#but i think as a wlw the way she exists in that dynamic is so fascinating

[ravenkinnie]

how I sleep knowing that regardless of twitter outrage ciri is canonically bisexual and the witcher is one of few depictions (in Polish media!! if you're not Polish you might not realise how huge that is) of how wlw relationships are as complex and nuanced and can be just as abusive as straight relationships

truly, if we measured sexuality on the basis of consensual encounters there would be way less women in this world we consider heterosexual

even more so, as uncomfortable as this truth is, women everyday in this world stay in relationships with their rapists and love them and believing that lesbian relationships are or should be exempt from those depictions is not only stupid but also dangerous. there's already so little guidance on how to approach relationships when you're a wlw and there's even less on how to recognise abuse because many resources for women are catered towards straight women since the concept of rape is usually looked at through a lense of gender dynamics

but at their core gender dynamics are about power dynamics and so is rape - which is why it is actually important that ciri is vulnerable in that moment and that she is fourteen (!!!) and mistle is an adult, this is that power differential abuse that happens to women all the time, regardless of sexuality. I've met queer women who didn't know for a long time you can even be raped by another woman because we're barely told our relationships are as real as straight relationships

the concept of good representation isn't only annoying just because we want to have all these flavours of characters that are also queer that straight people get all the time, it's also about recognising that queerness is human and we have as many nuances and shades as heterosexuality can have and sometimes those shades are very ugly and unsavoury. I'm gonna pull out a quote from carmen maria machado's in the dreamhouse:

it's so important that it's not just straight people who deny humanity to these depictions, when we don't talk about them or dismiss them we deny ourselves humanity too. it's important to recognise those as real relationships, as serious relationships and to describe them how you would a straight relationship, to say rape, to say abuse - to use trauma bond correctly!!

because this is what it is, ciri is trauma bonded to mistle which is why they can have those vulnerable scenes, she can love her and that violent sexual relationship can exist alongside it. and I'm gonna use another machado quote here:

if you've ever been in this situation you will recognise that by the time someone raises a hand against you, everything has been turned so inside out and reality has been so skewed that inside this scene everything makes sense

I'm not sure if the games will ever reference this storyline - she does have the matching rose tattoo she gets for mistle so it does seem like they choose to keep this canon. but regardless of if it comes up in the context of ciri's queerness in future canon, her having experienced sexual violence by another woman does not deny it. you have so many women around you whose first sexual experience was violent and their sexuality is not defined by it

anyway, in this house we love bisexual icon rape survivor cirilla!!

[shapelytimber]

Ok hear me out.......... wlw Wilhuff Tarkin and Orson Krennic-

the dynamic very much is unhinged creative vs rigid control freak in a context of evil bureaucracy- and personally the context is why I love to read stories with imperials jdjdkd nothing is more crack cocaine literature for me than to make drama in a space office filled with awful people

More flavor text and me trying to sell you on why this ship of two truly terrible people is great below vvv

For Krennic, lean more into the evil genius artist. She's been up for 46 hours straight drawing schematics, she's rambling about incomprehensible shit, her only meals have been cigarettes and energy drinks, she's so full of herself she might one day think she's god, she's gonna die by 60. She doesn't care much about the politics of the empire, but they don't bother her either. She works for the imperials because they have a lot funds to give to engineers willing to build them a battle station the size of a moon capable of blowing up planets. Before that she worked on a lot a architectures on imperial center/Coruscant.

The imperial uniforms are a bit boring- so I'm taking full advantage of the fact Krennic is more of an engineer/architect to tweak her uniform a bit (and the cape was already not respecting regulations sooooo) For Tarkin I'm keeping it tho, this woman won't be caught dead without it.

For Tarkin, lean less into the whole buff survivalist aspect- she very much was in her youth, but she *is* a 65 year old woman based on *Peter Cushing*, and has been in a very high and prestigious position within the empire for the past 20 years. She still as an extensive knowledge on how to survive in nature, and fight with her bare hands or a knife, but that doesn't come up very often in her line of work anymore. She still killed a space bear unharmed when she was like 17 tho. She hates chaos and developed the main philosophy that drove the empire to this day : to govern with fear and impose order. She is a bloodthirsty woman in her sixties, with a never ending hunger for power, currently cheating on her wife with a coworker she hates.

They both love the death star more than they tolerate each other, but they did end up bonding over plotting the demise of one coworker they couldn't stand and digging out rebel spies. Make no mistake tho, this is very much a love triangle/trouple between two women and a giant battle station.

In the end, Tarkin killed Krennic by shooting her from orbit with the death star, the project was finally finished, she didn't need her anymore and she might have gotten in the way of her control of the station.

Tarkin dies a few days later during the battle of Yavin, along the death star, not willing to back down in her moments of glory.

PS : a lot of this is inspired by the fic "Propagating structure" by oneinspats ! it's what made me like and understand this pairing, and is truly a great work of fiction. I really think this fic is a masterful work when it comes to expending the character of Krennic, and extrapolating on existing things. Exploring his more creative side, his passion for his work, his truly abysmal lifestyle, giving him a hatred of nature and a background as an architect on Coruscant. While also keeping his horrific aspects, like reading his internal (or external) monologues sometimes makes my skin crawl with how disgusting his ideas are and how deep they run, but making him an interesting and compelling protag for the story. While all of it is surrounded by this delicious dramatic irony, because we know that no matter how hard they try to scheme (or fuck), the death star will blow up and it's incredible.

[glittering-snowfall]

The Elsanna ship, ten years later...

When I think about the golden days of the Elsanna ship (circa 2013-2015), two images come to mind – this one… 

…and this one…

Both pieces of fanart were created to celebrate the legalization of gay marriage nationwide in the US in June 2015 – and both encapsulate the youthful energy, the innocence, the idealism of Elsanna shippers at the time. They might seem silly now to some people, but only because they are so earnest. There is an achingly earnest sincerity here because the Elsanna-shipping community was made up of a bunch of young, queer Disney fans. 

The ship wasn’t created by a bunch of creeps who wanted to “disregard or misunderstand the message of the film.”

The ship was created by a group of young wlw, young lesbians, young queer folks, who were drawn to the film because of its themes of self-acceptance and self-understanding (because they UNDERSTOOD the message of the film.) And they were drawn to the sisters’ bond because, in some way, it resonated with them – a connection between two people that was based on coming to an understanding of shared trauma and pain, a connection rooted in compassion for someone othered by society.

Frozen came out in 2013. Korrasami wouldn’t be canon for a while yet, things like Lumity and Catradora weren’t even a dream, and these naive, earnest, heartfelt kids wanted to see something that reflected themselves so much that they built a ship from the ground up.

I have seen people in recent years express bewilderment about why the Elsanna ship came into being, saying things like, “Why does this ship exist? Elsa and Anna aren’t in love; they’re sisters.” Which… duh. Obviously, they are not in love. Obviously, they are sisters. Such an attempt to say, “Checkmate, creeps!” ignores why ships come into existence in the first place. Non-canon ships emerge because there are aspects of two particular characters that the audience can relate to or project a part of themselves upon/see themselves in; and because there are elements of these characters’ dynamic/interactions that the audience can project upon/see themselves in.

And with Elsa and Anna’s dynamic together and connection throughout the film? There was A LOT that a young queer audience latched onto - NOT because these shippers felt the film was secretly espousing incest subtext, but because the characters were created to be broadly relatable to anyone with a difficult home life, anyone who felt isolated and ostracized from society, and so their narrative together lent itself to a queer reading.

