#but I do have a fave ship i must make art for so it was really out of my paws

[karaokebearwithal]

HEARTS DAY 💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘

(or whatever they say in Faerûn for Valentine's)

Pictured here doing a lil' dance to celebrate (despite being dressed for a completely different holiday depicted here) Are the local faves Asheera (@optiwashere's Tav) and Shadowheart!

The addition of clothes when it comes to animating brings up something I have never considered before. - Did you draw them the same in each frame - Fabric moves slower than the body, are they moving like that?

Hey Bear, you forgot a boot in a previous frame and now the past two frames you drew had no boot guess you gotta go back

If the hair moves in this frame but not in that frame, why do my eyes hurt?

The belt is heavy so it moves slowly

Needless to say, I ate this up. 😌 Doing this also realised I can just animate anything! So I'm gonna jump into the deep end and try doing Aylin's wings! It can't be that hard.

[arliedraws]

6, 9 and 25 for the Hater Asks pls 🦥

Hater asks 😂

6. Which ship fans are most annoying? Fanon Wolfstar. I am honestly so annoyed by the Prongsfoot bashing and the weird comments I’m always getting on art about Wolfstar. Sometimes I’ll post a Sirius/James work and I’ll get comments like, “Please tell me you don’t ship them 🤢” and it’s like…I would never do that on a WS post? It’s nothing new, of course—ship wars have always been a thing…but must they?

9. Worst part of canon? Did this one here but I can complain about something else. This is not the worst part of canon and not even that problematic, but I think Rowling was scared to kill off Sirius and gave herself an out. I’ve chatted with @impishtubist about this, but I think his death was ambiguous because she wanted to give herself a chance to bring him back. I think if she had been really be sure of her decision, he would have died by the Killing Curse 🤷‍♀️

25. Common fandom complaint you’re sick of hearing. I’m honestly sick of people complaining about Molly Weasley because of how she treated our blorbo Sirius. First of all, she DOES see Harry as her own, but to a certain extent, I think she also sees Sirius as her child too. But Sirius is a grown-ass man! He doesn’t like being told what to do, and he’s done just fine on his own for the last two years thankyouverymuch. But Molly is worried about him, and she can’t understand why he’s so sullen—he’s safe, and isn’t that what matters most? Why would he put himself in danger? Why would he put Harry in danger? I think this is a really interesting thing about Molly who’s lost both of her brothers. It’s annoying, and damn, she’s certainly not right, but I think she carries a LOT of trauma, and she puts that on people who she believes she can control. In a world that is spinning entirely out of her control, she’s hanging on to the last few things over which she can exert her influence. She’s so much more complicated than “bitchy mother who makes life annoying for our faves.”

Thank you for asking!

Choose Violence Ask Game

[dungeonmeshi-confessions]

I wanna do more kabumisu positivity following that other anon. it really brightened my day so much.

bc really I dont want to bash other ships to lift mine up!!! and I actually also really love and respect labru, and know the majority of labru shippers arent Like That, just like most kabumisu shippers arent Like That. every group has some annoying, loud, opinionated people and they dont represent the average person who likes the ship, you know? I would love to see some labrus follow suit and send in some positivity as well!!! If the positivity keeps going I will come in here and post all my fave things about labru, labru art, and labru shippers as a kabumisu. lets ditch the bitching and hold hands instead!

anyway, some reasons I really love kabumisu

- as a neurodivergent disabled person dating another neurodivergent person, this is like. THE couple to me. and like its not just about mithrun being taken care of. taking care of mithrun actively helps kabru be more mindful of his own needs. In my life, I may struggle to feed myself, but I can make breakfast if my partner is hungry. other times she may do the same for me, it depends on who is doing worse.

-they both struggle with insomnia also

-from everything we've seen, pre-dungeon mithrun wasn't entirely dissimilar to kabru (high masking people pleaser) and thats Fascinating to me.

-kabru's job seems pretty stressful (no matter how much fulfillment it brings him, its a lot of responsibility for one person!) so I feel like coming home to that one guy he can take his mask off around and not even have to try and impress must be such a huge relief. also add mithrun with cooking experience to this, making kabru a nice meal after a long day of work.

-Mithrun is actually very perceptive and sees straight through kabru's bs multiple times and doesn't hesitate to call him out. Laios isnt the only character that forces kabru to be honest. ("unless theres someone else?" "theres someone you want to tell that story to.") mithrun is also the one who gives kabru the information he's been seeking this whole time.

-I am very interested in exploring mithruns whole desire situation. what desires does he gain? I think it is probably a lot of little ones that weave together. oh also I think sometimes things may seem more mithrun centric bc in any story where he is going to end up in a relationship he is going to have a much more dynamic arc than whoever he is paired with. literally dynamic as in like. he requires a lot more growth to achieve the outcome. and there are ways to skip it or gloss through it but. a lot of these stories require that in some way you show the progress has happened.

-to me, kabumisu is more often queeplatonic than romantic. but Im aroace so that could just be my aroace glasses. ALSO kabru is vaguely aro to me. you mean the guy thats super desirable that doesnt really seem interested in anyone particular outside of pursuing friendship? that guy? (also the way he did rin omfg)

-random but I dont think kabrus PTSD is talked about enough and also like the extent of his trauma. its not just utaya/monsters/his mom dying; its being raised by a single mother, its his blue eyes, its being adopted, its being raised by an elf, etc!!!! a lot of things he does bc of ptsd get attributed to autism (I also hc kabru as autistic, and some is symptom overlap. but it is secondary to the ptsd! he is traumatized first and foremost ty) I really love kabru so much. ty for the ptsd rep <3

-also out here to say I know an amount of kabumisu content is mithrun centric. I will tell you from my pov specifically though its bc I deeply relate to mithrun (as someone who once told a therapist many years ago I desired nothing and truly meant it. she said I was like a puppet without strings. of course I saw mithrun and was like. oh.) and Im in love with kabru. kabru reminds me of all the people who gave me a reason to pull through. people who saw good in me and treated me like a person when I didnt feel like one. I also really relate to kabru though as someone with complex trauma, even if my traumas are not the same. thats why I say I think not enough is attributed to his ptsd. anyway, once I just opened a notebook and wrote kabrus name over and over again with hearts. I have never done this to mithrun. so dont tell me kabumisus dont like kabru !!!

-kabru and mithrun are both so gender. Ive seen so many variants on their gender and gender expression in the ship. some people hate this and insist they must be one way or the other. I think theyre neat lots of different ways. I love when theyre both feminine men. I love when mithrun is super masc. I love when theyre butch4butch. I love when theyre both trans. and so much more. its all beautiful. a very good variety of food. the other day on my dash I had a tallman art of mithrun with the biggest tits imaginable and the very next post he was like a little porcelain doll. keep up the good work guys. I love you.

.

[badninken]

Badninken! I must ask your opinion on the strawhat crew and other recurring characters like vivi, ace, buggy etc

Who are your top 5 faves?

Ooooooh! Fun! Putting the characters in a precise ranking order is too difficult though so I'll ramble instead.

Except that Zoro is number one straw hat of course. I knew from the start that I'd love him because he's a sword dude with Mugen's voice with that subtle lisp and most adorable sulk and uniquely non-annoying angry scream. As a kid he wanted to be the best swordsman by having the most swords at once and he's commited to his purpose. He's got super cool and utterly ridiculous special attacks with funny names and he's so, so serious about his swords in a way I find almost unbearably endearing. He was the first one to join Luffy but he never uses that to act superior over others. It's never even mentioned and he doesn't have an official second in command rank or anything. It only becomes obvious in those moments where shit gets really serious and his loyalty to his captain shines so strong it makes me cry. He's also so very stupid <3

This is the best Luffy screenshot I have

So, I did not expect to love Luffy but I do. Sometimes I really don't but that's usually when he's too excited or eating and that's a sound issue. This guy got me in the very first episode, as soon as his happy, sunny, explosive silliness paused and he got that sort of insane but still calm look in his eyes and talked seriously and with complete conviction in a way that makes you believe every word and then he fuckin punched some guys to back it all up. I think he's neat.

