#but there are ships where i generally dislike them but someone makes an AU that gets rid of the stuff i dislike

[animentality]

I've always harboured a mild dislike for x reader stuff. I never really held it against people because I don't have the time to antagonise them, but it was so upsetting when every time I opened the fandom tag and all I saw were posts and posts and posts of bland x reader stuff that clearly is ooc with no real substance to them at all. So many of the RP blogs seem the same way.

As someone who tries to make analysis posts and art for the same fandom, it is disheartening when I spend hours and hours on an analysis post about a character and it maybe hits 120 notes while an OOC x reader of the same character soars to the thousands. Maybe it's selfish of me to say but I say it anyway.

The fandom is full of youngsters and I never felt comfortable voicing my opinion for the same because it just felt wrong to tell kids to stop existing in communities. But the amount of times I've been put down for shipping characters with each other rather than myself is an honestly surprising number.

Um. I don't really know where I was going with this.

But your post definitely opened my eyes a little bit on even why I dislike x reader so much. It's sinking in a little bit. My hatred for OOC stuff seeps into this, I suppose. So I wanted to say that. Yeah. I agree with you.

Thank you for saying it.

Signed,

A fellow analyser / artist / fanfic writer lmao

— @lunarcloak

I get you, man.

I know self shippers have always existed.

I don't mind them. If that's how you enjoy the media, then fine.

However.

I just don't think that the sudden rise of self shippers over fan analysis and shipping is a good sign.

I think it comes from a lack of media literacy and willingness to actually engage with a piece of fiction. At least shippers and fan analysts actually talk about the world and plot itself.

self shippers imagine themselves dating a character in an au that is completely disconnected from the story, and acting in a way that's not even close to how they are in canon.

which to me is like... you have a creative writing prompt but it's not a story you're actually engaging with. someone showed you a picture of a handsome man and said write a story about how he'd kiss you.

and it's like... ok. there's no crime in just being horny, but... when that's all a fandom is... I don't consider it a fandom, it's just a masturbation fantasy.

I thought the whole point of fiction was to dive into the human experience and try and understand ourselves better. See the perspectives of others. Live vicariously in another person's shoes.

Fan analysis about themes? Perfect. You're thinking. You're feeling. You're articulating. You're growing as a person as you decide what you like or don't like, or try to put together puzzle pieces so that the whole picture makes sense. Shipping? You're imagining scenarios. You're bending canon to fit your interests. You are developing your own ability to write characters, and growing as an artist and a writer.

But self shipping...?

Eh.

You're writing, I guess, but when you reduce yourself to just... idk, some generic girl that Gojo decides is the Bella to his Edward... I mean I'm glad you're happy and all.

But how happy are you

Are you happy at all, or are you frustrated by this aching loneliness deep in your gut that you just don't understand, and it never quite feels whole bc you keep cramming nothing into it.

And it's not the loneliness or the social awkwardness that I'm criticizing here ok, shippers and fan analysts can be just as lonely. I just think that the human relationship to art should be confusion and appreciation.

you should be trying to understand others or yourself.

you can insist well what's so wrong with escapism? why does everything have to be an intellectual exercise?

it doesn't have to be ... but there's a reason people feel so hollow watching marvel movies.

art without substance is consumption. it's a distraction from your own humanity, it is not anything more.

not to you, anyway.

and I don't know.

that's really sad.

I've made so many friends through ships and babbling about canon and gushing about narrative beats.

I feel like I got something out of fandom, if other people force me to see the world in another light. I feel like a story has done its job if it's made me feel something. and it's really done a great job if I feel invested enough to hope two characters smooch.

but self insert?

eh. so you just like the character and think they're hot. that's fine.

not that interesting to talk about either. requires very little analysis on your part.

they just provoke sexual feelings or romantic feelings , which are easiest for you to process, and then you can move on to the next pretty boy you can turn into a Dom.

it irks me, man.

just a tad bit.

[maybeamiles]

I think shipping is most fun when you ship literally whatever so long as the fanwork interests you. Character's a lesbian? Sure why not its basically canon? Character's polyamorous with the two characters he has a unique relationship with? Sounds like a cool way to give an oft-ignored character some love. Gay for his first real friend? Amazing. A mermaid being taken care of by a guy who refuses to give up his bathtime? Better than canon give me the tenderness that's lacking in the original. RIVALS????

10/10 shipping method would reccomend

[walnutcookie]

I can talk about glisten and looey in the tos au because thats not spoilers giggles. ive been thinkings about them. this isnt about anything specifically im just gonna be yap yap yapping away abt them

since ive been asked before: no ships are canon in this au, but the relationships are intentionally kept vague, so interpret them however youd like! (except for proships.)

FOR CONTEXT: glisten and looey are artists in this au! :] they use silly wacky machines and tools to help them create art, trying to inspire kids to create art themselves while also demonstrating how machines can be useful in the subject of art

glisten and looey mean so much to me aughhfhgh. Two toons who are haunted by how people percieve them. their personalities are so different but i feel like they share a lot of the same insecurities... In most circumstances i dont think theyd ever be close enough to talk about that with each other, but in this au since the toons were born with the one they were paired with, they all have an extremely close bond with their pairings. they were in such a vulnerable state when they were first created but they were there to help one another adjust, and they spend most hours of the day with or near their partner, so they all become pretty inseperable. Because of that, in this au glisten and looey are comfortable talking to each other about their insecurities :] its nice for them to have someone who understands them even if their issues are different

i dont think looey is much of the gossip type, he doesnt do it much with other people but oh BOY when hes with glisten hes a yap machine. they spend hours just yapping about nonsense and drama GNFLFJF painting session and they just yap the whole timeee

They both have issues when it comes to recieving praise for their work - imposter syndrome plagues both of them, and they both feel a little undervalued by guests and their peers for how much effort they put in. glisten tends to put a lot of emphasis on what parts he did specifically in the art he and looey make together. if you insult looeys art he WILL get pissed off and defend his talent, its not that he thinks looey is a bad artist at all but he worries that people will think that looey is a better artist than him and feels like he needs to make sure people know what how skilled he is so that people dont think looey is better than him. There are some underlying competitive feelings but he cant really help it, he knows its not a competiton and tries to fight those thoughts but tis just how his brain works </3. Looey is the opposite of this, where they feel too goofy and unprofessional for his job, and he feels inferior in comparison to glisten whos charismatic and dresses well and talks so confidently about his art ,,, (to specify i dont think one is exactly better than the other! i dont know exactly what their art would look like, im still thinking abt it, but its less that one is better and more that theyre both more skilled in different aspects of art, which is part of why their pieces they work together on look so good.)

glisten does looeys makeup along with his own every morning >:] being a painter hes just good with brushes in general so every morning he wakes up, puts his makeup on, and then puts matching makeup on looey hehehe,,, he dislikes looeys sense of fashion but try as he might he cant help with that part GBDLFNFK. (Looey never likes the clothes glisten dresses them up in, it doesnt feel like him. glisten always has to dress elaborately so he feels professional but looey doesnt feel professional in the Slightest so it feels too fake to dress that way. they feel silly in the Bad Way not the looey silly way)

