#but has the most dedication out of all the seasons from the fans

[beepmon]

whereas adventure has the biggest fan base overall 02 has the biggest active fandom from my experience with ppl loving to draw and write about these skrunklies

[golden-redhead]

I think there's a lot of signs pointing to Jayce actually doing the right thing ...or at least the right thing based on the information available to him at the time.

We can't know for a fact just how much Viktor was changed and what his healing was doing to the people who came to him in the long run, but considering all the hints dropped by the writers, the situation is much less clear than we think. Obviously, everyone's first instinct is to condemn Jayce and his actions, especially because Viktor is one of fan favourites, but looking at the teaser for the next Act and what little we know about what happened to Jayce, I think it might have been necessary evil.

I think this scene of Viktor temporarily 'possessing' Salo in order to talk with Jayce points to just how fucked this little community that Viktor created actually is. There's a reason why everyone's getting those 'it's a freaking cult' vibes.

This scene made me more uncomfortable than anything else this season and I think it's clear that it was meant to make feel that way. There's something so uncanny about Viktor's voice coming out of Salo's mouth, especially paired with that look on his face and how Viktor seems to be able to see and experience things through him in this moment.

And then there's also the issue of all these people dying a horrible drawn-out death as soon as Viktor himself 'dies'. Yes, they came to him on their own, they asked to be healed, but did they really know what they are getting into? Did they know this is what might happen?

Some of them were already dying, true, but Viktor healed all kinds of people, some of whom most likely had their whole lives ahead of them. He, knowingly or not, inevitably sped up this process. Not all of them were consummed by Shimmer-addiction or permanently disabled like Salo.

And then there's also the fact of all of them basically abandoning their previous lives to serve Viktor and his community. Which, okay, makes sense, there's certainly a parallel with the community that Ekko created for Zaunites to keep them safe from Piltover and Silco's plans. They made an informed choice, though, and I don't think the same can be said about Viktor's cult-like commute.

They seem peaceful, yes, but also devoid of personality and entirely dedicated to Viktor and his cause. Of course, it can be explained by gratitude towards him and desire to be kept safe in a calm and peaceful environment, but it's taken to such an extreme point that it definitely crosses the line into uncanny territory in my eyes. Their hivemind behaviour is very unsettling and even though Viktor seems to frame his recent actions as some kind of greater good, I don't think it's necessarily true.

We have yet to find out what Jayce saw and who's in the right and who's in the wrong. Either way, as usual when it comes to Arcane, it seems to me that more than ever, everyone's a victim of the circumstances and tragedy spares no one.

Considering that Viktor is set up to be 'reborn', I can't help but wonder what it means for his community and if they will also be brought to life by whatever connection they have with him. It would be a fascinating choice given how Viktor's arc has always been about autonomy and making your own choices.

Arcane, it's been a pleasure having my heart torn out of my chest by you. Can't wait for the last Act.

[zeropro]

Hi, what are your thoughts on Megatron? Most Starscream fans don't have very positive ones about him lol, but everyone is different and I would like to know that you think

I like Megatron okay, he doesnt bother me but im not like jumping up and down for megatron content yknow? but I get not liking Megatron as a Starscream fan. It's just, you can't deny how intrinsically the two characters are tied together. Really can't have Starscream without Megatron, which is unfortunate for someone like me who does not like drawing Megatron lol!

Maybe the reason most Starscream fans dont like Megatron is because of their abusive relationship? And let's be clear, due to the power imbalance, I do interpret it as an abusive relationship. Despite how much we like to joke that Starscream deserves the punishment he gets (I'm not entirely sure how attempted murder/political assassination attempts factor into an abuse allegory) no one ACTUALLY deserves to be abused. The fact that Starscream is low key also evil and has done evil things is a separate issue from Megatron's abuse of him, we can hold him accountable for the one while also having sympathy because of the other. For me personally tho? Megatron abusing Starscream doesnt make me dislike the character at all, it's honestly the main draw of the dynamic for me. Maybe I just like to see my blorbos suffer…

The G1 Cartoon Megatron is probably the most fun, and I think this dynamic is the most on the level in terms of Starscream dishing back as much as Megatron gives him. They're all just bullies on the playground, their toxic back and forths feel a lot more slap stick and silly than actual abuse. What makes it work I think is that Megatron is not as crazy powerful as he is in later continuities, and Starscream responds to the abuse like a cartoon villain, immediately bouncing back and plotting his revenge, so it's funny rather than upsetting! I also find it hilarious how Megatron is weirdly nice to all the other Decepticons who aren't Starscream lmao? G1 Cartoon Megatron is a 10/10 for me.

If G1 cartoon's Megatron and Starscream are more on an even playing field, Prime Megatron is like the opposite of that. Prime Megatron is so impossibly powerful it almost feels like no one has a chance against him in a fight, and Prime Starscream is so scrunkly and small it's almost laughable. I think I feel the most pity for Prime Starscream when he gets beat up by Megatron, but he almost always makes up for it by being possibly the most evil of the Starscreams. I like how in the third season, he genuinely seems happy to finally dedicate himself fully to Megatron, but you just know how much he'd been beaten down and broken over and over again to even get to that point. Good for him for trying to get revenge in the sequel series. As for Megatron himself, I think more often than not when I am reading fics I see Prime Megatron in my head, and it's his voice I hear. What can I say, it was the first Transformers show I watched haha. Do I love how his redemption arc was handled? Not particularly, it sorta came out of nowhere, felt really rushed, and he just goes away anyway so we don't even get anything out of it. I like redemption arcs in general, but I don't necessarily think this particular Megatron needed one.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't think the 2005 IDW Megatron deserved one either, only because when it comes to over powered, unstoppable, irredeemably evil Megatrons, this one ranked right up there if we take into consideration everything he did before Dark Cybertron. His redemption does kinda come out of nowhere. But like, idk mang! It's also really fun? Like, Bumblebee carrying him around cuz his pants got blown off is hilarious! Him actually upset at Bumblebee's death and then taking Bumblebee's Autobot badge and putting it on over his own was sweet! Him dealing with the crazy crew of the Lost Light is a lot of fun! And him actually having to confronting and deal with what he's done (and other characters dealing with him dealing with it) is a lot more interesting than just him dying. idk. The comics have been around for years by that point, and passed through the hands of many writers, so if a little handwaving and a little contrivance and a little suspension of disbelief is what is required for us to have an honestly pretty fun take on Megatron, I think I'm okay with that.

I do have one complaint tho, mostly based on content I haven't read yet so take it with a grain of salt. I have been told that the adjacent series to the Lost Light Megatron stuff covers Starscream's side of the story and that it does actually address his abuse at the hands of Megatron. My problem is that apparently (and again I haven't read that far yet so this is just hearsay, but apparently) the writers on the Lost Light Megatron stuff didn't get the memo so while Megatron feels bad for and is working at redemption for all the evil war stuff he did to everyone, the one thing he doesnt regret is apparently his treatment of Starscream? Haha, like come on! on the one hand it's really disappointing to me because id like the catharsis of Megatron’s remorse, but...on the other hand, I guess it's kinda true to life actually. Your abusers are people, and they can change and grow and become better, but it doesnt mean they will ever become better for you. It doesnt mean they will ever apologize or even feel bad for what they did. Maybe theres something to be said about having to move on and heal without that. I guess whether this is a complaint I maintain will depend on how its handled.

I get that some people don't think Megatron should ever get a redemption arch, because he's an abuser, a monster, a tyrant, and an evil warlord, and it's completely fair for your stance to be that he should just be killed and that would be justice. I personally really like continuities that treat him more like just some guy. I think Starscream put it best in 2005 IDW during Megatron's trial when he said Megatron wasn't some political genius or the most gifted strategist. He wasn't even the most evil man. In IDW, Megatron started out as a social advocate from the lower class, and despite the problematic narrative of "the bad guy had a point and just did advocacy wrong/went too far," I think the idea that Megatron kinda got swept up by his own hype and was used by people and powers more devious than he is a compelling one.

Starscream is Starscream, so who knows how much of what he says is true and how much is him lying, but this idea just rings true to me. It humanizes him. If handled well, I'm honestly not opposed to stories redeeming Megatron. I'm also not opposed to stories treating him like the devil and just killing him lol. I love a character that can do both!

Uh uh, what else. Earthspark Megatron is nice, I like him. There's...a bit of cognitive dissonance in trying to reconcile the things he chastises Optimus Prime for and the idea that he still was a ruthless warlord at one point, both of which continue to be left unexplored. Transformers One Megatron is neat, I was worried going in how they would handle the switch from Orion Pax's brother to lets start a 4-6 million year war, but like, I like the way he actually was super okay with accepting his lot in life. Like obviously he didnt like it but he didnt see a point in fighting it, and that adamant complacency as a coping mechanism is what lead to his feelings of rage and betrayal by the end. Also I think its hilarious how much younger he is from all the other Decepticon high command, especially Starscream XD.

