#anon asked me about my opinions about these marriages but included a link to someone elses

[kingcunny]

the helaena/jace marriage offer *was* a political move, and a pretty smart one by rhaenyra too. the whole argument that helaena would be in danger because jace is a bastard is kinda silly to me, because the only people who cared about that were the greens. the velaryon boys legal father and both grandfathers have already accepted them as legitimate. the only people that would be putting helaena in danger would be her own family. if she were married to jace it would force them to accept not only rhaenyra as queen, but jace as king after her. (also shoring up jaces claim, as the next queen would be viserys daughter, and the queen consort after that… also his daughter) it would force alicent to stop her scheming against both of them, unless she wanted to put her daughter in danger. (as compensation it would also put her blood on the throne, just through her grandchildren vs her children. but thats not what alicent wants) alicent *knows* this is what rhaenyra is trying to do and thats why, along with her own bastardphobia and unwillingness to give up control over her daughter, she refuses the offer. she married the king it should be *her children* on the throne.

in the book, laena and rhaenyra betroth their children together when theyre much younger because *They* were in love. and what do you do when you love someone but cant legally marry them? well you marry your kids together. of course.

but since the show cut their relationship they had to also change the reasons behind the baela/jace and rhaena/luke marriages. and made them another political arrangement, and again not a bad move by rhaenyra! the argument that rhaenyra ‘stole’ baela/rhaenas birthright is, again kinda silly since the driftmark throne never ‘belonged’ to them anyway? even though laena was the eldest, it was going to go to laenor, since he was corlys firstborn son, and after laenor, luke (since jace would be king). it was only rhaenys that was trying to convince corlys to name laenas children over luke, since they were, by blood, related to him. rhaenys feeling like her daughter was getting passed over just like she was. vaemond wasnt arguing for baela or rhaena to be named, he was arguing for *himself*, and his children after him. rhaenyras marriage offer to rhaenys soothes her, because while it might not be laena or her children themselves, laenas line will continue on both the iron and driftmark thrones. it also shores up lukes claim to the driftmark throne, because even if he isnt a “true” velaryon, rhaena is. and their children will be. the driftmark throne stays within the velaryon family, keeping everyone happy. (minus vaemond)

[arowrimo]

AroWriMo 2020 Writing

Here’s a masterpost of the 36 works from Aromantic Writing Month 2020 (under the cut)

Do share, like, and comment on the works you enjoy!

Poetry:

Screams by @exhausted-queer

Prompt: Self-love Language: English Words: 464 CWs: self harm, depression, death, grief, abuse, sex, sexual abuse

Let Me Be by Anon (via ask)

Theme: Loveless Prompt: Acceptance Language: English Words: 86 CWs: Ableism, Aphobia

Ballrooms and Waves by @aro-ace-and-hungry

Theme: Loveless Language: English Words: 655 CWs: Romance mention, Anxiety 

Loveless by @soph00bear

Theme: Loveless Language: English Words: 207 CWs: Aphobia mention, Arophobia mention

Am I A Monster? by @wish-ful-thinking513

Theme: Loveless Language: English Words: 157 CWs: Arophobia, Blood, Aphobia, Gore

Short stories:

Loveless by @kitkatt0430 Ao3 link

Original fiction Prompt: Acceptance Language: English Words: 753 CWs: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Unhappy relationship, Gaslighting,  Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Amatanormativity Summary:

She’s never been in love.  It’s an odd realization to have as she’s packing her things and he’s given up on asking her to stay. Now he just obstructs her on occasion, arguing that things which are hers are really his.

Some things are worth the effort to fight for. Others are not.

He is not.

Two by @junietuesday Ao3 link

Original fiction Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Community, Acceptance Language: English Words: 953 CWs: Sex References (character is aroallo), Homophobia, Brief Mentions of Racism + Ableism, Internalized Amatonormativity Summary:

The girl is a loner.

Of her own will and desire, of course. Not because she’s a little too open about her opinions (particularly about romance), and a little too closed-off when they ask her why she has them. Not because she’s terrified what her fellow ninth graders will do to her when they realize she has no soulmark. Not because she figures that she might as well just push them away first, before they can push her.

To Unmask A Witch by @agnezztealeaf

Original fiction Language: English Prompt: Friendship Genre: Fantasy Words: 4457 CW: Discussions around amatonormativity and heteronormativity, references to blood and violence

Summary:

It wasn’t that the cottage at the outskirts of the village was actually run-down or dilapidated, but if you squinted and looked at it through your eyelashes in dim light, you could imagine that it could be. It wasn’t that it was a ruckle, it was that the children thought it should be one.

You see, if a witch lived in a cottage, then that cottage should be falling apart, its windows murky with mould, the roof broken and roof shingles scattered on the garden path and in the flowerbeds, and the garden a mess of weeds and rotting greens. It felt insulting, the children thought, that an otherwise perfectly scary and threatening witch should live in such a charming and well-kept little house. So, when they hid in the forest near the cottage, staking it out, or walked past it on their way to a friend’s house, they squinted and imagined what should have been there, instead of what really was.

Annie of Anglesey by @writelikeanaro

Original fiction Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Self-love Genre: Historical fiction/folk tale Words: 4,676 CWs: Past marriage, Unwanted romantic interest, Public proposal, Grief

Summary:

Annie is living quite happily alone in the mountains, when the king comes to her for aid in a competition. Hoping to get something for herself out of the situation, she agrees to help him.

Seed of A Memory by @skylights422

Original fiction Language: English Theme: Subverting Romantic Tropes, Fantasy Prompt: Friendship Genre: Fantasy, Drama Words: 1907 CWs: Brief mentions of racism and arophobia

Summary:

Fiera Casales takes a stroll with her pretend boyfriend and ponders the importance of things like love and memory. 

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot by @wellintentionedbibliophile

Original fiction Language: English Theme: Subverting Romantic Tropes Prompt: Friendship Genre: Fiction Words: 1088 CWs: Breakup, End of the World, Neopronouns

We’re not quite a gang (more like a strange family) by @amanita-cynth Ao3 link

Original fiction Language: English Category: Short Stories Prompt: Friends and Pride Genre: Superheroes/Slice of Life Words: 5232 CWs: Background romantic relationship mentioned, discussion of aphobia and amatonormativity, bomb mention

Summary:

Some scars aren’t physical and can be all the worse for it. But maybe a woman brimming with her own hard-won self confidence and the new friends they pick up afterwards can help Allen overcome the hurtful words from his past. After all, if a dozen new friends think you’re great and a literal god chose you as a Champion it shouldn’t be so hard, right?

“Oh.” He blinked. “People usually say it’s weird that I don’t want people- women- flirting with me.”

“Boundaries are boundaries.” She waved a hand dismissively. From the depths of her hood, her eyes gleamed with light from a passing car and briefly lit up more details; the casual ease of her expression, her slightly lidded eyes, the soft curves of her warm, brown face. Shame it didn’t do much for him beyond the realisation that she really was that nonchalant about it, and also quite beautiful.