I think the actual classes they teach would probably have like a bunch of art desks where kids can mess around with a bunch of tools and gadgets to help them make straighter lines and circles and stuff, maybe those cool desk tops that spin yknow... Theyd show off the bigger tech they use to make their own elaborate art too like in the second photo above but maybe theyd also give kids a step-by-step on how to draw one of the toons, similar to the animation studio classes at disneyland if you know what i mean ? I can imagine theyd both be super supportive towards the kids too teehee,, glisten would praise their artwork like it was made by picasso and then looey would jump up and down and call it awesomely terrific. I havent thought much about how each class would work ngl

[zukosdualdao]

i don’t begrudge people interesting aus, and i get why someone might be interested in exploring a plot where azulon didn’t really order ozai to kill zuko and that whole series of events went differently from what zuko was told and what the narrative says (and the comics, contentious as they are, further cement.)

that being said: when it comes to canon, i strongly dislike the argument that it can’t really be that azulon ordered ozai to kill zuko because it’s illogical when he just berated ozai for disrespecting iroh and lu ten after lu ten’s death…

because like… yes. it’s illogical, and unfair, and absurd, especially when he’s ostensibly doing it in the name of love for iroh and respect for the family line (which is not actually what it’s about, but more on that in a minute.)

it’s not logical or reasonable. that’s the point.

abusers don’t care about logic, not as it pertains to them. abusers will often give illogical orders or make unreasonable demands and then treat everyone else as the problem when they can’t live up to them or else point out the flawed nature of them.

(we also see how it affects zuko and azula, who have both been taught this behavior both by example (and, in zuko’s case, by being on the receiving end of it. the demand he endlessly search for a deity-like figure no one’s seen in a hundred years and most people believe to be forever-dead springs to mind.) in the storm, zuko unreasonably demands that they continue their search for the avatar and that the safety of the crew doesn’t matter, but the whole episode is about deconstructing that mindset and showing how he got there, and in the end, he chooses to do the right thing, saving a crew member and deciding to get the ship to safety instead of following aang. azula, by contrast, orders her own soldiers to pull in the ship despite the tides, and only doubles down (and violently threatens) when questioned, showing a lack of respect for the laws of nature itself. this is her first proper episode, and she never truly grows out of this mindset. see also: cherries accidentally left un-pitted being treated as evidence of high treason.)

there is a story about intergenerational trauma and the cycles of abuse being told here. azulon is contradicting himself. he’s a hypocrite! abusers often are! he doesn’t care, though, because why should he, when he defines what’s right and wrong—just as ozai does and as he teaches azula to—not through any consistent moral conviction or code but through what he decides to do and therefore what he perceives as his right to do? in his mind, the only ‘right’ is his final word, and the highest ‘wrong’ is going against it.

and while he couches his outrage at ozai’s attempt to usurp iroh’s place in the line of heirs in language that suggests it’s about loyalty to iroh and respect for the family line—it’s not really. it’s outrage that ozai, the son he clearly doesn’t care for, dares to question iroh’s place, and therefore azulon’s judgment and authority, as the rightful heir, the respected general, the golden child.

but it’s not even about genuinely respecting iroh or what he would want, whatever azulon may tell himself. iroh, who, even at the height of his imperialist indoctrination and military power, i very earnestly believe would have been horrified to learn azulon ordered zuko’s murder and that it was done, ostensibly, on “his behalf”—even though he never and never would have asked for it. and, especially coming just after lu ten’s death, i think he would hate for his grief at the loss of his son to be twisted and used in this horrendous way.

anyway. azulon’s order doesn’t match up with what he say he values and is trying to defend, but that’s because those things are not what he’s truly so angry about. it’s about control. he has it, and he will make any illogical, cruel, sadistic order he wants when someone challenges it, because he can.

which, by the way, is ozai’s whole MO as well.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

From Brainrot: Discord Server Invite!

Here it is! This space is open to anyone in the fandom :D

We have sections to talk about specific characters, the world in general, theories, AUs and OCs, a creative section full of channels to share the stuff you're working on and help each other out, and lots more!

You will be asked to read and agree to the server rules when you join, so I'll be attaching those below the cut in case you want to check them out ahead of time and decide whether or not you're interested ^.^

I look forward to sharing a space to chat with you guys!

Section 1: General Behavior & Expectations

Discord’s Terms of Service still apply; any users discovered to be under your country’s minimum age will be banned without chance for appeal. We would love to have you here, but underage users puts the entire server at jeopardy of being shut down.

The minimum age is usually 13, but several countries range from 14-16, please check here if you’re located in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, or South America.

1.1 Toxic Behavior

We’d like to make this a safe space where anybody can feel welcome! That said, anything that can be considered ‘toxic behavior’—such as instigating/perpetuating an argument, insults of any kind, harassment, etc—will result in a 30-minute timeout for all parties involved. If this keeps up, it may result in a ‘soft’ ban.

1.2 Language

a. This server is PG-13, so yes! Swearing is allowed! However, please keep it moderate. We’d like to see you expressing yourself, but if that turns into being offensive/hurtful to other members, or if someone expresses discomfort with your language, you may be muted for 5-30 minutes after a warning. If this keeps up, it may result in a ‘soft’ ban. b. Any language that is considered derogatory, racist, sexist, homophobic, or generally insulting/inappropriate will result in a ban without chance for appeal.

1.3 NSFW Content

a. THIS IS A PG-13 SERVER! No sexually explicit content please! (with exceptions, see Rule 3.4 for details.) b. The same goes for extremely graphic imagery or discussion of violence/gore. (with exceptions, see Rule 3.4 for details.) c. In short, this is a space where we want both adults and minors to be safe. If you wouldn’t see it in a PG-13 movie or show, please don’t introduce it here.

1.4 Communication

a. Tone tags are really useful for clarifying how you want your words to land when talking to people who don’t know you very well. They are more than welcome on this server! b. If you and another member are experiencing a conflict, please reach out to a staff member! We’d love to help where we can. We also want to protect other people’s well-being, so we do expect you to keep conflicts in private channels. c. If any member—including staff members!—causes anyone discomfort, please reach out to one of the staff! Our priority is a safe and respectful space for everyone who wants to join, and open communication helps us with that immensely.

Section 2: Fandom Policies

Our goal is to create a space that is friendly to all The Arcana fans, and open to all forms of creative content. We ask that you follow these rules to help us create and foster that welcoming environment.

2.1 Character Discussion

Each of the M6 has their own channel for events/perspectives in their own route. If there is a character who you dislike in your preferred LI's route, please put that opinion in that LI's channel without taking it to that other character's channel or into the general Arcana channel. For character x character ships, see Shipping Discussion

2.2 Dorian Live

Dorian fans, users, and critics are all welcome here, because the main focus of this server is a shared love for the Arcana game and characters. If you want to discuss personal grievances or concerns in either direction, please do it in a different space or with a staff member privately.

2.3 Respecting Everyone’s Fandom Experience

Everyone interacts with The Arcana in different ways, and we want to create a space that respects that while also bringing everyone together! Just like with character discussions, we ask that certain topics stay in their designated spaces. This way everyone can avoid topics that make them uncomfortable while also leaving the door open for people to discuss it if they enjoy it.