I don't think I've read or watched anything else with Megatron in it. Man, I wrote a lot. At the end of the day, Megatron is a good character, I like the role he plays in Transformers, I'm not like actually that interested in him on his own but more what he brings to the table when considering Starscream's character. You can't have one without the other! Do I ship them? No, not really, no more than any other ship. But I'll still read Megastar stuff cuz sometimes you just want to watch two people be toxic and make it hurt so good. I'll always prefer Trine stuff anyway ha! Have fun out there!

[i-love-you-just-the-same]

john price is a relatively new soccer coach. he retired a few years ago as one if the greats because of an injury. he's worked his way up from assistant to the main man in a relatively short amount of time. his first season had a rough start, but ended up with his team going to the semifinals. price is proud of the progress, but he wants more and is total workaholic. he's gruff and mean, but good at his job.

he has tons of thirst traps on tiktok that johnny occasionally shows him. loves a good pint at the end of game night, but hates coming home to his empty flat.

price is known to be a flirt to journalists and potential sponsors to get the best cut, but he never goes home with any of them. he stays away from fans and anyone who's interested. geninuely thinks he'll never have a sweet thing to come home to after his divorce, and with all the young blood around. low self confidence from his wife's infidelity and how his body has changed in retirement. imagine his surprise when he ends up pursued by you.

---

you end up meeting completely outside of soccer, to his surprise. it's one of those rare moments he gets outside the field. price is working on plays and watching film in his favorite little coffee shop when you bumble up to ask if the seat across was taken. of course price lets you sit.

you're very obviously younger than he is. he's quickly taken by your sweet little smile at him once you notice his blatant staring. quickly calms and rights himself- there's no way you don't have someone at home.

however, you two seem to fall into a routine. john finds himself coming to the coffee shop more often and sharing his table with you. he didn't realize the reprieve he needed from his seemingly 80 hour work week.

maybe it's the narcissism, but price is ready for the rug to be pulled out. at the beginning, he doesn't completely believe that you're not aware of who he is. he's convinced you're an undercover journalist for a tabloid for awhile, but after a visit or two without a page dedicated to him he's quelled his fears.

you're not obvious about wanting more than coffee, but you drop hints to him. there's a new movie you're really wanting to see, he hopes you have a good time with your girlfriends. you want to go for a walk on a new trail, be sure to carry pepper spray. ice cream is really good someplace and you want to try a new flavor, tell him if it's any good. he can see you deflate a bit everytime he refutes you, but he's saving you both from heartache. at least that's what he thinks.

---

one day, price's out with a whiny johnny, cold kyle, and tired simon. he normally wouldn't risk coming by the shop when you could be there with these beasts, but he's desperate and thinks you're busy.

it's a rude sight across the street when he sees you outside the shop with another man. he is close; too close for john's comfort. a lazy hand on your waist with your arms on his shoulders. price nearly faints when you press a sweet little kiss on the fuckers cheek. hell nah, price's face is enough to scare the most hardened war criminal.

as soon as your loverboy walks away, price forgets all about the boys. he walks over to you with a purpose, ignoring the way his heart stutters when you smile at him with flushed cheeks. the smile quickly fades when you see his murderous expression.

"oh! john! it's good to see you! i was just-"

price is in your face, huffing your air, eyes demanding an answer for your supposed infidelity. he doesn't know where this sharp pang of possessiveness has came from, but he's not sure if he wants it to leave.

" wha' you doing with that other bloke, love? this 's our spot. only me you're s'pposed to ask for ice cream, uh huh? don't like it when yur with other men"

he spits the last word, like it's acid in his mouth.

you look up at him with furrowed brows and a harsh blink.

"i don't understand, john"

"mhmm, wrong answer, dolly."

he's worked himself up into a fit now. the boys all watch as he attempts to calm himself, least he scare you.

"love, ever since you sat at that table you've been mine, uh huh? don't be throwing a fit, c'mon, you're the one who was with the other bloke"

anger blurs across your face as he speaks and he knows he's fucked up

"yeah, i can't do anything, huh? you won't do anything with me! you ignore my attempts to get to know you better, john. we share a table, for god's sake, not a house! you're the one who's snubbed me" you're fuming, but still going.

"so what if i want a normal relationship without having to wonder whether the man is actually interested in me? he wants to do things with me, john. can you blame me?"

you're a bit teary at the end, staring up at him with disappointment in your eyes. kyle, johnny, and simon have slipped inside to let you two squabble, but they're watching keenly through the the window.

"love, I-" john starts but you must not like the look on his face, as you interrupt him again

"no, john. i can't keep doing this. find me when you grow some balls of get some sense."

price is tempted to grab you and ask you to listen, but you're already gone. he's left on the pavement with three inquisitive sets of eyes staring through the glass.

---

would you guys be interested in a part 2? feel like i didn't do this idea justice, but ill link if i do another part

[dreamauri]

♪ — 𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗠𝗘 𝗕-𝗔-𝗡-𝗚, 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬 carlos sainz jr. x fem! model! reader ( smut ) fic summary . . . When charkes asks you out, you tell him you're a celibate. Hours later you're in his ex-teammate's room, bent over the couch, letting him nail your shit.

( main master list | more of carlos sainz ) ( requests )

CONTENT WARNING . . . ( 18+ MDNI, smut, doggy style, fingering [f receiving], unprotected sex [which is BAD, wrap it before you tap it guys], couch sex )

★ ☆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The Melbourne paddock is buzzing with excitement. The first race of the 2025 season is here, and you're right in the thick of it, gliding through the paddock like you belong—which, honestly, you do. Being a model and a dedicated Formula 1 fan makes you a familiar face, but your presence isn’t just for show. You know your stats, your tire strategies, your pit stop windows. You're here because you love this sport, and it just so happens that some of the drivers love looking at you too.

Like Charles Leclerc, for example.

He’s charming, polite, and undeniably attractive. So when he pulls you aside near the Ferrari motorhome and flashes you that signature smirk, you already know what’s coming.

“I was thinking,” Charles starts, leaning in slightly, “since the season is just starting, maybe we could go out for dinner sometime. Get to know each other better.”

You smile, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “That’s sweet, Charles, but I should tell you—I’m celibate.”

His brows shoot up in surprise, but instead of pressing the issue, he nods, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish chuckle. “Oh. I see. Well… I respect that. No hard feelings.”

“None at all.” You wink before walking away, knowing full well that the second you’re out of the paddock, you’ll be making your way to someone else’s hotel room.

Carlos opens the door the second you knock, his dark eyes sweeping over you before he grabs your wrist and pulls you inside. His lips crash against yours, firm and insistent, but he doesn’t rush.

“Thought you forgot about me, hermosa,” he murmurs against your lips, voice low and teasing.

“As if I ever could.” You smirk, slipping your hands under his Williams polo, fingers splaying against the warmth of his skin. “How did you enjoy the first race with the blue team?”

Carlos shrugs, nudging your nose with his before kissing you again, slower this time. “Could’ve been better. But I knew exactly how my night would end, so I wasn’t too stressed.”

“Cocky.”

“You love it.”

You do. Especially when he’s backing you up against the couch, hands roaming, teasing, pulling at your clothes. The way he peels them off, taking his time, leaving kisses and lingering touches in their wake, has anticipation curling low in your stomach.

His fingers trail down your spine as his lips trace your collarbone, moving lower, brushing over the sensitive spots he’s memorized. He hums against your skin when you shiver, pleased by your reaction, his hands settling on your hips before sliding between your thighs.

“Always so warm for me,” he murmurs, his voice husky. His fingers stroke along your slit, teasing, before slipping inside with an ease that makes you exhale sharply. “I should make you wait . . . but I’m not that patient.”

You clutch his forearm, already unsteady as his fingers work you open, slow but deliberate, coaxing soft gasps from your lips. He watches you, eyes dark with something possessive, something primal.

“Still not used to me?” he teases, curling his fingers just right, making your breath hitch.

You shake your head weakly, fingers digging into his wrist. No matter how many times he’s had you like this, you still struggle to take him, even if it’s just his fingers. And he loves that.

His thumb brushes against the most sensitive part of you, and a choked moan escapes before you can swallow it down. Your knees threaten to give out, your body shaking as tension coils tight inside you.

“Carlos—” His name leaves your lips in a breathless whimper as you cum, your body tensing, then shuddering violently. Your grip on his hand tightens, your other hand clutching the couch for support as aftershocks ripple through you, making you jolt, oversensitive and weak.

