#criticism isn't a bad thing

[supremechancellorrex]

What I find interesting about tumblr is how it can really make you more impulsive. I recently got into a heated debate that turned pretty hostile and my first instinct was to fire off a justifiably angry post about it, condemning that person, so I did. But, now, I realise... I was completely right and I agree with everything I said about their homophobic, Jedi apologist ass.

At the same time, I began to realise I don't want to expend effort chasing after toxic fans, giving them attention that could be spent elsewhere and having negativity infest my feed. I'm supposed be enjoying myself too here, so I'm gonna clean up my shop a little and focus on people worth knowing.

[bixels]

The Ryoko Kui interview's reception is such a disaster over a pretty normal (yet still flawed) interview between a non-Japanese fan and Japanese artistic. This is discourse for discourse's sake, and it's no surprise that almost every Twitter user I've looked at who's using this interview to parade Kui around as a goated mangaka standing strong against Western ideology is anti-trans.

Like, I do think the interview was kinda wonky with its focus on fandom culture, which Kui clearly didn't have much interest in. But sometimes that happens. Sometimes interactions between two people, especially a fan and a creator, two people who view and interact with a piece of media in completely opposite perspectives, don't click. Does this really need to get blown up into a "West vs. East culture war" issue.

Anyways, Kui saying "I don't consider my audience's interpretations when writing. I leave it to their imaginations, but I have my own read on things too" is the healthiest, most normal thing an artist/writer who wants a non-parasocial audience could say. Artists and writers use this line all the time. If Kui didn't enjoy autistic Laius or Farcille headcanons, she would have probably voiced/signalled her discomfort, like she did on the topic of Senshi fanservice. Overall, Kui handled the interview really well. Props to her to sticking to her guns and keeping a healthy disconnect from the fandom. While I think the interviewer could've/should've been more tactful and restrained, the flaws in their questions is not a symptom of the woke mind virus trying to wriggle its way into the pure Japanese psyche. It's the sign of an over-eager fan who sees a piece of fiction differently than its creator.

[bruciemilf]

Somebody tell me if this is a bad take, or if my love for Bruce is causing my objective brain to glitch, but-- something about advertising Batman, a hero who's very popular for being good with children, for being NURTURING with children, a bad father kinda defeats the whole purpose of what he's supposed to represent.

Batman is a protector; He protects people the world (and especially law enforcement) does not care about. That's literally the point of him.

Something about marketing " you can be incredibly violent to people you care about! And Its fine, because you care about them even if you abuse them, and that's what matters!" towards people, but especially men and young boys, is REALLY fucked up to me.

[bardly-working]

I never really engage in disc horse, but I am so baffled by some of the CR takes about Bells Hells ep 95.

Lemme preface this by saying that I thought this scene was FASCINATING and brilliantly played by Marisha and Liam. Especially after watching CR Cooldown, it's brilliant and heartbreaking and I am that sicko meme grinning as I watch it unfold.

But I have seen multiple people say that...

Orym defending himself against an unknown assailant who attacked him in his sleep (after casting darkness so he couldn't see who it was) means he's toxic and and lashing out because of his grief.

Laudna is a bad person for clinging to the only source of stability and company that she had consistently for 30 years, and her being essentially addicted and trapped in an abusive relationship makes her weak and evil.

it's Orym's fault Delilah is back because he actively encouraged Laudna to give her power... by nodding to agree that they needed to kill Bor'dor? As if he had any reason to know she was gonna suck out his soul and bring back Delilah?

Laudna/Orym should get over their trauma because what Orym/Laudna have dealt with is worse.

And holy shit. It's just... all of this is bonkers.

I know fandom is allergic to nuance, but can we like... try a little allergy exposure therapy?

Can we acknowledge that Laudna has a ton of trauma and is being manipulated by her abuser, but that it is still her responsibility to stop doing bad things? Can we acknowledge that Orym sucks at setting boundaries or expressing his feelings and it's damaging his relationships with the group, but that the solution is NOT to repress his feelings even more? Can we let characters be complicated?

[demodraws0606]

The way people talk about Tsukasa makes me want to murder people /neg

Somehow just because Tsukasa attracted the attention of the younger fanbase, people just have found themselves allowing to dunk on his fanbase because "how dare these 12 year old misinterpret a character that I don't even personally like".