Consider: on the one hand, there is Elsa – a character who exploded across the popular consciousness because so many people related to her individual story, many of them queer young people. Isolated for who she was, taught to repress her identity and her emotions, forced to conform to a society that could harm her. There hardly needs to be any more ink spilled on why Elsa struck such a chord with queer viewers – and the queer viewers who helped to shape the Elsanna ship were among the people who fell in love with her as much as anyone.

On the other hand, there is Anna. Anna’s story is different from Elsa’s, but bears many of the same marks of trauma. Anna is forced to live in a world where the rules feels arbitrary and uncaring, where nothing makes sense but no one will tell her why. Not her sister, who has been taught that she must shut Anna out. Not her parents, the authorities of the society she lives in who put the rules in place. Like many queer young people, Anna is forced to navigate a world where the rules are arbitrary and cruel. And, like her sister, she begins to internalize that pain. “What did I ever do to you?” she cries to Elsa at the coronation because, without the full context, she can’t rule out that this might be her fault – or at least, that societal forces around her tell her that this is her fault even when she did nothing.

There was so much in each character individually that queer young people resonated with.

When you factor in that their connection is something that the powers that be within the film attempt to forbid, that their connection is something that is at first treated as something that needs to be suppressed but that ultimately proves to be a positive force for both of them, then… yeah, it becomes clearer why so many queer young people aching to connect with something would see themselves in that relationship.  

I know of several prominent artists on this site who got their start in the Elsanna fandom, or who were happy to take part in the ship because they saw the way other queer young people connected with it (signatures blotted out to prevent potential harassment of artists over decade-old art):

People don’t like to remember it, but ten years ago, there were wlw fandom blogs on here that would casually make or reblog Elsanna art – not because they had some secret insidious agenda – but because the ship connected with them on an emotional level or because they understood why it did with others:

And there were shippers of other queer ships reaching out:

The Elsanna fandom of 2013-15 was a reflection of a group of queer young people (primarily wlw) – a reflection of their passion, their dedication, their craftsmanship, their creativity, and their longing to be seen. It was a group of queer young people using the pieces that a film they loved gave them to create something of their own, from their hearts, for themselves.

Create something of their own with their own spirit and hopes, reflecting their own aspirations and fears and dreams for the future.

And sure, people now can say, “That’s disgusting! How could anyone do that?” In 2020, someone called out a lovely person on here because she shipped Elsanna nearly a decade ago (even though she HAD LONG SINCE DELETED ALL EA CONTENT FROM HER BLOG, even!):

This callout is dishonest. It claims that the individual “thinks shipping them is cute” even though, when this was written, the person had not shipped Elsanna in years. It also claims Elsanna is p/*do/ph/ilic when it is not. (It is incest, obviously, and that is inherently problematic.) It also tries to make a connection between the person wanting queer rep and shipping an inherently problematic ship, when those things do not correlate at all. You can ship something and never want it to be canon. You can ship something and not want it to be “representation” – and that’s what being in the Elsanna fandom of 2013-15 was like.

People didn’t want it to be canon. They didn’t want it to be “representation.” Everyone already knows that incest is wrong. People don’t have to ship something as a crusade for representation. But people DID ship it because they saw something of themselves in the ship – and they saw the opportunity to project something of themselves (their queerness, their sense of being othered and isolated by their families, etc.) onto characters that they loved. The ship provided the opportunity for these young people to explore their senses of self and explore their identities.  

And sure, as I’ve said in the past, perhaps that wasn’t ideal – the fact that these young folks were starving for anything that was like them and so had to make a feast from whatever they had available. But I find something BEAUTIFUL in the fact that so many people were able to come together and create such beautiful things because Elsanna inspired them. I know people who met their partners, met their wives, through this ship. I’ve seen firsthand the positive influence it has had.

Like Elsa on the North Mountain, we felt isolated, we were figuring ourselves out. And we built wonders with what was inside of us. The beauty of some of the art in this ship is akin to the beauty of Elsa’s ice palace. The writing I have seen in this ship can be as elegant as any elegantly-sculpted spire Elsa fashioned through her own magic and her own will.   

This ship was ours, is ours. 

We made it for ourselves, to reflect ourselves and our identities and share aspects of those identities with others, the same way people came to ship Elsamaren when F2 came out. It may have been new faces and a new ship, but it was part of the same idea, just for a different time. 

And when you look at the thousands of pieces of Elsanna fanfiction that have been written, and the thousands of pieces of fanart (especially the beautifully diverse styles of early Elsanna fanart) – you don’t get so many people expounding their passion and creativity on something unless it means something to them, and Elsanna meant something to so many people. Mattered to them. Look at the excitement and joy in people’s words in the early days of the fandom if you don’t believe me. 

And I think that’s beautiful.

EDIT: I’ve made another post about this, but I want to add to this post that I regret saying things like “maybe that wasn’t ideal” when I wrote it. It WAS ideal because it was a beautiful to see us create a space for ourselves. 

And it STILL IS beautiful.  It CONTINUES to be beautiful. The fandom still exists and I’m glad that it still exists because it still brings such beautiful things into the world.

Elsanna isn’t just a placeholder until a better, more palatable ship comes along. Elsanna is beautiful in its own right.

[dvasva]

Tbh? I think the radiant emperor duology deserves more critique than it gets in its tag, so after stewing it over for a couple weeks and also discussing it with my friend, I have decided to do it myself.

So. Spoilers for She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned The World ahead.

First off, so nobody accuses me of hating the series, I liked the series. I'd say I'd give the first book a 4.5/5, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I like both books. I truthfully skipped the fisting scene, it triggered some dysphoria that I wasn't comfortable with personally but I don't have problem with it existing in the book, it's good where it is, no changes.

No, my critiques come mostly from the second book, hwdts. Which sucks because I absolutely loved Baoxiang in it, it's a well known fact that my ideal type is pretty, really mean, characters. ('What about Madam Zhang?!!!???!? Shes mean and pretty!!' I hear you ask. Give it a second cause i will get to my beloved madam zhang) So, my critiques are mostly organized as 'The first part I didn't like in Hwdtw that signals the thing that became my biggest issue, the bits in the middle that i did like along with the bits that I felt didn't really work well, and Act 3 which is where my issues really were exacerbated.'

By the end of book one, I had a general annoyance but acceptance that Ma Xiuying was a bit of a weak character, and not weak as in 'dang shes a woman and cant fight' or any other sexist way you may interpret that, but weak as in structurally, she didn't really have as much depth as other characters. I thought she didn't have as much time put into her character as others. And yeah you could have a million character analysis essays over Ma and her place in the story and etc, but for me, her setup for the next book as potentially having conflict with Zhu or her own morals was the most interesting part of Ma. In general I think a lot of people tend to overlook this flaw partly because Ma is a cis lesbian character and the main 'love interest' in a book that is usually marketed to people as sapphic, which yeah there is certainly a sapphic relationship in the book but I think saying it's a major part of the book is really giving the relationship a load bearing wall ot isn't strong enough to carry. The Radiant Emperor Duology is not a romance, first and foremost. To describe it as a wlw romance is gonna leave people who read ot specifically for that reason kinda dissappointed by the end of book 2.