Carlos presses a kiss to your shoulder, easing you through it, but he doesn’t give you a moment to recover. Instead, he turns you around and bends you over the armrest of the couch before he lines himself up, teasing, dragging his tip at the slit of your heat, making you whine before he finally pushes in, slow and deep. A sharp gasp escapes you, your body adjusting, stretching—too much, too good, too overwhelming.

“Dios, I missed this,” he groans, his chest flush against your back as he leans over you, resting his forearms on the couch cushions at either side of your head, completely caging you beneath him. His breath is hot against your neck, his lips brushing your ear as he starts to move, dragging his big veiny cock out of you before slamming back in.

Every thrust is controlled, deliberate, hitting just right. He’s relentless, his stamina absurd, dragging you through wave after wave of sensation until you’re trembling beneath him, barely holding yourself up.

You come undone again, weaker this time, breathless, overstimulated. Your body jolts with every movement, each aftershock making you twitch and whimper, your legs barely able to hold you up, you’re glad that the couch holds you up when your knees bend and twitch off the floor after a particular punctuated thrust.

Carlos slows, pulling out, but before you can even react, he slides a finger back inside, murmuring something in Spanish as he makes sure not to waste a drop of him. The gesture is possessive, intimate, making warmth pool low in your stomach even as exhaustion settles into your bones.

By the time he finally carries you to bed, your body is spent, your breath coming in uneven gasps. Carlos pulls you against his chest, tracing lazy circles on your hip as your body melts into his.

After a few moments of silence, he chuckles, low and amused. “So,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your temple, “I heard you told Charles you were celibate.”

You tilt your head, frowning. “How do you know that?”

Carlos smirks. “Because I was the one who encouraged him to ask you out.”

You stare at him before bursting into laughter, your body shaking against his. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Maybe,” he grins, rolling you onto your back, pinning you beneath him again, “but I’m the asshole who gets to have you like this while Charles goes home confused. I knew you’d say no to him someway, just not like that.”

“What makes you think I was going to tell him no?”

”Look at me—look at you. You cannot get your hands off this matador.” He chuckles, putting his hands over yours, which rested on his chest.

You try not to laugh or giggle, but you fail.

And as his lips find yours again, you decide you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[ladyelainehilfur]

Literally insane to me how small the general webtoon fandom is outside of the webtoon app itself (and maybe reddit??)

I've talked to multiple people irl who LOVE reading webtoon, but the online community is borderline threadbare ! Most people on Tumblr have no IDEA who our blorbos are! I've checked tags for some fairly popular webtoon and it was like visiting that Tatooine town in the Mandalorian where there are 5 citizens total, but only if you also count the Mayor, the sheriff, and the deputy.

Lore Olympus is the most popular webtoon and has under 2,000 fics on AO3. Lookism has roughly 1,000. Unordinary, THEE legacy webtoon, only has 600, and it's been running for almost 7 years now. It has nearly 6M subscribers and still gets 50K+ likes each week. It's not dead by any means.

I guess it doesn't help that each webtoon is its own micro ecosystem and once a webtoon ends, that ecosystem typically fades with it. But webtoons can go on runs longer than most shows on streaming services, and those fandoms burn hot and bright even if only for the first month of a new season drop.

By comparison, webtoon fans are largely casual about their enthusiasm, even if they're highly invested in the story or characters. From my experience, only the most passionate try to connect with other fans online. But when you're passionate about one webtoon, I suppose it's hard to show constant excitement about the 20+ other stories one might keep up with. Still, between the 85 million monthly readers, you'd think each major webtoon would at least have a dedicated fan base (meaning people who regularly post theories, thoughts, fics, and fanart) of mere thousands outside of the app.

One exception for this is that Batman webtoon? It actually trends on Tumblr every now and again. But it doesn't count, because Batman has a built in fandom who'll eat up and yell in the streets about any content where he's a decent dad.

People who read romance webtoon all tend to read the same comics, and actively understand the references to other popular romance comics (Trashta, Team Seojun, SLS), so you'd think there'd be a greater sense of unity. More people actively searching out others to discuss with and posting their thoughts online and not just in that webtoon's comment section.

I mean, C'MON girls!!! Millions of people log into that app like everyday!!! WHERE is the community?? WHERE is the fanart?? WHERE is the fanfic?? WHY does Odd Girl Out only have 7 fanfics?? WHY are there like 2 people on Twitter posting about Weak Hero?? Head in hands fr

[communistkenobi]

I’ve been thinking a lot about fandom recently, both as someone who has engaged with it regularly for over a decade on various platforms and also as someone who has increasingly become disenchanted with those spaces. Not only because of pervasive issues of (especially anti-Black) racism, misogyny, transphobia/homophobia, and the like, but the particular way those things take shape within fandom.

At the most basic level I think fandom has a fundamental methodological problem with the way it approaches texts, be they shows, books, movies, etc. What I mean is that people almost invariably approach fandom at the level of character, often at the level of ship - your primary way of viewing a text is filtered through favourite characters and favourite relationships, as opposed to, say, favourite scenes, favourite themes, favourite conflicts.

This is reinforced through the architecture of dominant platforms that host fan content, particularly AO3 - there are separate categories for fandom, character and ship, and everything else is lumped together in “Additional Tags.” You cannot, for example, filter for fics on AO3 by the category of “critical perspective” or “thematic exploration”. There is no dedicated space for fan authors to declare their analytical perspective on the text they are writing about. If an author declares these things, they do so individually, they must go out of their way to do so, because there are no dedicated or universally agreed-upon tags to indicate those things, and if your fanfiction has a lot of tags, that announcement of criticality gets mushed together in a sea of other tags, sharing the same space with tags like “fluff and angst” or “porn without plot.” Perhaps one of the few tags closest to approaching this is the tag “Dead Dove: Do Not Eat,” which doesn’t indicate perspective or theme but rather that there is, broadly, some kind of “problematic content” contained therein - often of a sexual nature, frequently as a warning about “bad” ships.

Now this is not an inherent problem, as in, it is not inherently incorrect to approach a text and primarily derive pleasure from it by focusing on a given character or relationship. And I think a lot of mainstream media encourages (even requires) audiences to engage with their stories at these character- and ship-levels. The political economy of the production of art (one which is capitalistic, one that seeks to generate comfort, titillation, controversy, nostalgia, or shock for the purposes of drawing in viewership, one that increasingly pursues social media metrics of “engagement” and “impressions”, one that allows for the Netflix model of making two-season shows before cancelling them, as well as a whole host of other things) enforces a particular narrative orthodoxy, one that heavily focuses on the individual interiority of specific characters, one that is deeply concerned with the maintenance of white bourgeois middle class values of property ownership, the nuclear family, normative heterosexual sexuality and gender, settler-colonial ideas about community and environment, etc. If you do not care about the familial drama surrounding Shauna cheating on her husband in Yellowjackets, for example, because you think the institution of monogamous marriage and the nuclear family is stupid and violent and heternormative, then you will have a difficult time engaging with the show in general. We exist within a deeply normative (and frequently reactionary) media environment that encourages us to approach art in a particular way, one that privileges the individual over other narrative components (settings, themes, conflicts, ideas, political and moral perspectives, structure, tone, etc).

All of which culminates in priming fans to engage with art at these levels and these levels alone, even when that scope is deeply inappropriate. A standout example I recently encountered was browsing the fandom tags on tumblr for the movie Prey - a movie that recontextualises the original Predator film by setting it in colonial America to make the argument that the horrific violence of white colonists and imperial soldiers is identical to the violence we see the Predator do to human beings. It is a movie that makes the argument that, despite this alien monster running around killing people, the villains of the franchise are these occupying soldiers and settlers, an alien force who themselves have just as little regard for (indigenous) human life.

And when browsing the tags on tumblr, what I found was dozens upon dozens of horny posts about how hot the predator monster was. Certainly there were discussion of the film’s narrative, and these posts got a good amount of notes, but the tags were heavily dominated with a focus on the Predator itself. People were engaging with this film not as a solid action movie with interesting and compelling anti-colonial themes, but as a way to be horny about a creature that is, ironically, a stand-in for white settler indifference to (and perpetuation of) indigenous suffering. And if this is your takeaway from an extremely straightforward film with a very clear message, this is not merely a failure to comprehend the content of a text, this is something beyond it - a problem that I think is due in part to the methodological problem of approaching all texts as vessels for bourgeois interiority, individual but ultimately interchangeable expressions of sexuality, perhaps best-expressed by the term “roving slash fandom,” a phenomenon wherein fans will move from one fandom to the next in search of two (usually white, usually skinny) guys to draw and write porn of, uncaring of any of the surrounding context of the stories they are embedded in, and consequently dominating a large sector of fandom discussion.

