#because that's the direction the character's going in

[hugintheraven]

So, in a fantasy setting with provably-real gods, you have:

What the gods say or do on the rare occasions they can be asked about something

Official church doctrine

Backstage church doctrine

What followers of the church actually believe

What secular authorities report about those same events

What forms of worship are allowed or encouraged

All of the above, repeated for each individual god, pantheon, splinter faction of heretics, cult of personality, cult of personality(minor demon edition), alternate form because of ancient enmity between those who worship the Volcano God and live on the north face vs those who worship the Volcano God and live on the south face, and people worshipping based on the poorly-translated Ancient Wisdom of the Cuniform Shopping List

Given all that, you can easily imagine how someone could know the gods are real and yet have some...odd...beliefs compared to the rest of their hamlet. Relationships with religion your character can have, a short list:

Major holidays only worshipper. Yes the gods exist and influence the world, so you show up to church because you're supposed to, but the absolute minimum times required because you usually have stuff to do on the rest day.

Anti-theist. The gods are real, they have measurable influence on the world, and they're also assholes who don't deserve worship. This is where your Reddit teen character ends up. Whether they have a point or not is up to you.

Believer in the gods but not the Church. Blessed X is real but the guy speaking in front of the crowd each week is just some dude and probably a politics-focused jerk. Again, whether the character has a point, and/or why the gods allow this to happen, is up to you.

Devout true believer. Fairly obvious, but you can have a lot of fun with taking this char and putting them in Situations, especially ones where their faith is pointing them in 3 different directions depending on what part of the Church matters most to them.

Person who thinks the Church has it wrong. ALSO a place for Reddit Teens. They've read the holy books, and the secular books, and the banned ravings of the Prophet Loony Lynne, and they're pretty sure the Church is full of it and the gods actually require X.

Member of a niche cult who is seeking converts

Member of a niche cult who is pretending to be ostentatiously devout so the church doesn't murder them

Member of a niche cult, running away

Non-worshipping quasi-believer. Think the average person's relationship with the Theory of Relativity, or an ancient Roman peasant who lived a continent away from the Roman Emperor. Yes, sure, their teachers taught them about the gods, and they believed the teachers, but also they have work to do and it's not like the gods are going to be showing up here affecting the stew so who cares?

Non-believer. The D&D equivalent of a flat-earther.

Formerly devout lapsed member. They used to be 100% down with the god AND the church, and then something happened, and now they refuse to acknowledge either without cursing.

Person with beliefs so odd no one can figure out if they're heresy or not. Blessed X is real, and the god of agriculture, and thus bans the eating of fish because fish aren't farmed, and will speak sometimes if you are on the brink of death so it's righteous to have your wife choke you every night until you lose consciousness in case Blessed X wants to talk to you.

Person who learned about the faith at age 5 and never updated any of their understanding of anything. Incredibly devout, but to a version of the faith that isn't actually practiced anywhere.

Person who acknowledges the gods are real, but refuses to worship because why would you worship some rando mage that happens to be powerful?

ETC. Take the pantheon(s) you developed, build a human system around them, then add 1000 years of internal politics, external politics, games of telephone with important beliefs, and lay worshippers who only moderately care. It's easy to end up with 50 ways of worshipping 5 gods and 50 more ways of worshipping other stuff that's just hanging around. And then each individual group is going to have the most insane person from your local Nextdoor participating in the discussion. Shake well, and you've got a lot of interesting stuff to dig into.

Tired of stories where the author worldbuilds a whole religion only to chicken out at the last moment by making the main character a skeptic. You mean to tell me that there’s all this richness in lore and culture, but you’ve trapped me with the one person in this society who doesn’t care about it? So bland. I could meet an agnostic easily enough by walking down the street, but your story is my one chance to hear the perspective of someone who follows whatever religion you’ve contrived. You made this whole world; convince me that your character really is from there.

[fangdokja]

You see ‘yandere x reader’ and click before you even register the title.

♡ Yandere! IRL Authors x Fem. Reader. Tumblr Smut Lord, AO3 Angst Demon, Webtoon Cult Leader, Wattpad Menace

♡ Word Count. 1,595

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord who writes the most unhinged, sinful, and depraved smut known to mankind. His works are the equivalent of opening Pandora’s Box, except instead of unleashing evil upon the world, it’s just an endless void of morally gray men ruining readers’ lives.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord who—ironically—types in lowercase, uses way too many ellipses, and adds “lmao” at the end of the most horrific sentences imaginable. He casually describes an extremely graphic, detailed CNC scene and then ends it with “idk if this is good lol” like he didn’t just write a psychological thriller with dick involved.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord who has mastered the art of ‘filthy but poetic’ prose. Every line drips with decadence, torment, and skin-to-skin tension so palpable it could be mistaken for war crimes.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord whose online presence is mysterious and unapproachable. A cryptid. An enigma. You assume he’s some hyper-sexualized sadist with a god complex, lurking in the shadows of the internet.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord in real life… is a complete, sleep-deprived disaster of a man. Looks like he hasn’t seen the sun since birth. Drinks coffee like it’s an IV drip. Wears the same hoodie five days in a row and has approximately zero experience with physical intimacy. If a woman so much as breathes in his direction, he has a minor existential crisis.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord who would rather die than engage in a normal human conversation. Gets flustered when the barista says ‘Enjoy your drink.’ Mutters ‘you too’ and then contemplates vanishing into the ether.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord who has 0.2 social skills, only capable of communicating via niche internet memes. The type of guy who would rather go mute than order food at a restaurant. Yet somehow, on his blog, he writes like he owns you, your soul, and your lineage.

♡ Yandere! Tumblr Smut Lord who reads your likes and reblogs like an ancient seer interpreting the stars. Starts recognizing your username and associates you with your favorite kinks before he even knows your name.

———

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who writes the slowest of slow burns. His stories are an agonizing descent into despair, betrayal, and emotional devastation. If you emerge unscathed, you read it wrong.

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who writes long, drawn-out, soul-crushing slow burns that emotionally ruin you. The type of author to have a 500k word fic where the leads don’t even hold hands until chapter 72; that by the time the characters confess, you have aged fifty years and achieved enlightenment.

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who weaponizes pain. He thrives on suffering. He will kill off your favorite character, rewrite history, make the protagonist go through 47 tragedies, and then gaslight you in the author’s notes with: “Haha, don’t worry, it gets worse 😌.”

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who doesn’t believe in fluff or happy endings. If a couple ends up together, it’s only because they’ve been mentally and emotionally shattered beyond repair. Love should hurt.

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who has written a 500k-word enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-trauma-to-questionable-endings fic. Updates it once every eight months with a new chapter that wrecks everyone’s souls.

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon whose comment section is filled with cries of anguish, people begging for crumbs of relief, and threats of violence if he doesn’t update. He loves it.

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who in real life is a smug, terrifying presence. The type of person who naturally commands attention in a room, makes eye contact like a predator, and definitely thinks he’s superior to everyone. If you complain, he’ll just smirk and say, ‘good.’

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who will write a heart-wrenching monologue about grief and loss but will deadpan ‘skill issue’ when someone tells him they cried over it.

♡ Yandere! AO3 Angst Demon who immediately notices you. AO3 shows your username under every chapter. You think you're lurking, but he sees you. You’ve read everything. He grins. "Ah, a loyal masochist.” Now he writes just to ruin your life.

He decides to write a character based on you.

And then kills them off horrifically.

Just to see if you react.

———

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who creates breathtakingly beautiful, emotionally fulfilling slice-of-life romances. His webtoon is an international hit, known for its whimsical storytelling, soft characters, and themes of love, redemption, and found family. So wholesome that you get secondhand diabetes.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who has a cult following. His fandom is peaceful. His Discord server is full of polite theorists discussing themes of love and destiny. His fanbase cries over his updates and makes hour-long analysis videos about his symbolism.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader whose comment section is filled with ‘you are saving lives’ and ‘your work makes me believe in love.’ He responds with a polite thank you.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader whose fanbase genuinely believes he is an ethereal, kind-hearted being who cares deeply for his readers. They call him a ‘storytelling angel’ and shower him with praise.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who, in reality, is a manipulative, enigmatic bastard. He smiles softly, speaks gently, but every word is calculated. He knows exactly how to make people obsessed with his work.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who is extremely meticulous about his art, spending hours perfecting every single frame. If his pen pressure is even slightly off, he will start over from scratch.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who writes kind, patient love interests but is personally incapable of speaking to someone without making them feel like they’re being subtly interrogated.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who has a cult-like following of devoted fans who analyze his every word. He cultivates his image so perfectly that even when he does something slightly unsettling, people excuse it as part of his ‘genius eccentricity.’

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who you know, deep in your soul, is probably the most dangerous out of all of them. But his story structure is immaculate, so you keep reading.

♡ Yandere! Webtoon Cult Leader who notices you. You, the ghost in his analytics. You, who has read every chapter, every bonus illustration, every scrap of lore he’s ever posted. Never a comment. Never a message. Just... there. Always there.

He finds himself drawing you before he even realizes it. Unconsciously shaping the curve of your face in the margins of his sketches. He tells himself it’s nothing. Just an artist’s habit.

But then he wonders—what would your hands look like ink-stained?

———

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who writes like he’s on crack. His stories make zero sense, filled with memes, typos, and sheer insanity. He updates at 3 AM with absolute nonsense and somehow gets a million reads.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who writes whatever the hell he wants, whenever he wants. Meme fics, unhinged crack, psychological horror, 200-word smut snippets, an entire 300k-word novel he abandoned halfway through—pure chaos.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who writes the most batshit insane content known to mankind. His most famous work is titled something like "I Fell in Love With My Mafia Stepbrother Who is Also a Vampire and the Heir to a Billion Dollar Fortune."

