#her friends were good characters and not just stereotypes and her family was believable

[agentperezbian]

Watched Terrifier 1 + 2 the last couple days and I have to say personally, I'm not really impressed by killer clowns as a concept and I think the first film was terrible. That being said, Lauren Lavera as Sienna made Terrifier 2 for me. She made the sequel not only watchable, but enjoyable. I was really put off by how the women were treated in the first movie, and just how flat the characters were in general, but Sienna is a really great final girl. She's badass and likable at the same time and adds an emotional and human aspect that was desperately needed in the first movie.

[celaenaeiln]

it’s a me a 12 am anon . my girlfriend and i had a discussion abt how odd it is that the fandom views and stereotypes the batfam like

dick is romanian and has more fem related traits and somehow it translates into him being a dumb womanizer or just an annoying mother hen?

jason grew up in the streets, i think its popular to hc him as hispanic? idk but jts odd how ppl do that and also think hes an angry heartless brute

cass gets that “badass asian dragon lady” archetype (tbh im not sure what it is but my gf is passionate abt it so like im confident she’s right)

tim?? somehow ive seen wasian hcs for him but the boy is autistic right? somehow a stereotype i see for him is like “weird and socially awkward but super smart” which . i dont think thats right .

steph is adhd right? i think? also falls into the dumb “waffles r my only personality trait” stereotype and uts just a tiny bit odd dyou see it?

damian (and by extension talia) gets done dirty a lot i think i dont .yeah

nyways sorry its been a while <3 would llve to hear ur thoughts n opinions

hey again!!

Batfam fanon is...not great. And it's things like this that remind me why I kinda avoided this fandom until I couldn't.

Dick

Dick is Romani and is canonically more feminized but the dumb womanizer thing is really getting on my nerves. First of all, he's one of the smartest characters, ever. The comforting thing about Dick is that he never loses.

The reason I love reading Dick Grayson runs is because I can read about his thought process, the way he analyzes, how he single-handedly solves crime like it's nothing.

Batman (1940) Issue #703

Secondly he's not a womanizer. He literally has a mental break down at the thought of dating or even kissing someone he isn't in love with. He's never, ever, ever going to sleep with someone he doesn't have atleast some level of romantic attraction to because he feels it's inherently wrong and canonically frowns upon that behavior when others do it.

The mother hen thing - I gotta admit is kinda accurate. He really loves his family and friends and takes care of them really well. He always makes time to sit and listen to all of them with all their problems and helps them solve it so that's fine.

Jason

The hispanic thing - what the actual heck. Literally why? Jason's "hispanic" fanon background along with Tim's "asian" background comes from a wider problem where society has become disillusioned by the same ethnicity for all characters and wants for diversity and representation in the media. I actually do believe in greater representation but not here. When people make Jason hispanic due to his street backstory, they're attempting to diversify canonically white characters but accidentally reinforcing and perpetrating damaging stereotypes about particular ethnicities. Because his background has drugs, poverty, and crime - you want Jason to be Latino? Can you possibly make things worse? And Jason being an angry heartless brute. Not even adding to the stereotype, Jason was not like that. Jason originally started off as troubled but excited kid. He was happy about fighting criminals and having a home and getting food. As he grew older, the more criminals he fought, he came to a realization that people weren't going to change which is when he started getting more violent and angry with them. He didn't do it because he was some sort of psychopath, it's because he cared a lot about the effects these criminals were having on innocent people. Because he can relate. His anger has nothing to do with his supposed "hispanic" background which is still - ?!?!? Why is this even a thing.

Cass

I don't really have anything to say about Cass being that archetype because tbh I kinda think of her like that too. She's exceptionally good at fighting, she's chinese, and she's the strong and silent type. I'd love to hear more about what your gf thinks about it though.

Tim

Again about Tim being Asian. No where near as damaging as Jason being classified Hispanic but also why? He's asian because he's smart? Because he's good at computers? C'mon the stereotype is boring. Isn't it exciting when you watch a movie or show and the Indian guy isn't an IT specialist? Or when the Chinese girl has neon highlights and loves partying? Or when the Japanese girl is rocking combat boots? The best way to appreciate diversity is actually letting ethnic characters have diverse personalities and talents. On a side note, there is not nearly enough celebration of already canonically diverse characters like Roy's navajo heritage or Jessica Cruz's latina one. Isn't it ironic how we're making racialized characters based on stereotypes because we believe there should be more diversity but ignoring canonically ethnic ones. Literally noone talks about Cass connecting to her Chinese side or the fact that she has dyslexia but we're readily jumping on the Asian Tim Drake train.

Autistic Tim Drake I can see where they're coming from because Tim sometimes has a hard time connecting to people. Like he sometimes misses social cues. And to be fair this theory actually has more credibility than some other ones because I don't know if I'd pass that off as awkwardness. But it also may be due to lack of human interaction. Tim's parents left him alone for long periods of time which he gleefully used to track robin and batman at night. I don't have a problem with this one because Tim may actually be inadvertently written as autistic at times so I guess it wouldn't be that far off canon.

Steph

People with ADHD are typically impulsive, don't focus on one thing for too long, and have a lot of energy which is very much like Steph.

Batgirl (2009) Issue #10

But mostly she just has a sense of humor. Which - like the case with Dick - because of course people can't be multifaceted, fandom generally takes for stupidity.

She's not dumb, she's just fun. I guess the waffle thing is because of human beings' pathological need to classify everything into categories and fanon likes to run with dumb blonde for Stephanie which really ticks me off. People can not be a gloomy avenger and still be smart. She solves her crimes and has a laugh while doing it and still pulling off the -

Batgirl (2009) Issue #12

Damian

Where do I start. What is even happening to him? Not in fandom necessarily but canon. What is DC doing???

[hobiebrownismygod]

Let's talk about Desi representation again!!

I don't talk about this stuff often but when I do, I have some strong ass opinions

and yes I'm gonna be talking about none other than Pavitr Prabhakar at the end cuz he's just special to me &lt;3

Hollywood is lagging behind on Desi representation

You'd think one of the biggest film industries in the world would be able to represent us properly, considering the fact that we make up the largest group of South-Asian Americans and the second largest group of Asian-Americans in the US, but instead-

Western Television forces Indians to conform to harmful stereotypes

Some of the most popular Desi characters on screen are Raj Koothrappali from the Big Bang Theory, Devi Vishwakumar from Never Have I Ever and Kelly Kapoor from the Office.

Indian men are almost always portrayed as robotics engineers and computer whizzes, but with terrible social intellect, making them seem like awkward nerds.

Indian women are almost always portrayed as "whitewashed", or wanting to appear more western, with zero understanding of their own culture or language along with an unrelenting need for attention from white friends/colleagues.

These are both based on stereotypes that Indian culture is "toxic" and "too traditional" and that Indians are only interested in studies.

Most Desi characters in western media have stories that are solely based around their ethnicity and/or racial stereotypes.

British television actually showcases a lot more representation than Hollywood does

I was watching Polite Society, a movie starring two Pakistani characters as the main leads, and there was a dance scene where both the leads are wearing traditional desi attire. My mom turned over, looked at me, and asked, "Is this Hollywood? It can't be."

And she was right. It's a British movie with British-Pakistani actors.

The reason she didn't believe that it could've been Hollywood was because the dresses the two leads were wearing were traditional and beautiful and the song playing in the background was authentic Hindi music, not some random westernized DJ version of it.

A Hollywood movie would've never dressed up their Desi actors in actually flattering attire (*cough cough the Patel twins from Harry Potter) or have used real, popular Desi music in the background.

You see my point?

It is so uncommon to see well-thought-out Desi representation in TV nowadays, where to see real diversity we have to watch movies made by the same country that colonized us.

Ironic.

British movies/shows with desi leads have far better South Asian representation than anything I've seen in Hollywood recently.

The Hollywood movies starring Indian leads, like Slumdog Millionaire or Bend it like Beckham were filmed in the UK, and because they were filmed in the UK, they had fantastic South Asian representation.

Not only does Hollywood refuse to create shows and movies about real problems that South Asians face, but they also don't cast South Asian actors in good roles.

