#don’t worry if you don’t agree with me because media is all about interpretation

[junkgatorswritings]

Straight vampires are a metaphor for consent

Gay vampires are a metaphor for lust

This is a very important distinction that has been blurred by Vampire romances (not that Vampire romances are bad)

Anyway this brought to you by my friend and I disagreeing about what vampires are a metaphor for in Nosferatu.

[beneathashadytree]

HEY GUYS! LONG POST HERE, BUT PLEASE READ🙏🏽

I am genuinely appalled by the discourse ongoing in the LNDS fandom these past few days—but above all, I am severely disappointed in what had started out as one of the most inclusive and sweet fandoms I’ve ever been in. I have a few things to say, so in this post I’m trying to put all my thoughts to words. Apologies if I sound harsh, but I’m genuinely livid. Also, please ignore any typos. I’m not wearing my glasses while word-vomiting.

First off, for a fandom that is composed of mostly adults, you guys have been acting terribly childishly. It’s 2024, and yet people are still unironically shaming others for “switching up on their favs” as if a person owes 2D characters any loyalty. Let people enjoy things. The novelty of Sylus and how he’s quite literally 6 months behind the other 3 love interests makes people want to catch up on the enjoyment of him all at once. He’s still such a brand new character and concept, so there’s no wonder everyone’s hyped up over him.

I’ve seen people get genuinely mad at other players and writing whole think-pieces about this. I promise you guys, the company making this game is still benefiting whether you’re pouring your money into Sylus or any one of the previous 3. We’re all happy to have an interesting character pop up among the roster now, and we’re taking our time getting to know him. Doesn’t make any of the first 3 any less loved. I genuinely don’t remember this amount of nastiness when solo events for each of the guys used to drop.

In fact, if the popularity thing is worrying you, going off MLQC (the company’s past game) the character who was last added was—eventually, after the initial hype died down—kicked off to the sidelines in most major events and was given the least content, and was the least favorite of fans.

Secondly, and this has my blood boiling, there is an insane amount of entitlement and rudeness I’ve seen on my timeline concerning how people characterize the men—particularly Rafayel.

Absolutely nothing warrants this shitty attitude towards other creators for how they depict characters in their fics. It seems you guys feel protected behind a screen and think it gives you the right to bully strangers online. Fanfiction is for fantasizing about your favs; for letting your imagination run wild. If this were a character analysis, then yes, maybe I’d agree that inaccuracies are aggravating. However, in fanfiction, there are zero rules, especially when it comes to smut.

Sexual preferences are not equivalent to a person’s whole personality—so whether he’s written as a dom, a sub, a switch, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, this has nothing to do with his kindness, gentlemanliness, passion, power, ruthlessness, snark, or whatever minuscule aspect of his character makes up his lovely whole and matters to you.

I think this circles back to a lack of ability to separate sexual matters and personality, because how else do people interpret fics depicting him in a certain manner as them erasing his character? They might overlap, but they can very well be mutually exclusive. I’ve seen incredibly sweet and gentle men irl who were absolute doms in bed, and I’ve seen powerful and passionate men who were reduced to tears between the sheets. There is barely any correlation whatsoever, and if anything, claiming otherwise is what I consider piss-poor media literacy and reading-comprehension.

My third point is that for some reason, there have been many, many posts and replies on here where I’ve seen people just straight-up spread pure hate for the characters. Maybe this bothered me in particular because I’m an OT3 (OT4 now!) and absolutely adore all of them, but I find no logical reason for “yucking someone’s yum” when we’re talking about liking the characters of an Otome game—a genre of video games which is made to literally cater to the tastes of as many people as possible.

It’s especially disheartening to see when it’s at a time like this, when new content is about to drop, and you find in the replies of every other post/discussion at least a few people spewing hate and disgust at Sylus. Again, so many people are incredibly excited about him. Why is there a need to rain on everyone’s parade, especially in such an unsolicited manner?

This fandom originally started as a safe space for people of all races, backgrounds, genders, sexualities, and personalities to bond over our mutual love for characters. All I’ve seen on my TL lately (in terms of discussion) is negativity, and it’s such a fucking let-down. I hope whatever the fuck has happened to this fandom cools down after a bit. It’s probably exaggerated and very in-your-face rn, cause more and more people are downloading LNDS, so the probabilities of finding people being nasty are increasing. But I seriously don’t want to grow to resent this fandom and find myself distancing myself from it to protect my peace.

Let’s all remember to be kind towards other players, to not act entitled or bratty about the characters, and to try and mind our own business if we see content that doesn’t suit our tastes.

[myfairkatiecat]

I think you're misunderstanding my point a bit, the problem is not "accidentally agreeing with someone when they also disagree with you on other points". I agree that worrying about that is silly. However both my hypothetical post and the actual post, in my opinion, have the problem of presenting a false dichotomy which is indicative of bias. "We need more single mothers in media" is a point which is completely unrelated to the much stupider point of "there are TOO MANY women with jobs in media", and the fact of the matter is that being bothered by seeing women in media who have jobs is, not inherently sexist, but certainly something you would expect more from a misogynist than a non misogynist.

Similarly the original post pairs a point that many agree with - "more fandoms/media should portray close brotherly friendships" - with an unrelated (and in my opinion, very entitled) complaint about fandoms being too gay, as if it's not possible for both gay relationships and brotherly ones to both be respected and given validity without choosing one as the correct or more valid interpretation. Or as if, as the person who responded to that post was alleging, the post was trying to imply that interpreting characters as gay is inherently worse than interpreting them as brotherly. Given that that's a very bold claim, I think supporting that claim with "btw this same person has said this on the topic of gay people irl" is quite normal?

The reason context matters is not because valid points become gross and wrong when said by the wrong person, but because valid sentiments can be used to mask other, less valid sentiments. If you agree with both points, that's one thing, but if you think complaining that fandom is just too gay is indicative of homophobia, "the person who said that has also publicly stated that they don't support the LGBT community" is relevant information in that discussion. And I frankly think that "actually, my friend thinking that fandom is too gay is completely unrelated to that same friend thinking being gay irl is sinful" is a very strange claim that I struggle to believe, in the same way I would not believe it if someone said "the fact that I get mad when I see women on TV with jobs is completely unrelated to me thinking women shouldn't have jobs because then I could sleep with them more easily".

Ok so this is the post in question by @gracefulchristiangirl:

why aren't guys allowed to have strong brotherly friendships anymore without being queer headcannoned anymore. like- not all strong relationships are because of romantic or sexual desire??? some people have life-long friendships with other guys who are literally their brothers???

