#i am obsessed by their parallel arcs

[khruschevshoe]

"Nine's story was a redemption arc with him realizing it was better to be a coward than a hero any day, Tenth's was a tragedy of his ego directly leading to his and everyone else's destruction," I say into the mic. The crowd boos. "She's right," comes a voice from the final row. It's Russell T. Davies himself.

[mitternacht]

Actually the most hilarious reveal of this chapter was the fact that Feng had no reason to de-age Rip a whole 15 years to heal him of his injuries in L100 (other than to make himself younger obvs). That man did it primarily because he thought it would be funny and you can’t change my mind. Do you think anyone else knew the 15 years wasn’t necessary or did everyone kinda say yeah 15 years sounds about right to heal a guy and never questioned it.

[zandrawz]

Finally watched Kung Fu Panda 4, tell me why it unironically changed my life

[argcicle]

🔻~ eggpire!jack manifold hcs ~🔻

required listening: holler house by spence hood /j

jack is actually not as susceptible as he should be, because of the spite that’s keeping him alive. his constant suspicion of betrayal is enough to keep the egg out of his head, and he’d only been transfixed by it before because he was more focused on getting primes

instead of attacking tommy after the nuke testing, jack went to the egg and decided to try and poison him with the vines. skeppy had led bad to the egg the next morning, where jack was still passed out drunk

under the influence of the egg, the snow makes jack feel like he’s burning. he only gets rid of that feeling when he’s touching the egg, even though that leaves real burns all along his arms

he doesn’t notice most of the changes to himself. jack sees that the blue stripes of his hoodie are now red, but it takes him weeks for tubbo to mention his eyes (the red one is now white and the blue one is now red). by the time vines begin to grow around his head, he’s fully encouraging it

niki has tried to stop the egg’s effects on jack by destroying the vines on his head, but they’re connected to him. it doesn’t really hurt for them to be removed or cut, but the egg sends pain signals into his mind

the egg constantly tells him that Tommy told other members of the eggpire horrible things about him, which makes him a lot more aggressive. jack is also very cheerfully cruel to tubbo whenever he rebuffs invitations to see the egg

the eggpire recognizes that jack was never really held in high regards by most of the server, so jack tends to be the one who intimidates people. it actually works well because jack acts so unusual to how people expect him to be

before, jack was mainly kept alive by his spite and need for revenge, which slowly becomes fainter and fainter in his mind as he envelopes himself in all matters of the egg. as a result, the egg and his devotion is what keeps him alive, but his body is considered dead. after jack begins regularly coughing up blood, tubbo decides to start helping niki

the manifork manages to stay blue, but is one of the first things to get affected by the vines. the points of it are cracked and chipping, and in a few spots the only thing keeping it together are the blood vines wrapped around it

the big jack manifold hotel turns white overnight after vines cover the wooden columns; it also becomes the main meeting place of the eggpire, although jack abandons it soon after he’s infected

[mihai-florescu]

I need enstars to be over because i need to know what akira's plan for himeru is so so badly (cue eichi's quote about asking an author how they plan to end their tale is poor manners). I can imagine various ways in which id consider his arc completed but there are too many variables that can change...

[missinconsistent]

The Haikyuu movie is *the* Kenma movie, and I'm living for it. I won't get too into spoilers pertaining to the match, but I will talk about some things in the movie, so if you want to go in blind then stop reading here and go watch the movie!!

I did not expect the movie to explore Kenma and Kuroo's friendship as much as it did, and I love it so much (I didn't read the manga, btw so this was such a surprise). The series already shared quite a lot of flashbacks to their childhood and them playing volleyball together. But, it was always framed in a way that Kuroo kinda dragged Kenma along into playing volleyball with him. I never really expected these childhood flashbacks to mean any more than that. The movie really explored *why* Kenma played volleyball thanks to Kuroo. It really emphasized how important playing volleyball *with* Kuroo meant to him.

Like the scene back to the summer camp when Kenma is thinking he'd rather not play volleyball over playing a video game or watching volleyball, but then Kuroo calls his name and reaches his hand out is just so sweet. Especially considering that Kenma is most likely thinking how this is Kuroo's final year.

I am obsessed with how Kenma's friendly rivalry with Hinata actually parallels his friendship with Kuroo through flashbacks. With Kuroo being the friend that got him to play volleyball, and Hinata being the friend and rival that really pushed Kenma to take a match seriously, and see how fun it can be.

And idk if my take is different, but I really like how Kenma doesn't have a Tsukishima arc. The match doesn't make him fall in love with volleyball, but it just makes him realize that even if he doesn't love the sport, he loves a good and interesting match with his friends. He doesn't care about nationals. He just likes playing against Hinata, in particular (imo). But I think that's what makes the match between them so damn investing.

It's so refreshing to see the movie mostly revolve around Kenma's pov and see this character break out of his shell and push himself. To decode Hinata in an attempt to beat him and have his expectations blown away. Seeing this competitive, smug, and serious side of him is such fan service and I love it lol.

The scene when the match plays out from Kenma's eyes is so (chef's kiss). It's a bit nauseating, but it genuinely is my favourite moment in the movie. The way Kenma's eyes are on the ball before darting across the court, glancing over at his teammates and opponents, and back to the ball again. When it even shows Kenma taking a fall, Lev checking up on him, and Kenma just shouts to focus on the ball, I was just floored with how well it immerses you in the match. It just really has you on the edge of your seat, and quite literally puts you in Kenma's head to know this guy who is seemingly indifferent to volleyball, in that moment, is having the time of his life.

It's such a good climactic moment that's so different from other concluding matches from the series prior. It's not about big final builds up to the final strike, or block, or whatever move the characters are doing. It's just about being in the moment. About Kenma being in the moment. And it's such a brilliant and unique way to end the match.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Dec 21st

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1. Hello! Today, I'm in the mood for a fic that explores the kinky love life of wangxian. I prefer it to be 40k and above.

The whole fic doesn't have to revolve around it but I would like it to be an important part of the story. I prefer it to be canon universe but it can also be an AU.

We know that Wangxian are pretty kinky in canon so I would like to read a fic that tackles all of their kinks in a healthy way and I would also like them to talk about it and communicate.

Thank you! @broodyelii

u could check out some of their fics (ScarlettStorm)

~*~

2. Hello! I hope you're all having amazing days and I'm sorry for bothering again so soon, but I just need to ask. Does anyone knows any fic about transmigrator!LWJ? I just stumbled onto the concept and am obsessed. @lostandmessedup

🔒 Once In a Lifetime - CQL-IRL transmigration shenanigans. series by Anonymous (T, 41k, WangXian, RPF, Transmigrator LWJ, Attempt at Humor, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Crack, Crack treated half seriously, Friendship, Developing Friendships, Dimension Travel, after 14 chapters I want to clarify that LWJ is more of a dimensional traveler than a transmigrator, he didn't die. he's alive and well lol, Happy Ending, Transmigrator WWX, Attempt at Humor, Married WangXian, WangXian are married and they make it everyone's problem)

🔒 a kick-start to falling in love by wereworm (T, 7k, WangXian, Transmigrator LWJ, Modern, WWX licks blood, that's a content warning but also just a statement about WWX, LWJ is the transmigrating cultivator and WWX is the uni student caught in the rain, WangXian's intricate rituals tm, Meet-Cute)

💖 the roots by thelastdboy (E, 30k, WangXian, MM/WQ, MM/MM's Husband, Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Post-The Untamed, Canon - MDZS & The Untamed Combination, Transmigrator LWJ, Parallel Universes, Dimension Travel, Time Travel, Desperation, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Post-Canon, Heavy Angst, Mental Health Issues, Grief/Mourning, Abandonment, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, WQ Lives, Found Family, Cottagecore, Rogue Cultivator WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Bittersweet)

~*~

3. Hi, this would be for ITMF: I just finished I Carried This for Years by LadyOfVengeanceAndWar and omg, I'm obsessed? (too bad its still a WIP) I'm desperately in need of more yummeng siblings role reversal, or yummeng siblings personality swap. I guess even !ylz lwj is fine too if it's good. I prefer long fics (and preferably nothing explicit, but I'll take anything atp)! thank you!!