Because yeah it's almost like young people can identify a darker part of a character but overexagerate it because the part that discerns nuance isn't even fucking developped yet. Or you know maybe it's just fun making angst, maybe they're just venting through Tsukasa ?

And somehow these people making angst are somehow more wrong than the people who just act as though Tsukasa is like the happiest guy ever with the least amount of struggles (because how dare he be happy, the only way a person can be struggling is if they're miserable 24/7).

Like it's wild it's somehow the same thing that happened to Sans, it's as though people don't realize that making a character have less problem than in canon is just as much of a misinterpretation than the opposite, you're not smarter for it.

No genuinely what's wrong with people, every other male oc fans get to do whatever and somehow Tsukasa fans are the ones that only enjoy his character cause he's a "dude".

I'm a Rui fan but it makes 0 sense to me how much of us just get away with more because ig it's more acceptable to make angst of rui ????

Like people say "wow people exagerate Tsukasa's backstory so muchh lol", like ok here are the multiple instances of Tsukasa flashbacks :

-Dazzling Lights

-Tenma mixed event

-Colorfes card

-Vocaloid World Link

Wow, yeah really short and rare Tsukasa flashbacks yeah....

And also people acting as though he was fine being alone at home are just straight up lying, like that is a lie the game literally tells you he's not fine blatantly in Dazzling Lights. And if you somehow needed more proof you can dig through the vocaloid world link, his colorfes card or even fucking side card stories.

There's no reason to talk about Tsukasa fans and how exagerated Tsukasa angst is i'm sorry, you're just being a bully and passive agressive to fans who want to have fun. The only time it's worth while to dunk on them is for ableism which IS a problem with Tsukasa fans.

Obviously I'm not gonna police you into what you should talk about but I just think it's really obnoxious and just kinda has been worsening the toxicity of this already radioactive fandom.

Also don't take anything in this post too personally this is just like a scream into the void about this fandom's behavior around Tsukasa.

I'm talking about this also because I literally saw firsthand how just kinda mean people are to others who just have fun.

[butwhatifidothis]

it annoys me so much when people say "edel had no other choice" as a thought terminating cliche. like even IF that were true, how one goes about that is still a characterful thing that gets minimized to "so it's not her fault stop being mean to her she just did what she had to". like. does she feel regret? does she apologize ot the people she's hurting? does she view it as righteous? who knows, becuase the argument is only ever used as a "stop being mean to my wife" line and not a character thing.

Yeah cuz like. Okay so let's say that starting the war was absolutely not her fault because xyz circumstance robs her of any substantial say in the matter.

What about using Demonic Beasts? What about her siccing her army and different set of Demonic Beasts on her own "friends" so that she could make more Demonic Beasts? Stealing from a gravesite to do so? What about starving her citizens, and being the only lord TO starve her citizens in their route? What about killing Judith as she ran away from her? Hell, invading the neutral Alliance in the first place? What about helping the Death Knight get away with stealing Flayn if 25 turns pass? What about saying nothing about Kronya even after Solon reveals himself at Remire? What about giving Jeritza a hunting ground to enable his bloodlust and not, like. Professional help?

She couldn't even mention a means she's working on to do anything about her starving citizens? Did she have to blame Claude (and everyone really) not immediately bowing down to her as to why the Alliance was violently invaded, and not her violent invasion being the reason it was violently invaded? What about persecuting Church followers who didn't do shit to anybody, did she have to do that shit too? Never freeing Brigid and instead stationing her men there on her route and sending Hubert there off of it; that was forced on her too? Taking Byleth's credit during the siege instead of letting them get the recognition they deserve - what, just, fate forcing her hand once again?

Are we really going to sit here and say because the war "needed" to happen, Edelgard was forced to do literally all of that (and more)? That because Edelgard was "forced" into war, she was also forced to do literally anything involving the war?

Like you said, her stans saying that she "had no choice" but to start the war does nothing to say anything about her as a character, because they also reject everything else she did regarding her war as having anything to do with her agency. They treat "she had to do this" as a means to protect the moral purity they want her character to have so they don't feel bad rooting for the villain to win, not as something that goes on to mean anything for her.