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who has no filter. One chapter is an emotionally devastating death scene, and the next is the protagonist twerking on a corpse. He will write anything. No trope is too cursed, no ship too questionable. He operates on pure, unfiltered instinct and vibes.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace whose writing is an enigma—one moment, it’s a masterpiece of tension and poetic brilliance. The next, it’s an unhinged shitpost where the love interest is a literal baguette. There is no in-between.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who doesn’t follow writing rules. Grammar? Who cares. Plot? Maybe. Tags? Only the unhinged ones.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who has too much power. He makes polls for plot decisions, and his readers choose violence every time. Someone jokingly suggests "make the love interest a sentient toaster" and he does it.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who engages with readers in the most unhinged ways. Someone comments ‘I love this story!’ and he replies ‘Bet you won’t survive the next chapter.’

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who has no writing schedule. Updates randomly at 4 AM after disappearing for months. Comes back and drops 100k words like he never left.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who, in real life, is insufferably charismatic. Talks like a Twitch streamer, always slightly unhinged, and has an energy that makes people both love and fear him.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who absolutely knows his writing is a mess but thrives in the chaos. If you complain about an unfinished story, he will write a completely different, unrelated fic out of spite.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who probably has a folder of fics titled ‘cursed drafts’ and actively enjoys emotionally tormenting his readers.

♡ Yandere! Wattpad Menace who sees you’ve read everything. His analytics tell him you finished 120 oneshots in one night. He drops a new fic the next day, titled, "To The Lurker Who Reads Everything: Bet You Won’t Comment, Coward."

———

You, the dead-inside lurker, consuming all their works in silence, fascinated by their writing but never engaging. You have seen the depths of their minds. You understand the intricacies of their plots. You have read every word, every story, every update.

And yet, you will never, ever comment.

They will never know you exist.

(Or so you think.)

♡ A/N #1. Genuinely funny and I hope you all enjoy this, especially since majority of my Readers are lurkers. Yes, I see you. wahahaha. I'm one as well, so I get it. Hope this is relatable to both writers and readers.

♡ A/N #2. One of my Readers made me snicker out loud with this ASK. And, honestly? I think they're onto something here...

If you want to be added or removed from the tag list, just comment on the MASTERLIST of Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows. Thank you.

General TAG LIST of “Whispers In The Dark”: @keisocool , @elvabeth , @elloredef , @mjsjshhd , @lem-hhn , @yuki-istired , @lilyalone , @starryperson , @yandreams-storageblog , @tiffyisme3760 , @songbirdgardensworld , @yune1337 , @mocalocha , @astreaaaaaa6 , @poopooindamouf , @yandereaficionado

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology

♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires.

♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World.

♡ Book 4 [you are here]. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows.

♡ Book 5. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams.

♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Disclaimer. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution—these tales explore obsession, madness, and devotion in their rawest forms.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

quick question- I was a bit confused in some dialogue during book 1 lol 😭😭 It’s during the later chapters when riddle has collared both ace and deuce after they’ve challenged him for his seat. More specifically, the part where yuu calls riddle out for his behavior (rightfully so) and he responds by insulting them and their parents I believe?

The confusion stems from aceyuu shippers (just wanted to clarify I’m not self shipping lmao) where they say ace ends up punching riddle because he’s explicitly defending yuu’s honor or whatever but i also see other people (non-shippers) who say ace punched riddle because he insulted ace and/or deuce’s parents? Im not quite sure which one it is and went back in the actual game to check but i feel like the wording of riddle’s insults is a bit vague? Idk, maybe im just being a bit of a dum dum and can’t properly comprehend the scene even though it’s quite simple. I feel like it’s also just because i see a lot of people saying different stuff and just wanted to hear your thoughts on it if that’s okay?

I just feel like you really understand both the story and characters in that regard haha

P.S. your posts r genuinely very informative and helpful especially for people like me who kinda have no media literacy (not in a negative way!!) pls keep up the good work you’re rlly great at it <333

Hmmm, I see 🤔

Before I get to responding to this question, I want to preface this with a few disclaimers! Firstly, I do not mean to invalidate or detract from Ace x Yuu shippers or anyone who may interpret their relationship as romantic. You should ship what you like and have fun doing it. My reply aims to be more objective, but that should NOT impede on your enjoyment or whatever it is you choose to ship. Secondly, for those who don’t ship Ace x Yuu, I will be discussing the pairing later on in this post, so please keep this in mind.

Let's first look at how the game and how it depicts the scene. This occurs in 1-22, shortly after Riddle collars Ace and Deuce in their duel for the dorm leader seat. With his victory secured, Riddle begins to gloat about how this is proof that he is "the most correct". At this point, Yuu/the player character is granted two dialogue options:

If you choose "But that's not right!", Riddle replies with, "I am the one who decides what is wrong and right! What sort of pitiful education have you received, that you cannot follow such simple rules?"

If you choose "You can't just use rules to do whatever you please!", then Riddle replies with, "If there were no penalties, no one would follow the rules. I have to wonder what sort of pitiful education left you unable to comprehend so simple a concept."

However, no matter which dialogue option you choose, Riddle continues on to say, "Clearly, you were born to parents with no great magical capability. And as a result... You lack even the basic education necessary to attend a school such as this. It's quite sad."

Deuce becomes upset after hearing this--but before he is able to act, Ace is already on his feet and manages to deck his dorm leader in the face.

Based on the fact that Riddle seems to react to something that Yuu says, the framing here implies that the "you" Riddle is using refers to them specifically. As you can see above, both Ace and Deuce take offense to what Riddle says, but it is Ace that acts preemptively and attacks Riddle for his rudeness. This is what Ace x Yuu shippers will point to as a defining moment in their relationship (though, to be clear, this scene can definitely also be interpreted as platonic!!).

… Buuut it’s not completely clear that Riddle is explicitly directing any and all insults towards Yuu and Yuu alone, even if Yuu was the one to prompt his tirade. Due to the visual novel style format of the game, we have limited assets to base our interpretations off of, so going by the game alone may not be entirely accurate to what is happening in this scene. For example, we don't know how the characters are oriented relative to one another. It's possible that Riddle responds to Yuu's dialogue and then turns away to berate Yuu, Ace, and Deuce for their stupidity, since all three of them are, in his eyes, rule-breakers. We simply cannot tell due to the constraints of a visual novel. Let’s consult the manga adaptation and see how that presents 1-22.

In the Episode of Heartslabyul, the framing of the panels centers Riddle and Adeuce; Yuuken is not involved whatsoever. (On a prior page, all Yuuken remarks on is how fast Riddle is able to cast his spell; Yuuken has no lines similar to game!Yuu’s earlierdialogue options.) Riddle stands imposing over his opponents and rants at Ace and Deuce about their lack of an education. You can see that it really strikes a nerve with Deuce (whom we learned used to be a delinquent prior to NRC). This still results in Yuu punching Riddle.

The manga seems to imply that Riddle is not insulting Yuu, but rather Adeuce. This makes sense to me, given that though all of them are rebels to Heartslabyul’s strict rules, Adeuce are the two who most directly challenge his authority.

You can see in a close-up panel that Deuce is gritting his teeth and trying to hold himself back from going at Riddle. The text in that panel involves the mention of parents who cannot use magic—which just so happens to be true of Deuce’s mother. The same mother that he worked so hard to make proud of, the mother he turned over a new leaf for. But again, it’s Ace that gets the hit in. Why is that?

Let’s check out our final source, the first volume of the light novel. On pages 319 and 320:

Riddle very clearly states “And as for you two.” This clearly refers to the fallen Ace and Deuce. He then unleashes his barrage of insults at them. Again, not at Yuu, but at Ace and Deuce. The text even goes on to remind us that Deuce would be especially rattled by Riddle’s words because of how he had come to NRC for the sake of his mom. In this version, we see our Yuu (Yuuya) being more involved by trying to keep Deuce from lashing out. Like in the game, however, Ace still gets in that punch on his dorm leader.

Okay, so… The game, manga, and light novels are different iterations of the same base story. Based on which you consume, you could walk away with an entirely different understanding of the scene in question. The game, being the most interactive medium with a self-insert main character, a gacha game which makes $$$ from endearing the characters to us, has the set-up which is most conducive for yumeshipping and thus making the player feel beloved and important in 1-22. This is obvious if you also consider that many fanservicey lines from other parts of the game (such as Ace wanting to sleep in Yuu’s room) being left out of the manga. It's also entirely possible that Riddle first reacts to what Yuu says, and THEN shifts his attention to address the group rather than just Yuu. The manga, with a more standoffish and level-headed Yuu, doesn’t speak up like game!Yuu does, so Riddle instead directly insults Ace and Deuce. The light novel, which features a timid and non-confrontational Yuu, is focused on deescalating the situation. And, like the manga, the light novel is NOT interactive and so it doesn’t need to concern itself with making the player feel special. Riddle isn’t mandated to acknowledge Yuu; he can instead be mad at Ace and Deuce all he likes.

If we were to combine information from across the game, manga, and light novel to decipher what is “truly” happening, here’s how I see it!

The light novel contains a scene exclusive to it on pages 176 and 177. As Ace is making himself comfortable at Ramshackle, he formally apologizes to Yuuya for being mean to him in the prologue. Ace explains that his meanness was because he thought that Yuuya had bullied his way to be admitted to NRC under special circumstances. “[…] the rest of us had to work our butts off to get in, and you just sorta walked in.” He proclaims that this was unfair, so it annoyed him.

This makes a lot of sense for Ace’s character. In book 7 of the main story, he expresses that he is insecure about being an ordinary mage and that he hadn’t even developed his UM yet. He calls himself lame and pathetic, someone who is always looking for an excuse to take the easy way out. This is in spite of the bravado he puts on and how he often brags about being better or smarter than Deuce (most notably in book 5). If we believe the light novel dialogue, Ace worked hard to get invited to NRC. He has pride in earning this, and he has something to prove while he is there. Recall that his older brother is an alumnus of the school, and that his own father is a magicless human. Ace canonically has a good relationship with both of these family members and often bonds with them through little things like card trick competitions. When Riddle insults Ace's background... he is also insulting Ace's brother and father. He is also insulting all the effort Ace put forth to get into NRC in the first place. Ace would of course lose it--especially when he has been the primary victim of Riddle's rage for most of book 1. He's the first to be collared, the one who had to apologize and attempted to make an apology tart (which got rejected). Bro's fed UP having to bend the knee to a tyrant and sick of watching everyone else do the same. The punch that comes out of it seems to me like the result of all Ace's pent-up frustrations, as well as his own fury at Riddle speaking ill of him and his family.

