#i think this is the most canonically accurate i have ever drawn him tbh

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

a doodle from a random magma i joined a bit ago lol

[phloxmagpie]

I'm not sure whether this will be considered spoilers, but do you intend for Rio to follow the same path into crime as he does in Canon in Delinquents, or do you believe he will be influenced to choose a different path? I also like how Beth never judges or wishes Rio not to commit crimes; she just worries about his safety and wonders how she fits into his future plans.

Yeah, I didn't really want Beth to come off judgmental, but I think there's also an element where she can't accurately visualize where Rio's intended path might take him. Like, it's really just briefly touched on (because I do think Beth would actively avoid thinking about it as much as possible - queen of repression!) but I don't think Beth can actually, truly imagine Rio needing or choosing to use his gun. Frankly, tbh, at that stage in his life, I don't think Rio can either, although I think he's better prepared than Beth because of his proximity to Carlos. Right now the gun exists as a scary object in its potential, but there hasn't really been a reckoning with it, and so Beth and Rio both haven't really had to sit with how using the gun would feel in theory versus reality.

I really try to strike a balance between what I perceive to be a realistic viewpoint of what I think Beth and Rio would think and feel in these situations as teenagers and demonstrating that although they think one way, it's largely a result of them being fairly naive and inexperienced.

Like, Rio's sitting there in class thinking about how the crime pathway might give him the opportunity to buy Beth her dream house and start a life with her, but meanwhile Beth is stressed out over how it would feel to stay up in the middle of the night worrying, knowing it's not something she could ever truly shut off. That's not even grappling with how they see something like kids fitting into the equation (something that Delinquents!Beth really visualizes for her future).

All that's to say... (spoilers ahead)

I think in high school, Beth and Rio have two really different relationships with crime despite the fact that they're both participating in it, and I think that's reflected in early canon: Beth sees it as a means to an end, something she has to do to claw her way to the life she pictures for herself (which right now is very traditional - college - marriage - babies) while Rio sees it as something that gives him power and agency in a world that has often tried to deny him (and his family) that.

Beth hasn't known much stability inside of outside her relationship to poverty (her parents had a contentious marriage for a few years before her dad left) so when she looks at Dean's or Rio's families, she's very drawn to them as things representing safety and stability (Dean's) and love and comfort (Rio's). To her, that is a dream future, but it's not for Rio because he's watched his parents work jobs where other people look down on and demean them, leaving their parents exhausted and still barely able to pay the bills. Something that's upcoming, too, is Rio grappling with his family's money troubles a bit more and solidifying that he wants to feel like he has power and control in his own life in a way that he doesn't feel like his parents (or even Vanessa) do.

Because of this, I do intend that Rio follows the path to crime in the way that he wants currently in the Delinquents canon. He's extremely independently-minded and stubborn, and I don't see his goals being something he parts with easily (though I think some circumstances will make him at least consider it). And because I think through most of high school Rio is protected from severe consequences or realities, the fact that the benefits far outweigh the negatives is very influential on his decision. However, I also envision that it's not too long after high school where his involvement in it feels like a point of no return for him.

[lilfellasblog]

I tried to choose a question but, I'm pretty interested in answers to all those tbh

You. I like you.

Talk about the first ship you ever had. - Tiencha (Tien Shinhan/ Yamcha), which is why I'm very sympathetic to those also suffering in rarepair hell.

Talk about three of the most important ships throughout your life. Destiel, Tiencha, Analogical

What’s your current OTP? Oof, I think I gotta go Prinxiety! So much potential for angst with hurt/comfort.

What’s your current NOTP? You know, I honestly can't think of any tbh.

Do you have any poly ships? For my OTP question, I originally answered LAMP/CALM, so definitely that!

How do you feel about love triangles? I think they can be intriguing if done well. If there's cheating involved, it would be pretty difficult for me to feel sympathy for the cheater.

How do you feel about RPF? It's fine, do whatever you want. Fanfic has always been for fans, not for creators. Purity culture and entitlement needs to stop. It's like seeing a sign that says "Snapping Turtles", jumping in the pond anyways, then yelling at the people who put up the sign after you lose a couple pounds of flesh.

Have you ever shipped yourself with a character? Tbh, the closest I've gotten is wanting different characters to adopt me and take me from my home. But I don't think I've ever romantically shipped myself with someone.

Do you have many ships that never got together at all? *cries in All Of Them*

Do you ship any characters that have never met? Huh. I don't think so tbh.