My big critiques didn't start until book two, and a particular scene, though. Ma, at the start of book two, was generally filling the niche of 'nagging wife' to zhu, which yknow, is a fine place to start from. I was a little disappointed there was no further discussion of Ma's disapproval of the morality of Zhu's actions, and in fact the dead child was pretty much entirely forgotten by Ma in favor of being Zhu's wife. Which, yknow, sure.

The Scene I had issue with happened (Spoilers once again) after Zhu finally captures Ouyang and imprisons him at her base of operations. Ma, dressed in her empressly regalia enters his room with the intention of being the bigger person. She walks in, looks at the stripped down and humiliated general who killed her father and famously is also really a women hater, and tells him she forgives him for killing her father. And then she gets upset and cries when the prideful general who hates women gives her a dressing down and taunts her and is like 'I'm glad I killed your father'? She nearly cries because Ouyang was mean to her (notably only cause he was mean to her and didn't gracefully accept her forgiveness, not because he killed ehr father) and runs off to Zhu. And Zhu responds with 'Wow, he's just a weirdo, everyone likes you and everyone in existance immediately knows you're a good person and you change people.' Which, my friend suggested before she finished the book, was a case of Zhu placating Ma and dismissing her feelings which would be an interesting dynamic.

Really my hangups with this scene come from multiple parts.

1. Ma' few character traits including being observant and reading people really well (a thing she's praised for in book 1) and having good social intuition are completely thrown out by her thinking being alone with ouyang and forgiving him would be a good idea and then her being shocked and upset when he spat on her forgiveness. And

2. Zhu's response is never once treated by the text as her dismissing Ma and placating her, and Zhu's statement despite never being shown to be true before and that moment being the first time it's ever mentioned, ends up becoming Chekov's moral purity by the end of the book, where the plot hinges on Ma being able to magically heal a damaged character's mind enough for Zhu to win in the end. Which I will get back to. There's a lot of other stuff happening between here and the end.

So, before I get back to Ma and her role in the story, I'll address some other bits from after this scene. Both problems and things I enjoyed generally.

Madam Zhang and her parallels to Baoxiang and her being the absolute queen of dissociating really was interesting (before act 3). She was a very compelling character who I completely understood and felt positively about. She had a way more interesting relationship with gender imo than Ma did, especially in book 2. I didn't really like that she was overwhelmingly shown having sexual villence done to her, that felt weirdly like a punishment. But, I did like her a whole bunch, and I liked the look we got into her head. She was probably my second, maybe third, favorite character in the whole book until Act 3.

I really, really liked Ouyangs dynamic and relationship with Zhu. The weird sexual tension between them, their weird kinda nonsexual but also kinda very sexual S&M relationship. It was somehow the most sensual, sexual part of a book that featured Madam Zhang having sex with multiple people, and Zhu going down on Ma, and a lot of other mentions of sex or scenes involving sex. Tbh I feel like, in a way, Ma was left to the sidelines for most of the book because Ouyang became the primary 'love' interest for a hot second there and the only reason Ma could get her spot back was Ouyang and Zbu's separation. Also, from what I've seen when people talk about this book, they always kinda try to express Zhu and Ouyang's dynamic as very nonsexual and nonromantic, as platonic mostly. And there is no inherent superiority of romantic over platonic, but I think to insist that it is only platonic, and not a strange swirl of romantic, platonic, sexual, frustration and relief, and a swirl of familiarity and vulnerability all wrapped into one, is doing the dynamic a bit of a disservice. And ther is, imo, very clearly a subtle hint of romantic intent and interest on Ouyang's part before he realizes Zhu has a body he hates.

Which is also another point I didn't like. Ouyang and Zhu's relationship end felt off. The entire bit with the pirates felt off, but especially how Ouyang found out about Zbu's body, and how Zhu reacted. I think Ouyang finding out second hand, from a combination of being suspicious and from Jiang saying it, was a poor way for that to be revealed. I think there was a better way for that to happen that woyld have felt more like a betrayl to zhu than this did. The fact that Zhu and Ouyang were so in tune and could see each other perfectly, but this one thing was a blind spot for both of them because of how unaffected by gender Zhu was compared to how overaffected by gender Ouyang was is a really interesting thing to explore, an interesting disconnect between two character's whose entire basis for their relationship is 'like recognizes like'. I think Zhu seeing it as a betrayl would have been more impactful if she had presented this informatuon to Ouyang herself and been rejected than how it went down. And, I think her not realizing Ouyang would be disgusted that he felt connected and felt a sameness to someone with a body he found grotesque and that he feared would have been more interesting for zhu, who views herself outside of womanhood and didnt really think that other people would not see her outside of womanhood, if she was the one who told ouyang herself.

Also, less importantly, think going into Ouyangs annoyance that zhu kept moving his target further away was a good move but it wasn't expanded on as much for my taste. I also really liked it when (spoiler) Xu Da dies, and that entire part despite some minir bits, was extremely good in that Zhu finally has tasted loss. She had, up until that point, been riding a wave of positivity, she was the underdog who won over and over again despite all the odds and despite her own reckless choices. So I did appreciate that everything went wrong for her at least once. that would have been, imo if other things were changed, a good place to end a book two in a three book series. Which will make sense as to why I mention it im a bit.

I also didn't like how Ma was nonexistant unless the plot was like 'ok we need to remind people that Ma exists.'

And there's of course other stuff but those are the main points of acts 1 and 2 that i wasn't fond of or that i liked.

Act 3 is a wholely different behemoth which can be encapsulated with 'I wish it was longer but also different' (courtesy of the convo my friend and I had).

My friend and I both agreed that we liked this kind of courtly drama game it was playing. My friend doesn't tend to like the structure or writing style of a lot of the chinese wuxia, danmei, or courtly drama translated books i read, so it was nice to know that the genre content isn't the issue for her there.

The biggest problems I had with the ending though was 1. I think Baoxiang and Ma had an interesting dynamic despite it being really rushed and how distasteful I found the entire concept of Ma being such a good wholesome goody good good person that she could change Baoxiang, quiet his demons and fix him in some way. That was annoying in an otherwise interesting dynamic. And 2. I think Madam Zhang's character traits and cleverness and all that were wiped away to make her inexplicably jealous of Ma in a way that I don't think fit her character and just served to fit a trope of jealous empress who hates the favored concubine.

So, here's my major proposed changes.

1. Ma gets sent to Khanbaliq extremely early on. Like, act one maybe after ouyang is captured early. This serves three purposes. A. Ma has something to do and is more present in the story. this could be a good xhance to let her actually feel frustrated or upset at Zhu in some tangible way that needs to be resolved or talked thru eventually. B. she gets more time to build a relationship with Baoxiang, whose entire defeat hinges on him having a strong connection with her. and C. Her absence in the other parts of the book feel less like she's being ignored or forgotten. It makes Zhu's lack of haste more than just a way to annoy Ouyang, and turns it into an interesting moral choice. Should she rush to Khanbaliq to save Ma or trust that Ma will be ok in favor of gaining power? Her lack of haste means Ouyang leaves, depressed, and she loses Xu Da, all while she doesn't even have the assurance that Ma is ok, she is truly at her lowest point with nobody with her. If Ma is in Khanbaliq and that's explored, then Zhu and Ouyang can also explore their dynamic without Ma feeling a bit like she is battling for Zhu's attention.

