#every so often when I am in a fandom I will create a Woman and give her great power and responsibility

[palin-tropos]

we cannot all die, for we are innumerable — we are humankind! therefore, we will win

Narmandakh aka "Manya", call sign "Albatross"

(or, POV you are a lorry driver and you are being expropriated in the middle of the pale by a gang of anarchocommunist pirates and their leader is inviting you to join their world historic negentropic mission)

art by @excalibutt (thank you <3 <3 <3)

[zan0tix]

May I just say I really really appreciate your approach to and respect for the transfemininity embedded in Homestuck. Like the fact that you depict Jake as a kind of "genderfuck" (for lack of a better word) character without trying to divorce that from transfemininity as so many others do, as well as being able to depict Roxy with certain clocky characteristics without disregarding her femininity or making it feel fetish-y, is all really admirable in my eyes. It gets extremely frustrating seeing large swathes of the fandom constantly trying to separate the story of Homestuck from transfemininity despite it having a transfem enby author, so I really appreciate that you don't shy away from it in your art :)

I am so glad!!!!! Its something ive Always noticed in like every fandom since i first got onto the internet the disparity between the amount of transfems i knew vs how often their story got to be uplifted in fandom spaces or get to be celebrated how transmascs did considering how queer dominated they are but then i grew up and realised how badly male centric queer spaces are too😭

Homestuck is one of the spaces that has a big amount of transfems openly engaging in fandom activities and that makes me really happy to see! since i often see gross rhetoric from transmascs or cis women about fandom spaces abt “who is allowed” and “fandom being a safe space” cough blatant transmisogyny (sobs everywhere its so bad)

I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW PPL BRUSH PAST HUSSIE BEING TRANS SO OFTEN ISNT THAT INSANE. To me it reframes homestuck how the creators of the matrix being trans does. Like I dunno maybe that informed the works presentation of gender somehow. Maybe all the commentary and critique and displays of frustration at the contradictory nature of gender but especially trying to fit “being a man” in society came from somewhere when they were writing it 🤔🤔🤔 hussie said it herself that alot of homestuck was just stream of consciousness. Everything that comes out of daves mouth near the end seemed very plausible to be a reflection of hussies own journey realising that Actually these boundaries of what defines A Good Man and A Good Woman are ridiculous and no person can possibly live up to that no matter what were told from birth.

But i try my best to reflect the innate transfemininity of homestuck and the majority of its cast, its something integral to the works themes and just the community who built it! It saddens me how skittish other transmascs are about engaging with or portraying the transfeminine stories when its just. Practically textual. And all you need to do is Listen and empathise. I love learning how other feminine people see themselves in this story like how often do you get such a menagerie of in depth fem characters. And i love seeing what the experiences transfems see echoed in homestuck are because its all such insightful stuff About femininity and its beauty and its ills all at once. Roxy..kanaya.. wipes tear from my eye.

I want to actively include and celebrate transfem features and bodies as much as transmasc ones get to be around here and i am glad my jake and roxy do feel that way 🥹🥹 my aim with my designs is to make them feel like some everyday people youd see, no fetishisation/sexualisation or demonisation, just Existing and appreciating. Because i know how much it can mean to see yourself in something and for that to be treated with care and kindness. Its why i create in the first place! Because of how others creations gave me that comfort when i couldnt find it elsewhere

I feel similarly about how people portray fat women or just like. Women in general. its sad how badly the whole sexualisation = acceptance warps how people portray things fatness or transfem features. Never ever saying these things arent hot or sexy or to be appreciated. Duh. I think how i portray jake says enough abt what i think of that LOL just that It feels like its the only way people try and show theyre accepting? Which just feels so gross and dehumanising the only way they think to display they feel empathy is through saying “Yeah i can get off to people like you”😭

Rlly bad in society in general so also in the homestuck space. Worlds hardest challenge is liking the alpha kids. Im so sorry for what they do to you jane and roxy🥲🥲🥲 Its baffling because Homestuck is Prime Example Numero Uno of how to humanise characters. Just display them being people; their thoughts, their feelings, their insecurities, their passions, their woes, their loves, their losses. So much can be communicated through how a character speaks with their friends.

I wana do that for jake and roxy! They get to be dimensional too! I like showing their laughs and their sorrows, just them Existing with the people around them. They get to be a part of the lighthearted comedy just as the rest of them do. They get to be a part of all the gender and sexuality insanity going on in their friend group, can point out their flaws and mistakes and insecurities. I dunno its rlly not that hard to just empathise with them and want to tell their stories.

I am so invested in the raw unabashed Humanity of homestuck. Its just one person pouring their brain contents into this huge thing and it displays the best and the worst and the absurdity and the questions. Its so interesting and hussies transness IS JUST BAKED INTO IT. Thus the characters contain that too and it kinda stinks of transmisogyny to throw that out!

YAPPING TOO MUCH OMG but i rlly appreciate this ask🫶🫶🫶makes me so happy to hear

[dtmsrpfcringe]

the definitive dictionary and almanac of Tinhattery

hi, this will be a list of the main misogynistic accounts, definitions people have questions about, accounts you should follow and abbreviations— let’s gooo!! If you’re tagged in this I probably put you on the accounts to follow section. Adding a cut here because it’s long and gonna get longer

definitions!!!!

LCB- Used to stand for letscoffeebreak, she has since changed her username to dejadestalkearmeloser.

NGO- Nightgoodomens

Ingrav, Amy- Ingravinoveritas.

tardisrose- thetardisisblueandroseistoo

Tinhatters- A group of (mostly) tumblr users who think everything in these two relationships are fake and the women are abusive and the men want to run away.

Queeranoners- same as above, my favourite way to refer to them, coined by the amazing @theeminentlyimpractical

sheenbergs- Mix for Michael and Anna’s name

sheenbergnant- the amalgamation of the four bad bitches we love

sheenant- ship name for David and Michael. (Remember kids: shipping is cool but it’s fictional!!)

DT- David Tennant (Georgias husband)

MS- Michael Sheen (Anna’s boyfriend)

GT- Georgia Tennant

AL- Anna Lundberg

PR- public relations

GM- a…delegitimising way of referring to Georgia by refusing to use her last name. Instead use her maiden name. Note how they don’t refer to David as David McDonald

APAT- usually used by tinhatters (stands for Anna Plain And Tall) to refer to Anna Lundberg

PR (Tinhatter definition) - an omnipresent being forcing two rich white men who constantly champion human rights and lgbtq acceptance into a hetero relationship because they just are so oppressed and abused and not because they love their partners!

PR (actual definition) -the professional activities of an agency hired by a person, company, or other entity to shape, create, and manipulate that person/company’s public image. A public relations firm is often useful in helping a company manage its media reputation when a crisis happens, in order to attempt to minimize false information or slanderous statements which could damage reputations.

Shipping- Shipping (derived from the word relationship) is the desire by followers of a fandom for two or more people, either real-life people or fictional characters (in film, literature, television series, etc.), to be in a romanticrelationship. Shipping often takes the form of unofficial creative works, including fanfictionand fan art.

Shipping (Tinhat definition) - NO THEY HATE THEIR PARTNERS AND WANT TO FUCK EACH OTHER LOOK HE BLINKED IN HIS VICINITY THEIR PARTNERS ARE ABUSIVE I SWEAR

GREATEST HITS (posts that killed Tinhatters, feel free to submit your favourites in my inbox)

The breakdown of an anon

tassel jokes

backstreet cringe

Ingravinoveritas admitting it

Laurens amazing fuck off post that snowballed into half the fandom straight up saying fuck you to these people

HALL OF SHAME (Worst of tinhatters, again feel free to submit more)

• Taraiha’s rivals meltdown

NGO hates this fandom for…calling her out

it’s not a choice to be weird and creepy about people’s lives! (Again shipping is fine. This shit is not!!!)

it’s okay if you attack women just don’t criticise Michael Sheen (no idea what she was talking about with David) this same lady had another absolutely dog shit post I guess she removed?!

How dare women…have fun at their birthday parties?? (Part 1)

for a group constantly sexualizing David and Michaels every movement we can’t stand when a woman shows a little chest and has fun

Accounts you should follow!!!!:

@goodomenswarning - same purpose as this account, hilarious, an amazing friend

@badaziraphaletakes - calls out shitty takes in good omens as well, so much more level headed about toxicity than I am but I love talking shit with them. @thegeorgiatennantblog - best Georgia content

@fightingalgth8rs -bad bitches calling out extreme sexism

@phoen1xr0se - one of the best and I devour everything she posts

@davidtennantgenderenvy stands up for what’s right in the fandom, one of my idols and stuck up for me during a vulnerable time.

lmk more I need to add because I’m definitely missing some

THE REPEAT OFFENDERS (booo 🍅🍅):

Ingravinoveritas- one of the bigger ones, refuses to believe Georgia does anything nice for David, or that any of them actually like their partners. Can’t stop fetishizing gay male relationships to save her life. If David blinks he apparently wants to be bent over. Likes to pretend she’s not as bad as the others but has some of the wildest takes and said she felt threatened and scared for her life at someone making a Shakespearean reference. Professional victim

Nightgoodomens- a particularly nasty motherfucker. So toxic she’s quarantined. Misogynistic, ableist, um…yeah not much to say there except for the fact that apparently anything that David does that involves his wife means he’s forced into it. Would rather see them as abused puppies than accept they love their partners. Heavy on the homophobia and bi erasure since yes, fetishization isn’t allyship, it is homophobia. Everything is PR. She doesn’t know what PR means nor that David and Michael are not nearly important enough to have a 24/7 team controlling all social media and personal aspects of their lives. Neil gaiman apologist who blamed his sexual assault revelations on David’s support of trans people. Denies women flirting with each other and boils it to PR friendships??!?

Dejadestalkearmeloser- pretty much the same as nightgoodimens, flips shit when you call her out on it, I mean look at her pinned post about me and you’ll see. Also apparently I’m every account that doesn’t like her. Seems to have a problem with lesbians not liking her (wonder why lesbians don’t like the misogynistic people who only talk about the lgbtq community when it comes to fetishising mlm relationships)

Thetardisisbluesndroseistoo- flips shit at Georgia getting credit for anything, lost her shit on someone saying that Georgia has educated David on lgbtq allyship (he quite literally said himself that she does) later deleted posts when I called her out. Can’t stop laughing at that

invisibleicewands- really, really creepy about Anna, delving into her past and family to try and find…something. Body shaming. Mom shaming. The usual misogyny.

dtmsrpf- I guess a spoof on my name, belongs to one of the others on this list. The usual misogyny with a particular axe to grind against their looks and other things. Definitely a little salty.

georgiatennantunofficial (instagram)- extremely fucking gross. Body shaming and misogyny. Usual. You guys see a pattern yet?