And A Monster Steals Your Children by @arosnowflake

Original fiction Language: English Prompt: none/belonging (loosely) Genre: Fantasy Words: 2170 CWs: heavy ableism (including internalized ableism), off-screen child murder, ableist language, mild amatonormativity.

Summary:

It is said that, in a tower rising above the valley, a monster lives, and that it steals children’s souls. Netel, one of those stolen children, goes to kill it.

Untitled by @wish-ful-thinking513

Original fiction Language: English Genre: Sci-fi Words: 951 CWs: Needles, injections

Summary:

This is a short story based on a prompt from @lgbtqwritingprompts. I don’t usually write sci-fi, so this was a fun change… I feel like it was obvious that science isn’t really my thing though. I tried to keep stuff vague (ie: are clones human??? The more I thought about it, the less sure I was)… well,  I tried my best!

November: The Hell Week to End All Hell Weeks by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Community and acceptance Genre: Slice of life Words: 2,776 CWs: Bigotry mentions, light marital romance

Summary:

The Shatterdome baristas meet the regulars. Teasing, pranks, and awkward small talk ensue.

Traditional by @amanita-cynth Ao3 link

Fandom: Leverage Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Acceptance Genre: Character study Words: 1393 CWs: References to sex (aro character is aroallo), romantic relationship in the background and referred to, marriage mentioned

Summary:

Eliot doesn’t so much fall in love as come to the realisation that he’s going to die for them.

Or: How Eliot learns some new things about himself and Parker and Hardison learn just how to stay with him.

February - Leap Year Sucks by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Family and self-love Genre: Slice of life Words: 2,866 CWs: Lingering grief over a parent’s death, light marital romance

Summary:

The Shatterdome baristas and regulars slog through a soggy February with all kinds of struggles. At least they've got each other to commiserate with.

Skywalker by @kitkatt0430 Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Language: English Prompt: Family Words: 2,964 CWs: Major character death, indentured servitude/slavery

Summary:

Rey’s family was never coming back for her.  In learning to accept this and move on, Rey builds herself a whole new family, one choice at a time.

A Place to Start by @kitkatt0430​ Ao3 link

Fandom: Supergirl (TV 2015) Relationships: Kara Danvers/James “Jimmy” Olsen Language: English Prompt: Acceptance Words: 2,993 CWs: Break up

Summary:

“I’m doing that thing again,” Kara told the duck. It ignored her for the corn. “Always happens. I was trying so hard not to do it this time, but there it goes. Happening all over again.”

(In which Kara doesn’t need Alex to tell her that dating James is making her miserable.  But she does wish someone would tell her why every time she starts dating someone, her romantic feelings fizzle out shortly afterwards.)

The Only Trope for Me is You by @tommytonebender​ Ao3 Link

Fandom: The Venture Bros Relationships: Billy Quizboy/Pete White Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Genre: Supernatural, character study Words: 4,338 CWs: Discussions of amatonormativity, non-explicit sexual humor, most references are there to make fun of fanfic tropes, language, brief heavy themes.

Summary:

Supernatural forces ensnare our heroes, forcing them to… have a grown-up conversation? [A fake episode B-Plot]

April - Confessions and Epiphanies by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Friendship and pride Genre: Slice of life Words: 2,261 CWs: Martial affection and love confessions

Summary:

Finally, communication!

Miss You by Dain Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy Language: English Prompt: Friendship Words: 484

Summary:

Luke huffed. “Maybe I don’t want to leave.”

“You do,” Biggs said. “You know it’s worth it. You’ll do fine.”

Baby I’m Not Made of Stone, It Hurts  by @emjenwrites​ Ao3 link

Fandom: Peaky Blinders BBC Language: English Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Character Study Words: 22.6K (only the first 1.7K on tumblr, follow the links to AO3 for the rest) CWs: romance (character is demiromantic), implied/referenced sexual content, implied/referenced pedophilia (basically the same level of implication as canon), implied/referenced suicide, one instance of antiziganism, internalized arophobia (so much internalized arophobia), arophobia, self-hatred, canon-typical language, child abuse, parentification, codependency, prostitution, kidnapping, emetophobia, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, headaches and migraines

Summary:

Things with the Russians and Section D had started bad and ended worse, and that was before Polly, Arthur, John, and Michael went and got fucking arrested. Or Tommy Shelby grapples with loneliness, guilt, health issues, and romantic orientation in the aftermath of s3.

Unease by Dain Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy Language: English Words: 1,227 CWs: One-sided attraction, Unwanted romantic interest

Summary: Beritt was new, and not in Luke’s squadron, but you got to know people. There’d been barely anything to do for the last week but mingle.

Which would have been enjoyable, if not for the fact that Beritt was…interested in Luke.

July - Come Back Home, And Soon by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Belonging and comfort Genre: Slice of life Words: 1,271 CWs: None

Summary:

Summer break means quiet days at The Shatterdome and the same old conversations with family.

The Only Demons Here are Mine by @amanita-cynth Ao3 link

Fandom: One Piece Language: English Prompt: Belonging and Comfort Genre: Character/Relationship Study Word count: 3048 Content warnings: Mental health issues including dissociation and suicidal thoughts and ideation. Medical/bodily things discussed. Spoilers for Law’s backstory and violence therein.

Summary:

But he’d said it, hadn’t he, at Dressrosa? That if it all went wrong Law wanted to die by his side. Naturally, it had been 80% about Doflamingo, but there had been a part of him screaming: he’s here and in danger because of you, because he does the right thing just because he can, because he is selfish and insanely determined about those he calls friends and you knew that and still let him get close, because he looked at you and called you a good man and the least you can do for someone like that is die alongside them.

Or: dealing with a pirate war and a sudden lack of life goals is bad enough without trying to figure out confusing new feelings.

Chapter 2 of The Coffee Shop AU by @theinvisiblegurlz

Fandom: Assassin’s Creed Movie Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Genre: Coffee shop AU CWs: Amatonormativity mention Summary:

A non-romantic coffee shop AU.

To Our Future by Dain Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy Language: English Word count: 999 Content warnings: Grief, Anxiety

Summary:

Luke couldn’t keep the smile off his face.It was such a simple expression; the flexing of a few muscles, and not nearly enough to give full voice to his soaring, unrestrained joy, the lightness and fullness of spirit that made him ache until he thought he might burst with the strength of it.

Microfiction:

Rain by @wellintentionedbibliophile​

Original fiction Language: English Genre: Science fiction Word count: 319 CWs: none

Novel:

The Crystal Heart  by @twilight-lukos

Language: English Theme: Fantasy Genre: Speculative Fiction / Fantasy

Excerpt 1


Word Count: 931 CWs: Feeling pressure to choose a romantic partner

Summary:

Prince Haraq visits Princess Chareith, who has a reputation for being difficult to suitors. The two bond over a legend Chareith loves about the lost Crystal Island. Haraq expresses interest in her opinions but shows no romantic interest.