While Ace is unquestionably willing to ride or die for Yuu in books 4 (he takes a long public transit route from the Queendom to Sage's Island after receiving a SOS text from them) and 6 (he tries to protect his friends from Ferrymen)... I think book 1's a bit too early for him to be SO loyal to Yuu that he'd get this angry on their behalf and sock Riddle. (Book 1 takes place during the first week of school; Ace seems to have only known Yuu for a few days at this point + hasn't really hung out with them besides sleeping over at Ramshackle since he's not allowed back at Heartslabyul.) His punch definitely feels fueled by a bunch of other things rather than being extremely motivated to defend Yuu's honor. I think maybe a case could be made for the game specifically, since that's the only version where Yuu is potentially addressed rather than Ace and Deuce being addressed. However, this does take some extrapolation. You'd have to assume that Ace is actually very attached to Yuu this early on or pair it with the idea that Ace is sensitive about magicless humans in general being discriminated against because of his own father being magicless (ie Ace was insulted by proxy, even if Riddle might have aimed the comments at Yuu). Not sure if the latter argument holds up very well though, considering that Ace himself did discriminate against Yuu in the prologue because they lacked magic. Likewise, he doesn't get mad for Fellow and Gidel in Playful Land when they share about being looked down on for not being magically inclined. But hey, maybe that was just Ace being in denial and acting contrary in order to cope with his own complicated feelings on the topic. He’s been known to behave like this anyway, acting cocky despite having no UM and denying that Yuu would go home (even though we later find out he deeply does not wish for this to happen).

I definitely think that many of the game-exclusive lines and content are there as fanservice for the players, who are encouraged to project or to self-insert as Yuu. Ace in particular is one of the characters who gets a ton of this kind of yumejoshi bait-y stuff. Everyone has it to some extent, but Ace is one of the rare few who has several pretty overt instances in the main story (whereas most other characters have their fanservice content relegated to voice lines and maybe some events). On top of this scene (which could potentially read as "Ace defending Yuu's honor"), we have: multiple instances of Ace offering to share a room/bed with Yuu (once in book 1, again in book 3), he has shared his number with Yuu and invites them to call him if they "miss him", Ace's entire book 7 dream revolving around a reality in which Yuu is able to freely traverse between Twisted Wonderland and their original world (furthermore, he is the ONLY dreamer we have seen in which Yuu is involved in the dream), etc. Ace is also known to frequently tease Yuu, and, on top of having several voice lines inviting them to hang out, is actually shown hanging out with them and caring about them in various vignettes and events. For example, he has movie nights with Yuu (Idia's Labwear vignettes), asks for their opinion on whether or not he looks the part to woo the Ghost Bride, rides roller coasters with them in Playful Land while previously complaining that his ex-girlfriend wouldn’t, and worries for where Yuu might be (Endless Halloween Night). With this abundance of Ace and Yuu content, I can see why people that have the shipping goggles on--and even those who don't--might interpret early scenes as Ace acting out for Yuu's sake, be it romantically or platonically. More objectively speaking and when considering the manga + light novel though, I don't think I personally read 1-22 that way. I enjoy Ace as a character and I support Ace x Yuu shippers, but the evidence and context suggests that he's venting other frustrations to me.

Again though, this is just my interpretation. Feel free to use this information however you’d like and come to your own conclusion.

[nikispade]

It’s been driving me F***king insane. It’s one thing to not like a show, it’s a completely other thing to say as person is a bad writer and should never be able to create something because YOU don’t like the direction of a story or a character.

At this point the personal insults that come out whenever some dislikes something just pisses me off. I don’t t know her or the teams with her but no one deserves to be spoken about like she is purely because she can’t make everyone happy.

If you don’t like the shows, go make your own.

If you gave personal beef, keep it personal.

You have to like it, or watch it, or even hear from the creators. Skip it and go find something to love.

I’m fine with critics, Love a good debate, I freaking adore solid criticism but when it gets to personal insults that’s not what it is anymore.

It’s not fun, it’s not intellectual, it’s just bullying

I've officially gotten someone trying to "call me out" for "defending VivziePop" on TikTok, people saying I'm a "VivziePop dickrider" and look I honestly to god do not see what I say as "defending" her, but fine, here's a defense

I think it's weird as fuck how people are so willing to say heinous things about a queer Latina woman the SECOND they find a target that's "acceptable." I think it's insane how people will dub her a pedophile and a zoophile, two of the worst things a person can be for, at worst, PG-13 art that is both ancient and taken SEVERELY out of context. I think the way people bend over backward to twist her words to have the worst meaning possible is bizarre

I won't be sorry for that. I DON'T have a personal opinion on VivziePop, I can't, she's a stranger, but I will never not see this behavior around her as 10x weirder than anything she's ever done. I think it's fucking gross how quickly the internet will turn on queer women the moment it has "permission."

I hate how uncritically it's done. I hate how blatant the double standard is compared to someone like Brandon Rodgers. It infuriates me, honestly. Some people out there should genuinely be ashamed for the behavior they express

TLDR: The worst thing a woman can be is successful and flawed

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of fics that have a bad boy Louis character as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

🖤 What Really Matters by @lovemylarry

(M, 116k, uni) After finishing school, Harry Styles starts studying at Manchester University. Harry is a nice, innocent boy who has his heart in the right place. In contrary, Louis Tomlinson doesn't have anything in common with Harry. 

🖤 Strawberries & Cigarettes by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes

(E, 76k, omegaverse)  Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.

🖤 The First Year by @parmahamlarrie

(E, 46k, uni) When Louis Tomlinson was assigned a first year student to be his roommate for his final year at the University of Manchester, his expectations were low. All he needed was a cheap place to sleep and keep his stuff amidst his nights out, willing his brain to forget his past. 

🖤 Buried Like Treasure by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 40k, royal) Semi-retired thief Louis Tomlinson has been pulled in for one last job: steal a painting from an uninhabited mansion.

🖤 Want It Flowing Through My Streams by screwstyles

(E, 30k, omegaverse) Harry has just qualified for his first Grand Slam, and he’s prepared to make the most of it – that is, until his heat unexpectedly hits him only a few days before his first match.

🖤 i’d burn this city down to show you the light by you_explode / @nobodymoves

(E, 23k, strangers to lovers) Harry's a sheltered rich kid and Louis's a punk with a heart of gold. They meet when Louis breaks into Harry's house, Harry obtains an instant and all-encompassing crush, and they spend the summer falling into a whirlwind romance.

🖤 taken by lust’s strange inhumanity by CuckooTrooke / @larrydoinglaundry

(E, 20k, omegaverse) One of the reasons Harry said 'yes' in the first place was because he believed Louis Tomlinson, the campus’ most notorious “bad boy”, would be here.

🖤 For You, I Will (I Don't Believe in Magic, but) by theweightofmywords / @lil0

(E, 17k, criminal Louis) Louis leads two lives, when all he wants is a simple one with Harry.

🖤 Saturday Detention by @fallinglikethis

(NR, 15k, The Breakfast Club au) Five boys with nothing in common end up together in Saturday detention. Maybe if they can get past their first impressions, they’ll realize they're not as different as they thought.

🖤 Wild by LarryUniverse

(G, 10k, boarding school) the au where louis is forced to go to boarding school and hates it from the minute he looked at it but a curly haired, frenchy, photography obsessed stunner changes his mind.

🖤 Canny With The Flow by thinlines / @thinlinez

(E, 9k, omegaverse) Omega Harry brews a plan to bag his crush and executes it. Period.

🖤 Sun-kissed Hurricane, Perfect Storm by iwillpaintasongforlou / @canonlarry

(T, 7k, high school) Harry is the quiet kid in the back of his statistics class who writes a lot and dreams about Louis’ cheekbones . Louis needs a statistics tutor ASAP before he flunks and the quiet kid in the back of the class seems like a good choice.

🖤 If You Could See Him Like I Do by BornOnABeach

(T, 7k, getting together) The gossip came from everyone. But the people who talked didn't know Louis like Harry knew Louis. 

🖤 Baby Doll by zedi

(E, 4k, pwp) PWP with shy nerdy Harry and Bad Boy™ Louis

🖤 We can wait 'til tomorrow by fallenflowercrowns / @headband-husbands

(T, 3k, neighbors) Harry pines hoplessly after his best friend who he thinks rejected him, Louis turns up under his window one night. They go on an adventure.

🖤 we're swimming with the sharks until we drown by velvetnoodle

(T, 3k, casino) There’s only one thing that makes Harry’s job on the casino floor bearable, and that’s a chance to grab the attention of the mysterious man who frequents the establishment often.

🖤 dark dark nights and violent things by StarryDay13 / @daydreaming-sunflower

(T, 695 words, rich Harry) Harry's friends are rich assholes and Louis just wants to go home and cuddle (and maybe get high).

- Rare Pairs -

🖤 To Catch a Thief by StormDancer

(E, 49k, Zayn/Louis) There are some rules even thieves have trouble breaking. Marriage vows, for instance.

[zarstarss]

completely impartial to lab partner situationships

[sapphiresaphics]

“Nowhere did I say that I need the show to spoon feed me direct answers” <- then proceeds to complaint that we don’t have direct answers for various things and are angry that the show doesn’t “engage with the long term consequences.”

I’m gonna call you a “gassy” because your OBSESSION with how this fantasy gas works is kinda hilarious.

You say that real gas spreads? Cool. The show doesn’t show this. The show DOES show the gas filling an area, then when characters leave that area the gas is no longer present.