Reading comprehension check: “NOT ALL strong relationships are because of romantic or sexual desire.” This post is a response to the frequent sexualization of male friendship, which feeds a culture of toxic masculinity. If showing affection is consistently interpreted as inherently gay (like posting a gif of Sam and Frodo with the caption “there is NO heterosexual explanation for this” which does happen quite frequently) then straight men are going to be discouraged from being affectionate with their friends because, understandably, they don’t want people unanimously agreeing that they must therefore be a sexuality that they aren’t.

This post is about people erasing the possibility of friendship between two men when they see a certain type of behavior, usually expressions of care or love. This isn’t a response to “I think it would be cool if Merlin and Arthur were gay so I’m going to write a fic where they’re gay,” it’s a response to “look at the way Merlin is looking at Arthur in this scene with so much love in his eyes. Look at the way he holds him tenderly ad he dies. They’re literally so gay, like wdym they aren’t lovers??” One such statement owns that it is something made up by the person with the headcanon, while the other statement makes affection between two men seem inherently romantic! I used the merlin fandom as an example because I have seen that second statement made, almost word for word, and it’s sentiments like those that make me glad for posts like the one we are discussing.

The post is not about gay people. The post is about viewing close male friendships as inherently romantic or sexual in fandom spaces, which is unfortunately very common.

This post is also not about fandom spaces being “too gay,” as you said in your ask. *wags finger like an aunt* mm-mm-mm, that’s not what OP said! She didn’t say fandom spaces were too gay!

[brass-tacked]

was he also too suicidal to recognize that buck had come along way from where he was in season 1? was he also not in his right mind when he told hen "you got this" to her ease anxieties over adopting mara? or when he told her that all she had to do was welcome mara into her family when she was worried about mara never having felt a part of a family? or when he noticed ravi didn't need help with the hoses anymore? or when he told buck that he was on his game that night or letting him cook for the team, or telling him the food was good?

that argument doesn't make any sense unless you're also saying that nothing bobby says in that episode counts or matters? the point of that scene was to show these characters have grown through the under bobby. the point of the bobby and buck scene was bobby telling buck that he'd come along way and doesn't constantly need guidance anymore, which is true. also chimney, hen, eddie, and chris all love tommy. chim literally said "tommy is so cool." eddie literally said "i like him too." chris was gushing about how awesome tommy was off screen. bobby also openly liked tommy alongside hen and chim when he first met them in bobby begins, when hen, chim, and tommy were all getting drinks together. genuinely curious if you actually watch the show you're talking about or have you fallen victim to your own echo chamber? it's fine not to like a character, but it's very clear the show is trying to tell the audience that tommy is a good guy. like no amount of "b-b-but" is gonna change that. even if they do break up, he's never gonna be the villain you're creating in your head. all of the mains clearly approve of tommy, you just don't wanna hear it.

I’m not going to spend my night arguing with an anon. But I will say that the show does a pretty good job of showing how Tommy was not a good guy in the past. I’m not going to forgive a misogynistic racist.

Go rewatch the episode in season 3 where Buck befriends the retired firefighter who is all alone. When Buck asks Hen and Chim about their relationships with past members of the 118, they both admit that they aren’t friends with those guys, including Tommy. Chim straight up says he only called Tommy for help that one time because Tommy owed him a favor. That’s all. That’s the only reason they’d had any contact.

For the cruise ship episode, Hen wasn’t even trying to reach Tommy. She wasn’t even thinking of him.

But you know what the most important thing I’m going to say is? It’s that the best thing about consuming media is that we can all have different opinions and interpretations. We can all like different aspects of the same show, derive enjoyment and pleasure from it, and still never agree with each other.

Just like I’m never going to convince you that Tommy isn’t a good guy, you’re never going to convince me that he is.

So have a great night, enjoy your weekend, and let’s please agree to go to our separate corners of fandom in peace. You can also feel free to block me if you don’t like my opinion. It’s another great option to protect your own peace.

[seasonalmoss]

Epic the musical Catifed: I remade Penelope’s Ref!

AAAAGHH DJDHFJRHJDHSHD OKAY OKAY, so Ive been meaning to redo her ref for quite some time now, and it happens that I’ve been stressed enough lately to draw her! She’s literally one of my very top comfort characters for me right now, to be fair all of my comfort characters are extremely important but for this situation I’m in right now the comfort I need is from people like Penelope or Willow (from Wings of Fire).

anyways this ref has really helped me decompress and calm down, drawing Penelope has made me feel so safe and secure, literally I love Penelope in Epic so much.

I looove how she is in Epic the musical? Idk I feel more drawn towards her and more interested in her then the Penelope in the Odyssey.

though I guess in general when I say “I love -insert character who appears in EPIC” I’m usually talking about specifically the interpretation of Epic. Though I do have a genuine interest in Greek mythology and I want to get into more media that’s about it, the specific characters I’ve grown attached to are the musical ones!

like- people need to understand that Epic isn’t just “the odyssey as a musical” it’s a transformative retelling! And in many ways is it’s own story.

like- I think everyone can Agree that Ody in epic is a lot more nicer and moral then Ody in the Odyssey,

they literally aren’t the same character, and I hate when I see people bash on Odysseus in Epic because of their opinions of him in the odyssey.

Don’t get me wrong I LOOVE LOOVE the Odyssey and Iliad and other Greek myths but that’s simply just not the fandom I’m apart of.

Yes, Epic is still based on the Odyssey and a retelling of it, but it’s still Separate, and people shouldn’t act like it isn’t or act like what happens in EPIC reflects onto the odyssey. Like- don’t say “oohh but Odysseus isn’t that bad because in Epic-“ Stop. Don’t say that.

if you see them as separate from eachother then it shouldn’t matter to you people’s takes of the characters in the Odyssey because they aren’t the same as in EPIC. And really that goes for everything?

