#fictional men doing the bare minimum <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[adachimoe]

Atlus, please tell me the lore behind Adachi's mp3 player

Even just looking at Adachi, he doesn't exactly have the image of someone who gives a shit lol.

And this is intentional. Soejima talks about this aspect of Adachi's design in the P4 Design Works. Adachi is said to be an elite officer, one of the best of the best, and Soejima thought an elite might be smart, but lacking in other areas. For this reason, Soejima designed him with that crooked tie and messy bedhead.

That's certainly a common thing in fiction - someone who's good at one thing, but a complete space case in something unrelated. Though he comes off as incompetent in-game, to the extent that him showing competency in December surprises Dojima lol. And even when you get into the real dumb plot stuff that I write 10k words about, it took him like 4 months to figure out that "people can come out of the TV". Ma-Maybe his record was better at his old station.

Even in what Atlus has mentioned about the setting for P4 that doesn't get discussed in-game, Adachi's red tie is something Dojima gave him, and only because Dojima got tired of seeing him wear the old shabby tie he wore before and gave him one of his spare neckties.

If Dojima had never just given him a different tie to wear, I imagine Adachi would still be wearing his old shitty tie until it completely fell apart... Is Adachi pathetic enough to try and like... tape a tie together? Probably.

Him not caring too much about appearance and being a messy guy seems to extend to other aspects of his life. Even in his character profiles for P4 and P4AU, both say he's terrible at cleaning his room and the P4 one also says he sucks at filing paperwork lol.

This continues in his P4AU narration. The investigating detective pulls out 3 pieces of "evidence": A TV which ends up being used to get Adachi into the plot, a model gun which fits with his hobby being doing gun maintenance at home, and some kind of random off brand iPod-esque thing.

The actual music player itself is unimportant. Instead, it's used for a little characterization moment where Adachi confirms that it is indeed something that's his (he even remembers how he got it!), but he didn't particularly care about it and just left it wherever.

All things considered, I get the mental image of Adachi being the kind of guy who uses that meme 13-in-1 ~for men~ product, and his room is just a mountain of cup noodles and piles of random bullshit. Maybe there are more iPods and model guns to be unearthed from underneath his other stuff.

All of this is only talking about the more physical and material aspects of him, but I think you can extend this to who he is as a person and his mentality as well. Granted, some guys in real life end up being useless slobs as adults because they're used to their mom/sister/family/etc babying them, but uhhhhhhh from what Adachi says about his past, we can instantly rule that out with him.

(Edit: As a comment pointed out, upon re-reading this this does sound weird. When I wrote this, I was thinking more about doormat pushover moms. I don't see Adachi's mom doing domestic stuff as her babying him as a child because it strikes me as the Default Gender Role thing where the dad makes the money but the mom takes care of the household. And from how Adachi talks about it, you get the impression she wasn't hyper attentive towards him, as if she did like the bare minimum lol. Adachi's attitude towards the whole thing also strikes me as different than the dudes who grow up as spoiled little kings in their households.)

It seems pretty sensible to correlate his physical state and the way he uses it to express a lack of care for himself to something going on in his brain. Adult burnout, depression, lack of self-esteem & self-worth, all of the above.

I like the random anecdote about the music player, especially since it's him. A bingo game at a New Year's party............... A bingo game at a New Year's party???????????? Adachi, you went to a New Year's party? Hoooly shit dude I don't even do that.

Since he was in jail during New Years 2012 and only arrived in Inaba during spring 2011, for him to have won it during New Year's implies this is from before the events of Persona 4. E.g. it's not something Dojima dragged him to. I assume it was some work-related New Year's party when he was still stationed in Iwatodai. Keeping up appearances for the higher-ups? Did he just want free food? A bit lonely and wanted company and absolutely not gonna say that outloud? (All of the above?)

In both his P4 dialogue and his P4AU inner thoughts, he tends to look down on others. He's annoyed by the old woman at Junes (...though his voiced line on rank 6 expresses he liked her doting on him), he calls the protagonist a dumbass (...but only after admitting he misses him, Dojima, and Nanako), he doesn't think he'll ever get married (even tho I'm available).

And yet, as little blurbs like this go to show, we know he still participates. ♪(´▽｀)

Did he even use the iPod thing before chucking it? What did he put on it? Idols or something? Answer me, Atlus.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

How was Zuko not sexist if you also said his nation was probably sexist?

Zuko's nation had signs of at least mild sexism. It was also fully okay with letting soldiers be killed by the enemy to lure them into a trap - something Zuko was banished for speaking out against.

He is a result of how, when, where and by whom he was raised, but he's still an individual. And we see that he internalized racism and elitism (see him regularly using "peasant" an insult and not questioning his nation's supposed right to dominate the whole world) but we don't ever seen him look down on a girl because she's a girl, therefore he is not sexist.

That's one of the few things I agree with Zutarians about. Zuko would never look down on Katara for her gender. Too bad that, while they get that part right, they:

1 - Exagerate how much sexism she dealt with in her life (usually by treating the Northern Water Tribe and the Southern Water Tribe as one in the same and pretending all the men she was raised by were like Pakku, even though her grandma stayed there her whole life to AVOID guys like Pakku).

2 - Pretend Aang was sexist, even though he wasn't.

3 - Disregard the fact that while Zuko is not sexist, the Fire Nation shows hints of it very frequently - even more than Katara's tribe.

4 - Disregard the fact that while Zuko is not racist and elitist (anymore), his nation still is, so even if they were all okay with Fire Nation women being treated as equals to Fire Nation men, that still would make Katara "lesser" in their eyes.

5 - Forget that Zuko not being sexist is the bare minimum and something Katara EXPECTS from men in general because it's an ordinary thing for her. It would not make him prince charming in her eyes or be her one chance to "escape" misogyny or make them compatible as a couple.

6 - Forget that liking a character is not sexist and writing fics about him being a wonderful partner is not the same as doing anything for women's rights, and that disliking said character and/or ship is not sexism because fiction is not reality.

So no, Zuko was not sexist. That does not mean Zutara or any ship between him and some girl is "feminist."

[ivyblooms]

Hiiii this might be weird lol but I saw your addition to the post discussing the correlation between the gay trans men phenomenon to misogyny and you brought up the topic of rising trans slash in fanfics - as someone whose been in fandoms for like 10+ years you’re sooo right!! Even though I do read all sorts of fanfic (gay, lesbian, platonic) I’d say I’ve always had a more critical approach in fandom stuff (plus getting more into radfem theory about 3 years ago) and from the get go I always saw the ~majority~ of male slash fanfic created by women as an expression of romance/smut through a non-misogynistic lens; “men get to be people while women are women yadda yadda”. A perception I’ve always had at the back of my mind, so it always confused me when in the past 5ish years suddenly women who had consumed so much gay fanficton were proclaiming they must actually be gay men

You mentioned the rise in trans slash media and honestly I thought I was going crazy lol. There has definitely been a huge shift, where suddenly the components that made the work gay could just be altered and it’s supposedly still the same. Apologies if this seems vulgar but the switch to now male characters actually being trans, feminization in sexual/non sexual manners, and sometimes just having a “boyp*ssy” at minimum has been really fucking weird, and in some fandom spaces I’m in the change seems to have skyrocketed in the past ~6 months

Honestly sorry for the random ramble and feel free to disregard but I would love to know if you have anymore to say on this topic. I think I’ve only encountered one light discussion overlapping fanfiction / feminist theory, so it’s always interesting when I see the topic brought up!

No worries sis, it's not weird.

I am there with you. I'd been noticing the trend but when I wanted to have a quick look at Captain Marvel femslash I was like 3 pages of results in and still hadn't seen one that didn't include 'girlpenis' or equivalent. I was legit annoyed, the last thing anyone wants when looking for fxf is the word penis getting involved.

I don't want to discount homophobic fetishisation of course. As a lesbian I never really believed that was real until I finally saw some hetero fandom friends genuinely being sexually attracted to males cast in live action versions of a cartoon and I was like .. wait a second u guys were serious?? So yeah thats real, but I highly doubt it's the main reason. Especially when so many lesbians are super into slash fic as well.

So to your point, while I do think the popularity of gay male slash fiction has largely been due to women wanted to escape misogyny, I don't believe it's been a conscious thought. I don't believe many of these girls and women actively thought they are lesser than men, I don't think choosing to write mxm was a decision to highlight misogyny, I think it's just an entirely internalised 'feeling' that somehow putting a woman with a man is demeaning or inequitable therefore they want their favourite blorbo to be with someone that doesnt give them that feeling. And, to straight women, men are hot.

Like notice how so many of the pov men in older mxm fics are the one that bottoms? Even the concept of strict set in stone roles for top and bottom defining your character (seme and uke) really is more reminiscent of hetero relationships that actual real life gay relationships. I truly do think there is reason to believe this is due to making one character (the bottom) more relatable as a subconscious woman stand in. They were always shorter, they were almost always weaker, they had less body hair, they were almost always prettier and more feminine, their male genitalia was small and often barely remarked on and there was no question that their main participation in sex was being penetrated. They were trans men before the idea of trans men and gender being unrelated to sex really ramped up.

It makes perfect sense to me that the next step in that train of thought, that men and women feel unequal and gender is not related to sex, is "well I relate to men as an equal therefore I must also be a man". Like if you haven't stepped back to understand your own bias, how would you ever realise the true answer is women are equal humans despite the way the world treats us? It's not correct and it comes from a place of homophobia where straights consider gayness a club they can join on a whim rather than a meaningful material experience, but it's understandable that's the leap being made.

You are right, it has gotten so much worse over the last six months. Maybe ABO has finally become truely accepted and now anyone feels they can put any genitals on any character like its a mix and match. Maybe trans ideology has finally fully taken over the majority of fandom spaces. Maybe actual gay writers and fans got sick of so much unwanted hetero we have started dropping out of popular fandom spaces.

Seriously trying to find gay fanfiction now is so much harder than ever before, but it's something people not in fandom spaces are missing because if you see nothing more than the characters in ships you'd think it was gay. Fandom spaces are becoming hostile to homosexuality in a way I wouldn't have predicted 10 years ago. I think they probably always were, tbh, it was just that misogynistic straight women didn't realise they had another option and could get by on the fetish until they found this solution.