[archivalofsins]

I'm glad I don't look in the tag like the shit that passes my dash is like stuff I know, and then Mikoto being hypersexualized on a bimonthly basis with the implied impression that it's fine as long as it's a male being sexualized. I have no stake in it one way or the other. If that's fun to some, it's just fun, and I'm certain other characters are sexualized just as much in different circles. Maybe I'm just lucky enough not to have seen that.

Yet that again would be due to people recognizing subconsciously or not that hypersexualizing certain characters of the cast is problematic on some level. I don't see this sort of discussion as often around Yuno despite the content within her music videos. I don't see it around Mahiru or Kotoko as much either. This is excluding every other character that was a child when Milgram started all together.

This may sound like a complaint or a dig at this fandoms ethics, but it isn't because literally most fandoms treat male characters like this. This isn't something the Milgram fanbase created or anything it's quite common.

It's why Persona 5 wrote those story beats around Ryuji how they did- Because when sexual harrassment happens to a man in fiction it's comedy when it happens to a woman in fiction it's either horror or very notably a moral failing on the one doing it. Or maybe again I've just gotten lucky and haven't read a lot of egregious shit in that regard.

The way all fandom tends to hypersexualize men in general is a byproduct of how the sexual issues of men are discussed in media and ignorance. The same as it is when it comes to hypersexualization and caricaturing of female characters past and present as well. I don't want this to come off as me saying being overly sexualized is a male issue alone. Because it's not. This is a very reductionist explanation of sexualization in media, something that affects all genders differently.

There's much more to it than what I'm saying here. Plus, not everyone does this with the intent of demeaning a character or reducing them to their sexual appeal alone. Some people just find a design sexy or aesthetically appealing that's pretty reasonable. Displaying why that is- is reasonable as well.

However, when that is put alongside comments like "I'd never judge a female character like this, of course, I have some class." It starts to make me raise an eyebrow just a bit. Like, I end up wondering like um why not though?

Hate to be openly pansexual (no i don't this is hyperbole) but um, women are hot, lol. What does no one else think so? Is it bad to point out the features of the Milgram women too. I'm sorry but Mahiru is hot she dresses well and homely she has a decent figure and she is not lacking in the chest department.

It really comes down to preference at the end of the day. Am i going to sit here and say Mikoto looks average? No, like Mikoto, Kazui, Mahiru, and Shidou are all genuinely attractive and can be somewhat charismatic people. Ya know something that a good few murderers are. That's kind of the point of them being the adults of the group.

They are the end result of everyone here younger than them and are more than likely the best at what they do.

Outside of that, it would be weird of me to hold anybody to a certain standard when it comes to what they're attracted to in fiction. Unless they are romanticizing a criminal act or a child. Gotta make that really clear. Since that isn't really occurring here, it is kind of free game. Go nuts, really.

I just find it interesting that everything a person would ethically have an issue with someone doing to a character that's a woman has been done to Mikoto with reckless abandon.

From hyperfocusing on the measurements of his body, overtly sexualizing him regardless of how covered up he is, making assumptions about his romantic or sexual preferences. It's like everything that would make anyone rightfully a creep if they did it to a woman whether that be in real life or in fiction has been done to this one fictional dude to the point it technically happens in cycles. I can tell when a month has ended based on if this man's body is being talked about sometimes, and I shouldn't be able to do that at any time.

It's impressive. I need to note again that I'm not saying this because I'm a prude or to protect Mikoto's very nonexistent innocence. It's just a funny and interesting double standard to look into within any fandom, not just this one. I know it's all in good fun, and this isn't meant to call it out or anybody in any way.

It's just meant to be me going,

"Hey, this is a funny thing that hasn't really been questioned that much that actually ties into other writing tropes in media that are pretty bad. Let's talk about it."

Even if it is not that deep.

Personally, I've always found it interesting as daughter of a guy that suffered interpersonal partner violence and being raised in a community where the sexual assault of both men and women is prominently discussed to see how men and women are sexualized not only in media but by fanbases. Of course, I'm way more interested in this when it comes to black people. However, when a good example of the differences is sitting right in front of me, it's hard to overlook it.

Better excuse, though- Mahiru is hot, too! Maybe stop talking about how she's delusional and instead discuss how she had low confidence and rejection sensitivity. Causing her to not understand what she was doing was too much for the situation as well as made it difficult for her to let the fact that she was not accepted by someone she liked go. Similarly to Mu.

Like maybe this line from This Is How To Be In Love With You deserves a bit more focus,

"What do you think? I know it's not the type of question you want to be asked."

A common question for one to ask their partner about the outfits they put on.

Or this one in I Love You,

"Sigh... No appetite, I can’t sleep, my hair’s a mess. What am I supposed to do now? If you won’t tell me, I can’t be me."

I'm not hungry, I can't sleep, and worst of all- I'm not even looking good right now. Yeah fuck it actually this is a Mahiru appreciation post now that woman served this community several different outfits and this bastard only gave two fuck Mikoto stop complimenting this man for his cycling body.

Yeah, he's fit. We know! The man bikes to work to stay in shape and practices swinging a bat when angry.

But guess what-

Mahiru jogs, and she even has a cute jogging outfit. We've never even seen this man on a bike. Let alone in a cycling outfit.

Q.04 Are you picky when it comes to fashion?

Mikoto: Of course I am. Nobody would want to ask for anything from an unfashionable designer, right?

Oh, you're picky huh. People wouldn't ask for anything from an unfashionable designer, yeah... So, why does Mahiru Shiina's first music video look like a fashion catalogue-

While all we see from you is you putting your clothes where they belong,

Sorry, I got heated there. It's not a fashion competition because we clearly know who would win that. Long story short, Mahiru has a cute design too.

[suncchaser]

Misogyny in the Marauders Fandom

DISCLAIMER: This is not a personal attack. I have spoken on this topic a couple of times already on this blog and I simply decided to make a separate post to compile all my thoughts on this because this is a topic that is important TO ME. If you find it annoying, or ranty or unnecessary, you are entitled to your opinion. Also, I am not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for any possible mistakes. 

Since I created this blog, I have been open about my opinion that the Marauders fandom (and the Harry Potter fandom in general), like many others (I would dare say most others) is incredibly misogynistic. This is an opinion I have held for many, many years and one that I have seen a lot of people share, but usually with a lot of backlash from the people who tend to disagree. And that backlash tends to come with a certain degree of cynicism that bothers me quite a bit. 

Every single time I have seen discussions on this topic, the concept of misogyny being used is always incredibly simplistic. Misogyny isn’t the mere concept of hating women. It goes deeper than that. Every single one of us, regardless of gender identity and sexuality (because some people on this app think being attracted to women absolves them from misogyny), have ingrained prejudices against women simply because of the society we operate in. We are taught these things from a very young age and it’s hard to unlearn them. I am writing this as a 25 year old woman who needs to check herself quite often because I am not perfect and like everyone else, I have these prejudices too. And these biases will manifest on every aspect of our lives and interactions, including on how we engage with fandom because our actions do NOT exist in a vacuum. It’s all a manifestation of who we are as people.

Does this mean every single Marauders fan who chooses to engage with primarily male-centered and mlm content is a horrible person? Of course not. The main point I have been trying to make is more often than not, these biases are not at all conscious. There is no ill-intent behind their actions. That’s why I keep saying it has never been a personal attack on anyone. It has always been a broader discussion on a broader issue. 

One of the most common rebuttals I have seen when this topic is brought up is the idea that the fandom is so male-centered because most of the characters we have any canon development on are men and therefore we should blame J.K Rowling for not writing women better. We can blame J-K Rowling for many things because there are indeed many problematic things in the Harry Potter books, including misogyny in her treatment of female characters. However, that argument does not apply here for more than one reason. 

The first reason and the most blatant is how proudly this side of the fandom has distanced themselves from canon. So, you cannot in one moment say “we don’t care that (insert male character the fandom has decided to assign a sob story) was a bad person in the books because we don’t care about canon” while at the same time, blaming canon for the reason why the female characters do not get a fraction of the attention male characters get. You either care for canon or you don’t. 

The second reason and I have mentioned that several times before is the characters the fandom chooses to develop from the crumbs we get in the books. Regulus, Barty and Evan have been the three male characters who have had a massive surge in popularity since around four/five years ago and at the moment, I would dare say they are the three most popular characters outside of James, Sirius and Remus, who are basically the main characters of this era. While Barty was an important character in the Goblet of Fire, Regulus and Evan are no more than mentions and were not important at all to the story (do not lecture me about Regulus, he has a cool and interesting backstory but it has no impact on the story apart from giving Kreacher substance and make things harder for the trio) and yet, they are incredibly loved. Who they were in canon - blood supremacist terrorists - has been watered down, pushed aside and they have been given characterisations that victimize them and make them more sympathetic towards the audience. Yet, female characters like Marlene and Dorcas, who we know were members of the Order of the Phoenix and actively fighting against Voldemort, are nowhere near as developed as them, even though they have such wonderful potential and are as blank of sheets as the boys are. Same with Pandora, who is the mother of a beloved character in the main series. The fandom had five characters here to flesh out and develop, yet only the male characters were given that treatment. It was a choice. 

One other thing that has bothered me for a long time is how often, the female characters are treated as accessories to further the men’s storylines. They serve as therapists, token friends, a little object to create drama between the mlm ships. Take Pandora and Dorcas as an example. I am not going to lie, I avoid anything related to the Slytherin Skittles and despite my greatest efforts and the fact everything I have learned about them has been against my will, I know and understand the backstories that were created for Regulus, Evan and Barty. I know what their fanon motivations were. I know nothing about Dorcas and Pandora despite the fact I have tried my hardest to look into it because I actually have interest in those two. Because their storylines make no sense, their motivations aren’t explored, they are there to make the three male characters more sympathetic. How does Dorcas go from being a Slytherin student and friends with wannabe DEs and blood supremacists, which was never a dealbreaker for her because she loved them apparently, to being a member of the OoTP, so important that she’s killed by Voldemort in person? What makes you think that Dumbledore would even trust her to allow her in the Order? He wouldn’t. How does Pandora go from being a Rosier, a member of a very prejudiced pure-blood family with a DE father, twins with an aspiring DE and friends with two others (at the very least very prejudiced), and despite being portrayed as super passive and never standing up against them, she is not corrupted by their beliefs and seemingly goes on to raise one of the purest characters in the whole series. Because yes, Pandora raised Luna for nine years of her life, so the way Luna is is undoubtedly a lot to do with how Pandora was. It doesn’t make any sense. But it’s not supposed to make sense because they are there just to serve a purpose and not to be their own characters. 