2. Madam Zhang is suspicious of Ma, or feels actually tangibly threatened by Ma. In act 3, Madam Zhang's anger towards Ma feels really out of place. She got exactly what she wants, she is empress, her emperor isn't interested in removing her from her position and her position isn't threatened by anyone. Baoxiang won't get rid of her, he won't demote her, he has shown zero sign of ever even considering it. So, why is Madam Zhang jealous of Ma? Imo, especially since she very clearly has dissociated into oblivion and has no love or affection for anyone anymore, and no real desire or motivation to secure her position further aside from maybe producing an heir to make sure shes taken care of after Baoxiang dies, there's no reason for her to be inextricably jealous of Ma. It kinda just erases all of Madam Zhang's political savvy and cunning into jealous, petty woman, and that sucks. If she was suspicious of Ma's intention, or Baoxiang genuinely expressed spmething that actively threatened her position, her hatred of Ma would make sense, but instead she hates Ma cause Ma is ugly and spends every night with Baoxiang. She hated rice buckets concubine cause that concubine used a lot of funds and competition genuinely made her position less stable. She needs better motivation for hating Ma.

3. As I mentioned earlier, Zhu needs to be the one to tell Ouyang that she does not have a dick. That's just all around better, it feels more like a betrayl to bare your secrets and be rejected, etc etc.

4. The duology should have been a trilogy, with book 3 starting when Zhu is at her lowest, ouyang is dead, ma is in khanbaliq, Xu Da is dead, a new guy is the emperor. This is where a book three should have started. in a series that has so many important characters, i feel like it needs more space. she's in a 10 gallon tank when really she needs a 30 gallon tank. Lots of it, especially towards the end of book 2, felt rushed and the extra book will absolutely push that back a bit and make it less rushed.

Anyways that's my critique of The Radiant emperor duology. Once Again, I liked the series, its one of my favorites i've read all year. I don't dislike it, and having a critique or opinion about something doesnt mean I didn't like the book or understand the book (because obviously if i understood it i would understand why its flawless). I liked it, there are things I wish were different, that's it.

[seluneclerics]

Omg just binge read the five existing chapters of more the fool me and brooooo

Like I just sat my self down and didn’t get up until I finished and I’m so desperate for more!!!

The way you write the characters feels so authentic, even though their relationships develop fairly quick - it doesn’t feel rushed and makes complete sense!

You write Miranda so well, I’ve always in my head saw her as almost adjacent to characters like Narcissa Malfoy, Regina from Ouat etc

They have a cold, detached air around them but they’re fuelled by this addictive passion and commitment to their loved ones that they’re practically clinical about, like they’re not here to play and you get that across so well with Miranda.

I don’t usually read x readers and if I do, I don’t read OC ones but I enjoyed this thoroughly. I might be a little bias because I look a bit like Fraser - brown skin, long, black curls barring the fact that she’s 5’9 and I’m 5’4 at the best of times - but it comes down to how universal you write her.

The name Fraser doesn’t feel like it carries too much connotations like a name like mf Amy or Charlotte which are wayyy to western for a non-white person to easily relate to and her personality is so relatable. And big plus she’s not super annoying so

But your writing is amazing - the way you write intimacy without it being sexual is divine, how the characters look at each other fondly or appreciate the others mind or oh! oh! How you slip in Fraser’s knowledge about them to emphasise how well she knows them! Like how she knew it was Alcina because of her height when she was passed out or how she’s aware that Miranda was coming to yell at her on the balcony! The way she holds Miranda’s face and how Alcina plays piano to her, how Fraser easily makes Mira, Alcina, and soon Donna I’m guessing feel less lonely.

I don’t know, I just live for good sapphic yearning and pining and it’s so nice to see that there’s still a plot - which omg I can’t wait to see where that goes - and it isn’t all easy. Fraser may feel some attachment to Alcina and Miranda but she’s still willing to go behind their backs to search for her father - like trying to sneak into that storage room. She gets close with them but not without her own agenda. The tender, heady back and forth with Fraser and the Lords/Mira is so perfectly countered by the far more gritty landscape and setting, the depictions of the violent, grotesque nature of the corpses and flesh, of the worms and the far less idealistic village and it’s history. You stay true to the grit of RE8 and I’m here for it, I hate when a wlw story or any queer story is all fluffy or all angsty like there needs to be balance and you got it.

Alcina has to hold herself back, she feels uncomfortable knowing about Miranda’s closeness with Fraser or vice versa, Miranda letting Fraser into her vulnerable parts despite how perturbed she is and Fraser not being a dick head that has no common sense but still makes mistakes.

The pacing is great, you have pretty neat prose and I am so interested! Keep up the really awesome work!

- from a dedicate fan now <3

holy shit, i’m???

thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read about the little evil gay women in my phone. thank you even more for making such a detailed comment, really it means the world to me—and also shocks me???

the representation of fraser being a black/mixed black woman was incredibly important to me. the RE community in general has a lack of rep for women of color, likely due to the games themselves not having too many woc in general.

i’m so glad you like my miranda characterization! in this fic, i wanted to lean heavily into what it’s like to be a grieving mother. outside of the vengeful, scornful side of miranda we see inside of RE8. of course, her rage and schemes are still very present in more the fool, but i wanted the aspect of dealing with the grief of losing someone to take center stage.

i think the beauty of miranda/fraser’s dynamic is that fraser exists within miranda’s grief, rather than trying to do away with it or fill the hole that’s left in her heart. she knows she can’t assuage her loneliness and she doesn’t want to. she simply wants to be with her through it all, and i think that’s the beautiful thing about them.

outside of the who-done-it nature of more the fool’s overarching story, i think it’s a story of what it’s like to go to the ends of the earth for a person, solely because you love them and would do anything to see you two reunited.

fun fact: fraser’s name means “of the forest men” and strawberry! the truth is, i got so attached to it when i was trying to come up with a name for her, but then realized it was a boy’s name. i thought it’d be funny for her lore to add in the fact that her father knew it was a boy’s name, but kept it anyway because he liked it so much. besides, i think we can all say it fits her better!

there’s so much more i want to say, but tumblr has deleted this on me like 4 other times already, so i’ll end it there. thank you again, and i look forward to giving you more to read soon!!

[girl4music]

Rewatching the early episodes of Xena is one hell of an experience after you hadn’t seen them for a while and you now know what you know from watching all of it.

In particular the use of the ��Man-Inserted” trope.

Most TV shows use the “Man-Inserted” trope to take away from WLW. But Xena use it to validate WLW.

I suppose that’s why I don’t find it all that annoying.

Although ‘Ulysses’ especially does have its problems as far as horribly inconsistent characterization. And I do mean that for the character Ulysses as well. But… regardless, even with that episode, they still make it clear that there’s a romantic tension between X&G.

And to be honest - most, if not all the “Man-Insert”episodes do. Hell… even the “Woman-Inserts” do.

In other words: they’re just bisexual narratives in that they really work to represent that there’s more there.

More than friendship. More than platonance.

More than what the censorship will pick up on.

To me it was cleverly and carefully done to still represent WLW organically and authentically.

And I honestly enjoy it. I enjoy watching them.

As I said - maybe not ‘Ulysses’… but most of them.

I especially enjoy and love ‘Chariots Of War’.

I think Josh Becker was so brilliant for that one.