Talk about your favorite first kiss. Well in college there was- Oh! You mean fictional characters! :3 I think Virgil's first kiss with Roman in Healing Broken Wings is my favorite.

Have you ever been disappointed when your ship finally got together? *cries in It's Never Happened*

Has a ship ever broken your heart? In fanfic? Yeah, I've read some sad endings before and that's usually not my jam.

How do you feel about will they/won’t they? I'm fine with it so long as it ends in "Yes they will!"

Have you ever “shipped at first sight”? Analogical, actually!

Talk about a ship you initially disliked. I think when Remus first appeared, I had a hard time imagining him with anyone because of what a gremlin he is. I've come around to the trash rat tho.

Talk about a pairing you’ve stopped shipping romantically. Destiel.

Talk about a moment which made you question an entire ship. Season 6 of Supernatural. Destiel. >:(

Have you ever shipped something despite yourself? Kind of? I've done spite fics with spite ships.

Talk about a ship you feel alone in shipping. Tiencha, or Tien Shinhan/ Yamcha. They'd be so cute together!

Is there a ship you just don’t get, but have nothing against? Any ships that are part of fandoms I'm not in. I guess maybe Tony Stark/ Steve Rogers? They have such different values and ethics. They literally need a threat to the entire universe to come together.

Which of your ships have the best chemistry? Oh Analogical, easily. Royality too I think.

Which of your ships deserve better writing? Tiencha :(

Do you mostly ship canon pairings? Lmao no.

Have you ever shipped a pairing before you even started watching the show/movie simply because of gifs and graphics or similar? Yes I have! Crowley/ Aziraphale.

Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic you’re more drawn to? Not really, it's kind of all over the map.

Is there a ship you’ve shipped for most of your life? Tiencha.

Does shipping come easily to you? Yes, I am trash.

Do you need to ship something to really enjoy a movie/book/tv show/comic? Definitely not. I was a Potterhead, and I still don't really ship anything there.

Name a couple of fandoms in which you have no ships. Harry Potter, Marvel, DC Comics. I'm not in those fandoms tho.

Talk about one of your favorite headcanons for a ship you love. Roman is playfully protective of Virgil, and Virgil teases him by dramatically swooning.

Share five must-read fics. "Unexpected Destinies" was my first fic that I got into. Destiel fic, very complex and interesting AU. I think it got deleted during a LiveJournal purge tho. I got really into the "Battle Scars" series for a hot minute. Disabled Goku/ disabled Yamcha. "Perfect Attendance" by Periwren is great hurt/comfort starring Roman and Logan. "Welcome to the Neighborhood" by LeFay_Strent is absolutely hysterical. Shenanigans with Remy and Virgil, background Prinxiety, baffled Logan, it's a good time. And "War is Hell (but crushing is way more awkward)" by Jasper01 is incredible in so many ways! Funny, tragic, accurate, romantic, sweet, heartbreaking, all the things!

Name your favorite fanartist(s). So many fanartists have moved away from Sanders Sides, so I'm having a hard time thinking of many. To make sure I cover everyone, if there are any recs please let me know and I'll signal boost!

Share your favorite fanmix for your OTP. *Googles fanmix* It would appear I have none.

Recommend 1-5 shipper blogs. Gosh, so many of the shipping blogs I follow have become inactive in the Sides fandom. So! If any of you shipping blogs would like a shout-out, lmk and I'll signal boost!

Do you create fanmixes/gif sets/fanart/fic/fanvids and so on for you ships? Fic. So much fic.

Do you have a favorite trope and/or AU for your OTP? I mean I'm partial to Healing Broken Wings AU. As for trope, I'm a sucker for angst with hurt/comfort.

Do you like and use ship names? Definitely! Much faster to type.

Is there a fictional relationship you’d really want for yourself? I'm taking the word "fictional" literally here, because there is someone I'm in unrequited love with that I'm working on dealing with and I would really love a relationship with this person even though I know any hope is fiction.

If you could change one thing about your OTP, what would that be? Prinxiety, and that Roman would get some goshdang therapy!

[reynauldapologist]

What darkest dungeon mods do you like? I'm think abt doing another run. Confide in me your secrets.

i use a lot of different ones for different runs, and they all impact the game in radically different ways, so i’ll break them down into categories to make things easier:

aesthetic/non-impactful mods:

[these are either skin mods or only change a very small aspect of the game]

Remove Narrator from Endless Loading Screen 

this does exactly what it says. you no longer have to listen to Grampy Darkest give his dissertation on why he’s the Most Evil and Fucked Up Guy around every time you wanna hop back into the farmstead. 