I have also talked about Lily and how her character has been treated since Jegulus gained popularity. Lily, who was always the most prominent and developed female character in the Marauders fandom, has been sidelined and pushed to the background for the sake of another mlm ship with zero canon basis. James remained one of the most popular characters, a part of one of the more popular ships, still center stage while Lily was the one to be shoved aside in order to make this fandom even more male-centered than it already was.

And since then, her character has been treated horribly. Vilified, humiliated, turned into an incubator, had her son turned into a “jegulus baby” because this fandom hasn’t learned to create OCs when they want mlm ships to have kids rather than take the children from the women and remove them from the narrative (also side-eyeing Wolfstar shippers who do it with Teddy because where the FUCK do you think the name Teddy even came from?). I will leave some examples below:

The bottom line is the interest for female characters and any relationship involving them, whether it’s wlw and wlm, is much less compared to the interest the fandom has for the male characters mlm ships. And there is no explanation for this apart from misogyny. And like I said above, it may not be ill-intended or conscious but it doesn’t change what it is. Whenever I see defensiveness on this topic, whether here on Tumblr or on Twitter, I always check their pages and I find the same thing nearly every time. They will have a wlw ship on their bios that they never mention a single time in the midst of their 200 posts per week on their favourite mlm ship. They will scream to the skies they do not ship Jily because they headcanon Lily as a lesbian and it has nothing to do with their favourite mlm ship but the only lesbian Lily is mentioned on their pages is indeed in relation to their favourite mlm ship. 

Instead of attacking people, maybe it would be better to reflect a little on why you refuse to engage with content about the women and only seem to have any interest about the men. And if you find yourself not caring, at least acknowledge why you don’t care about your internalized misogyny rather than becoming defensive about it.

[asexual-fandom-queen]

Look, am I probably going to get myself in trouble making this post? Sure, but I accept that, because I actually do have to say it. Tommy breaking up with Buck is not homophobic what the fuck are you guys talking about??? You know part of asking for queer representation and queer storylines is that you get representation and storylines right??? Queer characters have as much right to be complex and flawed as straight characters. Not to mention that this energy is nowhere to be found for the female love interests of Buck's who haven't worked out. Tommy Kinard is getting fucked over by a prejudiced narrative but Taylor Kelly wasn't? But Abby Clark wasn't????

Tommy broke up with Buck when things got serious for reasons that are beautifully in character, especially when you consider that we don't actually know Tommy that well. He is not a main character. He's not even a supporting character. Still, what we do get to know about him completely supports the behavior we see. We know that his relationship with his father was strained growing up, that he spent his young adult years as a closeted (maybe even to himself) gay man in a homophobic work environment, that all these formative experiences were traumatic enough to push him into a relationship with a woman that was serious enough to lead to getting engaged. Which means it's only been what, seven or eight years, since Tommy's come into himself enough to live his truth? That's just not enough time to be over it.

Tommy Kinard, and the broader purpose his character serves, is to be a mirror to Abby and for his and Buck's relationship to mirror Abby and Buck's relationship, and the 9-1-1 writers are executing that perfectly. Because let's not forget, Tommy is not a real person. Every week, the writers have 43 minutes to tell their stories, and that just does not allow for every character to be at the center of their own narrative. Tommy's character is a tool to explore Buck's character. This is not a unique phenomenon. Karen is a tool to explore Hen's character. Michael was a tool to explore Athena's character.

And it happens to straight characters, too. You think Marisol No Last Name was a character that existed outside of her relationship with Eddie? Did Doug exist outside Maddie? Does Sue exist outside the walls of 9-1-1 dispatch? I mean, in fandom they can. The thing about the transformative power of fandom is that we take the underdeveloped and we expand on it. We pull at threads the writers, in 43 minutes, just can't. And because they can't, they also don't always - or even often - intend to.

We are making more of this than it is. It's in our heads. And that's not wrong. But my god, we cannot be holding the narrative responsible for a thing it's just not doing. Your attachment to this fanon version of Tommy you've created, and to the fanon version of Buck and Tommy's relationship, is on you. And you're allowed to be sad that canon isn't playing out the way you would have chosen if you were the one telling the story. What you don't get to do is call it homophobic because it's just not.

And the thing is, I know this is the trauma talking. To borrow Josh's analogy, this is a question of pre-Glee fans watching a post-Glee story. We remember Sterek, and we remember Destiel, and we remember McDanno, and we remember Rizzisles.

But the reality is, for every queerbaited ship that didn't go canon, the trauma runs deeper. Because we also remember Caroline Forbes' gay father deciding he'd rather die than "be a vampire." We remember Mulan walking away from Aurora and letting her have her prince. We remember Tara dying in Willow's arms, and we remember Lexa dying in Clarke's. So it's hard to watch a queer romance, especially one involving a character that we've spent seven seasons headcanoning as queer before his coming out, end.

The thing is, this is a queer relationship ending on a beautifully queer show. They aren't shoving their gay under the rug. This isn't a brief queer chapter in the book they opened purely to pander and that is now slamming shut. Hen and Karen are right there. Buck is still there. Michael may no longer be on our screens, but while he was, he and David were also treated with care and grace.

Just because we remember how it used to be doesn't mean that's what's happening now. Tommy is a plot device exploring Buck's first queer relationship, but not because it's a queer relationship. Tommy is a character whose purpose is to move Buck's arc forward because sometimes that's all a character has the capacity to be in the confines of a story that gets to be told for 43 minutes 18 times a television season.

And having Tommy be Abby's ex, as a narrative device, is brilliant. Having him walk away from Buck the same way Abby did is brilliant. Seeing those parallels and highlighting them, from a writing standpoint, is brilliant.

Buck's relationship with Abby allowed him to become Buck 2.0. She was a partner who shaped him and helped him grow in a deeply profound way. And just because she left him in a way that was hurtful and driven by her own trauma doesn't negate that. It also doesn't make her a cartoon villain.

For the same reason, Tommy walking away from Buck in a way that's hurtful and driven by his own trauma doesn't make him a cartoon villain. But it is clever writing. It bookends Buck's transformation into Ready For A Relationship Buck with his transformation into Bringing His Whole Self Into A Relationship Buck. And linking Abby and Tommy with a history of their own affirms for the audience that that's what this narrative arc was always about.

And who knows, maybe Buck and Tommy will get their romcom arc. Maybe Tommy does come back. Maybe he grows past his trauma and the defenses he's put up to survive in a world that raised him to hate himself. If he does, I won't be unhappy about it. But I also won't consider it the righting of some profound wrong. Because nothing about Tommy's arc, or the arc of the Bucktommy relationship, has been wrong.

[ceratedfish24]

Communication skills are not my best thing too, and I definitely get over the board sometimes. My biggest problem is bouncing from topic to topic and not having a clear segment to flow into another thought, so I hope you give me a spec of doubt, if something sounds out of nowhere.

The most important thing that I implied, but might have not worded, so you missed it. Is you maintagging: 1) anyone who is a more relaxed fan will think there is some drama, or just get a sour feeling over being called fake fans. They're the people I meant, when I said to create a safe space, not trolls. Most CC's are very welcoming of the people who aren't as crazy in the fandom, as you and I. But your actions constuct an idea of some toxic Scott or Joel fans. 2) You are bringing attention to hate. As in to create your a post about something hateful, you have to repeat all the unfavorable things said. It's like coming into CC's chat and saying "It's so horrible that everyone hates you and says these mean things about you". Even if you will add that you support them, the hateful comments that you repeat will stick to them, as before they might have not seen them. (This example is not exact, but Scott is on Tumblr and if you maintag, he could see it) 3) You just said that the person is convinced they're right, and that you're stubborn. The three people that will see this post are people who like, indifferent or hate Scott, and by your own words the post won't do anything. Internet fight are most often just talking to a wall. Even me saying all of this won't change anything about what you think, this is just an english workout for me, so thank you for humoring me.

I get that people are homophobic, you don't have to say this every single paragraph. I am queer, as many other people on Tumblr and in MCYT fandom in general. Gem got a lot of hate in Secret Life for being a bi woman. If I take a moment out of her stream and give that line to her character, if I analyze it on my own blog, see how her character interacts with other people. Will you say that I'm a biphobic misogynist? If I just simply didn't like her character arc or actions and critizied them in a manner of looking at life series as a story? You're trying to connect outright homophobic people to people who are invested in the fandom to the point of spending hours thinking and analyzing characters.

And why is analyzing CC's bad? The CC's know that they're playing characters and these characters aren't words in a book. Every individual CC approaches their character differently, they're all storytellers, and thinking about how the actions CC choose affect their character is extremely interesting. If we wanted to read a book, we would have, but Life Series and similar concepts are a completely unique thing, which is somewhat comparable to dnd.

To add. Being critical of CC's is okay. They are not a god. People thinking that them being mean to each other is real and not a roleplay is the same as trying to be a knight in shining armor for them, it's all parasocial. They have flaws and we're allowed to look into them, being a content creator comes with that as well as a certain power (By power I mean CCs can send mobs of people to bully one person, sometimes not even intentionally, and other things I'm too lazy to go into). We should not dismiss someone's behavior, if they are gay or a woman or neurogivergent, but it feels like you are unintentionally promoting this thinking that gay people can't be bad. And I think Scott is a good person, who made some mistakes as any person can do (I'm not implying or saying any particular things, mistakes are a thing that everyone does). But you don't actually know him or any CCs. With the most recent example in this community, it's impossible to know if someone is shitty. Being that fixated on protecting a person only to realize that they aren't the perfect human being is painful. I'm just advising for you to take a step back from investing yourself too much into a CCs life. (I'm saying this as a person who can be quite parasocial, which I am working on).

I do not wish any harm on you or others, I am not threatening or trying to make mean comments. I'm just putting my net zero into this conversation, as a common internet dweller.

Hi! Your ask was not destroyed at all. Tumblr delivered it just fine!

Addressing your first point, I understand that being called a fake fan can feel rough, but I genuinely cannot imagine criticizing someone who is close to someone you care about for being cruel to the person you care about if the person you're criticizing didn't do anything cruel, especially if you're taking a mutual moment of teasing between friends out of context and targeting one person for a harmless act that both people committed.