And I'm not asking for her to save literally every single person ever from any harm ever to prove her care about not going to war exists, I'm asking for LITERALLY ANYTHING. Because she quite literally does nothing to mitigate harm from anybody in this war, and regardless of whether the war was "forced" on her hands or not she absolutely could have done something to make sure her people suffered as minimally as possible. Which damn sure isn't seen in her hiding behind them as she sits in her throne room (a thing Dimitri and Claude absolutely don't do, with either similar or less time to prepare to protect their people). Or starves them, a thing uniquely said about her route (as literally all the other ones have the army go with lacking food supplies). Or allows Thales to conscript them under threat of death. Or openly saying that she thinks weak people would only stay weak after her war because they're "too used to relying on others" - because when her war takes everything away from people, it'd be THEIR fault for staying weak, which is *chef's kiss* so kind and caring amiright guys. Definitely shows off that she understands and/or cares about the ramifications of her war onto the people, and not that she has her head shoved squarely and firmly up her ass.

What does it meaningfully mean for the war to not be Edelgard's fault, if she's not going to do anything to indicate that she cares about other people enough to want to not force war on them? Hell, when she very explicitly shows she doesn't particularly care about how it'd affect people, if it affects people in a way that doesn't align with her beliefs? When she very explicitly says she's perfectly willing to sacrifice her people for her higher cause, and then goes on to sacrifice her people for her higher cause? If she doesn't even try to help others because the war was forced on her, that at best makes her one of powerless victim or uncaring defeatist - neither of which fit the resolute caring ambitious revolutionary they paradoxically also want her to be. So, again, what does it actually mean for the war to not be a result of Edelgard's agency, if she regardless of that still shows callous indifference to those harmed by the war?

It's a question no one who posits this about Edelgard is able to answer, because as you said, it's not meant to be anything more than a shallow defense against her own actions. Letting Edelgard have even the slightest smidgen of agency in her own actions means accepting that she is a massive fucking penis. A huge gaping asshole. A plain ol' jerk. Which again! Is INFINITELY more engaging to watch than this marionette strung along by literally everyone around her into "looking" like a villain, only being her "true" self when she's feeding kittens and dwawing her cwush and burping her googoo gaga babyass girlfriend they also tend to make (f!)Byleth over her shoulder

[skrunksthatwunk]

actually i'm still thinking about the moral orel finale.

he has a cross on his wall. do you know how much i think about that bc it's a lot.

a lot of stories ((auto)biographical or fictional) centering escape from abusive/fundamentalist christianity result in the lead characters leaving behind christianity entirely. and that makes complete sense! people often grow disillusioned with the associated systems and beliefs, and when it was something used to hurt them or something so inseparable from their abuse that they can't engage with it without hurting, it makes total sense that they would disengage entirely. and sometimes they just figure out that they don't really believe in god/a christian god/etc. a healthy deconstruction process can sometimes look like becoming an atheist or converting to another religion. it's all case by case. (note: i'm sure this happens with other religions as well, i'm just most familiar with christian versions of this phenomenon).

but in orel's case, his faith was one of the few things that actually brought him comfort and joy. he loved god, y'know? genuinely. and he felt loved by god and supported by him when he had no one else. and the abuses he faced were in how the people in his life twisted religion to control others, to run away from themselves, to shield them from others, etc. and often, orel's conflicts with how they acted out christianity come as a direct result of his purer understanding of god/jesus/whatever ("aren't we supposed to be like this/do that?" met with an adult's excuse for their own behavior or the fastest way they could think of to get orel to leave them alone (i.e. orel saying i thought we weren't supposed to lie? and clay saying uhhh it doesn't count if you're lying to yourself)). the little guy played catch with god instead of his dad, like.. his faith was real, and his love was real. and i think it's a good choice to have orel maintain something that was so important to him and such a grounding, comforting force in the midst of. All That Stuff Moralton Was Up To/Put Him Through. being all about jesus was not the problem, in orel's case.

and i know i'm mostly assuming that orel ended up in a healthier, less rigid version of christianity, but i feel like that's something that was hinted at a lot through the series, that that's the direction he'd go. when he meditates during the prayer bee and accepts stephanie's different way to communicate, incorporating elements of buddhism into his faith; when he has his I AM A CHURCH breakdown (removing himself from the institution and realizing he can be like,, the center of his own faith? taking a more individualistic approach? but Truly Going Through It at the same time), his acceptance (...sometimes) of those who are different from him and condemned by the adults of moralton (stephanie (lesbian icon stephanie my beloved), christina (who's like. just a slightly different form of fundie protestant from him), dr chosenberg (the jewish doctor from otherton in holy visage)). his track record on this isn't perfect, but it gets better as orel starts maturing and picking up on what an absolute shitfest moralton is. it's all ways of questioning the things he's been taught, and it makes sense that it would lead to a bigger questioning as he puts those pieces together more. anyway i think part of his growth is weeding out all the lost commandments of his upbringing and focusing on what faith means to him, and what he thinks it should mean. how he wants to see the world and how he wants to treat people and what he thinks is okay and right, and looking to religion for guidance in that, not as like. a way to justify hurting those he's afraid or resentful of, as his role models did.