Section 3: Creative Works

The most wonderful thing in a fandom is the creativity and passion we all put into our creations. We want to have a space that celebrates that in every way, while also maintaining a safe and enjoyable environment for all our members.

3.1 Posting Creative Works

Be it art, character sheets, fanfics, Dorian Live stories, etc—we love to see what you’ve made/what you’re working on! Please be sure to share them in the dedicated channels so it’s easy to keep track of.

3.2 Copyright

Sharing other people’s work is great too, as long as you give the creator credit. If we know that it’s not yours, then we want to know whose it is. Most of the time, a reverse image search on Google is all you need. If you cannot find the original source, please don’t post it.

3.3 Advertisement

a. Sharing is encouraged, but solicitation is not. If you've posted work you're proud of, feel free to share the link in the dedicated channel! That said, asking others to boost engagement with your content or putting it in other channels to get more views will result in a 30 minute mute + the messages being removed. b. Additionally, pressuring other creators to join/leave social platforms for any reasons will result in a soft ban. c. This rule extends to private messaging as well; please do not DM users about boosting your content, or to join/leave social platforms. If you’re experiencing this, please DM a staff member with the member’s username and a screenshot of the conversation!

3.4 NSFW Creations

a. Links to non PG-13 works are okay! But they do need to be properly tagged with a warning attached to the Discord post, and with any previews being PG-13. b. Please do not post or link any content with taboo themes or extreme violent/disturbing imagery.

3.5 Constructive Criticism

a. Constructive criticism is welcome when it is asked for! If it’s not been invited, then please don’t offer it. b. There are channels for critiquing outside works, but those spaces are not open for insulting/mocking/tearing down creative works or their creators. If you’re wondering what constitutes as constructive or destructive criticism, this article has a great summary of it in the introduction. You can also find a fantastic article on constructive criticism for creative works here.

Verify

As you may have noticed, some of the rules have a ‘soft ban’ listed as punishment. Soft banning means you lose the ability to send messages in the majority of the server, or add reactions. You will be able to talk to staff and have a chance to appeal your ban in a separate channel. By joining this server and reacting below, you agree to follow all the rules and expectations as outlined above. Please do not be the reason we have to add more rules.

[believeinyourotp]

Love

Hansanna: My OTP! Well I was watching a bunch of trailers, back in my freshman year of high school and was wondering why Hans didn’t appear that often in the trailers, like he appeared in one for a couple of seconds then none. Turns out they were setting him up to be a “villain,” and I loved him already which grew strongly after the Love is an open door song, and with every scene of him even when he revealed to be the villain, I think this would be the first Disney Princess: Hero x Villain ship I had. I always love the ships that are not obviously going to be endgame, but have their subtle moments that keep you locked in.

Like

Kristelsa: I’ve made this chart a long time ago, before, if I had to choose someone for them to be with, maybe each other, but now not so much

Sven’tron: because of that one kabedon comic strip.

Ok

Kristelsa: Now I’d prefer them as just friends, and also because I believe you should never ship something only because of the pair the spares trope

Kristanna: They’re great friendship wise, but if I was Anna, I’d be annoyed with Kristoff as a friend and lover. I don’t think you should be insulted in your choices for romance, but KINDLY offering advice ALWAYS helps.

Hansoff: Potential romantic rivals, but I’d like to read some fanfic where they’re hanging out as friends, can be aus (like any for example canon divergent or compliant, or just your general aus like coffee shop or whatever)

Olaf x Hans: A singer I knew (who dated an old crush of mine) compared me to Olaf, now I can have Hans all to myself lol, canon or oc lmao.

Sven’tron: read the description for this ship in my like section

Sven x Olaf: Pals

Olaf x Marshmallow: Siblings

Dislike

None that I don’t already hate

Hate

Elsanna: I feel those who ship it are most likely normalizing incest ships in kids media and I’m not ok with that. If this was an adult show and an anime or cartoon, I’d understand, but there has been a weird community that’s been normalizing incest in Disney ships. Cmon guys make a private community so we don’t normalize it. Ok to be fair I know I have questionable taste in ships but not to this extent.

[lissomelace]

⭐️ i would love to hear any director’s commentary about point of pride!

Okay, I got this and my mind proceeded to go COMPLETELY BLANK of anything to talk about. So since this one is more general about the AU, I’m going to talk about the Aulendi.

I often tell people that if I could be anything in the world, I would want to be a Ñoldor elf, despite the murder. This is because I love making stuff, and really love how significant it is to their culture and identity. (and problems. I must not forget the problems.) So the majority of the Aulendi either a) do things I really want to do, or b) do things I have at least a little experience with. Which is why I love writing them, and loved building out their world.

TaÞarwen is (I think) the first one that I wrote in, and I sort of made her and that scene out of a combination of things, including: my dislike of fast fashion as an institution, my love of the Gender Neutral Skirt ™ (seriously, so many people wore ‘skirts’ for so much of history. They are SO much easier than pants), and my conviction that making proper clothing takes a whole lot of time and effort.

(You may notice that Findaráto still doesn’t have the custom outfits. Because it takes time to craft something Really Really Nice, and immortal elves who are also devotees of the god of craft most definitely take the time to Do Things Right.

That said, it IS coming up!)

And the other significant ones we’ve seen are Meryanilda and Tiquwen. My experience with harps is definitely on the ‘making’ rather than the ‘playing’ side, but I’m still very new to making them, and have only dabbled. Still, I enjoyed getting to feature them and the sort of interplay between their craft, practiced by the Aulendi, and someone like Makalaurë, who has a competitive AND collaborative desire to work around and with the masters of HIS craft. Which is practiced to less of an institutional degree among the Aulendi.

When I started planning this story and universe, I started from the threesome and worked outward. What safe place could Findaráto find? What made Fëanáro’s family different from the other Ñoldor to such a degree that they had completely separate gender roles and social culture?

…It had to be craft. The fact that there is a culture in which craft is important and respected is still very different from a culture of craftspeople. Historically speaking, however much craftspeople were respected (or not) they were not a ruling class. Ruling classes are generally politicians, by birthright or (more rarely) election, religious leaders, and economic ones. Similarly, in my reading experience, I see few examples of actual craftspeople among the royal Ñoldor. The specific examples are Míriel (dead), Fëanáro (…complicated), Mahtan (among Aule’s folk, not Tirion, not royal), Nerdanel (same as Mahtan, don’t know if/how she fit into the court, but my guess is no), and Curufinwë II and III.

Most of the next generation comes into their own in Beleriand. They’re politicians, rulers, warriors, generals. They build things, yes, like cities (Turgon and Finrod), ships (Eärendil, with clear Telerin influence from Círdan), and Maeglin (half-Sindar, specifically learned smithing from his Sindarin father and not his Ñoldorin mother). There are a few other notable smiths, but still. Not directly in or from the ruling line, save Curufinwës 1-3.

(I'm not saying they aren't a culture of crafters, I'm just saying for the purposes of this story, I engineered a split working off of a potential subdivision in canon. Also, a culture is more than just the ruling line, that's only where we tend to focus because those are the significant and named figures in canon)

So that’s kind of where the split came from, in Point of Pride. The Ñoldor respect craft, and it is what their culture is known for, but most of the people who specifically devote themselves to it as a calling can be found in Aulë’s lands, which I feel has at least a little canonical justification. Even if they wouldn’t see themselves as priests, disseminating the work and ideas formed in his forges to the broader Ñoldorin culture at large is kind of the role they play in this story. And because of the physical and social distance, they had the room to develop in a drastically different way (as much as the two-way unawareness might be a bit unrealistic). I like the idea that the farther one gets from a strict social ‘court’ and the closer one gets to a sort of egalitarian unification of ideals and purpose in proximity to a literal deity, the more protected one gets from strict social consequences. And the less close someone is likely to look. Like nuns, who were allowed/required to eschew the social requirement of marriage for religious purposes (not an expert, don’t quote me on that). I’m not saying the Aulendi are religious figures to that sort of strict level, but by opting into the inner circle of a Vala, they are effectively opting out of the monarchy and the social structure of the Ñoldor, knowingly or not.

(Yes, this will cause problems later.)

Well, that was probably way too much!! Thank you for the chance to (over) explain some thoughts I had! I hope you enjoy reading this excessive wall of text, and thank you for the ask!

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

1-10 from the whump asks for katsumi and/or masuyo

Ask Game!

What appeals to you about this character?

I love sunshine characters that hide a dark past. Especially ones who have deluded themselves into believing in their innocence despite all the evidence proving they're a monster.

Masuyo providing a person to blame also excites me. It allows Katsumi to further deflect blame, to never ever reflect on his actions or inactions. Masuyo becomes a fall guy. What's your least favorite aspect of this character?

How op I accidentally made him. It makes sense in the context of the story and it can't really be changed. But I'd like to see him fail more.

I actually don't dislike very much about Masuyo. I guess maybe his overprotectiveness can be annoying at times, but that's literally His Thing. It's integral to why he exists, so I can't ever dislike it, even in its worst moments. What's your favorite canon moment with this character?

(Redacted)

Uhm when he meets Eiji! It's a very big turning point for his character and I adore their relationship sooo.

I can't really explain Masuyo's without spoiling it, mayhaps one day I'll write more of their story. But nonetheless, Masuyo in general has very good canon moments.

Do you have a favorite fic for this character?

Marine Biologist, the mermay au fic. and also By The Crystal Water, where he meets Eiji.

What's your favorite whump trope to use for this character and why?

Dehumanization by both himself and the people around him :) It's a big portion of his upbringing and what he's supposed to mean in the grand scheme of things.

Like I said, Masuyo is the "fall guy", the trope where someone takes the blame time and time again without being at fault, mwah. Whose relationship with this character is your favorite, shipping or otherwise?

@ha-ule-nalu's Eiji. I'm so glad she agreed to put Eiji in Amant because sure Katsumi works fine on his own, he's a better character when given someone so different to bounce off of and develop with.

Masuyo's deeper relationship to Katsumi is my favourite for him. They just have very different views of each other. Whose relationship with this character is your least favorite?

Katsumi and his mother

Masuyo and detective Kaede. Describe your ideal whump scenario for this character.

I need Katsumi to fall prey to his own hubris and lose sight of who he is and realise he is exactly what they say he is.

Any and every time Masuyo can't protect Katsumi. Do you have headcanons for this character, if they're not an OC?

well they're both ocs so there's that! uhh idk before I gave Katsumi a big fuck off katana i originally re-imagined him with a bow. I scraped the bow very quickly.

my headcanon is that Masuyo would be so funny if he had his own body and trailed after Katsumi that way. What would devastate them the most, emotionally speaking?

He doesn't know it, but losing Masuyo would quite literally kill Katsumi. He'd never be able to access himself again, he isn't strong enough alone to keep himself from succumbing.

Masuyo's got the world's biggest fear of failure.

[fogsrollingin]

Time for some more Good Omens fic recs! These are the most recent fics I've read and loved. For all of them, nav to https://fogsrollingin.neocities.org/recs/goodomens 😈🪽 Cheers and happy readings! 📚🥂

Ocean of Secrets (illustrated) by magicbubblepipe. Explicit, 16k words, Aziracrow. Summary: When Crowley uncovers a plot to sink a so-called unsinkable ship, he decides to take credit for it and collect a commendation from the safety of his London flat. That is, until he spots a certain flaxen haired angel with a weakness for expensive creature comforts boarding the ship. He's forced to take action, lest his beloved be horribly discorporated. TL;DR Crowley and Aziraphale were on the Titanic. https://archiveofourown.org/works/23713294 The Titanic one - this one really stayed with me. It was such a lovely read, and I loved the epic horrifying proportions and backdrop of the Titanic. The author described the disaster very well.

Slow Show by mia_ugly. Explicit, 95k, Aziracrow. Summary: In which temptations are accomplished, grand romantic gestures are made, and two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side (at last, at last.) https://archiveofourown.org/works/20395261 Okay as someone who generally dislikes celebrity AUs, but I love drug addict redemption stories, I gave this one a shot (with over 12k kudos, it wasn't a hardship). Very well-written (you just know it's gonna be good when the author starts with a Richard Siken quote). Some terrific heart-wrenching angst that I adored. I appreciated the way the author mixed scenes from Good Omens into the fake TV show they were in. It worked really well for extra visualization.

A.Z. Fell Cooking (aka vlogger au) Series by MostWeakHamlets. Rated General Audiences, 35k words, Aziracrow. Summary: Aziraphale has a cooking show on the internet. It started out with three viewers, but now he's known as the happy grandfather that blew up overnight. Crowley occasionally makes cameos, has dedicated his garden to giving Aziraphale fresh herbs and vegetables, and struggles with living after the apocalypse. ___ “Taste this, my dear,” Aziraphale said. He held a spoonful of jam to Crowley’s lips with his free hand cautiously under it, ready to catch any dripping. Crowley leaned forward to wrap his lips around the spoon. Most likely his shyness came from the small tender moments Aziraphale was not afraid of showing the world. It had been the topic of many long conversations after Aziraphale took Crowley’s hand in St. James Park, causing Crowley to freeze and break out in a cold sweat. Being discreet had always been their top priority. For 6,000 years, someone would have surely seen them if they embraced in the middle of London. But now, Aziraphale had assured Crowley, things were different. They no longer needed to hide, but Aziraphale would go as slow as Crowley needed him to. It was almost funny how their roles had switched after the apocalypse. https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610359 Oh man I loved the first chapter of the second fic installment where it's written like we're voyeurs watching the heart-wrenching reality of Aziraphale caring for Crowley, who's super sickly and frail in the winter (is usually back to normal in the spring and summer). The amount of love and trust that goes into the relationship depicted in this fic is sooooooo This is mainly a South Downs curtain fic btw. It sounds like a social media AU thing, but the YouTube vlogging aspect is a side quest / cool awesome vehicle to give us some fantastic hurt/comfort

Honey, You’ll Survive by HotCrossPigeon. Teen+, 12k words, Aziracrow. Summary: Crowley only popped into the bookshop to say goodbye. He might not have been thinking straight, due to that bloody great big hole where his stomach used to be. Aziraphale, quite rightly, refuses to let the demon pop his clogs in his bookshop of all places, thank you very much. https://archiveofourown.org/works/20790638 Aziraphale saving a fatally hurt Crowley and being super straightforward about wanting cuddles was the best thing in the world. Crowley was written really well in this fic - doing his best to be snarky and sarcastic, anything but sincere and vulnerable (but he gets there. Oooo how I love that 🥰🥰🥰)

Untouched by Etaleah. Teen+, 3k words, Aziracrow. Summary: A demon's life is a lonely one. What Crowley wants is so simple, yet he can never have it. https://archiveofourown.org/works/20505689 Touch starvation. When Aziraphale finally hugs h Crowley and basically breaks him 😭 literally the best

Someone Reaching Back For Me by lorenzhellmangloucester. Teen+, 1k words, Aziracrow. Summary: Aziraphale tries to soothe, tries to rock him, completely unsure if he’s helping or not; he’s never seen Crowley lose control in quite this way. Sometimes Crowley lashes out in anger or hurt, and he’s seen him vulnerable before, but nothing like this. Nothing this fragmented, nothing this… shattered. It’s like watching Crowley break, this shivering, terrified creature clinging to him like he might disappear, and oh. Oh, Aziraphale thinks, feeling very small and fragile himself all of a sudden. In the immediate wake of the almost-apocalypse, Aziraphale realizes he's not the only one who was afraid of being left alone. https://archiveofourown.org/works/19241956 I really adored this - I love the concept of Crowley going snakey when he's upset & panicking, and especially that Aziraphale would just wrap him up in hugs and cuddles no matter how monstrous he's looking 🥰🥰🥰 I *love* it so much.

side effects by darcylindbergh. Explicit, 7k words, Aziracrow. You don’t have to do this, you know, Crowley said, somewhere around Aziraphale’s stomach. His hand was rough around the hem of Aziraphale’s jumper, tugging a little, like he was trying to convince himself to let go. I’m fine on my own. I know. Aziraphale touched carefully—he was learning how to touch, like this—searching out the place right above Crowley’s left eyebrow where the migraine lived, pressing on it. You don’t have to be, though. You can just consider me a side effect. https://archiveofourown.org/works/35166532 This was super emotional and so well written. The amount of hurt/comfort and nonsexual intimacy was amazing. There was a bit of sexual intimacy but it was... it was lovely. Definitely going to reread this one.

Recompense by Flywolf33. Mature, 21k words, Aziracrow. Summary: At first, he didn’t realize anything was wrong. They’d had a row, which wasn’t entirely unusual, and Crowley had stormed off with a few harsh words he didn’t mean flung over his shoulder. Aziraphale had flung a few of his own untruths, though he always knew they hurt the demon far more than either of them would admit. To his everlasting shame, Aziraphale didn’t start looking for another two years. By that time, the trail had gone cold and he couldn’t sense Crowley’s aura anywhere. In which Hell gets hold of Crowley and Aziraphale has to try to put Humpty Dumpty back together again - if Crowley will let him. This has nothing to do with my other GO stuff at all. This has been bouncing around in my head and I finally got it on paper. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21471934 Aziraphale barging into hell 50 years later to rescue Crowley. The slow burn of recovery and angst (the scene where Aziraphale says he'll let Crowley go forever if that's what he wants and needs to feel better and recover) and love. The device-pulsifiers family supporting them was so brilliant too. Fantastic fic.

[dreamsy990]

odysseus for the character ask :3

YUAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAY

favorite thing about them

i like him being a compulsive liar in the odyssey specifically. idk i think its fun! he sucks! i also like that he got palamedes (?) killed thats fun. he sucks but girl i would do that too.

least favorite thing about them

hmmmmmm. see see here is where i would name something i dislike but honestly? i like everything that sucks about him i think him being the worst is part of the appeal. so uhhh gonna nitpick the stories themselves and say i wish he had more of a relationship with ctimene. im a sucker for sibling dynamics (gestures vaguely at my love for apollo and trucy) so its inevitable that i will be disappointed when theres an opportunity for one and its not taken

favorite line

i love a lot of them but i think "all i hear are screams" (specifically the one in the underworld) probably wins,,,, like my GOD dude. ive said thats my favorite motif before but like goddamn. anyways thats from epic my favorite line from the odyssey (said about him) is "odysseus yearns to see even the smoke rising from ithaca and longs for death". also a big fan of "[odysseus] is of all mortal men, the most unfortunate" any description of him as miserable is good

brOTP

putting away the obvious polites answer here and saying i loveeee circe and odysseus friendship. i want more of them honestly theyre so fun.

OTP

sorry guys im a simple odypen fan. i never read the illiad so i cant comment on odydio (but im putting it in the same catagory of odypoli to me where one of them was definitely gay and it was NOT odysseus)

nOTP

uhhh see my opinion is generally i like odypen to the point where i do not really think about other ships. i like ody and eurylochus (i do NOT remember the ship name) less than basically any other odysseus ship though. sorry theyre the worlds most fucked up inlaws to me and to canon

random headcanon

you get a couple random headcanons because i have a few. 1) hes aspec! i lean towards greyace for him but honestly anything about aspec ody is so true. 2) i joked about this in dms with a friend the other day but modern au ody would repeatedly lie about his music taste for no good reason. he MAKES UP bands and genres. his actual music taste is white girl music like fucking. california girls lovefool etc. he is a simple man. 3) hes the kind of guy who puts way too much thought into every single thing he does, so he naturally assumes every person hes talking to ALSO has an elaborate plan. he is naturally distrustful because he himself is not someone to be trusted 4) he started going grey way too young from stress. 5) he is a sucker for physical affection!! he loves that shit so bad give him head scritches and he fucking melts give him a hug and its OVER for him man. he sucks at initiating stuff like that though. eugh i hate saying love language but i cannot think of a better way to phrase this so. i think his love language is like something between giving gifts and acts of service. he does both. i dont think hes a shy person just the kind of person who is not good at expressing things genuinely. is that a result of him being a liar or a symptom? you decide! 6) penelope tops. oh sorry this is headcanons oops.

unpopular opinion

uhhhh shit most my opinions arent very unpopular i think. ummm i started a fight about a poem we had to read about the odyssey in class once! the poem was like. odysseus didnt truly love penelope to the same extent she loved him and his crying for her was all performative etc etc. which like. NO??????? HOW FUNDAMENTAL A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE ODYSSEY MUST YOU HAVE TO BE THIS WRONG???????????????????? this isnt even an alternate reading this is just misremembering the fucking contents of the story i went on rants in not one but TWO peoples dms about this i was so fucking annoyed. if someone wants to see my rant about this lmk

song i associate with them

i saw an odysseus edit with the final verse of wait for it so now every time i hear it i think of him. also throwing my lovely friend asha once said the song night will come from groundhog day the musical reminded them of ody? and thats real as hell it was more of an aqua song to me bc of an animatic wip i had lying around but honestly aqua is so odysseus coded anyways. what do you mean you journeyed for 10 years to get back to your family hmmmm?

favorite picture of them

ive seen SO much good art so im limiting myself to animatics. so one of these probably!

[the-somwthing]

Looking at all these ship tierlists and seeing the negative tiers makes me realize how much I refuse to dislike ships hahaha. Where are my hot takes???

So, I’m now going to brainstorm any ships I might possibly have a negative opinion on. Warning for ever so slight negativity towards ships

HMMMM HMMMMM man im a lover at heart this is tough. Scott x women is cheating (even then I don’t think I dislike it as much as other ppl there’s some nuance but still generally not for me)

ALRIGHT. TIME TO DIG FOR ANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS.

Was never much of a fan of grumbo/mumscarian. BUT!!! This is because I’m MOSTLY LIFE SERIES VIEWER!!! I only casually enjoy hermitcraft and don’t watch it often. And I KNOW that’s where the ships come from, so all of the life series version of the ship just feels so forced. Which sucks cuz I do actually see some potential for it in like Last Life that would be a hilarious ship!! I definitely lean Grumbo because even in the life series you can see it, tho I see it mostly grian-sided with mumbo technically reciprocating it but not realizing how problematic it is to be dancing around the feelings in the middle of a death game. But that’s just me.

I USED TO BE A GRITHO HATER (but not a full on hater. Just the slightly negative feelings as portrayed here). I remember during limited life I kept seeing gritho stuff and I was like “it’s not gonna happen 🙄” then it happened and I was like 🤯 and bowed down to all the gritho shippers. I also had divine intervention in the form of a dream telling me to ship gritho and now I love them.

Flower husbands is a complicated one that is seen on many negative tiers and I will admit I don’t always like it. But sorry guys I like it just don’t watch Scott’s 3L otherwise you will be traumatized for life

I LOVE RANCHERS but I DON’T LIKE RANCHERS FANS. SORRY. Don’t take this personally either there’s no one in this fandom in particular I dislike (to my memory) but like there’s just something off with rancher fandom idk. It feels like a lot of them are missing the point. My sister is the one who got me into ranchers and even she agrees that a majority of the rancher fan content out here just isn’t it. I feel like it’s the general treatment of Jimmy and the also kind of ignoring Tango in favor of making him just Jimmy’s supportive bf idk. BUT AGAIN DON’T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY I LOVE RANCHERS AND THERES BANGER CONTENT OUT THERE!!!

^ also due to the ranchers vs fh war I feel the need to point out that while I seem nitpicky on ranchers but gave fh a free pass it’s because my problem with ranchers is purely fanon while the problems with fh exists within canon. I do also struggle with fh fanon not being what I want (give me liml fh NOW!!!)

Bringing forth another hot topic YOU WILL NOT BE SEEING BIGGRI HATE FROM ME. Sorry pal they are NOT on this list. I don’t know WHY it’s seen as “soo bad” by like ALL SIDES like ok. HUH? I especially don’t get the stance that ppl hate Biggri cuz it always gets used as a stepping stone for scarian. Like ok so you don’t ACTUALLY hate biggri you just hate scarian. I promise you nobody who says “I love biggri” shares that same sentiment on it that you hate so much. Literally why in the world would someone go “I love biggri soo much because I get to completely ignore it in favor of scarian 😍” like HELLO? I understand if that treatment makes the ship leave a bad taste in your mouth but why is the hate directed at the people who ACTUALLY CARE 😭 I MUST be missing something

SO ON THAT SUBJECT!!! I AM A DL SCARIAN HATER. I LOVE Scarian SOO much but in DOUBLE LIFE… *growls and eyes glow red* STOP VILLAINIZING GRIAN FOR FALLING IN LOVE WITH BIGB!! STOP MAKING SCAR LOOK INNOCENT WHEN HE WAS TERRIBLE TO GRIAN!! To be clear I get it. It’s the scarian soulmate AU. I believe there are ways to do it right but in general I just don’t like the way people do it. GIVE ME TOXIC DL SCARIAN OR GIVE ME DEATH!!!

My blog title says “#1 Scott x Joel HATER” but that was a lie sorry guys 😔 I only hate them because they take up 75% of my brain usage

Humm haww idk if I can come up with anything else. Maybe I’ll come back if I remember anything but as I keep saying I AM A LOVER AT HEART!!!

And just to be PERFECTLY CLEAR. I do not care if you have the complete opposite opinions. I don’t hate you!!! Even if I had said “people who ship this are the WORST they’re all BAD” and your url was “that-ship-u-hate-shipper” I WOULDN’T THINK LESS OF YOU!!! I would interact with you like a normal person because I believe in NUANCE and the fact that OPINIONS ON COMPLETELY FICTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IS NOT A BIG DEAL. We can still be friends ❤️

[44-mr-midnight-44]

I'm kinda sad that being cringe is now considered a fighting movement than just like, being yourself.

I see all these people who are like "I'm CRINGE and I'm FREE and YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!" but like… it doesn't feel like they're just being themself, it feels like they're just trying to piss off (objectively bad) people they don't like rather than actually savouring their love of being themselves.

Like, I don't know how I feel about the people who just throw in as many cringy concepts as they can think of in one story just to prove a point. You're not really enjoying those concepts, are you? Your content isn't motivated by love, it's motivated by spite. That's not passion, that's ire.

My abuser was definitely one of those types of people who was all "I'm cringe and I'm free, cringe culture is dead, I don't care what you think" but not only were they A. An uber com-shipped who guilt-tripped me into supporting ships that made me extremely uncomfortable (despite claiming that they were pro-ship in the sense of "anti-harassment") but also B. They were a very, very angry person and in-school they would constantly start arguments and not back down with other kids, and one of their main methods of abusing me was through having the mentality of "you're a bad person if you disagree with me, but I'm not if I disagree with you".

I can't help but feel like if the only reason you indulge in cringe is so you can spite people who dislike it you're just kinda like that type of person. Like, cringe shouldn't be a movement. Cringe shouldn't be a rebellion. We are cringy because we're not putting (unreasonable) limits on what we find fun and how we use our imagination, and that's what is and how it should be.

I'm unapologetic for making dumb stupid crossover AUs where all of my favourite characters from like fifty different fandoms all gather 'round and live in a big house in Iceland and go on adventures that explore complex psycho-sociological issues where the entire worldbuilding is based on the fact that it's multifandom, like literally my blog's title (at the time of writing this) is "CEO OF (ANTHRO) ARTIFICER RAIN WORLD AND HEART CCCC TOXIC YURI". That's not a joke, Artificer and Heart are genuinely exes in like half of my self-indulgent crossover AUs. Mike Mias World and Heart Chonny Jash are lovers in all of them.

I think that's a much better show of what "cringe" should be. Cringe should be unapologetically writing what you like, even if it's considered "bad-writing" or "weird" by general societal/writing norms, not trying to impress anybody. And by doing cringe just to piss people off, you may not be trying to impress people but you're still writing for people you don't like. Stop that. Don't do that. Write what makes you happy, not because you want people who will read your profile for five minutes to get angry at you. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Relax and think about stupid concepts. That's the magic of writing, it doesn't have to be good, someone will like it.

Don't pick a crowd of people you don't like and write to irritate them. Pick someone from the crowd you do like and write for them. Anger tastes bad to hungry writers, but indulgence is exactly what it sounds like.

[silvermoonshipping-is-love]

previous anon here! its absolutely understandable why you feel that way, especially since i noticed you were here during the creepypasta fandom recession era (2016-2019), where people were starting to police what was the right and wrong way to intepret the pastas.