This even gets expressed in the primary ideological battleground of fandom itself, the ridiculous partitioning of all fan conflict into “pro-“ and “anti-“ shipping compartments. Your stance on engagement with fandom itself historically was (and still is) always first filtered through one of these two labels, describing your fundamental perspective on all texts you engage with. And both of these two labels are only concerned with shipping, as if all disagreements about art can only be interpreted through the lens of what characters you think are acceptable to draw or write having sex. Nowhere in this binary is space to describe any other perspective you might take, what approaches you think are valuable when interacting with art, what themes or stories you think are worth exploring. It’s not just that the pro/anti divide is juvenile and overly-simplistic, it is a declaration that all fan conflict must be read through the lens of shipping and shipping only - the implication being that any objections raised, and criticisms offered, is ultimately just bitching about ships you don’t like.

Which, again, I think is a fundamental error of methodology. It leaves no space for people to discuss the political and moral content of a work, the themes of a piece of art, the thorny issues of representation not just as expressed through individual characters but entire worlds, narratives, settings, and themes. You are always hopelessly stuck in the quagmire of “shipping discourse,” and even rejecting that framework will inevitably get you labelled as either pro- or anti-ship anyway - and you will almost invariably be labelled an “anti” if you express any kind of distaste for the bigoted behaviour of fans or the content of the text itself, again reinforcing the idea that this is all just pointless whining online about icky ships you personally hate.

And this issue is best perhaps epitomised by reader insert fanfiction, circumventing any need for you to project onto a character by literally inserting yourself into fiction, primarily in order to write/read about a character you want to fuck. This then intersects in particularly disgusting ways with real world politics, such as reader insert fics about Pedro Pascal going with you to BLM protests. Even if this is (incredibly over-generously) interpreted as a very poor attempt at being “progressive,” it still demonstrates that many (white) fans are often incapable of thinking about anything outside of a character-centric perspective, quite literally centring themselves in the process, and consequently they think it’s totally appropriate to do things like that. The fact that this is also frequently a racist lens is not coincidental, because again, a chronic focus on (fictional) individuality prohibits any structural perspective from entering the discussion, which necessarily excludes a coherent or useful perspective on systemic issues, where people come to the conclusion that the topic of police brutality is little more than a fun stage to enact whatever romantic shenanigans you want to get up to with a hot guy.

I will stress, again, that it is not a moral sin to have a favourite character, nor is it bad to enjoy reading about two guys having sex in fanfiction. I enjoy and do those things, I engage with fandom often through a character-centric lens (see my url) - because it’s fun! But I think that this being the dominant mode of engagement inherently excludes and marginalises all other approaches, and creates a fandom space where the most valuable way to talk about media is to discuss which two characters you most enjoy imagining fucking each other

[deramin2]

A Quick Guide To Getting Caught Up On Critical Role Fast

This guide is for people who want the fastest way official to get caught up on all 3 Critical Role campaigns without seeing the full actual play episodes. They're all made so that the AP will still be enjoyable later even if you know what happens. There's no "right" way to get into the series, and already having an idea of what happens can even help make the APs more enjoyable and easier to understand.

Summary:

The Legend of Vox Machina

Crit Recap Animated

Exandria: An Intimate History

Critical Role Abridged

Guide:

Campaign 1:

The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime is the animated adaptation of C1 by the same creators. Sam Riegel said the creative approach is this was the version in a later play. All the important bits are there, but they get to those moments differently.

The Legend of Vox Machina has 3 seasons out now that cover events up through at least episode 85. A 4th season is in the works and will probably cover the final arc.

Campaign 2:

An animated adaptation for Amazon Prime called "Mighty Nein" is in the works, but not out yet.

Crit Role Animated is an older comedic summary series presented by their Lore Keeper that covers the whole campaign in 10 videos. Great if you want the gist.

It's like a history crash course history video meant to get you curious to learn the full story later. Great way to get a sense of who people are and what they've done. Available on YouTube and their streaming platform Beacon.

Exandrian History Review:

Exandria: An Intimate History is a timeline review of key events in world history, starting from the creation.

It was released before Campaign 3 as bonus content. It represents what the average person in Exandria knows about world history up to that point.

Campaign 3:

Critical Role Abridged is the Campaign 3 AP condensed down into 1 to 1.5 hours. It mostly cuts down combat to the narrated results and reduces table chatter and indecisiveness. It's a great way to experience the full campaign.

Critical Role Abridged is coming out 1 a week at a time on YouTube and 2 a week on Beacon. YouTube is currently up to episode 25. Beacon is up to episode 47. The AP is at episode 109. At some point you'll have to switch to full episodes to catch up.

Wiki:

There's also 2 world-class wikis where's you can look up extensive and meticulously cited information about anything you need. I prefer The Encyclopedia Exandria.

Viewing Notes:

An important thing to know about "continuity" in Critical Role is that it takes a more realistic view of how history is passed down through the ages and even dedicated academics will never know the full story or be fully correct. They know versions colored by in-world biases and lost knowledge.

Which is great for you the viewer because any campaign you comes into, the characters don't know most of what happened in past games. What they actually know will come up in game. The players have above table reactions and some subtle in jokes, but try not to act on meta knowledge.

It's structured a lot like reading one history book and then wanting to go back and read more about past events that set the stage for all those things to happen. They've tried to make it easier to come into the story happening now.

I certainly enjoyed watching the full APs from the beginning, and I think you can get a deeper understanding of the story from them, but it takes thousands of hours to catch up on the story that way and it isn't realistic for everyone. Each series builds on the consequences of past events more than they rely on unexpected twists, so already knowing what happens just helps you notice all the little things that led to them. Similar to how Shakespeare's plays are often more enjoyable to watch unfold if you already know the basic plot points going into them.

Happy viewing, and I hope this helps you or someone you know get into this very rich and interesting story!

[forwards-beckon-rebound]

dick grayson instagram hcs

basics

we are pretending dick is not a cop in this because i said so!

he's a professional model but also does perform at a local circus as a special guest

he's not actually going to the olympics (yet) but the american team has been trying to contact him for the better part of the decade so maybe you can convince him to go

he's kind of like one of your friends who you think is chill and normal but then you go to their ig and you find out they're something of a local celebrity?

everybody in gotham already knew him as bruce wayne's son but also he went semi viral on tiktok and got a bunch of new fans (and some edits) out of it

he used to have a less serious pfp but his management convinced him to use this one instead

followers + following

obviously you're there

as well as his friends and family

he manages to get away with following the superheroes since i mean, basically everybody else does as well

also a lot of industry people that he meets, both for modeling and gymnastics/trapeze

highlights

he is an abuser of the story function

will spend any opportunity to brag about his pretty girlfriend and all of the dates and trips you guys go on

he is weirdly good at taking photos, will give you tips on how to pose to get your best angles

also he has a lot of fans so he likes to post a photo of you every once in a while to remind everyone that he's happily taken

will also repost your work related stuff to be like hey look at how cool my gf is at her job!

dude has a million highlights that he updates for the fashion weeks each year

a lot of photos of his looks, him meeting with certain designers, it's mostly his team who posts this

same thing with his shows in the sense that it's usually other people (including you) taking photos of him while he's performing

but this is a more personal venture of his so he asks everyone to send him the pics and he decides which ones to post

will also repost stories from fans who came to the show!

oooh this man posts the most jaw dropping photos of himself

he will have just woken up and post a photo that makes you think it's so unfair how perfect somebody can be

he just likes to post when he feels good about himself and i support!

haley and (i did not come up with a name for your guys' cat so you guys can have fun with that!) also have their own dedicated highlight

it is exactly as cute and wholesome as you would think it is

there are even more highlights if you keep on scrolling. he has highlights for each year's fashion weeks, as mentioned, as well as trips you guys have been on (the most recent is a trip to greece and italy!)

posts

once again he's one of those infuriating sort of famous people who are like fine as hell but they post just enough cute and relatable content that he actually seems like a real and very nice guy (fun fact, he is!)

you can tell immediately when he's been on a trip because he'll have at least 3 posts up and they're all of the same place

you guys are like the photo taking couple

if you weren't good at taking pics before you started dating, his skills definitely rub off on you

he'll do the thing where he gets you to pose for him so he can take a photo of you and then you take the same style of photo for him

it's disgusting you guys have matching photos on your feeds of each other

if it wasn't already common knowledge that you guys are dating, i can imagine the conspiracy theory videos being like guys they were in the same place? at the same time? and they took the same type of pics? i think they're dating

he loves cooking with you (while i personally think it would be really funny if he can't cook, in some of the comics they do mention that he can cook, but either way he enjoys cooking with you)

you guys are like the parent friends who host dinner at their place and there's usually a theme surrounding seasonal ingredients and everything's plated really well

you probably watch cooking shows together and are now you can't serve a dish without some microgreens or sliced radish on top or something

also yes he did plan the picnic and he's quite proud of it

he watched all of those charcuterie board hacks to make the flowers and fancy cheese arrangements

and there were chocolate dipped strawberries, champagne with glasses, and freshly baked cookies (alfred might have helped with that one)

also yes he does wear glasses!!!! only at home when he's reading or staring at a screen too long. his prescription's not that bad

jason ver.