When's the last time you saw a South Asian actor playing a character that wasn't a walking stereotype? When's the last time you saw a South Asian actor playing a character that was a genuine part of the story rather than just comedic relief or a random smart kid in the classroom?

Not often, right?

Me, personally, I didn't grow up with a lot of South Asian characters or actors in shows/movies that I watched. In fact, every time someone even close to my skin color showed up on TV, I was on the edge of my seat because it was just so rare to see it.

This is why representation matters.

You've heard about all the young girls with braids being so excited when the new little mermaid with Halle Bailey came out. Well, us desi kids wanted that too.

I wanted to see a Telugu speaking girl with wavy hair and dark skin who would wear traditional clothing to Desi get-togethers and parties, go to the temple with her family, eat vegetarian Indian meals, etc...

I wanted to see a character who was a representation of me and my experiences as an Indian-American. I wanted to see a character that was at least a representation of Indians or just South Asians in general.

Instead, we were given characters that ridiculed their own culture, were extreme stereotypes and furthered the existence of casual racism in western society today. So many Desi kids experience small acts of racism on a daily basis because people have been so desensitized to the existence of these stereotypes.

Telling South Asians that their culture is a joke and feeding non-asian children media which pokes fun at other cultures is harmful, not only to us South Asians but also communities that could end up being targeted next.

Pavitr Prabhakar; Representation Matters

If you've been following me or if we're mutuals, you probably know I have a tiny obsession with Pavitr Prabhakar. But why?

Because of all the reasons I just listed.

There are few South Asian characters us Desis can look up to these days, and Pavitr Prabhakar is one of the maybe two or three characters who have great writing, magnificent representation, and overall a fun vibe.

He's likable, funny, smart and best of all, unapologetically Desi.

He's just like all the other side characters, with a little bit of his own culture mixed in. He's not being shoved down our throats to further an agenda about fake diversity, he's not a walking stereotype and best of all, he was designed by Indian creators.

He's refreshing and exciting to follow in a world full of a demand for half-hearted representations and the people who created him were obviously putting their hearts and souls into it.

He's awoken a love for Indian culture amongst, not only Desi children themselves but also among westerners who, prior to this, had thought of India as a "3rd world" country, because that's the agenda that Hollywood pushes onto many South Asian countries today.

WE LOVE PAVITR PRABHAKAR!!

This was kinda all over the place but I just had to get this off my chest &lt;3

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/10/discrimination-against-indian-americans-happens-more-than-you-might-think/

[andreal831]

What do you think of Kol/Davina?

Y'all already know you aren't going to like this one.

But Kolvina is probably my least favorite of the Mikaelson canon ships. And yes some of that is due to the fact that Kol is my least favorite Mikaelson. But a lot of it is just based on how young Davina is and how young the show continues to remind us she is. Also, how little effort was put into this ship.

In season 1, Davina is 16 years old, only a year younger than Elena was in season 1 of TVD. Davina, I believe is the same age as Jeremy. However, with everything being aged up in TO (the characters, the love interests, the maturity/violence), Davina comes across as even younger. And this is done purposefully. Davina in season 1 is put into these white, babydoll dresses for most of the season, despite it being unnecessary as she's living in an attic. Her hair is typically very simple and her makeup minimal to give her a youthful look. The show is trying to remind us how young she truly is.

This is not only done with her clothes, makeup, hair, etc. But also with how the characters talk about her. I made an edit one time of how differently Rebekah treated Elena and her friends versus Davina. She treats Davina like a child, like a daughter, when Davina is only a year or two younger than the teenagers Rebekah and her siblings had just spent a couple of years harassing/killing. You also have Vincent, Cami, and Marcel treating her like a child (cause she is one) and worrying about the responsibility that has been put on her. Even her relationship with Josh keeps reminding us of how young and even naïve she is when she isn't aware of things he talks about because she's been so sheltered and is a literal teenager.

The show is reminding us how young and innocent she is so she appears much younger than the characters in the show we just watched (TVD). This is because we need to be angry at the ancestors and the witches for what they've done to her. But mostly because we need to separate it from Klaus sacrificing a 17 year old just a couple of seasons before. Elena was made to seem older so that we could set aside the fact that these 100+ year old men were not only sleeping with her, but continually putting her life in danger. But the opposite is true for Davina.

So then when, in season 2, Kol is brought back as a witch sent to charm Davina, she is still a child to the audience. Yes, she's gained more agency, but you can't just erase all of the footwork the show did to make her appear so much younger than everyone else. And yes, I know the argument that Kol was turned at 17 so they are basically the same age. But I've already discussed how that argument doesn't hold weight with me here.

I'll move on from the age thing though. Another one of my issues with the ship is the bait-and-switch Kol essentially does to Davina. Davina was the biggest Mikaelson-anti. Some of it I think was exaggerated to create conflict in season 1, but no matter what the reason was, she wanted them dead. Kol enters, lying to her about who he is and she is swept away by his charm. Kol spends the better part of a month manipulating a teenager who feels abandoned by everyone. Only to learn the truth and feel betrayed by him. He winds up winning her over because he wants her help to take down Klaus. Only to then betray her once again as soon as Klaus gives him any attention. Where is the Davina we know and love from season 1 who had Marcel, Elijah, and Klaus literally on their knees for lying and betraying her??

I've talked about Kol's development falling flat to me before, so I won't go into too much depth here. But Kol was the stereotypical younger brother. He pretends he is too good for his family, but as soon as Klaus gives Kol any type of attention, even negative, Kol is buddy-buddy with him again. The scene where Davina is watching Kol hug Klaus after Klaus nearly attacked her will always stand out to me. The look of betrayal in her face.

We never really see Kol work to gain Davina's trust or love. He just has it. It doesn't help that a lot of their relationship happens off screen, but what we do see just makes me sad for Davina. Also just the fact that Kol is Marcel's least favorite of the Mikaelsons since, you know, he actively tried to kill Marcel as a child, would make it even harder for Davina. She is constantly being pulled in different directions and at no point do we see Kol trying to make it easier on her. He doesn't work to rebuild his relationship with Marcel or the witches or even Josh. He just pops in and out (yes, I know it was partly due to them both dying constantly) of her life and her feelings are just expected to be there.

This idea that Davina sees Kol as "the best of the Mikaelsons" also just highlights how little she actually knows about him. At least with Cami and Klaus, Klaus has told Cami nearly every awful thing he's done. She is going in with eyes wide open. Even Elijah and Hayley, Hayley knows who he is and even goes into his mind and sees it first hand. Whether they would have ever gotten back together after that is up for debate (they would have, there's no debate), but again, she is making an informed decision. Davina sees Kol in isolated instances where their goals align. And when they don't Davina is just expected to put hers aside and go along with Kol, which the audience is okay with since it's supporting the fan fav family.

The version of Kol we get in season 4 and 5, the small glimpses we see, are don't have anything in common with the Kol we knew throughout TVDU. Like I said in my post about Kol's development, he essentially becomes whatever character the show wants him to be. There is zero reason given for his development other than him falling for Davina. I'm sorry, but men do not just change who they fundamentally are because they fall in love and that is a dangerous message to put out there.

To me Kol and Davina were a plot device to make Davina more hesitant to go after the Mikaelsons and to also cause conflict within the family. They have some cute moments, but I never truly believed their love for each other was anything more than infatuation.

Thanks for the ask! Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted

<3

*Marcel when he finds out Kol is the witch Davina's been seeing*

[thestobingirlie]

the whole "steves dream was forced on him by his parents" is just the latest step in not letting steve be steve. his character is only about what he is to other people, he cant be his own person with his own dreams and interests.

he's not really interested in sports, his parents forced him into it

he was never really friends with tommy and carol, his parents chose them for him and made him be friends with them

he doesn't like the clothes he wears, his mom buys them for him and forces him to wear them

he doesn't actually like the bmw, its just the car his dad forced on him

he never wanted to date nancy, his parents pressured him to ask her out because it looked good for him to be dating the smart, ambitious, but not too out there or wild eldest daughter of an upper middle class family

and now he never really wanted the winnebago dream, it was the idea forced on him by his parents

just because steve isn't a carbon copy of every other character, doesn't mean his dreams and ideals and interests were forced on him.

some people seem to think that because steve is the "stereotypical" rich jock (at least on the surface), his personality is somehow less valid than the other characters.

i hate it so much, because so many people who claim to love steve only love this fanon version of him that is barely recognizable next to canon steve.

it’s just so fucking ridiculous at this point.

that thing is not steve!!!

i honestly believe that the reason people aren’t just acknowledging the fact that they’re writing an oc is because they want the attention that comes with writing steddie. doesn’t matter how shit the fic is, or how out of character, someone will shovel that fucking slop in.

i also think it’s driven by this weird self-victimisation and villianisation of jocks. influenced, of course, by eddie’s terrible speech. that he later ended up retracted. because he grew as a person and realised he was wrong. but i guess some people missed 1/4 of eddie’s scenes.