It’s the Season 1 slew of BOTWs with both Xena and Gabrielle. On a first watch you’d be frustrated by it. But wait it out and get to the end of the show - rewatch them back over. Then you realize how clever they were. How they were intentionally sneaking the romantic arcing between Xena and Gabrielle via substituting for their male equivalents and other clever writing tricks. Every other episode they would pair them up and off with a once or twice-only male character - but the absence of each other as a dynamic is immediately felt through it because all they’ll talk about is each other.

They have Gabrielle go off to that Performing Bards academy and the only thing she’ll talk about is Xena. All about her heroic deeds and then that becomes a major thing. A major narrative turning point. A major part of what the show is about and how it even works. Its foundation, its structure - the reason why it EXISTS.

It’s clear to me that they knew exactly what they were doing with all of this. And if they somehow didn’t - then they were at least manifesting it out of desiring for it because as I said - they wouldn’t have made both leads. Gabrielle wouldn’t have became as significant of a character as she did if they did not want for Xena and Gabrielle to be the lead romantic dynamic of the show. Of course they carry on with the romantic interests - both male and female - but in the end, the real romance was them because how else could the show function?

The writers can say that they never initially saw it that way or intentionally made it that way. But they clearly wanted it to be that way otherwise it never would be.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s a Law of Attraction thing. They subconsciously manifested an EPIC WLW love story.

Because that’s what it ends up as. A WLW love story.

And Gabrielle was a lead character all throughout. She just wasn’t credited as a lead character until Season 2.

[fazedlight]

7&8 for kara and lena please! :D

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I was going to talk about a couple of small things (eg pulling from comic canon), but in thinking through it, I'm just impressed/in love with how this fandom exists at all.

This is the largest wlw ship on AO3. It's one of the largest wlw ships ever (not sure how many beat it out, aside from Xena). The sheer talent of all the artists and writers who spend time creating stuff for these two is astonishing to me. The amount of love that goes into each work is astonishing to me.

So something I love with the fandom... is that it exists at all ❤️

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I don't think there's anything I despise (that is really common, anyway). So I will use this instead as an excuse to share an extremely unpopular headcanon that I don't think I've talked much about before 😌

I headcanon both Kara and Lena as bi most of the time. I'm not sure what we'd get if we went around polling the fandom, but the vibe I get is that a lot of people headcanon Kara as bi and Lena as a lesbian.

My probably-unpopular-opinion is that I feel like Kara is much more likely to be a lesbian than Lena. I feel like her relationship with Mon-El could pretty easily be viewed through the lens of comphet - and while her dynamic with James was decent in S1, they never progressed into a relationship, and so it's hard to tell what that would've looked like.

She reminds me a bit of Gabrielle from Xena (who producer Steven Sears has said was dealing with comphet, though he didn't use the term). Like, Kara - for most of her Earth life - is trying to hide, trying to be Normal, trying to pass, and I think that can easily translate into a sexuality thing. The way Kara crushed on cute guys felt qualitatively similar to how Gabrielle crushed on cute guys.

Lena, on the other hand... yeah, she had basically no chemistry with James, but I totally buy/bi her chemistry with Jack and the intensity of their relationship. That felt very real to me, and sometimes on other Earths that's why I have her end up with him in the (like on Earth-X).

I think some of this dynamic has to do with people's thoughts on the actors' sexualities. But that's just a guess. At the end of the day, anywhere on the sapphic spectrum works for either of them, but I think some of my leanings are different from the common ones in the fandom.

Thanks for the ask!! ❤️

character ask game

[yellowspiralbound]

Since season 3 of The Witcher Netflix comes out tomorrow...here are some of my concerns on adaptation from this season onward. Potential spoilers for the future seasons and definite spoilers for the books. Long post ahead.

The Hansa's Dynamic

I am so worried about how the Hansa is going to be handled in the show. Like shaking in my boots terrified. The showrunners already really messed up Dandelion & Geralt's dynamic...and that's one of the easier dynamics present in the Hansa imo. The dynamic is already going to be screwy because Cahir is a middle aged man and not a petulant teenager if he's present in the Hansa at all (though I think he will be since Emhyr called him and Fringilla out at the end of s2).

Emhyr as a Character

Speaking of Emhyr...I think they might attempt to give him a redemption arc, and I cannot emphasize how bad of an idea that is. They're going to retcon the whole "wanting to impregnate Ciri" bit, which I have mixed feelings on. Like yes, on one hand that's fucking gross but on the other hand, that bit is in there to show how fucked up Emhyr is and why Geralt needs to get to Ciri so quickly; it adds a sense of urgency to the Hansa's travels. If I see Emhyr sympathizers on my dash after this season I will lose my fucking mind.

Milva's Pregnancy & Related Scenes

I suspect that Milva's pregnancy is going to be cut entirely or play up the rest of the Hansa's concern for her as a weird "men think they can control women's bodies" thing which Milva will have to fight with them about so the show can be appropriately pro-choice without exploring any of the pro-choice nuance the books bring up. I can just see Regis talking to the guys about it being turned into a "the father deserves a say in a woman's choice to abort" scenario instead of the "I will give this woman her abortion regardless of what you all think about that (and I've made that VERY clear) but I think she's making this choice because she believes you all will abandon her/not support her if she wants to keep this baby and someone needs to make sure that she knows that won't happen" scenario that it actually is. This is also plays into my concerns about the Hansa's dynamic as changing that scene changes it irreparably.

Characterizing Nilfgaard as a Nation

Right now I feel like the show could go one of two ways 1) Nilfgaard is wrong in everything it does or 2) Nilfgaard is right in everything it does (if Emhyr gets a redemption arc). The show has already made a show of the Northern Realms' racism, which is book accurate mind you, but I fear this will translate to a sort of "Nilfgaard is the better nation as its less racist" scenario. While Nilfgaard is better in that aspect and a few others, it is still a militant slave nation. Nilfgaard and the Northern Realms both have their evils and their virtues; that's a big point in the books and the games. Neither nation is 100% good or 100% bad - they're just nations. I don't think the show will be able to handle that kind of nuance.

Jaskier & Radovid...

Apparently, Radovid is supposed to be one of Jask's love interests this season. Radovid is a massive racist, a war criminal, and a teenager. I'm sure all of that's going to be retconned but for fuck's sake just make a new character if you're going to age up and completely change the personality and insanity of an existing one. Important note: I am 1000% in support of queer Jask. I have never shipped that man with a woman in my life (even in the books and games) but for the love of God why did his LI have to be fucking RADOVID??

Mistle & the Rats

If they make Ciri and Mistle a love story, I am going to be disappointed but not surprised. Let me be clear: Mistle is a rapist and an abuser. I suspect they will change that to shoehorn in a queer relationship (even though Triss and Philippa are RIGHT THERE if they want a semi-canon wlw couple). The Rats as a whole are definitely going to be made into more robinhood-like characters because God forbid a main character like Ciri is morally grey or does questionable/bad things.

Geralt's Disability

If this season ends with the Vilgefortz and Geralt fight, as I suspect it might, Geralt will be disabled permanently by the end of this season. The dryads do not fix it. Magic does not fix it. Geralt becomes disabled and stays disabled. His disability becomes a hindrance during the books and the reader actively sees him grapple with the fallout of this. I do not trust this show to handle that - especially with how much more closed off Geralt is in the show compared to the books. If I had to guess, Geralt's disability will be handwaved away or mentioned in passing and never actually shown to impact him which is not cool.