I am bringing attention to hate. I don't think anyone should do it all of the time, but I still think that it's important, especially if the hate was unintentionally awful, to address when people are being really awful to one person who hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. The post has been tagged with discourse. If someone does not want to see fandom critical posts, they can filter out the tag. If you disagree with my approach to dealing with hate, that's perfectly valid and I respect that.

Scott, unfortunately, already knows about the hate. He has replied to some of the posts himself, and he has acted on some posts himself.

My post has done something. Not necessarily done something life changing, but I did see that it brought comfort to some people. It's fine if I argue with a wall, but I looked at the points that the other person was making, decided what I agreed with, and made changes and apologies accordingly. When I was not met with similar respect and the other person instead moved the topic to be critical of me and refusing to respond when I inquired about what I felt they did wrong, that's when I became a wall too. When the points that I made were dismissed in favor of an argument that drifted from the problem and the reasoning that I felt was justified - and it's fine if other's disagree, but, again, that doesn't mean I'm changing anything - that's when I stopped taking the conversation too seriously.

Gem getting hate for being bi is different from Gem getting hate for a specific thing she did unless the thing is something that most if not all of the other players did. If someone picked Scott apart for something that was specific for Scott, I wouldn't be so disturbed by it. The problem is when people try to tear Scott apart for things that everyone else or at least many other people on the server have also done and have never received half as much backlash - if any- for. For example, if you were upset with Gem because she teases Jimmy, but you think it's fine or even hilarious when Grian, Martyn, Scott, Joel, fWhip, etc. do it, then it would come off as biphobia or misogyny because the other people, all men who aren't bi, aren't being treated with the same seriousness despite having done the same thing. If you were mad at Gem for teasing Jimmy, but you were equally upset with other people for teasing Jimmy, then that's a different situation where no one is being targeted. If you were mad at Gem for, I don't know, screaming at someone (This is a hypothetical. She did not seriously scream at anyone), then that would also be different because that would be unique to Gem. If you were to be misogynistic or biphobic in your criticism of her for something unique to her, then that would only be able to be observed in specific relevant points in your criticism as opposed to who you were critical of, seeing as there would be no one else to be critical of to compare your reaction to. However, the Scott situation is not at all unique to Scott; Scott is being scrutinized for things that many other people - all straight that I can think of, but please do correct me if I'm forgetting something - have also done and are not being nearly as disliked for. That's why it feels like the argument that Scott is awful tends to come from a place of homophobia.

As for deciding a line is for a character, if you respect that everyone else who did or said something similar for the same reasons and in the same context are equally guilty, then that's fine. If you are taking something that someone said and criticizing it, but you are not criticizing everyone else who did or said something similar in the same context, then saying that you were referring to the character isn't relevant to the discrimination between that CC/character and other CCs/characters who have done the same thing and are not being criticized.

The reason why I feel that homophobia is linked to a lot of Scott criticism that could be used against almost every other creator but often isn't is because a lot of people are specifically accusing Scott of being "manipulative" and "toxic", which are harmful queer stereotypes that Scott doesn't fit into the box of as far as we know. He may fit a lot of gay man stereotypes, but that doesn't mean that people should lump him in with harmful stereotypes that he doesn't actually fall under. We don't have a reason to believe that Scott has some evil ulterior motive to being friendly.

Analyzing a CC is... iffy. That's a real person. Most people are pretty uncomfortable being analyzed, especially if you are analyzing them for something they did while playing a character in a silly game with their friends (cough the Martyn situation cough). Of course, it's more than okay to recognize and appreciate the good things that someone does, but it's really none of the audience's business to scrutinize someone for something they said playfully to a friend who they have a long standing close relationship to and who hasn't shown signs of feeling hurt or disrespected. The main problem with the argument I was in was the inequality between how Joel was being treated and how Scott was being treated. I also think that it's important to be able to differentiate between when a CC is making a decision based on the rules of the game and the lore of their character and when a CC is just having a laugh with their friends. Not every CC cares so much about characters and lore. There's a big difference between when someone is playing an aggressive character and when someone is just being themselves in a competitive environment.

Being critical of CCs is okay. Accusing CCs of things they haven't done is not okay. You could ruin an innocent person's livelihood. I wouldn't defend Scott if I feel like he genuinely did something awful. It just kills me to see people accusing him of things or arguing that Scott is crueler than other Life Series players who have all done or said much of the same things that Scott is being scrutinized for and yet they are treated normally, as they all, including Scott, should be. If someone feels like Scott teasing his friends is a flaw, then they should also address when his friends tease each other in ways that are equally or even more (playfully) mean. I don't feel as if that is fair to the CCs, seeing as it is their relationships alone and their responsibility to handle when they are uncomfortable with something that their friend(s) said and they have proven that they will handle that discomfort with maturity and efficiency and therefore it's not our job to accuse them of being cruel to each other, but at least that way doesn't target just one person or just certain people.

It's not that I think that gay people can't be bad. I think that this one gay person didn't do what he's being accused of doing and that, if someone is going to accuse him, then they should at least acknowledge the equally guilty other parties, who were straight. It may have been complete coincidence, but it seems strange to me to accuse a gay person of being horrible while defending a straight person who is equally guilty, hence why it came off as homophobia to me. I would like to note that I have used the word "guilty" pretty often, but I do not feel like any actual guilt should be involved. The thing that everyone involved is "guilty" of is a lighthearted thing. I only mean that everyone did the same thing.

If Scott had seriously done something wrong, obviously I would not defend him. However, it does frustrate me when people accuse him of things that haven't happened or at least that we have no reason to believe has happened. For example, I wouldn't defend someone who burned down a house if someone accused them of burning down a house. I would defend someone who burned down a house if someone accused them of slashing someone's tires, which they did not do. If Scott did something terrible that was completely unrelated to the accusations that I've argued against, then I wouldn't really feel guilty. I would be very sad, of course, because I find him to be a great creator, and I would hold him accountable for whatever he did do, but that doesn't mean that he should be accused of things he didn't do, similar to how the Hermits did have to clear up some assumptions about what happened recently before more information was released. I don't think Scott's perfect. I do think he's being treated unfairly.

Thank you for being so thorough about your thoughts! That was very helpful in understanding how to appropriately answer you. Additionally, thank you for being understanding about the tardiness of this response. I was going through a life transition that wasn't going very smoothly, and this was a VERY long ask (which is not at all a burden! I invite long asks!) that I wanted to be very thoughtful in response to. I hope that I didn't miss anything and made some sense, and I hope that you're well!

[mistresskayla-blog1]

A Sweet Stroll

Characters: John & Margaret Thornton

Lyn's Writing Event - Week4 - Day 23 (late submission)

May 23rd: Week 4: Rain

Characters:  John Thorton x Margaret Thornton (fem reader perspective)

Fandom: Richard Armitage – John Thornton – North & South

The character of John Thornton and Margaret Hale were created by Elizabeth Haskell. Adapted for television by Sally Welch.  

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: fluff, kissing, rain, public affection, romance,

            The day opened warm and sunny, and John gathered the arrangements to take Margaret out on a wonderful spring picnic. Margaret was busy with his mother that morning holding discourse at the local women’s labor group. And John smiled to himself that he had such a head strong woman to hold his heart. Her bravery and courage inspired him to no end, even if it was a bit muddled during their courting. Relieving himself of some of his ego allowed his heart to open up further and love her all the more.

He thanked God every day for her, even though he was a thoughtful man and didn’t prescribe to theology in the devout sense. John Thornton was a respectable man, but a progressive one, in work and in life, he liked to see things grow into better outcomes for everyone. Margaret gave him that peace and reassurance, so he loved to plan these little outings to make her feel special and loved.

Dixon was busy preparing the basket for John, as he awaited Margaret’s return. It was a wonderful late Saturday morning; the hour was approaching luncheon and Margaret still had not returned. John sighed at his pocket watch, clicking it closed and returning it to his vest pocket. He looked out through the front window scanning the street for a carriage, or her strolling. He wanted to make sure she was safe, afterall, as his wife, Margaret is very important to him.

Dixon came into the front parlor with the basket, “There you are, Mr Thornton, its all ready, where is Margaret, beg your pardon, Mrs. Thornton.”

John smiled at Dixon warmly, and subtly, “I have told you to call me John, please Dixon, you are as much my family now as you ever were hers.”

Dixon rung her hands slightly less and tried to smile, “Yes, yes of course, Mr.. John. Beg your pardon.” Dixon went back to the kitchen at the other end of the house. John’s smile broadened a bit more, as she left him. His eyes scanned the streets again, and a carriage drew up, stopping at his door. He went to the door and opened it, as his mother and Margaret stepped out of the carriage. Margaret beamed up at John from the doorway. His mother looking as she always had, contemplative.

“Mother, Margaret, how was the meeting?” he said, towards the open street. His mother bolstered past him in the doorway, “We shouldn’t speak openly about it John, not in the common street”, she shook her head.

John faked a response, not at all perturbed, “Yes, of course mother, sorry about that.”

His mother rested in the parlor and Dixon brought her some tea.

Margaret got up to John at the door, and her eyes smiled well beyond her lips, “Hello, my dear,” She brushed a kiss on his cheek, as she brushed past him, he turned instantly and grabbed at her arm, keeping her in the entryway away from his mother’s gaze. His lips brushed hers in a needy way, the door closing behind them and Margaret felt lightly flushed, John held her to him, dropping his hat from his hand.

They parted, moments later, and John grinned happily. Margaret looked at him sweetly, “I should go out more often it seems,” 

John chuckled, “Please do, it gives me reason to pine for your return.” Margaret giggled under her breath.

“Do what do I owe such affection, then?” Margaret queried.

“I am taking you out for a spring picnic, its all been arranged”, John said beaming.

Margaret looked to the windows, “I think it is a lovely day for it, when can we leave”

“Now, if that suits you.” John replied. Margaret’s hand reassuringly squeezed his arm.

John picked up the rather hefty basket and held it to him, as he escorted Margaret out the door.

“We will be back soon mother,” he called to her, through the open door.  Then promptly closed the door behind them.

John and Maragret strolled down the sidewalk and towards the hilly woods above the factories of Milton. John had toured this section many times before on his thoughtful walks and he found a lovely tree to post under. You could see most of Milton from up on that roost, and the clouds were gathering playfully about the sunshine now when they crested the hill. A spring breeze played Margaret’s skirts, and she spun a bit enjoying herself. John set the basket down, unraveled the blanket and sat down, watching her. He opened up the basket and tore off a bit of bread chewing it quietly as she danced.