Excerpt 2

Words: 695 CWs: none

Summary:

After Chareith expresses her frustrations, Haraq suggest the two sneak out for a day and do some exploring. Chareith agrees, thinking to find some interesting relics in the nearby desert and marsh, maybe in relation the legend of the Crystal Island.

Excerpt 3

Words: 587 CWs: feelings of forced romantic normalcy or amatonormativity

Summary:

While on a secret outing, Chareith is abducted by a sorcerer and taken to an isolated tower with a mysterious history. The sorcerer tells Chareith that she has magical potential. Finding this to be true, she wonders what this means for her now.

Excerpt 4

Words: 846 CWs: none


Summary:

While on a secret outing, Chareith is abducted by an invisible, flying creature. Haraq sets out to find her. The stone fragment he and Chareith found has led him into a strange place, bordered by mist. A/N: this occurs before Excerpt #3; I wasn't going to post this but I've had it all nicely prepped to go since early February and I did want to share it, even if it's vaguer about the aromantic angle in-story

Non-fiction:

Aromantic Writing Month! by @anonymousaroace​

Language: English Theme: Acceptance Words: 487

Kricket’s First Zine by @autcore​ Direct link

Language: English

Summary:

Super short aro perzine about questioning and being lonely whilst aro

Game:

To Be Aspected (WIP) by @anonymaceally​ Latest update itch.io game link

Ally submission Language: English Theme: Fantasy Prompt: Mythos, fables Genre: Friend sim/Fantasy CWs: Some unwanted flirting. Discussions about gender and sexual identity. Adult language and situations like taxes. Content might be unfinished.

Summary:

The reader walks into a tavern owned by a squad of Aces called “Queen Anne’s Ace” . The reader stays for a week and enjoys has interesting conversations with the patrons there.

[asillydreamer-on-a-crazyworld]

After a good night’s sleep, I’m not high on feelings anymore, so I feel ready to talk about last night’s episode and my opinion about what might happen in the future.

This is gonna be a bit long so, click on the link below:

1. Ruby and Stan: WOW. Like, really, WOW! I loved that Stan is on this dangerous path with Ruby and that he is using his position as a cop to help his wife. I think it’s his way of showing her that he is glad she is not lying to him anymore. More like a “ well, baby, you finally understand what I want from you and why I was hurt. So, now that you’re coming clean to me, I’ll do whatever I need to do to help you.I’m not going to lose you”. And it’s awesome coz Stan knows the risks. He knows what is waiting for them if they don’t cover Ruby and the girls’ tracks. He understands now that his wife got tangled in this mess and that some of the things they’ve done were necessary coz the situation got out of their control. 

Really, I wish I’d find someone as understandable and honest as Stan one day in my life. Now I’m worried about what can happen with these two, now that Turner will come for them. I’m curious and excited to see how Stan’ll use his knowledge as a cop to help the girls escape the law. I wonder if he might meet Rio at one point actually, coz in my head, it makes sense that Stan will want to talk to him. Stan will wanna know what this man is really doing what he is doing and his reasons behind it, coz I believe at one point, Stan will find out that Rio is the one helping the girls cover their tracks ( even if he asks for money in order to do that)

2.Annie.

Oh, Annie, Annie, Annie... She is still acting like a selfish, immature person, who isn’t really understanding what her big sister is going through. Her comment about  Beth finally getting some “vagina action” and how she understands she needed that but not with gang friend...Ouch. It was so not like that, Annie. It was not about your sis getting a dick into her vagina. It was about how your sister needed to regain her sexuality, the reins to one aspect of her life at least. However, I get it, Beth isn’t really opening up to her sister about how she is really feeling, but she was so quick to judge Beth. Again, maybe I feel that she is worried about how things are gonna end for all of them just like she said, and that is why, later, she tells Sadie about her being the bag of dicks who hurt Nancy? What shows me that Annie still needs to “grow up” bc even if I understand her need to be honest with her daughter, she must learn that telling things the way she did is not ideal!! And right before poor Sadie got inside for her classes and in her mamma’s car!! I think Annie should have waited and not drop this bomb the way she did. But she will come around. I hope we’ll see these two sisters finally open up more about what is going on in their heads to avoid more drama but who knows. It will be interesting to see how Beth x Rio closer relationship will affect Beth x Annie's one. I think that as things get more complicated between those two, Annie will worry about her big sis.

3. Beth x Rio.

OH. SWEET. BABY. JESUS.

first, the bedroom scene. Beth’s fantasy. Like I said I think it means that Beth is attracted to what Rio represents: power, control ( or the loss of) and him breaking things down is just a parallel of how Rio was in control of the situation and demonstrated his power over Dean’s back at the end of episode 4. How he is such an alpha, dominating male and omg, kill me. SHE GETS OFF ON THAT.

The violence of the act is a parallel to the violence Rio showed he is capable of, as he smashed that car. It doesn’t mean he’ll ever turn that kind of violence to Beth even in bed like some ppl thought ( including, maybe, the lovely anon I got).

Now, I believe that this particular scene tells us something interesting here about her feelings for Rio, and you’ll find out that I agree with some fellow shippers here: she is more attracted to what Rio represents than the man himself. It is complicated bc you might tell me: “but Mila, this is part of who he is. It’s not the same to say that she IS attracted to him as a person too?”. Yep, it is part of who he is but I believe it’s just 10% of the person he truly is. Look at how he is around his son, his lawyer and even with his crew ( just remember how he was in episode 1x03. He was the boss there but he wasn’t screaming orders all around. he was talking to them and coordinating things but without that bad boy vibe he had around the girls). He doesn’t need to be that dominating alpha male with them and with most of the ppl he interacts. However, I understand that, since the girls mess up constantly and even tried to put him away, the lack of trust makes him act the way he does around them. Rio is way more than just this powerful guy Beth sees. The problem is that he doesn’t let her see nor get closer to him so she can finally begin to know him. 

We got to the real problem actually. They rly want to know the other? Or the level of distrust is so high between them that this is almost impossible right now ( don’t worry, I’ll answer that)? Because I believe Rio has a plan for them. He is grooming her into this boss bitch probably so he can have someone he can trust to help him with one of the multiple aspects of his business ( and I believe he chose her coz she is NEW to all this. She isn’t like the ppl he usually deals with, in this business, who are way more greedy and dangerous than Beth will ever be). But since she betrayed him once already, he is keeping some things he can use against her later to teach her a lesson if she even thinks about throwing hin un the bus again.

To answer my question in the last paragraph, I think he is intrigued, curious, definitely attracted to her. He thinks he knows her already, at least this part of her who wants his power, his control over things,his influence, but not the rest of the real Beth. I believe he wants to know her better, tho, because he can’t help it, but he is not feeling safe to do that just yet. 