[m00nveil]

i really haven't talked much about my w101 story that i made up around my characters, but i feel like my characters are very well written and i tried going against their respective schools' stereotypes with some of them. i think i did that best with my life and storm wizards. this is gonna be long, so if ur reading this then beware!!

my storm wizard galena, who ends up being luna's best friend, despises her at first. she comes from a very influential and rich family of storm wizards who are by no means weak, and she has been a prodigy ever since she was born. naturally, her parents had put a lot of pressure on her from a young age to hone her skills at divination. they had already decided her future for her, and that is what she believed she has to go with. she grew up to be narcissistic and absolutely egotistical, not even entertaining the idea that there could be somebody out there who is better because there's just simply noooo way...

until this mf luna from earth comes along and gets put into HER class, and she outdoes her at everything. gardening classes, crafting classes, life classes (cause everyone needs to learn some life magic amirite?), history classes, all the classes they shared, somehow this 'outsider' always did better at them than her. it was luna that was sent to various missions by the headmaster, it was luna that was always praised by the headmaster, it was always luna, luna, luna, luna. of course, galena got praise as well. but she just couldn't fathom somebody else getting it as well. and she also couldn't fathom that perhaps, being praised so much by the headmaster and being sent on various missions was not exactly the best thing ever.

it pissed her the FUCK off to the point where she resorted to sabotage. ruined textbooks, rumour spreadings (frequently combatted by another popular student at ravenwood who loved luna), all of the stuff. but, luna had always remained cordial. initially, she was the brightest star, eyes twinkling, ready and excited for this new and defining chapter in her life in the spiral. she couldn't fathom being mean back, so she never was. she just dealt with it silently as her mental health continously deteriorated due to all the things she had gone through. dragonspyre did a big number on luna, after that, she never really returned to ravenwood the same. taking a man's life, even if he was a threat to the spiral, just did not feel good.

she stopped being even cordial. she actually had no reactions to anything at all. not one jab that galena took at her. it was as if she was a living corpse, and galena noticed. and then galena wondered. "what is up with her? why is she like this?" those were her thoughts up until a confrontation happened. galena went up to her to interrogate her in typical galena fashion, luna said something insulting back which surprised galena and then proceeded to try to slap her. however, luna caught galena's arm and told her, cold as ice, that maybe she should start considering how traumatic this all is and to get her head out of her ass.

long story short, that made galena think and she basically started reevaluating her entire life. her ego was crushed and she felt something unnatural inside of herself, something she's never felt before - empathy. she mellowed out, and shortly after that followed an argument with her parents where they disowned her. her and luna found a mutual understanding and she proceeded to move into luna's dorm. they became best friends, but luna only continued to become more and more damaged by the things she went through.

my life wizard, rya, was a dragonspyrean refugee who escaped the dragon titan's wrath alongside her twin brother, shen. they were taken in by a childless widow in wizard city who rya never warmed up to because she was too distrustful. the only thing rya knew her entire life, was how to be a protector. she was the elder sibling between the two, and shen had always been so timid and shy. he needed somebody to watch over him and take care of him, and rya had no choice but to become that somebody. their parents simply did not understand, and that irked her to hell and beyond.

shen was subjected to bullying and life generally seemed to have it out for him, so rya always tried her best to protect him from harm in every way, shape and form. she developed anger issues that were very alarming, though she made sure to let them out in other ways and to never let it affect her brother. escaping from a g3nocide at the dragon titan's hands and losing all of her friends and other family besides shen made those issues way worse.

when she and her brother enrolled at ravenwood, she was assigned life, which was weirdly fitting - destined to be a protector and a healer to everyone, and even though she could always heal herself physically, nothing could mend her heart. always healing others when she herself is irreperably damaged. she's what is known as a "mom friend", and that is precisely what she was to luna. like many others, either in a good or a bad way, she was drawn to luna and the two shortly became friends. galena had earned rya's ire multiple times, but they were always stopped by the teachers before it could become an actual physical fight.

rya noticed how the things luna was going through was affecting her, and she attempted to take it up with the headmaster multiple times but didn't want to jeopardize shen's and her own education, so she always let it be. however, she did NOT let luna be. luna was slowly becoming a self sacrificing hero with no boundaries of her own, no consideration for her own well being, and rya could not stand to see it. she knew it all too well, how all of that feels. but rya, being the ever-angry person that she is, just couldn't approach the topic normally. it always ended up in her shouting at her. and luna always forgave.

there's so much i could write but this post is already long enough so see yall next time, i promise my lore is really good frfr

[ishaslife]

Harada Sanosuke: Analysis | Hakuoki

Please keep in mind that everything in the following post is my opinion and will contain spoilers for the Hakuoki games: Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms as well as the anime. Also disputing talk of assault.

I don't get the hate towards Harada. I have seen so many posts or comments talking about how Harada is this borderline sexist, possessive dude who doesn't allow Chizuru to come out of her shell and makes her this damsel in distress. Also, how he doesn't have any character besides "I want to meet a beautiful woman and have a family and a nice house by the ocean". So, first of all, there is nothing wrong with being a damsel in distress, I wholeheartedly believe that Chizuru would've died the night she came to Kyoto or been eaten by the furies had the Shinsengumi not saved her, she isn't helpless I know that but she isn't a warrior either and she is no match for furies or trained soldiers, Harada knows this. As for his stereotypical view on genders, he never uses them in a way to harm anyone and always has Chizuru's best interest in mind.

At the last leg of Kyoto Winds, if you're romancing him, he tells Chizuru that "the battlefield is no place for a woman" believe me, I was put off to hear that but he follows it by saying "and you're not a warrior" and he isn't wrong again. Chizuru is not a fighter and she would very likely die or not be able to fight in a battle for various reasons. He doesn't necessarily mean "you're woman and you don't belong in battle" he basically means that she isn't a woman who's a warrior.

Chizuru isn't weak. She's strong but not in a masculine sense, her strengths lie elsewhere, in, I suppose what most would consider "feminine" aspects of life. She is a woman of the 1800s and is good at things that women are expected to be good at in those times and has done very brave things like risking her life coming to Kyoto. The reality is that she is a good cook, she knows a good bit of healing, she can clean and she works very hard to keep everyone's spirits up, she has some skill with a sword but not enough to fight trained samurai or rabid furies. She does owe the Shinsengumi and she knows this, that is commendable. All this doesn't make her weak or small or a damsel in distress, she does all she can and what she's good at; just like Harada does what he's good at and that's fighting to protect people, he often talks about how being a Samurai isn't about fighting, it's about protecting women and children (please remember that this is during a time when MOST women were still homemakers). Despite wanting to embody the epitome of masculinity, people tend to forget that Harada is very kind and gentle towards Chizuru, asks her about her thoughts and feelings and does the same in return, tells her to let herself feel what she feels and not hide it which are also qualities that aren't toxic or toxically masculine, in fact, in those days they would've been considered feminine and weak. People don't tend to like the fact that Harada's route more human and doesn't allow Chizuru to find out more about her demon blood and I agree. I do wish that the devs would've added more story to Chizuru and her bloodline in Harada's route aside from the romance. Harada doesn't seem to mind that she is a demon, as he has said plenty of times and it would only make sense if she wants to know more about her family and where she comes from, which would make her choice to live as a human feel more earned and satisfactory. Edo Blossoms in general was a very rushed game and feels more so like an epilogue than a proper story like Kyoto Winds which is a shame but oh well.