Chopper!! If there ever was a character I feel spiritually connected to in this series, it's this guy. I "cosplayed" him on Halloween in Shibuya 2019 without knowing much about him at all. I just bought his hat at donkihote because I recognized it. That's a very fond memory so I was excited to get to know him and oh! He's so relatable 😭 The way he gets all starry eyed and flappy-armed with admiration as soon as anyone does anything cool is especially relatable since I'm usually reacting exactly like that at the same time. I love how he's often nervous and scared but finds more and more confidence over time. He's fiercely protective and very serious about his job. I also love how he boosts himself up by calling himself a man, because he is! That's even his devil fruit power! It just sounds so funny coming from him.

(insert screenshot of Sanji here)

I like Sanji whenever he's not having an episode. His affliction is unfortunately getting worse and it's hard to ignore. He's normal around other men at least, and that's when he actually gets to be a character. I like that character. His fighting style is super cool and whether you ship it or not (I do) he's got an amazing dynamic going on with Zoro. They seriously make me laugh every time they interact. Idiots. They're perfect.

The others are ok.

So, side characters!!

I don't know all of these super well since some haven't gotten their time to shine yet or are still a bit mysterious. There will be more than five, no number rules can contain me. I'll just ramble. So Ace and Shanks are both super cool and interesting of course. Wish there was more of Ace before the whole thing. Dracule Mihawk wins big points for that fucking name and his whole aesthetic plus Zoro support. I did not like Crocodile during his arc, until he revealed his "banana alligators" like a damn Bond villain and also when I saw good fan art of him for the first time. Damn. Now I love him. I didn't care about Smoker either but now I really care about Smoker, Law's unwilling hero. I recommend looking up fan art of them too. Speaking of Law, I'm in love with his iconic crew trio, Bepo, Penguin and Sachi. I did not expect to like Doflamingo at all because he's predictably portrayed as the absolute worst predatory piece of shit in fic and that doesn't seem to be far off from canon. But I like when bad things happen because interesting characters make them happen, and he is interesting. Also love those pink feathers and his weird ass way of walking, what's up with that? He's got ghibli monster vibes when he's just feathers and legs and HUGE messed up spider hands. Fan art of him is excellent too and I'm seriously tempted to paint pink feathers. Eustass Kid has barely gotten screentime yet but he's so metal. That's his thing. I love that. He looks insane and fun and he's messing with Law and I've fallen in love with him through fan fic so I'm looking forward to getting to know him.

That's it for now! There will be more ❤️

[ren-rambles-often]

Hi Ren,

Please tell us about your favourite fanfiction tropes!

Sorry this took me so long, I was battling with the monster called responsibilities T^T

Honestly speaking, I'm so basic when it comes to tropes it's almost laughable but let's do this!! It's been a long day and I'm in no mood to get jumped so yeah none of my fave 'cest's will be here lol (maybe I'll do a separate post for those hmmmm).

Doing a top 10 cuz any more will require mental strength I definitely don't have. Love all my tropes interchangeably so the order they're in doesn't really mean much, don't take it seriously.

(Except for No.1, it's that high for a reason)

10) Omegaverse: I hated this one SO much when I was in my woke 17 year old fake fujo phase but now I'm literally looking for any reason to read or write it into my fave ships. It doesn't do it for a lot of readers, understandably so bc it's super easy to make cringe or write it poorly but "don't like don't read" It's not that hard.

One of my favorite aspects of omegaverse (or ab//o in general) is the aspect of scents. So much care and symbolism can be put into choosing what one particular character smells like, and it gives a different kind of feeling when done right. I've been getting in gardening lately and boy do plant scents hit different when you're growing them yourself.

Then there's knotting and that should be self explanatory 🤤

9) Cloning/Time travel: This is a particular guilty pleasure that I never see enough of except its a rare doujin or lone fanarts 😭. Like two or three of the same bottoms to one top?! Why does no one see the vision?! Or one of their future or past selves stopping by just because?! Idrc as long as someone is getting tag teamed lol.

8) Fuck or Die/Sex Pollen: these open up a lot of room for dubcon or mindbreak scenarios so I'm definitely down if the chemistry and lead up are just right.

7) Mpreg: Bet y'all expected me to mention this in omegaverse but as I've come to realize there are a lot of ways for mpreg to happen even outside of that. Once you tune out the "yuckie mpreg and watersports" tiktok babies you will be living your best life, trust me.

6) Crossdressing: Putting a male character in a dress is the quickest way to my heart actually. As much as I love maid dresses though, I'm more of a school uniform (not the sailor type) or office wear with short, tight skirts kinda guy.

5) Alternate Universes: Doesn't matter which just give it to me I don't care! It's hard thinking of any AU setting I wouldn't like because taking characters, putting them in a different setting and working out how they'll act in that setting while retaining the essence of their personalities and chemistry is truly an art form I can never get tired exploring.

Royalty/Fantasy aus have been done to death but I'll eat them up regardless. Sci-fi aus, not so much, I'd love to see more. And AUs based on a different show or media to the canon are like up in my top five aus probably right below mafia.

4) Mutual Pining: I fell like there's literally nothing to explain with this one. If they both aren't simping for each other in some way as I'm reading I'm hitting the close tab button, in this house we everyone must be chronically obsessed.

3) Forced Proximity: this goes hand in hand with the mutual pining trope; like sure they don't want to be around each other but that's because the longer they are the deeper they fall.

There's also the bonus of just arguing/banter, I love reading those so much, almost as much as the smut!

2) Getting together: Pre-relationship stuff leading up to the start of intimacy is like the best thing ever, it just adds that extra something that feel like 'yeah, maybe they would start dating like this' or 'yeah, they would have their first time together like that.'

Can't really explain properly but it really does feel like being there for the part most ships might never get in Canon.

1) Enemies/Rivals to Lovers: As much as I enjoy some fluffy-obsessive codependency now and again, what I prefer more is a tension that often comes with one character trying to ruin the other's life or (in the case of rivals) trying to one up each other. There's of course got to be the added bonus of being stupidly attracted to each other and fighting the urges tooth and nail only to succumb.

A lot of my top ships have this special something to them and sometimes when I'm writing aus I can't help cooking up one where they start of as enemies (the destroy your future boywife's kingdom and slaughter his family before taking him as a prisoner type of enemies but don't worry, he never liked that place anyway😋). Sex so good, the fuck did they hate each other for in first place???

Some of those are left either unfinished on ao3 or never see the light over day so question my dedication to the bit all you want but it's my undeniable number one lol.