[the-haikyuu-trash]

OIKAWA TOORU || happy birthday

in which oikawa got drunk and he forgot what his girlfriend looks like

word count : 749

tags : suggestive (?) , fluff , female reader , she/her pronouns, timeskip!oikawa, alcohol mentions, alcohol consumption

a/n : i have… 100 plus followers omg guys— thank u sm! (Is it because of the last post i made) i hope i get to interact with you guys more IF ONLY IK HOW TO RESPOND IN A SIDE BLOG ahhh <3 im suppose d to publish this on his birthday but i got lazy— happy birthday oikawa!

Oikawa couldn’t remember when was the last time he got really drunk but it feels like a very long time now that this time it feels like it was his first. The alcohol surging through his veins, anything from his point of view is blurry, the light of the party seems dimming and his body feels heavy with every step he takes.

Ah! Right, it’s his birthday and his highschool volleyball teammates planned to celebrate this special occasion is by dragging him to the club. It was fun, at first at least but now, there’s nothing more he wants but to go home… he swears he’s forgetting something—

“Hey baby,” a hand grabbed his arm and Oikawa suddenly jolted up awake, head is still in pain but he made an effort to look at the blurry woman in front of him. “You look like you’ve had your fun, c’mon, let’s get you home—“

“Don’t— don’t touch me.” He croaks out, prying his arm away from this unfamiliar (somehow familliar) woman in front of him, he looked away from her, looking at everything but her. “I have a girlfriend.” Oikawa prides in himself that he’s not a cheater like everybody paints him to be (absolutely loving the surprise look sent to his way when they find out they’re six years together.) and the bruenette would rather die if he lost the woman he loves with all his heart. The woman distanced herself, hand coming up to a mock defense, he turned his head to look at her and could see her red painted lips turned to a cheeky smile as she tilts her head to the side. “Oh yeah?” She mused. “What does your girlfriend looks like?”

Almost like an instinct, he reached out for his phone and opened the small device in his hand, the picture of a beautiful woman wearing silk pajamas, hair is all a mess and she’s eating messily of a cup noodle, looking innocently at the camera came to his view. God he loves this picture of his love so much that even in his drunken state a warm honest smile made it’s way to his lips.

“Here!” He boasted, pushing the phone to the woman to make her look at the lockscreen. “That’s—“ he stops, burping because of the alcohol before continuing; “that’s my girl!”

“I—“ she started, he could painstakingly make out her appearance slowly. “I told you to delete that picture, Tooru!”

Oikawa Tooru blinks. Again and again. Until his view became clearer slowly. Then it clicks, his breath knocked out of his chest to see his beautiful girlfriend wearing the dress he brought out for her, looking absolutely gorgeous and he swears this is the best birthday gift he could ever ask for.

“My baby.” He cooed, tucking back his phone in the pocket of his jeans and his hands finds her waist, pulling her close to him and immediately (Name) wraps her arm around his neck, a beaming smile sent to his way and his day suddenly ten times more special. He pressed his lips to her soft ones. “My one and only.” Another kiss to her nose. “My love of my life.” Another kiss to her jaw and (Name) couldn’t help but giggle at his affections.

Oikawa hummed, burrying his head to the crook of her neck, swaying slowly at the music with her. “I’m so happy you’re here with me.” He murmurs, wanting nothing more but to be in her arm in this moment. “I’m such a lucky man—“ he whines, feeling dramatic because of the alcohol but (Name) knows better, her man is always dramatic every single day. “you have no idea.”

“I love you too.” (Name) responds, a giddy smile om her lips and before Oikawa could even respond to her, he feels like throwing up that he pulls away, afraid staining her dress because he didn’t drank responsibly and whines. “I just wanna make out with you in the middle of the dance floor, baby.”

“I know, but how about a better idea and finish whatever plan you have for us back home?” (Name) suggested with a teasing smirk and Oikawa loves her and her ideas.

Somewhere in the corner of the club…

The three looked at eachother, Makki sent a cheeky look at the two and Matsukawa grinned.

“Oikawa’s getting it tonight—“

“Alright!” Iwaizumi slammed down his drink and point at the two with a knowing look. “How about you two get your asses out there and get a girlfriend, hm?”

[hidekomoon]

lgbt BOOKS i read this year ranked by how cool the lgbt plot was

1. this is how you lose the time war unlike anything i’ve read before. i didn’t know a blend of poetry, romance and science fiction was possible but i was completely mesmerized by it! it’s really an Experience

2. aristotle and dante dive into the waters of the world of course it was amazing. of course. what are you waiting for? read it 🗡️

3. one last stop really liked it. it’s better when you go in not knowing much so i’ll just say that it has the most relatable single bisexual early-20s main character (&all the characters are great), it’s set in new york and really makes it feel like home, and the plot will surprise you

4. first kill it’s just a short story but damn it’s everything i knew i needed. they’re making a tv show out of it and im already a fan. vampire x vampire hunter, but with girls?? come on 💕💕💕

5. on a sunbeam i am once again recommending tillie walden’s graphic novel to literally everyone. science fiction, beautiful art, fish spaceships, mysteries and secrets, lots of lesbians, no men, and one nb character who uses they/them

6. the seven husbands of evelyn hugo it’s actually really good! i couldn’t put it down (despite the length). dramatic but i love stories that span a lifetime; evelyn is very badass and relatable

7. kissing the witch: old tales in new skins feminist retelling of fairytales (like cinderella, snow white, etc). i loved it! the atmosphere was dreamy and grave at the same time, with a focus on witch characters and women’s empowerment. the medium of tales always makes for very meaningful stories and it was done perfectly here

8. she drives me crazy if you’re looking for a simple romcom with a bit of drama (but well written) this one is great! esp. for fake dating and enemies to lovers fans

9. written in the stars yeah well i am not immune to modern pride and prejudice retellings. if you’re into romantic comedies, astrology, and fake dating, you will like this one

10. crier’s war & iron heart interesting concept! it was well written and there’s a lot of potential here, even if some parts of the narrative felt a little too mechanical for me i still enjoyed it a lot

11. king of scars/rule of wolves nina zenik making all of fjerda open-minded one enemies to lovers romance at a time!! however it’s not the only plot, it’s more like a random subplot of nikolai and zoya’s story, so you can’t just read it for nina

12. the invisible life of addie larue i was pleasantly surprised when it was revealed that both mcs were bisexual. they both get the bare minimum of one ex of the same gender, and then have their m/f romance. the story was interesting though, urban fantasy deal with the devil type

13. the dark wife retelling of the myth of persephone but here hades is a woman. nice reimagination of the myth. the narration was a bit hard to follow though, maybe because the tone and style were unusual for me

14. history is all you left me i only read that one because the girl i like was obsessed with it, and i am obsessed with her. it’s super sad and basically deals with grieving your ex boyfriend who you still have feelings for, and then there’s some additional drama. not my favorite but not that bad i guess?

15. in the vanisher’s palace i liked the concept and what it tried to do but it just wasn’t long enough to make the story work. imo it needed more worldbuilding and a bigger focus on the relationships, esp. between the mc and her love interest

[ssamorganhotchner]

What I love most about Aaron Hotchner and all the fics I read about him is the fact that he loves me no matter what. Most of my relationships all my life (and I mean all) have been so conditional with love. If I do “what’s expected of me” or if I do as I am told (even if I have the right to say no and I can’t), then and only then am I worthy of love. But if I stand up for myself or do the “wrong thing” then I’m a hassle, a chore if you will.

But with Aaron (despite being fictional) it’s never like that. I know that I don’t have to hold my breath in hopes that he’s going to express his love or annoyance, because I don’t have to do things for him to love me. He loves me for me and everything I do.

So to all the fan fic writers out there writing for him, and thank you for keeping him alive. Especially thank you, for making me as comfortable I am.

oh anon <3

my previous relationship was also like that. i would go above and beyond for him, he never did the same for me (tbh he really never even did the bare minimum), and then when going above and beyond was expected (and i didn't do it), i was always the selfish one. i think everyone has had relationships like this, and when they happen, it's not a reflection of you.. it's them, i promise.

this. this is why i love fan fiction. men written by women are a different breed and i love them so much <3 and not to mention, when you read fan fiction, you're reading about you and your favorite person falling in love a million different ways. it's a great escape from day-to-day life and you always know that your person will be there for you no matter what.

this is why i write.

fictional men >>>>>>> real men

thomas gibson doesn't count because i'd marry that man in a heartbeat <3

[sillybub]

Your 3 least favorite numbers for the ask game ✌

20. How do you imagine the cats in your fiction? Ferals? Anthros? Or humans in costumes?

I don't like to think about it too much, but what I've started doing recently is like,, having a little of both?

I think that diegetically, they are literal cats, but due to the nature of the source material, they are capable of using fine motor skills such as holding and manipulating objects in their paws, so I get around that by being like.

So they are literally cats who Can Just Do That.  And if anyone sees, they will think "wow what a weird fucking cat" and move on with their day.

35. Which character do you feel that most people misinterpret?

Due to the highly up-to-interpretation nature of Cats, I think that it's hard to misinterpret, but what I will say is that I'm sick of the Himbo Tugger interpretation. He likes to mess around and have fun but like?? He's literally the guy who helps fix the tribe's biggest problem: Old Deuteronomy getting kidnapped. He keeps the tribe calm and comes up with a solution.

I think people just like to throw the word Himbo around to describe male characters too much in general tbh. Women aren't allowed to be sexy and stupid and still have value, but then when men show those same characteristics women are criticized for they get praised for it?? Odjfjdnwndnennff hngnnggn I'm off topic of the original question but I'm pressed about male characters doing the bare minimum and still getting more attention and love than the female characters

39. What AU or headcanon do you have that you feel embarassed or nervous to share with people?

Omegaverse AU and I'm not elaborating

[destiniesfic]

132 Hours, Chapter 3:

“Let me step on your back,” I say abruptly.

Previous

Read chapter 3 on AO3, or read below:

“Sherlock Holmes.”

I barely have to think about it. “Sherlock Holmes was an omega.”

“No.” Cardan sounds totally affronted. “No way. How can you even say that?”