You say they gassed the entire undercity? Cool. The show doesn’t show this. The show DOES explicitly show Caitlyn and her team using the vents to navigate towards the chem baron hideouts. They NEVER show them explicitly pumping the gas into people’s homes or streets. So yeah, you’re kinda Marlon shit up there.

You say they employ child labor? I agree. But the show doesn’t show Caitlyn and her team attacking the child labor. So again, you’re ASSUMING something that did not happen because it helps you hate on Caitlyn and the writers.

You are fabricating lies and basing a lot of your negativity and hatred on assumptions. Which is dumb. Because the show gives you plenty to work with. You don’t need to LIE to hate on Caitlyn or Piltover.

That’s what I mean by you need direct answers. And the fact that all of your complaints are based on assumptions and things you made up to fill in those gaps so you have answers to work from is my point.

To answer your other questions…

1. They never erased Piltover’s guilt. Piltover is still guilty. You aren’t supposed to see the end of the show as a positive. You are supposed to realize that Piltover not learning a lesson means the cycle of violence is going to continue. It’s a condemnation of the system, not a support of it.

2. Singe’s daughter wasn’t dead. She was dying. He was looking for a way to prevent that. That was like, his whole character arc.

3. Throughout season 1 Viktor was trying to improve the lives of other people, but he was constantly hindered by his own weaknesses and failing health. Him slowly dying because of Piltover’s negligence doesn’t change the fact that Viktor saw his own struggles as personal weaknesses that needed to be fixed. That’s why he didn’t want to go on stage at progress day. That’s why he gave Jayce so much guff about being a politician. That’s why he experimented on his LEGS first and not tried to cure his disease.

The seeds were there, you’re just a bad gardener.

has anyone else noticed that the writers were absolutely reluctant to fully commit to the darker implications of piltover's actions? like the gas attack on zaun? but tbh the writers' self-sabotaging of arcane's potential as social commentary is not what's really frustrating, it's that it's not just a missed opportunity, it’s a deliberate avoidance. the writers couldn't make piltover that bad, at least not through the characters we have to follow.

with the gas attack, what we get are scattered hints: a single man coughing, kids praying to janna in a song (in a way that’s super easy to miss), and worship of a painting of janna. but the show never fully depicts the suffering caused by the gas. it never commits to the atrocity and by refusing to depict the actual impact, the show softens piltover’s culpability and allows a big part of the audience to either overlook or justify it.

but the gas attack aside, the writers had two opportunities to make an explicit statement about systemic oppression, environmental racism, and the true cost of unchecked industrial power but they avoided doing so. and those two clearest instances of this avoidance are in how the show handles viktor and orianna:

in season 2, viktor’s story is literally warped to avoid blaming piltover. viktor, a character who should represent the suffering zaunites endure because of piltover’s neglect, is instead pushed into the role of an irredeemable villain for a marvelesque shit show. his transformation discards his humanity so blatantly that the audience is distracted from the actual injustice: he was dying because of piltover.

his ending is framed around jayce’s “beauty in imperfection” speech as if he should have just accepted his disability rather than seeking a cure, when the reality is, he wasn’t just disabled, he was dying because of the system piltover built. that was his entire struggle in season 1, but by season 2’s end, the narrative no longer engages with it to protect piltover.

as for orianna, she is reduced to an easter egg as a gift to league of legends fans (which is funny because the show ruined her lore for them), but more importantly, to avoid critiquing piltover.

her lore was an explicit condemnation of piltover’s disregard for zaunite lives. she was a little girl who helped zaunites, got sick due to piltover’s pollution, and had to slowly replace her own body with machinery until she lost all humanity. but arcane erases this. she’s barely a cameo, and the audience isn’t even told how she died. the show doesn’t just sideline her suffering, it removes it entirely, sanitizing piltover’s guilt in the process.

more importantly, all of this lets a big part of the audience defend piltover. for instance, by never showing the gas’s impact, the show gives certain viewers the option to ignore it: no bodies, no long-term sickness, no undeniable, inescapable horror. and i'm sure we've all seen how this allows for interpretations that justify piltover’s actions in the fandom, whether that means erasing the gas attack’s consequences or framing it as acceptable because the victims are zaunites (who are often conveniently portrayed as violent criminals).

also, ekko’s line about rescuing more people because of gang fighting is a perfect example of how the show subtly misdirects the audience. yes, gang violence is an issue, but it’s not the only crisis. the gas remains, it spreads, it poisons the people, especially the children working in factories. those are also people the firelights must have rescued. but the show chooses to highlight one crisis over another, and we know why ...

anyway, it's sad that the writers had no balls. they let so many people feel comfortable not thinking too hard about piltover’s crimes, and comfortable enough to insult anyone who criticizes characters participating in those crimes, especially caitlyn and her squad.

[hkthatgffan]

What are your thoughts on the Pines parents? Particularly since the reveal of them having marital issues in TBOB?

I'm pretty conflicted tbh. Part me finds the revelation interesting and a pretty insane new layer to add on to the show's established canon, but I also feel like it could be another case of Gravity Falls fans taking flour and trying to predict what kind of buffet Alex is cooking.

In the case for the assumption this is hinting at the twin's parents having marriage issues and going towards say, a divorce, we have small hints in series that could be assumed as that, from Dipper's initial worry of leaving Mabel alone in Cali without him, Mabel's own fears of growing up without Dipper and the future itself, the abruptness as it sounds of them being sent to Gravity Falls, etc.

Of course, we also have the fact that Alex Hirsch's parents themselves are divorced IRL and him and Ariel grew up with their mom. And as they both are the inspiration for Dipper and Mabel, this can be a case of Alex hinting at that and adding another element of his life to them.

It course also somewhat goes counter to his past statements about how we never really are gonna learn anything about the twin's parents, because he doesn't see them as characters we need to know about as the story is focused on the twin's in Summer with Stan and Ford (I mean, all we initially knew was that their dad worked with computers and got Mabel's night shirt at a Windows 95 event, lol). So, adding this to the pot does feel like a pretty major change in direction.

That said, on the other hand, it could just be that...marriage issues the two of them are working to fix. Perhaps they sent the twins away while they sought couples therapy or something to mend things before the kids got back. We can also make the assumption Dipper may have overheard something that he mistook as being more serious than it was.

I say this from personal experience. I've often overheard arguments or pretty heated stuff my parents were yelling about that I probably was not supposed to hear or assumed the wrong thing about and it left me worried about if well...you know. Thankfully that never was the case and as I've gotten older I've come to better understand that sometimes parents fight but they can resolve things on their own in time. Though as kids, that shit can scare you, especially someone at Dipper's age. And while not all parents probably can resolve those matters the same way, it's always a possibility worth assuming here, especially with the little info we know. I mean, Bill said "Why do you think they were in such a rush to get the kids out the door for the summer?" It sounds like he's asking us fans to make our own guess on that.

And speaking of Bill...there's the Bill factor to consider too. Remember, who wrote this?

BILL CIPHER! And Bill is about as reliable a source for accurate info as the US government or Doug Ford is when it comes to Line 5 or why he REALLY closed the Science Centre (IYKYK).

Many fans doubt the truthfulness of what Bill said in the book. So, he could just be making this up and Dipper may never have had that dream to begin with. Of course, it would be weird for Alex to make a book full of lies about the show, but then...this is Alex Hirsch we're talking about.

Personally, I believe Dipper did have this nightmare and he overheard something intense. But as to what it's alluding to...I'm not sure.

I think this is another case of Alex Hirsch leaving the question open ended. What's up with the twin's parents? That's for us fans to decide.

If you believe they're divorcing, you can. If you think it's nothing and Dipper is over-worrying about an argument his parents had, you can. And if you think it's BS and Bill made it up, you can too.

That's again the beauty of Gravity Falls leaving itself open ended. Every headcanon and theory is possible. I mean, fans believed for years Bill was in Stan's mind till this very book killed that theory off for good.

Maybe in several years if Alex decides to, he'll expand on this plot point and answer the question once and for all. But for now, what the deal with Dipper and Mabel's parents is, will remain...

[politicalunicorn]

Thoughts on Captain America: Brave New World

It wasn't that bad. Lots of people are saying that it sucked, and yes, I was hoping they would do something more interesting with the adamantium but c'est la vie.

The villain was definitely really scary. I think the direction choice of showing us individual people that The Leader was killing is arguably one of the best choices. I found several moments where I genuinely looked at the screen and gawked.

That being said, the villain felt almost cartoonish. Like? C'mon. that phone call with Ross was just... it felt like a my little pony villain, bsfr

JOAQUINNNN MY BABY!!!! We have been LACKING for Peter Parker-coded characters, and he is definitely one of them. I love the way people are calling him baby falcon, bc yes, but also the mentor-mentee relationship between him and Sam???

On that relationship, Sam and Joaquin have the relationship of siblings with a massive age difference. Like eight years at least. Joaquin idolizes Sam and Sam is fond of him, but teases him as well. It's just so cute.

SamBucky nation is winning. Enough said. The I love you was one thing but the "He's also 102 years old" like, ok??? gatekeeping your man?? ok, I see you Sam <3

I did not empathize with Thaddeus Ross. Maybe, if they made him a shittier father, yes I would get the whole new leaf thing. But making his entire arc of bs in the last fifteen years be about Betty was just...not it. Make him have more to prove.

Also the writing of the phone call? Please. I know Marvel writers can do better than that.

this is just a problem with film-making in general, but marinate in the silence. a lot of life is silence, real-life exists in the margins of conversations. like that conversation between Bucky and sam could've definitely had that silence to really pull that impact.

the fight scenes tho??? that was so good, that was acc such good choreography, OBSESSED.

Bucky as a congressman is something that I really like, but was unexpected. I can totally imagine him trying to make the world a better place, but we're probably going to get that guilt-complex justification that marvel always pulls with Bucky.

The Isiah arc?? that line of "Don't Come Back" was SO good. Also, his face when he was shoved into the ground and his cries about his suit, was HEARTBREAKING. just absolutely gorgeous. arguably the best acting performance.

Sabra??? Kind of unnecessary??? like, the black woman (I don't remember her name, sorry) that was Sam's friend in the White House would've had a better role. It would've also been an interesting way to analyze what it meant to be a black woman in the Red Room.

also, if we WERE going to analyze sabra as a character, what does it mean to be Israeli in the red room? I am not a huge fan of boycotting someone based on their identity, because you can't really change where you come from, but we could analyze the status of the ethno-state in the larger marvel universe if we could.

I really wish they had pushed the political intrigue storyline, so much harder.

we do want bruce banner back tho. specifically the insanely lovable version of him in Avengers 1.

I wish they'd make the dialogue more natural

the avengers plot line could've been tied in better?

TLDR: It was a really good movie, with some writing issues and some brilliant performances and some beautiful relationships.

[lumina-649]

One of the cutest aspects about the direction of Yashiro's character in the newer chapters is how much she's openly simping for Hanako. We even get a glimpse into how Yashiro actually views him.

In the beginning, Yashiro was dead-set on only getting with the hottest of hot guys---the whole prince charming type. In fact, this is why she was obsessed with Teru for quite a bit.

But as of chapter you-know-who, there's very clearly a distinction between how the series/other people portray and see Hanako versus how Yashiro views him.

Throughout all the bullcrap these two go through, Yashiro realizes she can't keep her feelings buried anymore (though, I don't see why you would when you literally fight your way through this world's version of hell just to get to this dude, but I digress) and goes all in with acknowledging she wants nothing more than to be with Hanako.

Heck, even when her former crush, Nakahara was (creepily) hitting on her (actually, he was harassing her), she wanted nothing to do with him because Nakahara wasn't Hanako. It literally takes her a few seconds for her to even remember who he is because that's how insignificant he is in comparison to the one and only toilet ghost.

As she runs away from him due to his downright creeptitude (which ironically enough, smartly shows that he wouldn't have even made a good partner anyway so it was actually a good thing he rejected her), she reflects on how she DID want to confess to someone, but it wasn't to him---it was---say it with me: HANAKO--

And the best part from her reflecting on how she wanted to confess to him, it goes back to that part where he was with her in the stage where they'd be holding the performance for the Wizard of Oz. See how the series objectively portrays him versus how Yashiro sees him?

Yashiro is no longer concerned with any prince charming because in her eyes, Hanako IS exactly THAT. From what she originally saw as this snarky boy in a hat, she now sees him as the most handsome because of who he is and what they've both been through together.

He looks more attractive to her because of the fact she recognizes the bond she has with him and wants nothing more than to delve deeper into it.

As messy as these two are, I will say this: AidaIro are MASTERS at subtext and tugging my heart strings.

[abyssalsquiid]

ive tried to just reblog and move on and honestly it's the least concerning part of the whole thing but holy shit the linguistics here is beyond nonsense.

quals: got a masters degree in linguistics, graduated this january. also have a bachelors in linguistics. i specialised into the syntax-semantics interface (tam systems particularly). im no phonetician (im slightly more of a phonologist but even then) the errors hes making are so basic that someone with even a passing interest in linguistics would be able to pick up on them.

im going to focus on his use of terminology, rather than his overall claims of animal language, because they are a very good concrete demonstration of how he has no clue what he's talking about:

this means nothing. No, really. the only way this would make sense would be if he's talking about written language. and even then it's a stretch. there are lots of types of writing systems. japanese kana is a syllabary (each character represents a syllable eg. か (ka)), arabic is an abjad (words are only written with their consonants), and the latin script (which is the one im using now) is an alphabet (you write consonants and vowles). in all of these cases, the stuff you write has some kind of connection to the sounds youre making.

to extraordinarily over-simplify, something like the chinese scripts don't have this connection. the characters youre writing have a direct connection to the word youre saying, but there isn't a discrete connection between the lines youre drawing and the particular position youre putting your tongue, for example.

This is something he bring up, actually.

first things first, chinese does not have any pictograms. it is not a pictographic writing system, it's a logographic writing system (calling it pictographic is outdated and honestly quite racist) this is a very basic mistake to make and demonstrates in itself that he is using words that sound fancy and linguistic without having any idea of what they mean.

once again though, hes just talking about written langauge. emoji isnt a language in and of itself. the discrete representation he's talking about appears to be like, written down. there is a concept in linguistics about the 'arbitrariness of the sign' which basically means that when i say 'tree', it's just a spoken symbol indicating the concept of a tree. i could say 'arbre' or 'eumhun' or 'dua' and still mean the same thing (tall thing with leaves). in contrast to onomatopoeia where there's a more direct connection between the thing (noise dog makes) and the sound (woof). but that's the problem. all spoken languages are phonetic. if a language relies on sounds (as opposed to sign langauge, but even then) it has phonemes. what would be huge linguistically, would be if the sparrows had developed written language.

on that note

lmfao

here he's just talking about spoken langauge. all spoken langauges have discrete sounds. bro doesnt even know about phonotactics tho. languages have rules about what sounds can go where, how sounds can combine, whats allowed to be in the start and end of a syllable, and so on. two languages with the same set of sounds can sound completely different because their rules on what is allowed to go where are different.

given his note on it being extremely differemely difficult for him to learn becomes particularly baffling when we look at this next tweet:

so here we can see some examples of 'phonetic languages'

hawaiian (which has been analysed as having anywhere from 13 to 33 'sounds' depending on how youre counting the vowels, but i couldnt find anyone who said 14, so i have no idea where he got that number from)

english (hes talking about the general american accent specifically)

french

mandarin

hes ended up conflating terms here. he said that chinese was a symbolic langauge, and is now saying that mandarin is a phonetic language. hes right in that chinese as a writing system is symbolic, and mandarin is spoken so like, has sounds, and phonemes, and stuff, but it just kind of demonstrates that he doesnt really know what hes talking about and seems to be googling things on the fly (like 'number of sounds in [x] language')

all these 'phonetic' langauges are just human languages. all of them are very learnable if you put your mind to it. hell, he speaks one of them already. why would a language being 'phonetic' make it more difficult to learn ?

speaking of phonetics (Well, this is phonology), langauges make different distinctions between similar sounds. english doesn't distinguish between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, but hindi does. when learning anther langauge, you sometimes have to train your brain into making a distinction that isnt there in your native langauge, or to ignore a distinction that your native lanuage does make. all that to say that this:

is effectively saying nothing. a difference in acoustic sound (phonetics) does not necessarily mean a difference in meaning-affecting sound (phonology). he brings this up here:

in linguistics wed look at 'car' and 'bar' and say, 'these things have different meanings. clearly, /k/ and /b/ are different phonemes.' until we have a corpus of sparrow language with at least a little bit of semantic information, id probably hold back on the phoneme counting.

this has gotten long enough so ill just briefly touch on the grammar stuff:

i think what he's trying to talk about here is morphology. in some langages (like english) you can break down longer words into smaller units of meaning like:

un - happi - ness

[not - happy - noun]

this means you can adjust the meaning of things without having an entirely different word. different root words (the bit that imparts the most meaning, in the example above 'happy') can have similar sounds. thats what he's getting at with the 'cat' versus 'catapault' thing. 'cat' is a root word ('cats' = [cat - plural]), but 'catapault' is also a root word, it cant really be broken down any further (but you can add stuff to it, 'catapaulting] = [catapault(verb) - present])

and yeah, morphology can be a bit of a bitch. its sometimes hard to work out what bit of language is doing what. normally, though, we'd focus on the bits that are consistent (un = not, -ed = past tense) and use that as a kind of framework for working out other stuff.

that being said, andy thanfictions lack of linguistics knowledge comes out again when he says

could this be correct? yeah, sure. but there would be no way of telling (with his admittedly limited knowledge) whether this is a prefix, or whether this is an independent vocative particle. same thing for the suffix thing. i don't know whether he's saying [-ekek] is added onto nouns, or whether [-ekek] makes things nouns, but either way it would be very difficult to tell whether this is actually a suffix or some other kind of morpheme.

he seems to be throwing around half-remembered linguistics terms and just guessing at what they mean. even within his own logic theyre seemingly completely inconsistent.

ill just leave with one more thing:

i do not think anyone is saying that.

You may have already noted this, but Andy's claims on twitter about being able to understand what his sparrow is saying (and thus sparrow language in general) seem to be ramping up in unbelievability- apparently yesterday the bird was able to communicate that it didn't want its conversation with other sparrows recorded and shared. Andy makes mention of several of his followers who have apparently been having FaceTime calls with the bird. There's at least 5-6 of Andy's followers who consistently comment on the bird updates and show no credulity, expressing how much they want to be able to communicate with the bird like Andy does. It's probably not the biggest deal, but the whole thing has just been giving me an odd vibe. Feels like Andy once again making friends/followers by demonstrating abilities and knowledge no one else has.

Yes, his allegedly deep connection with sparrows has been getting weird for quite a while. He says he can understand some of their language, enough to relay things that the flock outside his house is talking about and things that Nuggie communicates to him. On top of that, Andy has written about things like Nuggie watching movies and musicals and following every emotional beat, to the point of showing the characters his malformed feet to offer encouragement when they're lacking confidence. Andy is anthropomorphizing the hell out of that little bird. Meanwhile, his followers praise him for knowing sparrows better than ornithologists do.

I've lived with a parrot before, for many years, and I bonded very closely with him. I agree that birds are much smarter and more emotionally complex than most people realize. But they're not humans. Their thoughts and feelings are not exactly like ours and we have no way to know exactly what's going on in their heads. Projecting onto them can lead to misunderstandings of their behavior and needs. Andy seems to be taking good care of Nuggie, from what I can tell--bearing in mind that we only have his word for it--but that doesn't mean he's right about everything.

Here's the thread you mentioned:

Here's Andy in November, writing about Nuggie's "phone flock":

Here's a thread from October, featuring Andy's musings on sparrow language. Friendly reminder that he is neither an ornithologist nor a linguist.

Note that at the end, he specifies that he's not Dr. Doolittle and doesn't speak or 100% understand sparrows' language...but he's still claiming a level of understanding that no one else has.

And here's Andy in August, wishing that he could communicate effectively with Nuggie and then having an actual conversation with him:

Those are some awfully complex ideas for a member of a non-human species to understand and respond to appropriately.

I'm not trying to suggest that Andy is forming another cult based around his bird, but like you said, Anon, it's notable that he is once again positioning himself as someone who has a special ability that no one else has. He's also repeating an old pattern in making himself the sole conduit to communicate with someone who holds a great deal of emotional significance for people. Back in the day, it was any of 160+ "others", and later, the DAYDverse/Harry Potter characters; now, it's a rescued sparrow with a disability, whom a lot of people apparently find inspiring.

[crustyfloor]

Honestly, I had questions when HyunA died, most of them just being why. After everything, after the pain Luka left her with, and the immense guilt over Hyunwoo's death, knowing what she's been through, why would she willingly take a bullet for Luka or even embrace him? It felt contradictory for a while, but now that I think about it, it feels very true to what we know about her for HyunA's character to have gone in this direction because of the person she is.

HyunA is the character who lived the "freest" life after escaping Alien stage. She got to experience what living freely was like outside of that environment and learned how to grow beyond being a pet human into her own person.

She was determined to keep pushing herself to move forward with each day because she would not let the struggle or her past stop her from continuing to live. Luka might've thought of Hyuna's rebellion as avoiding the situation, but she was building a life for herself, and we can see just how much HyunA grew during her time with the rebellion, how much she was loved and loved in return

HyunA didn't dwell on her past too often. Even so, her attachment to her childhood is significant; naturally, it makes her who she is today. The happy memories from her time in Anakt Garden that shared space in her heart with her moments with the rebels show she's reluctant to let that part of her go. But alongside this comes a burden she has to carry for years because she's constantly reminded of Hyunwoo's death; the child in her was still, always grieving him, feeling to blame for something that wasn't her fault. The pain of remembering it all weighs on her heavily.

Luka is the last living symbol of her past and her trauma that she couldn't let go of. The lasting sentiments and fondness she has for him clash with the complicated feelings he left her with after her brother's death. She couldn't bear being close to Luka anymore because knowing he was the cause of her brother's death hurt her. She regretted ever even getting close to Luka. She resented herself even more because she didn't want to let go of him

HyunA is brave for having worked so hard to get to the point where she could laugh again after escaping. There was a time when she was overdrinking and smoking to cope with the full force of her emotions when she first arrived at the rebellion.

After time passed, she could act as if she were confident and already resolutely moved on on the surface.

But really, Luka remained an everlasting and lingering presence in her life. The way Luka haunts her brings her back to the past she doesn't want to address. The way she used to see him as this harmless lonely boy who'd cling to her and follow her around. Now, she avoids his gaze or freezes when she sees him. He's a constant obstacle in her journey. She resents that undeniably. But she's guilty that despite that, and after everything, she still cares about Luka enough that he is a weak spot for her.

HyunA isn't a vengeful person. She is a justice seeker, but she isn't angry. She wants peace; she wants peace for herself and the people she cares about, and you can't find that in anger or hatred. Many people's first response in her position would've been to be angry, and rightfully so. But HyunA doesn't let anger dictate her next actions no matter how justified she would've been. That isn't the kind of person she is. This doesn't mean she accepts the pain she went through, but she always wants to keep moving forward in the right direction.

HyunA's humanity and love are strong aspects of her character; they've guided her to this point, and since she is effortlessly compassionate and selfless, always putting what she cares about before herself no matter how foolish it may be

It didn't even take her a minute's thought to save Luka the moment she realized he was at risk. She just moved. Despite her appearance of disinterest moments before, when she realized what he was doing, that look in his eyes (she knew him better than anyone there did anyway), that part of her from childhood that was always caring for and looking after him naturally resurfaced instantly. And like the impulsive, self-sacrificing person she is, she protected him.

Even with HyunA's extremely mixed feelings and lingering affections for Luka, it is not acceptance of all he did to her or forgiveness that makes her save him. The pain and discomfort Luka put her through is inexcusable. Regardless of however much she might disregard/dismiss it, she still suffered. She never forgot that, that's why she can't forgive him.

But it is HyunA's love, compassion, and humanity that have always guided her. At heart, she has a beautiful and kind soul. She fights for others because of her many experiences and the death of her closest loved one. Even though she 'could've' let Luka die, her strongest core values override the resentment she has in her. She doesn't forgive him, but it represents how HyunA cares about humanity. It represents how HyunA has always cared about Luka no matter what happened between them.

Love is twisted in every aspect of this series as it is fully intertwined with humanity. and it shows. Despite her complicated feelings that are deeper than even terms like love or hate can accurately apply, Luka is still HyunA's biggest weakness, despite the moments when she was angry with him and maybe even wanted to hate him; it's a testament to how much she cared about Luka. She couldn't. In fact, her love was so great that she wanted him to live.

It's incredible how this is her most selfless and selfish act yet. There was so much on the line. The rebellion still needed her, and Mizi still needed her. She still had a life to live for. but she died for Luka because she couldn't see him die. After all, she still cared about him so deeply. She even sees that Luka should still have a chance after everything and passes down her soul to him through the words she'd been told before, urging him to find peace within himself and live on without her, knowing he has never had that chance. And that is so fittingly human of her.

But really, why does he deserve it? Why does HyunA think Luka deserves it?

HyunA didn't want to live in self-hatred and anger over things she couldn't change. She wants to look beyond it, grow, and experience life to the best of her ability while she's still alive and working with the rebellion.

-

"HYUNA is the kind of kid who carves out a path for herself that she thinks is right."

"She doesn't look back when she feels weak or hurt; she keeps moving forward, and that's what HYUNA is today."

-

It's because of the person she is that she even rescued Mizi. Because HyunA recognized herself in the lost, distressed girl who was carrying a burden like no other and needed guidance. That's why she rescues Luka. Because she recognizes him as a human who deserves a life worth living with happiness and peace like any other. The narrative doesn't excuse Luka simply because HyunA feels that way for him, but it does provide insight into her reasoning for saving him. Optimistic or foolish as it may be, it's very HyunA in its way of execution

do you know how hard I prayed hyuna would say Sike and revive at the church today... its been a whole 2 days I've been crying nonstop

[linmori]

The Glow Beneath The Dough

Posting the alternative (technically original) version of this fic of mine because I have it saved in my notes anyways so...

The normal story can be read on ao3 here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63036478

The plot goes the same way mostly, it's just a major change in the characters I guess in this 'alternative' version of the story

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✦

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The sky stretched vast and endless, painted in soft hues of pale gold and silver-blue. Wisps of clouds meandered lazily across the heavens, their delicate forms shifting with the wind’s quiet sigh. Below, the world hummed with life. Rolling fields of sugargrass swayed in gentle waves, kissed by the morning breeze. Milky rivers flowed smooth and steady, carving their ancient paths through valleys of caramel stone and honeyed earth.

Somewhere, deep in the lands of Ɇ̷̼͔͝ⱥ̵̹̗̌̅̕ɍ̵̛͎͕̚ⱦ̸̹̞͔̀̽ħ̶̣͈̭̽͘ƀ̸̻̠̔̆̾ɍ̸̣̂͌͝ē̶̱̫͆̾̉ⱥ̷̘̩̋̊̓đ̸̛̱̂?̷̢̧̄ 's beating heart, stood a city unlike any other—a sanctuary of knowledge, where wisdom itself had taken root and flourished.

Deep within the heart of the grand city of wisdom, where spires of ivory and sapphire pierced the heavens and golden scroll-laden streets whispered with the murmurs of scholars, there stood an academy unlike any other. The Blueberry Yogurt Academy, a beacon of enlightenment, housed countless tomes of forgotten history, forbidden magic, and the secrets of the world itself.

It was here, among the echoing halls of boundless knowledge, that he, Ꞩ̷͉̆̂͛͝ħ̴̡͉̩̘̅̆̌͂ⱥ̷͚͋̕͝đ̶̛͖̪̀ꝋ̸̢̙̐̀͐̃ⱳ̷̠͔̽ ̵̼̭͔̱́M̷̛͖͚̒̓̉ī̴̞̤͎̼͖̐̈́͐̌̈́ł̶̨̓̓̿̒͝ҟ̵̱̿?̵͍̒̽̃͠͝ —No— Blueberry Yogurt cookie resided.

To many, he was but a name—an elusive figure spoken of in hushed awe. The Virtue of Knowledge. The one who had unraveled the unseen threads of the universe and woven them into teachings for those willing to listen. An all-knowing being, they said, who could peer into the depths of any mystery and emerge with the answer.

However despite his vast understanding of the universe and all its intricacies, Blueberry Yogurt carried himself with a serenity that was neither cold nor distant.

He chose humility over arrogance, never imposing his wisdom on others or seeking applause for it. Instead, he wove through the academy’s corridors with quiet grace, his presence as natural as the turning of pages, as soothing as ink gliding across parchment.

To teach, to guide, to uncover the truths that slumbered beneath layers of time—this was his purpose. The pursuit of knowledge was an unending path, and he walked it with unwavering devotion. And yet… even one as knowing as he was not immune to the weight of his own curiosity.

Knowledge, after all, was a hunger that never faded.

Sunlight bled through the academy’s stained-glass windows, scattering fragments of color across polished floors and aged tomes. Within the heart of his study, Blueberry Yogurt observed his students with quiet amusement.

"Master! Master! watch this!" A Juvenile voice chirped, balancing on the arm of a chair, twirling a treat between her fingers. A honeyed smile graced her lips—sweet yet mischievious. Sparks of unstable magic crackled at the candy's tip, the glow reflecting in her scarlet eyes.

Nearby, another student—lounging with arms crossed—watched with an all-too-knowing smirk. "It’s going to explode in her face again, isn’t it?"

The girl huffed. "Hmph! I'll make you eat those words!" With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed the spell.

The implosion resulting from it was almost comical.

A burst of red candy shards exploded outward, scattering scrolls and pages in all directions and sending ink bottles rattling across the desk. Some students in the classroom gasped in shock at the small explosion, their eyes wide as pieces of sugary candy peppered the air, landing with soft plops—one of them even sticking to the girl’s own face and tangling in her hair.

Blueberry Yogurt sighed, his gaze steady as he reached out with a soft blue hand to pluck a stray parchment from the air. He held it up, studying it for a moment before allowing his eyes to drift across the room.

His voice, smooth and knowing, filled the space. "A rather...dramatic display…"

His gaze flickered toward his red-eyed pupil, who had been too distracted to avoid the explosion’s aftermath. "—Yet still lacking in restraint."

For a moment, silence settled over the room, thick with the weight of his words despite the lightheartedness.

A snicker broke the quiet. The dark-haired student, lounging with arms crossed, smirked. "Told you." he teased in a singsong voice, earning an immediate glare from his classmate.

The first student pouted but didn’t argue—though she shot a pleading, puppy-eyed stare in Blueberry Yogurt’s direction, silently begging for even the smallest bit of praise. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it.

As if on cue, the academy bell rang, a gentle chime that signaled the start of recess. Setting the parchment aside, he rose from his chair with deliberate slowness. The room seemed to hold its breath, the weight of expectation settling upon his students as they watched him, curiosity lingering in their eyes.

A small, almost imperceptible smile ghosted his lips.

"Try not to dismantle the academy in my absence." he said, his voice warm yet laced with quiet humor. And with that, he turned and left the classroom, the sound of his footsteps echoing softly behind him as he walked toward the gates of the academy.

He wandered the streets of the City of Knowledge with quiet grace. His Souljam gleamed in the daylight, catching the eyes of passersby, and more than one scholar stopped to stare.

Every so often, he was approached by those brave enough to ask questions, and with his usual calm, he answered them, his responses as thoughtful and knowledgeable as ever.

It had been a long day of lessons, and now it was time to retrieve the book he had lent to the keeper. The public archives were not as vast or as restricted as the Archives of his Institution's archives, but they were still an important resource for the academy.

There, scholars, students, and even the occasional traveler could access texts and knowledge. It was where the common knowledge of the academy was kept—well-organized, accessible, and filled with the collective wisdom of generations.

The keeper—a cookie he had come to regard as a good acquaintance due to their shared interests—had borrowed one of his personal written scrolls on White Moon Magic. He had been happy to oblige, but now it was time to reclaim it. Afterall, to refine the craft it was always best to keep track of his process

As he neared the cozy-looking entrance of the archives, lingering questions about his own craft filled his mind. White Moon Magic was his creation, yes, but its mysteries seemed endless, always unfolding in ways beyond his understanding.

Every time he believed he had grasped its final form, another layer would reveal itself, always slipping just beyond his reach. It was both thrilling and intriguing—an endless expanse of knowledge that beckoned him to explore further, as if there was always more to uncover.

Today, perhaps, he would find something new.

As he stepped inside, the soft chime of the bell echoed through the archives, its delicate ring filling the air with a sense of calm. The keeper looked up from her desk, greeting him with a kind smile, and he returned the gesture with a polite nod as he wandered over. They exchanged a few words while she retrieved his book, her curiosity ever-present. She asked him about his magic as she carefully placed the manuscript into his waiting hands.

Blueberry Yogurt might have indulged her further under different circumstances—after all, what was knowledge if not meant to be shared?—but time was pressing. The academy’s extended break would soon end, and he couldn’t risk letting his students think that his absence gave them free rein for mischief.

With a brief smile, he shifted the book under his arm and offered the keeper a quick farewell as he turned to leave.

But then, with no warning, he collided—full force—into someone standing just behind him.

The impact sent both of them stumbling, their books scattering in every direction. Before Blueberry Yogurt could react, the sound of the books clattering against the polished floor rang through the air. The keeper’s startled gasp echoed in his ears, but it was drowned out by a softer voice—gentle yet filled with concern.

"Ah—goodness me, are you alright?"

Blueberry Yogurt's mind scrambled to catch up with the moment. He blinked, his eyes refocusing as he looked up—and then he felt himself halt—not because of the collision, but because of the figure before him.

A stranger, dressed in a thick, earth-toned robe that pooled awkwardly at his feet, far too informal for the pristine aura of the City of Knowledge. Golden-blonde hair cascaded down in soft waves, catching the dim light of the archive. The stranger’s eyes were closed, long white lashes brushing his cheeks, but Blueberry Yogurt noticed the staff in his hand, likely used for guidance. It made sense, considering how clumsy his presence felt in the space, almost like he was navigating without fully knowing his surroundings.

Blueberry Yogurt paused, staring at the stranger. There was something about him—something off, yet achingly familiar.

As his gaze lingered on the kind, yet troubled face before him, an unspoken feeling stirred within him—a flicker of recognition that hovered just out of reach, like a memory fading into the distance, too elusive to grasp.

The stranger, for all his softness, had reached out instinctively when they collided. His hand hovered, open and unassuming—a silent offer, one that seemed to come from a place of quiet understanding. It was not the first time Blueberry Yogurt had seen this gesture, yet now, in this moment, it was unfamiliar, yet achingly so.

For reasons Blueberry Yogurt could not yet name, he hesitated. A strange, creeping sensation unfurled in his chest, an almost desperate pull, as if the very air around him had thickened with something he was supposed to understand. The warmth of the stranger's hand, still lingering in the space between them, beckoned, stirring an unplaceable ache within him. It gnawed at him, elusive and persistent, like something he should know but couldn’t quite place.

And yet, despite the swirling tide of questions within him, he brushed it aside.

Slowly, his fingers brushed against the stranger’s hand, meeting warmth.

With a soft breath, he reached out—and took it.

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[utilitycaster]

another thing that article about C3 coupled with like, general considering the concept of fandom made me think about is parasociality because the thing is, parasociality has become a word that brings the conversation about actual play to a halt and it really shouldn't be because a parasocial relationship is inevitable. I'd even argue that it's something many AP shows (absolutely not just Critical Role) are banking on. TAZ's audience initially came from My Brother My Brother and Me, an ostensible advice show with a strong "hang out with us" element. D20's cast were CollegeHumor alums, many of whom had recognition and their own parasocial fandom through that; and that's not even getting into the fact that the go-to bonus content for actual play is a talkback or interview show that allows you to get insight into the player as a person, not just as a vessel for their character.

The issues, I think, are when the parasociality goes beyond "oh hey, it's a guy who makes characters I like" and it bleeds into the following:

Overfamiliarity. My personal bar for overfamiliarity is set quite low, much like my personal bar for spoilers, and this is related. Suffice it to say, this is when you do share that the relationship you have with this person in your head is way more serious than the one they have with you in theirs, if you have one at all. This is how you get people asking Liam O'Brien whether he has PTSD in front of a large crowd of people.

Conspiratorial thinking. Look to C2 shipping wars. Cataloguing someone's every blink and imagining it's indicative of a romantic intention; getting super weird about table placement. It can also overlap with overfamiliarity, in assuming all character choices or preferences are undeniably autobiographical (think people forcing YA authors to out themselves).

Acting like Annie Wilkes in Misery. Directly attacking creators based on their creative choices and demanding something else from them. Note: this is direct attacks; it is not criticism. See below.

The flip side: White Knighting: "It's THEIR SHOW and you CAN'T CRITICIZE IT" and statements of that ilk. Not always parasocial; sometimes this is motivated entirely by personal self-centeredness ("how dare you not like the things I like", though to be fair that's an unhealthily parasocial response as well, just towards other fans or strangers on the internet rather than a performer)

It's really that parasociality on its own is relatively harmless; the second it crosses into entitlement, either towards the creators themselves or towards the fandom, you have a problem.

[huginsmemory]

@the-gay-prometheus THANK YOU YES! It'd been a while since I read TBOB, but with the details you really see that even though there are instances before even the sticky note, Bill doesn't do much direct physical harm to Ford, even if it ultimately ramps up to very verbal/situational abuse with only a dash of physical abuse... Even though Bill usually will happily go for physical abuse. And I mean, also looking at Bill scratching at the door thing... Bill is also desperate. There IS a timeline for how long they can stay in the nightmare realm and I think there is something terrifying on Bill's end of having that escape suddenly be shut off to him... (But that also doesn't detract from the horror of what Ford is experiencing).

Also, I think some of the 'niceties' Bill goes for could also be construed as 'carrot and stick routine', especially after the rooftop incident, with the fire and the chess set, but the thing is that it DOES come out of Bill's care for Ford and not just him wanting Ford to boot up the portal (it's a look at what we had; we can have this again, I want this again too. But it's only possible if you co-operate). And I think it comes out of the fact this is such a incredible well done depiction of an abusive relationship because just as there are often good times in abusive relationships that have people coming back to them, the person who is abusive most of the time does have a form of deep care for or love the other person, but it's a selfish love that is twisted by that person's own desires and needs which overrules their partners own autonomy (perhaps a better word is deeply attached... one can argue the definitions here. Also this is NOT me excusing those folks. Get the fuck out of there. It's just that relationships and caring for people can be more twisted than what people like to assume on the surface). And you see that with them. Bill cares about Ford, but he's also extremely selfish and not only that but self-destructive; this triangles got a whole SWATH of issues, and he can't for the life of him be honest about anything, especially regarding losing face. He lies and lies and lies (which I've chewed on over here lol). The only time we really see him be honest is with Ford about his dimension when he calls himself indirectly a monster (cough, self destructive tendencies from guilt)... And I think what's compelling is that he HAS been somewhat truthful with Ford before, because he does care about and relates to Ford. And it's possible if they did talk he would have been possibly honest again with Ford, about the nightmare dimension falling apart. But it doesn't happen because Ford refuses, which makes perfect sense narratively. And I really can't see it going any other way, without them not both being the characters that they are.