And Beth? Beth tells him to not label them and he says “yeah, it’s too soon”, and I feel like it was the writers’ way of telling us that it really is, bc they didn’t open up to the other still. They don’t trust each other, not 100%,  even as business partners ( well, just look at the promo for 2x06). Beth is definitely not in the right state of mind to really wanna know Rio. She is dealing with the mess her marriage is right now, and with the fact that she’ll now be a businesswoman and provide for her family, and Rio is still this mysterious guy who can not be trusted bc he has Boomer’s body and she doesn’t know what he is gonna do with it 

Beth is aware of the fact that he holds too much power in their relationship right now and this scares her, maybe, coz Dean had the power in their marriage all those years ago and look at where it got her? I bet she thinks that he doesn’t wanna her to get closer and she is not feeling all that sure of what she is feeling too, so it’s safer to keep seeing him as this guy who can be her downfall if she makes the smallest of the mistakes.

I just keep trying to get into her shoes and I can’t help but think about how her head and heart are both a mess right now and I feel tired just thinking about it. Also, considering how her marriage ended up in disaster, just think about how she might wanna avoid falling for a guy like Rio if they don’t share any common ground here yet?

I truly believe any relationship between them will be possible only if they are equals. And even then, it won’t be a conventional relationship. Also, yes, it can end up in total disaster but what a beautiful disaster it will be.

all that being said, I do believe Rio has feelings for Beth that run deeper and are more complicated than just lust, and that Beth will develop them in the next episodes, because, like I said before, it’s too easy to turn attraction and lust into something more, depending of the situation, of course.

4. Mary Pat:

Oh, now MP is in deep trouble, and giving Turner one more info about what she knows of the girls was just one more way of showing us that MP is all about protecting herself, doing anything she can survive even if it means throwing the girls under the bus. She was a woman cornered and MP did what she had to do to escape Turner. However, I truly believe that, since it seems that she won’t give Turner what he wants ( coz Rio and Stan will get in his way, in order to protect themselves), this woman will cross a line here and I’m scared and excited to see which one. Can MP turn into the bad guy of this season? Totally b, but hell if I’ll risk telling what she is gonna do in the end.

5. DEAN.

I wanna this fucker dead.

Such a piece of garbage, really. But he is also turning into an interesting character bc I wonder, why he is still by her side? He truly believes that he still loves her? He sees her as his property? Is this about his huge, stupid male ego, that makes him stay by Beth’s side, so he won’t lose her to a guy like Rio? I’ll say yes to the last one but with a side comment:  he is just so used to his life, to the way things are... Dean is this old fashioned guy with sexists ideas and I think that if Beth rly leaves him, he’ll think of it as this epic fail as a man. He wasn’t able to keep his house in order and his wife by his side. So he’ll rather have this lie of a life than lose everything. But once he sees that Beth won’t be by his side for long, what is Dean gonna do? We know he is capable of lying, he knows ppl just as untrustworthy as he is... I believe that in order to keep Beth, he will use blackmail, yep, or try to bring Rio down, but only heavens know how.

Phew, that was long. Thank u for coming to my GG ted talk xD

[pickledchickenetti]

(pt 1) I'm a woman and am happily married to another woman and I don't understand why everyone was so upset at Krista. She openly supports marriage equality and has defended it. She has close LGBT friends (I know having black friends doesn't make you not racist but in my experience people that have been opposed to my sexual orientation stop being friends with me) and advocates for LGBT persons to be included in the church and conservatives to accept us.

Hi friend, thanks for your thoughts! I don’t know your background, so I hope that my answer doesn’t come across as condescending or rude as that is certainly not my intention. My opinions on Krista’s stance on gay issues are strongly colored by my experiences, which I have no problem admitting. I’m sure plenty of other LGBT folks have different feelings, which is totally fine. For what it’s worth, I saw more people upset with Krista over her posts about abuse victims not remarrying after a divorce than I have over any of the LGBT posts she’s made, but I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t regularly made critical comments about her LGBT posts/stances here. 

In order to be fair to her, I decided to go back through her blog (on Tumblr, not her other blog) and re-read her posts on gay issues in order to make sure that I’m not taking other people’s comments about her or vague memories I have of old posts and projecting my own frustrations with other conservative Christians’ opinions onto Krista.. I’m going to do my best to source anything I reference via links to that post, but I apologize if I miss anything. 

I will also be focusing on issues regarding people who are sexually attracted to the same sex (using the blanket term of “gay”, which also represents bi/pan/etc.) for this post. I am cis myself, and your question references your same-sex relationship and family, so in this case it feels appropriate to stay in my lane and not offer opinions on a cis person’s stances on gender issues as another cis person. I do not mean to exclude gender nonconforming people from the overall LGBT community in any way. 

The oldest about posts I can find from Krista about anything gay-related are anons asking her opinions. I’m fairly sure that this is the first one, where she essentially gives a fairly neutral action that could be interpreted as “I don’t think being gay sends you to hell” or as “I think gay people can go to heaven too as long as they repent of that sin along with the others”. She does not make it clear what her opinion on same-sex attraction specifically is, as another anon then pointed out in this post. Does her tone in addressing the anon bother me? Yes. Does she have the right to call out people she feels are being rude to her? Also yes. 

Early on in the post she says “First, you missed out on a lot of people. It’s actually LGBTQIAAP.” (likely referencing the anon saying LGBTQIA), and it’s just a personal pet peeve of mine for straight people to try to act like they have any authority on things like the acronym, but I realize that that’s just me and she also has no way of knowing the anon’s sexuality so perhaps it was one straight person (sarcastically) informing another straight person of a perceived shortcoming. Perhaps not. She then goes on to defend her refusal to give a “straightforward answer” by, in my opinion, continuing to dodge the question. 

Further down she brags that she “was actually named best advocate at a national moot court competition this past year arguing that Title VII protects against sexual orientation discrimination”. Now maybe I’m wrong, but it’s my understanding that moot courts aren’t typically events where you’re expected to defend your own personal beliefs, but events where you are assigned a stance and have to argue it regardless of what you believe. If that’s the case, mentioning that is irrelevant. If it is not the case and she was able to choose that stance, bragging about it for some sort of ally point is, in my opinion, arrogant. 

She ends the post by saying that her LGBT friends “are entitled to all of the rights, privileges, and safeties that I enjoy as a straight woman. Who you love and who you’re attracted to does not change your place in society or the rights that you have or opportunities you should be able to pursue.” Sure, your sexual orientation SHOULDN’T change your place in society or your rights, but it DOES. It absolutely does, and to say that LGBT folks are entitled to the same rights as straight women is, at best, misguided. Krista is a lawyer who has, in theory, interacted with multiple members of the LGBT community, so she should realize that regardless of what should or shouldn’t be true, LGBT still DON’T have the same rights as her in many states, and even in states where legally we have the same rights we still live with fears she will never experience. 