Harada has never struck out to me as someone who is possessive or even misogynistic. As a lover, he wants to look out for Chizuru and protect her, as every partner should. Even as a friend, he wants to look out for her because he swore to protect her, like the other Shinsengumi men and Harada likes to keep his promises. His flirty remarks here and there are just part of his personality and how he is, he likes to joke around, be carefree and make girls blush and he knows his limits, something that he calls Nagakura out on, saying "you don't understand when a girl starts to get uncomfortable", something along those lines I believe. Although Chizuru is a predefined character who has her own thoughts and feelings, most tend to forget that she is still being played by the player and many tend to self-insert themselves in the game like I did. A lot of her personality changes with who she romances. With Harada, her whole self-inflicted angst is that she is a monster and he's a human, hence he'll never like her the way she likes him (remember that Chizuru has had a crush on him for a while now and Harada knows this as he fancies her too but he doesn't push it because he doesn't want to cause complications) Harada only properly says he loves Chizuru when SHE confesses to him, saying that he has always had putting his feelings into words which is something I can relate to.

Most people have qualms with a scene that comes a while after this, where Chizuru decides to leave for Edo alone because she doesn't want the man she loves to have to choose between his best friend and her, the woman he loves. So, let me break it down: When she goes to say goodbye, Harada gets sad and says "you're not even gonna bother consulting me, are you?" to which Chizuru replies "that's right, I'm telling you. Right now." Harada gets a bit upset after this and that is valid, he brings up a fair point that this is war and if they separate now, there's a very likely chance they won't see each other again. And Chizuru knows this. They are a couple and couples make decisions together, her telling him that she is going to go to Edo by herself is hurtful if you put yourself in Harada's shoes. Being told such a thing would get anyone angry, he isn't mad at her because she wants to go alone, he's mad because she didn't even bother talking to him about it. She calls herself pathetic and says that she feels like she is a burden to him. This is self-deprecation on Chizuru's part, not Harada's, from the beginning, he has wanted to care for her and protect her. He has never seen it as a burden or something that bothers him, it truly makes him happy to do so. Harada contemplates and says that he has never wanted much from life, only to be with a beautiful woman, have a beautiful home and some peace and quiet and he has had plenty of opportunities to do so but he never did because he couldn't commit but now that he has found Chizuru, he finally feels like he can be happy with someone and commit to the good, idyllic life that he wants. He points out that she chose him and told him that she wanted to spend her life with him so; according to me, her choosing to go to Edo alone is a bit counter-intuitive, it's almost as if she came to say "goodbye" to Harada hoping he'd change her mind. It is also a bit selfish on Chizuru's part because they are in this together, even if he went on to fight with Nagakura, he'd keep worrying about how Chizuru is and what happened to her. Honestly, this whole scene would've gone a lot better if she just talked to him about it rather than tell him.

Another scene which seems to put people off is their kiss in the beginning of Edo Blossoms, Chizuru is sad and distressed because of how Sanan has been speaking to her and basically threatening her, telling her that she doesn't care about the the Shinsengumi and has concocted a lie about Heisuke, saying he's getting worse (we don't know this to be false at this point in the game) and has told her to not tell Harada about it because he may get angry and that might cause him to want to leave altogether. After days of not talking to one another, Harada has had enough and asks Chizuru why she is so sad and crying, she ends up getting very hysterical and doesn't give him a clear answer for obvious reasons, not knowing what to do, Harada kisses her out of the blue. Now, I have heard that this is assault or harassment by harada because "he kisses her against her will" but I disagree. The definition(s) of assault according to the Cambridge dictionary is:

to attack someone violently.

to make a sudden, violent attack on someone.

And harrasment:

behaviour that annoys or upsets someone

behaviour that annoys or troubles someone

illegal behaviour towards a person that causes mental or emotional suffering which includes repeated unwanted contacts without a reasonable purpose, insults, threats, touching or offensive language.

behaviour towards someone that is threatening or that annoys or upsets them.

If it was assault and/or harrasment, Chizuru wouldn't have liked it (and we know she did) and she had every opportunity to push him away but she doesn't. Chizuru is a decently strong woman and she would never tolerate any form of mistreatment. Even if her efforts were futile, she wouldn't stand being kissed by someone she doesn't like. Besides, if one has played Kyoto Winds, they know that Harada knows Chizuru and respects her, he wouldn't do something to her that he knew she wouldn't like. He is also not the kind to assault someone, a big part of his personality is protecting the helpless. Harada knows she likes him and she does, we as the player know this and Harada likes her, even if it is unspoken or she chooses to be oblivious of it (but it isn't since at the end of Kyoto Winds, Harada tells her "when you fall for someone, you want to protect them always"). Besides, this is a romance in a video game. Inserting myself in this scenario, as I'm sure many of us do when playing these games, I would not categorise this as assault, I'd want to be kissed by my crush. Eventually, it does help her calm down and she is able to talk to Harada about what she's been going through and he looks out for her. Those saying it's "unrealistic" to do such a thing, this is an anime game taking place in the mid 1800s where a woman is surrounded by a harem of men who look after her, oh and also, demons. Of course its unrealistic, it's a video game. In reality, she'd have died the night she came to Kyoto or worse.

Harada's Personality:

Harada is a bit of a complex, he's simple but he's not. He is hyper masculine but he's very gentle and kind. He likes the ideal of protecting the helpless, even in a relationship, he sees it as a man's job to protect the woman he loves. Some may call this sexist but I don't think so, as a partner, you want to protect your significant other, whether it is physically or emotionally. Either both can do it or just one, in some relationships that works, that is, if the other doesn't expect the same in return and that's absolutely fine. As a straight female, I adore the idea that the man I love would want to protect me, it is heartwarming to hear such a thing from your significant other and for them to put it into action. Harada is one of those people, he wants to protect Chizuru and doesn't expect her to do the same, mostly because she can't. She isn't too skilled physically so it only makes sense that Harada would be the physical protector. This doesn't make him sexist, it is just his preference. And there is nothing wrong with a man being physically dominant or being the protector in a relationship, some people like myself are into that. It doesn't make a woman weak to be physically protected by her partner, her strengths may lie elsewhere like Chizuru's do. She is very grounded and allows Harada to be more open, which in a sense is emotional protection. He opens up to her about his feelings and thoughts and things he's always wanted from life. Things, he's never even told his closest friends. She looks after him in a more traditionally feminine ways and is happy doing so. Harada is very level-headed and always tries to put himself in other people's shoes before making a decision, he's thoughtful and dutiful. He sees being a samurai not being about fighting or gaining glory but about protecting the weak which is a quality that's difficult to find. He cares deeply for his friends and comrades, has learnt from his foolish mistakes as a boy which has made him a sensitive, sensible and mature person. His flirtiness and tendency to joke around with people is just a character trait that makes him approachable and playful, it isn't immaturity. As for him calling Chizuru an "idiot" or "stupid", well, one can argue that she was being stupid and idiotic in those instances, she is a very passive character and tends to become very self-deprecating at times which can be frustrating, Harada has the patience of a monk, most people would just get annoyed. And besides, I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to be called out on my idiocy by my partner. Also, the way harada says it, sounds more playful than malicious.

I adore his level-headedness and ability to make decent decisions despite the initial impression of him as a character. I genuinely thought he was gonna be the comic relief of the game and not have a good romance path but I was wrong. He sneaks you out the first night or so you have been at the Shinsengumi headquarters to help you get some air and not be clouded with bad thoughts which is a super sweet gesture given the tight spot you're in. He talks with Sen in the hopes that she might be able to help you feel better. He even looks out for you with Sanan and basically tells him not to bother you further. In his special anime episode, he puts his life on the line for a stranger who just wants to meet his sick mother and, albeit a minor thing: while they're outside he fixes Chizuru's slipper for her, also allowing her to lean on him while he does so. I know this seems a silly thing to mention but it's a little sign of care and compassion which touches my heart more than anything. If these are not signs of love, duty or care towards a person/people then perhaps I have it wrong.

Harada has gotten very high up in my fictional crush list lol and he might stay there forever I think. Truly a wonderful man <3

"if you live each day in spite of yourself, refusing to accept what you truly want, then it's only natural for you to lose touch with who you really are." - Harada Sanosuke

[thatoneluckybee]

OKAY PROPAGANDA TIME! @yttd-enjoyerNo pressure for any of these lol, I added a lot because rambling and procrastination. I’m copy-pasting some descriptions from another post of mine. I was trying to look for some with good lore and magic systems, or that had great characters.