Well that's about it, I figured I should've just written out the tropes and gotten it over with but I love rambling, it's in the name. Thanks for the fun ask Star (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

[divorcedwife]

What rpgs have u liked/played and how did u like them? :) i saw that your fave is pillars 1 and i love the setting n story so much (i just loooooathe real time with pause combat unfortunately. This also has soured da origins to me a lot. Do action pls or even better turn based but not that) also u have a lot of amazing anders art <3

pillars 1 my beloved!! maybe you already know but i must mention it just in case - did you see that pillars 2 deadfire has turn by turn combat? i don't think it's as good as the first in terms of writing, but when they introduced turn by turn, it became one of my favorites just for that. it made me so violent because combat went from a necessary evil to my favorite part of the game, so i was just going around the world looking for people to fight. and it really has its moments, i loved serafen and the first quest with the pirates, and it is a game where you can actually roleplay and cause real harm without intending to if you just listen to your companions all the time. they're not all good people.......

and bg3 also has combat that i really loved :-) i played it as a bard and as a rogue and i really loved both. i loved playing a support character and not feeling like the main character so much, and as dark urge, i thought rogue combat played with the idea of the urge very beautifully because i was so good at killing that i tended to skip dialogues and just kill.... i just wish i could reverse the clock and talk the devs out of constantly rewriting it ship of theseus style. the companions to me already had an issue of being too friendly and too innocent in their sufferings in a way i didn't find compelling, so making them even more into fandom versions of themselves is just evil

but i think that's all for RPGs where i really like the combat, all my other favorite games have real-time strategy and i just do my best. kotor 1 & 2 have it, although i enjoy it more when i unlock fucked up evil force powers. i still do love dragon age origins & 2, and have some fondness for dai because i really like the characters. and dao was largely improved for me by playing a mage instead of an archer ; if i can say anything nice about datv, it's that they've made archery good for the first time ever in dragon age. being an archer in dai is especially sad, you have a range of like two meters

i also tried the first baldur's gate game but i got too scared and confused with the companions management and the way the story progresses - like i strayed from the main quest and that locked me out of meeting jaheira, so i had to restart and redo all of that and it was painful. i think i could play it if i had some guide to follow or something, i just don't have the 1990s gamer disposition. but i really liked xan, i made him leader of the party so i could hear him complain all the time

& i think that's kind of it...! im not a huge gamer in that i don't try tons of different games, i just mostly obsess and replay the same ones over and over again. there's some others i could mention - like i played outer worlds and i liked it ok, i played fallout new vegas but it wasn't really my style and i didn't finish, and oh wait i just remembered i played all three mass effect games! well, i liked the first game and hated 2 and 3, which may be my most controversial hill to die on but i must be true

[crystallinestars]

OMG thank you so much for your response 😭 You always answer very kindly and in a detailed manner ahahah it is always fun to read your posts ! For rant, where to begin… I’m straight up typing this on a document so that it’ll be easier to organize gyahahah. I hope the readers do not see this as an assault on certain people, just an exchange of ideas 😁This is like 1250 words, enough for a uni essay, I feel that at some points it may be rather incoherent…

So I guess I will start with the shipping thing ! So when it comes to Kaveh ships, I see that it is like 99% with Alhaitham. I guess it is because of the way the game sets them up. Not only do they live under the same roof but iirc they have extensive voicelines about each other. I won’t deny that they play an important role in each other’s lives! Like back from their Akademiya days when they were still friends and collaborated with each other, and then when they had their falling out, and then Kaveh falls into financial ruin and inevitably ends up turning to his former friend for help (much to his own shame and chagrin). If they’ve known each other for this many years, it is natural that they would have many things to say about each other. 

However, I guess this also opens up the way for BL fans to interpret this in a romantic manner. Ofc they could feel free to ship as they’d like, but just taking into account the ones who are so insistent that any other ship must be wrong, I will detail the following… 

For people who have been in each other’s lives for a long time (I’m thinking 10+ years for these two), it isn’t out of the ordinary to talk about each other. I talk about the people in my close circle a fair amount, same with the people I know. It doesn’t need to imply a secret crush. And regarding their interactions, they often throw shade at each other. This is also interpreted in a romantic manner by many fans. If we look at this in a more positive light, I remember a guy player noting that their kind of interaction is similar to IRL male friendships. Guys dissing or making fun of each other with no deeper meaning to it. Bros being bros kind of thing. But if we look at it critically, I would say that a relationship where they’re arguing all the time… is not ideal. Like a commenter on Reddit said something that stood out to me, that Kaveh just looks so stressed when he’s interacting with Haitham. 😅 Looking at it from this angle, it makes it difficult to romance the two ahahah (not because of a “problematic” aspect but rather because it isn’t fun watching them just constantly arguing and Kaveh being miserable from this). 

To digress a bit, my ideal Kaveh ships would be either Kaveh+Lumine or Kaveh+Nilou. The former because Lumine in his hangout quest helps him a lot, like helping him deal with his past and with many of his issues. Also I like the idea of Kaveh accompanying Lumine during her travels, nice way to keep her company. 😁 And for KavehLou their romantic+artsy personalities and their shared cultural connection!!! I feel like Kaveh would legit treat Nilou like a goddess ahahah and Nilou would definitely cheer him up when he’s struggling, and both of them have super good vibes so it’s 💯 green flags all around. I also want to see them celebrate Nowruz together… ahahah. 

And this kind of ties into my next point that because of the whole shippy thing, Kaveh is rarely seen as his own character. This is evident when you look up his name on Twitter. Most of it will be him with Haitham; the fandom treats him like he is Haitham’s add-on. For comparison, when I look up my other fave Scaramouche/Wanderer, I actually get art of JUST him. Not with Kazuha, Childe, or even Lumine. Just straight up Scara. Kaveh doesn’t get this solo treatment because much of the fandom just sees him as an extension of Haitham. The thing is that Kaveh is one of the most human and relatable characters in the game: he wants to be a good person, yet he does struggle with having his own personality flaws. He has financial struggles that he’s barely clawing his way out of. If we disregard his genius and extraordinary academic record, I think most people could see themselves in him. In other words, I’d say that he is a very solid character. I think it’s about high time we give him his own chance to shine, without feeble scholar getting in his way ahahah (no shade to you, Alhaitham !). Let Kaveh be his own person!

And another point I would like to make, it is something that is of interest to me because it does involve different cultural perspectives. Kaveh is commonly interpreted as “feminine.” There is no shame in being a feminine man. However, the basis of this interpretation is 1) his appearance and 2) his expressive behavior. Regarding his appearance, I think it is because he styles himself in a particular manner that people automatically assume he is “___-coded.” To address this, I’ve seen Iranian Genshin players explain that historically, it wasn’t uncommon for Iranian men to wear jewelry, dress flamboyantly, and enjoy the fine arts. But to outsiders’ eyes, doing these makes him “less of a man.” It is like how some male k-pop idols are seen as “girly” or even “gay” by many in the West, but for women in many east+southeast Asian societies they are perfectly acceptable men. Just that when they see him as “feminine” it often verges into fetishization territory… I’ll try not to play pixel activism here, but ngl it gets really gross and weird at times. A few weeks ago I had the misfortune of laying my eyes upon a Haitham+Kaveh fanart where Kaveh was basically (sorry for the description in advance) Haitham’s belly dancer/slave?? Of course fanartists have the freedom to draw whatever they want but this image was pretty much a symptom of how the fandom views Kaveh. 🙁 Even one of the well-known Iranian Genshin enjoyers called this out as fetishistic and orientalist (the latter term is often thrown around with regard to Sumeru, but I think that this instance actually warranted its use). 

In addition to his appearance, Kaveh is a very emotionally expressive man. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Because of this, this further contributes to fans thinking of him as “girly.” So I guess men aren’t “real men” if they are open with their emotions, if we go by the logic of the fandom? Haitham and other characters seen as “masculine” e.g. Diluc and Childe are given the “masculine” treatment because they demonstrate far more restraint with their emotions, while Kaveh gets the “uwu I’m a lil bbygirl in need of saving” treatment simply because he doesn’t hold back when it comes to his feelings. So from this there’s like so much stuff of him as “ohhh submissive prettyboy 🥺🥺🥺” instead of taking into account other aspects of his personality, like he could actually be assertive especially when dealing with annoying clients. It does him a true disservice…

I feel that I’m missing many more points that I’ve considered before, if I ever remember them I will probably send them in… I hope it does not come off as some sort of crusade call, but rather just an outpouring of thoughts. And hopefully this is a decently entertaining read ^^;;;;

WELCOME BACK!!! I have been waiting for your lovely essay on how Kaveh gets done dirty by the fandom, and it made me so happy to see you and I share a lot of opinions in common on this! (That's a lot of text though. I don't mind the length at all, but I'm surprised the word limit let you hahaha)

To your amazing analysis, I respond to you with an essay of my own.