I’ve seen people bring up PJO(somehow???) a lot or that Circe book (literally don’t know the name of it) in regards to Epic and say “but in this!” Like- dude they are literally different retellings and interpretations it’s not like every Greek mythology story is connected or idk- canon to the Original Myths??? And don’t get me wrong you can make crossover AUs! I honestly LOOOVE seeing all of the PJO x Epic things I see!

but anyways stupid ramble over, I LOOVE LOOVEE DESIGNING PENELOPE! AAGGHHDHDHD I wanted her to appear very regal and well kept, she is a queen after all. But further more Penelope in Epic is a character who isn’t much of a physical fighter, rather she stands back and watches with calculating eyes and prudence. She has an unwavering will and a strong composure in the face of 108 nasty Suitors. She’s wise and clever. With all of this I wanted to give her more lengthy and soft features, as Penelope is someone many don’t expect to expertly win a battle with wits. She simply just seems to be the face of royalty. But I also gave her a strong long/thick tail to show her strength, she absolutely can beat the shit out of you with that tail, but she won’t. Because she doesn’t need to, since she has other more “civil” methods of wits to break you down. but in general EPIC Penelope is more reserved and calm, she doesn’t need to gaslight you or manipulate you, she just needs to trick you. She’s understanding and gentle, yet serious and worried. she stands tall hence why I made her that height. she’s also one of Odysseus’s leading motives, and a major support for him. I wanted Penelope to come across as someone you turn to for guidance or you lean into to cry. She’s a sturdy yet soft shoulder to cry on, something Odysseus desperately needs. (also Penelope just HAS to be taller then Odysseus I’m sorry- if you don’t make Ody in epic shorter then practically everyone what are you doing? /j)

anyways thats my Penelope design!

[hylaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

AgneKari Week 2024 Official Prompts and Rules

Hello friends! Thank you to everyone who showed interest in AgneKari Week 2024! We are excited to announce the prompts and rules for AgneKari Week 2024!

Join us from August 11-17!

We are so pleased to announce the first annual AgneKari Week, a full seven days dedicated to the adorableness that is Agnea Bristarni/Hikari Ku from Octopath Traveler II. All are welcomed to participate in this event with fanart, fanfiction, poetry, musical compositions, crafts, and any other creative outlet of your choice.

Please see below for full event information!

How to participate:

During the week of August 11-17, share your creative works related to Agnea/Hikari! You can participate as little or as much as you would like ��� no need to come up with something for every day. Check out the prompt list below to inspire you, and help us spread the word by liking, resharing, giving kudos, and commenting on other participants’ work.

When uploading works to Archive of our Own (AO3), please drop them in the “AgneKariWeek2024” collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/AgneKariWeek2024 

When posting works to social media, please use the #AgneKariWeek2024 tag so that others can easily reshare!

Prompts:

For each day, we are providing two prompts to choose from. You can pick your favorite or try to combine them. Don’t be afraid to get creative – all potential interpretations of the prompts are welcomed! And if the prompts aren’t speaking to you, no worries. Thursday is a free day, when you can write, draw, or produce anything you’d like, as long as it relates to Agnea/Hikari.

Full prompt list:

Sunday, August 11: Home | Path

Monday, August 12: Music | Hot

Tuesday, August 13: Travel | Rest

Wednesday, August 14: First | Fall

Thursday, August 15: Bewildering Grace (Free Day)

Friday, August 16: Joy | Sorrow

Saturday, August 17: Shadow | Dawn

Where to go for more information:

Follow the official AgneKari Week twitter/X account @AgneKariWeek

Join the official AgneKari discord: discord.gg/ppQFjwnX

Or email any questions to AgneKariWeek@gmail.com

Who’s steering this ship?

We have two moderators, myself and Ivy!

You can find Ivy on Twitter (@Ivy_WritesYall), Discord (@pomegranate_leaves) and AO3 (@azuki_porridge).

You can find me on Tumblr (@hylaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa), Discord (@hygirl), and AO3 (@hiya_girlie).

Other questions and answers:

I want to participate, but I don’t want to write or draw. Is there anything I can do?

There are plenty of ways you can participate! Tell an artist or writer what you like about their work, repost some of your favorites, or get creative – compile a playlist, make a mood board, or bake themed cupcakes! All ideas are welcome.

Can I share information about AgneKari Week on my social media channels?

Absolutely – in fact, we would love it if you did! Feel free to direct folks to the official channels for more information.

Can I include background ships?

Sure! Just make sure they are tagged appropriately.

Can I write/draw explicit content?

We ask that all previews be non-explicit so that we can share freely, but as long as your work is tagged appropriately, there are no rating limits!

I like Agnea and Hikari but want to depict them as friends. Is that okay?

We agree that friendship is a great ship! Feel free to depict them as friends – we just ask that you don’t pair them romantically with anyone else if you tag your work as part of AgneKari week. And please bear in mind that folks may still interpret it as romantic.

Why is the free day called Bewildering Grace?

Because we’re wondering what will happen!

I have a prompt idea for AgneKari week. Where can I submit it?

Please send any ideas to the email address listed above! The prompts for this year are finalized, but we would love to hear your thoughts on prompts for future weeks.

I have a question that’s not listed here. What should I do?Reach out to the mods on any of the channels listed above, and we’ll do our best to get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks for joining us for our inaugural AgneKari week, and we hope you have a wonderful time!

-Mod Hy♥️

[riverkwai404]

that person sent you a bunch of headcanons and covered them in the kind of language that would rise alarm bells. what do they mean, the timing is "suspicious"? claiming remadora is "canonically toxic" (which is what people are doing, including them) is trying to hide the fact that they don't like the ship under "objective" reasons and trying to pretend everyone should agree that it's, at the very least, "suspicious". they don't have to like it, but pretending it's somehow nefarious is just trying to control the fandom according to their likes and dislikes. it's a harmless ship and the worst thing tonks did is being desperate because they were in a war and she was worried either of them were gonna die. this is stated in the books. they're paralleled to molly and arthur, who also got married in a hurry because of the war (this is why their "getting together" scene is immediately following dumbledore's death. the one who couldnt die just died). and pretending tonks was in the wrong for wanting to help remus or wanting remus to see that he was worthy of love is ridiculous. "she's not his therapist" is an awful, hyperindividualistic sentiment in this context: she sees that her friend is being self-destructive (he's taking more and more dangerous missions, even) and she tries to help.

people dont like the ship and arent interested in remus post-sirius' death. that's fair. but they could stop trying to frame remadora as a toxic/problematic/canonically bad ship and manipulating people with charged language to do it (when they dont straight up lie), bc all they're doing is directing hate towards a very small subsection of the fandom on the basis of headcanons and personal preferences. remadora's a perfectly fine ship. you (general you) just dont like it.

Hey I actually wrote another response to that person after reading their interpretation. While it differs to my own I understand how they reached those conclusions even if I don’t necessarily agree with all of them.

I actually never realized the parallel to Molly and Arthur (I read the books when I was 7 up until about 13), but that’s definitely something interesting to take into consideration.