As for the claim that Krista is “not only tolerant of my family but accepting” and that she “accepts me and defends my rights”, here are my thoughts. I don’t want to be tolerated. If you’re cool with just being tolerated then more power to you, but as someone who is merely tolerated by a number of Christians, it really hurts and feels extremely de-humanizing. I do feel that “tolerates” is an accurate word for Krista’s stances on gay people (with the possible exception of the gay friends she claims to have). I do not feel that Krista “defends” gay people and our families beyond her belief that she is legally obligated to uphold the law. She has said that she is “totally fine with gay couples adopting”, which is a positive. She has also said she feels families with same-sex couples should be treated like “any other couple”, which again, is a positive. I guess I just don’t feel like that’s the same as defending. She recently admitted that she has never voted for a Democrat, and while I understand why someone from Vermont might see third-party candidates as viable (because in many Vermont races they are), she has to realize that voting third-party for president is throwing away your vote in the current political climate. Beyond voting, what is she actually DOING to “defend” gay people? Nothing she has ever said makes me think she’s using her privilege to truly defend us to her conservative Christian circles. Unless proven otherwise, I can’t help but feel that she’s able to talk a (vague) big game about being supportive without actually doing any supporting. 

I have recently said that it is my belief that she thinks gay sex/acting on same-sex attractions is sinful, even if our marriages should be legal. I will admit that I formed that opinion largely based on a private conversation I had with her, and which I will not share publicly without her permission. In going through old posts, I came across this post, which I feel also supports this opinion. An anon says that they can’t see any good qualities to overcome “when the thing they disagree with is gay rights/gay marriage/that being gay is a sin”, and that they’d “say the same about someone who identified as a Nazi or a white supremacist”. In Krista’s response, she literally says “But, by the same token, you and I are talking right now, and hopefully, I’m not reminding you of a Nazi”. That statement seems to imply that she falls into at least one of those categories or else why would she remind the anon of a Nazi? In another post she also says that “I do believe that all people are responsible for their sexual BEHAVIOR”, which seems to imply that there is something sinful about sexual behavior between people of the same sex. 

If we want to get down to it, this is the post that was the cause of my initial feeling that Krista was not a safe person for gay people. If someone asks you if you think being LGBTQ+ is a sin and your answer is to tell them they are trying to “stir division”, it is only fair to assume that you think they won’t like your answer. If I ask someone their belief on that subject, I am asking because I want to know their opinion. This anon echoes the same sentiment. If she’s really worried about “stirring division” she should have just ignored the question. 

To anyone still reading at this point, thanks for sticking it out with me. Honestly Krista’s recent posts (paired with some events in my life offline) have really got me thinking, and I have a lot of things weighing on me. I’m glad that you are able to feel that as long as she believes you deserve the same rights as she does it’s fine. I hope you continue to feel safe in that. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t that lucky. Many of us have lived too much of our lives feeling disgusting and broken and worthless because of teachings that that same God she worships and we were brought up to worship disapproves not only of any relationships we have, but of an inherent part of who we are. The biggest reason that I continue to speak out against Krista’s posts is because I just need any scared or confused young gay teenagers in the church to know that they don’t have to settle for being tolerated, and no matter who thinks they’re sinning, they’re not. 

Krista’s posts (in the context of the rest of the blog) would have devastated me at one time in my life. When I speak out against them, I’m usually saying the sorts of things I wish someone would have said to me then.

[sapphicscholar]

Supergirl, the Bechdel Test, and Critiques of Critiques

Because asks���ranging from fans who have been made to feel guilty for not liking the current season of Supergirl, though many are still watching and hoping, to angry anons who cannot believe I would dare criticize any aspect of a show–keep popping up in my inbox, I’m addressing the issue once here and deleting all those asks clogging up my inbox (because dammit I like order, and my inbox no longer has it). So hold on tight (and ignore/don’t read if you don’t care…really fucking simple rule) while we hit a few of the points I see appearing over and over again on my dash and in my inbox.

First of all, regarding the post about the Bechdel Test (that I’m going to assume was written by someone with the best of intentions and has been misappropriated to yell at other fans and tell them they’re wrong–blanket statement, no wiggle room). Yes, the scene did end up passing the Bechdel test, but that original post to which you refer was written and reblogged by most folks before the episode ever aired, making it an accurate enough assessment with the limited knowledge we had. The fact remains that the way the episode/that scene was marketed and promoted did not pass the test, and that says a lot about the kind of audience they’re hoping to attract (if you don’t believe me, feel free to go read the research about marketing). 

Furthermore, please dear god stop talking about how you know the rules better than anyone else because once upon a time your Intro to Women and Gender Studies professor gave them to you or mentioned them in passing. Bechdel herself has written about sometimes wishing she wasn’t associated with that test (not that she often is these days, just her last name…) because it sets such a fucking low bar, gets plucked out of context, and held up as some gold standard for representation without any thought about the woman who created it, the context of its creation, and the motivation behind it. (Also, if you’re not going to read the blog post by Bechdel that I linked to, just know that the test is inspired, in many ways, by Chapter 5 of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own on a chapter that talks about the invisibility of lesbian representation, and Woolf’s work as a whole is all about criticizing the “Angel in the House” and men’s writing for reducing women’s lives to their attachments to men, children, and families, which is literally what that scene is Supergirl does.) And I’m so tired of seeing straight feminists reblogging these posts calling LGBTQ fans of the show anti-feminist for daring to complain about it because this test does not belong only to you, and it is the brainchild of an early-twentieth-century bisexual and a group of self-identified “dykes” from the 1970s and 1980s who wanted to talk about why the state of current media (both the novels of Woolf’s time and the movies of Bechdel and co’s time) failed them as women whose concerns weren’t tied to traditional narratives of what a woman’s life looked like (marriage to a man, followed by children). 

The Bechdel test as we know it today comes from a niche comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For, which documented the lives of queer women (primarily) from the 1980s through the Bush era and the struggles day-to-day life during that time period entailed, and that context gets ignored far more than your precious rules. And yes, the test (though god that word is infuriating because it implies the same sort of inflexibility that is already rampant in fandom and internet culture) is about movies as a whole (so by your own logic, we shouldn’t even go near a TV show with it), but it’s not incorrect to talk about a scene passing or not passing it, nor is it wrong to use the test as a kind of signpost or easily recognizable language with which to discuss the shortcomings of a given scene (if you want to know more, and I mean this quite earnestly, not to be a jackass, go read linguistic, structuralist, and poststructuralist theorists and find out all about signifiers, then come back when you realize that the meaning of words and phrases isn’t confined to the letters on the page, but encompasses all of the cultural signifiers to which they are tied, which is actually what makes so much of communication as we know it possible).