[girlokwhatever]

Helloooo, so I’ve a request, I’ve had the most horrible Paige Bueckers brain-rot and I just can’t stop thinking about Paige with an ice-hockey player gf, and as a hockey player myself I’m dying only thinking about her coming to reader’s games and being all soft and caring when she comes home with bruises and cuts, things of the sort, omg I’m so in love

ask and you shall receive

paige bueckers x hockey player!gf hcs

༘⋆🌷🫧🏒₊˚ෆ⊹ ࣪ ˖ paige with a hockey player gf,,

— first and foremost, she goes to watch every possible game whenever she can

— brags to all her friends about you being a D1 hockey star

- “my girlfriend is literally the highest ranked hockey player in the state”

— she’s always so scared that you’ll get hurt or get cut on the bottom of someone’s skate

- one time you got pushed and fell really hard on the ice. it left a massive bruise and she spent two whole weeks putting ache relief gel on it (unnecessary but she’s determined)

— out of her seat and screaming the second someone lays their hand or stick on you because wtf….?!

- she’s gotta protect her girl

— the first time she watched she didn’t know any of the rules

- she’d shout “set a screen” or some shit and everyone’s like…. what???

— she’ll try to argue with the refs after the game if they made a bad call

- will lowkey follow one to the bathroom or something just to complain

— you taught her everything she knows and now she’s a dedicated hockey fan

— literally watched it on her own time so she could learn faster and impress you

- “that backchecking you did was absolutely nasty”

- “how do you know what that is?”

— will steal your helmet and put it on or hide it from you

— during basketball season she can’t be there as much for practices and stuff but she’s so concerned if you come back with a cut or something

- insists you lay down so she can bandage you (literally puts on aquaphor and a bandaid) but she’s so sweet and caring about it

— you tried to teach her how to ice skate but… it failed dramatically

— she has so much respect for you cause she knows its so hard

— cheers for you so loud (and she brings all her friends to cheer with her)

— makes you posters but they’re kinda silly and stupid (she’s getting there guys)

— you convinced your coach to let her sit with the team during games if she’s alone

— the team LOVVESSS her guys i’m not even joking

— one time she bought a post-game meal for the whole team (nil paycheck don’t play)

— you like to smother her with your legs cause you know they’re strong (wink wink)

— became friends with the moms of everyone on the team (she’s one of them now fr)

— takes pictures and videos when you score or make a good play (proud gf)

— picks you up from practice and always asks how it went

— trust she’s got a shirt with your last name and jersey number on it

— “so do you ever get, like, cold out there?”

- “paige.”

+*:ꔫ:*﹤𖡎•·.·''·.·•⍣ ೋ𐦍༘⋆

this request was cute!! i had fun with it

also,,, PT.2 for “nice surprise” is either coming tonight or tomorrow so be on the lookout 😘😘

[aspiringsophrosyne]

The latest teaser confirmed it: the Mighty Nein animated series will draw on material that not only predates episode one of the campaign but at least two characters' respective session zeros. The synopsis for the show also highlights what is most likely the Beacon, suggesting it may get significant emphasis early on.

Because of all this, I think it's possible (even likely) that the first season will NOT end with the events of episode 26, which is where I and many other fans figured it would after the initial announcement.

Instead, as a few fans posited, we could see C2E12 and its consequences serving as the season one finale.

When I first saw posters bringing this idea up, I liked how it sounded. It would give the Mighty Nein much more room to breathe than Vox Machina. I didn't want to believe that could happen, though. I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Now, I am getting my hopes up. Just a little.

Because to get to the Iron Shepherds before the end of season one, the CRew has to hustle. They cannot afford to waste time on any extraneous content. Pre-episode-one material is most welcome but it is extraneous to the Mighty Nein's overall story. It is nothing we can't infer from context.

Incorporating this material implies that the pace will be, at the very least, somewhat slower than TLOVM's pacing has been.

Showing how everyone meets means they can dedicate the rest of the season to Trostenwald, the Gnoll Mine, (Shakäste!) various Zadash hijinks, and then the attack. If paced well, that’s enough for 12 episodes, even without moving some later events (Where The River Goes, Harvest Close, the tournament in Whispers of War, etc.) up in the order, which they could do.

But I could be jumping the gun. It could be the CRew makes the mistake of trying to squeeze pre-session-zero content into an otherwise faithful adaptation of a season that ends at C2E26. Or adding that material but slicing out tons of content from the stream to make that work. We don’t know yet. We can’t.

But, again, the allusion to the Beacon makes little sense unless we have some time to sit with it. Not if it’s in the middle of a season racing towards Glory Run. Travis has said here about TLOVM that they had a limited runway and wanted to be off to the races from the jump. But with the Nein, they want to play around more. We could take that in several different ways, but it sounds promising.

We might get a slower burn with TM9 than with VM. If the first season ends around Midnight Espionage, we might not even see Caleb’s or Molly’s backstories until season 2! And that’s exciting; new watchers will have time to get to know these characters, care about them, and mull over who they could be before the bombs drop. And that’ll be fun to watch.

[tateshifts]

MATTHEO RIDDLE ⋆｡˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚ dr headcanons pt 2

✮ . . . i know this sounds very 2021 shiftok but mattheo actually does smell like burnt wood ? but it’s not the bad kind ? I CANT EXPLAIN LMAO but it’s like a mix with cigs and rain too. but he absolutely does not smell like cinnamon.

✮ . . . enzo and blaise go to hogsmeade often at 1am to buy weed from this dodgy man… (you will never catch me there) but the boys all smoke it together regularly ?? god knows what’s in that weed- i smoked it once and passed out for 18 hours. i now get my weed elsewhere LOL

✮ . . . he did drink a lot a few years ago (as one of his coping mechanisms), but now he balances his drinking and smoking & he never does both at the same time; unless it’s at a special slytherin party when he’s celebrating (slytherin winning the overall match for the season)

✮ . . . this man is such a hopeless romantic!! he would never dare say it out loud but you can tell in the movies he watches and the books he reads. i made him read ‘ugly love’ (when it was trending) and i swear i saw him smiling at the romantic parts ahahah but overall he hated it. 2/10 don’t recommend.

✮ . . . he also loves the marvel comics. he’s such a dedicated fan, he likes to refresh his memory with the comics, on the characters and the original plot before he watches a new mcu film.

✮ . . . he likes having company most of the time but he only likes it from his close friends. he won’t really acknowledge anyone else unless it benefits his academics or needs. i spend most of my time with mattheo since we match eachothers energies so well; its rare that we’re ever apart

✮ . . . his love language is touch and gift giving!! if he needs something from me that he knows will need a bit of persuading, he will go and buy me crystal bars (this worked well for him once).

✮ . . . continuing from pt 1, he gives off this cold and heartless personality but once you really get to know and trust him, he shows you his gentle side, only if he trusts you. he has trust issues and abandonment issues which stemmed from his childhood as he never had any immediate living blood relatives, but he now considers the boys, me and pansy his family.

part 1 here

thanks for reading ❦｡･:*:･ﾟ follows, likes & reblogs are appreciated x

[randomishnickname]

Must-read Destiel fics - my superduper Nov. 5th rec list

Three years ago, on the blessed day of November 5th, 2020, I had:

never seen an episode of SPN,

only had a vague inkling of what the two pale coconuts were on about,

and I hee-heed and ha-had with the rest of Tumblr about the love confession scene and the Internet errupting in an unparalleled craze

At first I thought, that's it.

Then ... I got curious. I watched some YouTube Destiel supercuts. I read some fic (I think @andhumanslovedstories beautiful Cas/OC fic was my entry point?). I read meta. I watched some more YouTube scene packs. I read even more fic. I watched some of S4, some of S1, some random fan fav episodes. And then Destiel lodged itself so deeply, thouroughly into my brain that it took over and hasn't relinquished control in the last two years. The most tenacious, pervasive brain worm to date.