“Its such a beautiful day, John. Thank you for doing this,” she came to sit next to him. Smiling with her bright eyes and noble heart. He felt the draw to kiss her again, but instead looked down and cleared his throat.

“Are you hungry?” John asked her. Margaret looked to the basket, “I will be, but not right now. I am too full of this wonderful air,” She breathed it in and tipped her head back letting the break in the clouds coat her face in sunlight. Her eyelids closed, John moved to kiss her again, his lips just skirting along her, as they moved over her cheek and down her neck. Margaret momentarily startled, looked at him, “What are you, doing?” she asked giggling.

“Trying to kiss my wife, is that a problem?” John asked, his eyes shyly smiling, as he looked at her. Margaret threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down to the ground. He chuckled and kissed her again, deepening it, his need growing and shrinking in intervals he no longer could deny himself. Margaret felt her passions rising as well, but she knew this was an open place and not discreet.

Despite that they both kept kissing and then both flopped down on their backs looking up at the tree foliage blowing in the breeze. A greyish cloud passed over the hill, and John looked over at Margaret his hand on his chest, sighing happily, “Margaret, I love you so much more than I thought possible,”

Margaret watched the grey cloud move swiftly past them, looking over to him, and getting lost in those dyer blue eyes of his, “I completely understand, it is the same for me. More joy, more love, more everything.” She propped up on her elbow, hand on her cheek looking at him sweetly. John rolled to his side too, his arm reaching over her hip. The warmth of it seeping through her skirts. He moved to kiss her again, and another cloud loomed over them silencing the sunlight. A low rumble did not come from John’s chest, but from the clouds above.

Suddenly sheets of rain poured down on the happy couple’s picnic. And Margaret squeaked in alarm, Sitting up abruptly, and gathering the blankets while John scurried to close up the picnic basket, they both cowered against the trunk of the tree now, water dripping through the leaves onto both of them. They both laughed as they got soaked, and John set the basket down between them and kissed Margaret again, his hands framing her face. Margaret’s hands moved to his chest in a loving manner and the two kissed under the tree’s canopy, the drip drip drip, hitting they’re faces and getting them wet.

The cloud passed just as swiftly as it had come, within minutes and John and Margaret strolled back down the hill, a bit disheveled and considerably wetter than their adventure had started. Still in love and still just as sweetly smiling as they headed for home.

(THE END)

Taglist:

@scariusaquarius @middleearthpixie @sweetestgbye @riepu10

@legolasbadass @evenstaredits @lathalea @enchantzz

[rosymaraschino]

I think I’m probably one of the very few people in the Feh fandom who genuinely hates Embla. And even more rare, I happen to be an extremely devoted fan to Askr in addition (usually Askr lovers and Embla lovers go hand in hand, from what I’ve noticed). That got me thinking. I should write about why I am like this. Everything under the cut will be an article in a series about my issues with Embla, and why she is arguably one of the least sympathetic villains in the Fire Emblem Heroes universe. So, please skip if you don’t want to read. But if you do, go right ahead! :)

It will be separated into multiple parts. Now, I don’t want to shame anyone for liking her! We all have problematic faves. These are just my thoughts :)

And if I am wrong on anything lore-wise, I do appreciate corrections!

After being a Feh player for a while, I have played Book VI and did not develop the same adoration for the Goddess of Closure that many other fans held. Her story left me disgusted and angered. I felt no desire to give her love and mercy. I was not amused by the “divorced” dynamic with Askr. And for a while, I thought this was a me problem, and how my complex upbringing gave me triggers to characters displaying certain traits. Though accurate to an extent, replaying the story only confirmed and deepened my sentiments. In the story she debuts in combined with the bits of lore embedded in her units, the Goddess of Closure is a horrific individual and miserable excuse for a “sympathetic” villain. She represents the major failings of supreme beings: apathy/hatred towards those less fortunate, a concern for herself and her feelings alone, and a laundry list of war crimes that would make real life dictators blush.

Now the characters in Fire Emblem Heroes are often poorly written. But Embla is one of the few who received substantial coverage in her story, and it unfortunately cannot be so easily covered under this excuse. Does it hamper a few of her characteristics? Sure. But it cannot whitewash her entire character. The pieces of her life create the puzzle of an unfailingly cruel woman with an intense victim complex who is guided by the privilege she wields. And this can be an interesting character to handle! Unfortunately, the writers attempted to present her as a dumbed down villain who deserves our sympathy. My post explains why this is undeserved and how the intricacies of Book VI make her look worse than intended

Point #1: Embla’s Backstory

She cared so very deeply about mortals once.

This quote given by Askr in Chapter 10-1 of Book VI. Askr himself is part of the problem in the whitewashing of Embla, but we’ll get to that later. For now, I’ll concern just the past of Embla.

So, Embla and her love of mortals. When we see the backstory in the final chapter, I am sure many of us expected to see Askr’s words be true. Yet what we see is a woman whose position of power makes her ignorant to mortals’ plights, regarding them with disdain, and it is just a single action that drives her to persecute every single one who dared to commit the crime of existing in her presence.

Chapter 13-1 is the beginning of the long awaited backstory. We witness a scene of Askr and Embla, with the former trying to convince Embla to come with him to the world of Midgard.

“Shall we, Embla? The mortals are waiting for us. Come now…” This is the very first sentence we see.

And what is Embla’s very first response?

“What does it matter. Their lives will come to an end soon anyway. They have such short lives…”

Interesting. Now what could this be about? We learn during the scene, as explained by Askr, that Midgard is suffering from famine. And as we know, Midgard comprises the two kingdoms of Askr and Embla. Askr desires to help them survive, as “many of the mortals are now starving.” Yet Embla says that his methods “make no sense. But fine. Do not let me stop you. Do as you please.” From these scenes so far, we learn a couple of things.

1. The mortals’ lack of privilege fuels Embla’s lack of care for them.

2. Despite needing to be the guardian of her realm, Embla would rather hoist the burden of helping the mortals stave off starvation upon Askr.

Ultimately, this part ends with Askr being able to convince Embla to come with him, but she is extremely reluctant, and only does so for his sake. Because human beings dying from famine isn’t a good enough excuse apparently. Oh, and the picture above is the last thing we see in this scene. This shows she intends not to help the humans, but simply follows Askr. And truly, we do not know whether or not she holds to this. For as much as we know, we can realistically assume she only watched Askr helped and did nothing, because apparently her worthy presence should be enough.

After the mini battle, we get a short glimpse into the aftermath where Embla has received gifts from the mortals. She calls this display of affection “Foolish.” Askr nevertheless is happy for her and her supposed connection with the mortals. Embla remains unimpressed, even questioning Askr why “the happiness of others” pleases him so deeply. However, she later admits his interest in mortals is not as much as a mystery to her, yet she is vague, and does not openly appreciate them. The ending of Chapter 13-1 consists of Askr thinking she is thanking him for helping her to see the potential of mortals, though she denies it. While this is meant to make her endearing, it doesn’t really do that, at least for me. Why is she so hateful towards mortals? Why does she continue to remain at a distance, when all they have done so far are give her gifts? This only gives us more questions than answers.

Chapter 13-2

Here is where we witness an attempted assassination of Embla. Elm, her retainer, makes sure she is alright. Embla appears disturbed and shocked by the encounter, though she managed to kill her would be murderer. This mortal who attempted to kill her “came to me, smiling, wishing to make a tribute…Why then…did he come at me with a fearsome look in his eye?”

This is meant to be the crux of her despising of mortals. But when we look at this scene, it really is a very poor reflection of Embla’s character. Let’s look at the timeline we are given of Embla’s character thus far:

Chapter 13-1: Embla does not care about mortals and is alright with them dying from famine. Later, she is somewhat less indifferent, but only after they give her gifts.

Chapter 13-2: A single mortal tries to kill her. She kills him, and with Elm’s prodding, is easily convinced that all mortals are evil and power hungry.

That…does not make Embla truly sympathetic. In fact, it just shows us unfavorable facets of Embla’s character. Her opinion of mortals, who were plainly stated to be giving her gifts just one section ago, is instantly lowered because of the actions of one.

But with her disdain made clear in Chapter 13-1, there is an interesting case to be made for the assassin. Think about it. Already, she is implied to be an established Goddess with an existing kingdom. And yet, she was willing to let them perish. How many other times has she let the woes of reality plague her people without lifting a single finger? Could more people have died because of her inaction in the past, whether during the famine or before. Could this assassin have been acting in revenge because of her not intervening in helping him or his family, perhaps? While seemingly an out of left field assumption, it isn’t wholly nonsensical, as Embla is shown from the beginning to care little about mortals. So what the story apparently presents as a greedy mortal trying to take advantage of a goddess could very feasibly be another story; that of an underprivileged man who potentially experienced suffering, and is taking it out on a person of privilege. And this particular person of privilege had the power to help him and others, yet did not. Is this not a familiar circumstance in real life?

Chapter 13-3 has Embla consider Askr, and that he will be betrayed by the mortals. Admittedly, it appears to show she cares for him. Yet as we navigate the rest of her character and story, this is not as wholesome or loving as we would like to believe. There is a contract to getting her care, and it can easily be broken. She decides the mortals should all be killed, and even Elm tries to dissuade her from doing this, surprisingly. Yet she holds steadfast to her new goal.

Chapter 13-4 has Embla meet with Askr. One thing I’d like to add is that Askr says her meeting him is a rare occurrence. This says a lot about her. One of the few times she visits him, it has something to do with what she wants, something fueled by her beliefs alone. Because she wants him to follow her, without any concern for his own experiences. This just adds to how her love for him is conditional. It is not a strong showing of her love, not when she wants to get something out of him. And not when she instantly cuts him off when he simply disagrees. She claims he gives too much of himself to the mortals and they will only hurt him in the end. Askr assumes she says this out of concern for him and thanks her, but affirms his love for mortals and that he wants “to believe in them.”

Note at this point, Embla does not once mention the assassination attempt. So here, she apparently expects Askr to blindly follow her, yet accuses his devotion to mortals being blind. That is hypocritical of her. She cannot fault him for following the mortals endlessly but desire him to follow her without a single question or critical thought. This expands her selfish nature; she is to be listened to regardless of her lack of sense, while mere mortals are not to be granted this privilege. Instead of explaining herself, Embla instead decided Askr is not worthy of her care. She writes him off as being too different from her and leaves.