Keep Holding On by abCEE (M, 316k, JC & WWX & JYL, WangXian, Canon Divergence, OOC, Demonic Cultivator JYL, YLLZ JYL, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Dynamics, Yúnmèng Siblings Dynamics, Yunmeng-Jiang Sect, Fall of Lotus Pier, JC gets the support that he needs, WWX knows what self-preservation is, Role Reversal, LWJ will do anything for his WWX, Twin Jades of Lan Dynamics, Good Uncle LQR, Gusu-Lan Sect, WangXian are married and have a son, Ghost General WQ, Sunshot Campaign, Angst with a Happy Ending, Artistic License, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Established Relationship, PTSD, role reversal but not entirely YL centric)

🔒 Tarnished Jade by AlyxRae (T, 66k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, LWJ is the Yilling Patriarch, WWX is Hanguang Jun, Not Everyone Dies, Temporary Character Death, Normal Yilling Patriarch story arc, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Slow Burn, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Canon-Typical Violence, Graphic Description of Corpses, Demonic Cultivator LWJ, LWJ Whump, POV Alternating, Sunshot Campaign, Mutual Pining, Soft LXC, Dysfunctional Jiang Family, Good Sibling JYL, Smitten WWX, but he doesn't actually realize it, Cultivation Sect Politics, smooching, JC is Bad at Communicating)

Some Flowers Bloom Only At Night series by punisherbeauty (T, 98k, JC & WWX & JYL, JC & JL, JC & LWJ, WangXian, JYL/JZX, JYL & JL, JYL & LSZ, LJY & LSZ & JL, Female WWX, Male LWJ, JC Needs a Hug, YLLZ JC, Ghost General WN, Protective WQ, Role Reversal, LWJ & WWX Are LSZ's Parents, JYL Lives, BAMF JYL, JZX Lives, BAMF WWX, Sect Leader JYL, Fluff, Angst, Yunmeng Siblings Feels, Slow Burn, Self-Indulgent, Hurt/Comfort, Protective JC, Demonic Cultivation, Demonic Cultivator JC, Blood and Violence, Blood and Gore, Torture, Aftermath of Torture, Good Sibling JC, Soft JC, Drama & Romance, Family Drama, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Depression, Physical Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Blood and Injury, MXY Deserves Better, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Angst and Feels)

~*~

4. ITMF... Are there any fics (wangxian preferably but I'll take all recs) where the cultivation world wanted LWJ's death after the burial mounds, but LXC and/or LQR begged them to reduce it to the punishment he got instead? Bonus points if LWJ doesn't know about it. @thegertie

~*~

5. Hii this us for itmf would be forever grateful if someone could recommend fics like this snarky but supportive lan qiren about wangxians marriage hehe @bunnycoffeeumcat

in-laws hate it! get a grandbaby with this one weird trick by lazulisong (G, 1k, WangXian, Accidental Baby Acquisition, although more like, its free grandbaby)

as it should be by Sienne (T, <1k, LQR & WWX, pre-WangXian, Time Travel, Drabble, Crack, Fanart)

~*~

6. hi!! for the itmf, can i have your favorite watching the series fics? preferably with no crossovers with other mxtx books

💖 The Path by Seastar98 (Not Rated, 279k, WangXian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, Watching the Series, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, CQL Verse, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF NHS, it's what he deserves, check chapters for specific warnings)

Teen Project to Change the World by animeloverhomura (Not Rated, WIP, 841k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, Watching the Show, With a bit of the Manhua and Book thrown in, BAMF WWX, Fix-It, JGS is his own warning, Attractive WWX, Homophobia, disturbing imagery)

The Characters of MDZS Watching the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by emma_screams (M, 166k, WIP, WangXian, Humor, Fluff, Angst, Drama, Characters Watching Their Series)

unhappy stories with happy endings by Last_for_Hell (M, 30k, WangXian, Memories, Memory Fic, Kinda, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, sexual content maybe, References to Torture, PTSD, Characters Watching Their Series, kinda, but not entirely, very light consensual non-consent)

Mo Dao Zu Shi: The Musical by Loveable_Psychopath (Not Rated, 117k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Fix-it, Song Fic, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Underage Drinking, Underage Smoking)

Your Tragedy, Your Song by Grace_ShadowWolf (TaubeLePigeon) (T, 42k, LQR/WRH, JGY & NHS, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Characters Watching Their Series, basically they watch their future, But through songs, exposed secrets, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Songfic, Drama, POV Multiple, the author makes use of animals to represent characters, JGS is a shit, WRH is highkey so done with WC, let LWJ take care of WWX, mild body horror, the author accidentally makes wenqi and wangxian battle for the spotlight)

~*~

7. Hellour! So, for the next itmf, i have been seeing that trend "we listen and we dont judge" everyhwere and thought how wangxian would do in it. So basically a fic where they are forced to say their fantasiesfor eachother or share them with eachother (could totally be all crack or all angst i love both)also, any era works just no wip or abo fics please @just-troy0-0

I think these work for 7, although the truth sharing happens as a result of curses or spells in all of them:

🧡 Brilliant Mistake by brooklinegirl (E, 53k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Pollen, Mpreg, dubcon, Modern Cultivators, Dubious Medical Science, 🔒[Podfic] Brilliant Mistake and Brilliant Love (the sequel) by raitala)

beneath six layers of silk by darkredloveknot (enheduane) (E, 12k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Getting Together, Confessions, Curses, Embarrassment, Vulnerability, Swearing, Dirty Talk, Hand Jobs, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Honesty, Communication, beneath six layers of silk by darkredloveknot [podfic] by Rhea314 (Rhea))

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by thunderwear (Not Rated, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Truth Spells, Curses, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Post CQL, Getting Together)

Words Spilling From Your Lips by Hellosweetie99 (M, 4k, WangXian, truth curse, Established Relationship, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Post-Canon, Blow Jobs, Dom/sub Undertones)

~*~

8. ITMF a fic where lz is a DILF 🙏

ink and honey by mirrorofprinces (T, 1k, WangXian, Modern, Meet-Cute (kind of), Finding Love at the Farmer's Market, Rattoos, Single Dad LWJ, Support your Local Beekeepers)