he's coming to his own conclusions rather than obediently, unquestioningly taking in what others say. but he's still listening to pick out the parts that make sense to him. (edit/note: and it's his compassion and his faith that are the primary motivations for this questioning and revisal process, both of individual cases and, eventually, the final boss that is christianity.) it makes perfect sense as the conclusion to his character arc and it fits the overall approach of the show far better. it's good is what i'm saying.

and i think it's important to show that kind of ending, because that's a pretty common and equally valid result of deconstruction. and i think it cements the show's treatment of christianity as something that's often (and maybe even easily) exploited, but not something inherently bad. something that can be very positive, even. guys he even has a dog he's not afraid of loving anymore. he's not afraid of loving anyone more than jesus and i don't think it's because he loves this dog less than bartholomew (though he was probably far more desperate for healthy affection and companionship when he was younger). i think it's because he figures god would want him to love that dog. he's choosing to believe that god would want him to love and to be happy and to be kind. he's not afraid of loving in the wrong way do you know how cool that is he's taking back control he's taking back something he loves from his abusers im so normal

[jesncin]

Thank goodness white martian and green martian live together in harmony in your comic. Not the stupid unbelievable thing about how green martian oppressed white martian treat them like second class citizen not perfect allegory of racism

Does green and white martian ever married to each other

Green and white martians can't become life partners. They're two different categories of martians (average martians vs cosmic martian). Since Mars itself creates white martians, there isn't an inherit need for white martians to have to procreate or have romantic relationships. A few white martians do make romantic connections with each other though.

and if they do you should!! Run immediately!!

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Work

Hello Hello! I am back because I had an idea :3 @spotaus get in here :3

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This one is when they have been about two or three weeks in Farmtale. So small 4 months since Nightmare deaged.

*----------------*

It had been an impulse decision to do this.

Dust peers into the back of the airconditioning unit as he checks it again.

It wasn't as if he wasn't used to fixing things. Before at the castle it had been his responsibility to make sure everything kept working. As he had the most experience from working with these type of machines and things.

It wasn't hard. Dust found it easy. It were always the same things that needed fixing anyway and there were only so many options.

He learned to be creative with how he fixed things.

So when the cash register had been broken it had been second nature to fix it. just remove the slightly burned through wire and fix the still working on back in place. Easy fix.

When Crop had been by the waterpomp Dust had navigated over there mostly to just have something to do.

Don't get him wrong, he is content to watch Nightmare and be the main go to to take care of him. But ever since they decided on that stupid idiotic backstory...

Dust isn't an idiot. He knows they are only acting overprotective to sell the story. He isn't sure how he feels about it.

Meaning he tried to stay busy. Best way to not let things bother you is to keep too busy to let them bother you. He watched Crop struggle with the pomp and Crop explained it was how they could get fresh water thgouth the pomp which had been connected to the generator.

But it hadn't been doing what it should and Crop had eventually given up. Sighing about how he would need to call someone in. Dust had asked why he hadn't done that right away if he didn't know much about machinery.

Crop had explained there there was only one company that worked all the way out there to their little town. and they were full of racists who had no problem overcharging their work and hourly rate and making them pay for things they didn't want. but they were the only option to pick from.

Dust had tilted his skull and sat down next to him wiht a simple "scoot."

Crop ended up letting Dust do his thing because it was broken anyway. Turns out if was just a pipe not fully connected and some gears in the generator that caused the disconnect. not the pomp.

As he said. Easy fixes. Once you know what to look for.

Which meant that Dust now did most of the actual tech stuff on the farm. It wasn't a lot and hardly took up his time but well... it is nice enough.

Then a day when Cross and Killer were out with Straw to get things someone had knocked on the door.

Aparently word got out that Dust can fix things.