Chapter 13-5 has Askr confront Embla. He chastises her for her actions. He questions why she has taken “the precious lives of mortals…and to take control over their bodies, and possess them so…” He adds that the survivors of her realm escaped and came to him for aid. Embla yells at him to cease his talking, but Askr continues and says “you must speak with them, explain yourself.” This part made me pretty mad at Askr, despite me loving him deeply. He lists these terrifying actions Embla has committed, yet sees that a fitting consequence is for her to explain herself? Embla is no different from a tyrannical dictator. She has tortured people, brainwashed people, murdering any dissidents within her reach. She should be considered beyond explaining herself. Embla denies him and his offer of help, and even doubles down on her disdain for mortals by calling them “worthless”.

Now this is a very weird part in the story. Apparently, Embla’s disgusting actions towards humanity are an extension of her “pain”, according to Askr. We see him try to paint her as someone who actually loves mortals, and that she “may have a deeper love for them than I.” But what has she done or expressed in the story to aid Askr’s belief? Never once has she openly admitted she cared about them. Nor has she ever done anything onscreen to depict her helping them. But we are expected to believe Askr with no proof whatsoever. Now Askr’s claims make her even more angry. She childishly demands him to leave her alone and claims “if the mortals love you so, then so be it!” This is meant to show how hurt she is by the mortals, but it is incredibly disrespectful to them to act as if they as a whole are at fault for Embla’s descent into villainy. Yeah, how dare those evil humans try to protect themselves? How dare they try to avoid being tortured, brainwashed, and murdered? And all because one, one mortal, tried to kill her once. She condemns him and the mortals, and the cutscene comes to a close.

So what have we learned about Embla’s backstory? She was always a standoffish individual who is shown to have done little to nothing to help mortals, even before the assassination. And after the attempt, she goes overboard in hurting them.

And think about the demographics. She is hurting mortals regardless of circumstances. Old, young. People of all backgrounds. The sick and healthy. Families and single individuals. No one is spared from her cruel and senseless rage. She is fueled by a deep seated bigotry that flares up to the surface the moment that one person does not live up to her ridiculous standards of basic decency. One person essentially doomed humanity, and this is a completely unfair burden to place upon one single mortal. No, Embla cannot be seen as a victim. It is impossible for me. She is surrounded by love, between a devoted friend in the form of Askr, as well as the other mortals who we know for a fact gave her presents despite her aforementioned apathy towards them. She is a woman of privilege, a goddess of great power. She has wanted for nothing, never subjected to the cruelty of worldly suffering. If humanity can survive against all odds, if there are people who do good despite being hurt time and time again, why is it so easy for her to break down when suddenly one thing goes wrong? Embla is undoubtedly a bigot, spoiled by her gifts, and unwilling to shed her pride for the sake of others. Yet she is unable to think of others, what they go through. The world revolves around her.

Against Askr’s opinion, Embla does not live up to his picture of her life. She is a discriminatory person who persecuted an underprivileged population because of a single person, painting them all under the same brush. She is cruel, uncaring, and puts her feelings above all others.

I will publish a Part #2 of how she fails to be sympathetic, and this will concern her actions in the present story.

[tarysande]

On Grief. And On Friendship. On Memory. And Love.

When my grandmother died, we didn't have a traditional funeral. We didn't wear black. We didn't sit around, solemn and silent. We told stories. We ate food she would have liked and drank Bailey's with cream. We got to do it together, of course, and we got to cry and hug and mourn and laugh and sing.

I'm sure all of us have heard some version of the phrase "online friendships aren't REAL friendships." I know I have. I've never understood it, either. For me, in all my neurodiverse glory, online friendships are often MORE REAL. Where else can you meet people and immediately jump into all the things you have in common? All the shared loves and hates and hyperfixations? Where else can you just bypass small-talk and, as Anne of Green Gables would say, find bosom friends so quickly? I've met so many online.

I honestly don't remember when I met Sara/@dearophelia. When I look through my tags, I know it's been at least seven years. I'm certain it's been longer because she definitely had username changes. And I am total shit at remembering username changes. More than once, I've told myself I should keep a spreadsheet. I'm pretty sure I've known her almost as long as I've been on tumblr, and that's more than a decade.

When Sara got sick, I finally used that tumblr function that notifies you whenever a blog updates. I wasn't around tumblr as regularly, but I didn't want to miss anything Sara might say. I hoped that one day I'd get the notification that everything was clear, she was in remission.

I didn't. Today, I got what will be the final notification from her blog--@vhenadahls sharing the information that Sara passed away. That there wouldn't be anymore updates. No more reblogs. No more snarky comments in the tags or gushing comments in the tags.

If this were a room and everyone who loved Sara, who enjoyed her fanfic (with or without knowing the woman behind it!), who has listened to her playlists, who played ME3 multiplayer with her, who was in any way touched by her in a way that brought their lives joy, it would be so full. We would all have stories to share. We'd all have memories to relive.

This room would be decorated with labradorite and pink and fat birbs and cats. There would be so much music--Taylor Swift and Halsey and Florence and the Machine and Hozier and so many many others. There would be a million fabulous selfies on the walls of Sara's huge smile and her vulnerability and her bravery. There would be gaming knickknacks and D&D dice and tarot decks and crystals and magic and books on every surface. All her faves would be represented. And it would still only brush the surface of how vibrant she was and how deeply and enthusiastically she loved what she loved.

If this were a room where we could also add all the characters she created, whose stories so many of us loved ... well, it would have to be awfully big. Sara wrote a lot of stories for a lot of fandoms.

And if this were a room where we and her characters were gathered, but we opened the doors for all the characters and stories that Sara helped inspire, helped grow, encouraged and enabled, well, I know a whole lot of my characters and stories would be here, too. I'm sure I decided to create Rose Trevelyan because of some conversation Sara and I had where I was imagining Rose Vakarian-Shepard grown up.

Sara, I'm really sorry I didn't get to finish the Vakarian-Shepard stories before you left. Most writers write for themselves, sure, but often they also write for specific readers. Sara was always one of mine, but I don't think she knew it. I lived for her gushing tag-comments. I loved when she was always so quick to jump in with prompts.

I'm honored that I was someone with whom Sara shared her original fic work. (She also once shared an absolutely horrifying scene with Garrus and Shepard's clones that she cut from Nora's story because it was just TOO AWFUL. In fact, she shared it with me BECAUSE IT WAS SO AWFUL and she knew I'd appreciate it.) In my heart of hearts, I wanted Sara to finish that original story and publish it. I wanted us to be part of each other's group of writer-friends (you know, you always see them thanking each other in their books). Hell, I wanted to have a small press at some point just SO I could publish Sara's stories. I believed in her THAT MUCH.

I love Sara's stories. I love her playlists. I love her blog, with its hodgepodge of interests and loves. I love her imagination and creativity and attention to detail. I love that I can still visit that mind by reading the bounty of work she left behind.

I mean, she made me wholeheartedly buy into a relationship between Shepard's mom and ZAEED.

Sara was one of the constants in my online life over the last decade. Even if we hadn't chatted for a while, I always knew we could pick up again like no time had passed (thanks, ADHD). As I write this, there's a little chat circle on the bottom right of my tumblr screen with her avatar in it and I can't bear the thought of hitting that X button and never seeing it pop up again.

Sara struggled and loved and fought and overcame and breathed and was brave. Not just in the past few years, when she was sick. As long as I knew her. And she didn't let anything stop her. She snarled in the face of it all and wrote stories so beautiful they broke my heart and then pieced it back together again in the same paragraph.

I miss her. I will always miss her. But I'm so happy I got to know her as long as I did. She'll live on in my memories, in my stories, in the characters she helped inspire. She'll live on every time I look at my favorite tarot deck--she was the first person I yelled at when I bought it--and when I see fat birbs and cute-maybe-evil cats. And if that's not REAL friendship, real love, I don't know what is.

[hecalledme-jagi]

hi! i'm so upset after picking up mystic messenger again so i wanted to ask if you could do a zen x MC hc, but they're both aware that they are in different dimensions and will never be together... but they see each other in their dreams!!

(Bruh I wrote this a yr ago and completely forgot about it. Sorry Anon ;;;)

Anon, you hurt me so T_T I love the angst, but why!? ＿|￣|○

I am a weak, weak, woman for Zen angst and now I must offer it to you and the rest of this fandom. I must break my heart for this man, AGAIN! For you, Anon, I will dive back into the depths of despair. On that note, I hope you enjoy, or feel sad(??).

Sorry for the delay, but fitting that I write Zen angst on my 6th MysMe Anniversary LOL

Zen and MC in Different Dimensions

- Zen could feel when you missed him. It’s a warm yet heartbreaking feeling that rests in his chest and stings in his eyes.

- You could feel Zen’s thoughts of you. They’re constant and lovely but left you melancholic and lonely.

- He knew when you were thinking of him or talking about him because suddenly everything appeared so much brighter.

- You knew when he longed for you because bright and unhindered smiles always seemed to paint your face.

- Sometimes he swore he could hear your voice and your beautiful laughter when he was going about his day.

- Sometimes his laughter was all you could hear and all you wanted to hear.

- Zen often wondered if you got the same feelings he did. Did your heart feel unbearably warm when he missed you? Did your world light up when he talked about you or thought of you? Did you hear his laughter and his voice throughout the day?

- The answer was yes, a thousand times over, with every ounce of love, joy, and sadness.

- And sadly, he would never know, but he knew one thing for sure, sharing dreams was something you both looked forward to.

- Knowing you could only reach each other in your dreams, made sleep the most treasured thing either of you could ask for.

- In those dreams, he could hold you and offer you the affections he couldn’t in the waking hours of the day. He’s created vast and beautiful worlds in those dreams, hoping each one would make your waking hours a little more bearable.

- He made sure that those dreams encouraged you to live in reality bc that’s where you truly belonged, but deep down he wished that sleep would never end and he could stay with you.

- On the hardest days, when his feelings of loneliness became more than he could take, when his insecurities raged and roared at him, when life got too difficult to bear; all he wanted was to sleep and be where you are.

- To feel your warmth and comfort, support and love.

- He wanted, so desperately, to bridge those distant dimensions for as long as possible, even if it became unhealthy.

- But what good would that do? He would only be dragging you down with him, and he could never do that to you.

- Furthermore, he knew, better than anyone else, that you would want him to continue living and perusing his dreams, the same way he wanted that for you.