Cursed Princess Club: This one is adorable and hilarious. It’s a fantasy and comedy. The Pastel Kingdom has four children. The eldest, Maria, is 18, and so beautiful that forest animals follow her when she sings. The second oldest, Lorena, is 17, and so beautiful that flowers grow where she sleeps. The third child is prince Jamie, who is so beautiful that he is constantly GLOWING (literally.) And his twin sister, Gwendolyn, is the sweetest and perhaps most loved of all! The three sisters are happily engaged to the Plaid Princes. When Gwen meets her soon to be betrothed, though…. he finds her to be really, really, ugly. Gwen has to learn to love herself as she is with the help of a club for cursed princesses (and one prince who wants to change the club name desperately.) It’s hilarious. Someone swallows her fiance whole. Jamie can taste feelings through food and keeps accidentally violating HIPPA. Lorena beats the crap out of a bunch of clowns. Gwen keeps getting mistaken for an evil witch. There’s a really spoiled drunk llama named Laverne. Maria buys merch of her boyfriend’s fanclub. There’s an omniscient clam. It’s a glorious disaster. (Also that was what the screenshots I was losing my mind and spamming last night. I relate to the plaid guy on an eerie level. This one has INCREDIBLE character arcs and parallels and foreshadowing and details and AUGH)

Space Boy: This one is one of my all-time favorites, and I believe it deserves an award for it’s realistic character arcs and characters. I’d be convinced if you told me they were real people. Sci-Fi Romance. (A lot of romance. Not a particular favorite genre of mien it’s just like 70% of all Webtoons.) In the far future, humanity is exploring the furthest reaches of space using the freezing sleep thing (real thing, forgot name.) Amy lives happily on a mining colony in deep space, until her father loses his job, and she and her family are sent away from the colony, and everyone she knows, back to Earth, where she wakes up 30 years later (frozen sleep thing.) Amy is adjusting to life on Earth, the new technology, and trying to come to terms with the fact her best friend is now in her 40s and she’s missed it all in sleep. Amy’s identifying trait is synesthesia: to her, people have flavors to match their personalities! Well, everyone except a strange boy she meets a school, who refuses to speak to her, and doesn’t have a flavor, Oliver. Amy decides that she WILL find this kid’s flavor if it kills her, and manages to get herself roped in the most chaotic mystery involving ancient cults, alien artifacts, unsolved murders, a government conspiracy, and whether or not Oliver is actually who he says he is. It’s so sad but I love it so much and I want to send everyone to therapy. I don’t even like sci-fi usually so this was amazing for me.

Nomads: ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. The concept is your stereotypical “there were five kingdoms after a war 100 years ago:” the Sun, Sea, Sand, Sky, and Snow kingdoms. To maintain the peace, traveling between the kingdoms is banned for average citizens. You may, however, choose to become a Nomad, and travel for a price: you can never have a permanent home. Lance of the Sea Kingdom REALLY doesn’t want to be a Nomad. However, his little brother Mikah goes missing, and Lance has to find him in one year (once Mikah turns 18 it’ll be impossible to find him.) It’s going well and dandy until some unfortunate circumstances result in him, his new traveling buddy Satra, and a magic talking cat-thing being mistakenly accused of kidnapping a prince. And now they’re wanted bounties. (This comic is HILARIOUS so many shenanigans and I love Satra so much.)

Castle Swimmer: Can’t reveal TOO much of this ‘cause spoilers but it’s a really really good story. It’s a fantasy romance too. In this society of “Mers” (merfolk), every kingdom has long awaited the day a mysterious, mythicaeing known as the Beacon arrives. He will grant each kingdom’s prophecy, be that granting them fortune or saving their lives. When the Beacon arrives, though, turns out he’s literally just some kid named Kappa who has no idea what he’s doing. Siren is the prince of the shark kingdom. They have a curse that will cause them to suffer and become covered in scars and eventually die. The only way they can break the curse is whenever the Beacon arrives—and Siren, as predicted, will kill him. The only problem is that Siren REALLY doesn’t want to be a murderer, and Kappa REALLY doesn’t want to die, and they both are pining HARD. 

Suitor Armor: This is a romantic fantasy but I like it because it doesn’t feel boiled down to JUST a “will they won’t they.” Fairies and humans have been at war for as long as anyone can remember, with heavy losses on both sides. A Lord rescues a child, a little girl named Lucia, to be his daughter, Kirsi’s, lady-in-waiting until Kirsi marries a nearby king. The only issue? Lucia is a fairy, and she and the Lord must hide that if she wants to live. After they’ve grown up, Kirsi and Lucia go to the nearby kingdom to prepare for the wedding, where Lucia meets their mage’s newest creation: an enchanted, sentient suit of armor named Modeus. And now we’re all aggressivley shipping a tin can with one of the coolest women ever. (And I LOVE the magic system in this… we don’t know everything yet, it’s being revealed as time progresses, but it’s amazing in my humble little opinion.)

Homesick: Recommending this one since you’ve read School Bus Graveyard! It’s almost a “sister series” in that the fanbases overlap lots and the creators have done collabs too! Disclaimer that it’s mature for a reason. It covers a lot of dark topics and is a HORROR FOR A REASON. School Bus Graveyard is incredibly dark, but it sort of eases you in to the terror while Homesick tosses you in like a flailing child. If you do choose to read it I can provide trigger warnings, though it may spoil some plotlines a bit. Rayne (my pfp!) wakes up on a rooftop with no memories at all and meets a boy named Samael, who quickly informs her that it’s the apocalypse. Cannibalistic creatures called murks roam the land, feeding on anything that makes eye contact. Rayne and Samael form a deal to survive, but things get really, REALLY messy when they encounter someone from Samael’s past and get wrapped up in something that might just be worse than the apocalypse. On top of it all, Rayne has noticed some strange things about herself, including terrible headaches that warn her of murks… (It’s so good I love it but good lord it gets dark. I really want to say more about it but the story doesn’t jump right into the main action or plot right away so I CAN’T WITHOUT SPOILING IT SOB.)

Okay limiting myself to six for now sheesh I typed a lot.

[the-emeralds-incorrect]

Barty Crouch Jr — name & origins

In spite of what one might believe, Barty Crouch Jr did not really hate his name.

His relationship with his father, Bartemius Crouch Sr, had never been good in any capacity. He never was deluded into thinking his father loved him. During his formative years, at first he tried to get his father to at least like him, but he gave up on that around his eight birthday.

Bartemius Crouch Sr had never seen Barty as anything more than an extension of himself. A legacy, a heir, his flesh and blood.

From what Barty has heard from his mama’s stories, his father’s reaction to her pregnancy had been relatively pleased. The problems started after his birth — after it became clear children need care, love. He also knew about her insistency on taking care of him by herself, of becoming a stay-at-home mom had been home of her last acts of resistance, of protecting him from his father’s treatment. An offer she extended upon finding a few weeks old Barty, Imperioused not to cry and hungry after a few hours she slept through, hours in which his father was supposed to watch him.

An extension of himself, in perhaps his most glaring display of egoism Bartemius Crouch Sr gifted his own name to.

All of which should reasonably, given Barty’s character, result in him absolutely despising the name. That was not fully the case.

He wasn’t sure why that was. Maybe it was because there was always a disconnect between ‘Bartemius’ — the father, and ‘Barty’ — the son. Barty couldn’t stand to be referred by his full name; all of his friends were familiar with his plan to legally change it to the shortened version when he turns seventeen.

Maybe it related to the way his mama’s voice, soft and gentle, well known and bringing a sense of security he could never find anywhere else, called out for him. The moments in which she looked beautiful and happy, out of the house, out of the country when they visited her family, babcię i dziadka, where they called him ‘Bartek’ and they could walk down the streets of Poland, so different than London, the city where he grew up.

Wizarding Poland was a complete mess. With the muggle wars, Nazis and currently reigning Soviets with their communism, the Iron Curtain breaking Europe into two, the population was not having a great time. Wizards had it better than muggles — the government rules allowed for Portkeys to be more available, and many were able to protect themselves from the bombings using spells and wards. Nonetheless, it didn’t erase the poverty. Barty remembered the shock the first time when he walked into a store with mama, and there was nothing on the shelves.