For lack of anything better to do, we have been playing this game for nearly an hour. Mostly fictional characters, but some historical figures, too, who are up for debate. As much as alphas would love to lay claim to every known conqueror, it just isn’t realistic. Cardan and I have already gone back and forth on Alexander the Great and Ivan the Terrible and Ghengis Khan. Designations live in a kind of middle space between gender and sexual orientation, so people make assumptions based on the way you present in society, but also whether you’re an alpha, an omega, or a mythical beta is, technically, no one’s business but yours. So, especially in older stories, these things go unsaid or are discreetly left for the reader to surmise.

“Why would he be an alpha?” I challenge.

Cardan is sitting in his corner, one leg propped up, elbow on knee, same as before. He shrugs. “I mean, he feels empowered to take charge in crime scene investigations, he’s assertive—”

“You’re thinking of the BBC reboot,” I scoff. “The way Conan Doyle wrote his Holmes wasn’t like that. He was an expert, yes, and knew it, but he admitted it when someone bested him, and he went out of his way to help vulnerable people. People who had been scammed, or… single women.”

As bad as it seems for omegas and women—especially omega women—now, it would have been even worse in the stratified Victorian era. We still have our strata, but they were more codified then:

Alpha men

Alpha women/omega men (depending on the situation)

Omega women

And, of course, it was all way worse when race and class got thrown in. The point is that someone like Violet Smith of “The Solitary Cyclist”—a woman, assumed omega, and poor—would have been in real trouble without Holmes’ help.

“So he’s an omega because he’s nice to widows?” Cardan asks, with a glare.

“No, he’s an omega because he pays attention,” I reply. “Alphas don’t need to pay attention the way Sherlock Holmes does. You just waltz in and traipse all over whatever or whoever and always get your way. Who cares about the details when you’re an alpha? But Sherlock Holmes looks hard at the little things. You don’t do that if you don’t have to, if you’re not used to walking into a room and assessing threats, figuring out the balance of power. All the time. Because it’s exhausting, but you have to do it.”

Cardan is quiet for a beat too long, and I realize I may have actually said more about myself than about Sherlock Holmes. But he spares me by saying, “Surely we’re not all that bad.”

I make a noncommittal sound.

“Your dad’s an alpha, right?” he continues. “He took you and Taryn in after your parents died. He didn’t have to do that.”

I have to keep myself from snorting. No one who’s met Madoc would ever describe him as particularly nice or even giving. “Did you know Vivi has a pet conspiracy theory that he killed our parents in the first place?”

“What?”

“Not himself, obviously. That he hired someone to sabotage the car we were in.” I don’t know why I tell him. The second it leaves my mouth it feels like a family secret, or an in-joke I’m not supposed to share. But I can’t stop talking. “I mean, it was just luck we weren’t killed, Taryn and Vivi and I. But my parents’ car was new. The brakes shouldn’t have given out like they did. Anyway, Vivi thinks he took us in because he felt guilty.”

“I mean, that’s… crazy to think your dad was involved.” But Cardan says it too slowly, and hastens to add, “He isn’t a supervillain.”

“Yeah, I know. Just with everything that happened after, the way he swooped in, she was always suspicious.” I feel my mouth twitch, but I don’t know whether I want to smile or scowl. “I think she wanted us to be like The Boxcar Children and run away to live in the woods.”

“Well, you’re getting the one-room, no-running-water experience now.”

I catch myself smiling—he’s funny—and force my mouth into a frown, scouring our little room again for anything useful. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Even the socket that would hold a bare lightbulb is empty. Finally, my eyes settle on the one tiny window, set close to the ceiling, letting in a meager amount of natural light that does seem to have grown brighter as we talked.

“Let me step on your back,” I say abruptly.

“You want to what?”

“Step on your back,” I repeat, exasperated. “Are you tall enough to reach that window without a stool?”

“No?”

“Well, neither am I.” I fold my arms. “So I’m going to need you to give me a boost.”

He arches a critical eyebrow. “Why don’t you just sit on my shoulders?”

I blink at him. “Because… I thought you wouldn’t want to put your head anywhere near my crotch? Given how I reek and all.”

“But you thought I’d want to be stepped on? Jesus.” Cardan rubs a hand over his face. “What do you think I’m into? Look, I’ll crouch down, you get on my shoulders and look out the window. It’s not like I’m putting my face in your vag.” I shudder, and he adds, “We’ll never have to talk about it again. Okay?”

“Sounds great to me,” I say.

He nods and crouches down. I am not prepared for the way my heart thumps in my chest at the sight of the guy who made my life miserable since I was in seventh grade, who pushed me during gym, who whispered vile things in my ear whenever he could, who empowered other kids to do the same or worse waiting for me to climb onto his shoulders with his head bowed. It’s not real power, it’s just temporary, but it is intoxicating.

Then Cardan says, “Taking your time, huh?” and I snap out of it.

“Why the rush?” I ask. “Got somewhere to be?”

“I was thinking anywhere but here would be great.” He looks up at me. “Whenever you’re ready.”

I swing my legs over him and let him hoist me up on his shoulders. I haven’t exactly been invited to participate in a ton of games of chicken fight in the pool, so it’s been some time since anyone carried me like this. Maybe not since Taryn and I were very small, just after our parents died, when Madoc would help us get things from high kitchen shelves. I gasp when I’m lifted. Cardan is strong enough that it seems effortless, but I also hear him let out a small grunt.

“Not a word,” I say, dreading the jab he might make about my weight. “Move me closer to the window.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Cardan mutters, but he obliges.

I am extremely conscious of his hands on my bare thighs, the way his muscles shift under my shoulders. Some alphas, like the guy who tried to grab me at the party, are kind of muscle-bound in an unattractive way. Not Cardan. Cardan has just the right amount to be fit and lean, with the bare minimum amount of body fat, but not so much muscle that he tips over into ungraceful. He’s a sports car of a person, lithe and elegant. It’s no mystery why his shirtless TikToks get so many views.

I get my hands on the windowsill so he’s not bearing my full weight, and then I groan. “Bad news.”

“What?”

“Well, I definitely can’t fit through here. I can kind of see the sky, so I would guess it’s maybe ten a.m. Otherwise there’s just a window well. Plastic and dirt. I can’t make out our surroundings at all.” I sigh. “We’re in a basement.”

There’s an awkward pause, and then Cardan says, “At least we know for sure.”

“Yeah. Put me down?”

He does, and we go back to our respective seats, mentally reviewing what we know. The only door is, of course, locked from outside. The floor is bare concrete, the ceiling exposed insulation and tubing, so we might be in a storeroom of some kind, or an unfinished basement in an older house. Our kidnappers left us with absolutely nothing, so no phones. Even my keychain, with the Swiss army knife Madoc gave me before my first summer at sleep-away camp, is gone.

We are growing hungrier and more sullen with each passing minute when there is a knock at the door.

Cardan and I glance at each other from our opposite sides of the room. “Um,” I say. Are kidnappers supposed to be polite?

Cardan shrugs one shoulder, then straightens up, lifting his chin in a decidedly imperious way. Trying to summon some air of command, some macho alpha-ness that will help us out of this. It could work—it is half working on me, I begrudgingly admit to myself, because my stupid brain is wired that way—if we weren’t both grimy from sitting on the floor and still a little woozy from the drugs.

“Come in,” he calls.

The door is opened slightly, and the first thing to poke through it is the barrel of a pistol. A 9mm, by the looks of it. Cardan’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows.

“You kids willing to behave?” comes a voice. It’s a man’s voice, strangely melodious. I was expecting the sandpapery roughness of an old-school gangster. I know it’s stereotypical, but I’ve never been kidnapped before, and it’s not like they make a manual.

Cardan and I glance at each other again. I’m not sure what we’re looking to find in each other’s faces.

“Yeah,” I say. “We’re good.”

“Oh, good. I’d hate to shoot you.” The man pushes the door open the rest of the way, and I have to press my lips shut to keep from gasping. There are disfiguring scars that cut across his cheeks, down his jaw, even one across the bridge of his nose. I’m not even sure what makes scars like that, jagged and rough-edged. If it was a knife, it wasn’t clean work. Someone was making a point.

I am immediately relieved, though, because his resonant voice had made me think we could be dealing with a real alpha, someone whose words hold command. This man is of average height, average build. If not for the scars, for the obviously broken nose, he would be totally unremarkable.

“Who are you?” Cardan asks. I am reluctantly impressed that he manages to sound haughty in this situation. He’s sitting up straight with his back against the wall, one leg outstretched, the other bent, his foot planted on the floor. He’s resting his elbow on that knee, like it’s all effortless.

“Breakfast service,” replies the man, still pointing the pistol at us. He tosses a McDonald’s bag into the room, then he and the gun retreat, and the door shuts behind him. We hear the click of a lock and then, to my horror, the sound of a deadbolt sliding into place.

Cardan exhales and reaches for the bag.

“Don’t!” I exclaim. “Seriously, it might be drugged.”

“It—what?” he asks. “Now you decide to care about whether the food is drugged? This isn’t Flowers in the Attic, Jude. We’re hostages. They want to ransom us. They’re not going to poison us.”

I blink at him. “Flowers in the Attic? You’ve read a book?”

He rolls his eyes and reaches for the bag. “Well, if you’re not going to eat it, I will.”

When he opens the bag, the smell of sausage grease and egg hit me like a truck. My stomach growls. I am suddenly very aware that the last time I ate was before the party, and my nerves had kept me from eating much then. “What… is it?”

“Two McMuffins.” He looks up at me. “See? They don’t want to starve us. They’re keeping us alive.”

“They could still tamper with them. Sedatives or something. Keep us complacent, keep us from doing what we’re going to do, which is try to escape.”

Cardan arches an eyebrow. “Has anyone ever told you you’re unbelievably paranoid?”

I think of Taryn and purse my lips. “Did you know it wouldn’t kill you to take something seriously?”

He holds up one hand, fingers spread wide. “Okay. How about this. I eat a McMuffin because I am fucking starving, and if they put anything in it it’ll get me and work through my system faster. You can stay up scheming or whatever. If nothing happens after like fifteen minutes, you get to eat yours. Or if you decide to be stubborn, I’ll eat it. Deal?”

“It’ll be cold and gross.” I cross my arms. “But fine.”

“Good.” Cardan takes a McMuffin out of the bag—his hands are so big that it barely looks like enough food for him—and devours it in what must be record time. I turn my head away.