Perfect Faster Dungeon 

CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ONE ENOUGH!!! i have no clue how i ever played this game without it. it increases walking speed, combat pacing, scouting, and end screen results without choppiness or awkward animations. this is perfect if you’re a weirdo like me and you’re trying to grind for all of the achievements or if you’re a longtime player or if you simply have a need for speed

Unofficial Palette Expansion Pack

hands down my favorite skin mod ever! it gives each base game class five new palettes to choose from. the recolors are subtle, but very well-done and visually unique, and they blend right in with the rest of the game. if you value immersion from your mods like i do, you’ll really like this one. there are also palette expansion packs by the same creator for the flagellant, shieldbreaker, and musketeer

Jester On-The-Run

i installed this one shortly after starting my all-jester run. i adore the design and how well it blends into the game’s art style. i almost like this one better than his canon skin, it fits his backstory much better

annnnd since i was neck-deep in crusaders and ONLY crusaders for a little while, i ended up installing quite a few crusader skins, which i’ll now dump here:

Warden Crusader Skin / Deus Vult Skin Set / Crusader Soul of Cinders Skins / Accurate Templar Crusader Palette / Crusader Knight Skin

class mods

[note: i haven’t had the chance to mess around with these in an actual run yet, i added these to my longest save after i had already beaten the final boss]

The Veiled

i haven’t had the chance to utilize the veiled much in my expeditions, but a lot of love and effort went into this mod and it really shows. he uses similar mechanics as the flagellant - the closer to death he is, the more powerful he becomes - but cranked up to nine. he has great healing and offensive abilities, as well as a decent debuff skillset. this mod has fantastic art, of course, and would probably fit right in with a good mark team

The Commandant

it might take you a little while to learn how to properly use this guy, but once you do it’s well worth the effort. he’s a great debuff/stress healing support class if utilized correctly, but he can dish out some heavy damage of his own if you have a little patience. cool aesthetics and a unique concept elevate this class quite a bit for me

The Stargazer

this dude is the definition of a glass canon. super low HP, but high dodge and the potential to deal out some serious damage. he has two states, each with four abilities (kinda like abom!), that he has a 40% chance of switching between, making him a decently versatile class, if a little unpredictable. he was made with the intention of being a color of madness specific class, in the same way that the flagellant was made for the crimson court. i was first drawn to his aesthetics tbh, i adore all the work that went into designing this mod, from the design to the unique animations and sounds

script/gameplay mods

[these mods fundamentally change the gameplay]

Bigger Balanced Roster - Max 99

does what you would expect: increases your roster to 99. i use this for my completed save, so that i can test out different comps and class mods to my heart’s content. i wouldn’t recommend this for a serious run, because it totally destroys a core aspect of the game’s difficulty lmao. i haven’t encountered any bugs with this one and i still receive 1-4 lvl heroes in my stagecoach regularly

Crusader Only

here it is. the mod that took over my life for six months. does what it says: ensures that only crusaders show up in your stagecoach and eliminates all non-crusader class-specific trinkets. i didn’t encounter any bugs with this mod at all. this creator has also made [class]-only mods for all of the other heroes, including a bunch of different combos (like crusader-arbalest only, shieldbreaker-flagellant only, etc). check out their work if you’re interested in Testing Your Patience Abilities

Eternal Fanatic

typically, once you’ve killed the countess, the fanatic will cease spawning. this is great if you're a normal person with a healthy relationship to video games, not so great if you’re a completionist and a cautious scaredy-cat and have successfully avoided him during your entire Crimson Court run. activating this mod on a save means that the fanatic will begin spawning again, albeit with a slightly lower chance. once you’re sick of him, you can deactivate the mod and play normally once again. 

Last Man Standing

aka Reynauld Goes Beast Mode. this mod restricts you to one hero - Reynauld - and forces you to use him and only him for the entirety of your run. all eight of his skills are active at once and buffed to the gills, he has seven total armor/weapon upgrades, and he can carry three trinkets at once. but that doesn’t mean this will be an easy endeavor. as you might have guessed, you can’t toss rey in the sanitarium to deal with pesky quirks or diseases or stress-heal him in the hamlet. you just have to tough it out. i would highly recommend you use this in conjunction with the Perfect Faster Dungeon mod above. unfortunately, this mod is rather buggy in its current state. ive had problems with reliable quest spawning and many of his skills don’t function the way their description says they should (such as his added riposte). im including it anyways because it’s a really cool concept and has a lot of potential! i’ll be keeping an eye on it

and that’s everything i regularly use! i hope this was helpful & good luck on your runs :)

[kyuubiheir]

ANOTHER MUNDAY PROMPT.