I fear the way I framed the original post was aggressive because I wrote it emotionally (something I try not to do) but I do think that especially after reading @nbythegreat ‘s response the relationship between Remus and Tonks warrants constructive conversation in which we must all recognize that media interpretation is subjected and requires respect from all parties involved.

Some of their points I had forgotten about (I have not read the series in its entirety for about five to six years) and genuinely have me reframing the way I view it.

All in all I do think that it’s an interesting conversation to have, even a productive one, but in civil discourse we get nowhere through anger and slander and everywhere through listening and trying understand the perspectives of others.

[thefabulousfab-3]

I’m sorry for this rant but IT MAKES ME SO UNCOMFORTABLE! When Daxtons say Ben was/is emotionally abusive to Devi just because he has a reciprocating banter with her because people been throwing words that they don’t know NOTHING ABOUT when they really should focus on actual abusive patterns. I am very glad some people have not been abused before and therefore aren’t able to understand what it means but I HAVE! And let me tell you, being emotionally abusive means being scared of being yourself especially around that person, second guessing ur actions in fear they would interpret it wrong and use it against you. You lost yourself and your own motivations and ambitions to fit their own. You even lose the ability to connect with other people around you. Being emotionally abused means being scared of actually walking away because you tick yourself into thinking they need you and the reason they act the way they do is because of their own trauma. Devi at any point during the show has experienced this behavior, in fact, Ben is the person she trusts and is herself around the most aside from Eleanor and Fab.

Ben and Devi’s banter is mutual. If we are calling Ben “abusive” then the same applies to Devi that jokes and “insults” Ben right back. The gag is, is not serious, is not intentionally hurtful and the times that it has been hurtful there’s been apologies because they know when it’s just jokes and banter and when it crosses the line. Ben and Devi are friends first and foremost, are there to confide in the other and Devi feels safe to tell him her insecurities and worries because he understands and motivates her. Devi and Ben’s interactions might not be ideal for YOU, but it’s okay for Devi and Ben. That’s a dynamic they enjoy.

Anon, I’m so sorry you went through all of that. ❤️

I totally agree with everything you said. As someone who experienced intense emotional abuse as well, I went through everything you described. And I find it SUPER upsetting when people try to slap that label (or really any abusive label) on a character simply because they don’t like them or the ship they are a part of. It’s inaccurate and extremely harmful to actual abuse victims.

Are there characters in media who are abusive? Yes, of course. In fact, there is one in nhie: MALCOLM in season 2. His behavior could very accurately be described as abusive.

Ben, while sometimes a dick and often an insecure teenage boy, is definitely not abusive. I’ve seen reddit threads also describe him as “manipulative” simply because he dated other girls when he liked Devi? Which is so dumb because that is such a common media trope (a dumb one but still), that is often used to create conflict. Also Devi dated other people while she liked Ben so that argument is doubly invalid.

It’s like they expect him to be fully emotionally mature and a perfect communicator at 17 years old. Like how dare he be an insecure teenager who is unsure about dating someone who, while he does love a lot, also hurt him a ton in the past.

Ben has never ever exhibited any abusive behavior towards Devi ever. Same goes with Devi. Say it with me folks, teenagers being insecure and dumb doesn’t equal abuse.

Devi and Ben are equals. Even in their peak, “rivals era”. They have always had a basis of respect for each other. Their banter while harsh sometimes was never bullying. It was always an equal exchange.

Also for anyone hung up on the whole “David” nickname. Please please check out these amazing posts by my wonderful and brilliant friend @basiltonpitch. You can find the posts here.

I’m sick and tired of people making up false and misleading statements about Ben and Benvi. Just say it isn’t your thing and move on.

Thank you for sending this to me anon, I 100 percent agree with you. Ben and Devi have a wonderful foundation to have a loving and healthy relationship. They get each other in a way no one else does, they are each others person.

[yeetlegay]

I’M SO EXCITED FOR RWRB! I love you for pointing out how many awesome scenes they kept from the book because I absolutely agree. I was worried for a bit because I’ve read the book about 6-7 times and so everything that’s in there is kind of holy to me. I didn’t know how much they would change, but most of the scenes that were in the trailer are from the book! Oh God, their first kiss, it looks so much better than I thought it would. Even better than what I had in my mind while reading it. And I was so relieved that they kept LA (a.k.a. the karaoke bar and their first time) in there, even though for some reason they traded the Prince Buttercup kimono for cowboy attire? And the polo scene is still in there, pfff. 😂 Oh, how I hope they’ll also keep in Paris. And I agree with what you said in the tags, I’m dying to see the Great Turkey Calamity. 👀

To be honest, I’m a little scared I’m so obsessed with the book that I’ll never give the movie a real chance. Especially because one of my favorite things about it is its voice and narration that’s both super on-point and incredibly thoughtful, and that’s something you can’t translate to a screen. I also worry that once I’ve seen the movie, I can never go back to the images I had in my mind when I read the book. Does that make sense?

I know they’ll have to cut down on a lot of the smaller things that add depth to the characters (people like Alex’ dad, Raphael Luna, June, Nora and Bea are most definitely going to suffer from this) simply because of time constraints, and the depth of all the characters, no matter how minor their role, has always been something I loved about the book (about your fics too, by the way). But so far I’m really happy with what they’ve done. And the chemistry seems to be really good too! I’m glad this is going to be my brief return to the world of Western media for the summer.

Anyway, sorry for the rant (I don’t really know anyone I could rant to about it, and I have so many thoughts I need to get rid of some of them) and now I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing before this!

That makes total sense anon! Adaptations are always hard bc they can never match up to everyone’s expectations, but personally I think it helps to think of them as separately as you can. Adaptations will differ from their source material for countless reasons, good and bad, but at the end of the day they’re almost always made with love. Someone (a lot of someone’s actually: the director, screenwriter, cast, crew, etc) is sharing their vision of the story, and I think that’s just a really cool thing to share even if it’s not what you envisioned. I like adaptations (generally speaking) for the same reason I like fanfiction: it’s connecting with strangers over a story you both care about, exploring someone else’s interpretation of characters and themes, allowing a story to expand in your mind.

So anyway, point being: don’t worry! Whether or not the adaptation lives up to what you imagined while reading, the book is unchanged and your vision is still there. 💖

[archerygun]

Welcome to Hell (my most recent rewrite of the blue people Avatar movie).