“Where’s the nearest McDonald’s, do you think?” I ask

“Huh?”

“We were in East Hampton. They don’t have one there.”

“Uh-huh. That’s a good point.” I look back to see Cardan sucking grease off his thumb. “Dunno. Closer to the middle of the island, maybe?”

“Maybe,” I echo quietly. Without knowing how long we were out, it seems impossible to figure out where they could have taken us. “You’re right. We couldn’t be in the city.”

Cardan shakes his head. “Nah, don’t think so. Too quiet, and like you said, that’s definitely daylight, so people’d be out and about.”

“Yeah,” I say, looking up at the window.

He looks at the window, too, but doesn’t say anything, and we lapse into silence. It’s strange, to be sharing space with him, to be quiet. I could never have imagined anything like it, not with our fraught history. There’s no world in which Cardan Greenbriar and I could be friends, but, at least temporarily, we are not enemies.

“Did you like it?” I asked at last, when the silence stops being neutral and begins to make me feel anew how tired and tense I am.

“Like what?”

“Flowers in the Attic.”

“Oh.” He blinks twice, his dark eyelashes fluttering. “I read it a few years ago, but, yeah. I did. You know, it was nice to read about a family that was more fucked up than mine.” He raises his eyebrows. “Spicy, too.”

I scoff. “How can your family be so fucked up you’d read a gothic novel for catharsis?”

Cardan drums his fingers on his knee. “How much do you know about my family?”

“You’re old money. One of those alpha families that claims they’re pure alpha for generations.” Which is pretty much impossible, but everyone in that tier of society tells the same lie. Half the kids in my school claim to be pure alpha, and on paper both of their parents are alphas. But while alpha men and women can reproduce—they have the right gametes—it’s not easy. More likely omega egg donors, and, before that, omega surrogates who were well-paid. It’s no wonder they see us as breeders.

I start ticking off additional facts on my fingers. “Your great-grandfather was one of the great American magnates, but it was his alpha daughter, Mab Greenbriar, who really made something of his millions. Your dad was her only son, so he inherited the whole corporation. You have five older siblings: Balekin, Elowyn, Dain, Caelia, Rhyia—”

Cardan holds up both his hands. “Yeah, yeah. I get the point.”

“It’s all on Wikipedia.” I shrug, and to sound less like a weird stalker, I add, “And Vivi and Rhyia are like best friends.”

“You know, and I know you said it before, but I do forget Vivienne’s your sister. She’s so cool.”

I roll my eyes. “Thanks.”

I get it, though. He probably thinks Vivi’s cool because she’s an alpha, but she also gets points for being the family rebel. Her biological dad, Madoc, adopted us all after the car crash that killed our parents, but she never wanted to be the natural successor he hoped for. Now she plays rugby at an all-girls’ college, has three cartilage studs and a septum piercing, shaves half her head, and is defiantly, unapologetically queer. It’s a different path than I would take, but marching to the beat of your own drum is definitely something that appeals to people.

“By the way,” Cardan says, “it’s been a few minutes and I feel fine. Well, as fine as one can feel having eaten only one McMuffin. I don’t feel any worse.”

“Okay.” I hold out my hand. “Toss me the bag.”

The bag crinkles when he picks it up, then he looks inside. “I think I’m owed a poison taster’s fee.”

“Huh?”

Cardan takes my McMuffin out of the bag, takes a bite out of it, then drops it back in the bag, which he proceeds to lob at my head. I catch it, face wrinkling in disgust. “Ew!”

“What? I need the calories more.”

I shake the bag at him. “I am not eating this,” I huff.

“We split the water bottle. That didn’t kill you.” Cardan sits back against the wall and closes his eyes. “Besides, who knows when they’re going to decide to feed us again?”

“You’re all so gross,” I mutter as I open the bag and pull out my breakfast. He’s right, and I hate that he’s right. I also hate that my hunger is enough to overcome my revulsion, at both the stolen bite and the undeniable fact that my McMuffin is now cold. I stuff it in my mouth, devouring the rest of it in only a few bites.

“Who’s gross?” he asks. “Alphas? Boys?”

“Alpha boys,” I inform him, with my mouth full.

“Big words from somebody whose designation’s known for leaking fluids everywhere.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “We’re not the only designation that leaks,” I point out. “We’re just the only one that gets shit for it. We’re the ones who’re thought of as gross while you and your type get to go around ruling the world.”

“Oh, sure. That has nothing to do with the way you guys are totally incapacitated for three straight days if you don’t take your drugs.”

“If we don’t get out of here, you’ll be just as screwed as I am,” I snap. “Stuck in a room with me? You won’t have a chance. We’re both going to become brainless fuck machines if that happens, so… shut the hell up.”

He does, to my surprise. I do too. I wipe my greasy hands on the McDonald’s bag, then crumple it into a little ball and toss it into the corner of the room. My anger is a living thing, running through my veins like electricity, vibrating under my skin. It’s been there for so long, but I would never have dared to say that to his face before. The rest of our situation is so absurd, so dire, it feels like there are no consequences for mouthing off at him.

That’s dumb, of course. There are always consequences. But at least they won’t be coming anytime soon.

“‘Brainless fuck machines,’” Cardan whispers quietly, and then he snickers.

“You—shut up,” I say, feeling unlikely mirth bubbling at the corners of my mouth. Cardan lets out another huff of laughter, and then I am giggling, and he’s laughing outright, clutching at his stomach. It’s ridiculous, all of my nerves coming out like that, but he’s laughing and it feels like there’s nothing for me to do but laugh too.

“Oh, man,” he says, wiping at his eyes. “I didn’t know you were a poet.”

“I’m serious!” I squeal, my abs cramping from laughing and trying not to laugh harder all at once. “That’s what happens!”

“God.” Cardan lets his head fall softly into the corner. “We are so screwed.” He points one finger up in the air. “Metaphorically. So far.”

“Jesus.” I cover my face with both of my hands. “Jesus.”

“Jesus was an alpha.”

I peek at him through my fingers. “He was not. He literally said ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega.’”

“I’m just fucking with you.” Cardan grins, his hair flopping in his face, but then his cheer vanishes abruptly. “Wait, you’re not actually religious, are you?”

I shake my head. “Not really.” But I still know that common theology holds that Jesus—and angels, and any other holy beings I don’t know about—are not alphas or omegas, but they aren’t betas, either. They are all things and nothing. Must be a good life. I pull my hands down and squint at him. “Were you worried about offending me?”

“Me?” Cardan shakes his head to toss his hair out of his face. “Nah.”

“Well, good.” I cross my arms again. “Because you’ve never cared before, and it’d really freak me out if you started now. Then I’d know we were both losing it for real.”

“I just thought…” He shrugs. “I mean, it’d be nice if one of us believed in something. That praying could help. I’d like to believe that. Seems tidy.”

“Yeah.” I let my cheek fall against the cold wall, too, and blink away the memories of screaming at the night sky, demanding someone give me my parents back. I can’t fall into that pit. I will not.

I just say, “I stopped believing that anyone was listening a long time ago.”

Cardan scratches at the wall with his finger. “Me too, Duarte,” he said. “Me too.”

Next

[discotreque]

Disco 3.3: People of Earth

That's three for three on episodes making me sob-while-smiling through the credits. Like sure, I'll cry at anything, including plenty of times in the past two seasons, but this bittersweet grief-spiked hope is new to the show's emotional repertoire. And maybe it's where I'm at in my personal life these days, maybe it's a little more universal—but for some reason "grief-spiked hope" is really hitting right now.

Spoilers from Stardate 865211.3(!):

This season continues to just luxuriate in character moments that used to feel conspicuously rushed. Saru and Michael have been rivals-turned-friends and colleagues for close to a decade now, through some of the worst shit of both of their lives, and here the script finally lets them show all the love and tenderness and camaraderie that so far have mostly been between the lines of Sonequa and Doug's performances.

And her reunion with Tilly? And the conversation in front of the memorial wall, and Tilly understanding that she might never understand what's happened to Michael, but accepting it anyway, and loving her as fiercely and unconditionally as ever??? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

And then Georgiou tries to give Book the shovel talk re: Michael and he just shuts. her. DOWN. And manages to do it with such smooth charm that I didn't even fear for his life? Grudge is a queen and I think we've found our king, folks.

Not to MENTION how every Bookham(?) interaction just fucking sparkles with chemistry. I'm almost always Team "Let Men and Women Be Platonic" but I mean... I'll make an exception for these two 🥵 And it's not just how desperately I need them to smash—I'm not sure if Michael herself realized it this episode, not in so many words, but it was painfully clear to me that Discovery isn't her home anymore: Book is. And that's beautiful, tbh—everyone should have someone who feels like that, especially Michael Burnham—but it's also a heavy moment of change, and I just really want to see her come out the other side of this happy.

Hey Paul! I know Hugh's not in this episode, but you could at least ask your partner before you go ahead and adopt a whole-ass teenager. I must have rtmisunderstood the pre-season press: I went into this assuming Adira was a Trill, or at least (in the absence of spots) a host, so the big "twist" didn't really land for me. But I already like Blu in "cute chaotic nerd kid" mode, so I'm interested to see what they'll do with "old soul Starfleet admiral" if the plot takes us there.

(I guess I'm just going to avoid using pronouns for the character of Adira until that whole situation is a little clearer? I'm assuming we go to Trill next week, dip Adira in worm juice or something to integrate Admiral Tal's consciousness, and then "Adira Tal" will start using they/them pronouns—but who fucking knows. Mainly I wish Disco would stop issuing self-congratulatory press releases every time they do the bare fucking minimum, but I’m a cranky old queer lady like that.)

Anyway. They're striking a better balance so far this season between episodic plots and an overarching, uh, arc—not so surprising, maybe, given steadier leadership in the writers' room—and I thought the hostile, isolationist United Earth and the Ndoye-vs.-Wen story in this ep were the perfect size and shape to fit between all the longer-term plot points swirling around.