Phishing by Lovewave_Aesthetic (E, 11k, WangXian, Modern, Smut, Dom/sub, Face Slapping, Size Kink, Size Difference, Dominant LWJ, Submissive WWX, Enthusiastic Consent, Age Difference, Daddy Kink, WWX being bratty and verbal, LWJ being a quiet but kinky dilf, WangXian Have a Breeding Kink, Hair-pulling, Loss of Virginity, Light Bondage, Trans Male Character, Trans WWX, Hackers, Wangxian with vaporwave aesthetics, Non-Linear Narrative)

A Matter of the Heart by Nomme_dePlume (M, 54k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Canon-Typical Violence, Light Angst, Slow Burn, Age Difference, Strangers to Lovers, Attempt at Humor, BromCom to RomCom, Masturbation, Dry Humping, Getting Together, Love Confessions, Mild Language, Falling In Love, Time Skips, The falling in love happens during the time skips don't @ me, Road trip with your childhood hero who is now a DILF, WWXs hate-hate relationship with doing things for his own happiness, Story is an excuse for the author to write a cheesy airport confession scene)

~*~

9. Hey! First off thanks for all the work you do. Secondly, I have been itmf a fem!LWJ/fem!WWX fic with actual plot(I’m okay with E rated) without either WWX or LWJ having past relationships with other people( or if they did it’s irrelevant). Thanks in advance and have a good day/ night wherever you are!! @neverforgetyou-1

so little time and i'm way off track by defractum (nyargles) (E, 25k, wangxian, modern w/ cultivation, case fic, amnesia, dub con, fuck or die)

cold hands, warm heart by martyrsdaughter (M, 8k, Female WangXian, Post-Canon, Gender or Sex Swap,BCase Fic, Ghosts, Time Loop, Banter, Fluff and Angst, Married Life, for wx liberating ghosts is part of the domestic bliss, Vaginal Fingering, Light Bondage, Dominant LWJ, Submissive WWX, LWJ and WWX Have a Non-Con/Rape Kink, Consensual Non-Consent, Explicit Depictions of Suicide, mild bloodplay)

🔒the dinosaur artist by varnes (T, 12k, Female WangXian, Bringing Up Baby AU)

Happy for Now by ScarlettStorm (E, 75k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Rule 63, Cisswap, There Was Only One Bed, romance author au, Adhd wwx, service top LWJ, Pining, Smut, Comedy, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, horny yearning, furtive masturbation, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Sex Toys)

~*~

10. Hi! for the next ITMF are there any sun/moon spirit aus? like Shine Brightly, That I May Glow by TheLegendOfChel

~*~

11. Hi!! My biggest thank you to the admins for running the absolute treasure of a blog and to everyone who helps with finding fics and recommendations!!

ITMF fics where:

A) Jiang Cheng understands how disfunctional and bad his parents are towards both Wei Ying and himself and actually does something about it to protect his brother/best friend and their relationship. Kudos if it is not only about Madam Yu being abusive but also about Jiang Fengmian being avoidant and careless towards all of them, and doing stupid shit like overlooking Jiang Cheng in favor to Wei Ying in a really stupid and oblivious way. I crave clever, protective and badass brother Jiang Cheng!

B) Madam Yu understands that she is a bad paarent figure towards Wei Ying and her children and does something to make it better. Maybe someone crudely opens her eyes on her actions and words' consequences, maybe she has a moment of clarity, or some accident shows her how her children and their sect brother are beware of her / protective / ready to do anything for each other and that Wei Ying is actually amazing and has horrifyingly low self-worth. She understands that she was wrong and needs to change to save her relationship with her kids and her charge. Kudos if the way to forgiveness is difficult and painful, but at least somehow successful in the end!!

Thank you ❤️ @shellennium

11A)

The Stranger Inside My Son by Mademoiselle_A (T, 79k, JC & JFM, JC & YZY, JC & WWX, JC & JL, JC & JYL, WangXian, JC & JGY, Time Travel Fix-It, But from an outsider's POV, JC is So Done, JFM's A+ parenting, YZY's A+ Parenting, Both are not great but this is not a bashing fic, JC-centric, But from JFM's POV lol, POV Outsider)

The Threads of Fate by WaitForTheSnitch (E, 108k, WangXian, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Not Everyone Dies, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Good Uncle LQR, Protective LWJ, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Pining LWJ, WWX in WWX’s Body, JC & WWX Reconciliation, is it reconciliation if WWX doesn’t know they were estranged?, Oblivious WWX, WWX Deserves Better, WWX Deserves Happiness, Siblings JC & WWX, Supportive JYL, Protective NHS, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Comic Book Science)

11B)

❤️ And Time Is But a Paper Moon by sami (M, 138k, WangXian, XiChengQing, Time Travel, Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Healing, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Depression, BAMF WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, BAMF JYL, Getting Together, And Time is But a Paper Moon [PODFIC] by sami, Winterstar1412, [Podfic] Cold read of And Time Is But A Paper Moon by kisahawklin, multiple translations available)

🔒❤️ the thing with feathers by RoseThorne  (G, 43k,wangxian, Transmigration, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Fear, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Parent YZY, Referenced Sexual Slavery, Blood and Gore, Sexual Tension, Arranged Marriage, Grief, Adoption, POV Third Person, POV Alternating, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Parent LQR, Clairvoyance, Butterfly Effect)

~*~

12. Hi lovelies! Long time lurker first time requester. I'm in the mood for a fic where wwx's or lwj's relatives try to keep them apart, with good or bad intentions, resulting in angst and misunderstandings. Recently I read a fic where LXC's well-meaning intervention (temporarily) broke up wangxian and now I crave that mineral. Could be modern AU or not, happy ending preferable, and ideally under 50k.

All The Years Lost by UseMyMuse (T, 26k, WangXian, Teen Pregnancy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Single Parent AU, Forced misunderstandings, Forced miscommunication, Mpreg)

The Winner Takes It All by YilingSani (M, 46k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Parent WWX, Old Friends, One Night Stands, No Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Forgiveness, Second Chances, Inspired by Mamma Mia! (Movies) Teen Pregnancy, Mpreg, mention of miscarriage, Birth Trauma, amniotic fluid embolism) These are both mpreg. I know of others that fit the request but they're significantly longer than the requested under 50k.

hi! i was wondering if the asker of #12 in the latest fic finder could maybe tell us the fic where LXC’s well-meaning intervention broke Wangxian up? thanks !!