DISCLAIMER. No hate to anyone that likes these movies, also, I haven’t seen the second movie. Maybe they get better. But this movie and its absolute lack of characters (except Trudy Chacon she is an icon and will not be forgotten) has haunted me for three years. This IS an exorcism. Double disclaimer, I have NOT bothered researching Avatar lore so bear that in mind. There’s only so long I can think about this movie without going insane.

So, the very, very first thing that got me about this movie is how quickly they move on from the whole “Your twin’s dead, we’re gonna put you into his body.” thing like what the actual fuck. Jake’s twin is called Tom (Tommy) Sully, he was a scientist working on the project and he was killed by a thief attempting to take his wallet, if you needed a refresher. I’ve been calling him Tim for the past three years so don’t worry about forgetting him.

My setup starts similarly to the movie: Tom’s dead, and his alien body has gone missing. It will take years to create a new body with the genetic traits of a completely new person, which will be incredibly expensive and time-consuming. However, there’s a loophole. He has a twin! Jake! The setup is basically the same, Jake is promised the healthcare to get his legs back in return for joining the program.

Sidenote: I’m imagining in this interpretation one of Jake’s deciding factors for joining the marines was to be able to pay for Tom to get further education, as well as to cover the costs of living for their family. Their father had serious medical issues from his time in the military and their mother died serving when the twins were fairly young. Jake was always the one taking care of everyone as well as the sportier one who never did super well in school and he knew Tom would never survive the military. He joined so Tom could get higher education and go into a science job instead, as well as to pay for his dad’s healthcare. I imagine soldiers in this universe are ready to kill from the time they are very young, because they’ve been raised in a society where the narrative and reality is always “There’s not enough for everyone.” (because of heavy corruption, this is not true, but yay wealth inequality). They know it’s kill or be killed. They are shown that the path to a safe decent life has to be carved out in blood.

Grace and Norman are initially more interested in forming diplomatic connections with the Na’vi so they can mine unobtanium - they are disliked by the army at large and at first by Jake because the soldiers view them as having cushy lives and never having to work (kill/die) for anything - because the alternative is the company invading and destroying everything. They think by getting the Na’vi to cooperate with the company, they can work things out (the higher-ups at the company privately agree that the Na’vi will have to be ‘relocated’, sure we can all guess what that means).

Jake slowly becomes friends with Grace and Norman. He doesn’t understand science and in fact he’s barely literate, but he really likes listening to them talk and hearing their enthusiasm. It reminds him of his twin. He explains what life is like for a soldier to them, how they know the army views them as cannon fodder but fight anyway because it’s the only way to make any upward progress in life. It helps them understand a little better why the soldiers dislike them so intensely.

Anyway, while Grace and Norman focus on their mission, Jake becomes a little obsessed with finding Tom’s avatar body so he can bury it; in this version Tom’s death was militarily classified and cannot be spoken about so Jake is desperate for some sort of connection with his dead twin.

So, you’re media literate, you’ve probably guessed where this is going. That’s right, Tom’s alive! But he’s stuck in avatar form because his human body is very much dead as fuck. And the company will super want him dead 2.0 if they find out because he has vital information that they don’t want the Na’vi getting their hands on.

Speaking of the Na’vi, they aren’t paying attention to the humans right now because they’re in the middle of a political crisis. Instead of being engaged, Tsu’tey and Neytiri are fighting for leadership of the Na’vi. Neytiri and her friends have taken in Tom after finding him alone and scared in the forest and Tsu’tey is using it to his political advantage to try and discredit her. (Which is kind of fair, they don’t have any way of knowing he’s not a spy).

(Also I am removing the whole ‘chosen one’ thing that was a little weird and awkward and made me feel a bit iffy. Maybe the ‘chosen one’ is Neytiri or something. Maybe there isn’t one. But I’m gonna make Jake EARN their respect and friendship the hard(er) way).

And here’s some central conflict for you. Tom is a scientist. He’s interested in making connection, trying to stop war from breaking out and preserving the safety of the Na’vi even if some of them super want him dead. Jake just wants his legs back and to make sure his brother’s alright. He doesn’t really give a shit if the Na’vi get genocide as long as Tom’s okay.

So you can have the good old

“Jake, there are more important things in life than your legs.”

“Maybe I’d still HAVE my fucking legs if you weren’t so pathetic!”

Cue sad music.

I want to explore Jake and Tom’s dynamic. Tom being more idealistic and wanting to help people because that was the example his brother unknowingly set for him growing up. Jake being more pessimistic and disaffected because he’s been trained for years to shoot and not think about the people on the other side of the gun. This man has for sure killed people, and the only way he could cope with his actions without breaking completely was to become a mindless killing machine essentially. So they’re gonna have to deprogram that out of him. Jake being selfishly motivated without realising he’d unintentionally brought about his brother’s selflessness. Tom dealing with the weight of Jake probably having some form of PTSD. Jake being overprotective and Ready To Fight at a moment’s notice for Tom.

Grace and Norman are also more likely to now fully side with the Na’vi against the company because Tom’s their close friend and his safety depends on it. Jake’s basically just some stranger to them. Also, I think it’d be really funny if Tom tries really hard to impress the Na’vi with his knowledge of their culture that he’s been studying for ages and it does not work in the slightest, but Jake’s already made like 5 friends by being a dumbass.

“I can recite your entire history :))))”

“?????”

Meanwhile:

“Bet I’m faster than you.”

“Bet you’re not.”

Jumps off of cliff.

Jake was definitely the sporty twin before his legs got deleted. If I included romance between Jake and Neytiri, I think powerful political leader and her sportsball 2 braincells trophy husband is an excellent dynamic.

“……….I’m fucking the future chief.”

“JAKE WE LEFT YOU ALONE FOR TWO MINUTES.”

And my ideal ending would be one in which Jake has to give up his avatar body to save the Na’vi and his other friends. Instead, they cut ties with the rest of humanity and integrate human innovation with Na’vi knowledge to create a successful human society in cohabitation with the Na’vi. Jake engineers a souped up wheelchair that lets him move around way easier and becomes the leader of the new settlement. Sure, it’s a horrible planet to set up a society on. But so is every other planet because human society in this universe is majorly fucked up. They have no money from the company or government or anything, they’re starting basically from scratch with what the mining company left behind. A lot of soldiers stay behind, too, because Jake doesn’t demand that they lay down their lives for him just to be able to feed themselves.