*  REMEMBER TO REPOST, NOT REBLOG!

NAME:   ariel , red   ( they’re aliases but yaa. )

PREFERRED PRONOUNS:   she / her. 

SELECTIVITY:   private.   i wish i could write with everyone but lyf is so hectic now.   what with family  &  friend time , work , spending time with the pupper , college.

FAVORITE ANIMAL:    WOLVES !!   h ECK i love animals more than people.

FAVORITE MUSE YOU’VE HAD SO FAR EVER:   honestly ??   i would say menma , he is so fun to write  &  i like being able to play out the different aspects  /  emotions of him.   plus the nardo fandom has been nothing but lovely  &  drama free , it’s just so refreshing.

MUSE YOU KINDA WANNA PICK UP:    no one at the moment  &  any muses i do wish to play are already over on my multi.   i’ve learnt the hard way that too many single blogs is a pain , also i actually hate sideblogs.   it gets confusing , so i will only have 1 possibly 2 at best  &  these are usually if a specific character is made for a specific person.

MOST IDENTIFIABLE FICTIONAL CHARACTER:   i’m gonna have to go with buffy.   it’s scary sometimes how similar our lives are   ( ‘cept for the vamp slayer part , though wouldn’t that be cool right ?! )   but seriously , i can just watch an episode  &  it’s like i’m being told my life.   like yes hi ?  been there , done that , STOP NOW.   we’re both emotional who give our heart to anyone ; always thinking of others more than ourselves  &  yet we’re always the ones to suffer  &  get our hearts broken in the end.   oh  &  we both have rotten luck when it comes to relationships.

WHAT COLOR YOUR AURA IS/THINK IT IS:   i’d love it to be pink or red , i’m thinking it might be red due to me being really hot-tempered  ??  though i don’t know if that’s just a redhead thing.   or it’s black like my soul.

PERSONALITY STUFF YOU AGREE WITH (ASTROLOGY, MBTI, HOGWARTS HOUSE, ETC. BE AS SPECIFIC AS YOU WANT):   i ... believe in astrology  &  hogwarts house , both have been accurate for me.   WHERE MY FELLOW SLYTHERINS AT ?!  B)   honestly not sure about the others ??   but then again , you are who you are.   personality is unique to each individual person.   it’s all on you to be who you truly are , don’t take anyone else’s word but your own for it.

DO YOU THINK YOU’RE A GOOD DRIVER:   i can drive to an extent , however i don’t have a legal licence but in my lessons it’s good to just know you have the right of the road when you do  &  just screw the other ass holes on the road.   it’s just about being confident , though i’m not sure how safe it is for me to be in control of a killing machine.  o.o

FAVORITE MINOR DISCOUR.SE:   i’ve never actually been involved in any discourse.   i prefer to stay away from any drama related thing.

FAVORITE VINE AND/OR MEME:  oh god !   I LIIIVE FOR VINES !   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3kM56dxS0s   <<   MY FAV THOUGH !!  you need to watch this :’) , but i love LOOVE king bach  &  thomas sanders as well.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS MUSE:  tbh my bro introduced me to ‘naruto’ in general  &  he had all the films aswell.   after watching through the series he told me to watch the rtn one  ( that was his fav at the time )  so i did  &  WOW !   i just found it hilarious , how all the characters were backwards but then seeing the concept of a dark naruto , just had me hooked !   i’m always drawn to the bad boy , darker muses ¯\_(ツ)_/¯    also in a way , i feel like menma is underrated  /  overlooked in favour of the series main which yes i get makes sense  &  menma only existed in a fake universe but   STILL i wanted to give menma some backstory , really delve into his character.  make him more than just evil naruto .. look i just love my angsty emo bois  fITE ME.

FAVORITE RP MEMORY:  oh gosh ,  TOO MANY !   i think the main is definitely all the friends i make here  &  finally get to actually meet them in RL.   also i’m a sucker for positivity  &  it warms my heart when the dash is just filled with love for each other , none of this stupid competition because someone has the same muse or what not.

GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO SOMEONE: @biteheir @cursedteme @sageheir @strawberrysakura @karukv    i cheated  &  added multiple someones because honestly  THESE GUYS RIGHT HERE !   are helping me so much with developing menma further , i love lengthy discussions of head canons  &  possible scenarios at 2AM.   &  i know this might sound lame but it feels like i’m part of a family on here , it’s nice.   especially knowing that i can always go to these bebs for anything  &  they will always be there to listen. ilu. <3 <3 <3

i know it’s the wrong blog but i also gotta shoutout to shorp @fangbled for taking a chance on my mad idea for an oc  &  loving her regardless :P  it’s fun to develop mimi alongside you , i can’t wait to see what surprises 2019 will have for papa dog  &  lil pup. ilu. <3 <3 <3

tagged by: @kabukv !    thank youu <3

tagging: erm who’s done this ?   probably everyone rn.  so uh , if you see this - steal it !  c:

[kellythepitiablefangirl]

I thought it was interesting how you drew Leah based on the films/actress while the other characters follow the graphic novel style (and you're equally great at both tbh). How do you decide which way to go for which characters? Have you drawn anyone besides Leah based off the cast? (And if so can we see pleeeeeease?) Also what kind of requests do you accept these days? (If any)

I drew Leah in this based on Julia Jones because there wasn’t any reference of graphic novel Leah yet, save for a tiny sliver of the back of her head in NM Vol. 2 (see: the spaghetti party scene)! And I adore Julia Jones, her casting was unbearably perfect.

Thanks for saying I’m good at both–honestly, I barely feel qualified as an artist sometimes because I’m a science major and I just very RECENTLY got back into drawing Twilight fanart after L&D was released. :’)  It means a lot! Poring over Young Kim’s art basically taught me how to draw humans these days–I’ve really only painted landscapes before in middle and high school. I like to draw in the graphic novel style mostly because a.) it’s breathtaking and b.) I’m trying to provide y’all with content in compensation for NM Vol. 2 not being released yet. Also, I think Young Kim was able to capture Edward the most accurately yet in her style, compared to any fanart I’d ever seen before. He’s my favorite character probably ever, and I’d love to be able to draw him as true to his appearance in the books as possible.

I just go the movie route if there’s no graphic novel reference, tbh, or a model reference that I find with @reallyvaliantgalaxy (formerly @nighttime-patrons), my art buddy/virtual pen pal/homegirl. When I drew Athenodora, I used a model ref I found with her.

I’ve drawn two thingies of Tanya based off of MyAnna Buring a while back, before I discovered the marker tool on Paint Tool Sai! Also, REALLY FAR BACK in 2008-ish, when the Twilight movie companion came out, I sketched this based off a still. There’s also this tiny series of screencap redraws that came out looking more like RK than graphic novel E/B.

I don’t reeeealllllly take requests, mostly because I have a to-do list of scenes I want to illustrate myself. Also, I’m in Florida right now, and I forgot to pack my tablet with me. x___x. I’ll be able to get it shipped to me once my dad goes back to our home state in a week or so. I kind of suck now at drawing with a pencil and paper (there’s no ctrl+z or transform tool in real life), so I can only really get back to drawing around July 3-5? STILL, let me know if you’re dying to see anything in canon specifically illustrated in the graphic novel style, and I’ll see what I can do!

[guiltipanda]

A Hetalia themed ask set:

From hetaliatxtpostz

1. Who’s your favorite character? Why?   I like most of the characters, and I have a lot of favorites, but the one at the top is Romano. I have a soft spot for small, angry tsunderes. Plus, I just think Romano is really funny. 2. Who do you think is most like you?   I think I’m maybe some weird cross between England and Japan...a polite but grumpy loner who likes cute things, reading, criticizing movies, watching anime, and staying in my room.  3. Who is your Hetalia OTP?   Prumano, all the way.   4. Brotp?   I actually have a lot...I have more Brotps than I have actual ships... 5. Notp?   I’m indifferent to a lot of pairings, but tbh I think PruCan is ridiculous. Prussia has a similar personality to America, so I think that’s how Canada would see him. (Which is not necessarily a good thing.) 6. How do you feel about the canon?   Love/hate relationship. I’ve watched the Japanese and English anime and I think they're both funny and harmless. I mostly stick to reading the webcomics now, because I think they have better character depth. It bothers me, though, when some historical events are represented just...wrong... (coughcoughItalianIndependencecough) 7.Who do you think you’d get along best with? Worst?   Since I’m similar to them, I think I’d get along with England and Japan. I think I’d get along with Romano, too, because I would treat that boy with all the kindness and love that he deserves. Me and Hungary could be fujoshi buddies. I would become friends with Prussia at all cost. I don’t think I’d get along well with France, Italy, or Switzerland, even though I like them. I might not get along with Russia, either...(sorry)  8. Who’s your Hetalia soulmate?   ....Hehe 9. What do you base your headcanons off of? (News, politics, demographics, the canon, ect.)   All of the above. 10. When did you first get into Hetalia?   Maybe....4 years ago? I’m pretty new to the fandom. I’d never heard of Hetalia until I was talking to one of my friends about how cool a show about anthropomorphic countries would be and she told me, “Oh, there’s an anime like that.” 11. Have you ever written fanfiction, drawn fanart, or cosplayed Hetalia?   Yes, yes, and plan to. 12. Did Hetalia ever drag you into liking another subject or make you study history?   I already really liked history and world cultures before I started watching Hetalia, although I will say that Hetalia got me to learn more about Prussia then I ever did in school.   13. Do you think your Hetalia country is accurate to your country?   Pretty much.  14. What’s the best line in Hetalia? (Or scene.)   “Your ass is grass, Herr Sassafras. Prepare to meet your boring god in your boring German heaven.”-Romano (English dub) (I don’t know if that’s the best, but it’s one of my favorites and the only one I could think of on the spot.) 15. Who would win in an arena death match?   Ehhh...America, Russia, and Prussia seem to be the strongest to me, so probably one of them.

[carocat]