I completely agree with your points that people who have known each other for a long time would naturally have a lot to say about each other. Even if they haven't known each other for long, when people live in close quarters together, they definitely have things to say about one another, especially negative ones. The bickering Kaveh and Alhaitham have is expected since they're roommates, and on top of that, roommates that had a falling out as friends. Their relationship is a bit strained since neither wants to admit they were wrong in the past due to their pride.

I work 5 days a week with a coworker of mine, and I have a lot to say about her because we work closely together. Does that mean I'm romantically attracted to her? No, not at all. Quite the opposite. Unfortunately, this logic doesn't apply to fiction quite so easily, and I'll cover why in a bit.

The point about them acting like real-life guy friends is also very true, although I think their relationship fits a sitcom more closely. I know someone who said Kaveh and Haitham's relationship reminds them of Leonard and Sheldon's from The Big Bang Theory. Two guys living together, constantly bickering and throwing shade, but caring about one another deep down.

Lord, I can write a whole separate essay on why I think Kaveh and Alhaitham don't work as a romantic couple, but I won't do that here. This post is already gonna be long. Maybe another time.

However, I do want to say that while you make excellent points on how Kaveh and Haitham's relationship isn't inherently romantic, there is a very big BUT to all this. And that's Mihoyo.

As an anime game developer, Mihoyo knows all about the anime community. After all, the founders were all otakus, they know what kind of audience they have. They know what is popular, and what's popular is BL. There is not a single excuse anyone can give me that can convince me otherwise that Mihoyo didn't know exactly what they were doing when they wrote Kaveh and Haitham to be roommates. They didn't have to write them to live together. They didn't have to write all the extra dialogue where they mention each other. They didn't have to do the matching key idles, the references to the other in their birthdays, or introduce Kaveh through Alhaitham TWICE. They knew how their audience will interpret their dynamic, they had the option to structure it differently, but they still went through with it. It was deliberate.

Kaveh was introduced with Haitham, and ever since, they have consistently been shown together. It's as if they are literally glued to each other. Can't go a single birthday, event, quest, or otherwise without the other being present in some way. It is all intentional. Their interactions and cameos carry intent behind them that shippers pick up on, and that intent is to appeal to their group. So while it's erroneous to claim that Kaveh and Haitham are canonically in a romantic relationship the way a lot of toxic shippers are doing, there is a good reason why they think so. Mihoyo is actively encouraging this mindset by not allowing either character to shine on their own, but rather as a pair because they know this appeals to a subsection of their fanbase, and a large one at that.

As for your Kaveh ships, I agree 100%! Lumine is a good choice for sure (I say this as a kavelumi shipper *gets shot*), and while I don't ship it, I understand the reasoning behind Kavelou, and think it's cute. Nilou would be a really good influence on Kaveh. He always laments about how nobody understands his passion for the arts, but Nilou would. They're both artists that are trying to eke their own path in a society that doesn't appreciate art. Nilou, as you mentioned, would cheer him up, and I think Kaveh would also find peace of mind through her dancing. Kaveh needs someone optimistic and kind like Nilou.

While we're on the topic of Kaveh ships, I would also like to suggest my own that I really like. Kaveh x Candace. Please don't shoot me. Candace is strict and no-nonsense, so she wouldn't let Kaveh get away with constantly self-sabotaging himself. And unlike Haitham, she is gentle and almost motherly, so she'd be more successful in getting through to Kaveh and soothing him. Or so I like to think. Kaveh would also help her see the outside world more, maybe have her accompany him through the desert and show her beautiful sights she'd never see by staying cooped up in her village. Plus, he's literally helping to construct a library for her village! There is so much potential for them to bond over Aaru village yet Hoyo keeps pushing the same relationships, I am so tired-

But of course, for me, the best ship of all will forever be Kaveh x You/Reader. On my blog, every guy I write for loves you, and only you. Please don't kill me.

Carrying on, you are right in that Kaveh isn't seen as his own person. You'd be hard-pressed to find (popular) art of him that doesn't imply Haitham in there somewhere. Is it so surprising, though, when even the game developer treats them as a package deal?

I feel you, it's a pity. Kaveh's character is very complex and one of the most realistic. When I read his backstory, I couldn't help but think as if someone in Mihoyo put a part of themselves in his character. The struggles he goes through are realistic, painfully so, even. I've also seen lots of artists say they relate to Kaveh. He has so much to explore about him, but I fear that outside of the Darshan event and his hangout, we'll never get to see more.

Okay, so. I have mentioned before on this blog how I am annoyed at how Kaveh is viewed as feminine and submissive due to his appearance and emotional nature. You've already touched on all the points, so excuse me for sounding like a broken record, but I have A LOT to say about this.

There is nothing wrong with being feminine. There is nothing wrong with being a feminine man. What is wrong, however, is associating femininity with submission.

Kaveh has traits that are often associated with femininity, which, as you pointed out, are his neat and pretty looks and emotional expressiveness (the bit about Iranian men traditionally wearing jewelry is super interesting, btw. I didn't know, so this was enlightening!). To this, I also want to add that lots of people think he acts like a nagging wife with Alhaitham. That's basically all it takes for people to slap him with the "feminine" label, and treat him as if he's a submissive, blushy, uwu bbgurl I want to delete this term from existence

I know that men the West views as "feminine/girly" are often popular among women in Asia, and it really just comes down to culture and a matter of taste. I share their taste in men because I also find K-Pop idols and smooth-faced, slim anime guys more attractive than muscular and rugged men, and by no means do I think they're girly. But alas, each culture has expectations for how men and women are supposed to look and act, and it's led to more harm than good.

It's also unfortunate that Kaveh gets compared to Alhaitham a lot. Alhaitham is what one would call traditionally masculine. Muscular, stoic, reserved, aloof, etc... But especially the muscular part. Kaveh isn't muscular, and as we saw in the Darshan event, isn't athletic. This difference in physique is also a reason people call him feminine. I saw someone say (in a shipping context) that they prefer Kaveh to be submissive because Alhaitham is taller and bigger than him. Nothing wrong with wanting a sub Kaveh, but I find this reasoning very flawed. Fetishistic, if you will.

And yes, the "one man is a dom/top while the other is a sub/bottom" mentality follows a lot of BL ships. People literally fight with each other over who they believe should be the top or bottom. There are even specific emojis for it. Don't know why people are so hung up about who tops or who bottoms, but what do I know. I don't understand the appeal of BL at all 🫤

Gosh, I'm sorry you had to see that belly dancer art... I once saw a ship art where Kaveh wore a wedding dress while Haitham wore a suit. It wasn't a silly context, either, but a serious and romantic one. I really dislike seeing art of Kaveh being feminine or acting submissive because that's not him at all.

Please look at this official art. Look at how Kaveh casually stuffs his hand in his pocket, at how he sits with his legs spread wide without a care in the world, at how he slings Mehrak over his shoulder. Look at how confidently and casually he carries himself. His body language screams "masculine".

Kaveh is confident, prideful, assertive, bold... I could go on. These are also traits usually associated with men. I mean, look at how he talks about one of his seniors in his hangout!