Good news and bad news: I'm back to being more worried about Detmer's fictional well-being than meta-concerned the writers are going to bring back Control via her implant. If you think about it, except for the proximity to her head wound, there's been no in-text suggestion that anything's wrong with her actual cybernetics, and those frightened outbursts this week seemed 100% psychological. So that's promising for the quality of the story, I guess, but I can also tell Emily Coutts and Oyin Oladejo are both winding up to smack me right in the feels with this storyline :(

Okay, so let's talk about what turned out to be the emotional centre of the episode for me: Saru becoming captain of Discovery. And I'm conflicted. I love Saru, and I'd bet he's going to be one of the all-time great Star Trek captains, but... Michael Burnham should have been captain from the very beginning of the series. Or at least by the end of Season 1. And I don't doubt that changed when the concept of the whole show changed during development, from an anthology with standalone seasons to what we actually got. Michael was originally conceived to be a one-season character with a one-season arc, and in the process of writing themselves out of that corner, they wrote themselves into a few new ones.

And I guess it makes sense for both characters at this point in their narratives. And all other factors being equal, a non-ensemble Star Trek with a first officer protagonist is more compelling to me than one focused on a captain. Also, I suspect Michael has even more interesting things to do this season than captain a starship.

But... I don't know. It was a nice moment, and well-executed. There were just too many meta-issues floating around—which have been floating around since 2016, tbh—for me to fully enjoy it. Especially compared to the scene of Michael joining Saru on the bridge at the end, in which Sonequa and Doug outdid themselves yet again <3, and which told us even more about each character and their (beautiful, painful, familial) relationship, and which didn't leave me feeling nearly as :/

I spent most of Picard S1 waiting for the whole season to be released to decide how I felt about it, very much in a "hopefully I'll like it by then" kind of way. Lower Decks started out pretty good, got great, then ended the season halfway through becoming fucking amazing, and I had so much fun I barely even stopped to think about how much fun I was having.

So far Disco S3 has me consciously waiting to form an overall opinion, but not because I'm waiting to like it—because I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it. I've loved each of the three episodes so far, but they're clearly parts of a larger whole, of which I'm really, really excited to see more.

Next week: I don't actually remember, lol. I have a strict only-watch-the-trailer-once policy, and when I watched it yesterday morning, the only part of my brain not still crying about Michael and Saru was distracted by how much I love this season's new STAR TREK: DISCOVERY logotype. I think they go to Trill? Culber is back, and Tilly was definitely there... and that's about all I got. Should be fun!

[lucky-dreamfisher]

Meanwhile, in an alternate universe:

Redditor: Hi, Mike! Are there any minorities in your games?

Mike: Of course, there are! As you may remember from the novel, Joey values talent above all else and his studio hires many minorities, despite the times. And if you look at our vast BATIM and BATDR cast, it really shows! Just to give you two examples - Norman is black, and Lacie is Native American (pay no mind to the fact that they’re both voiced by white people, you have my word that these characters are meant to be minorities).

As for LGBT people, let’s just say that there’s a reason why Grant never married ;)

Sorry for not making it more clear in the game, as straight white men, writing diversity isn’t our strong suit. Thankfully, this AMA is our chance to reach out to our many minority fans and show them that they matter to us!

Redditor: Thank you so much for this answer, Mike! There’s a lot of bigots in fandom

who give people a hard time for having POC headcanons

and LGBT headcanons.

I don’t understand this, because no one ever questions it when people headcanon characters as white and straight, and demands from them a justification for that, so why would anyone want a reason for headcanoning these characters as anything else? It’s almost like, in the absence of canonical diversity, all characters are presumed to be white and straight by default!

Hopefully, your answer will make them suck up and accept that your game is as diverse as the world around us!

Mike: Oh, sure, I definitely wouldn’t want our fandom to become a place, where bigots feel right at home, while our minority fans feel invisible and unwelcome, not just in real life, but also in the place they come for escapism! Even Blizzard makes the bare minimum of an attempt to be inclusive, and we’d never stoop down to Disney’s level, with giving LGBT people a lip service, but keeping them out of sight in our works! After all, a major theme in Bendy is calling out corporations like Disney for all their wrongdoings, how could we be so hypocritical as to do the same ourselves? Especially after we’ve strongly implied that two major beloved characters in our games are black, only to whitewash both of them later. That came out looking very bad, so I hope that my answers here today can make up for it!

I mean, what would it say about us, if we couldn’t conceive of the possibility of one of those many voices we hear throughout the game to have belonged to someone with a slightly darker skin tone, or someone with a lover of the same gender? Our fans have no trouble imagining the characters with a vast palette of skin colors and romantic preferences, and we’re not going to be outdone by them! As writers and storytellers, we pride ourselves in our vast and rich imagination. Writing fantasy and science fiction is all about adding flavor and variety to the world, not taking most of it away! Plus, it sure would be nice to look at the fanart and know right away, which character is depicted, heh!

Redditor: It means so much to hear these words from you, Mike! Turns out you’re a much nicer person than you came across lately! Love your game, btw! 

Mike: I’m sure you’ll love BATDR as well! It’s coming out very soon, actually, we have 50 people working on it! <3

[briek58454521]

Let’s rant about bigotry in media and fake allies.

.Look. I get it. You want to believe that your cartoons, media and celebs are completely perfect darlings that can do no wrong, but let me be frank. I don’t care how much you don’t want to talk about it. I care about the creators who keep inviting the discourse their way through their idiocy. Whenever a creator gets in trouble for doing shit like making jokes about slave hats on a live stream, or including a blackface caricature in an art book, or killing off their gays the very episode they come out or are introduced, there’s always a subset of people who say shit like, “it was a mistake, they didn’t mean it. It kinda gives us as a leftist community a bad name when we keep attacking each other like this”.

Let’s dismantle that. And let’s break this down in three basic points I’ll use throughout. 1. It is not your place to accept an apology that was not for you, especially when in regards to racism, sexism, anti-LGBTA+ bigotry, and anti-semitism. 2. We need to stop lumping in actual criticism with alt-right idiots being shitty about marginalized groups existing, because ultimately, infighting is not the end of the world, and disagreements are not inherently bad. They are a fact of life. 3.  Most importantly of all, just because these people claim to be allies, that does not mean that they are. Because make no mistake. CARTOONS ARE NOT ANY LESS EFFECTED BY THE BIASES OF THE ENVIRONMENTS WHICH PRODUCED THEM THAN ANY OTHER WORK OF ART.

Now. Let’s break down that shit completely.

1. I used those examples as a jumping-off point, but in general, this shit always happens. A creator fucks up, they get criticism which was unquestionably earned, they get rightfully dragged, and the creator uses the backlash to garner sympathy from their audiences and paint their critics in a bad light and whine about Cancel Culture. NOW, I already talked about that in another post, but basically, it doesn’t exist, and is used as a weaponized shield from criticism. 

Thing about all of that as well is when the creators keep bringing up how they didn’t mean it like that. Most people would answer this with, “doesn’t matter, what matters is what you did”, but there’s something else that people don’t talk about. This is usually a bunch of white people excusing this shit. Or otherwise, a bunch of people who weren’t actually affected by the latest controversy. And therein lies the rub. Allies, let me put it this way. WHEN THE SUBJECT OF THE CRITICISM IS ABOUT THE PORTRAYAL OF MINORITIES IN MEDIA, YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO EXPECT SAID MINORITIES TO FORGIVE THOSE CREATORS WHEN YOU WERE NOT AFFECTED BY IT.

Remember the Lana Del Rey controversy, where her dumbass ended up getting shit for her statement filled with venom towards other artists? Could have been cleared up if she had just accepted that she messed up and didn’t word her statement correctly, but no. She lashed out at the people who told her it was kinda racist to lump a bunch of black female artists into a conglomerate of artists who just, “twerk, cheat, have sex, and get money”, and dismissing feminism as needing to accommodate women “like her, who were more delicate”, perpetuating inadvertently to the idea that black women are less delicate, white women are petite, demure, and need to have a place above the others. AND LOOK, it’s how she responded that sealed it. Accusing her critics of being the actual racists, who hate women, and conflating the criticism with.....ugh....a FUCKING RACE WAR. Do I EVEN need to explain the problem with that?

The point is that it was idiotic of her to assume that she didn’t deserve the criticism because she “technically didn’t mean it”, when ultimately, she wasn’t the victim, she wasn’t the one who ACTUALLY got hurt by all of this, and that most of the criticism WAS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR as vitriolic as Lana accused it of being. And people do this to minorities all the fucking time. Where the praise for the work is what matters, but then they’re just upset and looking to be upset about things when they....sorry, when WE have shit to say about the fuckups. Constantly, minorities are expected to praise bare minimum bullshit lest we have self proclaimed “””””allies””””” get pissy that we aren’t playing along. Well, sorry, but, I think it be time to stop with that shit. It doesn’t matter how pure you think that person is. If the people who are the actual part of the controversy have shit to say about it, MAYBE LISTEN TO THEM instead of trying to force people to accept the apology that wasn’t even yours to accept, nor was it for you to shove in our faces to shut us up. And if you dislike that I’m saying that, just know. That’s exactly what you’re doing when you pull that shit.

2. As simply as I can put it, complaining about how a trans person is portrayed badly is not the same as complaining ABOUT the presence of a trans person, and to lump that shit onto the other pile is dishonest and willfully ignorant. When we keep getting upset about the tone, or upset about, “WAAAH, they said a me-no-like”, and lump that in with the actual facists looking to erase us from the history books, we are doing half of their job for them, and normalizing shit like what I saw the other day, where on Twitter, some asshole complained, “Anime is supposed to be an escape from reality. Adding black people to it kinda ruins the point.”

I’m gonna talk about it in the next point, but for now, understand this. NO ONE says shit like that just out of the blue without having it come from somewhere, and that attitude is all too prevalent.

In cartoons especially, criticism of the NB lizard from She-Ra is not being bigoted towards non-binary people, because the use of a fucking lizard to portray them is the ACTUALLY bigoted thing. And to lump in criticism of that with the criticism of She-Ra not being conventionally attractive enough for men to masturbate to the fucking minor is only going to long-term HARM any discourse. Because having these conversations as well as discussing these issues and educating each other about them is how we AVOID THEM. Criticism is not just a vector for asshole conservatives to be pissy about your existence. It’s also a veritable TREASURE TROVE for how not to fuck your shit up. And when we all get it, we learn. I get it, you don’t want to do shit wrong, but when you do, as everyone will, the backlash will burn itself out, and once you’ve fixed it, people will be very forgiving. Because, and it’s gonna sound mean....THAT’S HOW AUDIENCES WORK. THEY WANT TO FORGIVE YOU FOR WHEN YOU DO SHIT WRONG. So just...fix it. And listen. Yeah, you’ll get called stupid, you’ll get called “moron”, but you will have saved yourself from getting that shit ten times worse later on down the line. BEAR IN MIND, THOUGH, any of you already typing about how that’s enabling cyberbullying under the guise of critique, IT’S NOT. There’s a wealth of difference between the two, and trying to distract from the point with that is just a red herring. So stop with that.