[silviawordsworth]

A comprehensive reason as to why I, as a teenage girl, think the marauders fandom is heaven on earth. (+ a few faults)

In simple terms, its a pit of representation. The characters, even the ones mentioned more than just a name drop, have very little known information about them. Like yes, we know remus lupin marries tonks and we know james marries lily, but besides that? They were teenagers at hogwarts, its fun to play around with the dynamics of them.

And its also a passion project. The marauders is by no means an actual thing. Sure, theyre side characters in hp. But the marauders fandom is created solely on headcanons and fanon info. Its almost like if i were to pull finnick and annie from thg and develop them with such depth that it contextualises things that couldve been explained better in the actual books.

And not only that, but it shows creativity. Its like weve all taken these characters, aged them down to make them more relatable, and projected our own teenage experiences onto them in a way that jk could never as she wrote them as an adult and likely has never experienced the struggles of the lgbtq teens nowadays

The lgbtq is also a good point to bring up. Nowhere anywhere else on the internet will you find a fandom so full of lgbtq characters solely bc 'it doesnt sell'. The marauders is a prime example of how marketing realistic teenagers to teenagers is not unprofitable.

Mental health is also a big thing that needs to be explored more in media. And not as the main plot, but as something that just exists. Its done well in the marauders fandom.

Usually when watching a show or reading a book, you think these characters arent that realistic. In their world, sure. But its hard to relate to characters who link nothing to you. The marauders, though wizards, are teenagers in school. They are relatable.

Also the ability to create everything out of nothing. I adore pandora rosier and regulus black but in canon they are never even shown in the movies besides reg.

The poc inclusivity, the non skinny inclusivity, etc etc.

However! There are issues.

The marauders fandom is primarily girls, yet this fandom is an excellent example of the preference that male characters get. Like, i love regulus. But pray tell why jegulus gets more hype than pretty much any wlw ships combined? And why do i see so much of lily being a surrogate or her dying and james and reg getting harry? If youre gonna cut lily out of james life for him to be w reg, atleast find another way for them to have a kid. Lily is more than her uterus and a plot device for a kid.

And theres also sm arguments over headcanons. Like, if i were to say i hc james potter as straight, i would get attacked in todays fandom. It just gets a bit strange sometimes when people disregard canon at all. I get the seperation of canon from fanon is definitely inevitable in this fandom, but i dislike when people push their hcs as canon when its literally contradicted by canon.

I love the marauders fandom i do, and i love the way the characters are developed enough to be interesting to everyone, and not just babied down enough to be advertised to kids. Theres so much you can do when you dont have to worry about pr.

Anyways, thanks for listening to my rant. Please feel free to reblog w any questions or comments, il respond to everyone x

[theflavorofmyautismisspicy]

i love to read people yap about this show lol so here's another ask: do u maybe wanna expand on why you like the other dynamics u mentioned? People on here talk a lot about Deon n toxic yuri queens Natascha + Vanessa (rightfully so!) but I haven't heard or read much about jojonessa or marlkong (the latter always kind of floats around but isn't discussed that much i feel)

Gladly !!

With Jojonessa, I just think their friendship is very sweet. Like Jojo being the one who immediately accepted and wanted Vanessa to be part of the team and clearly thought that she was so cool and was never afraid to defend her. On the other hand there’s Vanessa being always ready to break the law or go “fuck this dude” for Jojo’s sake. Gotta love how protective they can get over one another. And ofc there’s that scene of Vanessa referring to herself as Jojo’s sister, which I will never be normal about. Jojo has quite a traumatizing backstory with his father being dead and mother being treated at a clinic so Vanessa going “yea you have now something like a sister” really solidifies that he doesn’t have to deal with all of that alone and that his friends are like a family to him. But yeah all though I like them way more as friends or even with a big sister and little brother type of dynamic but I’m not opposed to romantic Jojonessa either. They do have a certain “me and my cool wife” charm to them. Jojo watching Vanessa with heart shaped eyes as she bites an energy drink open with her teeth

With Marlkong, I like the whole Kong’s redemption arc episode and how those two kinda became friends. That whole plot point kinda subverted my expectations, I know the whole “befriending the enemy” is a trope that exists but I still wasn’t expecting it on my first watch and I thought it was done in a nice way. It makes sense when thinking of the teams characteristics for Marlon to be the one to reach his hand out for Kong and give him a chance. Since he’s more calm and less of a hater when compared to his brother for example. I wouldn’t still necessarily say I ship them too much but they do have a lot of potential together, personally I like the idea of Marlon whose used to being the backbone of everything and always helping everyone being the one to actually receive help this time and it’s from Kong going “hey dude thanks for believing in me but you gotta stand up for yourself more sometimes, let me help you with that”. It would also offer some more development for Kong’s character if he’s now willing to help someone out just for the sake of it. But yeah if anyone in the fandom has a proper Marlkong essay please drop it, would love to read it, I know they’re constantly rotating in some peoples brains🙏

I’ll also yap a bit about Leonessa since I also mentioned them in the post you were referring to. I think the whole “characters who are always bitching at each others but also care about each other a lot” trope is really great. I like how their friendship kinda developed through the series all though I’m convinced they were like seconds away from starting to bite the other multiple times. In my heart they’re wlw/mlm hostility icons but I don’t mind romantic Leonessa either

[ridl]

Gen question what made u ship ganqing so much?

Great question! Prepare for an essay tho hhhh

I played Genshin at launch but got bored quickly and stopped before I even met Keqing or Ganyu. I learned abt their existence thru fanfics, while looking for some wlw fiction to read. “Cornerstone” in particular is a fantastic fic that was being updated at the time. The author put a lot of care and effort into treating those characters seriously, and fleshing them and their dynamic out, which the game generally fails at.

Their dynamic just instantly captivated me. The way they went from being at odds, with their clashing beliefs, to reaching a mutual understanding. To caring abt each other. And it was never just pure hate, but something much more complicated and nuanced.

Back then it was just voicelines abt each other, and both characters had barely any screentime in general, but it was interesting enough of a basis. I started playing again, missed Ganyu's og banner but was lucky to win my 50/50 on Keqing's once-in-a-lifetime limited banner lmao. And the more I learned about them, the more I liked them.

I not only love ganqing, but I also love both characters individually, their personality, story, design, gameplay, they somehow just have everything that’s interesting and appeals to me.

Keqing is the Yuheng of the Qixing, meaning one of the leaders of the country, approved by Rex Lapis. She’s very pro humanity and believes that humans should fare for themselves, rather than rely on the archon. Not many ppl dare to think this, much less say it to Morax's dragon-adeptus face during the rite of descension. So she’s seen as controversial and disrespectful, and Ganyu as a devoted follower who worked closely with Rex Lapis for thousands of years just doesn’t understand Keqing. Rex Lapis absolutely approves of Keqing’s belief, and Ganyu cannot comprehend it no matter how much she respects and trusts him. It’s a very interesting conflict, that eventually gets resolved, giving us the basis of their potential romantic relationship.

Keqing and Ganyu are both very devoted to Liyue, so they’re both similar but also different. They complement each other. Keqing with her modern approach, quick and efficient, straightforward and bold. Ganyu with her old approach, with her opinions and strength hidden, not very straightforward. A confident human who knows what she’s about, and half-qilin that feels lost between the two worlds. But after Morax’s passing, they manage to find understanding, they go thru character development now just in terms of their relationship, but also them individually, and in relation to Morax. They can change each other too. They can learn so much together, from each other. Keqing how to be more patient and deal with uncertainities, while Ganyu how to be bolder, voice her opinions more and just live more for herself.