1/ In Defense of Rachel and Joey: A Thread 2/ I'm loving this "let's yell about TV plots point we hate" thing that's happening EXCEPT that it started about Rachel and Joey on Friends 3/ I am on record as being absolutely ride-or-die anti-Ross Geller, who is for my money one of television's all-time worst human men. 4/ And her brief thing with Joey was obviously intended by the writers to artificially draw out Rachel's will they/won't they with Ross. 5/ A lot of people think it was weird or that it came out of nowhere, BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU WHY IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENDGAME 6/ ARGUMENT #1: Ross Never Saw Rachel As a Friend, But Joey Did. 7/ From the moment the Friends first meet Rachel, Ross immediately sees her as a romantic prospect. He's never gotten over his crush on her 8/ Joey, of course, greets her with "how YOU doin'" and Monica appropriately smacks him down for hitting on a woman on her wedding day 9/ But this is presented as Joey's standard greeting to every hot woman ever, not specific to Rachel. 10/ (We can talk about the overall attitude of men on this show to women as sexual objects another time. ) 11/ But Joey's relationship with Rachel is platonic almost right away. They have a genuine friendship. 12/ He frequently gives her dating advice. (Sometimes questionable af, but, you know. Well-intentioned.) 13/ He sets her up on dates with men he thinks she'll like. He lets her crash the set when he's filming and flirt with soap actors. 14/ Joey has a lot of problems but his supportive, protective relationship with the women friends is one of his best qualities. 15/ He genuinely loves them and wants them all to be happy and there's no jealousy in it at all. 16/ HE MAKES HER LAUGH. 17/ Okay, now contrast this with Ross, who from minute one has labeled Rachel as "his." 18/ We're always told that Ross/Rachel was a "friends to lovers" ship but WHAT IS THAT BASED ON??? WHAT FUCKING FRIENDSHIP?? 19/ He had a crush on her in high school, so he "claimed" her first, and long after they've broken up he resents every man in her life. 20/ He hides messages from men who call her when they're living together. He's endlessly threatened by the men she dates. 21/ He outright sabotages her career WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THIS POINT because he can't get over his Mark thing. 22/ Ross literally cannot accept that Mark (or any man) could be just friends with Rachel because HE couldn't be "just friends" with Rachel. 23/ And you'll note that throughout the series it's often Joey telling Ross he doesn't OWN Rachel, while Chandler and Monica enable him. 24/ Joey is the person who most often tells Ross "dude she's not interested" when she's clearly not. The one who notices what RACHEL wants. 25/ He doesn't have all this "but he's loved her FOREVER" false nostalgia that makes them all feel like Ross has EARNED Rachel by waiting. 26/ This is why "nice guys" are often so much shadier than openly, unapologetically promiscuous guys like Joey. 27/ Joey's feelings for Rachel were born out of genuine friendship. They were roommates. SHE WAS PREGNANT. 28/ We honestly don't talk enough about how big a deal it is that Joey, the "shallow" one, falls in love with Rachel while she's pregnant. 29/ It happens the way realistically healthy relationships do: they just start spending a lot more time together. 30/ He has to LEARN to see Rachel as a romantic prospect because she's always been a friend first. Which was NEVER true for Ross. 31/ It's not until he takes her on a fake date (because she's pregnant and misses going on fancy dates) when it actually clicks. 32/ And when he tells Rachel how he feels and she turns him down, contrast that with "WE WERE ON A BREAK" 33/ He never blames her and he doesn't let it impact the rest of the group. The friendship stays intact. ROSS GELLER WHAT'S GOOD 34/ The forced cop-out ending where they get together & suddenly all the chemistry evaporates was NONSENSE. They could have made this work. 35/ If the writers had cared enough to try, there was potential there for a fantastic and genre-defying surprise twist to the show. 36/ ARGUMENT #2: Rachel Deserved Someone Who Understood Why Her Career Was Important to Her. 37/ Y'all. Y'all. It was 13 fucking years ago and I am still furious AT LEAST WEEKLY that Rachel got off that goddamn plane. 38/ Ross sabotaged her career at every turn. He was "tired of having a relationship with her answering machine." 39/ He was jealous of all her male colleagues. He FELL ASLEEP at a work event he demanded she take him to. 40/ Over and over Ross trivialized her passions, even though I would argue that Rachel's career was always her most interesting arc. 41/ Somewhere there's a way more feminist version of "Friends" about a spoiled privileged girl who's never had to work a day in her life - 42/ - going on to become a brilliant and competent executive at the top of an insanely competitive creative field, as a single mom. 43/ There are MANY things about "Friends" that don't hold up, but one surprising thing they often get right is career/money storylines. 44/ (I know. The apartments. I KNOW. Ignore the set design for a second and stick with me.) 45/ Some of the most interesting conflicts in the show are when lines are drawn among the friends about who makes more money than who. 46/ WHICH AS WE ALL KNOW IS A REALISTIC THING THAT HAPPENS IN YOUR 20's AND 30's, SOME OF THOSE PLOTS ARE SO ACCURATE IT HURTS 47/ Rachel/Joey/Phoebe are initially the broke ones, while Chandler/Monica/Ross have salaried full-time jobs (though this shifts over time) 48/ Hey does anyone remember who gives Rachel her first big break to get out of Central Perk and into the fashion industry? JOEY DID 49/ Joey knows what it feels like to be grasping for your big break. But name ONE THING Ross ever did to unselfishly help Rachel's career. 50/ It's kind of remarkable that, for the token shallow/appearance-driven character, Joey actually seems to care very little about money. 51/ So he doesn't see Rachel the big-shot fashion exec as qualitatively different from Rachel the scrappy waitress. But Ross CLEARLY does. 52/ Every step up the ladder towards career success that Rachel takes is interpreted as a step AWAY from him. It's SO. FUCKED. UP. 53/ No one in the FUCKING WORLD loves Rachel Green more than Monica Geller and yet Monica still wanted her to get on that plane for Paris. 