This ship got it all, and this fandom got it all, and there's such delightful, powerful, batshit crazy, romantic, expertedly crafted fanfic out there, it's like being a starving child in the world's biggest candystore.

So without further ado, here's some of my very favorite fics from this infinite trove, with all my thanks to the wonderful writers who keep delighting and awing me with their dedication and craft. There'll of course be some recency bias at play but you can browse my bookmarks over here to chose from over 100 excellent and well-curated SPN stories.

💕CATEGORY: SWOONWORTHY💕

Wildly romantic fics that warm you up from the inside.

It Won't Be Perfect by someonetoanyone (10K words) Summary: Dean daydreams about what it'd be like to let himself love Cas freely.

Why I love it: the humor, the spot-on characterizations, and the quintessential late season Destiel-ness of being so deeply love with your best friend that it's too big to actually do anything about. Just. So warm.

Rock Lobster by Ginger Fail (13K) Summary: Cas decides that the lobsters Dean planned to cook need to get back home. Impromptu beach vacation ensues!

Why I love it: This road trip story is fresh and invigorating like a sea breeze! Fun, entertaining and full of deep, deep fondness.

Seek to Know You Better by ahurston (32K)

Summary: On a road trip, Dean and Cas play the 36 Questions That Lead To Love.

Why I love it: They’re so deliberatedly, carefully starting a relationship here. They try so hard to bridge the gaps and meet each other halfway. A very mature take on love that feels nourishing.

☢️CATEGORY: BRAINWORMS GALORE☢️

Fics that make you go BARK BARK BARK.

samson went back to bed by piesexuality (9k, @twoheadedcas) Summary: Cas strikes a deal with Chuck - keeping his family together comes at the price of their free will.

Why I love it: What if Cas got his revenge for the Mala'ak box? What if love came at the price of everything you've been fighting for? What if a story twisted the knife oh so sweetly? Each word of this one lands a punch. Made me insane in the best of ways (cue pinned fanart).

In sickness by @saintedcastiel (41K) Summary: S4 redux but Castiel has a fetish: giving Dean the sniffles.

Why I love it: This one is soooo. Can barely find words for it. It taps into Cas' early season alienness and psychosexual obsession with Dean, brilliantly demonstrates Casdean vs Samruby parallels, and each word is just. Perfect. ARGH!

so much smoke in a hall full of mirrors by AreYouReady (6K, @autisticandroids ) Summary: Godstiel is losing his heavenly war. Crowley provides a compliant Dean-doll for him to release his frustrations upon.

Why I love it: Urgh, this one is sooo dark. Taps into the scary, intimidating and alien aspects of Godstiel so well. Gore, consent and psychosexual issues galore. Delicious.

Special mention: In a Parked Car, Exhuming Ophelia by @an-android-in-a-tutu (17K). Still need to comment properly ;)

💣CATEGORY: EMOTIONAL WRECKING BALLS💣

Angsty fics that tear you to pieces to remake you better.

What Used To Be Mine by someonetoanyone (48K words) Summary: Dean never makes his apology prayer in Purgatory - Cas dies, Dean mourns.

Why I love it: Oh god, this is a heavy hitter. Just, straight up insurmontable grief, packaged in poetic, raw language to make you shed tears and tears. Loved it so much.

Ignite your bones By ilovehowyouletmefall (67K, @angelinthefire) Summary: Dean accepts Chuck's deal: killing Sam to save the world.

Why I love it: Cruuuuel cruel premise for a story that doesn’t pull its punches. It gets dark in Dean’s head and everyone around him suffers. Wonderfully written. The ending set my brain on fire.

Right Where you Left Me by outdean (93K, @armandgender)

Summary: Cas comes back from the Empty after 10 years to find Dean married to another man.

Why I love it: This one is a riiiide. When grief has become a part of you but your love comes back… When you return from the dead and have to carve a new space into the world for yourself... nothing is easy here, but the emotions are INTENSE. Also, autistic!Cas for the win.

Special mention: Who Ya Gonna Call? by saintedcastiel (50K) and Clear skies in spring by enochianprayer (WIP)

💥CATEGORY: EPIC RIDES💥

Expansive, wild adventures with lots of ups and downs

Spirit of the West by teen_dean (140K, @urne-buriall)

Summary: An 18y old Dean grew up on a horse farm – cue veterinarian Castiel. The summer of a lifetime ensues.

Why I love it: So this is one of my very favorite stories, ever ever, and I cannot recommand enough to immediatedly suscribe to the author’s Substack to be able to follow it in „real time“ next summer. It’s cinematic, rich, full of darkness and light, it’s everything a story can aspire to, I’m just. I just really love it.

Second Verse, Same as The First by LaLaCat1 (135K)

Summary: Endverse!Cas is sent back to the start of S1 and is determined to make things right this time round.

Why I love it: a desperate and badass Cas, unfridging everyone, a thrilling plot, moments of awesome for the entire cast, gripping action scenes, a romance for the ages… this is a genuinely amazing story.

back road, black road by eden22 (167K)

Summary: 18y old Sam gets kidnapped by Hell on his way to Stanford. Dean tries to deal.

Why I love it: So this one’s not Destiel-centric but does have wonderful Destiel moments. It’s also very heavy on the gore and the angst (NOT for the faint of stomach), but expertly crafted, fascinating and frankly it deserves more love. Held my breath for half the read and never knew where it’d take me.

Special mention: It's The End Of The World (As We Know It) by tiamatv (140K)

🤪CATEGORY: DESTIEL INSANITY🤪

Uproariously funny stories about the intricate rituals these two weirdos get up too.

Life Skills by ilovehowyouletmefall (26K)

Summary: Dean teaches a newly human Cas how to be „a real man“.

Why I love it: Dean coming to Big Self-Realizations while trying to have platonic threesomes with Cas is so perfect. Very endearing, tender and funny. Also, smoking hot sex.

the cheapest room in the house by biggaybenny (89K)

Summary: Dean downloads Grindr for Cas

Why I love it: Just. Late season Dean being deranged about Cas’ sexuality while everyone watches on in utter confusion. Equally hilarious and deeply moving

according to all known laws of life by @sobsicles (29k)

Summary: Cas comes back from the Empty to a Dean who won’t stop playing gay chicken.

Why I love it: They are both such petty, insane weirdos in this one. They said „can every situation be turned into a squabble“ and didn’t wait for an answer. So funny, so tender

Special mention: Wedding Vows and Negotiations by GingerFail (6K)

That's it, enjoy and leave your writers some much-deserved love!

[silver-soul00]

I want to ask the same question to you as well inherent in why the Wenclair ship has become so famous.

How did it get so much popularity?

I ask this apolitically so don't worry ahahah

Hey hello!

Don't worry!

I'll be happy to answer you and I also want to take this opportunity to deny a couple of things.

Let's start with your question.

One of the most obvious indicators of Wenclair's popularity is the number of dedicated fan fiction on platforms like AO3. 

Let's remember that even before the series premiered on Netflix, on November 23, 2022, there were already 250 stories with the Wenclair tag, signaling early interest from fans.

(https://fanlore.org/wiki/Wenclair)

As of 2023, the Wenclair ship has become the most written about ship for both the Wednesday and Enid characters, with over 5,800 works published on AO3.

(https://shipping.fandom.com/wiki/Wenclair)

This exponential growth has shown how much the couple has created enthusiasm and creative investment from the fandom community.

But there is also another factor that should not be forgotten.

The production of fanart is another key indicator of the popularity of a ship.

The massive presence of these fanarts on platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram testifies to the artistic interest of fans.

The aesthetic combination of the two characters, with their contrasting personalities and styles, offers fertile ground for creativity, making the couple particularly attractive to artists.

Just look at the fanarts that come out every week on X, Tumblr, Instagram etc.

Unfortunately some Wenclair artists have either retired or stopped temporarily but this has not stopped the wave and even today the largest number of fanarts related to the Netflix series are Wenclair-themed.

Wenclair’s popularity is also reflected in social media trends. 

On Tumblr, the ship has achieved notable positions in the weekly charts, ranking #2 on January 9, 2023, #3 on January 16 and February 13, and maintaining a steady presence in the following weeks.

[https://shipping.fandom.com/wiki/Wenclair]

Finally, let's not forget that, after a long sleep lasting a year, the fandom woke up thanks to the Novelisation of the first season which, for better or for worse, offered a lot of material for us fans of the couple.

But now that we have the data, we still ask ourselves, why was it so successful?

• First and foremost, the "Opposites Attract" Trope

The dynamic between Wednesday and Enid embodies the opposites attract trope, with Wednesday's dark and introverted nature contrasting with Enid's vivacious and extroverted nature.