To insist that fans cannot be upset because a scene featured 5 whole women together and that’s “unheard of” in television forces us to settle, forces us to praise a scene that’s setting up the poorly written demise of a couple that many of us showed up for, upped Supergirl’s ratings and viewing numbers for, because we saw a woman whose journey toward self-realization, acceptance, and actualization looked like ours, found in Sanvers a couple whose story wasn’t perfect but felt realistic in a way many same-sex relationships on television still don’t. And yes, I’m calling this breakup poorly written. As I’ve written before, yes, not having the same idea about what your family should look like is a good reason to end a relationship. Not having had that conversation months into a fucking engagement when both participants in the relationship are adults who have been shown learning about how important communication is and recognizing why it’s a bad idea to make assumptions about what partners want and who apparently have incredibly strong opinions on the matter is beyond unrealistic. And for a show to know that they’re going to break up a couple after just a few episodes makes featuring the proposal and demanding praise for “groundbreaking” television irresponsible marketing–it sets fans up to be disappointed and disillusioned. (And now, because they’ve written Maggie’s absence as this kind of a breakup, rather than the myriad other ways they could have done it, if they do want to bring Maggie back, it’ll be far more difficult and will entail a fundamental reevaluation of what either Alex or Maggie wants in life, which we likely wouldn’t get to see depicted at length or in any kind of realistic way.) 

I’ve seen so many posts criticizing those who have critiqued the show and insisting that they clearly haven’t watched the show or that they ignore all the good it has done. Does that kind of post exist? Yeah, of course it does. It’s the Internet/fandom/Tumblr; there’s anything you can think of here. But these posts demanding appreciation for the show reek of the attitude that has, for decades, told LGBTQ people to sit down, shut up, and be grateful for what we’re given. Shows don’t have to listen to our critiques (and I’m not here defending folks who get violent or spout vitriol directly to the actors who cannot control their storylines, though let’s remember those folks exist on both sides of the issue), but to try to tamp down the rights of fans to be upset and express that frustration is, to be quite frank, embarrassing to see in 2017 from self-ordained progressives. 

I’m still here and watching and producing content that I like to think does right by the show Supergirl could have been (and may well become again), to the kind of nuanced, complex characters and storylines the first season and writers like Ali Adler gave us. But don’t tell me I have to like every second of it. Don’t tell me that I’m not allowed to feel misled by a show that created an endgame narrative for a couple only to break them up in such a way that the reconciliation they continue to lure in front of us as a possibility is nearly impossible (or, at the best, decidedly unrealistic). Don’t tell me that I should accept the flirty subtext between Kara and Lena or a one-off hook up between Alex and Sara that will never hold the same potential for representation as a multi-season lesbian relationship as “equal to” or possible of making up for the loss of Sanvers. And most importantly, don’t ever tell me to shut up when your username includes the words “white” and “conservative” because, oh, honey, nothing gets a liberal academic going quite like the possibility of showing you just how little power you truly have.

[dearmyjimin]

i want to say that you should write a fic that you yourself would read. there's no point catering to people's specific preferences, because there's always someone who is going to disagree with how you've done something. as long as everything is properly tagged and isn't problematic (racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic/includes underage idols) then write how you want to write :) xx

Thank you ;~; I will definitely take note of these because well a fic takes longer time than graphics and you’d certainly not want people to hate your hardwork.. but yup ofc the tags and stuff would be very important since the fandom has minors and we wouldn’t want them to learn the wrong things!

Anonymous said: for your writing thing; I think you could take a look arnd inktaes kind of angst? she’s very good at it 👌

oh!!! ok i’ll take a look, does she write on tumblr or on AO3?

Anonymous said: hi! about your incest question, although fiction is fiction, if its about real people, i really wouldn’t write about incest, because its just disrespectful? Like i wouldn’t want that kind of thing linked to my name, even if its just fanfiction. But thats just my personal opinion - Hope this helps! :D

You’re being very kind about this ^^/ thank you! And yeah another anon was talking about this too, like jimin and his real bro would be gross, but taehyung and jimin written as brothers is still acceptable since they aren’t brothers in real life. I’ll take your opinion into consideration because yeah I have siblings too and i shudder thinking about it as well! So, I get what you mean !!

Anonymous said: oh but i don’t think rape scenes should ever be written in a fic involving real people!!!!!

Ooh!! Okay yup I’ll take note of this!! I’ve not written about that before and I don’t think I would write about it anytime soon… ^^

Anonymous said: i think incest is a really complicated topic ;; i would say it’s not ok if it involves real people and their real siblings, but if it’s fictional characters or two real people just written as brothers for the story it’s more ok. and for stuff like rape, i think if you’re going to write it it needs to be written in a very sensitive way, if that makes any sense… and ofc everything needs to be tagged appropriately

yup i agree, its super complicated and sensitive to talk about ;; yup another anon brought up the same point as you, about real siblings (no, no!) and two real people who aren’t siblings irl (still ok). And yeah no, I doubt I will write stuff about rape tbh I don’t have any fic ideas about it too. Thanks for letting me know how you feel! ^^

Anonymous said: Please don’t :/

Okay ^^;

Anonymous said: Please don’t fucking write something like that, that’s disgusting…

I was just asking around for opinions !!

Anonymous said: Hmm, I think fanfiction with incest/incestuous themes is okay, as long as the characters are not blood relatives in real life and the proper warnings are given. For example, I think it would be okay to write about vmin in an incestuous relationship, but it would not be okay, at all, to write about a bts member (or whoever) in an incestuous relationship with their blood relative in real life.

Yup someone else said the same thing as you, which seems to be the general consensus. Thanks for letting me know!!! ^^

Anonymous said: I think the (my) problem with incest is that I always want a happy ending in fic (and stories in general) but I don’t want brothers to end up together, so that clashes, you know? And yeah, rape should totally not be a thing, at least not portrayed in a good light!

Oh yeah… I doubt fics with incestuous themes will have a happy ending, it’s more like portraying a character undergoing that huge emotional turmoil of thinking about something so wrong and immoral…. and yup rape shouldn’t never be portrayed in a good light ;~;

Anonymous said: If they’re just step-siblings, only bound by their parent’s marriage/relationship, then it’s not incest. So, the step-siblings could have a relationship if they want, but it’s not going to be pleasant or “cute” in my book.

Yup that’s kinda true, like if character A was introduced/adopted at a young age and has absolutely no blood-relation to character B, maybe it will be more acceptable i guess? But another anon was saying how its still weird because they have step-siblings they grew up with, so i’m still trying to get more opinions from ARMYs ^^;;

Anonymous said:  (I’m “since it’s fiction” anon) What I mean is that I think it’s ok to occur in fiction but not in a way where it can be misinterpreted as something ideal/desireable because incest is prohibited in so many countries and it can also lead to genetic disorders if were to get pregnant and if it’s with someone before or during puberty it actually counts as sexual assault towards children which is one of the most damaging traumas for kids to experience, so no thank you and no no for young people 2read

Yup ok, agreed! incest cannot be glamourised as something ideal and desirable and the author must be responsible to craft the story in a way that still frowns upon this. And yup I get the the prohibition and the genetic disorders part and yeah :/ we wouldn’t children and minors to think its ok. Got it, i’ll take note of your opinion!! Thanks for letting me know!