Jake and Neytiri can’t be a proper couple because he’s permanently human now, his avatar body is dead as fuck. (I think him and Tom could probably switch bodies if need be but they would absolutely prefer not to because they’re siblings and they find it gross and weird). But they see each other frequently as leaders of their respective settlements, they live apart but in harmony with each other. The Na’vi interact with the humans, but their different biology and stuff means while the two live close together in a joint society, they have to be somewhat separate from each other.

Because movie Jake doesn’t really go through a story arc. He gets everything he wanted at the start of the movie and all he had to do was fight people he already hated. Idk man. He didn’t really struggle for anything. He was such a non-character.

Anyway, that was long. I’ll definitely post more about this sort of rambly rewrite pitch because I have a lot of thoughts, but that’s it for now. If you have any feedback, anything to add, or any criticism, feel free to add it. This isn’t meant to be me saying you can’t enjoy Avatar or anything. I just personally have a hate obsession about it and cannot be normal. I won’t fault or judge you for liking it.

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/725114014141661184/the-gcf-was-not-for-jimins-birthday-dont-know?source=share

Bighit employees helping them when they arrived was a result of Bang PD and the members worrying about them travelling alone for the first time. The help only extended so far though, because it was still a personal trip, nothing company related. I don't know what were you trying to prove with that.

The "romantic" screenshots you replied with also prove... what? For me it shows that much JK enjoys Jimin's company to the point he finds those mundane, simple moments very meaningful to him. Like how he also mentioned that them walking in the street under the light from the post lamp was pretty and he remembers it because Jimin said his feet hurt lol. It's very domestic in my opinion. He has a habit of doing that when it comes to Jimin—remembering ‘boring’ details I mean. Another semi-recent example is when he posted the mirror selfie with Taehyung on Instagram from the Atomix restaurant the members went to, and Hobi asked him when did they take this picture, JK replied with “When Jimin hyung was like ‘sorry?’ Haha I think that was the day we took the picture” It's endearing to me how he mentally checks days based on what Jimin did/said then. Those little moments of Jimin doing the most mundane things mean a lot to JK that he just can't help but mention them as if they're such a big revelation or use them to pinpoint specific time frames.

About him paying for everything in Tokyo, the way I understood how they spoke about JK suddenly wanting to go shopping but later complained about how he had no money, and how Jimin laughed at him, is that he spent a lot of money on the stuff they bought. There are pictures that prove he had enough money to buy clothes and even jewelry but if you haven't seen those you might understand his comment about having no money as him not buying anything and that's... fair I guess. But he did have money and they did go shopping and did buy a lot of stuff. So I understood his complaint about having no money (and Jimin laughing at it) as him spending all of his money on whatever they bought.

And about the birthday gifts, if you would rather conclude that he's just a bad gifter despite him breaking that habit only to buy Jimin a gift, then I can't help you further, sorry.

Hi again!

Well, I don’t actually need or want any help further anon. You are the one coming to my blog (an obvious Taekook blog) talking about how Jk so clearly missed Jimin he went on social media because of it… rather than actually going to spend time with him. Ofcourse I’m not going to agree with you, I don’t see what you see.

I’m totally convinced of Jimin and Jk having a strong bond, but it’s a platonic one. I think Jk doesn’t care much about birthdays in general, which I’m sure will be an unpopular take, but he did a birthday live in his pajamas, he never buys any gifts, they’re always on the road.. it’s just how I see things yeah. You act as if thinking someone is a bad present gifter is an insult, it’s not.. it’s a realistic view which is supported by evidence.

Jk says he didn’t have money on him. It’s your interpretation of that moment, not mine. I think Jimin’s reaction at him saying that shows that he found that hilarious. Maybe Jimin lent him the money for the stuff they bought, that’s what friends do. Jk’s comment about Jimin staying up till 5 on his phone was a soft complaint, because they had plans and Jimin didn’t wake up in time for them.

You are romanticizing moments anon and you call them domestic. But having a good memory has nothing to do with being domestic. I think you’ll find Jk remembers moments from other members just as well if you take time to look beyond Jkk narratives. Will you find those instances endearing too?

You have a shippers view of things anon, and it shows in your use of wording and in the ‘evidence’ you bring.

[hazbincalifornia]

(I’m pretty sure the way I type is recognizable but I need to like pretend at anonymity bc I feel. Remarkably silly about this)

I wanted to like idk rant to someone in the HB fandom who isn’t balls deep in the “anti proship” sphere bc like, I’ve been struggling w guilt over enjoying a certain ship that everyone hates and considers problematic (I think Loona and Octavia is rlly cute!) and I’d like to make content for it but I also rlly fear being seen as like a pedophile. Do u ever worry abt that kind of thing? And is there anyway ur able to get over it if u do? I don’t like getting into anti/anti anti discourse bc I feel like it’s a very reductive way to view and interpret media but I still have a crazy amount of worry/guilt

First off, it is still ridiculous to me that this is even a problem in this fandom. This is an adult show about characters in Hell, and the main characters are, respectively, assassins and the eclectic cast of the Hotel which includes a cannibal serial killer. (I am eternally both amused and completely baffled that like half the awful puritanical takes I see are from Val icons. Buddy. Pal. The fucked up fiction is coming from inside the house.) I saw waaaaay more fucked up shit on Zim nsfw twitter than I see on Hellaverse twitter and that show was Y7. Up your game, guys.

Personally, I don't really see Loona and Via as siblings/sisters as much as I think a lot of others do, more just friends (and honestly I think canon moved much too quickly to give them such a heartfelt scene together, they hadn't even met officially before that point?) so it's really only the age thing and even then, the plot of HB has seemed to imply that a fair amount of time has passed since the series started, probably around a year- so Via would be 18 or older by the time anything actually started anyway, especially if they became friends first. Setting aside the 'justification' though... they're not real. They're cute together, I agree, and I think you should be perfectly fine enjoying them just in the lens of 'they're similar, I like how they'd interact, and I think they're cute together'!

I was pretty much forged in my opinions about this from Invader Zim stuff, where people insisted that liking two characters that I'd liked together since I was thirteen made you a pedophile. Obviously, I could tell that wasn't true, because it had never been the case in all those years up to people starting to be bitchy about it in 2019. (Before that, it was that it was bad because it was enemies to lovers and, more importantly, gay. Great hater throne to inherit, guys!)