Wizards in Poland lived much closer with the muggles, he came to realize. They had an equivalent of the Statue of Secrecy, obviously, but the circumstances brought them together, in contrast to the separated state England unknowingly lived in. Wizarding Poland could never be nearly as removed from Muggle Poland, because Polish people were trying to simply survive and preserve their identity through over a century of their country being erased from the maps and the country being divided between Germany, Russia and Austria.

Wizards adapted to survive. Pure bloods overcame their prejudice to keep their history. The fight for freedom wasn’t over, but Barty knew they would never return to Britain’s levels of separation.

(Both of the sides of his family were Light, but Bartemius Crouch Sr could never deign himself to think about muggles as equals. It was reflected in the way he talked about them. Never with outright discrimination, but instead perpetuating the stereotypes and disrespect towards them. )

Barty loved it. It was the home London never was, with the Ministry of Magic so close, with the house he grew up in always at the back of his mind whenever he was walking the streets. He was sad every time they had to go back.

Barty loved his name, too. Not Bartemius, not Crouch (Jr). But just ‘Barty’. ‘Bartek’. He might’ve liked having his mother’s last name, too, but now, there’s no sense in changing it.

(He’ll be taking his husband’s one, after all.)

[barefootbaltimore]

I just saw a post talking about Disney Princesses and the trope of a "strong female character" which is a conversation near and dear to my heart but I didn't agree with some of the ways OP framed the idea of feminism as a whole so I'm making my own post.

Classic, more stereotypically "feminine" Disney princesses have just as valid, if different, messages for children, and people as a whole, as modern more "strong" princesses. I feel like in 2024 this isn't really a hot take. I feel like we all know this. We know that "strength" shouldn't have to mean being loud and rebellious and a good fighter, and we know that "feminine" doesn't have to mean weak, and passive, and "a bad influence". At least we should know this.

And obviously we all know that no one children's movie is going to act as a person's entire model for how to be a person. Which is great because as much as I personally love classic Disney movies even the modern ones suffer from the use of racist, antisemitic, and ableist stereotypes. People need a wide range of role models and cultural touchstones and no one character or plot is going to "corrupt" them.

That said here are all of the ways some of the Disney princesses who used to be labeled as "bad influences" or "anti feminist" empowered me personally as a child and even today:

Snow White: This girl had an evil stepmother who tried to have her murdered, then she was left to find for herself in the woods. She'd have every right to rage and scream and never be kind or trust ever again. But she doesn't. She is still kind, she still trusts ( some times a bit too freely) and she makes a home and happiness where she is. She never blames herself for her abuse and neither do her friends. They believe her and they do their best to protect her. As a young girl who was being abused by her step-mom this was a powerful message for me. I can be happy after this. People will love me. I can be a kinder person. This doesn't define me.

Cinderella: Similar to Snow White in a lot of ways but shows even more how during the abuse Cinderella finds moments of joy and love and friendship. Her step sisters destroying her dress mirrors experiences I've had as a child, I know the devastation she was feeling. So the most important lesson for me, a child with very little control over her own life, was that someone could still come save me. I know that tends to be the exact opposite of the desire to have the princess save herself, and as an adult connect to those characters a bit more, but when I was watching Cinderella regularly? I needed to feel like if I could just find some happiness in my days then one day I would be rescued. Surviving until help arrives is also strength.

Belle: Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairytale so Belle was, naturally my favorite princess. Also she loved books and *I* loved books so obviously we were basically the same. Belle isn't abused, she has her father and even though people in town see her as kind of weird she has some people, like the bookseller, who are kind. The thing I love about this movie in particular is that the point of her character *is* that she is so much more than what people see. Just like Beast. It's no wonder that her name means beauty after all. Then her father goes missing and she is determined to find him, to save him. And she does, she willingly trades herself so that her father will go free. That's bravery. As a little girl who thought my dad was a superhero I liked to think I'd save him if he needed it. Then at the end of the movie she risks her life to save Beast as well. She's kind of a badass actually.

Ariel: I'm gonna be real if I had to hear one person slander this child for being manipulated into giving up her voice to live the life she always wanted I'd have been on the news. Like the lesson is right fucking there. Her family didn't support her interests or dreams and it drove her to someone who was looking to exploit a distressed kid for her own goals. This isn't rocket science people. Support your kids but also giving up your voice is *never* worth it. The other ways might be harder or take longer but you need your voice to advocate for yourself and to be your full self. Don't lessen who you are, it will bite you in the ass.

Sleeping Beauty: Okay heres a little note on Aurora. There really is no way to look at that movie and say Aurora was much more than a plot device. I mean she was also seen to be making the best out of a tough living situation but mostly this is Phillips movie and I accept that. She plays the setpiece role that the Main Characters love interest always had in those early Disney movies. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing it's just a thing.

Anyway thanks for coming along on this long and kind of pointless post. Remember to continue to boycott Disney because they are a horrible corporation and also because the BDS movement has called for a number of boycotts of Disney services and movies. Cancel that Disney+ and watch your old DVDs instead. And as always Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo.

[elderberries-and-honey]

💔, 🥩, 🍓 for lawrence and winifred please <33

💔 (broken heart) - Who has your character hurt most? Physically or emotionally? How did it feel? Do they regret it?

Winifred - This may be a shock, but I feel as though this would be her father. He obviously wasn't around for her, and she never met him, and while I despise the term "daddy issues", I do think she suffers from some those stereotypical behaviors (difficulty trusting men, low self-esteem, people pleasing). Of course, through therapy today, we are able to identify that some a father abandoning their child can lead to psychological issues later on in life, but I'm not certain if Winifred would even know that's where some of her issues stem from. So, as for how it felt, it's probably deeply troubling & confusing, especially when she was just a girl. Lawrence - Jeeeeeez, again, probably his father! I have explained it in asks & sort-of alluded to it lightly, but Lawrence's father would have been considered abusive in today's society. Which is why it took him so long to realise he had only taken on caring for the farm to make his father proud, even if it was from beyond the grave!

🥩 (steak) - Does your oc have any coping mechanisms? Healthy or unhealthy?

Winifred - Ooooo she definitely isolates as a means to cope with her problems! I assume she learned this from spending long hours at the workhouse alone and struggling to engage socially both as a girl, and even now as adult. Lawrence - Although it pains me to say it he's a workaholic. Even now being a position where he doesn't necessarily have to work, but still chooses to. In some ways, having a good work ethic can be a good thing, but I also think a lot of people use it as a form of distraction without realising it. Also, probably note the last question as well tbh.

🍓 (strawberry) - Does your oc believe in anything? Are they superstitious? Religious? Atheistic? Has anything in their past made them this way?

Winifred - In this post, I sort-of alluded to Winifred's beliefs a little, which is the Pagan's holiday for the Autumn equinox, however, I wouldn't label her a pagan. I do think she would be very superstitious though, mostly because there a lot of pretty silly superstitions that came from the Victorian era that I feel she might adhere to. Lawrence - Again, I've never explicitly stated Lawrence's religion but I do actually believe him to have been raised Catholic. He was raised in Wales, which is mostly Anglican, however, his Mother's two best friends (Beth & Valerie) are canonically Catholic in the story, and by extension, I just decided Lawrence's parents were too. As for if he's superstitious, this is a complete yes. There are a lot of old superstitions about death & mourning that I hope to include moving forward.

🧣(scarf) - What comforts your oc? Is it an item? An action? A person? Whatever it is, how any why does it comfort them?

Ugh, my chance to gush about my favorite couple ever! Unsuprising, his comfort person is obviously Winifred. When I was more Gameplay focused, his aspiration was to find 'the one', which I took to mean, find someone he loved and begin to build a legacy (a family, a career, etc). For Lawrence, Winifred is just perfect, and he probably idolizes her to an unhealthy degree. But she is totally his person, and making her happy and comfortable is what matters most to him.