And now....for the biggest one of all.

3. See...here’s the thing. About that anime douche. That doesn’t happen in JUST anime. It’s been around for decades, and has been a thing to this day. The WoW community got upset about womz being in power for the past 15 years, and have gotten on their high horse about black people being in the game, stating that if they were around sooner, maybe it wouldn’t, “SEEM TOO POLITICAL”, with that Asmongold jackass trying to start a second wave of GamerGate because one of the people at Blizzard said, “Black Lives Matter”. Fantasy as a genre has been so rooted in racism, that the inclusion of goblins for the most part is synonymous with anti-semitism towards Jewish people. Captain Marvel was pilloried for the past two years because the mean lady said that shit needs to change and wasn’t too nice, and also, me don’t like her too much. Basically, tone policing over a personality that we still give Howard Stern a platform for. In cartoons, the inclusion of black people is seen as an inherently political opinion. The rumors of Gen 6 Apple Jack possibly having a black voice actress prompted comments such as:

“The thiing with AJ is clearly anti-white/conservatist as a response to Trump America. What is opposite of country redneck female? Of course, and urban black woman.”

“It’s the fact that she’s black that bothers me.”

“Killing a blonde freckled Southern character for some political agenda is the last thing I want to see.”

The news of Velma Dinkley being gay was immediately pounced upon with shit about a homosexual agenda, and constant bullshit about how it was so forced, or whatever. This shit always happens, and is gonna keep happening. You know why?

Because the entertainment industry is not ready to accept minorities. The games industry is not ready to accept minorities. Cartoons are still not ready to accept minorities. They accept them for a moment, until those minorities challenge someone’s ego. Fans embrace a character until they’re a woman, or a POC, or on the spectrum, or LGBTA+. The existence of us is denigrating to these idiots’ escape, not from reality, but from us. It’s bad enough that they have to put up with us in the real world, but even worse that they have to see us in fictional shows that aren’t real.’ Us merely BEING AROUND is a bad thing, and to ask for some improvements is met with bemoaning about agendas.

Supposed allies begin and end their support with how much money we put in their wallets and how much we stroke their egos about how woke they are, and actual allies are lumped in with actual offenders. If we get upset that a show they’ve posited as so enlightening is actually the utter pits and not in any way healthy, they get upset. Tell a Reylo they’re shipping something toxic and dangerous, they’ll get upset and yell racial slurs at John Boyega for sitting next to Daisy Ridley. Say, “Fuck Arthas”, people get upset jump down your throat about how you hate forgiveness. Tell people that the Grinch ought not to be forgiven, people get upset you’re strawmaned about how you hate forgiveness.

They just don’t understand, or care about the essential fact about all of this. As I said earlier. The environments which produce the worst of offenders in these fields, and the problems we hate seeing so much are in no way less affected by the biases that they were cultivated by. And media has never been any more ready to accept minorities as people and as worthy of being portrayed as people than literally anywhere else right now. And speaking up about that is what gets these fake allies mad, especially when they LIKE the media. What makes these people so mad is not the troubling portrayal of POC, or women, or minorities. Not that we are routinely ostracized for existing in cartoons, not that this shit happens at all. They don’t give a flying fuck about any of that. It’s the thing that they have to put up with as a result of that that makes them the most upset.

Criticism. And they don’t like that.

And no matter whether or not these cartoons are made by bootlickers, or this movie was made by a TERF,  or if this creator has a history of blackface, racism, or has made garbage statements about women, if you aren’t nice and considerate enough towards their feelings, you’ll make them, and us, the allies, feel uncomfortable. NO DWAMA, just not too divisive feedback that’s ultimately worthless as it was made purely to try to appease idiots and the people most affected by these issues at the same time, meaning it had to be watered down past the point of no return in order for us to factor it in with our jaded mindsets and worldviews that are the direct cause of the problems we complain about, yet keep exacerbating through our ignorance and unwillingness to change.

If you aren’t like that, and don’t believe you should be lumped in with that, don’t behave as if you are that sort of person. But, even then, if you aren’t...listen to the actual experts. Stop listening to some white guy’s idiotic hot takes about black rep, and actually listen to black people. Listen to trans people instead of some cis white chick with no understanding of trans issues. Stop platforming the worst of offenders within these communities as the bestest ever. And most importantly....

remember that horses don’t exist.

[fyrapartnersearch]

Sci-fi shenanigans!

Hello ladies, gents and fellow rpers. After having a writing blast and seeing how I’ve got room for some more partners I’ve decided to come back in search of some partners who are interested in what I’m looking for.I’ve got a good ten or so odd years of rping experience under my belt but any potential partners do not necessarily have to have the same experience, they simply need to fit under these three things: -third person only with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. - at least one small (no less than seven lines) paragraph per post as well as being willing to write more if the situation calls for it. Please do not contact me intending to give me only small paragraphs with each response as the above is simply the bare minimum I’ll accept if there’s not much going on in the rp that warrants a full paragraph. -no one liners, one worders, script talk, poorly written sentences or just laziness in general. This isn’t terribly much to ask for as picky as it sounds. An important thing I shall mention is that NSFW (i don’t fade to black nor do I care when the smut happens. Just please don’t leave me once the smut has happened like lots of people seem to unfortunately do) and dark themes are a thing that occur in all my rp’s so I require you to at least be eighteen before you reach out to me. I will not accept anyone younger than 18 since I myself am in my early twenties. Underaged characters are also a no go as well. Please know that I’m in the eastern Australian time zone but almost any time zone Is compatible for me as I am awake at very odd hours. Another important thing I shall add is that you must be able to post at least once or more a day and if I don’t get any response after two weeks then I shall simply move on (only exception is if you notify me beforehand as to why you may not be able to post for a while. I’m not that vicious). I only rp as male characters, as it’s simply my preference, but I will do either MxM or MxF pairings. I will not double and I do not play multiple characters. I don’t do sub/dom dynamics when it comes to any aspect of the relationship. My characters are also non human (they’re aliens since this is a sci-fi rp after all) but what species your character is doesn’t matter to me at all as long as it’s not some god modded Mary Sue. Please remember that alien simply means a creature not from earth. Aliens can have fur, scales, feathers, etc, depending on where they come from. An alien with fur or scalies is not a furry or a scalie and please do not refer to them as such as it’s rude to label someone’s character as something they’re not. I will not write with someone who will insist that the theory of chimpanzees and humans unable to crossbreed should apply to hybrid characters regardless of whether they’re alien/alien or human/alien. This is fiction, not reality. Please also do not control my characters or dictate their actions. My characters are also premade and only have descriptions, I don’t do face claims or pics. I also do not care if you make a character up on the spot. Please remember that this is a sci-fi rp and that I will not accept requests to do fandoms or any genre that doesn’t fit within the category of sci-fi.i will not accept a character that has no place in a sci-fi rp either like a dragon,harpy,demon, elf or some other fantasy creature. I do have a few ideas and I’ve listed them down below: Space criminals and the law: *humans and aliens have been living amongst each other side by side ever since humanity dared to venture beyond the Milky Way and made first contact with aliens. With the solar system no longer being man’s only playground other planets were quickly colonised under the new alliance between extraterrestrials and Homo sapiens. Whether you were an alien, human or a hybrid did not matter in the known galaxies. All that mattered was who you were. Not everyone took to the integration very well (there were numerous protests on both sides) but most people were willing to share in the hopes of peace. Not everyone had good intentions though……* Trouble in the alien kingdom: *the planet of (insert generic planet name here) was one of prosperity, hardship and wealth. The kingdom of (insert generic kingdom name here) was ruled by a king and a queen whose heir was betrothed to a rival planet in the hopes that a political marriage would prevent another war from happening. Only problem was that no one could see the rival planets true plans….all but one. Unfortunately no ones going to listen to a deranged commoner who probably may not even be telling the truth. What’s one to do when no one will listen?* Exile: *The wind howled as thunder crashed and shrieked all around the abandoned cargo ship. Rain pelted the metal hull, turning the ground into a cold, treacherously slippery and muddy shallow river. The ship itself had crashed into the planet countless centuries ago and was slowly being reclaimed by the environment. Plants grew from cracks in the floor as moss and vines decorated the walls. A figure sat miserably hunched in what was once the cockpit of the ship, their only shelter from the raging elements outside but not from the storm that raged inside of them. The figure leapt to their feet as the sounds of footsteps in the mud drew closer and they held their breath. Who would dare to venture out here on such a miserable night?* War of the worlds: *humans and aliens were never meant to coexist peacefully with one another. There was too much fear, Too much misinformation and too much bias on both sides for such a thing to have ever been successful. It was the humans fault that the war had started. They were the ones who’d shot down the alien ship that had been packed with specially chosen diplomats that represented each alien race known to the galaxies they dwelled in that had been on their way to earth to negotiate a truce and a plan for peace. They hadn’t even hesitated to shoot the ship full of aliens yet they’d been surprised when war had been declared on the spot. Two races. Two worlds so different yet the same fighting one another for what was either a mistake or intentional murder.* Rehab: *The UGWP alliance (unite the galaxies for the protection of all worlds and for peace alliance) portrayed themselves as calm, charismatic and kind men and women who held only the thoughts of a life together with all species living happily together. They advertised campaigns for inter species jobs, provided information to the public about human/alien interactions and encouraged diversity amongst planets. Their rehabilitation program for troublesome fellows was considered to be a god send to try and cut down on the amount of space related crimes. No one ever questioned what went on beyond the closed doors to the facility, if they did, the UGWP would have their darkest secrets revealed. Something they strove to keep under wraps. When the arrival of a particularly wild prisoner occurs, the threat of their first failure and first escaped prisoner is lurking around the corner.* (Important point of notice: in this rp idea I’d be playing said prisoner, I don’t mind if you choose to be one as well.) Academy days: *the galaxy alliance and military defence force academy was one of the most respected training academies in the known galaxies. Men, women, aliens, humans and all of those who were in between went there to study, train and, one day if they passed the mentally, emotionally and physically gruelling years of tests, fly and be put in their own squadron. There were approximately six spots to fill on any team and the cadet who suited that spot the most would be given the title of pilot, squad leader, second in command, engineer, gunner and navigator. Each team was similar but unique in what they did. Not everyone gets along though and rivalries grow high during that delicate time between graduating and being put on a team. What happens when the top student and the lonesome outcast with a temper clashes?* Captured: *Space criminals have been around ever since advanced technology allowed others to travel and live in space as if they were living anywhere else. They’re often cunning, tricky to catch and more often than not are clever at disguising themselves whenever those wanted posters come up. It takes skill to be on the wrong side of space law and true talent to get away with it. The galaxy's current most wanted man has finally been captured by an alliance captain and his crew. Will he beg for mercy? Will he be given a trial before being thrown into a cell to rot or will he be given a chance to turn himself around with some hard labour?* (Important point of notice: I’ll be playing the criminal for this one. You will be the alliance captain) Enslaved: *imagine living the life of one of the most successful people on the run that could exist. Galaxies trembled at your name. You and your crew swam in wealth and the going was good. Mutiny, sadly and sometimes not sadly, exists on its own accord. One man reflected on this as he was forced to his feet. A collar attached to a chain and electromagnetic handcuffs prevented his escape as he stood for all those who cared to glance as they walked by in the market to see. No one wants to have their only life’s purpose to be to serve another......only sometimes people don’t get that choice.* (Important point of notice: I’ll be playing the slave/servant. You’ll be the master/mistress.) Sooooo..... about those pairings. What is in Bold is what I’m going to play if we choose the scenario: 1: enemies to lovers or rivals. 2: **captured criminal** x prison guard or other prisoner. 3: two soldiers from seperate sides falling in love. 4: **academies bad boy** x top student 5: **low ranking ship crew member/second in command/captured space criminal** x captain. 6: **commoner/rogue/street rat** x prince/princess. 7: **slave/servant** x master/mistress. 8: army superior x **lower ranking soldier**. PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH ME IF: 1: YOU GHOST AT THE DROP OF A HAT. 2: YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO PUT EFFORT IN TO MEET MY REQUIREMENTS. I’m open to discussing and potentially mixing these ideas up till we get something that we both like. If you want to learn more about a certain idea tell me the name and I shall expand on it. The only platforms I rp on are discord,telegram,email and google hangouts. I will not rp on any other platform other than the ones listed. If you do not have any of those then unfortunately we cannot rp. When you reach out to me requesting for an rp please In the opening message tell me what idea you liked, why you liked it, give me a little introduction about you and you must put 123 somewhere in your message so that I know you’ve read all of my post, don’t just put “hi wanna rp”. Make it interesting. I look forwards to meeting potential partners. My contacts Discord: tiberionsunsconqourer#6187 Telegram: Tiberionwars Email and hangouts: lleo52560@gmail.com