This contrast has historically fascinated audiences, making their interaction intriguing and worthy of narrative exploration.

It is extremely inspiring to draw this pairing even on an artistic level, with plenty of fan art depicting a bright and cheerful Enid alongside a darker and stoic Wednesday (the most obvious example being the black cat energy x golden retriever energy dynamic).

[artist: https://x.com/sarishtks/status/1597683048094760960?t=P3kTp27IWnyUt77L-nXnpw&s=19]

[artist: https://x.com/fulvarrr/status/1605453010465062913?t=LEnrOMnIAqvAKs_GbkjPNA&s=19]

[artist: DSInsectes]

• Then there is of course the LGBTQ representation.

I have already touched on why Wenclair makes sense and I refer you to that post.

But without going into too much detail, the lack of explicit queer representation in the series has led fans to seek out and create narratives that reflect their experiences and desires, finding in Wenclair a possibility for meaningful representation.

But above all, another factor was fundamental, which was the failure of the Wednesday love triangle that was in the middle between Tyler and Xavier.

Many of us found this subplot so atrocious that we came to the final thought that, if Wednesday were ever going to have a romantic partner, it would absolutely be Enid.

Above all, let's not forget how very queer core the two girls are.

(Enid in particular and the subplot with her mother is a clear example of this)

Where on one hand we had a Tyler who, through deception and gaslighting, tried to get closer to the protagonist, then there was Xavier who was really a guy who perhaps tried to seem like a good guy but was just a pretty slimy guy (the phone scene is really senseless).

{not only for this but also for what I will write later, if you are a fan of Weyler or Wavier, this is nothing personal, peace and love, I'm just looking at the data and the reasons why Wenclair has grown}

Then there are the promotional events, such as the "WednesGAY" organized by Netflix, and statements by the actors have fueled speculation and enthusiasm around the ship, contributing to its spread.

Let's say that this is more of a sore point for some because there has actually been some queerbaiting by Netflix.

But anyway, even through interviews of the actors and actresses who worked on the series, the Wenclair ship has managed to become more and more popular even if some of those statements were even joking ("They were roomates". by Emma Myers).

• Finally their relationship in concrete in the series.

Let's be clear, the best scenes of the series have the 2 of them as protagonists (at least for me).

They argue, they compare, they help each other and when Wednesday makes a mistake, Enid feels betrayed and Wednesday feels bad for it.

Let's remember that Enid first went to ""die"" for Wednesday in the final episode.

For Sinclair there were no plans other than finding Wednesday, there was no possibility of transforming in her head.

Every time an exchange of dialogue occurs between the 2 of them there is always a significant stimulus.

But most of all, Enid is one of the reasons why Wednesday is growing both emotionally and mentally.

Wednesday has learned so much thanks in large part to her roomate.

It is no coincidence that, recently that pic of Wednesday and Enid shown on a card was also released, or simply that many fan art on Wednesday also feature Enid.

Emma Myers and Jenna Ortega were so close on that set that you could feel how committed they were to their roles and how they interacted.

Before concluding, I would like to be able to add further information, denying a very specific piece of information.

"Wenclair are not so numerous, but they are justw noisy".

Here, let's debunk this falsehood once and for all.

It's true that we are noisy, but we are ALSO NUMEROUS.

The popularity of the Wenclair ship is not the result of simple redundancy across multiple platforms, but is supported by real numbers that demonstrate a higher level of engagement and diffusion than other ships in the series.

• AO3 (Archive of our own)

In the most famous fanfiction site we have the first proof that we are not "just noisy".

In fact, at least until today, the number of fanfictions is equal to about 7605.

On the contrary, the Weyler ones are just under 1200, even worse that Wavier is under 1000 (811 to be exact).

• Wattpad 

Here it is extremely more difficult to understand, but it is noteworthy how Wenclair fanfiction have extremely gigantic numbers.

With truly enormous views, even more than you might think.

• Reddit

The subreddits dedicated to the Wednesday series are 2, r/Wednesday (with about 790 thousand members) & r/WednesdayTVseries (with about 40 thousand members).

Now that we know the number of fans of the series, we must think that we are a minority (?)

Well, almost.

The subreddit dedicated to the Wenclair ship has reached a significant number of members, that is, just over 10 thousand members (I read 12 thousand but I don't trust it because sometimes it changes very little).

And there are many intentions in there.

AT LEAST 4/5 posts per day, with additional comments.

With positive votes that reach at least 30/50 up to 800 even (but also 1000) in the space of a few days or weeks.

On the contrary, the Weyler one, with just over 1000 members, you can see the most voted posts that tend to get around 50 or a little less (maybe this is where we can talk about noisy fans at the expense of the low number?).

The Wavier one lmao let's not even talk about it, it's a dead horse.

In the r/wholesomeyuri subreddit, I'm not the only one who posted Wenclair stuff and the results have proven to be extremely positive with posts that had between 109 up to 2 thousand positive votes.

16 hours ago I reached about 950 positive votes, so here too the feeds are not few.

X, Instagram and Tumblr

X, Instagram Tumblr

Well, here we have perhaps the biggest evidence to deny the accusation.

The hashtags related to the Wenclair ship (or Wednesday X Enid) are huge.

Let's start with Tumblr, here the number is around 68,962 with a much more active fan presence than you might think.

Wednesday X Enid has 4743, while the #Wenclair fanart (remembering that it is very often linked to that #Wenclair) has 1293.

The Tumblr community has 578 members (and it's a lot considering that Tumblr communities are a bit of a niche), with at least 2 posts per day.

While some posts?

Wenclair themed posts (mostly fanart) reach a number that reaches from 20 notes up to 3/4 thousand).

A recent one, that of Leodraws3 dated October 31, 2024 reached 3822 notes.

So even on Tumblr we are not just ""noisy"".

• X (or Twitter)

Here things get really funny.

We don't have a precise number, but looking at the likes and shares, the numbers go really high.

The community is increasingly alive, the fanarts reach between 50 likes up to a figure like 5 thousand likes.

Without even excluding the reposts that reach an average of between 100/120 reposts up to even 500 reposts.

They are not few.

• Instagram

Instagram, similarly to X, has fanart or pics in general that revolve around very satisfying results.

From 80 likes up to 2 thousand likes.

One of the arguments often used to belittle Wenclair is that the fandom is mostly made up of extremely young users and therefore "not representative" of the entire Wednesday audience. 

However, this claim is not supported by the data. (Besides being pretty bad as a thing to say as if, only adults can appreciate nice but ok things.)

Research shows that LGBTQ+ ships in mainstream media tend to generate the most engagement among 18-34 year olds, who are also the most active age group on fan content platforms like AO3 and Tumblr. 

Additionally, TikTok, one of Wenclair’s biggest outlets, has a user base that extends well beyond the underage audience.

TikTok has amassed a slew of video edits and especially fan art videos about Wenclair, garnering hundreds to thousands of likes and shares.

According to data shown by Fandom.com, over 70% of users who interact with LGBTQ+ content in Wednesday’s fandom are between the ages of 18 and 30.

(https://www.flowjournal.org/2023/02/fan-demographics-on-ao3/)

AO3 and Tumblr, the main platforms for fanfiction and fandom discourse, have an average user age of 25 to 40.

(https://ao3demographicssurvey2024.tumblr.com/post/743125699288842240/in-the-ao3-demographics-survey-2024-an)

The Wenclair phenomenon is not just a passing trend: the ship has been the most discussed on Twitter for several consecutive months after the release of the series, maintaining a constant engagement even in 2024 (especially thanks to the Novelisation)

And when the 2nd season comes out, get ready because fan art and fanfic will return to their prime.

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Hi!

First of all, I love your blog. I can’t imagine the time and dedication it must take to be able to do all of this. So, thank you for making our wolfstar-filled lives easier!

I don’t know if you’ve been asked this before or not, but have you recently read any new fics that you absolutely loved?

Anyway, I hope you have a nice day!!! ✨

P.

Thank you so much! Anytime someone sends in an ask like this, just assume I'm blushing.

And what a fun ask! These fics don't have a connected theme, but these are a few of the most recent ones I've read (that you'll probably see pop up on other lists at some point).

Wolfstar Fics to Keep You Up Past 3am

Dear Mr. Black by @languagelessonswolfstar When famous TV chef Sirius Black is publicly outed and needs to escape the London paparazzi, he heads to a very rural B&B in Northumberland where he's astonished to taste the most delicious almond croissant he's ever tasted and simply must meet the chef. Featuring falling in love, snowy hikes, seeing the stars, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, unconventional families, letters to Father Christmas, wishes coming true, finding authenticity, getting to the heart of things, and lots and lots of food.

you know how to ball (i know aristotle) by @emlovessid @drunkdumbfucker Being promoted to full time sports journalist at the Daily Prophet is a dream come true for any quidditch fan. But for Remus Lupin, the 2024-25 season of the British and Irish Quidditch League Cup has more in store for him than he ever could have imagined; namely Puddlemere United's star beater, Sirius Black.