Ganyu is no longer bound by her contract, but she remains with the humans. She’s working alongside Keqing, in this new human era of Liyue. And while their limited screentime is locked behind time-limited events, it really shows that change, it shows how they care about each other. It shows Keqing’s relations with the adepti and how interesting it is considering her beliefs, and especially with Ganyu’s mother figure.

You could technically just sum them up in popular tropes like “enemies to friends to lovers”, "mortal x immortal" or “opposites attract”, but I think it’s so much deeper than that. I find ganqing's relationship very interesting and unique bc of their personalities, relations with each other and other ppl as well as their country, the setting, their stories, their identities, the conflict and character development they go through.

The game only gives us crumbs, but it also gives so much space and potential for this pairing. It’s never fully explained how it all changed between Ganyu’s voiceline how she started understanding Keqing a little, and their interactions in moonchase/lantern rites, where they’re clearly on very good terms. But I think that’s fine. It gives us freedom to truly flesh them out. Genshin’s storytelling is pretty crappy in the first place lol, so I think it’s cool to just take the interesting ideas, and make something much greater out of it.

And if you’re interested, ganqing related links:

Some fic recs (limited to canon setting): - (Chuminder has written 4 fics that are technically seperate, but they work very well as a series so i recommend this order) Blue the Color of a Goodnight, Cornerstone, Taproot, Passage - Heartbeat of the world - In the wake of - She, with the scent of flowers and lightning - A Better, Brighter Light

My chaotic compilation of bigger and smaller crumbs, including some stuff abt those characters individually:

It’s just things I find interesting, or that could be used in describing their dynamic and relationship, or just official images. They’re underrated characters, both by the fandom and the game itself imo.

Also an excellent thread, with similar idea and better screenshots (lol) i saw on twitter: https://twitter.com/gqlovebot/status/1672183539973111808

[zeenmrala]

━ Shaak Ti x Avona Teller

I commissioned the wonderful @audpaints to bring my Jedi OC Avona Teller to life alongside Jedi Master Shaak Ti. I love this piece so much. The way they are looking at one another, the comfort and fondness in their eyes. It's perfect for them. Thank you so much again Aud, your art is wonderful. You can commission this fantastic artist here.

If you are a reader of my fanfiction, you may recognise Avona. She was my first Star Wars OC, and features briefly in my Darth Maul x Reader fic By The Light Of The Second Moon. I couldn't let her go once her part in that story was complete, and now she has her own story that I'm slowly working on, which explores the restraints and dynamics of young wlw relationships in religious and educational institutions.

Here is a little snippet of that piece, which I think fits this post quite well:

The Cosmic Light

Avona was a celestial object in orbit. She was a planet endlessly circling around her star, and by the laws of physics and life itself, was never able to collide with the centre of her galaxy.

Never able to touch her.

She could vividly recall the days before the orbit, before the pair were wrenched into an infinite dance by the powers of the universe: the short wonder of their shared girlhood. As younglings, Avona Teller and Shaak Ti would hold hands, play games and tell stories of the stars side by side. As they grew into Padawans they would spar, grapple, wrestle. Assisting one another in their tasks and assignments, helping each other with the skills that each of them struggled with. They would traverse the vast corridors of their elegant and ancient temple home side by side. They shared their hopes, dreams, worries and struggles. The sounds of despair, laughter, frustration, and joy would echo frequently in their chambers.

When they blossomed into young adulthood, the two young women found themselves drawn together in a much more intimate sense. They attempted to confront and withstand their physical needs, but were ultimately unable to resist their desires. They explored their bodies until they were experts in every inch of each other. They spent every waking and restful moment together, eating, meditating, studying. Avona knew Shaak Ti's hands as she knew her own, knew her breaths as though they were exhaled from her own lungs. She knew before she spoke the words that would fall from her soft, pale lips. She knew her in the Force, felt each shimmering spark of her lifeforce, each hue of the richness of her colours.

But then came the trials, the oath of the Jedi and the vow to the Republic. To serve as a Jedi Knight is to live a life of neutrality and peacekeeping, an existence void of attachment. A life that did not align with what they had found in each other. In knighthood, they made a sacred promise to the Force, but also to themselves. In ascending the ranks of the Jedi Order, they would forsake their connection and would sacrifice the bliss that they had found in one another's arms.

The evening before the ancient ritual, the two young women swore never again to you connect skin to skin. For the power of their touch was much too great to bear. The sweet warmth between them was a risk for their future paths. Now that they were to be knighted, and wholly dedicated to the Force and to the Republic, their attachment had to be severed.

And so, the orbit began.

-

Tagging incase of interest (feel free to ignore): @stardustbee @kimageddon @elledjarin @seriowan @the-chains-are-the-easy-part @sinisterexaggerator @gen-has-green-vibes @justalittletomato @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @herbalinz-of-yesteryear @frogunderarock @dukeoftheblackstar @pumpkinmischief

[can-of-pringles]

Ship asks: Caitvi (Arcane), your favorite Star Wars ship, and Gambit/Rogue

(and if you want, no pressure... Silas/Copia and Alex/Madison? only if you want to though)

Thanks!

Caitvi

Ship It

What made you ship it?

I guess the show? Like it's pretty heavily implied. If not just canon.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Hmm, I guess I like the slight opposites attract aspect. All of the cute moments in the show with them. Also, you can't go wrong with more wlw ships.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Not that I can think of. I don't really keep up with the Caitvi fandom.

-

It's hard to pick a favorite! Oh man... um...

Anidala

Ship It

What made you ship it?

Well, for one, it's a big part of the story as a whole, and two, I guess the angst maybe lol.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

The angst, the forbidden lovers trope, thinking about all the extra scenes that were cut that would've added more to their relationship :'), the way that it still feels like there were opportunities to fix this!

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Not so much on the ship itself, but how people talk about Padme's love for Anakin. Padme is not stupid. I don't think it was like she saw all the red flags and just decided to quickly ignore them and pretend they didn't exist. I think from her perspective she felt like she could genuinely help Anakin. She didn't want to give up on him. Her love feels unconditional to me. Sure, it wasn't the best choice maybe, he needed more help than she could give (plus the jedi), but characters are allowed to not make perfect decisions all the time... and anyway she wasn't completely wrong because later on he finally while dying wanted to be good again.

Rant over sorry.

-

Gambit/Rogue

Already answered here!

-

Silas x Copia

Ship It

What made you ship it?

Well, it's my ship lol.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I love that Silas and Copia tend to balance each other out if that makes sense? I love the slow burn part lol. I love I guess how interesting it's been to write for the Ghost fandom. It's definitely different than other stuff I've done.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

No. That wouldn't really make sense I don't think lol.

Anyway this is you reading the fic:

-

Alex x Madison

Ship It

What made you ship it?

Well, it's your ship bestie how could I not lol.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I like how much they support each other, I like the trust they've built, I like their dynamic.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

It's good that Madison's hair went mirror silver because two blonde people in a relationship is too much blondeness /lh

Send me a ship and I’ll answer three questions based on if I ship it or not

[ms-all-sunday]

what do you think of Nami x Pudding ?

oh you love me anon. while i have a naunced opinion on pudding/sanji i have an unnaunced opinion on nami/pudding, they make sense and compel me. they're my favourite "crack ship"

i think because pudding works as a parallel for both sanji and nami that it makes this ship compelling, i think pudding would hate nami because of her own unnaunced view on women but hate her in a "i want her to fuck me so badly" way. namis opinion on pudding would be "shes annoying but i have to try to be nice to her because of my personal sense of morality" so it would end up being this cute dynamic of pudding obviously being in love with her and swooning every time shes nice but trying to remain unaffected but reacting to that so negatively and nami trying to be friends with her despite her tendencies. absolute failgirl x girlboss material.

i've considered very hard writing a fanfiction between them before but I'm unsure whether theres an audience for it but you exist so at least youd enjoy it anon. i think its a very wlw thing to relate to, the idea of hating a girl you think is prettier than you but you think its hatred but actually youre obsessed with her in a romantic way. theyre mean girl 4 mean girl

ask game (there is no defined end to the ask game. you can ask me questions forever)

[danggirlronpa]

That Sonia/Hiyoko art you reblogged got me thinking. I've always had a soft spot for this ship, but it's not that popular at all, and even the content that talks about it seems to miss what I think is a really big part of the ship: Hiyoko mentioning Sonia in her FTEs. In her FTEs, she is literally so pressed by Sonia's existence, Sonia just... gets under her skin. I think this is in part because she's jealous of her, and also because Sonia makes her feel things she doesn't want to feel. I think the only reason she mentions her dislike of Sonia in her FTEs is and not outside of them because she knows Sonia is well liked and bashing her wouldn't be as well recieved as say, bashing Mikan or Kazuichi or Nagito (rip to them, but mostly Mikan, I'm sorry girl you did nothing to deserve Hiyoko bashing you so much), so she only does so in her final(? If I remember right) FTE after building up rapport with/trust in Hajime. (Which is also sweet—Hajime makes her feel safe. They are like siblings 2 me. 2 Me.)

All this to say, imo, the ideal Hiyoko/Sonia dynamic is Hiyoko anonymously sending a note to Sonia that says "get out of my school" because she can't deal with her Feelings about her.

(Tbh, I also thing this is a good alternative to Mikan/Hiyoko for people who want a "get out of my school" dynamic since it has a lot of the broad appeal points with the added bonus that Hiyoko never actually bullied Sonia—or at least not as viciously as she bullied Mikan. Not to say I don't like Hiyoko/Mikan, the two definitely have their appeal, but I'm just saying that people who may want a similar dynamic of "one sided enemies to lovers" but don't necessarily want the baggage that comes with Hiyoko's targeting of Mikan may find Sonia/Hiyoko to have appeal to them as an alternative.)

But yeah, honestly I'm not sure why the ship isn't more popular. It could partially be because they don't interact much outside of bonus scenes, but we DO get that scene with Sonia suggesting the mirror to Hiyoko which is very sweet of her, even if the suggestion did... turn out badly. And we also get Hiyoko talking about Sonia in her FTEs, something that is sort of rare for FTEs. It doesn't even necessarily have to be a romantic exploration of the two, I'd just like more content exploring their dynamic.

This is a GREAT look at the appeal of Soniyoko!! In general, Hiyoko kind of suffers in shipping material, both because of the semi-popular belief that she is Actually Genuinely Younger Than The Rest Of The SDR2 Cast And It's Problematic To Ship Them (I obviously don't subscribe to this) and because people just don't like her. But there's so many great ones.

Not to be on my bullshit but I'm actually going to take this chance to promo the DR WLW Zine again, because there's a specific piece by Magi (starrylitme on AO3) that completely sold me on Soniyoko in a way that almost no fic ever has.

I don't want to post too much, but I think this excerpt really gets into the fundamental appeal of the ship in general! It's full of the exact kind of "I hate you. Go away. NOT LIKE THAT" that I think this ship can really dig into. And it nails Sonia like nothing I've ever seen. Everybody go support the DR WLW Zine when they have leftover sales. And then go support Magi like right now.

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to post images of the FTE that anon's talking about. Here's the important bits!

[trans-queen-administrator]

oh i have been tagged in a thing. ty @yugonostalgia2019. time to overshare

3 ships: Hmmmm ok I gotta list Taylor x Lisa, their dynamic makes me go absolutely feral without fail. Honestly I don't even need them as a ship I just love how horrible and amazing they are for each other. I am limiting myself to one Worm ship here, despite how much it pains me, but I shall provide brief descriptions for the other ships for the people who don't know the non-worm stuff here. Marina x Pearl from Splatoon are so damn cute and I adore them. Nepotism baby punk soundcloud rapper x runaway genius former child soldier military engineer is honestly just 10/10, and they're just so good! I swear to god if the DLC doesn't have a 20 minute cutscene of lesbian cephalopod kissing I'll riot. Splatoon is my biggest fandom besides Worm which is kind of hilarious to me considering the sharp difference in tone. Third ship... hmmm, The Doctor x River Song. I just think it's genuinely such a sweet concept and wonderfully executed, two time travelers who are in love but keep meeting each other in the wrong order so their experiences and knowledge of the other don't match up is tragic and great and I nearly cried at their final episode. Honestly just been a River Song fan forever too, she's eternally my transition goals.

First ever ship: Ohhhhh gosh this one is lame. Back when I was a wee lass in middle school browsing FF.net endlessly, my main fandoms were Pokemon and Super Smash Bros. I flat out didn't realize that you could ship anything except a man and a woman because like, no one told me, and I kinda was just not a fan of romance because I thought it was always forced in stories (I was right about that tho). But then I read a Smash Bros fanfic that had Lucina and Palutena shipped and I was just like... damn, women can kiss? That sounds so cool. Shame I can never do that. And so I read the shockingly large number of fics shipping those two because it was the only wlw ship I knew existed.

Last song: I don't actually listen to music that much. Last song is uhhh... the Monster Sanctuary PVP Theme I guess due to playing Monster Sanctuary PVP. If we're talking actual music, I think my sister forced me to listen to some Taylor Swift song recently? Idk what it was but I think the album was called 1984.

Last movie: I also don't watch movies much! Uhhhhhhhhh I think it was Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No. Might have been a different one? The Sharknado movie that ends with them crashing down to Earth inside of a shark after fighting them off from a satellite and one of the characters gives birth while coming down inside the shark and the baby cuts its way out with a chainsaw before the mom gets crushed by falling debris. Sorry for spoiling, I know everyone was really looking forward to watching Sharknado 3.

Currently reading: Making my way through the Snapshots series of Splatoon fics which are so fucking good. For published stories though, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for a class. Thinking about rereading Worm and posting about it but I gotta beat the Lakesbian copy allegations.

Currently watching: I'm don't really watch anything when I'm on my own, I prefer to read in almost all situations. When I go home though, I watch One Piece with my sister because it is nice to spend time with her and she's very passionate about the show.

Currently consuming: Nerds Gummy Clusters. I regret every bite but I bought this shitty bag of candy so I gotta finish it. Fuck these are terrible.

Currently craving: Mini Chewy Sweettarts. They're my favorite candy and I have a massive sweet tooth so I've been craving them, but I swear every single damn store in a mile radius stopped stocking them and is now selling "Sweettart gummies" or "Sweettart chewy fusions" or "Sweettart ropes" or "Sweettart rope bites" and that is not what I desire! Where is my delicious mouth hurting candy ;-;