~*~

13. Hi I hope you can help me found a fic. A dark wangji who have no problem killing anyone who try to hurt weiying. It can be past or future. Just want a crazy over protective wangji to wei ying. @sadritsuka12

A Matter of Time series by mrcformoso (E, 84k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, graphic depictions of violence, underage, LWJ pov, JC pov, dark LWJ, manipulation, grooming, teen body adult mind for LWJ, happy ending for wangxian, problematic consensual underage sex, blood & violence, insane LWJ, manic LWJ)

🔒 Flawed and Free by Vrishchika (E, 18k, WangXian, WIP, Major Character Death, Dark LWJ, Dark LXC, Dark Gusu Lan Sect, anti JC, Character Death, Temporary Character Death Time Travel Fix-It, JC bashing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort)

Somewhere Sits an Empty Throne by Siamesa (E, 19k, WangXian, Major Character Death, TGCF Fusion, Gods & Goddesses, Ghosts, Romance, Vengeance, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark LWJ, Grief/Mourning, Explicit Sexual Content, Angst with a Happy Ending)

🔒 Something is wrong with A-Zhan! by HeloSoph (M, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Sort Of, Dark LWJ, Morally Gray WWX, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, WWX Isn’t Adopted by the Jiangs, WWX is a Lan, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, JC Bashing, Smitten LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Engaged WangXian, Blood and Violence, a lot of people die, LQR Metaphorically Qi-Deviates, because of, Shameless LWJ, LQR Tries, to fit into the following tag, Good Uncle LQR, Semi-Public Sex, or at least wangxian’s version of it, Scheming NHS, POV NHS)

The Dark and Stormy Clouds series by lordmediator (E, 24k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Angst, Dark, Dark LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Violence, Blood and Violence, YLLZ WWX, Hurt WWX, Protectiveness, Protective LWJ, Jealous LWJ, Sad WWX, JC Needs a Hug, Good Sibling JYL, Protective JC, Good Sibling JC, Protective LXC, Dark LXC, Supportive LXC, Supportive JYL)

~*~

14. Hi! For itmf can I have fics where Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are WWX's parents? E.g. fics like Hua Xianle. Thanks so much!! ☺️ @no-blg

🔒 the hearth series by eccentrick (G/T, 65k, WangXian, HuaLian, Found Family, fluff with plot, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Disabled Character, Ableism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, WWX Isn’t Adopted by the Jiāngs, slow burn found family, Adopt WWX, Married HuaLian, Post-Canon TGCF, Kid Fic, TGCF Spoilers)

it takes a village by lariyats (T, 13k, HuaLian, HC & WWX, XL & WWX, Family Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Child WWX, hualian adopts wwx au, Snowball Fight, Shapeshifting, Festival, Ghost Peppers, Case Fic section, Growing Up, 4 part narrative structure, it’s seasonal)

Narrative of Strength by erosophic (T, 75k, HuaLian, WangXian, HC & WWX, XL & WWX, FX & MQ & XL, JC & WWX, FengQIng, WIP, Canon Divergence, HuaLian Adopt WWX, Found Family, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, XL takes WWX as a disciple, Protective XL, Protective HC, Adoption, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, QR being QR, Serious Injuries, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence)

Just one person is enough by Sarah_R (T, 11k, HuaLian, HC & WWX, XL & WWX, WangXian, HX & WWX, SQX & WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Past Child Abuse, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Healing, MDZS canon divergent, LZ & WY will still fall on love!, And marry!, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, Literally WWX getting adopted by all the gods and demons…, AND GETTING ALL THE LOVE HE DESERVES!, His still a self sacrificing idiot though…, HC best dad!, XL best mom!!!, WWX protection squad, Falling In Love)

🔒 there's a CHILD in my shrine?? WTF!! by corduroyserpent (G, 2k, HuaLian, HC & WWX, XL & WWX, Fluff, Crossover, HuaLian adopts WWX)

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15. Thanks for running the ITMFs! Do you know of any fics where mxy!wwx plays wangxian on dafan mountain, lwj recognizes him, and jc strikes him with zidian, but breaking from canon the hit works and wwx is expelled from mxy’s body. Dealing with the aftermath of that- lwj almost got wwx back but now he’s gone again

None of them knew about the sacrifice ritual at this point, so for all jc/lwj knew it was a possession and zidian would work. So just something exploring that dynamic

~*~

16. In the mood for fic, where there is Lan Zhan possessed by some evil entity or yin iron or something. Fic where Lan Zhan is not himself and doesn't do anything evil willingly, but his possession his making him into different person. I wonder if there is such fic like that. No modern aus please.

old wounds, like hidden ghosts by wordsonpage (T, 2k, WangXian, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Dark LWJ, but like accidentally, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending) it's a short fic but old wounds, like hidden ghosts definitely fits the request

Clouded by diamondbruise (M, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Getting Together, Case Ficish, Curses, Dark LWJ, It’s a curse, Dubcon Kissing, Jealousy, Sharing a Bed, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dubious Consent, no sex in this fic just in general)

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17. Heyo, me again. Are there any fics where Jiang cheng and His huaisang are married and canon still happens? Like all of canon? The reveal of meng Yao and everything? Please let me know, thank you😁 @yasssbassss

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[charbroiledchicken]

some thoughts on the first three episodes because my friends haven't watched it yet so i can't rant to them:

CAITVI KISS AND DIVORCE ARC IN THE SAME EPISODE HELLO I WAS SO NOT PREPARED FOR THAT. MY SISTER AND I SCREAMED WHEN THEY KISSED.

what in the frick frack snick snack is going on with mel. is she le blanc like what????

SEVIKA'S ABS. THATS IT.

hey fellas is it gay to hug your half dressed 'partner' while also being half dressed and then beg him to stay and work on science with you cause that scene was ripe with sexual tension.

that one enforcer dude (forgot his name) paralleling vander. ashshshshshshshshsshshshshs.

i'm loving the new play on style with the animation. the amount of music-video-esque scenes and artistic choices and the mix of 2D and 3D (especially in cassandra's funeral)

VIKTOR'S JESUS ARC.

CAITVI KISS

CAITVI KISS

CAITVI KISS

...but at what cost.

oh and i completely forgive caitlyn for the little villain arc she has going on. my babygirl can do what she wants. but can i say i was in tears when she punched vi and abandoned her.

EMO VI NEXT ACT??? PLEASE? NEED NOT A WANT.

THAT LITTLE KID THAT IS FOLLOWING JINX AROUND IS LOWKEY REALLY CUTE BUT I HAVE A FEELING SHE IS GONNA DIE.

OMG I LOVE ELLA PURNELL AND THE VOICE SHE DOES FOR JINX I AM OBSESSED.

i have a bad feeling about maddie i don't know why but she has an off vibe.

why are they all so pretty i love women.

[miss-madithe-baddie]

I am OBSESSED with the parallel story arcs of Venli and Dalinar. Mildly jealous sibling who is heavily influenced by Odium and will do anything to satisfy their own desires? And then is traumatized by their own actions? And will do anything to make things better?? Even if they don’t know what those things ARE????? That’s the SHIT my dude

[realvicoba]

Gon and Meruem acted as foils to each other during the chimera ant arc.

Typically, we get to see the main villain and the hero fight, but these two never once met— and yet the way they've been written gave us an interesting dynamic without the need for a meeting.

The monster expressing his humanity,

And the human expressing his monstrosity.

But what if I were to say that the beginning of Meruem's character arc with Komugi parallel's Killua's more than it does Gon's?

Both expressed shock at the other's triumph, shock that they somehow bested them.

How can this normal human who is, by all means, weaker than me, do something so incredible?

Just like how Komugi gives Meruem a new perspective on what strength and worth is, Gon does so for Killua. There is more that goes into an individual's worth than their physical strength. And alongside that, they introduced connection into their lives.

But by the time the chimera ant arc begins, the parallels shift.

Gon is the King.

I believe something a little different and interesting happens here— Killua becomes Pitou, just as much as he is Komugi, and Komugi can also represent what Kite is for Gon.

It's a bit confusing! But let's start from the easy one. Gon-Meruem and Killua-Komugi.

Komugi finds her worth in Meruem. Gungi to them is what nen is to Gon and Killua, something they both advance at together— something they have talent in and share. Komugi believes her worth and life's meaning was meeting Meruem, while she also pulls Meruem into a reasonable reality; she's his voice of reason, forcing him to think objectively without the looming responsibility of being "king".