Send Me RED Emoji Asks! <3

[makethosenarratorsfight]

UNRELIBALE NARRATORS; SIDE A

Rebecca Bunch Propaganda:

Okay, so Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a musical from the perspective of Rebecca. However, a very notable thing which is only fully confirmed at the end is that every single song is from her perspective. Not sure how this applies to songs she wasn't there for, but there's that. The point is, these songs are how she sees and processes things, which often casts her friends as characters/roles. I hate to bring up a song with an explicit version, and I'll bring up less nsfw songs later so you can ignore this (I only added paragraph breaks for this purpose), but a very notable one is I'm So Good at Yoga, which is the first song of Valencia, the girlfriend of the guy Rebecca is trying to get with. In this song, it quickly devolves into Valencia just talking about how much better at literally everything she is, often bringing up sore spots which Valencia would not know about (such as her talking about how her father didn't leave her when Rebecca's did). This is Rebecca casting Valencia into her role in her life, when this role ends up becoming wholly inaccurate later on. Face Your Fears is another super good example of this, even if it's more subtle. The whole song is Rebecca's best friend Paula trying to get Rebecca to just take a step forward in her life and set up a party that could help her get closer to Josh. However, Rebecca ends up seeing this as so absurd due to past traumas regarding running parties (as in her dad literally left the family the very night she decided to set up a party as a child) that the whole situation sounds so absurd to her that it, in her imaginary song, becomes "Go ahead and do the must stupid, dangerous things you can think of. Confront a bear head on, stay in a burning building, run with scissors, just do every stupid thing you can think of". This absolutely was not Paula's message. Angry Mad is one of the songs Rebecca wasn't even there for, but I think it works as a Rebecca pov song just because it's a song which ends up portraying Josh as a simple man who represents every masculine stereotype ever and does not have a complex string of thoughts when he gets upset. Josh is a guy who Rebecca heavily casts into a role that he ultimately does not live up to as a guy who has thoughts not entirely revolving around her. I could keep going on but the whole point is that Rebecca is the source of every song in the musical and unfortunately a lot of those songs are about how she sees others and the roles she's assigned them to instead of who they actually are.

Tsurugi Kamishiro Propaganda (TW; mentioned suicide):

He thinks he's the best and that everyone loves him, but sadly he's a disgraced noble son exiled from the family for being a disgrace. He doesn't even know the "him" that exists is an echo that lives in the memories of an alien who killed and impersonated him. He thinks he still has time to make up for all his sins. He thinks he will be able to live lavishly once again after his estranged relatives decide to call him back to live with them (his parents were also killed by aliens, but only he was impersonated). The first inkling you get of his skewed perception of reality is that he introduces himself as "Tsurugi Kamishiro, The Man Who Will Defeat God With One Slash Of His Sword." I don't think he even brought his sword with him when he committed suicide. He walked into the ocean and never came back. That scene shocked me to my very core because I had believed Kabuto was just fun and games before that happened. Tsurugi had just started to adapt to normal life, too. He had been befriended by the protagonist's younger sister Jukka, and she was teaching him basic life skills. I had hope for that guy, and was rooting for him, despite how pompous and annoying he was. Plus, his combat armor was purple, which is my favorite color (I admit that might have caused some of my favor). His family's butler was really the only family he had left, and that old man cared about him as if he was his own son...

[sunnwila]

Stan Marsh Headcanons (Highschool AU/Aged Up):

NOT nsfw. Strictly sfw. Just some Headcanons about stanley and his character

- lost his hat in the 9th grade and cried to Kyle about it

-Randy forced him to join the football team when he got to high school, was benched his first year which led to him to care about literally nothing but getting good the entire year and summer leading up to the next season

-Kyle says kys when he’s mad, Stan says “ok”

-has stayed with Wendy through high school, feels like he’s not good enough but Wendy tells him to stop being stupid

-listens to all kinds of music, biggest music snob in the WORLD. Makes sure you know he listens to everything

-quiet and scares people with how quiet he is, but when he finally talks it’s always something funny and has everyone laughing

-likes to party to take his mind off of his family

-whenever his parents start fighting he goes into Shelly’s room, she’ll be doing homework and half heartedly tells him “get out turd” but doesn’t get mad when he stays, at least until the yelling is done

-pale as shit. Can’t tan for anything, literally gets burnt, peels, stays pale. It’s an endless cycle

-will sometimes tag along for dinner at the Broflovskis with Kenny

-drank for the first time his freshman year, had a pact with Kyle in middle school that they wouldn’t drink so they wouldn’t become losers. Kyle didn’t talk to him for a week when he found out Stan broke it

-Kyle “I believe in you, bro” Broflovski 🤝 Stanley “Glad one of us does” Marsh

-dark ass hair, kept it pretty long through middle school and the beginning of high school. LOVED when Kenny cut Kyle’s hair and had to ask Kenny to cut his hair the same way a couple days later when Kyle wasn’t around (Ken smirked and said something like “For sure man”)

-plays electric guitar, REFUSES to use a pick, likes when his fingers get all bloody. Wendy does not. (Kyle does, but he won’t tell)

-Kyle mentioned once he liked blondes and a couple weeks later Stan bought the cheapest box bleach at J-Mart and Kyle helped him dye his hair (Stanley I know what you are)

-bruised knuckles all the time because he kept putting holes in his walls (he is a stereotype) before Kyle showed him his punching bag

-painted his nails when he was deep in his emo phase his sophomore year (Eric ripped on him and told him it was queer) still paints them black for Halloween

-speaking of, Halloween is his favorite holiday, it reminds him of when the gang were kids and they didn’t have as much to worry about. Misses trick or treating and dressing up

-horror movie enthusiast, especially loves 80s slashers

-constantly chews gum

-has an oral fixation, hence the gym chewing

-the only member of the group yet to kick Eric’s ass over something he said

-wanted to be scene for a while, too scared to do it

-had really greasy hair before Wendy told him what dry shampoo was, now he rips on Eric for having greasy hair

-strangely good with Ike, he grew up helping Kyle watch him (he’s still not sure why he trusted him around a child) and taught Ike to play guitar

-likes parties, hates hosting them because of his house and family dynamic, so he and Kenny usually host bon fires in the woods

-strangely a jock stereotype, bad grades (Kyle yells at him) and kinda stupid but in a puppy dog way

-awkward

-like really fucking awkward

-Wendy’s always saying she loves her boyfriend and constantly needs to touch him, he blushes and tries to hide his smile

-wide receiver, got super buff in his junior year “for the aesthetic” but also for football

-will rot in his bed for days watching movies before his friends have to drag him out and force him to go to school

-in middle school Sheila convinced his mom that she could give Stan a haircut herself and save money because that’s what she does with Kyle. Stan ended up with the worst bowl cut anyone in South Park had seen (the guys ALL ripped on him and he NEVER took off his hat)

-rants to sparky when he doesn’t feel like bothering his friends

-has acne, mostly because he’s gross and doesn’t wash his face (“dude, for the love of god please wash it” - kyle) Eric rips on him but Stan spits it back because Eric’s acne is BAD

-hopeless romantic

BONUS: whenever someone makes fun of Stan being emo to Shelly, she tells them to fuck off and calls them a turd

[random-blep]

genshin character head canons but it's only the characters I wanna talk about

Kaeya: he definitely has like muscle, but he's very good as dressing himself in a way that still gives him that figure. Also I think Kaeya has curly hair and for a while to fit in he straightened it causing a lot of hair damage. Personally I think of hoyo wasn't a coward his skin would be a lot darker, like no longer are the days where it looks like he just went to the mall for a tan. Secretly has a feral survival mode in his brain and if it is triggered there will be bloodshed.

Diluc: personally I enjoy his body type on game but ever since I have seen dad bod Diluc and I mean like the dad bod that has muscles not the beer gut dad bod I have been in love. I live for him having really unruly hair, like it takes dedication every morning to make him stop looking like a feral man. Another man that always knows how to dress to impress. I think he's pale as hell cause he cannot tan because all he does is burn. Ragnvindr genes may be strong but that does not mean their eyesight is, man's should be wearing glasses but refuses because then he would be any stereotypical guy pretending to not be a secret vigilante/hero/antihero. Jk they're just uncomfortable to him and annoying cause Kaeya teases him about his thick glasses then. Always ready to spill blood, just give him a reason and a target and he is doing it.