- So, sleeping until you wake, would be enough.

- Holding you until morning came.

- Kissing you until daybreak.

- Sweet nothings until sunrise.

- Laughter until first light.

- Loving you, and you loving him, without limit or requisite.

- He would take his fill, searing ever inch of you into his memory. Filling his cup until it overflowed with you, hoping it would bleed into the day that followed. Hoping it would make up for the lack of you in his world.

- Hoping maybe one day that the yearning you shared would somehow turn the two dimensions into one, where he could finally have your scent cling to his clothes and melt into his skin. Where he could have you part of his life, morning, noon, and night. Where sleep wasn’t the only place he could find you. Where loving you beyond a screen and short lived dreams was no longer a wish, but rather something mixed with normalcy.

˚✧₊⁎𝒥𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑎⁎⁺˳✧༚

I do not own any characters, all ownership goes to Cheritz. Thanks for reading!

[zapreportsblog]

A Fateful Encounter Turnt Into A Hearts Desire

➥ summary: Alexandra Trese is doing her job when she comes across such an enchanting beauty

➥ a/n: originally was not going to start writing for this fandom as of yet but a lovely commenter of mine (didn’t tag them because I was unsure if they were alright with that) wanted to see some Trese fandom stories on my page. So here I go, do leave feedback, it’s always appreciated :)

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the darkened streets of Manila. Alexandra Trese patrolled the city as she always did, vigilant against the supernatural threats that lurked in the shadows. On this particular night, her senses tingled with an unfamiliar presence, drawing her towards an old, abandoned mansion.

As she approached the mansion, Alexandra noticed an ethereal figure standing in the moonlight. It was a woman of captivating beauty, with long, flowing hair and eyes that sparkled like stars. Intrigued, Alexandra decided to investigate further, approaching the mysterious woman cautiously.

"Hello," Alexandra greeted with a hint of curiosity. "Are you lost?"

The woman turned to face Alexandra, a warm smile gracing her lips. "Oh, not at all," she replied, her voice soft and melodious. "I come here often to feel the night's embrace. It's quite comforting, don't you think?"

"I suppose it can be," Alexandra replied, intrigued by the woman's serene demeanor. "I'm Alexandra, by the way, Alexandra Trese."

"It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Alexandra Trese," the woman replied with a polite nod. "My father speaks highly of what you've done for the realm."

A flicker of surprise crossed Alexandra's face. "Your father? How does he know me?"

"He is the king of the vampire kingdom clan," the woman revealed, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "And I am Princess (Y/n) of the same kingdom."

Alexandra's eyes widened in astonishment as the revelation sank in. She had unknowingly been chatting with royalty, not just any royalty, but the princess of the vampire clan. Despite the revelation, (Y/n) didn't carry herself with an air of superiority; instead, she seemed genuinely interested in their conversation.

"I... I had no idea," Alexandra stammered, feeling a mix of embarrassment and awe. "I apologize if I seemed disrespectful."

"No need to apologize," (Y/n) reassured her with a gentle smile. "I prefer to be treated as any other person. Titles can be burdensome at times."

"You have a point," Alexandra agreed, feeling more at ease with (Y/n) now that the formalities were set aside. "It's just that meeting someone like you is quite extraordinary. Vampires are a rare sight in these parts, especially one of royal blood."

(Y/n) chuckled softly. "I suppose it's not every day that you encounter a vampire princess on the streets of Manila. But I find this city fascinating, and I often venture out of the castle to explore its hidden corners."

"I'm glad you find the city intriguing," Alexandra replied, a smile playing on her lips. "It's my duty to protect it, after all."

"I've heard stories about your bravery and your dedication to keeping this city safe," (Y/n) said, her admiration evident. "It's an honor to meet the woman who protects my father's realm."

The two continued to chat for hours, exchanging stories and learning about each other's worlds. Alexandra found herself drawn to (Y/n)'s genuine curiosity and kindness. The princess, in turn, was captivated by Alexandra's unwavering determination and sense of justice.

As the night wore on, (Y/n) expressed her desire to explore more of Manila's hidden gems, and Alexandra offered to show her around. Together, they wandered through the city's dark alleys and ancient temples, creating memories that would stay with them forever.

In that chance encounter, Alexandra Trese and Princess (Y/n) found an unexpected connection, one that transcended their different worlds. Little did they know that this meeting would be the beginning of an extraordinary journey, one filled with love, friendship, and the intertwining of their destinies in ways neither could have imagined.

•••

The entrance to the vampire castle was a formidable sight, guarded by imposing sentinels with eyes that glowed like hot embers in the darkness. Alexandra took a deep breath, steeling herself for the task ahead, as she was ushered inside by the stoic guards. The walls of the castle were adorned with ancient tapestries depicting the history of the vampire clan, and the corridors echoed with the whispers of centuries gone by.

Finally, Alexandra stood before the towering doors of the throne room, heart pounding loudly in her chest. She had faced countless supernatural threats, but none of them compared to the anxiety she felt now. Pushing the doors open, she stepped inside, her eyes meeting those of the vampire clan king - a regal figure seated upon a grand throne, exuding an aura of power and wisdom.

"Alexandra Trese," the king's voice was deep and resonant, carrying an air of authority. "What brings the city's protector to my domain?"

Respecting the customs of the supernatural world, Alexandra bowed respectfully before the king. "Your Majesty," she began, "I come before you with a request of utmost importance."

The king raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Alexandra's formality. "Speak, then. What is it that you seek?"

Taking a deep breath, Alexandra lifted her gaze and met the king's piercing eyes. "Your daughter, (Y/N),” she said, her voice steady despite the nerves. "I have developed feelings for her, feelings that go beyond mere admiration. I would like to ask for your permission to court her."

Silence filled the throne room as the vampire king studied Alexandra. His face was unreadable, and she couldn't help but feel a mix of hope and dread. Courtship between humans and vampires was rare and often frowned upon, but Alexandra couldn't deny what she felt for (Y/N).

At last, the king spoke, his voice measured. "You are the protector of this city, Alexandra. Your duty is to safeguard its inhabitants from the supernatural threats that lurk in the shadows. A relationship with my daughter could be seen as a conflict of interest."

Alexandra nodded, understanding the king's concerns. "I assure you, Your Majesty, that my duty to protect this city will never waver. My feelings for (Y/N) will not compromise my role as a protector."

The king observed Alexandra for a moment longer before a faint smile touched his lips. "Your devotion to your duty is evident, and it pleases me," he said. "But I must also consider my daughter's happiness. (Y/N) has spoken of you, and I can see that you hold a special place in her heart as well."

Hope surged within Alexandra as she listened to the king's words. "I would never do anything to bring harm to (Y/N),”she vowed. "I only wish to be with her, to cherish and protect her, just as I do for this city."

The king's expression softened, and he nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, Alexandra Trese. You have my permission to court my daughter, but know that if you betray her trust or put her in any danger, there will be consequences beyond your imagination."

"I understand, Your Majesty," Alexandra replied, feeling the weight of his words.

With the king's blessing, Alexandra felt a sense of relief and joy like she had never experienced before. She thanked the king sincerely before taking her leave from the castle, her heart light with hope for the future.

From that day on, Alexandra and (Y/N)’s courtship began discreetly, away from prying eyes. They would steal moments together in the shadows, exploring the city and each other's hearts. As their love deepened, Alexandra found herself not just enamored with the vampire princess's beauty and grace, but also enchanted by her kindness, intelligence, and compassion.

But as their romance blossomed, so did the challenges they faced. The supernatural world was not always forgiving, and there were those who opposed their relationship. Yet, Alexandra and (Y/N) stood together, facing every obstacle with unwavering determination and love.

In the heart of Manila's darkness, a forbidden love bloomed, defying the boundaries of their worlds. Alexandra Trese, the city's protector, and (Y/N), the vampire princess, found solace in each other's arms, embarking on a love story that would be etched into the city's supernatural history for all time.

[jack-kellys]

west end question: i obviously love my brooklyn girls and would die for them all, but is it bad that it’s taken away the sprace dynamic for me? like i’m still 100% on board with a nowhere near canon ship and it shouldn’t affect me they’ve decided to have spot be a girl, but it lowkey has? and i feel kinda guilty about it? idk i love my proshot boys. but i am 100% here for all the uk newsies cast they are amazing and so talented and it’s definitely my favourite production by far!! idk if i’m making sense

ok part of me feels a litle baited actually because like. i feel like... im vocal abt mlm musical sprace not being a big vibe for me in the first place. so im a funny person to ask if you were looking for relief lmao. anyway here's my thesis below.

wait also if ur a white newsie fan a read-thru+rb of this would be much appreciated thank youuu (also yall have been eating up my character analyses anyway sooooo!)

TL;DR THESIS: if you're feeling genuinely let down that your ship did not see the light of day and a black girlsie spot conlon got to instead, then yes, you should reevaluate that.

followers, if you've been with me long enough, you know that i have quite strong opinions about how this show gets treated when it comes to interpretations and fandom/fanon. mostly, this is because i literally work in theater, and it's extremely backwards in my brain personally when shows get treated more like a movie or tv show than a performance piece.

im also one of the only ppl in this fandom that ever seems to dare speak on race (not the damn character smh). and anon, buddy, kiddo, this does have to do with race, gender, and sexuality.

firstly, what i think needs to be understood about newsies, is that it is theater, which means it is meant to be mutable. there is no one way. there should never be one way. it does not exist. secondly, theater does not exist in a fandom vacuum. its live every night, conceptually. theater is a live performance art.

interpretations change- it's the nature of theater. so i think asks like these really do illuminate the difference between fans of the show's content or fans of... i guess the show's culture's content.

this is a culture content ask.

one thing i really, truly, deeply need you all to understand: from an objective, script- and staging-based perspective, proshot sprace does not exist. they do not speak. they barely see each other. race does not even volunteer to go to brooklyn. the ship originates from the 1992 movie, where they do actually interact, which is why the ship has prevailed through the 90s to today. they're from the movie, not the musical.

of course, this doesn't bash the ship- it has history, and naturally fans want to create new history when they get a new source material (the musical). it's true for like every newsie ship lowkey (but also not lowkey because all the manhattan newsies do interact and sprace literally does not but thats a different post!!), which is something i do admire about the fandom- we do a lot of our own legwork here, we invent relationships and backgrounds from one-liners that could be given to tbh any frickin newsie. i respect the 30 years we have invented ships.

however.