They had spoken with Crop to ask if Dust had time to check somethings there. Killer, who had still been in the house, got all huffy and puffy over it.

Again that same overprotective act.

So that is why he said yes. Now he sits on the ground in some old person's home looking into the airconditioner as Killer should still be at the farm with Nightmare.

Dust is already anxious to get back and check on the babybones.

A huff It is pathetic how clingy you are. Scared he will realise he doesn't need you like you need him?

Dust ignores the voice as he closes the unit up again "That should work." just to prove his point he turns it on. it works like a charm and buzzes away as it gets to work cleaning and cooling the air.

The old man, the gerson of this universe, chcukles "Thank you laddie! I had been afraid i would have to suffer the last summer days in the heat." and he laughs.

Dust shrugs as he puts the tools he borrowed back together. he puts the tools kit back in the closet where Gerson got it from "No problem. easy fix."

Gerson laughs as he wheels himself into his kitchen "Seems so! I did not even have time to offer you tea! That is how fast you were!"

Dust shrugs "Why take an hour for somethign that only needs ten minutes?" seems like a waste of time. He looks around and spots an old tv which is unplugged. mh.

Gerson exits the kitchen with a small teaset "I do hope you will take a moment to enjoy some tea before you return?"

Dust shrugs "may as well." He has to wait until Crop picks him up. he could of course shortcut back but that would just raise even more questions.

another loud laugh Yeah! People will question how you seem so skilled yet are utterly useless! Honestly how they haven't decided yet that you are too weak to be entrusted with a babybones is beyond me!

Dust stares at the slowly filling cup "Why is the tv unplugged? annoyed with the news?" talk. just talk about anything.

Gerson shoots the offending furniture a look "oh none of that. I think the screen burned through or something. and a new one is too expensive."

Dust hums as he stares at the tea. Then he stands up and walks to the tv. he pops it open and takes a look. yeah some stuff is burned through but he can probably... if he uses something to replace that and most places have some glass... "Mind if i try some stuff?"

Gerson laughs loudly "go for it! It is junk anyway!"

Dust nods and starts to search the house. Moving silently and effortlessly through the space. He will once in a while hold up somethign to Gerson and Gerson will either give him the go ahead or ask him to put it back. He only told dust to put something back once.

With his replacements ready he gets to work on the tv. the tv is a bit of a harder challenge. mostly because a lot needs to be replaced or fixed before it could work. But at the end Dust messes a bit with the buttons and it turns on again.

Dust hums "That explains why i didn't find any leds or anything that i could replace with the led lights." it is still a black white television. mh.

Gerson laughs again "Well I will be! I didn't expect you to be able to fix that old junk!" he laughs some more before shooting him a glance "I take you were planning on schooling for technalogical stuff?"

Dust blinks before he looks to the side. quickly reminding himself of his story "I guess. never made a decision on that."

Gerson nods as if that makes perfect sense "It is very mature that you decide to focus on your child. but now that you have so many people to assist you could look into college?"

Dust snorts as he rolls his eyes "nah. I don't need that." they are already too focused on that stupid story and how that portrays him.

Papyrus flies around the edge of his vision oh suuuure how it portrays you. But that is the problem you have wiht it? isn't it? Because it does show that you are pathatic and an idiot and can't be trusted. It shows how much weaker you are compared to them. you know it is a matter of time before they start connecting the dots with this fake you and the real you.

Dust stares at the dark liquid of his tea.

Gerson hums as he looks at him considerate "We all are young once... stupid choices are part of that..." Gerson keeps staring at him "It is a shame you had no help to help you with yours."

Dust glares at him "safe your pity. I don't need it." keep it in. keep it in. don't make a scene. don't make a scene.

Gerson chuckles but still looks sad "Yeah. I can imagine."

Dust glares. He hates this. He hates this stupid story. He isn't some dumb weak monster that got goo-goo eyed and lost a child because of that. He doesn't want to be known for that. he... he doesnt want that to be how they see him. He doesn't care how most people see him. They don't matter... but... but... what if...

papyrus laughs again So much for not going goo-goo eyed. That laugh rings through his skull.

Silence follows and Dust prefers it. Still he leaves the small couch and table and searches the house. He saw a few things that could still be fixed.

Stay busy.

Don't think.

By the time that Crop finally comes by to pick him up with the car everything he could find is fixed.

Crop looks between them nervously and smiles "So... how did it go?"