Killua finds his worth in Gon. He saved him, he lit the path for him to progress in this world and helped turn his past traumas into a source of mental strength. In turn, he's Gon's voice of reason, anchoring him into reality and being there to calm his rage.

Both Killua and Komugi wonder if they're even worth being in their "king's" presence, if they're worth that connection. Is it okay if I stay by your side? Am I even worthy? Despite being such a useless person who can't even begin to shine as brightly as you do?

And the biggest difference is that Meruem's complete obsession is on Komugi, unlike Gon's focus being on Kite.

And here's where the dynamic begins to shift. Meruem grows more gentle, his love more blinding. While Gon grows a little colder, his rage being what blinds him.

Meruem and Komugi went on to do what Killua had wanted to�� dying by each other's sides.

Him and Gon though? Their focuses don't match. Gon was completely focused on vengeance, and Killua, who loved him to the point of selflessness, did everything in his power to support his "king."

Like Pitou who put himself in a vulnerable situation to protect someone who is important to the person he loves most.

Killua's biggest fear was Gon losing himself at the knowledge of Kite's death. In the end, he felt completely powerless.

It's a little tragic, in a way. Killua failed to do what both Komugi and Pitou could for their most beloved. He could only save Gon with Alluka's help, and that was all after the worst came to pass.

I also find this page very interesting!!

I don't think Killua ever expected himself to protect something weaker than he is either, at least not at the start of the story. And when he did, he started taking an almost maternal role while protecting those he loves (supporting Gon and practically adopting Alluka).

I love the parallels between them. The things they say and do, their positions and roles, and their feelings— they all match. And in the end, it's the humans who are the most imperfect, failing at so much yet ending up the victors.

But failure is what helps Killua grow.

Meruem, Komugi and Pitou die.

Gon, Kite and Killua survive.

While Gon's mostly back at square one with some new trauma and some suicidal thoughts, Killua's at a stage of his life where he's starting to believe that there is more to his worth and importance than he initially thought, that he can live to protect others while simultaneously living for himself.

Komugi and Meruem had nothing before them in life, but Gon and Killua do. They are more than lovers on their deathbeds.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

I am obsessed with these answers from Callum Blue - the way his joy at being on the show pours off the page as you reach is answers - its such a joy and he seems really fun and like he’s a great first with the main cast.

The fact he’s revealed that they’re gonna have Eddies arc go though another person external to his life - that they’re going to parallel Eddie with Brad - talking about Brad not knowing what is real - that everything is an act - a performance!! Well doesn’t that just describe what Eddie has been doing his entire life and that excites me.

There is something really interesting in Eddie being able to get clarity and guidance from outside the firefam - that that outside voice is valuable to him - we don’t know if he’s still seeing Frank, but that’s not relevant - the fact is that the act of talking to and getting advice from Frank in therapy has helped Eddie figure out that talking to and taking advice from people outside of his sphere - ones who have experience in whatever aspect of himself Eddie is questioning - that that is really valuable and helpful to him.

So with that in mind - I feel fairly confident that the Eddie and Brad scene is likely to be connected to the concept of divorce and failed marriages - describing it as a core wound is really interesting and telling. It will allow Eddie the outside perspective he needs to actually move on from Shannon and recognise that a failed marriage doesn’t make him a failure.

[lover-of-mine]

Wait we're all thinking the same thing now, right? Are we really going to get a feelings realization/admission from BOTH of them in episode 6. Is this real life??

They really are kind of spelling that out for us in these interviews.

Oh yeah for SURE. I have been playing with the idea of both of them realizing/accepting it in the same episode for a while (two posts I made about this but I think there's more, Tumblr search just sucks)

But the thing is buddie is never gonna be unrequited. It's a big thing with the way they work that they just love each other. I mean, their only fight is about the way they can't talk to each other. So you can't have one of them figure it out and leave the other one unaware, because you break that synchrony both of them have. I don't think they'll tell each other right away. But I do believe they will figure it out parallel to each other. I have been discussing this with a few friends, but the thing is, we need to get Eddie out, at least to the audience, before Buck realizes his feelings because we don't want to put them in a "I'm in love with my straight best friend" and if we don't know Eddie is queer, then that's the situation. I also think that Eddie's queer arc needs to be attached to his feelings for Buck. Not just because I will always be a believer that Eddie knows he's in love with Buck, he just doesn't think he can want Buck, but because Eddie is self aware enough to figure out attraction to men and instantly reevaluate his relationship with Buck. And if we don't want to make them unrequited, they need to figure it out at the same time. And knowing the way they work, it would make perfect sense if the same trigger made both of them look at each other differently. My current bet is Eddie having some sort of oh fuck moment during 804 and it all culminating in him accepting it's okay to love Buck in 806 with the mustache shaving. And parallel to that, Buck questioning what he wants and what he's looking for and realizing it has always been Eddie. I am living in the realization in the same episode land for a really long time and I am obsessed with the possibility that I might be right lol.

[sufferu]

Bravo to you for choosing not to let Rem be forgiven so easily. Honestly I've never been a big fan of Rem as a character, sometimes her endless pandering and obsession with subaru just really annoys me instead, and I've never understood people looking at her doing all that and then saying “Wow that's so hot I'm so jealous of Subaru!”

As for the ones who want her deeds to be easily forgiven by everyone, my personal guess is that they all only care about her body and the unheathy way she forces herself to act like the perfect waifu just for Subaru's sake, but subconsciously they can't stand the shit she did either, so they secretly want their favorite waifu to be a perfect being without flaws. But to me, isn't it essential to love a character and accept their flaws as well? They did wrong things, but there's no doubt THEY did them anyway, and that is part of what makes them who they are. Another thing is that forgiveness has to be earned, we're not cruel, coldhearted, or closeminded for not forgiving someone who hurts us. So I too agree with that anon who thinks WHDAA cast need to to beat some sense into Subaru on way too forgiving and tolerating the people who have hurt/killed him.

But now that you've decided to do that, beware of those rabid Rem stans coming after you and I'm worried that their harassment goes overboard and affects your personal life

I will say — I believe that Rem and Subaru’s canon dynamic is one of the most intriguing and multifaceted dynamics in the entire series. Their parallels regarding their insecurities and family members, their mutually codependent tendencies, the way they run the risk of becoming each other’s perfect enablers, the genuine sense of love and affection that runs parallel to the unintentional toxicity fostered within their relationship — it’s all really interesting stuff. In fact, exploring their dynamic through the lens of outsiders (including amnesiac!Rem) finally getting to peer under the hood is one of the main reasons I wanted to write a react fic at all.

As for why people like her — honestly, I think it’s kinda easy to guess? She’s a very cutely designed anime girl, she’s incredibly well-voiced, her insecurities are genuinely relatable, she’s got a super awesome oni power-up transformation, her morning star lends itself to some of the best choreographed action scenes in the series (or at least Season 1), she appeals to the whole “submissive maid” aesthetic that she knows Subaru finds attractive (and that also appeals to the target demographic of Re:Zero specifically, let’s be real here) — and frankly, there are so many scenes in anime where characters we’re supposed to like do fucked up shit that it’s not difficult to just…gloss over the whole “tortured the mc for several hours” part of her character. It’s understandable, especially if you’re not an insane person who spends all their time hyperanalyzing the anime they’re a fan of like I am. I don’t think it’s really that far of a leap for her to develop such a massive following, she was basically designed to be as popular an anime waifu as physically possible.

