. as someone who cannot stomach season 2 and also skipped william's clip and william's clip only when season 4 of skam came to an end... i will ALWAYS love what eskam did for this couple. i think i explain it pretty well on my season 3 review, but to sum up those thoughts: i think this is what noorhelm was truly supposed to be, they're both pretty flawed characters with great arcs who make their get-together super interesting and organic, alejandro is my baby and the most developed william and i'll die on this hill, etc.

especially i think that norandro, for a ship that got way less screentime that all their other counterparts, is by FAR the most developed couple in all of them and up there in eskam too, and although they weren't the focus of most of the show, it's clear as day that the writers really tried to tell a compelling story with these two - and they succeeded. it's shocking to me that eskam actually got to link the "everyone is fighting a battle" motto that has become a meme for how poorly incorporated it is on the skamverse, as alejandro effectively behaved around that motto: during season 3 and onwards, which is where i believe he's fully reformed as a character and love interest, he never hurts nora - nor anyone - in any way. he struggles to tell nora how he doesn't want a relationship because he doesn't want to hurt her, and in the miscommunication fest that their first clip of s3 is, i've always LOVED that nora calls alejandro a "fuckboy" still, and he's clearly annoyed by this, but doesn't bite back. he's always so mindful of her feelings even though he's struggling himself, BECAUSE he understands that his suffering is not the center of the world! because treating people with kindness is a strength in itself! and it continues like that for the rest of the season. like, at his most petty, he just sends a text to nora calling her a "fuckboy", which is honestly hilarious. he deals with a lot of jealousy because of nora's new relationship, yet he values her friendship so much that he never snaps at her, he never lets it show when he's talking to her, and he's never passive-aggressive about it - you can tell that he's so genuinely glad that they're still friends after all. god, the clip where he realizes that miquel is a shit boyfriend while he's talking to nora... imagine the things any other william would've said there. imagine the ways alejandro could've been petty or overprotective and fuck everything up. instead, he recognizes nora needs space and even though it hurts to be away from her, he does it because he understands it's what she needs - and his own feelings and entitlement (that he previously showed, too!) aren't the most important thing. it's beautiful. UGH. what a great character eskam crafted, there.

i like them well enough in s4, too. i think, for what they had to work with, they took them in a good direction and their happy ending feels deserved. it's just that... personally, i wish there was more introspection of nora's aftermath in s3, which is also one of my complaints with season 3 - and where characters like emma could've been SO good. although i understand the intentions, a lot of nora's internal turmoil regarding her abusive relationship with miquel are only tied to her desire to be with alejandro. it's frustrating that it became so boy-focused when the girl squad was the center of the emotional climax of nora's season. to me, the solution is still in giving the pov's to the girl squad and not... random characters lol, but oh well. i think eskam did good there and i still love this couple the most!!! i just wish there was an universe where their story doesn't have to be wrapped up in one season and we can get actual glimpses of a beautiful slow burn where they can finally get together and make their relationship work - and this is where the fanfic part comes in, i guess! as someone who loves the couple, i liked seeing them lovey-dovey in the background of s4, but also i wouldn't have been too mad if they held off from making them completely canon and only hinted their status as endgame, kinda how they did with eva and jorge. oh, and speaking of eva, i guess...

NOREVA:

i guess, the main thing with them is that i love norandro so much that i can't really see nora with any other love interest??????? now, platonically. UGH. 12/10. anyone who's seen season 3 should know and i shouldn't even have to explain it tbh. i love the focus that is put on their friendship and how emotionally charged it is when it comes to miquel and the aftermath of all that. like, a similar thing is done with norandro - because at that point, nora and alejandro were exclusively friends, but it becomes even more relevant when it's about eva. eva who, you know, was in a toxic relationship herself. i love that she herself brings up her relationship with jorge when she's talking about miquel, and how wary she is of everything that happening. the fact that she's the first one to sense it feels so right!!! i love that eskam really made them close and gave them the window scene, which is both so powerful on its message and a true love letter to female friendships.

i think eva is a really underrated eskam character as it is, like... people really don't understand how great of a character she is and how much she's grown. they are quick to call her a boring, ooc party girl once s2 rolls around, like eskam didn't spend TIME making eva herself declare that hooking up with cristian (and cristian ONLY!) was something she did out of fun and she was decided to stop as soon as it stopped being fun for her. moreover, eva is such a perceptive person: she's been that way since s1 and it has only carried across for the entirety of the show since then. and when pairing two really good characters together, like eva and nora, you really can't go wrong. their friendship brings great things out of both of them and it goes through its own arc during nora's season, whereas other seasons either dump eva as noora's bff midway through or just make them really close to introduce character drama but don't really do anything to their dynamic as it is.

romantically... sigh. i'm sorry LOL as much as i love girls kissing and wlw romance done right... i don't see potential for this relationship outside their platonic dynamic. which is, btw, incredibly strong and beautiful. i'm super contented with how eskam handled their friendship and therefore i wouldn't want anything else from them, and it's not like nooreva where the chemistry was THERE. however! i'm always open to see people's interpretations of what romantic noreva could be. wasn't it you who wrote that beautiful fic of nora realizing she's bi and falling for eva after season 3? because now THAT'S the shit i'm looking for. i think there's a lot of potential there which i'd like to see explored in fic, but other than that, i love their relationship how it is and i've never felt a desire to see them as each other romantic interests.

AMIRIS:

first things first: why did eskam NEVER confirm cris having an embarrassing, sweet, confusing childhood crush on amira? i mean, it's my headcanon that she'll later realize it and she'll jolt awake and think "holy FUCK" but like... it's a thing that isaks are into their jonases. why didn't it happen here :(((((

being honest, childhood friends to lovers has never been my thing? a simple friends to lovers doesn't do it for me: i like my relationships rocky, with lots of character moments and whose survival and success depend only on the people involved making efforts to change and do better. if you've seen s4... yeah, that's not really the case. it's just disappointing because damn, amiris is the realest thing indeed, but also... what case are the writers doing for them? because it was only irene and hajar doing the intense gazing and bringing all the chemistry home. s4 cris is a mess and a half, and while i like the idea of the bench scene featuring both of them, and being more about cris reminding amira the reasons she's made it this far instead of lecturing her about sucking it up better... the result is still lackluster. there are SO many issues on their friendship that were introduced and then dropped, and it's really nice that cris finally is there to comfort amira when shit goes down, it truly is! but what else is there? it's just a small part of s4 being a bunch of missed potential. they could've REALLY done something great with their relationship and bring back and close cris' development in the show, but we only got... well, nothing. back to 0. amira has to live with those problems, now. things like that really make it seem like once amira broadens her horizons, she won't really go back to her friendship with the girls, and cris will be a lingering wound of the past. oh well.