Unfortunately... as stupid as it is, this fandom is way more puritanical than it should be, so it wouldn't be wrong to engage through anonymity to protect yourself. Find the people in the tag who are using 'proship/proship interact' or something along those lines (I've seen a few, although some tend to lean more on hard/dead dove content), post on ao3 into the anonymous collection which removes your name, make a tumblr sideblog that doesn't connect to your main, find fellow shippers and interact with them specifically. Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe from people who can't understand that thinking something is cute or interesting to explore in fiction is automatically bad just because they don't like it. The more stuff that's put out there about the ship, the more likely you are to find kindred spirits, that's honestly part of how I gathered my mpreg weirdos to me in both this fandom and the last.

I'm pretty sure that the callout I got for Sunny was why several mutuals who were a friend group unfollowed (and likely muted) me on twitter. Unfortunately, it left me worrying that the other shoe was going to drop any day for about a week because it got just enough notes to make me worry but not enough to get to anyone with any real reach to spread and get it 'over with'.

At this point, I've sort of reached a state of 'fuck it', because if it happens, it happens. I know that I'm fine, and the people I genuinely care about know that too. I know that what I'm making is entirely separate from my morals as a person, if not from how dumb the IZ stuff was than from the fact that I was an English major. Literature is full of stuff that authors don't make as a 1:1 with their real-life morals! And the one you're thinking about isn't 'bad' comparatively at all.

I think the fandom is starting to see that being a dick about fictional content is bad through the backlash to Poison and 'hey, maybe telling somebody that they need to detail their trauma to the public to make fiction is bad?', but it seems to mostly be centered on dub/noncon, so I wouldn't necessarily hold my breath.

At the end of the day though, remember this: You, as a person, are completely fine, no matter what others might think. Octavia and Loona would probably be seen as a totally normal ship like ten years ago (except for people who'd be dicks about them being gay) and there is no judgement to be made on your character in any reasonable way for thinking they're a good ship. You're not a pedophile for thinking a fictional owl and hellhound look cute together, any more than I was for smacking together two Nicktoon characters, and frankly the IZ argument held slightly more water than 'the almost-18-year-old and the 22-year-old' because Zim's age was so ambigious. Try explaining this 'people think the young adult animals holding hands are bad' to any adult who isn't sucked into fandom discourse and they'd probably be baffled that it's a problem.

I know that the guilty feelings aren't always rational and it took a bit of time for me to unwind how I felt about creating certain stuff too, but try to remember that above all else- exploring things in fiction has been a thing people have done for a very, very long time. What matters is your actions towards other real people, not what you do with fictional dolls.

If nothing else, if you want you can always send me a dm and chat that way, I'd be happy to talk.

[lisamona1503]

Hello everyone! This is Lisa Mona, the fairy girl stuck in a castle. Currently with too much time on her hands to not talk about topics. I’ll tell you my backstory, background, where I lean in human activities and what you will expect to find on this blog!

BACKSTORY

I don’t come from much, just a mother whole is a fairy and a father who is harpy, the two married and had me and my twin brother (you might see him say things time to time) the love was not meant to be however and so my fairy mother had her babies in a nunnery. Which is kinda of ironic, there I was raised up to be a nun, though I wasn’t exactly the best. I knew god loved me all the same- there I had done quite an innocent trick however- it wasn’t anything much it was just using the funds of the church to look at more of human experience. Yet when I got caught my whole family was caught with me, as a punishment since me and my family were immortal we were stuck in a castle for 1000 years. Until then we had to entertain ourselves, books, then the radio and then the TV! Oh how wonderful it was, but recently I was not feeling the same for the current state of media. So I’ll help the humans of this lifetime to not waste they’re lives on bad movies, books, or any media that can be consumed- and use it on stories that are worth it!

I’ll also recommend media reports on if a piece of media is good for children or not so much, what is the proper age range for such content, though of course age is one factor, types of families will like the movie or not.

My last will also be Analysis of media I love! With a rating on if you should expect from the series and also me talking about aspects of the media in new light so that fans who already read it can interpret it better!

BACKGROUND

Now with that out of the way, I should warn potential readers of my biases. One cannot be honest without mentioning one’s flaws, so to be transparent with things I’ll say this. If we were on American politics I’d be much more what humans call “conservative” or right-leaning but I don’t always agree with everything they say and sometimes do go with a libertarian approach. So if you see me much more critical of radical left leaning things, it is because of that. It also comes with the biases of being a nun as a Christian Baptist background, they’ll also be biases there. Lastly I might use the term SJW time to time, and most people think this means people who are on the left or democrat in general. While that might be for some people, that isn’t exactly me, I mostly use this to refer to Radical Leftists people and not the whole thing in general. If you do not exactly align or would not like to hear such biases on reviews, you can look for another blog. As always we can disagree or agree on things. Don’t worry I have other nicknames for the opposite spectrum i call people more on my side as NUNS as usual this doesn’t mean I think everyone on the right is a nun, just people who are more extreme in opinion. Though I’ll try to always see on both sides as in my old days I was kinda of a SJW for a while and a NUN, but now I mellowed out.

WHAT THE EXPECT

Reviews and thoughts of stories of old times and new, and also original art! I forgot to say that I make characters and comics so I’ll make fanart for the reviews I make alongside with my ramblings!

Now with that out of the way! I can’t wait to show you different series I have in mind to cover see you soon!

[secretly-sapphic-confessions]

Hello Aunt Sappho! I have 3 questions that I'm hoping you can answer... 1:How do I hint out to someone Im a lesbian/love women/want to be stepped on by a women? 2:How do I ask, but then at the same time not ask is someone is a lesbian (or is also attracted to women)? (Like I dont want to directly ask someone if they like women, I want to hint out that im tryna ask if they like women) 3: Are there some sort of...idk like some sort of signs that someones tryna hint out that they like women??? I go to a religious school (they dont except people of the lgbtqia+) and I want to try and figure out if there are girls who are also like me, a person who is very closeted yet very gay and in love. Thank you!

Hello there my esteemed Anon!

OOoOooh questions, I love questions, I’ll do my best!

Thankfully, I’m very lucky and live in an area that isn’t particularly religious where my peers are very accepting, so I’m not very experienced with being discreetly gay, but I’ll try my best to put myself in your shoes and hopefully I can help!