Dust huffs "fine..." and he walks towards the car.

Gerson rolls a bit after them "Wait a moment laddie!"

Dust lets out a loud sigh and Crop shoots Gerson a nervous look "Is something wrong?"

Gerson takes out his wallet and looks through the bills before holding out some cash.

Dust stares at the held out money before looking back at Gerson hoenstly feeling insulted "I thought i said i dont need some stupid-"

Gerson speaks louder "payment for fixing my things! YOu were a lot quicker and cheaper than the service i normally use! Here you go! what i normally pay the other service for an hour!" and he just keeps smiling brightly as he hold sout the cash.

Dust stares at gerson but takes the money, don't cause a scene. he stuff it in his pocket before huffing "whatever."

Crop and him go towards the car and Dust takes out the money to count it.

Wait a minute...

Dust frowns "Crop?"

Crop hums "yeah?" he seems in a very good mood.

Dust frowns at him "How expensive is stuff in the universe? like. how expensive are a week groceries for someone?"

Crop blinks as he shoots him a look "Oh you are asking something there... mmh... I think about 35 to 40 for each person, if you have to buy it all... I am not completely sure as we grow a lot ourselves and we trade with our fellow farmers."

Dust frowns at the cash "Then why was i paid like 200 for just an hour of fixing stuff?"

Crop snorts "I told you. the other service that normally comes out here asks a lot for some basic stuff. I can only assume that Gerson was happy with how you fixed his air conditioning in an hour wihtout trying to make him buy more things than he needed."

Dust frowns before putting the cash away.

They get back and Killer rushes to meet them. Looking anxious as Dust gets out of the truck "Dusty! Everything fine? no shady shit? I told you we shouldn't be out on our own with people here!" Killer hangs all over his shoulders. Dust looks around and sees Horror and Cross both on the porch with Nightmare by them.

Papyrus giggles wiht sick glee See? You are just a source of worry. They don't trust you. They probably never truly trusted you or your abilities. Wouldn't it be more fun to show them just how dangerous you are?

Dust shrugs to try and get Killer off but the guy has a hold of a leech. So he sighs "It went fine. Nothing to worry about."

They get back to the others and Cross smiles as he asks if everythign was fine. Dust sighs and repeats his answer of before. Horror just smiles in greeting before giving Nightmare back to him.

That actually calms him. Nightmare hums happily as he pushes his skull by Dust's neck and chin and Dust holds the tiny being close. Feeling the fast flutter of Nightmare's magic slowly calm down to go at his own soul's and magic rate is still amazing.

The voice of Papyrus finally goes quiet again.

It is fine. Dust doens't care with others think abut him. Not when what he gets back is this. It will just take some getting used to but he will be fine. It is annoying and sad that the others won't see him as trustwrothy anymore but even that is fine as long as he can hold his baby close.

He is fine.

*-----------------------*

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[evilkitten3]

one thing i think isn't talked about enough is how much kid!hashirama would've hated the man he eventually became

[fromtheseventhhell]

Zutaras are really the original self-insert, "we understand the story soooooo much better than everybody else" girlies and they just never moved on

[tethrras]

deciding to headcanon that the lighthouse makes people feel Calm and Docile and Relaxed to excuse the fact that more of the companions aren't as mad as lucanis that ANY of this is happening

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

Wang LingJiao used the chance to scramble out. She took out a cylinder of fire-light from her lapels and shook it a few times. A light shot out of the cylinder. Along with a sharp whistle, it rushed out of the wooden window and exploded in the sky outside. Then, she fumbled out a second one, a third one. Hair tangled, she mumbled, “Come… Come… Come here… Everyone, come here!” Through the pain, Wei WuXian pushed Jiang Cheng, “Stop her from sending any more signals!” Jiang Cheng let go of Wei WuXian and lunged in the direction of Wang LingJiao. Yet, at the same time, Wen ZhuLiu was closing in on Madam Yu. He looked as if he was about to knock her down. Jiang Cheng hurried, “Mom!” He immediately gave up on Wang LingJiao and threw himself over. Wen ZhuLiu didn’t even turn his head as he struck, “Not even close!” Jiang Cheng’s shoulder suffered the attack. Blood immediately burst from his mouth. Wang LingJiao had already let out all of the signal fire-lights. Sharp whistles and bright sparks filled the entire grey-blue sky. - Chapter 58, EXR

It's quite interesting how, in this moment, Jiang Cheng does exactly what he's always criticised Wei Wuxian of doing: endangering the Yunmeng Jiang sect by 'playing the hero'. That's not what either of them are doing, of course – it isn't a motivation for Jiang Cheng here, it's not a motivation for Wei Wuxian anytime else, and the motivations they have definitely make sense – but it's exactly the sort of behaviour Jiang Cheng would criticise Wei Wuxian for, with those exact words.