54/ They ALL did. They GOT it. Rachel was maxed out at her old job. She'd gone as high as she could. She said so REPEATEDLY. She needed more 55/ There was nothing left for her professionally in New York, and the Paris job was her literal dream. Her friends wanted her to take it. 56/ GUESS WHO DIDN'T. FUCKING ROSS. BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT HIM. 57/ I have never wanted any finale retcon more than for Rachel to be allowed to go to Paris & make a brand-new life. IT PHYSICALLY PAINS ME 58/ AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK IT'S ROMANTIC THAT ROSS WENT BEHIND RACHEL'S BACK TO HER BOSS TO MAKE HIM TAKE HER BACK BECAUSE I FUCKING DON'T 59/ AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK IT'S A SIGN OF LOVE THAT HE ONLY WANTS A RACHEL WHO IS ECONOMICALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY SUBORDINATE TO HIM 60/ HARD FUCKING PASS, TYVM, SHE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO PARIS AND TAKEN SEVERAL LOVERS AND REALIZED THAT SHE OUTGREW ROSS DECADES AGO 61/ "That's all well and good, Claire," you're probably saying, after sixty tweets, "but those are just reasons why Ross is shitty ... 62/ " ...why is Joey specifically a better romantic prospect?" I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED 63/ ARGUMENT #3: Joey and Rachel Make Each Other Better, Ross and Rachel Make Each Other Worse 64/ So I already mentioned this, but it bears repeating: Joey develops feelings for Rachel while she's VISIBLY pregnant. 65/ The s1 New Year's episode (best known for Phoebe and Hank Azaria's sad goodbye) features Joey on a date with a single mom. 66/ The whole time, the kids are treated like a buzzkill. Being a mom is an obstacle to desirability. 67/ The show also makes repeated and deeply wearying jokes at the expense of fat women on the regular. SIGH. 68/ So like let's talk about what it says about how Joey has grown tf up that he realizes he's in love with his friend while she's pregnant. 69/ He happily lets Rachel and Emma move back in with him, despite how much having a baby around disrupts his lifestyle. 70/ The insanely terrible women Joey brings home, and their brief tenure in his life, is of course a 10-season running joke. 71/ But it ends after Rachel. 72/ Joey's first GF after the Rachel crush is Charlie (@aishatyler), hands-down the single greatest love interest on the show. I LOVED her. 73/ Charlie is nothing like any other woman Joey has ever dated. Falling for Rachel literally teaches Joey that he wants something more. 74/ Joey learns to love having a baby around, stops being a bad-date punchline and tries to be worthy of a way higher-class lady. 75/ And he's good for Rachel, too. Circa-Joey's-roommate Rachel is my favorite iteration of all the Rachels. 76/ SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT HOW GREAT SHE IS. Short hair, playing the drums, eating spaghetti off the floor, watching "Cujo." What an angel. 77/ Rachel has been uptight all her life and Joey teaches her how to chill the fuck out. He brings out a sillier side of her. 78/ Meanwhile, let's discuss how few moments exist in the "Friends" canon where Ross and Rachel are EVER that chill and cute together. 79/ Everything is ALWAYS fraught. Fighting, jealousy, possessiveness, drama. Their relationship looks EXHAUSTING. 80/ And it's not just Ross, tbh (although like ... it's mostly Ross). But he makes HER worse too. She's harsher and more tightly-wound. 81/ I cannot imagine a life where forever having to live with the shadow of "we were on a break" hanging over your head is considered a win. 82/ But think about how kind and gentle they were with each other when Joey said he had feelings for Rachel and she couldn't say it back. 83/ Think about an entire lifetime of one or the other of those two conflict-resolution styles, my dudes. SERIOUSLY THINK ABOUT IT 84/ Joey: respecting Rachel's feelings. Ross: needing to win every fucking time. 85/ One of my favorite Joey/Rachel moments is when they're in Barbados for Ross' conference and he's giving his boring keynote speech. 86/ [BRIEF ASIDE TO NOTE THAT THE SINGLE SERIES-LONG PLOT POINT WHICH HAS AGED THE WORST IS THE FALSE NOTION THAT DINOSAURS ARE BORING] 87/ Joey and Rachel are giggling at "homo erectus" together (RELATABLE!), for which Ross and Charlie treat them both like massive idiots. 88/ Which is yet another sign that Ross thinks Rachel is intellectually beneath him. But Joey just thinks she's hilarious. 89/ Ross has ALWAYS treated her like she's intellectually beneath him, which is why "just a waitress" cuts so deep on that S2 list. 90/ Being Mrs. Geller is a ticket to a lifetime of being treated like a dummy at his faculty events with him never sticking up for her. 91/ And, crucially, this is NOT because Rachel isn't smart. It's because ROSS doesn't think she's smart. No matter how high she advances.92/ That's not to say there is no potential downside to Joey, but she'd be treated like a queen instead of patronized forever tbh. 93/ The bottom line is, the Rachel Ross fell in love with was a teenage fantasy he never outgrew that may have been an illusion all along. 94/ Ross fell in love with A PICTURE OF HIMSELF AS THE KIND OF MAN WHO COULD DATE A RACHEL and on some level that was always what he wanted. 95/ Whereas Joey fell in love with a bright, funny, competent single mother he'd been friends with for 7 years and knew inside-out already. 96/ Yes there's something sweet in the idea of Rachel being Monica's sister, but they basically were already. They don't need Ross for that. 97/ The only factor in favor of Ross/Rachel endgame is conventional sitcom storytelling structure. Not because they're RIGHT for each other 98/ Ross and Rachel were endgame because they were considered INEVITABLE, and I don't dispute that that's where the show was always heading. 99/ But a S10 surprise twist where Rachel and Joey end up realizing THEY were each other's lobster all along WOULD HAVE CHANGED SITCOM TV 100/ Anyway, thank you for your time. I'm going to go watch the Barbados 2-parter again now and cry over what could have been. END RANT.