[cirex101]

Planned Pathfinder: WotR Characters

Even though the bare minimum of information for the game (Owlcat’s, not the AP) exists at present, that’s never stopped me from brainstorming characters.  Just ask Spacebattles when Dragon Age Inquisition came out.

Anyways, planned characters for WotR, going Race/Class/Mythic, with the race and class I feel is most suited for the mythic path:

1. Aasimar/Paladin of Iomedae/Angel: What, as if I wasn’t going to make the most Lawful Good character I could think of for my first playthrough?  I’ve always loved the Paladin’s holy warrior aesthetic, and the whole game seems designed for followers of Iomedae to finish what their crusader forbears started, and to prove the strength of their faith in the Inheritor.

2. Dhampir/Magus (or Eldritch Knight)/Lich: If you’re gonna go undead, might as well go all the way.  Dhampir is a new race, and one I want to try out, plus their status as, for lack of a better term, ‘half-undead’ makes going lich a natural choice.  As for magus, this may sound silly, but I want to try to recreate the lich from the Kickstarter trailer; wears heavy armor, wields a sword, and commands an undead army.  Get as close as I can to Arthas the Lich King.

3. Elf/Arcanist/Aeon: Elves are a natural spellcaster race, so that was a no-brainer, Arcanist seems like a fun class to play, and solves the question of if I’d rather be a wizard or a sorcerer with “Why not both?”  Owlcat describes the Aeon as a cross between Judge Dredd and Merlin on a cosmic scale, and the art is really badass as well.

4. Tiefling/Bloodrager/Demon: I have mixed feelings on this one, mostly because I’d really rather have a Devil mythic path instead.  I know that there’s no Blood War in Pathfinder, and that Demons are just as likely to fight one another as a non-demon, but if I have to be evil, I prefer the devil’s brand of contracts and hierarchy to “raar, demon smash,” plus I could be a Hellknight.  Still, bloodragers sound cool, and so does the concept of taming my inner rage, so I’m willing to keep an open mind and give it a chance.

5. Half-Elf/Witch/Trickster: There’s no real reason why I chose this combo, outside of the half-elf’s usual well-rounded nature, the Witch being the Pathfinder equivalent to D&D’s Warlock, and the Trickster’s, well, trickster abilities.  Maybe when I get more information, I can paint a better picture of what I want her to be in my head.

6. Human/Monk/Azata: I have no strong opinions on either playable humans, or Azata before the Kickstarter, but how they described the path caught my eye, describing it as a champion of the common folk, and a friend to outcasts who don’t fit into the Lawful Good mold of the mainstream crusade.  However, the biggest thing that reached out and grabbed me was the description that this path was like being a superhero.  Now, when I hear superhero, I think of characters like Superman, Shazam, The Thing, and Spider-Man, who don’t use weapons, but rely on their physical strength, their minds, and their unbreakable will to save the day.  A barefisted monk seemed natural for this class

7. Halfling/Fighter/Legend: Now, you don’t have to pick a mythic path at all, choosing to face the foul champions of the Abyss as a normal mortal.  Might be harder, but there’s a certain inspirational quality of a normal person standing up against evil, so for this character, I was inspired by some of the greatest heroes in fantasy fiction;

Tolkien’s Hobbits.

In a world where Dark Lords and their minions roam the countryside and are opposed by great men and immortal elves, it takes a special kind of bravery to do what those Shirefolk did, but special mention should go to Samwise Gamgee, the everyman among everymen, who some would argue, is the real hero of the story.

So, with that in mind, the Legend will be the humblest of races, of the humblest of classes, setting out to end the demonic threat altogether, and to make Uncle Bilbo proud.

[yespolkadotkitty]

Swords, Sarcasm & Starlight, pt 4

Part 3 here

The burgers were insane, Darcy thought again as she and Geralt found a bench and sat down, digging in. He’d ordered a steak burger with everything on it, in her hands she held a classic burger with a bacon and maple syrup glaze that should have been illegal.

The noise of the fayre swirled and clamoured around them as they ate side by side. When Darcy had finished, she balled her wrapper in her palm. “Always the sign of a good food stand. When no one talks during the eating.”

“Hmm,” Geralt said, which Darcy took as agreement.

Plenty of women - and men - eyed Geralt in passing, and Darcy mulled over his previous words. No way there hadn’t been a queue of ready people of both genders just lining up to play She-Ra to his He Man. No fucking way.

Unless he was hiding a load of skeletons in his closet. It would just be her luck.

“So… how’d you get into the sword making business?” she asked, rolling the curled-up wrapper between her palms. 

Geralt finished his own burger and smoothed out the wrapper meticulously. Darcy had once read in Cosmo that men who did that were very attentive in bed. Her toes curled and she made herself look away from his hands. Get a grip, Darce.

“I’ve always had a knack for metalwork, stuff with my hands. I went to Blacksmith summer school as a teenager - seemed more fun than getting a summer job, and I loved it, loved the fire, the clang of metal, the sheer magic of creating something so solid.” He blinked, then shook his head slightly as if he’d gone to another world, and maybe he had. “And what about you, your art?”

Darcy stared out at the expanse of field around them. In the distance, a few guys on horseback held standards bearing family crests, real or fictional, it didn’t matter one bit somewhere like this. At a ren fayre it was impossible to tell real aristocrats from cosplayers, and that was just the way she liked it. “My parents used to listen to The Sky at Night on the BBC World Service when I was little,” she began, smiling at the memory of it. “Patrick Moore’s voice as he waxed lyrical about the stars was like a lullaby to me. I started drawing stars almost before I could properly write my own name.”

Geralt smiled, his lips curving at the left corner of his mouth first, and Darcy wondered how he’d taste, coffee and the sweetness of the relish in his burger… and what else? Warm, broad man? 

She shook the thought off. Just because his insanely gorgeous friend wanted to set him up, did not mean he wanted to be set up. Maybe, like Darcy, he had really had no motivation other than being really, really hungry.

“Hey, um…” Darcy stopped abruptly, suddenly uncharacteristically shy. “Are you going to that concert tonight? Jaskier and the Dandelions?”

“Maybe.” He met her gaze, his warm, his amber eyes dancing with mischief, and for a frozen moment Darcy was totally poleaxed by how gorgeous he was, pale hair fluttering in the sunshine, his broad shoulders filling out his tunic perfectly. “Are you asking me on a date?”

Nerves warred with pleasure in Darcy’s stomach. “If I was, would you say yes? If not, then, no, I am definitely only asking out of sheer curiosity about whether you can dance a medieval jig.”

Geralt laughed, the sound throaty and definitely more than a little bit sexy. “If you were asking me on a date, then theoretically, I would say yes.”

Darcy aimed at a nearby trash can - garbed ridiculously in papery medieval flag material (an actual bin was more attractive and handy than a cesspit after all) - and then tossed her balled up burger wrapper, scoring a perfect hit. “Then it’s a date.”

****

A few hours later, the stalls were starting to wrap up, and Darcy decided to drive to her (budget) hotel to freshen up before the concert later. The clock struck six p.m as she packed up her stuff, leaving only the faire-provided lockbox with the bare minimum inside it. She pulled the huge bag over her shoulder, thankful as she usually was at these gigs that canvas and paintbrushes weighed so little.