He's got quite the mouth and a temper.

He's not shy, far from it, actually. He's not submissive. He's not a dainty damsel in distress than needs someone stronger to help him, because in actuality, he's resourceful and intelligent.

Kaveh is self-assured in his masculinity. Sure, he's not a big, buff man, and he wears his heart on his sleeve, but that doesn't make him less of a man or weak. Maybe physically a bit, but I don't think he's below average in terms of strength. He makes up for it with his smarts and invents things to circumvent his shortcomings. This part of him gets overlooked, because he gets compared to Alhaitham. It doesn't help that the two are always seen together lately.

In my humble opinion, Kaveh is more of a dom than Alhaitham will ever be. Haitham gives me vibes of being someone who's too lazy to put in the work in bed, so he'd rather lie back and let his partner lead. Meanwhile, Kaveh isn't afraid to go after what he wants, and will pamper his partner.

In conclusion, you are very right about everything. If Mihoyo wasn't purposely throwing ship crumbs at every opportunity, then Kaveh potentially wouldn't have had his character assassinated by the fandom. Every character gets mischaracterized to some degree (I weep for Childe), but unlike most, Kaveh's mischaracterization is largely in part due to shipping.

Apologies for the massive tangent. I had a lot of fun reading your analysis and mentally screaming "YES! YES! SHE GETS IT! I'm not the only one!", so thank you for sending this in. Don't worry, it was very well put-together, probably better than my rambling. I found out some new points, and had a few of mine validated, so feel free to send another essay if you think of more things. I love deep and thoughtful discussions like these haha!

[creativesplat]

Mipha!

Mipha… where do I start!? 

First impression: 

I thought she was a very pretty fish-lady, and was instantly blown away by how romantic her memory with Link was (some poeople already know, but before I played the game I looked at fan art and stuff and really liked the concept of ZeLink people were drawing - it must be a canon ship if people are so intense about it right? and I almost always fall for the canon ship in a piece of media. So I got into the game wanting to rescue the princess Link was in love with. Turns out that princess wasn’t Zelda, and from my first impression I was like ‘oh ok, so we’re not avenging zelda then… we’re avenging fish’

Impression now: 

She was so wonderful why did she have to die!! Link loved you, your design is so cool, why did you die!! A strong powerful (dagnam play AoC and you’ll see what I mean) warrior princess who loved her people and her family and Link. what a woman she was (and is in aoc).

Favorite moment: 

Okay, so I know its a bit basic and there are some awesome moments in AoC (like the date her and link so on) but the first memory, the first time you’re introduced to her, it still gives me chills. Mipha's touch is and always will be my fave. I love it. 

Idea for a story: 

The tensions between Hyrule and Zora’s domain bubble over, leading to a siege or something, and link betrays Hyrule to join Mipha and bring the war to an end. 

Ooh another one: Link tries to run away from the duty assigned to him and is forcibly kept at the castle by Rhoam but the champions help zelda and link and they leave central hyrule to try and figure out the various powers without the added trapped in the castle stuff. Mipha rescues link from a tower like rapunzal effectively. 

Unpopular opinion: 

Link should have rescued her instead being with Zelda during the calamity. She was strong and could battle effectively, but if Link had gone with her, they would have dominated water blight as a badass couple. If link and mipha had defeated water blight, they could have joined the rest of the champions (due to the sheikhah slate being available for teleportation), weaken Gannon through attacking the blights and then go and kick is butt in the castle. What a good happy ending that is! (I think I just described AoC a little bit…) anyway. 

Favorite relationship: 

LINK AND MIPHA THEYRE SO CUTE TOGETHER AND SO BADASS AND I LOVE THEM. 

They are the perfect couple, and the proposal armour is just so sweet and I adore them both :) 

Favourite headcanon: 

Oooh. There’s a lot to pick from… 

The symbols on the Zora armour represent Link and Mipha’s marriage, and tying the families together:

the Rhombus with the luminous stone is what I head canon Link’s family sigil/ crest to be:

And obviously the three cresents are Mipha’s family crest 

And here we see them combined, with a white stone in the middle 

White gems are often related to hope (link), healing (mipha), unity, and wholeness. So a unity between the rhombus and the crescents and the ideas of healing and hope? Am I reaching. Yes. Do I also love this head canon? Yes. 

2) Link understands Zoran (the Zora language) but can’t speak it very well on account of the fin movement and whistling required. Mipha regularly says ‘I love you’ or other comforting things via subtle tail or fin movements when in company. He has little hand gestures he uses, sign shorthand I guess, to tell her the same.

3) the champions all knew about Mipha and Link's relationship. because their little found family deserves to have a fun time trying to set them up on dates or make them do things together, so that even though things are tense between hyrule and the domain, the two can spend time together.

[silkjade]

Hi Jade, have you ever assigned your mutuals a ship? If not you should, it’s lots of fun! 🩷

yes i have before actually ! i can’t find the old post lolz but since it’s december, i’ll do a lil extra smthg ‘n send my mooties on a winter(ish) date as well ૮꒰ྀི •̀⩊•́ ꒱ྀིა

⤀ @sunnyshiloh gandharva ville is coasty toasty from all the delicious aromas of u and tighnari making the yummiest dishes + desserts with all ur winter fruits 'n veggies ! perhaps even a candlelit dinner ? no fire hazard w 'nari around 🍲

⤀ @zhongrin / @meimeimeirin hot pot for 2 pls at third round knockout ! order whatever u want babe, zhongli will write it off as a business expense cus treating da wifey is a full time job and he clocks in to work every day 🫡

⤀ @anantaru are u cold ? perhaps it's the perfect opportunity for heizou to warm u up, so how does a steamy hot springs date sound ? booked for just u two ofc, closed 🙅‍♀️❌ to the public today sryyyy !

⤀ @dustofthedailylife you & alhaitham are spending a cozy night in decorating the house 'n sipping on yummy hot chocolate ! kaveh will say it's cheesy af that there're mistletoes in all ur fave corners of the house, but just ignore him 🙄

⤀ @lunargrapejuice hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don’t slip ! hold on tight cus you’re going ice skating with neuvillette ! don't worry about falling, won't happen on his watch ⛸️🕵️‍♂️

⤀ @hwaitham kshahrewar has so much extra scrap metal, no one would even notice if alhaitham snuck a couple pieces so that he can take you sledding in the snowy slopes of dragonspine right ? 🤸‍♀️🛷

⤀ @mydiluc mr & mrs ragnvindr are decorating a gingerbread manor w lil gingerbread versions of you 'n him, so ofc diluc must swipe a glob of frosting onto ur face just so he has an excuse to kiss it off 😋🧁

⤀ @mooncreates the yashiro commissioner takes you out on a nice lil walk in the snow (boring !!!) toss a snowball at him when he isn't looking, and the real ayato comes out to play ���

⤀ @seveninchesfrominsanity no flights in teyvat ? wrong ! point to anywhere on the maps babe cus the akademiya’s on break and scaramouche is taking you on a winter getaway ✈️

⤀ @manumimiii to liven up the fortress of meropide for the holidays, you & wriothesley are off to erinnyes to find the perfect christmas tree ! cold ? no worries, he brought a thermos of tea so go 'n snuggle up under his coat 🌲

⤀ @i23kazu barista bb, this winter you are introducing xiao to the art of latte making 'n latte art 'n be sure to snap a pic of the conqueror of demons w a lil milk foam 'stachie hehe ☕️

⤀ @yuellii i m sending you & furina to the holiday market to shop for cute lil things that u def don't need ahem.. but um.. support small fontaine businesses right ! perhaps u can even get a pair of matching lil smthgs ? 💳💥

⤀ @ryuryuryuyurboat kaeya is taking you out of the city 'n down to dragonspine away from light pollution to stargaze ! but light pollution ? in mondstadt ? ehe perhaps its just an excuse to cuddle up in the cold then 🤭🌌

[withered-rose-with-thorns]

FAVE CREATORS ART CHALLENGE! for @alinaastarkov

You are one of my fave mutuals who I love seeing on my dash. I love reading your tags cuz they're so unhinged and you give out such nice compliments to people! It's cuz of you the Haladriel ship has gained one more member, you've successfully converted me. And your sets oh my gooood! Like there's so much I have to say about your sets, it feels like I'm about to explode with all my words right now! I started following you back when HOTD came out and when I first saw your ep1 set, I was so completely blown away that it made me want to watch it. Like before that, I had no intention of seeing it but your skills are so impressive that it changed my mindset.