But then, that clash can become…a little uncomfortable if you’re writing a story where “Rem tortures Subaru” is a major plotpoint, and if you don’t want to reevaluate their entire relationship, it makes sense to find a way to just — get the characters to move along, much like a lot of the irl audience does.

But I really like toxic characters and angst and complicated relationships and all that fun stuff, so that’s what I’m gonna focus on. —Also Rem is WORSE in the LN. Girl starts fantasizing about whisking Subaru away while he’s practically comatose from shock (second Arc 3 loop) and then also makes a comment like “even if he had tried to assault her in her sleep, she knew she never would have resisted” like GIRL??? The idea of not tapping that insane well of potential drama is ludicrous to me lmaoo— especially because I really don’t care about maintaining the status quo ;)

(Also frankly, anyone who would start seriously harassing me over whether or not I share their opinion about a fucking anime girl is too pathetic for me to care about. I honestly don’t think I’ll get that big of a response — especially not on Tumblr “Gay Website” Dot Com — but even if I do…I don’t care, lmao.)

[thewertsearch]

Alright, this one's a spoiler from a pretty old arc of The Order of the Stick. If you want to know what I was on about in the tags last week, read on!

Anonymous asked: deeply obsessed with the implications of your tag about the oots/kanaya parallels, especially since i'd never even THOUGHT of it before omg. well if kanaya ever stops using her phonetically transcribed accent oops i mean typing quirk then we'll know we're fucked @manorinthewoods asked: …i am not seeing the oots parallels… very sad… ~LOSS (10/7/24)

In short: Kanaya's looking a lot like Durkula right now.

For those out of the loop, one of the heroes of D&D webcomic The Order of the Stick was killed and resurrected as a vampire. After regaining his free will, his subsequent actions were...

... a little familiar.

(The elf's a villain, for the record.)

So, upon resurrection, both of our heroes appear to retain their current morals - with a little added violence - and respect their previous allegiances. It seems like a win, right?

Wrong!

See, 'Durkon' was only pretending to be the same guy as before. The real Durkon is trapped in his own head, his body piloted by an evil spirit - one who (*gasp*) doesn't even have Durkon's signature accent! He's faking the dang accent, which is still so funny. Sucks for the Order, though.

As for Kanaya...

While she appears to have retained her personality, she also seems to have been vampirized by some third party, for reasons unknown. Her situation is murky, to say the least - so seeing how much in common she has with a vampire who only ever pretended to be a good guy is the opposite of reassuring.

[gourmetofglut]

The Mischaracterization of Ferris: A thread analyzing Re: Zero's most misinterpreted and overlooked character.

Note: This is a re-edit of a thread I wrote on Twitter. I recently decided to start using Tumblr a bit more. Since I've also been wanting to back up most of my threads, I figured I might as well move everything here. This is the first re-edit I'll be posting on this site. It was one of my favorites to write, so I hope it's enjoyable!

Side story spoilers for the entire thread. Arc 8 spoilers in the speculation section (will be marked since so many people aren't caught up).

For novel readers of Re: Zero, Ferris stands as one of the most divisive characters in the fandom. Considering his poor utilization in the anime and his role in the story within Arc 3, it's easy to see why.

On one hand, Ferris is one of the most outwardly aggressive characters toward Subaru in Arc 3. He makes no secret of his disdain from the start and consistently throws jabs at him every opportunity he gets. This behavior can certainly leave a negative first impression.

On the other hand, Ferris is quite a fascinating character who serves an important role within the narrative of Arc 3. He doesn't let Subaru off as easy as everyone else, which is exactly what makes seeing him grow respect for Subaru satisfying.

Whichever opinion you hold, that’s mostly irrelevant today. Instead, I will be simply discussing his character and his role in the story, as well as arguing in favor of many of his merits that people overlook.

Ferris's primary role is similar to all the Royals Candidates' knights: serving as a foil for Subaru. I've explained the similarities between Subaru and the other knights before, but to sum it up as quickly as possible all 3 of them represent a version of what Subaru could be.

Reinhard is a version of what Subaru could've been if he were the typical isekai protagonist, Julius is a lot more complicated but he’s essentially what Subaru could've been if he were granted enough power to face his enemies on even ground, and Al is Subaru if he had been just a bit unlucky in where he had been sent; becoming someone who struggles to care and abuses his powers to the fullest.

Ferris is much the same, though it can be argued he parallels Subaru the hardest, except for maybe Al. The resemblance on paper between the two is uncanny. They are both physically weak men who often don't fit traditional gender roles and have the sole desire of helping a woman they love to achieve her dreams of becoming a Royal Candidate, no matter the personal costs to themselves.

To do this, they use an extraordinary power unique to them (in Subaru's case RB, and in Ferris' case his magic that is relative in power to an authority). Their need to rely on others for victory is a source of immense mental turmoil and often leaves them full of self-loathing.

They place immense value in the lives of others, even those who have or will harm them, to the point that they are willing to be harmed to help them. Seeing others casually disregard the lives of others serves as one of the things that anger them the most.

They are both prone to obsessively possessive behavior and have sometimes even directed it towards the one they love. This often leads to them getting in trouble due to their jealousy.

There are more similarities I could point out, but you get the point.

Where am I going with this though? Ferris is clearly a parallel to Subaru, but what does he represent regarding him? Put simply, I believe Ferris is meant to represent what Subaru could've been if his parents were just a bit different.

Parent and Child is one of the most crucial chapters for informing us about just the kind of person Subaru is. Perhaps the most important piece is how it helps us understand just how much of his current personality is a result of his father. Subaru not only looked up to him but actively mimicked him to achieve his goals. The pressure of the surrounding world caused him to default to trying to be his father instead of who he truly was. Subaru's parents weren't perfect. In fact, they were very flawed people. Regardless of this fact though, they are responsible for many of Subaru's positive traits.

The same is true for Ferris and his shitbag of a father. If you were to ask any novel reader what Ferris' defining trait as a character is, they would probably say anger or bitterness.

This isn't surprising, as that's how he typically acts towards everyone except Crusch and Fourier, even when it comes to friends such as Julius.

I would argue, however, that this is merely an act he defaults to when he is stressed or angry, similar to Subaru's mimicry of his own father.

During his bitter moments, such as his cold statement to Subaru as he leaves Crusch's mansion in Arc 4, Ferris is merely defaulting to what he has learned to be the best method of dealing with his stress...a method that is eerily similar to how Biehn sometimes acts in EX 1.

Whether Ferris acknowledges it or not, his attitude at his worst moments makes him come off like his father. He can be cruel, sometimes even callous. He shows intense rage when he doesn't get his way and attacks the part of his opponent that is most vulnerable.

This attitude can blind him to the point that he can even hypocritically act racist towards Emilia. Ferris' entire life has been defined by discrimination. In the face of someone he should know has faced many of the same issues, he once again acts almost exactly like his own father.

It was in the middle of a mental breakdown, but that does not excuse him just like it does not excuse Subaru.