As for the drownedsilver hate, while i cant confirm for sure it was the source, was primarily started by a pokepasta fnf community member who has been recently outed as a creep and a generally terrible person (who called any ship they disliked proship!!) 😭 they had an iron grip over that community for 2 years, hence why so many people were dogpiling! Now that they're gone, i see more people being comfortable with putting out drowndsliver content out there!

I dont know if this information or acknowledgement will eleveate your anxiety. But i hope you gain the courage to post more about your own intepretations of ben and silver 🫂 You shouldnt feel like you have to appease a wider public to enjoy what you love.

My favourite example is the fact that say Ben HAD to be a pervert or a stoner and an asshole, nevermind the fact he's a deeply traumatized child, stuck in a video game and canonly a pacifist and not (intentionally) hurting anybody, like that is fine, but GOD FORBID you make EJ's skin slightly blue-ish to go with his overall colour palette. But also god forbid if you draw or write anything messed up or more mature in whatever way?? If anything the creepypasta fandom of all things being so strict is so odd, most characters don't have a fully set personality or the fact that all kinds of awful shit happens to them, especially CHILDREN, but wanting to draw two characters smooching? Now you've gone too far lmao.

Policing fandoms and fandom activity is a rising trend and I'm not happy about it as a "fandom old" so to speak lol. My motto is unless you are genuinely harming someone in real life or crossing someone's boundaries, just tag it correctly, and you do you. I may not like everything you do personally, but unless you are actively interfering with me or trying to harm me or others, whatever.

Also I was never in the community fully due to the incident and the hate towards SilvernMoon, so I never heard about this person. But unfortunately I'm not even that shocked, if you're that adamant about how wholesome or pure or unproblematic you are and everyone has to be, then you just seem all the more likely to have some skeletons so to speak. Just a real shame about my one FNF AU, cause it's sort of a personal one to me, cause of venting and feelings depicted.

If you mean creep as I think you do, I hope the victims are okay now.

But on the flip side I also eventually thought the fnf community are hypocrites anyways. Cause I saw all the hate for SilvernMoon while not even say incest stuff got as much hate in all my fandom years, yet the very person most of the community shipped Silver with? Red. The Red from his story. The same Red that is the whole reason Silver is forgotten and dead! I don't want to fully ship-shame, I just wanna showcase the irony, like- THAT is fine but SilvernMoon is wrong?? SilvernMoon out of all ships I ever saw is the one people drew the line at and hated the absolute shit out of???

Also there was a similar person over here in the regular creepypasta fandom that dogpiled on me as a minor, so that added, who called me a pdf file because I portray these characters as adults and made a more adult joke, but they INSISTED every version of Ben had to be 12 years old. Gurl, I don't know how to tell you, but the ghost kid that haunts a Nintendo Cartridge... He's not real, his whole concept as a cyber ghost isn't real. I know it's shocking to hear, you may sit down from that, but it's the truth.

I am getting better but it still feels like a long road to fully heal and say "fuck the haters"... I keep trying to even do youtube or stuff, but all this is holding me back pretty strongly-

[iztopher]

sits coquettishly. bats eyelashes. i'm not going to say answer every question this time because i respect that you have many others thing to do over answering 48 questions in a row, and thus: 5, 12, 15, 24, 36, 42, 50!

EHEHE THANK U BOTH FOR UR MERCY AND UR ENTHUSIASM

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now! (don't you dare go down)

"Hey, Iz, you frequently list don't you dare go down as your favorite fic you've written, even though it's years old at this point. Why?"

I'm really proud of this fic for several reasons: I overall still really like the writing, people consistently compliment my favorite lines on it so it makes me confident I got across what I wanted to say, it covers some of my favorite te'ijalahad concepts.

I love this fic because, more than any fic I've written, it's essentially distilled headcanons. I knew, for years, that I wanted to write a fic about Te'ijal patching up Galahad after the fight where he got the scar across his eye, and a fic about Galahad reflecting on Te'ijal after the tower scene. I came up with the idea of Te'ijal getting scarred from the tower scene and realized I had the opportunity to put it in a fic. I kept thinking up ideas about Te'ijal helping Galahad with his injuries, and then about him always wearing armor and how that reflects on his (dis)comfort with her. I love the genre of te'ijalahad fic that's understated improvement in their relationship simply through the contrast of how it used to be and how it is now. And I got to include all of that in this fic!! I love it, and it means that people reading it are essentially listening to me ramble about a lot of my favorite ideas for my favorite characters.

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

I answered meta already - but I'm blanking on others, honestly. I feel like trope-wise my tastes have narrowed, but more generally they've broadened and I like reading about more characters/ships/headcanons than I used to.

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

"AU" is a hard genre for this question actually. If we mean strictly alternative universe, I've only ever written one, which wins by default: left undead.

If we expand it to "canon divergence", then my favorite AU I've written is one I never cleaned up or, uh, finished well enough to post, called only "stella kills gyendal AU". I don't think I'll ever end up finishing it, but mostly because I think I'm going to end up mixing it into my TDP rewrite!

24. Are there any easter eggs in [insert fic], and if so, what are they? (now we're two of a crime)

okay this does not have any easter eggs but while rereading it to confirm that i jumpscared myself with myst referring to banana boy, so i guess it's a reverse easter egg LMAO

36. Do you visualize what you read/write?

I genuinely have no idea how to answer this question. I think I do, but my visualization is so clipped and vague that calling it that doesn't feel fully accurate. I have to make a point to visualize when I'm writing, but I do make that point a lot.

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

I've had comments on both ill-conceived and you try so loud to love me that feel too personal to repeat here, generally stuff where my fic really resonated with someone or made them rethink something, and that feeling is maybe the best feeling I've ever had as a result of writing.

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about anything you want to talk about!

i miss writing (sobs) i haven't had the time and/or brain energy for it since classes started back up! i also really want to finish the fic i'm currently working on, i started it like two years ago and i'm so ready for it to be done jksdfld but i'm just having so much trouble getting the tone right. i hope i can knock it out in the next month or so

[canayams-art]

i also feel like the animation this season is different, more crisps or something, because it looks even better than season 1 already gorgeous one. fengqing taking hold of me again was unexpected, but im dealing with the onslaught of emotions! i think it's just been too long since ive seen them in new scenes :"))

LQQ IS THE MVP OF THE DONGHUA AT THIS POINT! i looooove his design so much, more than the manhua one personally, and every scene he was in was soo good, i would have hard time choosing the one favorite as well. i think lqq debut this season was absolutely on point, and honestly i love watching him on my screen. he's so precious and when i tell you every scenes he's in makes me love him more and more im not kidding.