Anonymous said: like i don’t think it’s appropriate or morally right to write about minors in a sexual manner especially if they’re real people. like a lot of people write about jungkook before he was legal and even when he became legal it was almost like people were waiting for that so they could write smut about him. another would be r*pe but I also understand that there are ways to write r*pe without glamorizing the act.

Oh my .. yikes… :O yeah especially when the fandom is growing and we have young people with us, we need to be extremely careful ;;

Anonymous said: Mmmm incest is abusive and traumatizing to people esp when it happens to kids so to write it in a fic you’d have to be super careful if ur gonna make it angst or just.. not write it at all lmao bc most incest fics I feel like just romanticize it and make it gross. Why would someone want to write about such a topic

Hmmm if I guess people write it between, let’s say, two BTS members, the author perhaps just wants to write about forbidden love because yeah we all know such love isn’t possible. But I’m not too sure though.. it’s just a guess on my part. From the opinions given I think it’s more like people are sorta ok if the two characters are not brothers in real life.

Anonymous said: Does a threesome with two brothers/sisters count as incest? 🤔

For me, I will classify it as incest! 

Anonymous said: I would read it if it was stepbrothers, but blood related might be a bit too out of the social norms for me 😬

Okay ^^ noted!! 

Anonymous said: (i hope its not too late to tell u this??? lol) as long as you dont encourage themes like rape, incest, etc and dont write about real people in such situations i guess its fine

Hmm nope it’s not too late to tell me this :) And yeah nope i was just thinking about the idea of writing it in a fic and was just wondering how people would feel about it! Yup other anons were saying that writing about real people is a big no no and it shouldn’t be encouraged, which i agree too! 

[curufinwefeanaro]

What would Fëanor say of his firstborn & His cousin together ?

|| Hello anon.

I’ve addressed this in past, but I don’t think I ever summarised it in a post, so here we go. I hope you’re ready for the read.

Firstly, something about LaCE. I think you know what it is? But if not: Laws and Customs of the Eldar is an essay/chapter written by Tolkien that you can find in The Peoples of Middle Earth (HoME 12, if I’m not mistaken, can’t be assed to check). The gist of it is: elves marry for life and are intrinsically soul-bound when they have sex, the expectation of marriage is basically bearing children, an elf can immediately tell if another elf is soul-married by looking into their eyes/spirit. There are a lot of other customs described in there (such as naming customs), but this is what is relevant to our topic. Basically, the implication is that marriage equals sex on a natural and metaphysical level and that sex can only be heterosexual. 

Now, my stance on it: LaCE does not describe the nature of elves, only, well, what the title says --- their laws and customs. They are social norms of the Eldar, aka Amanyar elves (Vanyar, Ñoldor, Teleri) and Sindar of Beleriand. Even beyond the fact that the soul-bound thing is creepy as hell, I do actually have receipts proving that LaCE is unreliable at best (this post explains the problem of its authorship pretty damn well) (and also some stuff talking about the whole text, part #1, #2, #3, #4) (and if you really wanna go wild, this is a pretty interesting take on romance or lack thereof within the context of LaCE) --- but I do still choose to follow it as a set of rules, because it gives a good (if inaccurate) insight in a society that could otherwise be entirely alien to our understanding.

I’ll get to your question in a bit, but I think it’s relevant to clarify how I believe homosexual relationships (or anything non-hetero, really) would be perceived in this context, and what is Fëanor’s stance on LaCE.

As I said, what is officially recognised (marriage that is only really “crowned” by conceiving children) is heterosexuality. But since I’m rejecting LaCE as natural laws, I do believe non-heterosexual relationships exist. I suppose, in this context, that they could be read as different things: youthful adventures, occasionally a master-apprentice relationship (which may a little more socially accepted?), dalliances, something that exists and people know, but is not made public and certainly has no kind of social significance and should not claim any, on the verge of secrecy. It’s not an ideal society by far, but Valinor isn’t one in any case, it has a lot of taboos, death itself seemingly being a not irrelevant one. 

As for Fëanor’s position in all of this, we know he has a sort of tendency to not do what is expected of him (including but not limited to marrying very young, moving out from the house of his father, marrying someone who apparently made people wonder, traveling in the wilderness a lot). On the other side his situation in terms of marriage and bonding-for-life is very delicate because of his mother’s death and his father’s remarriage. Basically, if he refuses such customs entirely, he risks to legitimise his father’s choice, or at least to make not so much a big deal out of it. 

I say that because I suppose there is evidence that the laws and customs are in fact influenced by the Valar. The Statute of Finwë and Míriel is a good example of that, but also there’s some nice analysis about how the Valar might influence gender roles in Aman. (Now you could ask me, but why should deities that come from Eru’s mind want to implement roles and customs that are so painfully and imperfectly human? Well... frankly I don’t blame it on them but on the fact that Tolkien was, in fact, human, and a man with his flaws. I, myself, am rejecting LaCE as the pinnacle of purity that it maybe was supposed to be in Tolkien’s imagination, and that means that the link with the Valar as enforcers of this “goodness” is lost. I can’t frankly be assed to rework the entire concept of the Valar’s morality and where LaCE might come from if not from them right now. Maybe I’ll do it one day but not now.)

So, in short: Fëanor rejecting the norms on marriage and couple bonding would be consistent with his rejection of the Valar’s authority from a certain point onwards, BUT it would also mean that all of his issues (which are deeply influenced by the society he grew up in) would disappear into thin air, or at least would almost be invalidated by his own claims against the Valar. And those issues are not exactly something he can shrug off, they’re not just social norms he can speak against, they are personal, very deep, very painful. So, as far as I’m concerned, his stance with regard to LaCE can only be extremely conflicted (consider: the organisation of society in Aman is not something that he challenges explicitly even in his speech to the Ñoldor. It’s only the Valar’s sovereignity and what they want from the elves. Although freedom might also include that part of the problem.)

...And now.

Back to your actual question.

What doesFëanor think of Maedhros and Fingon together? Here I assume you mean in a romantic and sexual sense, rather than in a companionship sense. If it were the latter, the text would give you almost all that you need. 

We are never told thatFëanor ever spoke against his sons’ friendship with Aredhel, or Maedhros’ specific friendship with Fingon. Absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence, that is true, but I argued before that his own relationship with Fingolfin wasn’t always so bad, and what The Silmarillion itself has to say in chapter 9 is:

But when they were landed, Maedhros the eldest of his sons, and on a time the friend of Fingon ere Morgoth’s lies came between, spoke to Fëanor [...]

There’s a before, and no indication whatsoever that, before the feud,Fëanor had anything against it (or that his opinion was even the main reason why the friendship ended to begin with, since the text pretty clearly points the finger against Melkor here, and since both Maedhros and Fingon have their own personal loyalty to their own house and can read the situation and think for themselves.)

Now, on a romantic level... well, I spent a bunch of paragraphs explaining why that’s complicated. I think he would have more issues with that being presented as something serious or something that should be made pubilc, which I don’t believe Maedhros would ask of him under any circumstance --- they are still the royal family and going against LaCE again, presenting a new set of special circumstance might not be what anyone wants to see, Maedhros least of all.Fëanor might glare a bit, because it’s technically a joining of his house with his brother’s, IF you follow the laws and customs (remember, sex=marriage here, even if that might not at all count in case of same-sex relationships) (let’s not even get into the gross assumption that only penetrative sex with a penis would count as “real sex”, following the reasoning presented in LaCE). AndFëanor might... not especially enjoy that kind of profoundly political move, especially if tied to social customs issues. He might want to see it all kept secret. Might want to have a chat with Fingolfin on the matter. And might want a sexual relationship to stop. (Which, by the way, I do think is also what Fingolfin would want, cosidering how much more he seems to care about social customs and proper politics.)

But let me tell you, I am firmly against the idea that he would be terribly strict, angry, outraged, or any other radical reaction that doesn’t take into consideration his feelings on such matters, which I’m certain they should be very conflicted. (For her piety, I actually think Nerdanel would take the news in a worse way and I’m not sure where that “supportive gay-accepting mom” trope comes from for her. But headcanons on her aren’t my place to discuss here.) And like, I specify this not just because I’m sick of that “violent father” trope which somehow, in the year of the Lord 2k17, is still around, but also because I’ve seen some shit, anon, I assure you. Even people attributing nazi philosophy toFëanor to explain why he would be Absolutely Against The Ship (unlike Fingolfin, who was somehow a progressive liberal who obviously didn’t give a shit about his social perception and all that jazz), and no, I’m not shitting you, that post was absolutely puke-worthy for the triviality with which it treated real-life issues for the sake of shitting on a character. But this is beyond the point now.

So... yeah? I think I answered your question, or at least I tried to. Enjoy.

[foreveranevilregal]

It's cool to be #teamRegina, but having your fic ends up OQ or SQ then that is taking sides. That's okay but don't pretend you aren't taking sides. Unless you have a bunch of Outlaw Queen, Swan Queen, Dragon Queen, etc fics then that's how your readers will take it. I'm not reading your fic since I don't know if it's OQ or not so I'm not wasting my time. That's what other ppl should do; not read your story if they want it to be about a certain ship. Simple.

Well hello, guest reviewer from last week. I had a good laugh about your comment then, but this isn’t funny anymore.

It’s fine that you don’t want to read my fic. It’s fine that you saw the description, thought it was a waste of time, and decided not to partake in it. What isn’t fine is you then trying to lecture me about the content of my fic, or who should or should not read it, because, as someone who is not reading my fic, you actually don’t know what it’s about. And you can’t give informed advice on a matter about which you are uninformed. Simple as that. I’m not making anyone read my story. I promote my own work on my blog, just like most other writers I know, but don’t explicitly force people to click on the links and read. People read it of their own free will. If people don’t want to read it, that’s okay. Just move on and don’t be a jerk about it.

And since you are very concerned about equal ship representation in my fanfiction, let me list for you the romantic Regina ships I have written, and the ones which are currently posted on my FanFiction account at tonguemarksonmymirror: 

9 explicitly SQ or SQ centric fics

2 fics with SQ mentions

7 which include Stable Queen to some capacity

1 Hooked Queen fic

and 1 OQ fic, which I wrote as a gift for a friend and have not posted anywhere

As you can see, it’s a fairly wide spread. Yes, I have favorites, and I never claimed to ship every ship equally. I write stories about dynamics which pique my interest at that time. Interest can fade or grow. It happens to lots of people, and I don’t see why I should be called out about it specifically.

From what I can tell, since your ask really doesn’t make a lot of sense, honestly, you seem to believe that I am falsely advertising my fic as some sort of multishipping bonanza. This is not the case. I have never made any claims that my story would have no romantic endgame, or have every ship end up a couple, or as some people suggested, have a throuple or some other form of polyamory. What I said was that my story would involve interactions of multiple ships throughout the course of the plot. This is evident even in the first chapter, and this is why I wanted to ensure that people reading it would be aware that there would be multiple ships portrayed. I have no intention of either stringing people along or pandering to certain ships just for approval. The ships will not overshadow the other elements of the story. Even the endgame ships will not be the focus. I will write the story that I believe best reflects the world that I have created in my head. Forcing me to “take sides” constrains the plot I can write to a box which doesn’t give me the range to explore the story fully. Endgame or not, I am not taking sides. I see all of these ships as valid options in the canon, at least at some point in time, but that doesn’t mean that I have to tell every story, which would be cumbersome. So let me tell you what this story entails, and what kind of people would enjoy reading my fic.

The main dynamic that this story will be focusing on is Regal Believer. The mother/son relationship between Regina and Henry. So if you enjoy interactions between the two, you would enjoy this fic. There will also be strong friendships between Regina and Ruby, Mary Margaret, and Kathryn, as well as among Henry, Nick, and Ava. So if you like platonic relationships and feel that they have been pushed aside to make room for romance, you would enjoy this fic. If you like Stable Queen, you would enjoy this fic, as it starts with a Stable Queen marriage and alludes to it frequently. If you enjoy AUs which offer a different take on Regina, and glimpse inside her mind to inform her perspective, you would enjoy this fic. If you like stories that weave together fluff, angst, humor, and domesticity, you would enjoy reading this fic. Finally, if you enjoyed the plot of Mamma Mia and are curious as to how it would translate to OUAT, you would (hopefully) enjoy reading this fic.

If you are here for ships or some sort of ship battle, this may not be the fic for you. I’m sorry. There are thousands of wonderful, well-written ship-centric stories online. Try those instead. My story is for those who want something different. It’s the story that I wanted to write. And I fully understand that this may not appeal to everyone. But to come inside my ask box and bully me over the decisions that I have made, decisions which every writer reserves the right to make as seen fit for their creative vision, is entirely uncalled for. And you will not succeed. I love my story and the world I’ve created, and I fully intend on throwing myself into writing even more. The vast majority of people reviewing it are also fans, so I know that there is support for this. I may never have a wide audience, but I always believed in the importance of telling a story which hasn’t been told yet. This fits the bill.

So, anon, the next time you disagree with someone or misunderstand their intentions, don’t go picking fights and insulting them. Learn how to coexist with people who don’t share your opinions, and don’t waste your energy focusing on things that clearly make you unhappy. And if you dare come into my ask box to malign my choices again, you will be blocked.