Between pre-match interviews, post-match drinks and social media banter that borders dangerously on flirting, Remus is only one swing of the beater's bat away from falling for him. And he can only hope that when he does, Sirius is there to catch him.

I'm Waiting Here for You by @ohyou-pretty-things Remus Lupin, a single father with impending medical debt, suddenly found himself unemployed, and he was fine—until he responded to a mysterious rebus on a job board, got hired by an eccentric young man, and ended up with more than he bargained for.

Sirius Black was only looking for some help around the office, and he certainly never intended to break any rules.

The Fall by @euripidestrousers The day the devil appears starts like any other.

Remus Lupin goes about his day as a primary school teacher, marking homework, calmly defusing heated fights between eight year olds, and pouring his heart and soul into his job. He's a perfectly normal person, thank you very much.

The devil disagrees.

London Boy by @chlobliviate

Sirius moves from London to Cardiff to be near James, Lily and Harry. As a firefighter, he seems to be unfairly accident-prone and ends up in A&E multiple times, where he meets Remus, a very hot, very Welsh nurse.

Slow burn. (pun intended)

Want something to read? Ask the Librarian for a fic or book rec!

[mareastrorum]

These are just initial thoughts, and perhaps I’ll learn something that changes my mind on it, but I’m glad to see Critical Role making the leap to their own subscription service with Beacon.

As a lead in: I’m an attorney that has some background in IP law, though it isn’t what I practice currently. I’ve kept in contact with several active practitioners, particularly those that represent small-time creators either in their own independent practice or via nonprofits. I do not have an extensive Rolodex of IP peers, nor do I spend the money to keep up on IP CLEs. I’m just someone who used to know a ton because I did heavy research and work in that space, and that hasn’t been the case for years.

So here’s my thoughts a bit on the IP angle:

The primary reason I’m happy to see this leap is that CR is taking active steps to keep control over its IP. It’s a boring thing to most people, but when I start paying attention to a specific creator (authors, directors, companies, etc.), I tend to be very attentive to how they use their IP. How freely do they license their marks to partner with other creators to make merch? How often do they allow others to make adaptations or derivatives of their copyrights? What is the quality of those products? What is the supply chain like? Are those third parties objectionable in some way? Were the other parties faithful to the original works or marks? Was this a cash grab or an earnest effort to make something worth the price tag?

Honestly, I like how CR run their business. They have a history of tapping fans and fellow small businesses when making new merch or spinoffs. They embrace the culture of fan-made derivative works, both by featuring fanart/cosplay and by sharing their success. Do you know how rare it is for a company to pay fan artists for their already-made and freely posted work and then sell books of it? Let me be clear: CR bought a limited license from each artist so they could print and sell each work in a physical book, then paid the cost of publishing that book with no guarantee that CR would make that money back, let alone profit. I have a copy of the collector’s edition art books: they’re actually very well made and the packaging definitely cost a pretty penny. That’s not a rainmaker idea, that’s genuinely risking financial loss to sell something people could access for free if they wanted to.

The art books aren’t a one-off either. Darrington Press is CR’s separate LLC for tabletop games. (It’s good business practice to split off companies that handle products in different industries.) CR has also made shows based on those games, and the Candela Obscura series has quite a dedicated audience. Everything about Candela belongs to them: the game itself, the rule book, all the art in the book, the web series based on the game, and merch. It’s so successful that they invested in scheduling a live show for Candela later this month. That’s HUGE.

Contrast that with the distribution of Campaign 1 and the first 19 episodes of Campaign 2. CR cannot host those videos themselves; Geek & Sundry still exists and still holds what I presume to be distribution rights (but I don’t have the contract to review). So G&S gets to host those videos on YouTube and reaps the advertising. I can’t speak to whatever share CR gets from that, but considering that CR is locked out of hosting their own copies of those videos, I doubt it’s much, if any, revenue. (If you’re wondering why CR just didn’t buy those rights back, I ask: what incentive does G&S have to sell something that’s making them money for no cost?)

Knowing that background about G&S, I was wary of CR choosing Amazon to host and distribute The Legend of Vox Machina. Originally, TLOVM was not the plan; CR had a kickstarter for an animated special based on C1. It was only because they blew past the goal that CR was able to make an entire season. The reasonable assumption is that choosing Amazon had to have secured CR additional funding for future seasons of the show, which seems evident from how quickly season 2 was announced, Mighty Nein Animated is also going to be a thing, and that season 3 of TLVOM is scheduled for fall 2024. CR had the option of just doing 1 season and keeping it purely in their control, but going with Amazon meant they could animate more of their works. Animation is expensive. I cannot stress enough how doubtful I am that CR would have been able to afford this many episodes and both campaigns if they had not gone this route. As wary as I was in the start, it paid off, and it’s going well—so far. Hopefully CR doesn’t regret that decision if Amazon tries something sleazy. But, as before, we don’t have the contracts and can’t know how secure CR’s position is if any dispute came up.

CR also partnered with Dark Horse Comics to make Vox Machina comics and Might Nein Origins comics. What’s especially surprising is that each of the cast had a hand in writing the MNO comics for their characters, with Matt listed for multiple. That isn’t very common with comic adaptations. Often times, IP owners let comic companies go ham with minimal oversight. Being listed as one of the authors comes with IP rights that have to be negotiated. That means that Dark Horse had to talk with CR about whether that warrants more or less revenue going to which party in exchange for that—or, alternatively, whether the comic gets made at all. That’s a ballsy move. You think people can just demand to write the comics that a publishing company is going to pay to print? Pffft. CR wanted some creative control, and that is a big ask. However, Dark Horse still has the distribution rights, both digitally and for physical copies. You couldn’t buy the comics from CR until they came out with the library edition, a book bound compilation of 4/8 comics. But the publisher is still Dark Horse; CR is just allowed to sell the book directly from their own site as well.

Contrast that with the novels about CR characters. CR partnered with Penguin Random House to publish novels about Vex and Vax (Kith & Kin), Lucien (The Nine Eyes of Lucien), and Laudna (What Doesn’t Break). Liam and Laura were vocal about having some say in K&K, whereas Madeline Roux said in an interview that she had full control over TNEOL. Both of those novels were narrated with CR voices, but narrating a book doesn’t come with IP rights, it just brings in a paycheck. There’s a lot less IP control in there compared to the comics, but this isn’t abnormal for book publishing. To be blunt, I doubt PRH would have agreed to publish the novels if anyone from CR had been a co-author or had heavy oversight over the author or the editing. I don’t think PRH even considered that as an option. Either an author that has already managed to sell X number of copies or nothing. Creative control over a book a huge ask, asks come with reduced revenue, and switching to books from a web series is already a leap. The fact that Laura and Liam had any say is surprising, really.

That was a long meandering tour of what we’ve seen CR do with its IP. The reason I bring up each of these things is that navigating the way to protect an IP in this space is rife with challenges. Different types of IP warrant different strategies because of the cost involved in creating each medium and the challenges placed by industries that have already sprung up around them. Any time that a third party is tapped to create an IP, it’s usually because they already have the funds and resources to create the work, and CR has to negotiate for revenue, creative control, distribution, and—the big one—who gets to be the owner. These are not easy, quick, or fun conversations, and CR is always going to be the smaller company at the table.

Knowing that, I’m not surprised or worried that CR is creating its own independent subscription service with Beacon. It tells me that they’re being careful with their IP whenever they can. A subscription service means they don’t have to trade away distribution rights or give up ad revenue to a third party. They’re in this for a long term investment, and that requires solid income not tied to third parties that can definitely outspend them in litigation in the event of a dispute. A subscription for bonus content is one of many parts in a diverse revenue stream.

(All that said, this isn’t meant to criticize creators that cant afford to do this type of thing. It took 9 years for CR to get to the point where Beacon is financially feasible and a desirable business decision. They have enough ongoing, popular content to warrant paying for a subscription, and they’ve built sufficient trust with their audience that more will be added. That takes time and an awful lot of money.)

As a final note, I take this step as a sign that CR definitely intends to stick around. This isn’t a move people make when they plan on ending the business after the current campaign. I’m glad to see CR is taking steps to secure their foundation and keep making new content.

I’m sure people will chime in on other issues (cost, content exclusivity, etc.), but I hope my perspective gives an idea of why this sort of thing is good for business generally and why it would be good for CR.