And I think WHY I really like the both of them as you've said is the tragedy of it. That Bill actually CARES but he's too fucked up over things to be able to really care properly. On top of the fact that they're both very similar characters and have found refuge and love with each other, even if it's codependent as fuck. And it all falls apart, even if there was real care and love in it, before it turned (exponentially) toxic. Good tragedy is when things COULD have turned out okay but the characters (will always) fail to make the right decisions, will always fuck it up. And you see that, cause you wonder what would happen if Bill was honest about the nightmare dimension, and to some degree if Ford would have actually spoken to Bill (and if Bill was honest in that conversation). But that's not them. Besides they've also got a fuck ton of other issues they'd have to deal with on top of that...

Really can't get over the CAN WE TALK? stickynotes. And I mean I think part of it really kinda clicked when I've seen some fanart about it. We really see in TBOB that Ford after beginning to hear voices slipping through the cracks and questions Bill, to learn what Bill really intended, ENTIRELY shuts down his communication with Bill. And you see Bill when he gets questioned in that moment responds with a heavily implied dialogue along the lines of "haha, yeah I tricked you, I'm here to overtake your dimension". But Bill still expects Ford to respond to him in some way, and it's very clear that Bill is shocked when Ford REFUSES to talk to him. And what's interesting is Bill doesn't just IMMEDIATELY begin with threats; he actually leaves stickynotes first, before Bill realizes he's FUCKED UP big time and gets really nasty. There's something pleading with the CAN WE TALK? sticky note. There's a point where Bill does realize he's not getting what he expected, that he's missing Ford, and that he's willing to possibly even smooth some things over, explain things better (maybe even the part that the nightmare dimension is unraveling perhaps) or persuade Ford into Bill's plans. But Ford refuses, and it's already too late for Bill because just like with Stan, Ford feels betrayed and when Ford feels betrayed he'll mercilessly cut the person out of his life. Ford deeply, deeply holds hurt and betrayal and as a result he has zero desire to speak with Bill again (and also uhhh big red flag to take over the world, so also. Yeah).

And it's interesting because it's a slower ramp up until Bill is desperate and threatens, uses violence, because that's what he's always used when it comes down to it, and an ultimatum is given. It wasn't just threats out of the gate; Bill DID try to speak to Ford (btw this is not me being like Ford should have spoken to Bill and it would be magically healthy, cause no matter how you slice it it's just a toxic mess tbh). Threats out of the gate would have been faster; there's over three weeks in the timeline, before Ford goes through the portal (althought we don't get too much context around exactly when everything occurs). That's a lot of time! But Bill didn't threaten Ford immediately. And I think part of that reason is because Bill expected Ford to speak to him, expected their relationship or at least their project to mean enough to Ford that Ford would speak to him and then continue their work, once his anger cooled off. And I think also part of it is because Bill cared about Ford, not that he'd admit it in the moment; but he'd rather Ford willingly be alongside him, then have to force him through threats to do the work on the portal. You see that, even after Ford spends 30 years trying to kill him and nearly even does, when he offers him during wierdmageddon to be a henchmaniac. Bill cares about Ford, wants Ford beside him. But then Ford continues to refuse to engage with him at all, and Bill realizes he's lost Ford, and progressively gets more desperate and angrier as he's still refused, and falls into the violence he usually uses, to get Ford to cooperate.

Anyhow it's one of those things that you wonder what would've happened if they DID speak, but that would ultimately be defying a big part of who Ford is... So in a way it's a juicy juicy tidbit to chew on, the implications beyond the writing on the sticky note.

[mashkdemss]

Parallels between Byler and the canon couple from "Anne with an E"

Warning, there are a lot of spoilers here! And I apologize in advance if you find mistakes in the text, I'm still learning English O_o

Hi everyone!! Last month, I watched the series "Anne with an E" for the second time, and during my second viewing I decided to approach the romantic line of the main characters from a different angle. After many analyses of Byler, I learned to analyze relationships in cinema, and this case really surprised me on the good side! Let's talk with you about the parallels between Mike and Will with Ann and Gilbert, which help to make sure that Byler will soon become a canon :)

"Anne with an E" is a Canadian TV series, the first season of which was released in 2017 (8 months before the release of season 2 of Stranger Things). The main role in it was played by actress Amibeth McNulty, who also played the role of Vickie in season 4 of Stranger Things. And this is not the only important connection of this series with ST! At the end of the first season, Hopper was reading a book to Sara in the hospital, and that book was "Anne of Green Gables" (the Netflix series was based on this book)

Then in episode 3 of season 2, he reads the same book for Eleven.

The main romantic line in "Anne ..." develops between Anne and Gilbert over the course of 3 years (13-16) and it is narrated through such tropes as: from friends to lovers, slowburn, a love triangle, and a trope in which both characters think that their feelings for each other are unrequited, although in fact this is not the case. All of these relationship constructions are also applicable in the case of the Byler.

Direct parallels can be drawn between the characters:

Will = Anne

— Creative and sensitive teenagers from medium-income families who were bullied by their peers. They both talk a lot next to people they feel comfortable with, both have a self-built little castle in the forest where they retire during a difficult period and can feel safe without fear that someone will judge them (and later these castles were destroyed at both). There is a scene where Anne runs into her wooden house and cries there, very similar to Will's scene after a fight in the rain.

Ann and Will both told their mothers (in Anne's case, the foster mother) that they are "not going to fall in love" although the line of their romantic attachment to Gilbert and Mike is already developing according to the idea of the plot. Another interesting correspondence between these two characters is that they both helped people dear to them with their romantic relationships, while they themselves did not want it. Anne read the letters that her foster father's old friend had sent him, and without telling him about it, she decided to send her answers on his behalf because she thought they were deeply in love, and her father "just didn't know what to say". As a result, her father found out about it and talked to her about how he hadn't read his friend's letters because he didn't want a relationship with her, he just wasn't in love with her anymore and wasn't ready to change his life. Does it remind you of anything? Will also used Anne's "tactics", revealing his feelings to Mike on behalf of El, only he used a painting and not letters.

And one more take.... Anne's so-called mentor was aunt Josephine. They were in a good relationship and she gave her advice about her life and love. Josephine was also a lesbian. I want to say that this is also a possible parallel, because in the fifth season we are definitely waiting for the interaction of Will and Robin.

Mike = Gilbert

— curly black-haired guy from a more affluent family, who often acts as a leader and has some authority as a smart student. He liked Anne as soon as she joined their school and he tried to win her attention, but Anne knew that her friend liked him, so she carefully avoided Gilbert (although she also liked him). This gives us another coincidence: Anne, like Will, believes that she does not deserve love and avoids her feelings in order for other people to be happy. The main similarity between Mike and Gilbert is that they both stand at the center of a "love triangle."

Due to misunderstandings that have occurred between him and Ann, Gilbert begins to think that his love for her is not mutual and decides to marry Winifred (represents El in our case). Winifred is a girl from a rich family whom he met quite recently, and if Gilbert marries her, then her father will give him the opportunity to study at a prestigious medical college, which he has long dreamed of. Everyone around him approved of the idea of him and Winnie getting married, everyone expected it from Gilbert. Their wedding, unlike a relationship with a village red-haired orphan girl, could have brought him social approval, just as Mike and Eleven's relationship could have brought Mike social approval and entrenched his image of a "normal heterosexual".

But Gilbert doesn't love Winifred the way she loves him. Therefore, shortly before their wedding, he confesses to her that in fact his heart will always belong to Anne and that for this he is ready to give up his dream. And although their breakup was sad for Winnie, Gilbert explained the reasons to her as tactfully as possible, saying that she deserved someone much better than him. All of this also goes well with Willelmike.

To declare his love to Anne again, Gilbert writes her a letter and leaves it in her room while no one is at home. He writes that he and Winnie are not getting married, that he has always loved only Anne, and at the end he signs "Love, Gilbert." LOVE, GILBERT. Where have we heard this before? That's right, Mike's letters... If anything, I absolutely believe in the Lettergate theory, and that's also one of the reasons I'm confident in it.

Then there is confusion, Ann thinks Gilbert is mocking her feelings, and tears up the letter, and Gilbert goes to a less prestigious medical college. Now they are both sure that their feelings are not mutual, and even resigned to their failure, BUT! Anne meets Winnie, who tells her that she and Gilbert broke up and that he confessed his love for Anne to her.

Meanwhile, Gilbert meets Anne's best friend on the train, who loudly told Gilbert everything she thinks about him and "opened his eyes." She also mentions a love letter that Anne left some time ago, in the same way Gilbert left in her room later. Anne's letter was also unread, and the phrase "What letter, Diana, what letter?" appears. Don't you think it's very similar to a possible scene from s5 of ST with "What painting?"

In general, they ended up running to each other and touchingly reunited, after which there was a sensual kiss that the audience had been waiting for for so long. Unfortunately, the series ended there, but according to the canons of the book, they lived happily ever after, married and had many children, as befits such old love stories.

The main plot is not about Anne's love story, but about her growing up, other problems and events in their village (as in the case of Stranger things), so this line between the characters unfolds slowly and throughout the series, and Anne with Gilbert open up about their feelings and kiss only in the last minutes of the last episode.

It seems to me that there are too many coincidences to be coincidences. All of this inevitably leads to Byler endgame, if you look at everything from a cinematic point of view. Absolutely the same techniques were used: framing, phrases, lighting, musical accompaniment. When watching "Anne..." viewers have never denied the fact that there are feelings between Anne and Gilbert, although they were not revealed directly until last season. And all because Anne and Gilbert are a heterosexual couple, and such couples unfortunately turn out to be more pleasant and understandable to the average viewer. But they turned out to be a really good ship, and I'm even glad that the Duffer brothers were inspired by this setting.

So if the Shirbert is canon, then Byler will soon become canon!