Yennefer stood on duty next door. Geralt had gone about a half hour ago, to settle Roach in the nearby stable, and, she assumed, to freshen up at his own hotel or tent. She couldn’t imagine him as a 300-threadcount sheet kind of guy, but you never knew.

He’d sent her a loaded smile as he’d prepared to leave, and a little frisson of excitement had skated down her spine. Maybe barbarians are my type after all.

“Have fun tonight,” Yennefer grinned as Darcy went to bid her goodbye. “I hear Jaskier’s brilliant. Very romantic.”

“As romantic as possible, I guess, given the amount of meat and, by that time, the amount of costumes and wigs that are askew.”

Yennefer laughed, startled, and then smiled warmly. “I do like you, Darcy. Try and loosen Geralt up a little, would you?”

My pleasure,  Darcy thought privately as she saluted the other woman and made her way to her little car, unharmed thanks to Geralt’s intervention earlier. A lot of the other cars had cleared out already, and she easily packed her things, winding the windows down and setting the radio on loud. She sang along with the Chainsmokers as she sped down the road, the sun beginning its slow descent into the horizon.

Darcy parked up, smiling absently at the other cars in the hotel lot with ren fayre stickers on the trunk and bumpers, along with roleplayer slogan stickers like I BRAKE FOR KOBOLDS and KEEP CALM AND LARP ON.

A group of ren fayre goers sat on the benches by the hotel entrance, smoking, one of them playing what looked like an actual lute, a feathered cap perched on his head and a parrot on his shoulder. Darcy grinned as she passed them. There was nothing quite like a ren fayre to bring out everything America had to offer.

At the desk, she dropped her bag on the floor and gave the clerk her details. It took a while. After five minutes, Darcy tried to lean over the high counter. “Is there a problem?”

The clerk bit her lip, tapping away at the keyboard nervously. “I’m sure it’s just some administrative error. I’ll get it sorted.”

Another five minutes passed. Quite the queue had formed behind her, and Darcy’s stomach growled. She leaned over again. “I’m sorry to put the pressure on, but, can you just tell me what’s up?”

The clerk met her gaze miserably. “I’m sorry ma’am, it seems like your room has been overbooked and it’s already occupied.”

“What? By who?” Darcy asked incredulously.

Tagging: @asifbyemagik​ @hopelessromanticspoonie​ @emmalouise663

[micromys]

More spoilery thoughts on Hiccup and Astrid and something I liked about how it was handled in 3 and. basically lots of proud feelings about my dumb Viking children because I love them

I was a little surprised with how the two reacted to the wedding question, mostly because Hiccup is so hesitant regarding his future and becoming Chief in the second film. Astrid, however, is confident in her future (and fully intends to marry Hiccup at some point). Also, I think I’m a little conditioned by the shitty perception of marriage in our society where men tend to treat it like a trap or “the end of their freedom” -  the old “ball and chain” nonsense that is so toxic.

So, in films, you usually see the girl dropping the hints and wanting to hurry up and get married. However, in 3, it’s Hiccup doing that. Unlike the prospect of becoming Chief, his only hangup regarding marriage is whether or not Astrid wants to -- which, frankly, is the only hangup he should have. In all other aspects he is clearly eager to marry her, which says a lot given how prone to anxiety he is about major life decisions. It surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. That should be the bare minimum of what I expect from a fictional man who ends up married in a film. We don’t get it often, though.

Astrid is the one being more practical than romantic (echoing Hiccups comment of “I don’t tend to associate you with romance”) and wanting the village situation (and Hiccup’s insecurity) figured out before they tie the knot (along with a healthy dash of you can’t tell me how to live my life, Gobber). And though I love these movies, there are a bunch of things I wish they had handled better, including with Astrid -- but this reminded me of when I took my father to see the first film, and he came out of it saying Astrid was his favorite and that “when I was a kid, girls in movies didn’t get to be that strong”. 

Basically, Hiccup is never going to fall into that horrible trope of “oh no marriage is a burden that ties me down”. Hiccup can’t wait to get married. Astrid is his partner and a huge source of joy and support in his life and this is the face of a man who can hardly believe how lucky he is:

Anyway Hiccup is never going to treat his marriage as a chore or take it for granted because Astrid is amazing and makes his life so much better and no one knows it as well as he does. 

And I need to finish writing my dang fic and stop rambling on tumblr.

[takaraphoenix]

I saw that you watched the new season of Lucifer. I want to know if you saw any big changes, between the first 3 originally on air cable show and the new Netflix made season?

I mean yeah, the biggest, for me, was that they gayed it up. But before I continue, uh, this is going to include spoilers, so if you asked this to see if it’s worth the watch and haven’t actually seen it yet, don’t continue reading and take my word that they did the representation better but screwed around a little on the individual character writing and I’m unsure if both are due to the change or just... whatever.

(Under cut for spoilered details in case you were just asking for an analysis from me and have in fact seen it.)

Yes, sure, the first three seasons had already made Lucifer bisexual. But it’s always been... tame bisexual. You know, to not make the conservatives and homophobes uncomfortable.

We got Lucifer waking up in a bed where a man and a woman were asleep, alluding to him having had sex with both without even having to show Lucifer touching another man.

We got... don’t let me lie but I think it was only one, or at most two, men being interviewed during the round-up of Lucifer’s past lovers. Again, the past lover is not even shown interacting with Lucifer.

During the entirety of seasons 1 to 3, we had Lucifer flirt with every woman who even breathed in his direction, having sex with nearly all of them and complimenting all that had boobs. Not once do we actually have him chat any guy up, not just not have sex with a dude, but not even appreciate them looking attractive. One time, he commented on a man being attractive but in a very purely heterosexual POV of “but I’m hotter than him”.

It’s... It’s always bothered me. And no, not because I need to see some hot steamy mlm sex-scenes. (I don’t like sex-scenes in general, fyi.)

But it bothered me because while they did enough to make it canon that Lucifer was bisexual, they never actually fully acted on it. They wrote him in a way that was always meant to keep the homophobes unbothered by it.

Even when Lucifer and Pierce went undercover as a gay couple, they doubled down hard on the gay stereotype of the Castrated Gay. The tame, sweet gay couple who is non-threatening for straight men. And even then, if was one hundred percent played for humor. As a joke. Haha, look at the Straight Men playing house!!! So awkward.

Well, Lucifer isn’t straight though. And the show did jackshit to actually make him act that way. (Seriously, I am not asking for him to lust after every single man in sight, like he does with the women, but he doesn’t flirt with a single dude, he doesn’t hook up with a single dude, even when being flirted at by men he always declines the advances with an “I’m flattered but you’re not my type”. And yeah, sure, there’s bisexuals with a preference for one gender and you can totally pretend that Lucifer simply has a preference for women, but you also gotta consider that Lucifer is not a real person but a fictional character written by writers and all evidence presented is less a “he’s a bisexual with a preference for women and we oh so happen to only show whenever he meets women who are his type!” and more “yeah no the writers are uncomfortable with a man being into other men/don’t wanna make the viewers uncomfortable with showing them a man being into other men so let’s tune that shit down to the bare minimum”.)

Maze too, she was mostly lip-service bisexual. I don’t recall her ever having anything beyond words hinted at her sexuality.

And while yes, they didn’t go further with Lucifer - in this season I genuinely understand it because this season was focused all on the Deckerst@r and on Lucifer and Eve. (Though I absolutely live for that moment where Lucifer Dirty Dancing-style lifts Dan up. That single shot was honestly gayer than all three precious seasons combined.)

However, they used Maze to focus on. They explored her sexuality. And not just in the “hot women making out for straight male viewers!” kind of way; they actually gave Maze feelings for another woman and explored them, they gave Maze a vulnerability and didn’t play her sexuality up to be hot, a joke or non-existent.

They actually acknowleged it, leaned heavier into it. And that in only ten episodes. They gave more honest, genuine and natural feeling representation in those ten episodes than in that entire previews show-run and I am honestly living for that. As a lesbian, I am absolutely living for seeing some canon wlw on screen, not played as a joke, not dialed back as much as possible so homophobes won’t be offended, but written in a genuine way, with feelings. I am absolutely living for that.

Also, and though this point is more aimed at season 3 than the previous two, I loved what they did with Maze. Season 3 really fucked her character over and was, in my opinion, just bad with her. Like, not even “this is a genuine arc and a natural development for Maze”, it just fucked her over to be a dramatic little bitch and this season did so much to fix that up, by having her rekindle things with Linda and Trixie.

Though one thing I noticed negatively this season was that there was an unreasonably large amount of miscommunication used. That... has never been this big on this show before.

But this season was largely driven by characters electing to not communicate. The way characters... elected to not care about each other, not pay attention to each other, not help each other. I really hated that, to be honest.

Like, we all know Linda knows the truth. And all characters learn that Chloe knows the truth but no one suggests that maybe Linda should go talk to her? Not Lucifer, not Amenadiel, not Linda herself. Only Maze, after multiple episodes, after actual weeks or even months (I’m unsure how much time had passed at that point), and more out of spite because she noticed that Chloe wasn’t taking her demon-nature very well. Uhm. Y’all could have just suggested that earlier and honestly saved so much time.

Same goes for Dan and Ella. Both clearly haven’t taken the loss of Charlotte very well. Both are clearly, evidently spiraling downward. And no one suggests any help to either of them.

Seriously, the way Ella lost faith in God - the frantic way in which she kept talking about how she “used to” believe in that stuff. And... no one, absolutely no one, felt alerted by that. I know Lucifer isn’t good with the big guy upstairs, but he cares about Ella and someone losing their faith like that? I know everyone always raises their eyebrows at how devote she is, I mean fuck me I do too because I have strong opinions on Christianity and they ain’t positive, but if someone I care about cares about this stuff and all of a sudden completely loses their faith? I get worried. I try to help, or get her to get help. And just... no one... no one did.

I don’t know, maybe I’m too sensitive about that, maybe I love the “Found Family” trope too much and think that this group should be tighter knitted, but where they took the characters in that direction really bothered me a lot.

So, on the overall, I really did like this season a lot! Definitely appreciate and can see that the portrayal of non-straight sexualities is thanks to Netflix there, no questions asks, unsure if what they did with the characters around unnecessary miscommunication is also due to Netflix or simply a really weird writers’ choice just like Maze’s characterization last season was a really weird wriers’ choice.