And yes, I will put several of the ep sets here cuz I adore them so much, they are some of the best sets I've ever seen on this website. Some days, when I was at work I would open them just so I could stare at their beauty! Even while looking at your archive, I was amazed at how far you've come with your skills. You are a gift to the world with your loveliness and kindness, and I hope we can get even closer in the next year!

Rhaenyra Ep1 - How can I even describe this set? It's like you captured the sunlight and bottled it up within this absolute masterpiece. This is a 20/10 set, a total knockout. This is the kind of set that makes you feel grateful you have eyes. The amount of beauty leaping off the screen is insane.

Rhaenyra Ep2 - I feel like for this one I won't be able to convey all my feelings and awe so hope you can still understand my word barf. This set is so absolutely gorgeous, just mega ultra a-piece-of-heaven gorgeous. I still can't believe you graced us with this work of art. I want to give it a thousand kisses, I love it so much. From the drop-dead-gorgeous color combo, to your skills with blending and coloring these really dark and then really bright scenes. Like they should have hired you to be their editor.

Rhaenyra Ep3 - This peach and mint coloring looks so delicious, beyond sublime! I have no idea how you managed to color some of the scenes without it affecting the skin tone but you did it so beautifully that I shudder in pleasure. Here the blending looks extra impressive cuz I imagine it wasn't easy to combine these scenes especially in the carriage and the bloody hair. How do you do it?! Spare some talent please!

Rhaenyra Ep4 - This whole set looks so ravishing, it makes me want to hold it in my arms like Daemon wanted with Rhaenyra. Honestly, how did you manage to color these scenes?! This must have been done frame by frame for some of the gifs and I applaud your effort in doing this! It looks fantastic! The blending here is ingenious and the colors you chose work so well together! And my god the fontwork is just amazing! I love how you tried out a variety of different fonts for the sets and made them look so good! You are so freakin talented!

Rhaenyra Ep8 - Can I get a round of applause for Neve? Your extraordinary work in making this set so sexy, and your bombass blending-work here just shows off how incredible your talents are! The colors here look so scrumptious, just so fierce.

Rhaenyra Ep10 - I'm a huge fan with sets that have black and white as their focus but there's still some color left. Just something about it makes me go feral. Like this set, I was so mesmerized. And so impressed cuz this ep has so many bright scenes, I wouldn't even know where to start with trying to blend, but you did and made it look so epic!

HOTD Dragons and Their Riders - One of the best sets in the fandom, no contest. The amount of colors you managed to put into this and the use of limited scenes for some gifs, you are so creative. And not only is the coloring magnificient, the blending is top notch, like the level of awesomeness I aspire to be but the cherry on top is your fontwork and the little images that work so well with the scenes. I adore this rainbow-like set and it holds a special place cuz I am a huge fan of tinier gifs.

The Dragon has Three Heads - Didn't I just say I love tiny gifs? Well here's another set I love. The coloring here is extraordinary, it all looks so bright and pretty and the fact you had to use so many shows for this set in order to make it, your effort is felt and appreciated. But yeah your coloring skills are wowza!

Bridgerton - So I haven't yet seen this show but when I saw this set, I let out a gasp and stared at it for a few minutes cuz it is so stunning! The soft oranges look so lovely. Very heavenly and yet still holding some vibrancy and looks so pretty! And not only did you create wondrous blending for the colors but also for the bw, and it looks so incredible! And I adore that 3d gif with the bw side, the blending-work is just so coherent and cool. The fontwork is also once again, mwah!

Shadow & Bone - This is also another show that I haven't yet seen but it's very high on my watchlist so I can't wait till I finally see it and get to reblog this fandom's beautiful creations like this one here! D'you know I actually had to look up synonyms for 'gorgeous' because I was running out of words? Pretty colorings, amazing blending, awesome fontwork and images? Your sets are so attractive.

Daemyra Book/Show - It should come as no surprise that your Daemyra sets are some of my faves cuz I love them. And I also adore simpler sets where the coloring does most of the work. And the coloring is so superb, I love how the focus is on the orange. And I'm filled with feels cuz I love this duo so much!

Daemyra + Bridge Scene - Another great set where the coloring looks very natural but so pretty. And also a fan of funny sets that look nice! Also, the way this scene is set it makes your meme look 100% legit.

[edennill]

Pro-Valar, more or less pro-Sindar (though Thingol can be a jerk sometimes), invested in the Edain and Númenor; the Noldor are awesome but do not make good life choices. Finrod is Blorbo of all time.

Fascinated by the nameless civilians that must have existed and their undescribed customs, art and folklore.

On the internet, I go by Therese or Ethelien.

---

I like and send asks from @main-therese

---

I keep it sfw. Please don't reblog/comment my posts with anything untoward.

On the other hand, I will reblog from people who do have 18+ content, shipcest or whatever on their blogs. Just assume any blogs you find via mine are not sfw; it's Tumblr. If you want any sfw recs, you can message me.

My OCD kind of made me say the above. Maybe. Probably it's assumed by anyone on this hellsite.

Only one thing I will still remark on is when people claim they tag all their nsfw art and then don't do it, because 😬.

Oh, and I'm not a very shippy kind of person in terms of non-canon stuff, just fyi. I will reblog loads of stuff that's probably tagged as ship and completely ignore whatever subtext someone might give to a simple forehead kiss.

---

Also since I've seen so many people's bios go out of their way to be offensive to minors ("I'm not here to babysit" etc) I want to make up for it by saying you're totally welcome.

---

If you send me a personal anon, I probably won't reply since I cannot do so privately. Also, I rarely block people, but may do so if you specifically interact with my own posts by bashing my faves in a mean way. No DNI though.

Oh, and I tag reblogs with op's url for ease of keeping order. Don't mind me.