Fischl: personally I don't think of her much but I would enjoy her much more if she was shown more nerdy. Yes I saw that summer island thing where she fought her shadow self but I'm talking I wanna see her carrying a sketchbook or journal , I think her outfits should be less revealing and more covering. She needs to rock more of either a goth or alt style to fit her persona more. Also I think she might be one of the characters that would be pretty good if she was a little chubby.

Kazuha: somehow he is your adopted son, your emotional support little guy, and the plug all at once. I enjoy him very much. I know little about him but I feel like he is albino and I feel like his other senses are more heightened because his vision isn't the greatest so his other senses picked up the slack for him. That red streak in his hair is either a weird genetic anomaly for his bloodline or it's just a dyed streak. I'm leaning on the dyed aspect and each member of the Kaedehara family dyes a streak of their hair at some point. I heard this one head canon once and I love it, Kazuha used to have longer hair but as a criminal who was scheduled for execution his hair was cut short so it wouldn't get in the way when he would be beheaded and now he doesn't let it grow out because seeing himself with longer hair is hard because it reminds himself of his dead friend.

Thoma: listen yes he has basically become a house husband in a way. I do believe he does have lots of muscles under his uniform, he trains a lot and idk if you know this but house work is hard. This man is a people pleaser but he also believes sometimes you gotta learn things the hard way. I have no idea when Thoma came to Inazuma but I genuinely did see him and Diluc as friends when they were younger before he came to Inazuma. The whole blockage of Inazuma off from the rest of the world made sending letters home to his friends difficult but Thoma always found a way to make sure his letters made it on a ship. 100% believe when he got his vision Diluc was the first person to receive a letter with the news because they now had matching pyro visions.

Wanderer: he is small and thin and I can see him having no problem fitting in a box. I think he had long hair and kept his hair long until the fatui got their hands on him. They cut that away. Also think modifications added to him were basically torture but also I hold no doubts Dottore messed around with whatever stuff he's got inside of him. Added stuff removed stuff, all to see what would happened. And when his powers were unlocked he struggled with suppressing those cause he never had to do that before. I feel like I'm some ways he's super human like but there's just a few things that are odd about him. Like technically doesn't need to breathe, doesn't produce spit at all, isn't sure what's painful and how much pain he's supposed to deal with on his own or get medical attention for same with wounds, can dream but when he doesn't he is just in an unconscious void like he can think fully and he hates when it happens cause it's like he's floating in nothing. Also man has to have maintenance on his ball joints regularly so they don't get fucked up and he could totally remove a limb at any time. Funniest thing he ever did was slap childe with his own hand in place of slapping him with a glove.

Xiao: this guy right here. I feel like he either cuts his hair himself and doesn't look in a mirror or like he does it on impulse cause it's too long and in his way and Zhongli sees it later and is like "do you need help fixing your hair?" Cause it's not a great hair cut. I feel like Xiao had long hair once and now he never wants it again. This man could have so many talents if he let himself enjoy things like hobbies. Can drink alcohol but probably only ever does it in social situations and by that I mean he's with exactly one person and he trusts them and likes their company. Like all adepti, he can use powers without a vision, he only has his cause celestia was like "here" but he didn't even notice it and only keeps it on his person since he prefers to have a human form. He is the shortest anemo boy just barely being beaten out by the most precise tool to measure height in genshin. Having them stand in water and see who stands and who swims.

[emmrichs]

my bridgerton s3 thoughts because i can't stop thinking about it (spoiler warning under the cut)

overall, i quite liked the season. i'm never going to like all of it because there is the main romance plot and then like 7 sideplots, but i liked the pacing of part 1. now, for some thoughts on the different characters and their plots:

colin and penelope are cute. i'm not a friends to lovers fan most of the time, but the build-up of their relationship this season so far is working for me. i think that's mostly because of the actors' great acting, especially nicola's. i love that woman. their first kiss scene and the carriage scene were sooooo good and i loved seeing colin gradually realize his feelings for pen.

unfortunately, i'm not as enthusiastic about eloise's plot. she's been my favorite character all along and i absolutely adore the friendship between her and penelope, so the tension between those two this season is absolutely killing me. i absolutely despise that she's befriended cressida in between seasons. i really do believe that cressida deserves to be portrayed with more depth than just mean girl bully, but it doesn't make sense to me that eloise would befriend her. she's still being an absolute cunt to penelope this season and i won't stand for it, and it really pains me that eloise doesn't interfere when cressida ruins penelope's dress. i get that cressida has a difficult situation at home, but that doesn't excuse her behavior, past or present. i think it's good that eloise is opening herself up to other young women, but i'm really sad that that seems to mean she's basically giving up on her political beliefs. i really like the idea of there being a bridgerton who just straight up becomes a political radical and says fuck this polite society bullshit. i still love eloise and her personality, but i wish we could've gotten a different story for her this season.

benedict is my other favorite bridgerton. i'm annoyed that they've once again given him a random woman to fuck while not actually focusing on any meaningful character development for him. what a waste of such a fun character who has the potential to be really interesting.

i've liked the mondriches since season one and am glad they're still here. i like that they have their own narrative conflict, although i wish they would be more involved with some of the other plotlines, as their story feels weirdly detached from the rest of the season so far for me. still, i like them and their little family.

francesca is a sweetheart and i like her story with john so far. not a plot i care about a whole lot, but it's fun to see a bridgerton who doesn't really like being the center of attention for once.

the featheringtons give me severe second-hand embarrassment as usual. not my kind of comedy. prudence's husband is really cute though.

as much as i'd love to see more queer rep in bridgerton (rip brimsley x reynolds #whereisreynolds), i don't want it to be cressida/eloise. i strongly believe in queer eloise (i was rooting for aroace!eloise until theo, now idk anymore. bi maybe?), but the idea of making the (former... allegedly) mean girl bully the queer character doesn't sit right with me. it just plays into all kinds of negative stereotypes i'm not here for. cressida is going to actually have to do some apologizing to penelope for me to ever consider liking her as a character.

[lexinesworld23]

Any Titan Academy fans out there? Good.

Hello, everyone! It's your girl Lexine/Lexi and I'm currently writing a character × OC  fanfic for the Titan Academy series! This fanfic will mostly focus my OC, Stella and Maddy. Information and facts about my OC are already introduced in the fanfic. However...

1. Who is exactly Stella?

As bias as this stereotype might sound, Stella is a tomboyish woman who loves gaming, art, anime and music. She is half a Filipino, American and Singaporean or to simply put it, she has multiple nationalities due to her family history. Has a pet dog called "Milo" and has a HUGE (NOT obsessive) serect crush on Maddy ever since they were kids during kindergarten. Though her stereotype might sound bias due to some girl x girl stories having one of the girls as a tomboyish woman, Stella doesn't actually mind wearing girly things like makeup, skirts or dresses and does cosplaying. She just wants to wear whatever makes her feel comfortable. In this story, as I said before, her and Maddy will be childhood friends and this fanfic will have the childhood friends to lovers dynamic.

This is what Stella looks like:

2. Why I decided to write this fanfic?

Well, as I watch the Titan academy series, I really hate that fact that Vincent (I think) uses Maddy alot like for homework and doesn't care about her as he continues to still love Denise. Additionally after that, Maddy becomes close to Jianhao and soon develop a crush on him. Plus, in the types of people you'll meet after the break up, Maddy tries everything in her power to make sure Denise goes back to Vincent so that she can still stay with Jianhao. That really made me disappoint on Maddy's character arc as I for one believe that her character could have been MUCH more better. Therefore, I decided to write a fanfic with Maddy and a new complete character who DEFINITELY cares for her mentally, emotionally and physically, doesn't use her alot, helps her become a better person and loves Maddy unconditionally. Plus, to write Maddy's character arc certainly excellent and make some... mental health related angsty routes...

Since the story is currently under progress, what things do you want in Maddy to be improved? Comment down below and I will happy do that for you :)

If you have a hard time finding the fanfic here is the link:

Name: ☆ ~The Blonde and the Brunette🏳️‍🌈💗 || ☆Titan academy☆ || ☆Maddy x Fem! OC☆

App: Wattpad

Theme: Yuri

WARNING: The story might be a little bit cringey and clingy.

Ship name: Madella⭐💜