Speaking of his parents, it's also notable how their inability to connect with Ferris parallels Naoko and Kenichi's struggles with Subaru.

Ferris' dad is a bombastic, loud man who was (once) well-respected and causes many of Ferris's issues through his actions and Ferris' emulation of him. His fatal flaw in the end was that he could not understand Ferris, similar to how Kenichi could not fully understand Subaru.

Ferris' mom, on the other hand, fully understood the distress he was under but did not have the confidence to interfere or make a change as Ferris wasted away, similar to Naoko's inability to help Subaru when he most needed it.

That's not to say Kenichi or Naoko are even a thousandth as bad as either of those two, but their struggles with their child deeply parallel each other.

Back on track though, I want to highlight a bit more of Ferris' parallels with his father using perhaps the most damning example.

This specific scene is from "The Saga of the Great Crusch-sama Begins." When faced with his mother, whom he hates so much, he attempts to stab her in the chest. Crusch gets caught in the crossfire causing Felix to freak out and unlock his water magic to save her.

What can at first be written off as just a unique origin for Ferris' water magic gets recontextualized hard in EX 1, where it's revealed his father killed his mother in the exact same method.

It's such an eerie similarity and something that I feel gets overlooked too often when discussing Ferris.

As shown in scenes like the one above, Ferris often projects this image of hatred, bitterness, and malice. It's easy to write that off as just the kind of person he is as so many often do...

...but there's obviously more to it than this. There is far more to Ferris than his mimicry of his father.

Ferris doesn't allow himself to be vulnerable very often in the story. Only when he is with Fourier and Crusch, as well as when he is in the most intense moments of crisis, does he show who he actually is. Stress is the best test of character after all.

The best example to me? His confrontation with the father he so often emulates.

If Ferris was actually as vindictive as he so often outwardly acts, how would you expect him to react to the death of a man he hated so much?

Wouldn't he taunt him? Wouldn't he make his last moments a living hell? Wouldn't he crow in pleasure at his agony? Would you be able to even blame Ferris if he made Biehn's last moments hell?

You would expect that...but that's not how he reacts. At that moment, watching as the man who tortured him so much dies an awful death, he just shows sadness. He thinks about the possibility that they could've just worked things out. He just wishes that things could be different.

Despite everything his father had done to him, despite all the rage at the world Ferris projects, the moment he is put into a scenario he likely dreamed of he can't help but feel pity that this was the only route he could take. He never wanted to hurt even Biehn of all people.

And this, I believe, is Ferris's actual defining trait underneath his persona of cynicism and bitterness: kindness and a greater love for life than perhaps anyone else in the series.

Ferris's power, as Fourier once said, is the kindest in the world. At his core, Ferris is just as kind as his power.

Think about it. Despite Ferris's words, what is the thing that upsets him most?

People who waste their lives. Whether it be Subaru, Fourier, a random Vollachian guard, or even Witch Cultists...Ferris can't bring himself to watch life be thrown away. It just hurts him, regardless of how horrible the person is.

Just like Subaru, Ferris wants to help everyone, even if it costs him so much. The pain that he feels when he is unable to do so is immeasurable, as Subaru himself states in Volume 8. He is struggling with the same realization as Subaru: saving some people is impossible.

So where will this lead? What does this have to do with the themes of the story? Well, to answer that, I’ll have to take a little diversion to talk about one of the more…difficult topics involving Ferris.

Ferris and his relationship with gender is something that I feel a lot of the fanbase is really fucking weird about. Even ignoring the pretty deep-rooted transphobia in a lot of discussions involving him (he isn't trans, but he is heavily trans-coded and there really shouldn't be so much of an issue in letting people read into that), there's a feverish desire to deny that his status as a person not conforming to gender norms matters at all. All too often, people reduce it to just a fetish or something to make jokes about.

The reason this is such a bafflingly stupid take though is because of how blatant the importance is to anyone who has read EX 1. Even Tappei himself has stated that many of the things he wants to do with Ferris could not be done without this aspect of his character.

Ferris's non-conformance is part of a promise made with Crusch. Ferris took on her femininity while Crusch took on his masculinity. It's a promise between the two that proves their devotion to one another. It's the ultimate symbol of their affection for one another.

In Aganau IF Ferris dresses and acts more masculine, precisely because his connection to Crusch no longer exists.

I'd also argue it's why he continues to dress as he does even when Crusch no longer has her memories, desperately holding onto the literal symbol of the bond between them.

However, unlike Crusch who seems to love who she is both when taking on more masculine and feminine traits, finding a balance between them; Ferris can't do the same. He sees it merely as a means to show his devotion rather than something he does for himself.

He constantly expresses that it is all for Crusch and Crusch alone. If anything he seems to resent his inability to fulfill any kind of masculine role, as shown once again in his conversation with Biehn in EX 1.

When pushed to finally unleash all his true feelings to Biehn, what does he bring up as the main reason for his resentment? His abuse? His coldness? His murder of his mother? Any of the innumerable unforgivable things Biehn has done to him?

No. Ferris points at his body. He anguishes over his skinny arms, his inability to wield a sword, his lack of muscle, and his lack of fighting prowess. He hates his lack of masculine features and how he's unable to live up to his idea of what Crusch's knight should be.

He literally sees his masculinity as something stolen from him by his father; leaving him so empty that he needed something else to fill that void.

Crusch gave him something to fill that void. Crusch gave him a way to live. Crusch filled his soul...but he still resents what he "has" to be.

Now does that mean he resents Crusch? No, of course not. But he does resent that this is the only thing he can do for her; the only person he can be. Deep down, he doesn't seem to want to be the way he is, and instead of trying to change that he gives in to despair.

He's stuck in that hatred, in that desire to meet Crusch's expectations, and in that moment where a starving child begged to be released and was finally brought into the light. In many ways, he acts like a child.

This is quite literally represented in him preventing himself from going through puberty; a symbol in many stories of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. He sees his current form as a shackle whether he realizes it or not.

Now does that mean that Ferris should disregard his femininity entirely? Throwing away the representation of his love for Crusch and something that has defined him for so long seems as self-destructive as staying stuck. What's the solution? Where is his arc going?

Well, before that, I want to cover one last thing before I have to delve into Arc 8 spoilers. There's a bit of a side tangent I want to go on.

With everything I've been able to point out up to here, it's clear that Ferris is a remarkably complex character. There's so much to read into and talk about.

So why is he so hated?

He's so similar to Subaru, possibly the most popular character in the novel fandom. Despite all the claims of him being the worst and me highlighting his character's flaws, he hasn't done anything more morally dubious than the vast majority of characters in this series, even when he was pushed to the edge. This is especially true when compared to some of the most popular characters like Subaru or Roswaal. Hell, characters even more directly belligerent than Ferris like Priscilla don't get half the hate (though Priscilla's perception has...its own issues).

Why does he get disregarded so often? Why is he often treated as shallow fetish fuel? Why is he just reduced to being an asshole in every discussion that involves him?

Well, I have a few I can point out.

The first is, most obviously, misinformation. A large portion of the novel reader base has not read Arcs 1-4 in the LN and has very warped views of some of the characters in that section of the story. Ferris is just the most blatant example.