1: This is always a hard one as some people are more oblivious than others (me) and some are just begging for that hint (also me). If you want to hint and not make it directly obvious, wearing subtle pride colours or rainbow accessories is always a confidence boost and a great push for those that are looking! For example, back when I was a baby gay, I would wear a rainbow loom band bracelet ✌︎('ω')✌︎. That allows people that are looking for hints to catch on, and if anyone you don’t want to know about your sexuality asks questions, you can say it’s just because you like rainbows or colourful things! If you’d like to try something else, talking about LGBT+ celebrities or media can hint things to the right people too! I don’t know if you know about or watch The Owl House but if you’ve seen that I’m sorry but there’s no way in hell you’re straight. Sorry I don’t make the rules. The LGBT+ always flock to the same media and interests usually! You could even say that *insert gay celeb crush here* is hot, but whether that’s because you’re gay or because you want to be them is up for your interpretation (^_-) ! It’s all about getting creative!

2: For matters like this, it’s paramount to remember to remain respectful and mindful that other people may not wish to comment on their sexuality if you suspect they’re a little fruity too, especially if you’re in an unaccepting place. I would be careful as you don’t want to accidentally force coming out onto someone, even if you have good intentions with this information. However, I can think of a few easy none intrusive methods! Similar to the answer to your first question, If you’re comfortable with it, you could strike up conversation on the topic of characters or people etc you find attractive (of the same gender obviously haha) and ask their opinion! This gives them the opportunity to agree or disagree if they so wish to comment. Also, asking what they think about lesbians or just the LGBT+ in general can give a few hints. I would say on the whole though, if you want to know if someone is gay or not, in my opinion the best way is for it to come from you first! Create a safe friendship and space for them, it’ll be easier if they know that you bend that way first, but don’t endanger yourself! If you give hints first, they’re likely to follow suit if they’re ready.

3: I wouldn’t say that there are any set signs or explicit ways of hinting that you’re gay other than the obvious, so all I can say is stay intuitive and trust your gut! Please be safe though, I’m always so worried about my wlw friends In not so accepting places _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Man, being gay is hard sometimes. I hope you can locate the rest of the pack!! <3

In my hilarious experience though, everyone LGBT+ seem to have a weird magnetism to each other, so the other wlws are most likely close by!

My best wishes for you going forward! I hope you have a great day/night 🌈

~ Sappho

[tailoredshirt]

I wouldn’t feel bad about posts not getting interaction. We are far into a hiatus and interaction is down. It’s like that for everyone. I’m not trying to sound condescending, but not everyone has to like every post you make and there’s nothing wrong with that on your part or their’s. Not everyone is going to agree or want to share it. That’s a part of social media. If you want interaction, I would suggest directly messaging people, replying to others posts, sending asks. These are ways that are more likely to cause interaction than a post that gets easily lost on the dash would. I follow hundreds of people. I don’t see everything that is shared. It’s not fair to fault people for this. I hope you feel better and know that most people are not intentionally ignoring you. If a break is what you need, I hope it makes you feel better. But know there are plenty of people here who enjoy your blog.

I’m struggling with how to reply to this because I think you’re trying to be logical and genuinely helpful, but I’m not sure how well you know me, especially if you’re telling me to DM people or send asks, which I do. Everything you’re saying is true, and so rational that it feels embarrassing to have someone anonymously message it to me. (I’m sure many people see me get upset and think these very things.) But of course I know all of these things. I wish knowing those things made it hurt less. When I freak out and have a breakdown on the dash, it’s usually because my feelings were triggered by a series of small things and they got too big for me to handle.

1) The way social media, and particularly tumblr, are structured - exactly the way you said - have a way of triggering every single insecurity I have! I’m trying to work on it but this is where my community is, so it’s hard to leave. I may need to do that anyway. My problem to deal with, no one else’s.

2) I also think it’s true that fandoms, like any group of people, have their specific issues. With the size and dynamics of our fandom, it often feels like only a handful of people’s opinions matter and that they shape the way the entire fandom interprets the source material. It feels very frustrating and isolating to express a different opinion or try to have a conversation about it, and not get much engagement. It’s why I don’t meta very often. I prefer to keep loose headcanons because I love exploring possibilities, vs the fandom deciding that there is only One Option and not considering other perspectives. So it’s not just one stupid ass post. It feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back.

3) Last thing, that’s difficult to talk about! I often worry that people are talking about me behind my back, and that people have heard about a negative fandom interaction I had a while back. I feel helpless because I worry that it affects how people see me if they get one side of the story and I can’t tell mine. So I often worry that this fandom is not a place where I can make friends at all anymore. I have no idea if that is the case or if I’m imagining it, if people who seem distant from me don’t like me or are just busy vibing with other people, which is fair.

Honestly, I am just a very messy, needy, mentally ill person who doesn’t have much going on outside of work and fandom. I’m trying to fix that and I’m trying to figure out how to do fandom on tumblr in a way that doesn’t fuck up my mental health, which is already hanging on by a fucking thread!

[jaijeijayjei]

EDIT: I’ve since learned the original reblog was being ironic 😭 Sorry about that. I’ll leave this up though cause some people genuinely agree with those arguments.

I’m all for enjoying media how you like, but don’t try to rewrite canon.

“Mel was just a placeholder, she used him, it was superficial”

The writers have made it clear that Mel is a complex person and SUBVERTS the “conniving corrupt politician” trope.

Even if the writers did say all of that- didn’t half the fandom agree “writers don’t get to tell me how to interpret their show”?

“Jayce didn’t and never felt the same”

- He confides in her, opening up about his insecurities and worries

- “Nothing feels impossible when I’m with you”

- He explicitly reassured her that her opinion is still valuable to him before resigning from the council

- He held her during the explosion, held her cheek and made sure she was ok, then comforted her in the aftermath.

- He’s laid his head in Mel’s lap while kissing her hand or caressing her leg.

Jayce is emotionally intimate and physically affectionate with Mel. Do you really think he was faking the whole time?

“Thanks for your time money and resources” “…doesn’t mean I am going to like love or respect you”

Do you really think someone as caring as Jayce is selfishly using Mel for his own benefit, pretending to care about her when he doesn’t?

“So which one is it?”

Why not both? Do you think people can only love ONE PERSON at a time and have no room in their heart for anyone else? Jayce cares about Viktor AND Mel.

Some say “Mel was a mirror for Viktor!” - Leblanc is explaining Mel’s magical abilities. She is a very different person than Viktor, with a unique relationship to Jayce. And why would he need to use Mel as his replacement when Viktor is right there. They’ve been close friends for YEARS. Nothing is stopping him from pursing Viktor if he wanted to. It’s almost like… he’s with Mel because he loves her for her???

Even if you don’t ship them, Jayce and Mel canonically loved each other.

The way he manages to be desperately sad and a little horny at the same time. Jayce Talis, you astound me...