[reconstructwriter]

Saw something similar on a Space battles post where someone listed their favorite (and least favorite) non Star Wars characters and what flavor of force sensitive they would be in a Galaxy Far Far Away. Since I don't have an account there I'm throwing my two cents here: • Faves: o Mulan: I saw fan art of her as a Mandalorian Jedi and that sounds like her. She’s a classic antihero in that she has some non-heroic self-confidence issues etc. but these stem more from gender role than morality. I think she could make a good, unconventional Jedi. o Wei Wuxian: A podcast convinced me he’d be a Jedi (if with some creepy powers). He doesn’t let attachments stop him from doing the right thing. His skill at code switching (?) in a way that would make him a good diplomat if he tampers down on eliciting reactions. o Temeraire: Oh, much as I love him his attachment to Laurence lends itself easily to Anakin’s fate. Which would be terrifying since he is a ship-sized dragon whose roar can shatter rock like glass. Adding Sith powers on top of that? Let's move along now… o O-Chul: No brainer he’s a paladin’s paladin in all the best ways except charisma. As Jedi prize wisdom more he would actually make an even better Jedi than he would a D&D 3.5e paladin/fighter and he's already really good at the latter. An undead lich can’t make him Fall so I can't see him ever going to the Dark Side. o Brianne of Tarth: I'm putting her on this list just to give her a chance to live her best life as a Jedi Knight in a world that wouldn't mock her looks or look down on her gender. And yes, she would be a good Jedi with a lack of conflicting oaths keeping her from Falling. • Anti-Blorbos: o Umbridge: She’s no Jedi but I can't exactly see her as a Sith. Not that she has a shred of compassion or morality but she just seems too banal and buried in the ministry of magic institution to properly pursue the horrors of Sithhood. She never became a death eater either. Plus the Sith would either kick her out or kill her in short order. o Jeoffrey: Definitely a Sith – he has exactly that kind of power hunger and desire for absolute authority. But all he's really got going for him is his privilege and even among the sith that is not going to be enough. He’s definitely gonna be backstabbed early. o Tarquin: He’d be Sith no question. In Order of the Stick he thinks he's a bigger bad than he is though which in Star Wars might translate into thinking he's the Master when he's the apprentice. Which would see him disposed of in a satisfyingly humiliating manner in short order. o Visser 3: would also a Sith and I must preemptively apologize to the Animorphs for it because between the shapeshifting into the Galaxy’s most terrifying monsters, the lightsaber(s), Sith powers and skill at open warfare conquest he could be what Darth Vader wishes he’d become. The poor Animorphs! o Mariel of Redwall: despite my saltiness about her (or more accurately how the author wrote her), I don't think she would be a Sith. I'm not so certain about her being a Jedi even though she's on the side of heroes – her personality starts out a bit abrasive and she focuses more on personal goals. Maybe later in life which would at least give her the justice of getting an actual weapon instead of that lame-ass knotted rope.

[fyeahiwatarikei]

Shipping Hiwatari Kei - A non-exhaustive menu

Feat. Fugitivehues' beautiful art ♥ ♦ ♠ ♣

Obsession

“This is why I have always hated you.”

Love art deeply and I'll love you more, because you're the most talented being in this world and do I love beautiful things. Of course, you create for a reason, so having someone inconditionally support you through the agonising ordeal of manifesting ideas can be a relief. You can doubt, you can give up, you can cry your eyes out because this is it, you cannot go on anymore, but I will hold you until it stops and give you the means to overcome all obstacles. Your art is worth it. You are worth it.

Bitterly, you can feel the other side of that coin: that support can be... is suffocating. You do need a break from time to time. You do need someone getting mad at you for acting so whimsical. But I won't, which is almost terrifying.

No one will stop you if you ever go too far.

Worse, I'll shield you, destroy myself if I must. Then what? What can you do?

What else could you do? It was entirely your fault, you thought.

But I won't ever hate you.

Exception

“She felt no love, equally, for any work of art. [...] Therefore, I had been able to love her.”

Not only is that Hikari unlike any other, but part of her particularity is that she is unable to destroy him, so he doesn't have to watch himself around her. Thus, he is able to love her at all and indulge in the wonderful pain of never being appreciated back! Flawless. Dreamy. That angst is delicious, and it's canon! Anyone'd wish to see their fave tortured like this.

Besides, not only is she perfectly safe to have around, but she comes up with the best art collab ideas! No other Hikari has suggested this before and it's messed up: his motivation hasn't been higher in decades. (I refuse to believe he only participated out of sheer love and not because it was crazy and new!) Somewhere in the process, it was even decided that he'd have to pass as human, going as far as getting a job and giving up on the role he's been playing for centuries, for Satoshi's sake. How peculiar! A new challenge for him! Well… another one. These never stop coming, with her.

Of course, we're talking about a tragic non-love story so she dies early and he dooms himself when telling the truth to their son. His survival has always been an afterthought, after all.

Bon appétit.

Devotion

“I cannot afford to lose you.”

Pick two characters and give them similar tastes: nerdy art lovers, rather absent and discreet men who, most importantly, would both die for their respective son. Now, make one eager to help everyone and the other manipulative. You have so many ways to make them meet and interact that there's barely any challenge.

Kosuke is canonically sweet, ready to reach a hand towards Satoshi, refusing to sit back and see the children suffer, how can we imagine he'd skip an opportunity to verify if maybe perhaps eventually Hiwatari Satoshi's father knows something and is eager to… lend a hand? Join the cause?

And is that powerful cop eager. And dangerous. An alliance would come with a beautiful dance of knowing the other knows that he knows yet refusing the drop the D word in conversations (not that one, silly, the one that jumps on rooves at night.) Testing waters, loyalty or skills, may it be during a museum visit, a friendly chat, an apparently innocent discussion about their families. And being pleasantly surprised every time? Until a betrayal or divergence occurs and… they're in too deep to do what they should have long ago: give up on this ridiculous, exhausting relationship.

A capable (?) policeman. An unbiased (?) Niwa. Both patient, mature men with mutual interests and a burning desire to find a solution. What else?

Normalcy

“I simply wanted to act like a ‘father’ would…”

What if your immortal character who's always been surrounded by extraordinary artists, witchcraft and cursed items decided to get an office job, with technology, gossips at the coffee machine, completely clueless people, the complete package in short? More: what if said clueless people were regularly exposed to part of the magic without any idea of how it works nor how to face it? And dealing with it more or less accidentally became their job? (What if the immortal character decided to not help them at all, too, because it's funny?)

Despite the comfort of being surrounded by familiar exceptions, the pressure can become overwhelming: Kei has always had to control himself, plan events in advance, keep an eye on the last Hikari who slowly decides to stop fighting… Can a relationship with a banal man (who potentially wants Satoshi safe, very sexy of him) be a relief? Fresh air in a life so far devoted to ungrateful, self-centered artists?

Saehara knows nothing. Saehara looks up to him (Debatable.) Saehara would jump if Kei told him to (Hugely debatable.) With him, the latter can pretend he is what he was supposed to be before canon changed its mind: a powerful man who just wants Dark captured.

A goal Saehara definitely shares. Alliance, then? With a mutual enemy, surely a dog and a fox can get along.

[arttrampbelle]

villains have nuance.

FFS VILLAINS HAVE NUANCE!

There are layers to them.

Good,bad,noble,and absolutely despicable.

And if you wanna talk about how human a villain is. Especially if they are dark,tragic,and complex.

Then you need to talk about the characters positive traits as well as negative.

I tended to see this with some people be like this with frollo.

Ok so there is many media of him. But everyone is more familiar with the disney version. (My fave)

But even then all media,or at least some fans hot takes. Gets lost is translation of the main point of his character.

He is a victim of his own beliefs. Not nessicarly the religion. As the archdeacon is a kind man but is presumed catholic. But he doesn't do those things. So no,it's not the religion.

No frollo is a victim of a cycle of abuse. His mentors and potentially as a protege he was abused or instilled with legitimately the fear of god.

He lashes and takes it out on others because he has no real healthy outlet. He also more than likely would be not allowed or presumed by his own beliefs (more likely because again he was taught that by someone. Who? It's isn't said i believe but you can make something up. As this is a work of fiction after all) to enact in courtly love or gestures. And if he did,it would have to be away from public eyes but he feels the eyes of god and mary always on him. His neurosis and anxieties and fear got to him. (Again it's not that he isn't allowed per say. But he feels judged. Ironically he is also too....a judge. But that aside. He could participate in courtly love....if he got over himself)

He feels potentially the people needed a firm hand because he felt that way worked for him (it did not) this also is apparent in his relationship with quasimodo.