I can't count the number of times I've heard people just blatantly lie about or exaggerate what Ferris did in Arc 3. From the "mana bomb" that has LITERALLY no basis in the text to the "brainwashing" scene treated as a comedy bit that is exaggerated to hell, people go out of their way to interpret him in the worst light possible.

Many of the people who haven't read those sections then see Ferris's ribbing of Subaru in Arc 5 and then run with those pieces of misinformation; spreading it to the point that many believe some blatant lies to be fact.

The second is simply that a lot of people in the fandom don't read the side stories. I don't particularly blame a lot of these people, as there is a lot to get through, but there are a lot of people who take advantage of this for...certain reasons.

This leads to the third point...shipping. Ferris suffers from "Die for our ship" syndrome (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DieForOurShip…). A lot of people like Crusch x Subaru and Crusch loves Ferris so that ends up being more than enough for some people to hate him.

That's not representative of even close to every Crusch x Subaru shipper, of course, it's just a notable trend that it's hard to pretend doesn't exist with some of them.

All of these factors often go hand-in-hand with the final factor: the fandom's immense double standards when it comes to certain characters.

I'm not going to go into deep detail with this as it would distract from the main point of the thread...but you know what I mean if you've interacted with the community for a significant period of time. It also doesn't help that many of the same people in this category tend to be incredibly bigoted.

Ferris isn't the only character subjected to these double standards, as characters like Emilia and Ram often face similar purposeful misinterpretations, but his frequently unfair critiques have affected his reputation negatively perhaps more than any other.

This isn't to say that this is all true for everyone who hates Ferris. There are numerous reasons you may just not be interested in his character.

However, I feel it's dishonest to pretend Ferris isn't often targeted far more than other characters for often lacking reasons.

With that out of the way, I can move on to the last thing I wanted to cover in this thread. I have established a lot here, so I want to speculate about the future.

From this point forward there are unmarked Arc 8 spoilers, so...you can't argue I wasn't careful. I don't blame you at all for leaving now and I thank you for reading my ramblings.

*

*

*

Are you still here? Ok, let's start.

With all of the above established, I want to return to the question of where Ferris' arc will go in the future. My belief? I think it will be something similar to what Pre-Amnesia Crusch has already realized, with Felix’s closest parallel in Subaru being close to doing the same.

Crusch, as I mentioned before, has found balance in the two aspects of her life. Throughout the story, she switches seamlessly between the two without a second thought. She is comfortable and happy with both parts of herself.

Subaru is also on a similar path. He feels most comfortable in embracing his feminine side, idealizing it through Natsumi. All his confidence is channeled into that persona, while the other two aspects of his personality (his main self who has all the self-worth of an abandoned puppy and his child self who is representative of his more masculine traits) are imbalanced.

Arc 8 seems to be going in a direction where he realizes how important all of these aspects of him are. All 3 have flaws. None of them are "complete," just pieces of the coherent whole that is Natsuki Subaru.

I believe a similar thing will happen with Ferris.

He will need to find a balance between Ferris, his feminine side that has defined him for so long, and Felix the masculine identity he craves. He needs to find a role that makes him as happy as Crusch was, accepting who he is while striving to become who he wants to be.

I don't expect that to be easy though. In fact, I think the path to get there will be immensely messy and self-destructive.

The idea of Ferris having a breakdown or lashing out has been well-foreshadowed throughout the story. He has had numerous smaller outbursts and has displayed similar problems to Arc 3 Subaru when pushed to an extreme. There's a large amount of toxicity in him that will rush out, sooner or later. It will likely take similar levels of suffering to force him to get a grip, possibly hurting Crusch in the process.

Who do I believe to be the trigger for this? My best guess is Capella.

It is quite possible Capella freed Sphinx and recreated her arms initially. Why would she do this? Why not? We're seeing firsthand how much of a monster Sphinx can be with the Sacrament of the Immortal King. Why wouldn't someone like Capella want something like that under her control?

Of course, Sphinx is almost certainly dying soon. Capella will need a replacement, and who's the only other potential user of the Sacrament? Ferris.

There's also the idea that Capella may have poisoned the Royal Family and, most importantly, Fourier. If Capella does become the main antagonist for Ferris, that could serve as motivation for him to want her dead regardless of his own reservations about killing.

Adding onto this is the fact that shapeshifting is a power with a long history of being associated with identity issues. Tappei likes making his antagonists strong narrative foils to his protagonists, so it would be interesting to contrast Ferris' identity issues with the potentially strong identity issues of Capella.

Finally, there's a lot of potential for her tragic past to parallel Ferris' past, with many implications that the Royal Family may not exactly have treated Emerada the best. The idea that the Royal Family may have locked her away is not implausible and it could make their connections even stronger.

Whatever that breakdown leads to, I expect Crusch and/or Subaru to be the one who snaps him out of it. This will likely be the catalyst that forces Ferris to find a balance. He'll need to let go of things like his self-blame over being unable to help Fourier, his internalized hatred of his current identity, his idealization of Crusch, and his need to save everyone. Ferris's love will finally allow him to grow and change into a person who is the middle ground between his desires and his true self.

After all, that's what Re: Zero is truly about: love and growth. Almost every character reflects this and, if my interpretation of Ferris is right, he could embody that theme just as much as Subaru himself does.

He could be a shining bastion of what this story is all about.

Of course, this is all just my interpretation and speculation. If you disagree with it, feel free to. I just hope I was able to make you appreciate Ferris a bit more/changed your mind on how much potential his character has.

I wish whoever is reading this a nice day!

[jjclopelover]

S4 PART 2 SPOLIERS!

I AM SO SADDDDDD AND MADDDDDDD!!!!!

So, I just finished OBX S4, and ughhhhh, I can't even truly express all the feelings I have right now.

The Sarah preg thing truly wasn't needed. Sarah has gone through so much crap and has been at the forefront of the show for 3 SEASONS now. She didn't need this arc. The writers had the chance to leave Sarah alone for a season and focus on their other characters! You make JJ the obvious forefront then give Sarah a baby storyline??

John's character was and still is obsessed with his father so nothing new.

Kie didn't do anything so nothing new. (Her dad did help JJ not get shot so that's cool ig)

We still don't know anything about Cleo and her wants and desires which sucks. They connected her to Terrence and revenge which is annoying.

Pope took the fall for JJ and got put in jail. (I liked the parallel)

It sucks how Pope's chances of doing something good with his life are withering away more and more as the seasons go on.

Rafe "helping" was fine. I think this character change happened 2 seasons too late.

JJ DYING?!

Rest In Peace Jackson 'JJ' Maybank (NEVER CALLING HIM A GROFF OR GENRETTE)

That was the dumbest writing decision they ever made. I wholeheartedly believe that his dad "Groff or Luke) should have gone before him. (or Kie since her character does nothing)

WHY JJ?

and I bet in s5 IF Sarah has the baby...(cuz with all the climbing, running, jumping, starving, and almost dying she does I heavily doubt that baby is alive) they name it Jackson or JJ like he suggested.

JJ saving Sarah was sweet but I wish we got more of a JJSarah moment out of that.

THEM BROTHER ZONING US WHEN POPE CALLED JJ HIS BROTHER

S5 will be the pouges getting revenge and Jarah's baby MAYBE being born...I have a feeling this is going to be the worst season yet.

S4 WAS WORSE THAN ANY OF US IMAGINED.