ehem. romantically!!!!!!! as i said, cris was totally crushing on amira at some point. like... canon really makes a point at making cris' brother amira's love interest, where dani has nothing to offer to amira than cris hasn't done yet. iftar on a rooftop? ha, loser, cris did it first. admiring her passion and her faith? cris does it arguably way better than dani. longtime pining? dude. go home. okay, i'll cut dani soto some slack since it's not about him lol. point is, if amira was charmed by all of those things, then what tells me that the option of her and cris being a thing is off the table? at the end of the day, they're indeed a relationship that needs a lot of work and patience to last. the 500k slow burn is writing itself, really.

(regardless of amiris' future, i still think irene and hajar have to do a cute romcom romance at some point. their chemistry is off the charts.)

[ronweasleyisourking]

Golden trio era rarepairs are just the best!!!!!! There are just so many dynamics you can explore, so many aus you can create, so many stories just waiting to be written... I just love rarepairs, okay?

Perciver - Percy x Oliver - Best friends to lovers! Nerd x jock! They were roommates!!!!! There’s just so much potential here!!! This definitely isn’t the rarest of pairings on this list but it’s one of my favorites to write so I had to include it!!!

Fredlee - Fred x Lee - More best friends to lovers!!! Quidditch player x quidditch commentator!!! Another roomates cliche!!! So adorable!!! Also so much potential for fluff and angst! 

Spinnell - Alicia x Katie - WLW quidditch teammates! Background ship that could easily fit into canon! They would be so fricking cute and if anybody tried to harm them, you know the rest of the quidditch team would be ready to kick some ass.

Georville - George x Neville - George goes back to Hogwarts after the war, either to try and recover from Fred’s death or, if Fred doesn’t die in your fic, simply to get his N.E.W.T.S., maybe to get more potions and herbology studying in for new products? And he connects with Neville and maybe they both love herbology and spend way too much time in the greenhouses. 

Lunmione - Hermione x Luna - Idk, the believer x sceptic trope just gets me. They keep teaching each other things and there is so much to learn and they spend so much time together that one they just realize that maybe they like each other.

Thomley - Ron x Dean - Artsy boyfriends! Quidditch fan x quidditch player!1 They were roommates!!! Friends to lovers!!!! So many tropes, and yet so little content for this ship.

Rarry - Ron x Harry - BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS!!!!!! They were roommates!! So much canon evidence in support of them and yet people still deny the very possibility that they could be in love? NO. I will fight for this ship forever.

Runa - Ron x Luna - Childhood friends turned lovers! Artsy significant others!! Quidditch commentator/fan x quidditch player!!! Yeah, their friendship is kinda shaky in canon but they would be so cute together!!!!

Nevannah - Neville x Hannah - This is canon and so underappreciated! Healer! Hannah and Herbology Lover! Neville could rock the medicial wizardry world (especially if you like polyam ships and add in Potions Master! Theo)! This is a power couple if I have ever seen one, they deserve all the love!

Heamus - Harry x Seamus - So, the most common storyline I’ve seen for these two is that they date in 6th year while Dean and Ginny are dating, first to make those two jealous and then they actually fall for each other. Also, they were roommates.

Huna - Harry x Luna - These two are such good friends, and yes they are a total Brotp, but also, it would be so easy for them to like each other? They’ve both had pretty traumatic lives but they feel safe/not alone when they’re around each other and they’re so supportive and ugh they’re so cute.

Pavender - Parvati x Lavender - Best friends to lovers, they were roommates, Gryffindor girlfriends!!! Parvati taking care of Lavender after the war because of what happened with Greyback. 

Sunnah - Susan x Hannah - Best friendss to lovers, they were roommates, Hufflepuff girlfriends!!! They lean on each other after their respective family members die and move in together after the war bc they're all each other has (at least, they think that). 

Dansy - Daphne x Pansy - Best friends to lovers, they were roommates, Slytherin girlfriends!!! Who knows how long they could have been together? And when Astoria dies, they fall apart but they have each other and their family.

Lovemander - Luna x Rolf - Perfect queerplatonic relationship! They both love magical creatures and could meet while tracking/studying the same creature! Would both be Ravenclaws but I like to believe that Rolf went to Beauxtabons. Adorable.

[hadesisqueer]

I seriously laugh, even if it's not really funny (or maybe just a little), about how people just love to criticize Bumbleby even though their argument doesn't make any sense or just shows that they have double standarts.

The relationship is poorly developed.

No, it, in fact, isn't. Subtlely (although Burning the Candle isn't exactly subtle, and neither is the fact that Blake directly compared Yang to her former love interest) or not, the relationship has been hinted and developed since probably... The Red Trailer. Red Like Roses pt. II is basically foreshadowing for the four main characters. Black the Beast descends from shadows, Yellow Beauty burns Gold, anyone? Blake chose Yang as her partner the same way Pyrrha and Nora chose Jaune and Ren, their love interests. And do you really think Adam saying “I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love” and then Yang showing up looking for Blake as Blake looks at her terrified with her face zoomed and then they zoom Adam's face realizing it and saying “starting with her” was meant to be platonic? (Honestly, that was the moment when I confirmed to myself that the relationship was going to be romantic, and I've been proven right). Do you think that Yang admiting that she needed Blake in the same episode in which another girl admits she has feelings for Blake is a coincidence? Did you listen to All That Matters and said “yeah, this is about a gal pal”? Did you even watch vol 6 and 7??? Or just the show, in general? You probably thought Bmblb was about the bike.

I'm not going to make an analysis about their development or about all the Beauty and The Beast references, or about the Renora and Arkos parallels because there are already plenty of those. But honestly, dude, they're not even dating yet. They have romantic feelings for each other, yes, but the already well-developed relationship is still in development so just shut up and keep watching. Or not.

Second argument: It's forced. They're shoving it down our throats.