However there is things that he showed that is noble or kind. He always made sure quasimodo was fed,bathed,cared for. And only lashed out when he was angry or felt like he was being judged himself. His obvious decline in mental health and fortitude suffered really. Thus showing his darkest side.

(And if dude just jacked off we wouldn't be in this problem)

But even through it all. Frollo knew,he knew what he felt wasn't good. He didn't think he wa sin the wrong. But he didn't feel himself right either. And prayed god would forgive him for what he felt he must do (frollo you really didn't need to do that my dude).

Again going by my lovely knowledge and love of villains.

He got his comeuppance anyways. At least in the disney version.

So for others to add more context,their own hcs,or to play with the narrative a bit. Is fine to me.

Because

1. He's fictional. He ain't real. And we aint talkin bout irl people. (I know there are some people out here like that,but he's not real. And people need to understand that and know it's ok.)

2. He canonly got karma for his deeds. (And it was beautiful!)

3. People are allowed to explore and Express themselves. (Especially when it comes to art. Not all art is fucking rainbows. Sometimes we like to explore the dark and macabre)

4. Even for those who wanna explore and enjoy things i personally do not agree with about the characters. (I.e certain ships,hcs,etc) i still find it fascinating to see what people come up with. And to each their own. ♡

And if you have a problem with people like myself or others genuinely exploring a dark tragic villain character and adding more or explaining said nuance and complexities.

Then you don't need to look, It's as simple as that. You cultivate your own online experience. So yeah.

I know some find him squick(rightfully so) but i find him fascinating(and the late tony jay voice absolutely delicious. R.i.p).

I love judge claude frollo. And for fellow frollo enjoyers,i enjoy your work too. ♡

[liquorisce]

Is there any manga you can recommend to someone who’s otp is eremika and that likes your fics?

OMG I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!! tysm for asking!!!

So since you like eremika and my fics (i really am honoured thank u) I am gonna rec some stuff with themes that I am drawn to: (cws in red)

Scum’s wish: it's a story about 2 high schoolers trying to sate their intense feelings for other people, with each other. there's a lot of great elements about loneliness, hunger, desperation to be noticed, a certain willingness to throw away your self respect because of the intensity of your desire etc. i'm super drawn to these themes so you might see them pop in my fics! cw: nsfw, character ages not mentioned i think but they're in final year i think so 17-18?

Hirunaka no ryuusei: I used to write fic for this manga! that's how obsessed i was with this. even now i find myself wishing for an anime of this one. This is a love triangle shoujo manga. So this starts off with a high schooler- suzume- who moves to tokyo and develops feelings for her teacher. At the same time, she develops tentative friendships, one with a boy who falls hopelessly in love with her. I recommend this manga EVEN if you don't like the teacher x student trope bc you might enjoy where it ends up. the characters are really well done, the emotions hit hard. and it can also be cute and funny at times!

Fruits basket: Another one that I have written a couple of fics for! Furuba was pretty popular esp with the reboot anime that came out a few years ago so maybe you know this, but man does it go heavy on the angst. It's about an orphan who stumbles into a really old wealthy family that suffers from a curse. There's such good stuff here: forbidden relationships, repressed desires, self-loathing, innocence and pain. Make sure to grab the tissues if you pick it up! I liked both the anime (2019?) and the manga. The characters are very very well done!! Tons of deep characters with great backstory.

akatsuki no yona: I must admit I am not caught up with like the last 20 chaps or so but I was super obsessed with it. It's got a wonderful FMC- princess yona- who goes through a really nice growth arc. the chemistry between her bodyguard and her is TO DIE FOR! and tbh i consider this a huge inspiration for whenever I want to write something that conveys devotion. Nobody does it like Hak. And yeah lots of gorgeous men. Pretty art style. Highly recommend!

Ok now I'm going to recommend some stuff that may not be to everyone's taste, but I feel like there's a running theme with what I'm drawn to, so here it is. There are several works of CLAMP that I really adore:

They are super well known for CardCaptor Sakura, and that was one of my faves growing up. CCS is quite tame but has a really strong ship with some of my fav elements: soulmates, fate, i-will-do-anything-for-you vibes. Syaoran x Sakura and also Touya x Yukito was a huge obsession of mine back in the day! (There's some fics on my ao3/FFN if you are curious what I used to write a million years ago lol).

Now tsubasa reservoir chronicle is a very twisted and at times confusing multiverse manga with the same characters as CCS and some of CLAMP's other works, and i know this is a controversial take but i loved it. I tend to read works for very specific reasons, like the angst or the doomed relationship vibes? like repression, unrequited love, a sort of unhinded tendency to sacrifice others and the self in service of your lover is very much a vibe i am drawn to even at the cost of plot loopholes. so you'll find a lot of that here. the plot summary: syaoran travels across different worlds and dimensions to find princess sakura's memories, without which she is an empty shell (she has no memory of him). there is a really stellar backstory to this that is honestly (for me) uncomparable to anything else i have ever read.

Another manga (from the 90s lol) by the same group is Tokyo Babylon which is a really short manga featuring a teenage onmyouji and his twin sister and his strange relationship with a much older "veterinarian". The series has a lot of occult themes and i think for it's time received good reviews for its portrayal of queer themes. It's a manga for the weird ones lol... It's very angsty, and mysterious, and has a tragic ending. cw: Age gap

Other manga/anime that I like that are somewhat aot-esque (to me) in their exploration of character and social commentary are: fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, heavenly delusion and psycho pass!!

enjoy!! do let me know if you end up reading / watching any of these <3

[ask-serendipity-sky]

Hi, I'm jimin-biased but I absolutely adore the other BTS members as well. I also know that jikook is highly likely real, but a part of me wishes that jk is indeed dating someone else instead, or that the mv would really show him doing tonsil hockey with sohee. What he's going to do in the mv is not indicative of his gender preference, yes, but I know that other people will see it as such, so be it. I only wish these things because I know that they will perhaps somehow lessen Jimin being dragged everywhere (mostly by tkkers). Jimin has become the punching bag in literally anything even if it doesn't directly involve him, and it's tiring.

So, if JK being steamy with someone in official content (though it sounds stupid) can help relieve the hate that Jimin is getting, then why not? It's kinda moot to expect fans to change and stop hating on JM now, so if official content like this can make them lose their mind, then I'm all ears.

I respect jimin's bond with JK, don't get me wrong, but from a fan's perspective, it seems like jimin's always getting the shortest end of the stick. he doesn't deserve it. JM's did not even get the best promotion and he even is still getting so much hate. It's not JK's fault, but I see him as somehow complicit as he has always been the company's fave and he can get away with everything, so I just wish JM becomes free from all the toxic narratives and projections. Jimin is his own person, and he deserves so much more.

Good morning anon,

This. This is what I'm concerned with the most.

Sure Jikook boundaries and the parasocial relationship with Jk and all that..sure.

But to me, what matters is the outcome for Jimin. I would like to think like you, anon, and hope that Jk being physical with Sohee in this video would bring less hate for Jimin but I don't think that would happen. But then again, why would tkkrs even hate on Jimin if half their ship is dating a woman and the other half would be participating in a raunchy video with a woman, if rumors are true.

I know it's art. I know that. But I'm having a hard time coming to terms with this potentially dragging Jimin again. And it feels like Jk and Jm have made so much progress for it to go down the drain by the potential portrayal of whatever will be portrayed, if rumors are true.

But then I remind myself that they must be ok with it. And it's the toxic fandom that seriously needs help. I see jikookers say they would drop jikook, which is fine but don't drop Jimin. He truly deserves much more than what this shitty fandom and company has given him. Just don't drop Jimin.

So as a Jimin fan, I completely understand all this.

Thanks for sharing.