KEJEJJRJRJ FY AND LQQ INTERACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN SOO GOOD! especially considering mq is much more open as fu yao and being touched by lqq's sincerity and concern for mq would be right there on his face. (dw they make me cry as well🥹) i think i would also like to explore lqq's reaction to qi rong insulting mq, or maybe even their interactions during the aftermath of the tong'lu. mq being canonically good with children and helping lqq with guzi would be soo cute 🥰🥺 their potential for a strong and genuine companionship has me squealing as i write this, no lie

im so with you on your view of quirong!! it's definitely not a ship for me, even if i do tend to give every ship i come across a chance. although i think a fandom as well plays a role in my dislike, the overall impression of the ship didn't really give me the right vibe to like it either. im not above liking a pretty fanart for them when i come across it, but overall i just don't care about them. however it is always nice when you come across someone who also isn't a fan of the popular ship, makes you feel less crazy for not liking them 😭

mhmm if only more people thought like that, the discourses in the fandom would not exist :") it's so silly thinking everyone would have the same taste about fiction and media they watch and choose to interact with, and if that were to be the case the fandoms would be such a dull place to be. everyday i feel like the fandoms have went from a fun place to find like-minded people who enjoy things you do and with whom you can gush over your silly little blorbos, to this draining chore where you're constantly afraid someone will be on your throat for whatever reason if you dare say something about any character whether you like them or don't. it's honestly becoming exhausting but that's exactly why curating your own fandom experience and environment is important to have fun.

im personally ready to drop a fic if i see a trope i don't like or interpretation i don't agree with, even if i was already invested into the story prior. im willing to look past the characterization issue when the fics are clearly meant to be crack, but otherwise it really is very important to me that characters be the closest to canon as possible, especially in canon universe. modern aus are tricky, but honestly with enough lore throw in to explain it, i can swallow slight mischaracterization. anything fanon related tho, yeah im dipping so fast 😭 gods i sure sound pretentious and nitpicky about this but it's true, i learned the hard way that the only way to enjoy a fandoms is to set standards for what you like and not and not really care about others opinions, it's so much more enjoyable and you will eventually find the like-minded people who will support your delusions

side characters are gold mine when it comes to fics and general fandom experience, and from what ive noticed, the less popular the better 😭😭 sure you will probably have to make your own fan work but it's soo worth it at the end of the day! also less discourses so it's definitely a win. i also feel like the side characters/pairings usually have more interesting concepts when it comes to fics/art 🤔 this is not the case in every fandom but from my experiences, fics and art about side characters somehow feel more satisfying? idk to me it always comes across how people make a thing without it being cut out and served for them by already established canon, so to me it always feels more enjoyable to interact with such works

FIRST TIME DRAWING SQX?!?!?!!! IM ALMOST TEMPTED NOT TO BELIEVE IT! SQX IS SO GORGEOUS IN YOU ARTSTYLE AND IM DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AGAIN AT SOME POINT IF YOU DECIDE TO DRAW THEM AGAIN! im also not so subtly stalking you account for any lqq rarepait you decide to grace us with 👀👀

I’m so sad we have to wait a little longer for the next episode to come out,,,,, I need to see fengqing more 😭 Also!!! Lqq really is the heart and soul of the season so far!!! I guess that makes sense considering we’re right in the middle of his arc but he really is such a joy to see in every scene— they really made him so baby and if last episode is anything to go by they’re about to make him so anguished (affectionate). I love this boy so much.

Also every time we bring up more and more different qianqing scenarios, I can’t help feeling that they’re actually so surprisingly complimentary to each other. Now I’m actually just disappointed that mxtx never really explored their dynamic. Lqq would’ve been a perfect ally in mq’s hardships and mq would’ve been a such an asset to have in the search for qr and the management of Guzi’s care (not sure if mq would be nurturing but he’d definitely come through with a lot of “Why aren’t you [insert form of care here] ?”). They could’ve benefited from being closer.

I think there’s something novel about side characters and rarepairs that makes them (personally) so appealing. We don’t see so much about them so we want to know more and from that want comes so much unique and interesting exploration. I just read an entire story about a pair of main guys— I wanna know more about the people who were a part of their story. It’s about the fun of redirecting the spotlight 🥹

(Also I think in a way everyone is a little pretentious with their personal preferences for what they enjoy and how they enjoy it. If the writing or the art isn’t doing anything for you or it loses you along the way then that’s just part of the subjective experience of the arts! It’s okay to admit to being picky or selective.)

Anyway—! As a lqq art peddler I am happy to keep peddling more lqq art in the future. Might even start drawing more donghua lqq (manhua lqq is very special to me but donghua lqq has charmed me so much 😭). I really gotta get back into the frenzied rate at which I used to draw him— now with a couple extra boyfriends LMAO.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

Still kind of confused, but I think I might have a similar phenomenon. For example, I don't really care about Mario and Peach all that much, but still feel that Mario x Peach is right and proper. I don't think that's quite the same as what you're talking about, but it's all I got, haha.

I'm a bit confused about the definition of hateship, but I don't hate Jarcaiah, I like it. Not necessarily in a very romantic context, but I think they're an interesting duo and like to put them together. It helps when it's one of my nonsensical Jarod redemption AUs.

Which make no sense, because he would never, ever reform. Dude is just too evil. But that's why we like him, right?

And would you stop liking the same things as me!? XD I like Hubernie, too! Not as much as Edelbert, but I am fond of it.

Yeah, that's basically what I mean! It's kind of like, I just accept it and see it as canon in the sense of, say, if I wrote a fic, it would be probably be there. If I was writing a Mario fic about whatever, Mario and Peach would just be together because even though I'm not really into it as a ship, I consider it something that's there and definitely not something I dislike enough to just ignore it.

Hateship isn't referring to the shippers! It's about the ship itself and is two people who hate each other (and typically in the sense that it doesn't get better, where they always hate each other at least in canon) but is for whatever reason someone's ship.

A redemption AU is interesting for him! I think it's possibleeeeee... but not something he personally would consider trying to do since at least in my mind, I don't think he considers himself evil. I think he sees himself as correct. Knows he goes overboard and stuff but considers what he's doing to be the right thing, since Daein was pretty horrible in the last war, so maybe to him this is their just desserts and they're getting what they have coming.

If you remember, the people of Talrega were pretty awful people. They may have been distressed, but they absolutely despised the Crimean army and blamed all their woes on them, and not the actual author of the war who caused all of it. They said some pretty nasty things, including the lady who vowed revenge for generations to come if she couldn't do it, and even made her sister go hungry instead of accepting food from the Crimeans. In Jarod's mind it's possible he's proud of being from Begnion and being a soldier there and just thinks this is what the citizens deserve, because the citizens were also pretty awful during the war. Obviously it's not that black and white, but maybe to him it is).

Also, I feel like Alder wouldn't have been so loyal to him or "felt a kindred spirit in him" if there wasn't anything there beyond just pure evil. A redemption arc could be interesting for Jarod because I think he actually saw the Daein people as scum who deserved what they got. Not sure if he needs redemption for killing some of his own soldiers though considering... they were also doing the same shitty things LOL.

He probably wouldn't reform himself at least regarding Daein. We don't know what he thinks of Crimea as far as like, would he kill their people and such too? Since their militaries are technically allies and the Crimean people aren't seen as "bad", etc, a sort of reform could be possible for him as just like... being better to others. To Daein people though, yeah, I think he'd always despise them and consider them below him.

BUT REALLY THOUGH LOL, he's just so funny when he's being an ass. I can't hate the guy when he's throwing out hilarious one liners like that.

Idk man, if it means us liking the same things means I can convert you to Shinaff, I'm all for it. :P