Yet, no character ever criticises him for this – Wei Wuxian doesn't, even when it was his (necessary) advice that was disregarded; Madam Yu doesn't, even when her sect suffered as a consequence. Even when it very likely played a role in Lotus Pier's downfall (at least in getting a lot of Wen sect cultivators to get there very fast), it's never brought up by any character ever again... whereas Wei Wuxian's action of saving Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan and Mianmian in the Xuanwu cave constantly is, even when the Wen sect was pretty certainly going to attack Lotus Pier anyway*. That's not to say Jiang Cheng should be blamed for the fall of Lotus Pier, either – that's on the Wen sect, and regardless of both of their actions, the attack was probably going to be a success. And can we blame someone for making a panicked decision protect his mother? – but one's action is definitely more direct than the other, and it's not the one that's constantly blamed.

The aim, though, isn't to compare the actions so much as the attitudes of the people involved, and this is another little detail that shows the imbalance in Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's dynamic. Again, Wei Wuxian doesn't say anything about this afterwards, and doesn't seem to blame him, even when it's his words that were disregarded, and when the Jiang sect and Lotus Pier were undoubtedly very important to him as well. Which is good! That's a good thing and definitely the healthier option for both of them! If the roles were flipped, and Wei Wuxian saved a(n admittedly non-Yu Ziyuan) person, disregarding Jiang Cheng's orders while leading to more danger falling on Lotus Pier? Jiang Cheng would never stop blaming him or bringing it up. Even after the many years that passed between then and Wei Wuxian's resurrection, he still blames Wei Wuxian for the fall of Lotus Pier due to his actions in the Xuanwu cave** – once again, a much less direct scenario.

--

*Very strategic location (trade hub etc), they attacked the Cloud Recesses already, Jiang Cheng's internal narration literally admits this:

In his heart, Jiang Cheng knew clearly that back in the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter at Dusk-Creek Mountain, even if Wei WuXian hadn’t saved Lan WangJi, the Wen Sect would have found some reason to come over sooner or later. But he had always felt that, if the whole thing with Wei WuXian didn’t happen, maybe it wouldn’t have been so soon, maybe there would’ve been some way to turn things around - Chapter 59, EXR

Yet there was some time between the end of the Wen indoctrination and the Fall of Lotus Pier, and we never even saw attempts at security adjustments!

**As we see in the Ancestral Hall:

Jiang Cheng mocked, “Look how forgetful you are. What does unwelcome people mean? Then let me remind you. It was because you played the hero and saved Second Young Master Lan, who’s standing beside you right now, that the entire Lotus Pier and my parents went down with you." - Chapter 87, EXR

[greensaplinggrace]

Alina didn’t choose to have her powers taken from her and she didn’t intend for them to be lost. You can’t say Alina chose her ending when the ending was deliberately forced on her without her consent, and she is actively upset by this.

It has been said before and I will say it again:

Alina explicitly wants her power in the books. She has conflicting feelings on it, which is normal, but does on multiple occasions admit to herself as well as others that she likes the power, that she wants it, and that she does not wish to lose it.

This is not due to a lack of conceptualizing Alina liking her powers and Alina’s greed for power as separate things. This has nothing to do with Alina’s greed. Outside of Alina’s greed for power, she comes to love this part of herself she neglected all her life because she was raised by people who could not understand her and who taught her to be wary of her own people and culture, so much so that she subconsciously avoided dealing with who she actually was.

Equating Alina’s power with her greed is exactly what those oppressing grisha do in justification for their hate crimes. You are using the same logic as a cast of people set on genocide and oppression. Not to mention the direct connection between grisha being based on jewish persecution and how the thing that defines grisha is equated with greed, which is a highly common antisemitic depiction of jewish people.

Alina is the ethnic jew raised by goyim. She is the repressed queer child of homophobic parents. She is everybody who only got to realize and express themselves after finding and connecting with their community late in life.