This one is funny because it doesn't even make sense. Like, how can something be poorly developed and be shoved down your throat at the same time? You were probably one of the few people screeching about Saphron and Terra Cotta, or Clover winking at Qrow, or Ilia being a lesbian, or May being trans, or Blake blushing and Yang gay panicking over her hair.

This one's a classic for basically every single LGBT character in any form of media. Watch whatever show you want, liveaction or animated, watch any film, read any book or comic, it doesn't matter; if they have an LGBTQ+ character, even in the background, you will find someone saying this. Just watch.

They were straight. They made them gay out of nowhere.

First of all, not everyone is straight or gay. There are orientations in between. I'm Spanish, and I always make this joke: the B in LGBT stands for bisexuals, not for bocadillo de atún (that means tuna sandwich in Spanish, and considering is Blake we're talking about, it goes well with the situation). Writers don't have make a character's orientation specific since the begining, because the character might not know. That's what makes it realistic, because it happens in real life. Self-discovery can happen at any age. You might know your sexuality when you're a kid, some people know when they go through puberty (like me), some people realize in their late teens/twenties, and there are people who don't find out until they're like fourty. And yes, I'm talking about Qrow and Fair Game in here. Actually, who says Qrow didn't know already he was bi or whatever and didn't have boyfriends and girlfriends in the past? The guy never said he was LGBTQ+, but he never said he was straight either. None of the characters have. You're the one who is assuming they're all straight because, well, heteronormativity. That's something I unfortunely do too.

Blake is already confirmed to be bisexual. She was in a relationship with Adam and had a crush with Sun and now. Does that mean she can't have feelings for Yang? Now, it doesn't. She has feelings for her. That's what bisexual means. She swings both ways. With Gambol Shroud. Come get some, motherfuckers.

When it comes to Yang, her sexuality hasn't been confirmed yet. We know she's wlw because she likes Blake, but she could be anything. For my part, until her orientation is confirmed (if it ever is, because I don't think it's always necessary to adress a character's sexuality; they like who they like, period), I think she's a lesbian. Yes, she made that joke about shirtless guys in early vol 1, but then she never showed interest in any male after that. Neptune tried to flirt? Uninterested. Shirtless Sun? Lame. Two huntsmen try to flirt with her? Pass. That joke could've been because she hadn't realized yet or maybe it was just that, a joke to annoy Ruby. I'm an out lesbian and I make jokes like that all the time to annoy my friends. But until it's confirmed, it's only a headcannon.

Them being a couple would ruin the team's dynamic because they would look more after each other and leave the other two teammates as second.

This one is just stupid. Yes, it would ruin the dynamic just like Arkos and Renora would ruin their team dynamic, right? And yet I still haven't seen anyone complaining about those two couples, just the same sex one. Damn, do you think having two sisters on the same team doesn't affect the dynamic already? (Pause to laugh because honestly, if I were Yang, I probably wouldn't take Ruby as a leader seriously. My little sister who I basically raised and who is nearly a foot shorter than me, ordering me around? I couldn't lmao).

It ruins the entire show

I'm not even going to talk about this one. If you think the show is ruined because two girls are dating, just stop watching it. No one is forcing you to ship the couple, you are allowed to dislike it and ship other things. Don't go around talking about “toxic wasps” (Pause again: who thought wasp is insulting? I laugh everytime I get called that) are obsessed with the ship because the ones who won't stop talking about it and making entire videos about how terrible it is and how it ruins the show are the haters. I haven't been in the fandom for much time, honestly. Quarantine made me watch the show. But the couple months I've been here have been enough for me to realize that the amount of toxic Bumbleby shippers is actually really small. Bumbleby shippers aren't obsessed with Bumbleby nor are they trying to force the writers to do what they want, the haters are.

[jcmorrigan]

A while ago, I promised a Tales of Berseria headcanon dump, and this is all incredibly specific and based on my own reading, and I know no one else is going to agree with these exact interps or even the ships that built their foundation, but hey, here I go anyway

SEXUALITY/ROMANTIC ORIENTATION

Velvet Crowe: Lesbian. I first got an inkling she liked women in the prologue, when she was teasing around with Niko about “If you were a boy, I’d be in love.” True, she said it was a good thing neither was a boy at the time, but given how much the citizens of Aball drill ideas about marriage into Velvet’s head, it seems like a very heteronormative society and not that progressive. It’s a rural village in the middle of nowhere; what do you expect? Later on, Velvet would grieve heavily for Niko, in a way that I feel is reminiscent of a lover, and when it comes to Eleanor, she participates in “Women are mysterious creatures” rhetoric about her - the kind men usually say about women. Also has a fair share of soul-bonding moments with Magilou. I personally find more ship chemistry for her with any number of the women in ToB than any of the men.

Magilou: Bisexual. Seems to have an interest in Velvet. One particular victory screen has her joking with Phi about how if you can’t touch Velvet’s sword, everything else on her is fair game to touch. That’s wlw at least. However, her relationship with Bienfu of all things is where I get the impression she’s attracted to men - her talk of “punishing” him physically during nights at the inn read a little like innuendo to me. (Yeah, I just implied she has a sexual past with the Normin.) She also welcomes attention from all genders in general as to how amazing she is.

Eleanor Hume: WLW asexual. I don’t really have definitive subtext to point me toward ace, but I recall my own experience thinking I was morally upstanding because I wasn’t sexually active when my teenage peers were, and Eleanor, given her devotion to the Abbey and her pride in meeting its standards, just seems like she could have the same story: thinking she’s morally upstanding because she doesn’t act on any sexual urges, only to realize that’s because she doesn’t have them the way her teammates do. I already mentioned the subtext tension between Eleanor and Velvet - Velvet is the only person I can really pick out potential romantic chemistry for Eleanor with. Because of that, I’m not certain if she could also be attracted to men or not, as I don’t have any good samples.

Rokurou Rangetsu: MLM. I went back and forth between gay and bisexual for a while. For one, Rokurou has that scene when he talks about how women can break your heart worse than any danger in the field (and Eizen agrees), implying he’s had a past dating women. He also at least feigns interest in knowing about Velvet in the hot-spring bath. But this is underscored by a punchline of just wanting to make Phi sweat. Rokurou’s archetype of the heavy-drinking, optimistic idiot often comes paired with “womanizer,” but that wasn’t present here. And there was also the scene where he commented on how Velvet’s ragged outfit must be cold in Figahl only for her to scold him on ogling her - which I suppose can be read as him discreetly ogling her, but I see it more as him looking at Velvet in skimpy clothing and having the go-to reaction of how practical it must be in the weather. His chemistry with Eizen drips romantic to me, given how they share drinks and argue for fun.

Eizen: MLM. Same case as Rokurou - mentioned having his heart broken by women, and joined in on the Velvet-in-the-hot-spring discussion, but also expresses lots of affection toward Rokurou that was likely written to be platonic but comes across as very close. I’ve also seen the popularity of the Eizen/Zaveid ship, and given that Eizen told Zaveid his true name, which “can be seen as a confession of love,” there’s definitely subtext for that as well. So, again, whether gay or bi (or pan), I am not certain yet.

Laphicet: Bisexual. Obviously is attracted to the illusion of Edna and, to an extent, Velvet in the inn scene in Meirchio, but bonds with Videl intensely and devotes a major part of his life to making Videl’s dreams come true.

GENDER IDENTITY

Magilou: Transgender, identifies as very female. This was actually something I got an inkling on very early when some of her victory screens had her making jokes about her weapon in the way that some might view as phallic (I’m thinking especially of the one where Eleanor and Rokurou are talking about the benefits of short weapons, and Magilou says “Mine can be as long as I want!”). So I was of the mind that Magilou perhaps did possess a dick, and that actually got weirdly reinforced when she lifted her book-skirt to fluster Phi and he said “I wasn’t expecting that” - the joke is he was more interested in the books, but in the subtext, I’m reading that despite him definitely knowing what a cis woman’s nether regions would look like (Eleanor is his vessel), he didn’t expect something about Magilou’s lower half. So I was thinking either pre-op transgender or intersex (I’m not certain what types of gender reassignment surgery or artes would be available in Desolation). When all of a sudden, her backstory was revealed that as Legate Magillanica, she had a whole identity and a name that she erased (going so far as to say “Magillanica” is dead), as well as a background growing up in a conservative/religious household with Melchior, and, before that, being passed around to guardians who didn’t love her, leading to her feeling emotionally repressed. And all of a sudden it all fell into place: her story really parallels transitioning. So now I love to just complete the analogy. We know she was going by she/her pronouns at a young age in her traveling show, but we also know that she was exhibited at a “freak show” due to her high resonance. It’s possible she was also advertised as (insert a horrible slur about androgyny here). If she was already well-known going by she/her, Melchior would probably have wanted to keep that intact so as not to cause a stink in the Abbey. But, Melchior being the horrible person he is, he probably also thought Magilou was fit to stand as a legate where no other woman was because she was “male” to him. Anyway, by now, at least the other women on her team have seen her naked and have nothing negative to say on the subject - the party knows and they love her.

Laphicet: I actually see him as a little genderfluid based on a couple of throwaway things. For one, when the party discovers the “unicorn horn” (narwhal tusk), there’s a big discussion about how only a “maiden” pure of heart should be able to pick it up. Velvet offhandedly says Phi should pick it up anyway because it’s his quest. In the end, the myth was dismissed, but I rather like the thought that Phi sometimes identifies more female and therefore could fill the bill of being a maiden pure of heart. His/her personality also influences Innominat, whose outfit of choice is androgynous as far as gender-specific fashion conventions go (and also really spiffy). Most days, Phi is male, but some days, not as much. With his status at game’s end, it also feels a little more fitting to say that such a guardian of the world should be less adhered to one side of the binary.

NEURODIVERGENCE

Eleanor Hume: OCD and anxiety. It’s outright mentioned how she takes responsibility and guilt for everything, even things that have nothing to do with her and aren’t her fault - a telltale marker of OCD. She’s also introduced as being emotional and teased for being a “crybaby,” showing that ordinary situations can easily push her over the edge. I’m only talking main party, else Kamoana would be her own entry, but Kamoana canonically has panic attacks that manifest as fevers according to Mahina’s note, and can be “cured” with placebos. Eleanor’s arc is linked to Kamoana throughout, and the moment where this is revealed is one in which Eleanor is outlining her similarities to Kamoana and how that should mean Kamoana would resent her. I feel like this draws a pretty blatant parallel between Kamoana’s rampant anxiety and Eleanor’s, and how Eleanor jumped to the worst-case scenario only to be shown that the child she worries about has something very big in common with her that might actually be a bridge between them rather than a wall.

Eizen: Autistic. Infodumping is a major character trait of his, and there’s an entire skit dedicated to talking about how “picky” he is about his routine, needing to wear his clothing in specific ways and dock at the same place every time in Port Zekson.

[sonitavalentine]

Sigh, is it just me or is that new volume cover for VKM looking EXACTLY like a yuri manga cover? Hino needs to either stop queerbaiting or just grow the balls needed to cross the line she keeps tiptoeing around and make RenAi canon. At this point she has already ruined their characters past redemption for me so that even if it was canon I would not be surprised. Funny thing is both girls look so much like Yuki it just looks like YukixYuki self-cest to me lmao.

No, anon, it’s not just you, I see exactly what you see haha. My problem is that I have controversial feelings about it.

Let’s face it, the cover is pretty. Very pretty. If there’s something Hino hasn’t failed in yet, it’s her art. Left aside her same-face syndrome (you noted it that both girls look too much like Yuuki), she’s a talented artist. This cover would be an asset for any yuri or shoujo ai manga - that’s how pretty/sexy/charming it looks.

But I still can’t settle with the idea of them getting together. It’s not that much about me having ew feelings because they’re siblings - I still ship Yume, but that this theme doesn’t add any layers to the story. Like, when we were first introduced to the incest aspect of VK, it was kind of fresh and made sense. Haruka and Juuri as a sibling romantic couple were presented to us the same time Kaname and Yuuki were, so they still fell into the category of fresh addition to the story. But Ai and Ren... what’s in it for VKM development? For their development? I don’t know. 

Sure it stil does look more like queerbaiting than confirmed wlw relationship, and if I have to choose I’d want Hino either go away from it or go full lesbian regime than this. However, Hino continues going this route and people are getting hooked up, and not choosing a side is just unfair of her, but oh well, we’re talking about Matsuri Hino - the girl isn’t fond of picking sides.

I have two biggest regrest about Renai at this moment. First is that if incest wasn’t introduced to us before in any form, their love would look fresh in the story and added drama to their characters and relationship. I mean, if Kaname, for example, wasn’t in any way related to Yuuki. Then both girls would be just two daughters of same mother but different fathers who accidentally fall in love with each other (daughters, not fathers lol)  and have to deal with that, struggling with their inner issues and coming to some conclusion at the end. But VK has another background, so not only it’s nothing new, but it’s also nothing necessary right now, because if Hino wanted to show us how much girls cherish each other, she should’ve done it through their sisterly love without romantic aspect.

And here’s my second biggest regret with Renai: they don’t give us this sibling bonding. I’ve said it some time ago, and I repeat it now: VK lacks healthy sibling relationship, one part of them are romantic (the Kurans), the other part is super unhealthy (Rido and his siblings, the Kiryuu twins). And Renai could’ve fixed that for us being that first example of not only being sisters that care for each other, but a very good example of a pureblood and a huntress who co-exist well in same household and are very close. Of course, all of this still can be and should be present in romantic relationship, but... we saw that in this manga. What we didn’t is healthy sibling bond on the basis of purely family feelings.

All that being said, I think that Renai could work great apart from VK background. Like, if it was a story about a pureblood princess and a huntress, which are from warring families, and they fall in love. Let’s say, some lesbian vampire Romeo & Juliet but with both girls knowing well what family each of them coming from and without tragic ending. Hell, I’d read that with pleasure! Give me that. But the VK origins are doing dirty them in my eyes, it erases everything that could be appealing for me in their relationship. In other words, just not my cup of tea because it doesn’t give me what I want from it.

It’s still a question if Renai become 100% canon without it being vaguely or openly hinted, of course, but huge hints are already there so it can’t be left unadderessed. If Hino goes full incest route, I will applaud her bravery but nothing else because it won’t change the rest for me. If she doesnt, well, we knew who we were dealing with. 

[grosscoldtea]

Here’s the Tea: Why Taako, Kravitz, and Taakitz are Both Overrated and Toxic af

Look, I like TAZ just as much as the next person, but the fandom needs to calm down with the dynamic between Taako and Kravitz. 

For those who are fortunate enough not to be aware of how the fandom portrays the fandom, I’ll give you some background. Because of his past, the fandom shows the wizard Taako as a meek, weak, broken man who feels nothing but anxiety and depression, lamenting his terrible past with (who the fandom claims is) an abusive ex-boyfriend Sazed. Kravitz, on the other hand, is a strong, unbreakable, man with a will and mental health as strong as carbon steel. You can see already how they fandom likes to pair these two up, obviously. Taako is the tiny bunny, cowering in the corner and Kravitz is the therapy machine with hot cocoa and a blanket in hand to attend to Taako’s every need.

Please don’t get me wrong -- I’m not saying that Taakitz is all bad. Nor is it only about Taako and his mental illness(es). But the majority of the fandom constantly floods this relationship with Taako’s problems, like it’s something to be proud of. Just go on AO3 or wattpad or wherever else and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The trope is so overused and romanticized and glamorized and twisted in such a way that makes Taako’s problems the only focus on the relationship.

 I wish I could say I liked Taakitz like every other TAZ fan. But I just can’t. The two characters were only showcased a couple times, with very little chemistry, mind you, and just because they’re a MLM couple, the fandom falls head over heels for them. Carey x Killian and Sloane x Hurley, both WLW ships with great chemistry and interesting stories, never got the same large reception as Taakiz did. And I relate that to the large population of “fujoshis,” or yaoi fans, in the TAZ fandom. It’s so much easier to fetishize and thus “love” MLM ships than it is to love WLW ships. Because if this fetishization of their gay relationship, Taakitz became the brand baby for TAZ and all the others fell into oblivion, much to my and many others’ dismay. 

Now you’re probably wondering “where the toxicity is in all this?” Don’t worry, it’s there. I’m going to take a sidetrack to discuss “kinning.” Many people in the TAZ community “kin,” or largely relate to, one or more of the characters as a way to cope with things, or maybe just for fun. I’m not saying kinning is bad. It’s really interesting and imo a great coping mechanism. The problem is, however, that some fans kin as Taako, because they relate to how the fandom portrays him, as I discussed earlier. It’s a slippery slope of merely relating to him, to replicating all his problems because one feels they have to, to truly kin with him. If the fandom portrayed taako in a more recovery-centric light, there would be no problem at all. But he is the poster child for mental illness -- eating disorders, self harm, suicidal ideation, PTSD, OCD, BPD, depression, anxiety, just to name a few of the mental illnesses the fandom speculates Taako has. 

One with PTSD may kin as him. If Taako actually showed recovery, that’d be great! However, so many fanfictions, fanart, and headcannons show Taako getting worse and worse, which in turn glamorizes his illnesses. That person who kins as Taako may then see that glamour attributed to Taako’s illnesses as a glamour of their own and thus follow the downward spiral so many in the fandom love to fetishize.

Now that I’ve covered kinning with Taako alone, I can get to how this connects to Taakitz, itself. As I’ve said, Taako is portrayed as meek and mentally ill. But what about Kravitz? He’s strong, the polar opposite of Taako. He’s big and protective and can save Taako from everything, even his mental illness. He’s busy and has a “job,” yet if Taako is having a panic attack or a flashback, he can leave and be there for Taako at the drop of a hat (especially since he has those ultra convenient portal abilities). He is patient and tolerates Taako at his worst, even if he hits and slaps him. At first this seems great! I have depression and anxiety and I know if someone was like that, who could take away all my problems, I’d love that! But unfortunately, NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR MENTAL ILLNESS. 

The portrayal of Kravitz in this relationship is shown less as a significant other and more of a tool Taako uses to “cure” himself of all his problems. Kravitz is a tool. A therapist. He’s prescription medication that the psychiatrist, Dr. Kravitz, prescribes to Taako to take to feel better. Not only does this grossly exaggerate the tasks that significant others have, it sets unreasonable expectations for those who relate to Taako. Rather than expecting to fight the battle yourself with the SUPPORT of Kravitz, you may expect to have Kravitz fight the battle for you, which is no less than an impossible feat. And the consequences of these exaggerated expectations can be fatal. Say someone who kins as Taako has a significant other (who relates to Kravitz). The “Taako” of relationship may increasingly rely on the “Kravitz,” expecting more and more unrealistic and fanciful things. And what if their Kravitz retaliates? Says “I can’t do this” or “This is too much for me?” The Taako may feel disillusioned if their “Kravitz” can’t save them from their mental illness; rather than trying to recover through therapy or counceling, they rely solely on the role of their significant other as “Kravitz” to cure them. This is a dictionary example of a toxic and codependent relationship.

You can say that Taako also gets help from the Tres Horny Boys, or maybe has a therapist and psychiatrist he sees on the side. But the fandom never shows this. Just as he’s the face of mental illness in the TAZ fandom, he can’t recover or he’ll lose that title. So Taako is only shown to rely on Kravitz. It’s not just for the illusion that Taako’s illnesses are romantic or tragically beautiful, but the Taakitz ship floats almost solely on the base of Care-Taker-Kravitz, and Poor Broken Taako. If the fandom were to make Taako go to anyone else for help and support, the fandom would lose most of the basis of the Taakitz relationship, and thus, they don’t show that. The ship Taakitz is already pretty shallow so why lose the one thing that makes it seemingly substantial?

If Taakitz was portrayed in a more recovery-centric light, if Taako was shown to be focused on his recovery and on interpersonal relationships outside of just Kravitz, if Kravitz was shown as an equal to Taako rather than just a tool, this ship would not be so dangerous. However, because of the fandom’s portrayal of it, it’s toxic. If this is how the fandom will continue to show the dynamic between Taako and Kravitz, no one should attempt to replicate it. It’s unhealth and downright dangerous for either party involved. 

If you can relate to what I said about Taako, please get help. There’s more to life than just mental illness and as difficult as recovery is, it’s so much better than whatever you’re currently dealing with.

If you relate to Kravitz, you’re more than just a tool for someone else’s recovery. You don’t deserve to be put in such a codependent situation. If you are in a relationship like that, please talk to your partner. You are there to help them, not carry the burden on your own. And you deserve support, too. 

[grimolkin]

h

so! that one lowkey tea filled meme i posted got some responses to go off ig so thats what im gna do. i have negative experience in making structured arguments, so if some of my stupid shit doesnt make sense, im sorry lmao! rant under the cut.

ok. im gna be talking about shiro, adam, and allura, and why i dislike the fandoms response. if you didnt kno already, sdcc showed trailer stuff and revealed on twitter that shiro DID have a significant other named adam, and they broke up before kerberos. im not super informed on this, but the fandom seems to have taken it as uh they were engaged or maybe were bfs and then broke up bc kerberos?? and then shiro has a disease?? idfk man listen. im gonna just be listing some little points but theres ya background lol

1. shiro being gay!

the team told us that shiro did have a significant other, and that his sexuality can be interpreted as bi, gay, whatever. and im so fucking down with that??? ive been w lgbt hcs for most if not all the vld characters, including shiro!! he was always bi in my mind, for allura or matt or whoever just bc chemistry. but this influx of mlm shiro just feels... weird. not saying you cant hc him as gay or whatever, but this one tweet about this one stranger that we’ve literally never heard about once is whats setting it off? i lov lov LOV ,my gay brothers n sisters, but damn if it doesnt feel like bi erasure lol!!!!! im not saying everyone who posts gay shiro is a dirty exclusionist but it really feels like we out here, ignoring that bisexual people exist and are precious n beautiful. idk.

2. allura and girls in general

so. this might be a touchy topic. but i ALWAYS see this shit. boys and mlm couples in general always recieve more attention and love than girls and wlw ships, or just het ships in general. and im not tryna be That Het but jesus christ! i see so many of my fave girls get these years or seasons of development w someone, only to have it overshadowed by one tweet, or one video, or one anything. im really sick and tired of seeing people just go nuts over a pairing that we haven’t really even seen yet, and completely overshadow one thats so well developed and healthy. hhhnhmnh.

3. shallura in general!

as i said before, shallura has gotten seasons of constant development. theres ALWAYS something there for us, and i’d say we’re pretty fuckn lucky!! shallura has parallels with two canon couples in the universe, matching themes, colors, its just really apparent to me that theyre endgame!! or, were- idk where the crew is going with this. but anyway, the introduction of adam, even though the crew has told us theyd been thinking about it for a while, feels so rushed. almost exactly like matts arrival, but worse. yall know how hard shallura has had to fight to be a popular ship? it wasn’t so bad in the beginning, but it still kind of sucked being second to klance. then matt came along, and shatt became a thing, and shallura went under the water yet again. we’ve been pretty steady, but this whole adam thing has just dropped the popularity, and i dont even know why. we know nothing about adam other than his appearance and that he and shiro were a couple. its either this fandom has a PHAT distaste for allura, or just shallura. i dont know, but its jus. annoying. a bunch of the popular shallura blogs are being really gracious and nice about it, but shadam fans seem to be jumping on that opportunity to erase allura and shiros relationship completely and go back to shipping their uwu gaybies!! im willing to give shadam a chance, but im just displeased now because i feel like the fandom is way overreacting. we know nothing about him.

i probably forgot a few things but thats kind of all my opinions. hoo. im heated. hope you enjoyed the rant :ppp

[knightofbalance-13]

Speaking Over LGBT People: Totally Okay! (Sarcasm)

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/163784145881/is-anyone-else-really-afraid-vol-5-lgbt-rep

What a bunch of fuck ups.

First, let’s do Fairy Wizard AKA the pseudo intellectual who said RT should have super buff characters because realistic then said RT should have super fate characters because unrealistic.

Honestly, I have very little hope of rwby ever getting ANY lgbtq+ rep, much less anything meaningful. Time and time again the writers had countless opportunities to do so, all of which were passed up. I would be surprised if this volume got anything more than volume 3 did  (though it’s more likely we’ll get nothing like always). As far as which characters end up being queer is concerned, RT have written themselves in a corner of their own design. If they confirm BB then people will be mad at them for “sacrificing artistic integrity to satisfy fans” (as if rwby has any of that left) and if they *don’t* confirm BB or actively make it a canon notp then people will riot at the queerbaiting (and there’s been A LOT of that in rwby, especially considering the bmblb controversy/clusterfuck).

No actually, you people will be absolutely obnoxious about it if there is any LGBT character (not Bumbleby which, surprise, isn’t the only route for making an LGBT character), demand more and more while bitching about every straight couple in the show, screech homophobia whenever things don’t go exactly your way while l also claiming to speak for every LGBT person as if they are a hivemind, which is ACTUALLY homophobic as fuck.

The only people who pushed themselves into a corner is YOU people: Either it doesn’t happen because you were so fucking toxic about the subject and then blame RT, leading them to stop interacting with fans or outright be spiteful towards them. Or it does happen, you bitch about how you didn’t get it immediately or some equally stupid with the same reaction. Everyone blames the LGBT community for it further discourages diversity while you ruined the show because you are THAT insecure about yourselves that everything in life must mirror you or bow to your will. Either way, you look worse and your situation gets worse. Although I doubt you acre since this lets you play victim.

So if the character never shows up: you have no one to blame but yourselves.

Either way, if their takeaway is “gee we should have never included this character so let’s kill them off” then that would be THEIR fault for misreading and mishandling the situation, NOT the fans’. Personally I think that’s highly unlikely to happen, but the fact that this is considered a concern is quite telling of RT’s history of lgbtq+ rep and the treatment of its queer characters.

“If their takeaway is that I should have never gotten into a relationship with this person, it’s THEIR fault for misreading and mishandling the situation, not the abuser.”

That’s what you sound like, you victim blaming fuckwad. They never said WHEN the character was coming, MONTY made the promise on a whim so they have no obligation to keep it and with all the shit you’ve given them: They have EVERY right to never write the character. You sound like a fucking abuser blaming your partner for your actions. That is how irredeemable your actions are.

Ultimately I wouldn’t feel sorry for RT and you probably shouldn’t either. They kinda brought this whole thing on themselves and it’s time they realised that baiting people for years while making homophobic jokes in your other shows has consequences.

“You spoke out against me while I was hitting you for years so you deserve this.”

Yeah, keep victim blaming. That doesn’t make you look bad at all.

Next we got this Santaclausindian person:

Well, they said there would be queer rep, than proceded to not plant the seeds for one at all. Of course it will be bad. They had four seasons to do it. Without even subtle hints, any gayness will feel shoehorned in.Â

Didn’t you people say :you don’y need to plant the seeds: Just do it?” I guess it doesn’t apply as a defense, only an attack.

If they go with the wlw roote, which is the most likely, seeing how the show is supposed to be about the girls, they can either make one of the big ones queer, or a side character or even a one-shot. Now the latter won’t be enough at this point, maybe if they never promised it, but after 5 years of nothing, I don’t think they can get away with throwing a bone.Â

YOU all are the ones insulting them and calling them bigots for not having an LGBT character in a show that BARELY has an romance. YOU all are the ones who attacked Arryn and drove her away. YOU all are the ones trying to label the CRWBY as every form of bigot you can think of. YOU all are the ones being homophobic by thinking LGBT people are so weak and fragile they can’t take a joke. YOU all are the ones attacking LGBT people for not agreeing with you. YOU all are the ones harassing people. YOU all are the ones who cant criticism. You don’t deserve a bone, in any sense of the word. You all deserve jackshit, AT BEST.

And finally we have Dudeblade AKA the straight guy who thinks he knows the LGBT community better than ACTUAL LGBT people.

They had their chance.

They had so many chances to introduce or reveal a character to be LGBT+.

And you had your chance to not be a terrible human being, you all did. But not only did you waste it completely, you insist that everyone else around you is wrong, that no one but people who act and think like you deserve respect. AKA Psychopathy.

But what do they do instead? - They decide to let a song (somehow) slip by that all but says that “this couple will get together.” and say that “it’s not canon.”

Boo. Fucking. Hoo. Your ship didn’t get confirmed, never mind the fact that this EXACT same thing happened with Black Sun Shippers and yet you never said a word so it’s only wrong when it negatively affects you AKA the exact opposite of equality. Not to mention you act like the only way for there to be an LGBT couple is Bumbleby, ignoring bisexuals, gay men, pansexuals, asexuals and trans people who aren’t attracted to the same gender. And mind you, you act like you know the community better than an ACTUAL LGBT person who called you out on your bullshit, you suicide baited them and then acted like it was their fault.

“It’s not the right time yet.” - Falls apart when you have let so many opportunities slip by.

So many that you can’t name any.

“We want it to feel natural.” - So, you’re saying that you don’t consider it to be natural to begin with. Good to know.

Ah eyes, not like they took their sweet ass time with Renora, the only hetero ship that is even close to confirmed. Not toemntion the fact that you think that heterosexuality isn’t natural, mr. “heterosexuality is a cliché.”

“We aren’t good at writing romance.” - Explain Renora, Arkos, Black Sun, Iceberg, and Qrow in general. Or are those exceptions?

Dubious, Sunk, hasn’t happened, didn’t happen and I counter you with the background guy holding up a picture of Sun’s abs. 

If there’s backlash, well…

No, shut up. Stop talking. You obviously don’t understand what logic is so I suggest you stop.

You Dudeblade have crossed so many lines, calling CRWBY every offensive term in the book, using Monty, Shane, Sheena, and Arryn to attack them then when Arryn showed a tweet that contradicted you, you tried dismissing it then using it for yourself. You delete criticism and call everyone who disagrees with you whiteknights. You attack LGBT people and claim to know more about their sexuality than them because you’re a fucking yuri fan. You lie, cheat and misinform just to create insults, you try apply criticism against you suing defenses against RT then don’t follow them a bit as if you are somehow better than everyone else, you actively set back equality for not just LGBT people but for races and genders by being homophobic AND heterophobic, racist and sexist as fuck and so much more.

By the end of this: YOU will be the ones with the backlash. YOU will continue your bullshit and people will see your shit, they will see that you were using them, they will see that you don’t actually acre and how monstrous you truly are. They will see that you used people, kept them hostage, refsed to see yourself in the mirror, cared only about yourself and harmed people’s lives. And here’s a preview of YOUR backlash.

[androgynealienfemme]

1) su hasnt actually had a same sex kiss yet svtfoe has even if background, 2) the crew are actively supportive of the trans marco theory, and seem to be pushing for it to be canon, daron even has trans marco fanart on her wall which she posted on instagram, and has been rapudly learning all she can about the trans side of lgbt switching her greeting un the live chats to be "hello boys, girls, and everyone else" 3) if trans marco happens her two main ships will both be wlw ships

1. Are you sincerely trying to say literal background characters kissing is real and better gay rep than SU which literally has multiple WLW couples, actively shows our women protagonists being being attracted to other women, and has at least one character that can be argued nonbinary with they/them pronouns. really? background kissing is better rep than that? really? Also “no same sex kissing in SU” um: 

ok. 

2. Its nice that the crew is supportive and thats wonderful but again, crew being supportive doesn’t mean its going to happen in canon. A lot of show crews are supportive of representation but then never actually HAVE representation in the show. Like I’m not trying to burst any bubbles but… that doesn’t really mean anything. It doesn’t mean it will happen. It doesn’t mean it CAN happen. Alex Hirsch is a supporter of LGBT rep but disney wouldn’t allow him to put any in the show. The Wander Over Yonder writers are highly supportive of LGBT headcanons and ships but they couldn’t really do much or just DIDNT do much in the show either besides subtext. 

3. Thats great! that would be beautiful! but it hasn’t happened yet so like. again. not rep till it comes true! Unfortunately a headcanon and supportive crew doesn’t representation make! Only actual canon will make it real representation in the media! Until then its just a headcanon and until then SVTFOE has no real LGBT representation. Thats not arguable thats a literal fact. 

[hamliet]

What do you think makes a romance heteronormative? It's just sometimes I feel it's an important and valid criticism to make about heterosexual romantic relationships in media, but other times it feels like the word is misused and applied to any m/f ship someone happens to not like, and sometimes the line between the two seems to get really blurry for me. (especially as a queer woman)

It came to mind recently when being reminded how the RWBY fandom generally views Rosegarden as being heteronormative, and I'm never really sure... why that is, or why people see it that way, or what I'm maybe not seeing? Like, I don't agree with that assessment, and it's not gonna affect my personal enjoyment of the ship, but I'm so curious because I feel there must be a reason why people feel that way, you know?

Er, well, I am not sure I'm the best person to answer this, because I'm a straight cis woman. That automatically indicates I'll have some kind of blindspot.

That said, I'll take a stab at this, but again, take with a grain of salt, and I welcome discussion:

I think the "heteronormative" take is... all too often unclear, because what actually defines that term is precisely as you say: there is no precise definition. The goalposts get moved and moved to suit someone's interpretations, whether in good faith or bad. It's vague and subjective.

However, like you say, it doesn't mean there is no valid critique either. Because there absolutely is.

For me, I think heteronormative applies to het ships forced after years of queerbaiting.

For example, in The Rise of Skywalker, I think Poe/Zorri and arguably Finn/Jannah (though the latter was not explicitly romantic) were heteronormative in a bad way. Zorri and Jannah had no point in the story besides to straight-code Poe and Finn, who are a very popular shipped couple. Poe's actor, Oscar Isaac, even confirmed that he was playing romance for Poe, and the director commented on the importance of seeing gay rep in Star Wars (so he threw in a .1 second lesbian background kiss for unnamed characters that China didn't even censor so oh yeah, great rep, a real subversive hero). While Finn's character is much more ambiguous (he clearly showed romantic interest in Rey and had a fullfledged romance with Rose that got written out offscreen), the way both were forced into non-previously-set-up romantic dynamics in the last film of a trilogy was some very heteronormative bullshit right there.

Heteronomative isn't bad in the literal sense, but if it's forced? Then it's bad. Rosegarden is het because well, it's a guy and a girl (as far as we know, for now), but I will note that Ruby is the better fighter, yet is not just a "badass" but a complex character with compassion, and Oscar is sensitive and not at all embodying toxic masculinity. They challenge each other and have thematic symbolism linking them together. Whether or not it's shipped by people, it's not coming from nowhere, and there are ways in which it challenges cultural understandings of gender. It is het, but it does have potential to really work for the story.

When I evaluate ships in terms of canon possibility, I generally look at whether or not it's well-written or well set up, and/or what it would thematically offer the narrative. That's related to why I read stories and what I like to get out of them and others may engage with stories for different reasons, and that is completely fine; I'm not attempting to say my way is the best way. But for me, while rep is great, if it is not well written or is forced, it is not a more appealing ship to me. And I have privilege too, I can't deny that. It hurts not seeing good rep, and I can only imagine how it feels as a Wlw seeing the options out there.

Fandom is historically a place for those whose stories are not told very much in mainstream storytelling. There is SUCH a dearth of good WlW rep in particular that almost anyone who wants any rep has to make it themselves; hence, a close friendship becomes romantic in fanfic or fanart or headcanons, because the narrative won't deliver even if it isn't directly queerbaiting. Since we all bring our own assumptions, desires, and experiences to stories, people are drawn to such dynamics and want it to be romantic, and dismiss other ships as "heteronormative" even if they aren't badly written and may be more set up than the other ship. People are hurting.

Also, in general, there's a tendency in modern consumption of stories to treat stories as Catholic morality plays, and that spills over into shipping, where people morally justify why their ship needs to be canon or else the story will lead the children astray. Rep is morally good (it is), but what even is explicit rep is often debated in fandom (again, return to the idea that terms are vaguely defined). Like, people say Yuri on Ice was queerbaiting even though they exchange rings in a church and kiss, also share a bed, just because the arm was covering the mouth.

That said, there's still value to discussing the quality of rep. Like, rep is great, but you know what's even better? Good rep. Including characters who are only their sexualities runs the risk of tokenism. See again, the lesbians in TROS who aren't relevant in any way. Forcing ships even if queer wouldn't be good rep, either, though like... that doesn't really happen much because society. In an example of great rep, we have She-Ra, which is like... very prominent in its WLW rep in particular, but the rep ties into each character's arcs and the themes of the story (about queer love fixing a world broken by toxic masculinity and strict puritanism). The characters are affected by their sexualities to where you cannot remove it from their arcs and still fully appreciate the characters, but it also isn't the entirety of their characters. They do not exist just to be "lesbian" (looking at you Kennedy from Buffy, but at least Buffy's Tara/Willow was great). They are lesbians (and bisexual), and they are flawed humans, and their love saves their world. Yang and Blake, while not perfectly written, are also pretty good rep with set up that actually offers the best challenge for their arcs. (I think the teasing of Blake/Sun makes little sense especially when it's less thematically rich than Yang/Blake, so I'll forever be sour about this, sigh.)

Basically, we need more rep for everyone and everything. Treat the characters like characters, aka like people. They should not be forced by the hand of the author; they should feel like complex people even in their magical worlds, including in how they choose partners and if they do at all. For the sake of storytelling, if characters get together, it should offer something to the characters' arcs and the themes.