when a huge, publicized, consistently sold out production comes along with spot conlon as not only a woman, but a woman of color (specifically black rn!) as the leader of the most feared group on stage, there becomes something much more important than a "sprace dynamic", which does not canonically exist in the musical anyway bro. you can't miss something that isn't there imo. often the story and casting within a story comes first, and goddamn if this isn't one of those times. lillie-pearl's spot brings bravado, swagger, confidence, and intimidation that is literally....fine maybe i'm being personal but it is slash gen incredible to see in technically a period piece! a black woman in leadership with that kind of assuredness! in such a popular musical! how is that not– automatically surpassing an often obsessed-over (yes i am. hinting at something here, straight girl fans) mlm ship?

and while i'm on the topic of the over-obsessiveness of mlm musical sprace, let me talk about uksies sprace. because what's also wack abt this ask is that sprace is not a hopeless case in this production- it literally has about as much 'evidence' as the proshot imo!!!!!

i got to hop over to 2nd row brooklyn seating for act 2 so i saw once and for all really close up, right. there's a moment when race is upstage letting the newsies in/down from the stairs. spot comes down and she does, in fact, share a look with him. race gives spot a nod and she keeps moving.

and like im gonna see the show again (every day i am counting my mf blessings fr), so if i'm wrong or they don't do it every time i'll correct myself, but that's what i saw with my own dang eyes on saturday. they do acknowledge each other in uksies.

and since they do, i really like. i have to ask. what is bothersome/unpopular abt uksies sprace, other than oh idk.... its not white/white mlm with a twink/manly bf trope? why can't race still love who spot is as a character, this strong and fearless ruler of brooklyn, in uksies? because tbh josh's racer...nahhhh because. this is such a side note now but they'd be so good together oh jesus am i gonna ship uk sprace. and it's not like they're 'taking away' from a queer ship because a) you can headcanon spot as a queer girl and race being trans is consistently popular and b) newsies has ten billion gayass ships bro we've been eatin for literal decades.

anon, i'm sure you didn't mean harm by this ask. i'm sure, honestly, that a lot of fans are feeling the same way as you and weren't quite sure how to put it in words. but, i'm also not surprised you sent an ask like this on anonymous specifically.

should you feel guilty about it? i don't think guilt is the right word. but i believe you should think more about how newsies is not.....static. it does not exist in one form, and it never will. if you're feeling genuinely let down that your ship did not see the light of day and a black girlsie spot conlon got to instead, then yes, you should reevaluate that. in theater, you should always question why something impacted you the way it did- a major point of theater is to discuss and think about it when you leave! i know this because ive spent three years literally studying it, to back up my thesis credentials.

thank you for reading this, newsies fandom. i do honestly say all this with love, and i hope it made u think !! ♥️

[bungoustraypups]

idk man i just really think that if u genuinely believe that fic authors are required to care about characters they dont care about and make content for characters or ships they dont care about just to prove theyre not secretly misogynists uh. i dont think you actually care about how theyre actually treating real women. because you seem to be using solely the characters they choose to write self-indulgent free fanworks about as the metric to define that instead of, yknow. anything else they do. or at least youre putting a whole lot of emphasis on it

also theres quite a few lesbians ive met who actually dont write men. some even genderbend, whether thru a cis-swap where theyre now AFAB cis women or thru trans headcanons or whatever, canonically male characters so they dont have to write about men. theyre a minority in most animanga and other mainstream fandoms ive seen but as i am not in every fandom nor am i privy to the inner workings of every fandom idk how like, rare those ppl actually are compared to authors who exclusively or mostly write abt men

also like. not sorry for this one, but as a nonbinary trans man who is not a woman even a little bit and refuses to be seen as one or associate myself with womanhood because i am not a woman, it is specifically irritating to me to be told this, because i tend to write most about the characters i project on to or see myself reflected in, and, unsurprisingly, 99% of those characters are men, or can be read as men or are men at least some of the time, or more masculine in presentation

jasper from SU has always been my favorite gem and i didn't get invested in the series until she showed up, for example, and i heavily project onto her and see my experiences in her, despite her being considered woman-aligned, which i have no problem with and am actually glad about because there's not a whole lot of very masculine/butch women in mainstream media to start with, though i wish the show had been more sympathetic with her considering she's literally an abuse victim but i digress

but i often don't write for female or fem-presenting canon characters, or focus many of my fics on them, because in order for me to really get attached to a pre-existing character not of my own creation in a series, i need to be able to see some aspect of myself in them, or they need to have something that makes me interested in their story and draws me towards them. but seeing myself reflected in a character who is a woman or identifies mostly or often as a woman is dysphoria-inducing for me. that's why most of the female characters i write for are my own OCs, because i created them, which means a little piece of me goes into them, which means i'm able to have that connection i often lack with canon characters. i also tend to make the most content for characters i feel attracted towards, who are always men because i'm gay lmao

like i'm not misogynistic or a misogynist. i don't hate women. it's just that between my writing process and the canon characters my brain gets attached to, when i write fic, i write about the canon characters i care about the most, who most often tend to be men because i'm mostly in fandoms of male character-dominated series where the women are either uninteresting, poorly written, or extremely minor, or all three in the worst case scenario. and since i do this for fun, i'm not gonna waste my time writing something i'm not 100% passionate about just because there's a lack of f/f and women-centric content like

that's a problem! but it's a problem that can be just as easily fixed by the people who are demanding more content themselves if they, yknow, actually made some. which a lot of them don't

[ciaossu-imagines]

for the ask game you reblogged: Bleach?

Of course, anon dear! Thanks so much for the request! Honestly, I don't touch on the Bleach fandom too often, so this was a fun one to see in the inbox!

The character I'd push off a cliff

Okay, I am probably going to get thrown off a cliff myself for this opinion but Grimmjow. I know so, so many people absolutely fell in love with him but there was just something about the character that just always rubbed me the wrong way and I was never able to warm up to him at all. I can't even pinpoint why or what it was about him, but he's one of the very rare times in watching or reading something where I just automatically disliked and could not get past disliking a character.

The character I'd kiss

Okay, but this one was really, really hard for me because damn it, I would walk around randomly kissing so many people because lord, there are a lot of really gorgeous people but if I had to narrow it down to just one, I would definitely have to go with the experience of kissing Urahara...I cannot decide if he'd be rubbish at it or surprisingly good.

The character I'd marry

Okay, much like the above answer, this one was really hard for me because, when I was really into Bleach (or during any of the periods I get really into it all over again) I had a lot of f/o's from this series. Like there were so many characters that I was constantly falling in love with someone new. But my answer is actually the character I still find myself consistently self-shipping and creating happy little daydreams about even when I'm not actively really big into the fandom - Shinji!

The character I'd set on fire

Please. I'd absolutely set Aizen ablaze and pretend like it would hurt or matter at all to that jackass.

The character I'd wrap a blanket around

Weird answer coming your way but honestly, Rangiku. That woman has been through a hell of a lot in story and I don't think that really gets mentioned too often or acknowledged. I've always loved her and I just...I'd take her out for food and drinks and then I'd take her home, wrap her up in a blanket, set a glass of water beside her along with some aspirin, and lock up behind myself.

The character I'd be roommates with

I know it's probably a cheat answer but I would totally live with all of the 11th Division. Would I be in mortal danger at every given second? Yes. But would I have fun before dying? Also yes.

[tleeaves]

Thank you @luciehercndale and also @faithfromanewperspective (I am pretty sure you also tagged me and I forgot to make my reply then) for tagging me 🥺 It means the world, honestly, since I don't update a lot nor write too many fics, yet I'm still remembered.

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

(All of the below are in The Last Hours fandom)

Wasting Beats In This Heart Of Mine 136,108 words. Work in progress. This fic is my most ambitious and it is a various x OC story (James Herondale, Cordelia Carstairs, and Matthew Fairchild). It's my own take on how multiple universes of the same characters work and what would happen if a time loop was created by trying to save someone who is meant to die. Basically, it's the fracturing of reality, the occasional dose of heavy existentialism and derealisation/depersonalisation, fixing of some canon complaints I had, but it all takes place during Chain of Iron. It's a re-write of an earlier and now deleted fanfic of mine called Chain of Lies. Oh, and there's romance. Everything kind of revolves around that, one way or another, even in some rather dangerous ways.

The Rain (It Rains Every Day) 7,912 words. Work in progress. This is a Beauty and the Beast AU but greatly inspired by the myth of Eros/Cupid and Psyche, as well as earlier versions of the Beauty and Beast story (the French version, as well as some others under different titles like East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is basically Cupid and Psyche in a different font). It's got James Herondale x Cordelia Carstairs, Lucie Herondale x Grace Blackthorn, and Alastair Carstairs x Thomas Lightwood. The setting is 1900, Greece in an alternate universe where a whole bunch of the TLH cast immigrated to the country or live(d) in Bulgaria or Persia.

A Diamond On Your Pillow 1,978 words. Complete work. A crack-ship fic about Christopher Lightwood x Lara Croft because of a silly joke I had with @thevagabondexpress. I still maintain that it is the most genius of my works, even if I did not get around to writing out any of the backstory we talked about. Also, it's the strangest ship in the fandom corner right now and I am proud of that. The moment someone takes my title, I will be publishing a James Herondale x Alastair Carstairs fic and no one can stop me. Not even your mother. Heed my warning because after that it might be Peeta Mellark x Cordelia Carstairs AND I WILL DO IT.

Love, We Did Our Best 3,354 words. Work in progress. A Matthew Fairchild x pregnant OC fic. I came up with the idea after a weird dream I had about IVF, but anyway. It takes place in France (past) and Tortuga (current story), 1906. Matthew has been travelling the world and generally avoiding Shadowhunters until he gets to Tortuga and meets a Nephilim woman with her marks stripped in exile there. She is a widow expecting to give birth to her first child in somewhere over three months. It only has two chapters so far, but it's supposed to be a cute murder mystery (..."cute" as in there's romance, but also the murder mystery itself is not actually cute, it gets quite dark).

Pride and Prejudice 2,460 words. Work in progress. It is literally just a Thomastair Pride and Prejudice AU. It has one chapter. I intend to continue it one day, but I have to refer to the book often so it's on the backburner because I am too lazy to refer to the book to write and this AU requires it. I'll get around to it eventually. Probably.

I am tagging @griddle-cakes, @sourlemons262, @zoyalannister, and @all-this-panic-still-no-disco (mostly because I know you're also fanfic writers, 3/4 of which have written also for TLH. You absolutely don't have to do this though if you don't want to.)