A story about a persecuted minority hunted because of what makes them different ending with your main character, who is a part of that minority, losing that piece of themselves and being forced to assimilate, is incredibly problematic. And anybody who makes this criticism about “Alina choosing” forgets that Alina is a character who’s only choices are those made for her by the person who wrote her.

Another thing that people constantly misrepresent is that Alina is not happy to be stripped of her powers at the end, and explicitly expresses sadness, grief, rage, and anger about the loss of her powers. This is separate from her finding happiness despite her grief, but the grief never goes away. Which means that anybody saying she was happy to lose her powers or chose to do so is factually incorrect. Her agency is stripped from her in the end.

She doesn’t get to choose the peaceful life because the peaceful life is chosen for her. This is not a natural ending to a meaningful character arc of self realization. This is the regressive and brutal shafting of a character who’s arc was abused at every turn, and who’s actual development was walked backwards. Not because of her powers but because she is prevented from ever finding peace with her powers by the narrative.

She doesn’t have to fight a war ‘because of her powers’. She has to fight a war because her people are fucking oppressed. Laying the blame on what makes her different instead of the people who have singled her out because she is different indicates a severe lack of understanding in regards to racism, persecution, and oppression.

Her powers didn’t become so corrupt that they failed her in the end. She didn’t see the consequences and choose peace to avoid them because she wasn’t allowed to see anything at all. Her path was decided for her before she could even look down the other.

People focus on Alina and her powers because that is the story. It is a story about realizing something crucial about yourself that has been kept from you and repressed your whole life. It is an incredibly important story to tell. It is a coming of age story about self realization and self actualization and finding agency after a life where you realize you had none.

Blaming Alina being grisha for why she is stripped of her grishaness is fundamentally flawed argument. If the greed for power was what was supposed to be punished, then she would only have lost that which she sought in her greed. And if a balance needed to be reached, then there would be just as many sun summoners as shadow summoners in the world. Because she lost more than that and because of the discordance in thematic symbolism, the message becomes a punishment not for “greed” (which shouldn’t have even been the message in the first place for a plot and setting like this), but for something else. It becomes a punishment for her being grisha and coming to love and accept herself for it. It becomes a punishment of reveling in one’s difference. It becomes a statement about living outside of the boxes society tries to place people in. It becomes a message about oppression and assimilation on the side of oppression and assimilation.

The most important criticism about the ending will always be about the framing of Alina losing her powers. Alina choosing peace and love over power as a message would only have been able to work if Alina had been able to choose it. And to do so she would have had to choose it when she still had her powers. That is the only progression her developmental arc of “choosing peace and love” could have taken if it didn’t want to become regressive and strip her completely of her agency.

[themyscirah]

Amanda... I miss her.

But I don't trust a single person to write her other than Ostrander/Yale. Like I don't trust them to do it right. Because like it's easy to write her being shady and manipulative and involved in secret government conspiracies. That's what she does. But it feels so hollow once you've seen her character in the way Ostrander describes it. Like she is a woman who is desperate and trying to do what she thinks is right. She has found a place of power (as a fat Black woman in the 1980s) and is doing anything she can to fight and hold onto it as powerful and ambitious men try and steal it from her. So she doubles down. She doubles down on the shady deals and the broken promises and the violence and she destroys her enemies, and loses a part of her soul in the process. And then some other ambitious politician rises up and the process repeats itself over and over and over again as each time she loses more of her morality and more of her soul and more of the respect her colleagues had for her. In place of that she gains more power, she gains fear, and an even more badass reputation. Until by the end of the book the villains begin to understand/sympathize with her more than the heroes ever will. Like THAT is who Amanda Waller is. It may happen subtly, it may happen over a longer period of time but that descent is a critical part of her character! She is a tragic character! And I feel like every perception of Suicide Squad I've seen outside of the original has her as this static villainous snapshot which is just untrue to her core imo. Like she is not a hero. But she is also not JUST a villain. She is a highly flawed character who is always descending farther and farther into villainy as she is led there by what she believes is right.

[girlbob-boypants]

Me when I cosplay as a straight cop for a pride event, openly say on my blog putting him in pride colors didn't look right, shout for fictional cop pride publicly at the event, people respond with "acab", and then get a bunch of defense posts and free art while the cop pride part conveniently gets left out of all the info defending me: