#i honestly don't care enough about her to be anti and i think her character (and loki's) got shafted by shitty writing

[lovecolibri]

Oh I am *cackling* at the producers trying to claim the show was driven by Loki and Sylvie's relationship when she refused to lift a finger to help multiple times (while platonic bestie Mobius was living out romcom moments by the dozen with Loki), and honestly they could have not had her in the season at all and barely anything would change. Like, I don't like that ship but it's still SO deeply disrespectful to give them NOTHING on screen all season while giving all the cute classically shippy moments to Lokius, and then come out after and claim it was some grand, sweeping romance and also there was nothing intentional about giving all the shippy stuff to Lokius. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Also, as I said in some tags, the "we can't get into Loki's head" like is just....peek absurdity. My brother in Christ, YOU'RE the writers! This character has been in the MCU for like, 14 years, played by Hiddleston who is *obsessed* with Loki. Getting into Loki's head should have been a cake walk! And even if it wasn't, IT'S LITERALLY YOUR JOB TO GET IN THE CHARACTER'S HEAD. Maybe this is why shows are so shitty? Instead of letting the characters drive the plot by getting into their heads and making choices from that perspective, showrunners instead twist the characters into a storyline.

ANYWAY.

[wisteria-lodge]

About the gender in hp thing: I know JKR wrote the books wanting the patriarchy to have minimal impact on the world but even through a couple of the metas you wrote you can see that that’s not the case. In your character crying post there’s a clear implication that showing that kind of emotion is a weakness but also that it is not masculine. Equating strength with masculinity is foundational for cultures with strong patriarchies, and this idea infests every other aspect of their lives. Idk because of that and many other reasons I have a very hard time of writing the wizarding world as anything other than a patriarchy

This is a watsonian analysis vs doylist analysis issue.

I 100% do think that JKR went out of her way to really, really downplay the importance of gender in her worldbuilding - and this contributes a lot to the specific feel of the world. You could genderflip, idk. Neville. Snape. Draco. Hermione. McGonagall. and almost no plot elements or character dynamics would change. (Maybe James would bully Severus slightly differently? Idk. He honestly might not.)

Compare HP to something like His Dark Materials, another British fantasy series released at the same time, marketed to the same demographic... in which gender politics are REALLY important. Lyra conforming or not conforming to specific gender norms hugely impacts the way a lot of other characters treat her. So much of Mrs. Coulter's character has to do with how she's navigated the back ways and side avenues into power, because the patriarchy that runs *that* world is extremely explicit and plot relevant, and there's a lot she just can't do.

Now is JKR *good* at writing a gender-blind world? Not really no. So she's stripped out the importance of gender in a fairly surface way, while leaving evidence of the foundations intact. Everyone's a het couple, women take the husband's last name, Molly and Petunia are at home while their husbands work and there's no inverse of that situation, Fleur's father walks her down the aisle at her wedding, it's important that Hermione be able to tame her hair when she wants to, but for Harry it doesn't matter...

There is ALSO the narrative voice poking through and putting its own spin on everything. This is where we start getting judgment (for example) directed both at girls who are too feminine, and at girls who aren't feminine enough. Or sexual assault not really "sticking" if it's directed at boys. We don't have a character talking, in-universe, about how it's wrong for a woman not to want children. We just have a book where the only women who don't have kids (or take care of kids) are villains. Same thing with masculinity = strength = no crying. That's something the narrative framing / bias of the author brings to the table, but it's kept out of the mechanics of the magical world. I guess you could say Harry and Draco equate crying/fainting with weakness (but not explicitly anti-masculinity)... but then Lupin goes out of his way to separate 'fainting' from 'weakness' anyway.

Interestingly, gender is much more baked into the muggle worldbuilding. (Part of why I think leaving that aspect out of the wizarding world was a deliberate choice.) Smeltings is an all-boys school, so is St Brutus.' Dudley teases Harry about his "boyfriend" Cedric, Vernon sizes up Arthur and Mad-Eye by how masculine they are. At the beginning of Book 4, Dudley's diet is this very gendered conflict between Vernon and Petunia, where Vernon doesn't want a "little nancy boy for a son" - and that is one of the only truly gendered insults in the whole series. "Crybaby" almost counts... but the Slytherins tease Hermione for crying too, so idk. They tend to go for pretty gender-neutral insults, like "poor" "unimportant parents" "looks like a chipmunk" ... etc.

Like... I'm trying to imagine a scene were Lucius lays into Draco for not being masculine enough, and I can't. I think that in a canon-compliant fic, a scene like that would feel odd. The conflict would need to be framed more like a "you disgrace the name of Malfoy with your weakness" or "never tell anyone outside the family what you're thinking" or "your believe yourself to be more intelligent than you truly are." Not "you need to man up."

[proshippers-against-censorship]

Rant/vent, feel free to delete I just need to get this out

I'm gonna be honest I feel like antis have ruined my ability to really gaf about problematic people

Like I don't care enough to look into controversies anymore about creators I like and if I do happen to learn the worst I'll say is "that's fucking awful" but I just. Don't feel anything the way I used to.

It used to be if I heard a creator I liked was a rapist or a groomer or whatever, I'd immediately stop interacting with their stuff and block everything about them, but now the most I'll do is just shrug and move on. Might feel weird around the content and might have it lingering in the back of my mind but it doesn't ruin the experience for me anymore.

I just don't have the emotional energy for that

It's like seeing all the "oh they're a bad person for drawing x" has like...minimized serious issues (for me). Serious controversies. And it doesn't help that antis place "proshipping" and "icky fictional content" as being a worse crime than actually awful, harmful things. They really show this in their callouts and how "proshipping" is always the focus of their discussions when talking shit about someone

(Ex: talking about melanie martinez, and all the focus is on that one nsfw drawing she made of a child oc or smth, but never do the literal rape allegations against her pop up)(idk if that's up to date)

My most recent experience of this (and what led me to this realization) is Tamakuz. Tamakuz has these two ocs (the ocs in question are Masarcik and Ushka from psychocuties) in an abusive relationship--apparently one of these ocs looks like a child to a LOT of people which I honestly had a really hard time understanding. Then I heard about them drawing these characters in a scene from the Lolita movie and one of them in a nazi uniform. Check em out, yup, they exist.

But after all of that, I was just kinda left there wondering "okay but what else is there? What's really the issue here?"

like the most I thought was about the nazi drawing, and while I definitely think it was done in poor taste, I doubt I know everything about it and all I really care to do is assume it was a joke made in poor taste and say "well it's fucking weird" and then just...not really care beyond that.

Idc if not caring anymore makes me a bad person, honestly. Maybe it's the depression numbing me, maybe it's the antis, maybe both. Idk.

(Sorry if I already sent in smth like this, i have the memory of a goldfish)

.

[viktoriaashleyyx]

This is a pro Tamlin, anti Rhysand self insert revenge fic. All characters belong to SJM, but she wasn't treating them right. Tam x reader, Tam x Rhysands Sister (OC), First person narrative. This will also reference Elucien and Neris in the future but we aren't there yet. Contains slight violence, poisons, broken bones. Also profanity. I'm not sure what else to tw if I miss something let me know. This is my first fic. I honestly don't know how to find word count, but it's roughly 4 pages on word docs. Criticism welcome. Rhysands Sister is back and she's pissed. Rhysand gets his ass whooped and Tamlin gets shown love. Enjoy.

Ch 2. Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Ch9 Ch10

Tarquin BC

Chapter 1:

I crash landed on a stone surface. A balcony of sorts? It was well built if it was, considering how long I've been falling, I'm shocked I didn't crash right through it. I know now that making a deal with the gods is a lot like making a deal with a damn djin. 

“Who goes there??” A booming male voice barked. I could hear swords drawn. Fuck where am I? My ears were still ringing, vision blurred, and chest heavy from the impact. I blinked my eyes open to find a winged male looming over me. Another illyrian? Have I finally made it home? Fuck, then that means I am in the night court. Damnit, 7 fucking courts in Prythia and I just happen to land here. At my brother's court. 

This ones expression shifted from threatening to complete shock as his gaze landed on my eyes. “Sky?” 

At my brother's court and at his fucking house, Freya has a sick sense of humor. I slowly sat up, ignoring the hand the illyrian extended to me. 

“Your wing!” He gasped. So thats what that throbbing pain was. My wing seemed to have been snapped in the fall. “You need a healer, go get Madja” he commanded the other brute. 

“Don't bother” I dismissed, standing up slowly. I pulled a small glass vial out of my pocket, a healing potion, I always kept a few on hand, never know when you're gonna need it. I downed the bitter red liquid as I've done a thousand times and grabbed the dagger off my hip. I put the handle in my mouth and bit down on it as I grabbed my own wing and straightened out the bone. I held it right for about a minute until the potion worked its magic. It hurt like crazy but I was careful not to show these idiots, the fear and shock on their faces was satisfying if I am being honest. 

“I'm guessing you are Azriel and Cassian, though I can't tell which is which” I admitted, trying to seem just polite enough to leave. 

The one next to me spoke first “I'm Azriel, he's Cassian” okay, Azriel short hair, Cassian long hair “this is Mor and Amren and she is Feyre, High Lady of the Night Court” 

“So my brother is dead?” I had hoped my excitement would come off as concern. 

“No, no, they rule together, as equals” Cassian spoke

“Got it” this conversation is dragging. I need to leave. 

“It's so nice to meet Rhysands sister, we thought you were dead, I'd heard so much about you” Feyre gushed, “Rhys is out on important business at the moment but he should be back soon.” I had no use or interest in this small talk. 

“How old are you?” I looked at her as if to study the young thing in front of me. I was never good at pleasantries. I spent a good while in isolation and I tend to just blurt out the questions on my mind. 

“I am 21” Feyre replied sharply, yep I angered her with my lack of class. 

“Ew, 21 years? Ugh, my brother always did like them unreasonably young.” I'm just gonna keep going with it, hopefully she'll throw me out. 

“My age is not a disability” Feyre snapped. 

“It's adorable that you think that.” I'm in too deep. Oops. “Anyway, I am sorry I crashed into your home, I had little control, but I would like to leave now.” 

“You will apologize and bow to your high lady.” Cassian growled. Azriel stepped in front of the door. 

“She is not my high lady, I am not a citizen of your court, in fact, I am starting to feel like a prisoner.” It's not lost on me that I have bore the title of Queen, multiple times. In both cases I have dismantled the monarchy entirely, setting up a system in which the people vote on who leads them. Her title meant nothing to me. I bow to those deserving, not the one who rely solely on birthright. But she doesn't need to know this. I have more important things on my mind than to argue with a child "I will request one more time, you move and allow me to leave.” 

“Or what?” Azriel snapped. Unmoving. 

I did not want to show this much of my hand just yet, knowing this magic is not native to Prythia. But, if they want to twist my arm, so be it. A swirling purple circle opened up under me and I fell though, closing it quickly behind me. Portals were my favorite magic to do, in more cases than once it ensured my freedom.

Landing softly on my feet, I took in my surroundings. Cool air, rolling green hills, and the sounds of birds chirping in the distance, the Spring court. I was finally home. I eventually spotted the manor I spent so much of my time at as a child. Mother didn't make me train with the illyrians as she did my brother because she feared the treatment I would receive, also by the time I came along she had befriended the ladies of the other courts. We would spend weeks here at times, the children would play together and the mothers would discuss adult things we didn't care about. One of those things being alliances, and what better way to encourage an alliance between Spring and Night than by an arranged marriage.

I didn't mind them encouraging me to play with the cute blonde shapeshifter. He was kind and silly and only a couple years older than me. The other kids, mainly Autumn boys, were rough and volatile, and I just had no interest in what they considered fun. When I would get flustered by my wings knocking things over and getting in the way, the youngest Spring boy would remind me how beautiful they were, or how powerful they made me. The few times he would get a chance to practice his fiddle, I would dance and twirl, even if it was just the arpeggios. He was the 3rd born, and I the second and a girl, they didn't expect either of us to become High lord. 

The manor was about a mile away, I shot up another portal to the door, I was tired after all and, if I'm being honest, a little excited to be back.

When I reached the door it was broken in half and wide open. I creeped inside, cautiously. It looked to be abandoned. Dirt and dust coated the walls and floors, priceless artifacts shattered and books thrown from the shelves. I noticed claw marks in the furniture. “Please just be alive, after everything, I can’t be too late.” I whispered to myself. My heart sank as I looked around. 

Further into the dilapidated manor, I heard muffled voices coming from the kitchen. “Get out.” a tired weak growl. I ran to the entrance and just as I rounded the corner I saw my brother's boot kick in the chest of.. Tamlin. He began spitting up blood. 

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” I hissed at my brother. 

Rhysand whipped around towards me, Tamlin looked up from the floor, eyes wide. 

“You're alive??” Rhysand darted towards me and I shoved him to the ground, rushing to Tamlins side. I knelt down beside him, held his head up from where he laid on the floor and pulled another glass vial out of my pocket. 

“It'll be bitter but swallow” I commanded gently. He didn't argue, he took the healing potion and I kissed his forehead as I laid him back down gently to address my brother. 

I stood tall. Nothing but pure rage in my violet eyes toward my brother. I always hated how much we looked alike. “THIS is the ‘important business’ you told your wife you had to take care of?” 

“I thought he killed you, he hurt my mate.” Rhysand admitted, no remorse. 

“And I finally make it back home after 300 years in exile to find you kicking mine” I state through gritted teeth. 

Rhysands eyes narrowed “your what?” It was obvious he wanted me to retract my statement, not going to happen. I didn't waste my time away, I knew I was more powerful than all of Prythia, I had to be, in case I had returned to Amarantha still terrorizing the place. 

“You heard me.” I maintained his gaze. In a split second he lunged for me and I reached my hand out into the small portal that appeared to my side. I grabbed one of the curved blades I was gifted by the warriors I previously trained with. These blades were specifically enchanted to drip poisons into the wounds they create. This one? Bloodbane, or as Prythians call it, “Faebane.” I slashed him across the face in a controlled move, just enough to leave a scar and allow the poison to sink in. 

He screamed in pain and looked back up at me. My eyes fell entirely black and cracks formed across my face as I spit my curse at him, lifting up his chin with my sword to make him look me in the eye “IF YOU, OR ANY OF YOUR LACKEYS, ENTER THE SPRING COURT BORDERS AGAIN, ALL OF THE AIR WILL BE DRAWN FROM YOUR LUNGS, AND IF YOU CANNOT GET OUT BEFORE YOU PASS OUT WE WILL FEED YOUR BODIES TO THE PIGS.” I relaxed, my face returning to normal. “Now get out.” A portal opened below him and he fell, leaving him only halfway up the steps to the House of Wind. 

I turned my attention back to Tamlin, he had sat up, the healing potion having done its job, looking up at me with a million different emotions on his face, shock, fear, concern, confusion and relief. I sat down next to him, draping my legs over his. He embraced me like I was going to disappear any minute. “You're alive. Or I am dead, I do not care as long as I have you in my arms again.” he sighed as we just sat there on the floor. 

I awoke the daemati powers I hardly used as I pressed my forehead to his. A gentle knock on the walls of his mind, and he allowed me in. I shared the memories I held dear for all these years, of us playing in the fields of Spring, the days he would spend with me in the gallery his mother gifted me, watching me paint, the mischief we would get into and the giggles we would share. His face relaxed into a soft smile as I kissed his cheek.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

@ladythornofrivia asked to be tagged❤️

[kshahrewar-paradisaea]

Regarding the people who are anti victim support in the Sparkle Care "community"

As you can see this is a brand new account. I've never had Tumblr but I have been shown Sparkle Care through my boyfriend who was and still is deeply passionate about Sparkle Care. I have seen what has happened in recent events and honestly the fact that you people think you're still in the right after pushing someone to overdose is fucking insane and I wonder how many people have scarred physically and psychologically or even worse because of you people. You people are a danger to society. Anti ship or whatever labels you chronically online friendless cretins have made up as of late, you guys are just pro harassment. The only anti you are is anti victim. You're telling me that

1. The art was private

2. Used as BLACKMAIL leaked by

3. Someone who was upset that they were kicked off the Sparkle Care team and said art was using

4. Characters that were a self insert of the creator and

5. A reflection of her REAL LIFE TRAUMA making her a victim and finally

6. Some of the content that was leaked was completely unrelated to the incest art and was supposed to be on Kittycorn's patreon so now she can no longer get any income from it sooooo theft of a small artist

Not a single person I have seen has bashed the person who released private blackmail content in revenge maliciously because a victim a VICTIM is coping with her own character, A SELF INSERT CHARACTER made art you don't like with something that grossed you out.

Media literacy is dead but this is the same group of people that cultivated such a deep culture of anti recovery self enabling freaks that were eating their moms jewelry and people who thought they were god. Just because a subject is depicted does not mean the author is in support. But you guys can't realize that when the source is actively condemning it. You people are no worse than the multiple film directors who sexualized Dolores Haze (ya know, Lolita's real name because pro harassers ((I'm not calling you anti anything)) are so uneducated on the things they talk about you probably haven't heard her real name until now) because they read the cliff notes version of the book and decided it was a love story with a young seductress and not a cautionary tale into the mind of a self justifying and unreliable narrator.

Dark themes belong in media. Purity culture and censorship is the death to the voice of victims. If you are not mature enough to understand that bad things in the real world happen and people will speak on their own experiences in different ways and you have the ability to block them then you are not mature enough to have any social media accounts. Do you guys think horror movies condone murder in real life? Do you think SVU condones sexual violence? Even if a piece of media does endorse dark themes then don't fucking consume it. Boycott that shit but boycotting small artists who have harmed NO real life minors or family members does not involve pushing them to self harm and suicide.

I've seen some people try and justify themselves by saying Kitty corn did it to herself. It is so obvious you realized the gravity of your actions too late and you're deflecting so you don't have to feel guilty because why would you cowardly keyboard warriors feel guilt from across the screen? You're safe in distance and anonymity and you forget that the people you are bullying are just as real as you. Tumblr and more so COVID have done irreparable damage to people's ability to socialize like normal people because you haven't seen a blade of grass or talked to a real person that you didn't immediately make uncomfortable in years good fucking god.

[coffeebooksrain18]

Saw your post “Rhaenyra can't think past herself and her wants” and I agree 100%!

It’s a recurring theme, something that affects all her relationships.

She tells Daemon to marry her then immediately starts sleeping with Harwin, getting pregnant straight away which also means she didn’t even try to have a child with Laenor. She was with Harwin for TEN years and didn’t even wait a month before jumping into bed with another man. Daemon pissed her off so she starts cheating on him with Myseria and something tells me this isn’t even the first time she’s strayed from their marriage bed.

She wants to sleep with Criston so does, caring little that men have been gelded or even executed for sleeping with Targaryen Princesses.

She has three children with Harwin Strong, unbothered that she’s brazenly committing high treason and has put their sons in danger.

Laenor is the only shield the Strong Boys have against the bastardy accusations but she can’t see past her current desires of wanting to marry her groomer so tries to have him killed. She then gets mad when Rhaenys calls her out.

When she was pulling her holier than thou bullshit over Blood & Cheese it honestly felt like she was angrier at how damaging this was for her reputation rather than thinking about Helaena.

Jace is the only reason she has half her allies, but because he yelled at her for being an idiot she starts distancing herself from him. She then takes Addam and Myseria with her to Harrenhall because instead of Jace’s cold hard truths they’ll tell what she wants to hear.

2x03 was just another example of her arrogance and conceitedness, she genuinely thought simply ordering Alicent to give up the throne was enough.

Then in 2x08 she demands Alicent sacrifice her male relatives, it doesn’t even occur to her to punish Daemon for Jaehaerys’ execution because why should she care about someone else’s feelings?

The recurring theme in all of this is what Rhaenyra wants comes first, she lacks basic empathy to consider the feeling of others.

No because all of this is true. She has always, ALWAYS put herself first. And if she wants to rule the seven Kingdoms she needs to learn how to put herself LAST.

It is always HER wants, HER desires that come first. If you call her out on her hypothetical behavior then she shuns you. She did it with Alicent when she lied to her about her maidenhood and Alicent showed up in the green dress. She did it to Jace when he called her out on fucking Harwin and not even trying to have a baby with Laenor. She did it with Corlys and Rhaenys when they demanded an explanation for their sons death and rightfully assumed she was involved. Rhaenyra doesn't care about anyone but herself.

And I completely agree, in fact it actually says in the book that Rhaenyra and Daemon slept with other people but all their children together were His. They both cheated, so people acting like this is out of character for her truly don't understand why anti Daemyra people say it was a political marriage.

And I agree, I have made a post a long time ago about it. Rhaenyra acted like the worst part about Jaehaerys death was that it hurt her image. Not that a little boy not even ten years old died. She cared more about how it tore her further from the throne rather than actually care about the boy. And her going to Alicent after his death and then acting the victim because Alicent didn't believe her is so cruel. Alicents Grandson is dead, her own daughter watched. And yet Rhaenyra is the victim because Alicent wouldn't give up the throne to her grandsons killers? Yeah right.

Thanks for the ask Anon! Hope I covered everything I'm sleepy lol.

[elainsgirl]

I just scrolled through the elainweekofficial mess and wow... no celebration of Elain at all. Just using her as a prop to celebrate men. I'm not usually one to draw straight lines between fiction and reality but there's something very uncomfortable about such a clear pattern.

There's also something very annoying with how antis clearly love Elriel because they take all of their scenes, symbols and themes, but for some reason give them to other characters just to avoid putting Elain and Azriel together.

Azriel is turned into Koschei, because people like the whole "light and dark" aesthetic. But it's given to Koschei even though it has been so clearly established for Az and Elain (even literally referring to them as "light and dark"). In fact, they're even going so far as to using the literal name Feyre came up with for Azriel in the TT painting, Death. Using Death and his lovely fawn for... Koschei an Elain?? Why?

And then, of course, Elain is turned into Gwyn. Just so they don't have to face the fact that Elriel is actually quite supreme and fit very well together. Even antis want them.

I usually don't care at all what people ship. But it's so fascinating to see how people clearly like a specific couple for their dynamic, scenes, symbols, themes, and yet for some reason rather than enjoy that ship they use mental gymnastics to transfer it to other characters and THEN enjoy it. It seems so unnecessary. I don't understand why? It can't all just be because they hate Elain (and Azriel too, honestly, at least canon Azriel), even though they seem to like a lot of the stuff about Elriel. What do you think?

it doesn’t matter if their second elucien week, sorry I meant Elain week was a flop, im sure the creators will buy followers and likes soon enough. But I mean at least they managed to once again, prove they’re hypocrites + show everyone else who genuinely loves Elain as a character and who sees her as a love interest for a man.

Its funny atp. Eluciens with their “elain and lucien are sooooo regency coded! I can’t wait for them to brush hands! And have such tension filled stares!” I dont have to point out the irony. Its blatantly there. Gwynrield with their “Gwyn will hold TT!” “Gwyn will call Azriels scars beautiful!” But I mean honestly I dont blame them for having to recycle canon elriel scenes, Mass rlly gave Elain and Az top tier romantic foreshadowing and so many romantic coded scenes its like…what else is left BUT scraps for Eluciens & Gwynriels.

Kosheielain is literally Elriel, they’ve just rebranded it to give dark romance vibes. And think its cool & hot to pair elain with a villain.

I find it fascinating too, its why I love being an elriel, we dont need to steal another ships scenes/aesthetic etc for Elain and Azriel. I’ve always said this but 8/10 people that ship elucien/gwynriel haven’t come to like the pair organically. They have motives for not wanting elriel whether that’s not liking elain as a character or wanting Lucien to be happy, these motives led them to ship alternative pairings and hype those up to assure themselves they’re right.

[elrielffs]

Do people forget that Gwyn can’t even leave the library yet? Like I’m trying to sound horrible but that is the truth.

I see them making theories about her saving Illyria, awakening dusk with Nesta, being Azriel’s mate but they never talk about the abyss between where Gwyn is now and where they want her… I never see them theorizing about how she is gonna overcome her fears and traumas.

I think it would be such a disservice to her character to rush everything… because how can we go from “I’m not even sure if I’m gonna attend my best friend’s mating ceremony” to saving Illyria and doing missions with the Valkyries (who lack training but still)

And not only that but also built an intimate relationship with Azriel? And deal with the Koschei, Illyrian, dusk plot? There is no time (especially since she is not tied to any plot)

It would need time for her to leave the library, feel safe in the outside world and be around men without feeling uncomfortable (and that is totally ok) and THEN starting missions

And SJM honestly wouldn’t write it because she isn’t good enough and this is kind of a delicate and sensitive subject, which if isn’t done right can cause lots of drama (rightfully so)

The thing about Gwyn is, she had her healing journey already...along with Emerie and Nesta. All of ACOSF was predominately Nesta's healing journey yes, but Emerie and Gwyn came along for the ride as needed friends for Nesta and their own trauma to overcome.

That's why the BR was about them winning instead of just Nesta, it was a culmination of their training and healing progress. You never hear about how Emerie needs a book for a "healing" journey.

And the thing about "well, Gwyn went back to the library so her story isn't over yet, she has more to overcome!" Yes...but so does every single character. Every single character can have a book about a personal "healing" journey. They are not static characters and like real life, constantly evolve and have new experiences.

But these books aren't just about personal healing journeys. There is an active plot and narrative and big bad that is uh...trying to destroy and or take over Prythian...a plot that has already been mostly stalled in ACOSF and needs to be progressed as we barely know anything about Koschei, his plans, even what he is trying to achieve.

And Gwyn is not connected to that. Sure, she could be artificially but that's not satisfying and other characters have naturally been connected to the plot would have to be shoved aside or replaced.

Gwyn is not built up as a love interest. Gwyn is not connected to the main plot. Gwyn was there to predominately be Nesta's friend and I say this as someone who likes Gwyn and loved the Valkyrie friendship in the book.

The only way Gwyn could have more significance to the plot is if she was a Lightsinger...but antis don't like this because they know what it means for their precious BC.

And even as a Lightsinger, I don't know how much that would even play into it tbh or if it would just bit a reveal in the book and come into play at a later point? (If I had to guess, I would think if her LS abilities played at all, it would be from Koschei/Merrill influence to keep Elain and Azriel apart? But I've come to really dislike that as I really just don't want Gwyn in an Elriel book at all and also, I think SJM might avoid it now due to the heavier backlash she would receive from the already backlash she will receive for the Elriel book in general.)

And Illyria? Gwyn isn't connected to Illyria. She doesn't even want to acknowledge her title and status as Carnythian (a point that antis forget and try to play up as a point for the ship). The only way she could be connected to Illyria is through Azriel. (Emerie where?? An actual Illyrian woman who has suffered because of her culture?? She's just off eating pussy I guess with nary a care in the world.)

And Azriel is connected to Illyria but that's as his B-plot. His main focus and plot is about Elain (like Rhysand was to Feyre, and Cassian to Nesta). Most of his interactions and words through all the books are about Elain. He doesn't like Illyrians, doesn't like their traditions, hates the BR. The only thing tying him to an Illyrian plot is the knife...which is also tied to Elain. I think if Azriel was going to have this BIG Illyrian plot, ACOSF would have been the perfect time for it. Not to hammer a point home but...the Blood Rite, which Azriel doesn't respect, and Gwyn, his supposed mate who already was SA'd and Cassian even mentions could be exposed to in the BR...what better way to kick off an Illyrian plot with Azriel and mate romance with Gwyn then having Azriel break all the rules and go absolutely feral to rescue her resulting in the fall out to be covered in the next book? It would have been so easy for SJM to set up not only this "Illyrian plot" but also Gwynriel romance if she wanted to. This is already long but I could basically add in short but important pivotal sentences and scenes in ACOSF for Gwynriel that SJM could have easily inserted into already existing scenes and not be in your face but speak volumes.

SJM is a veteran writer who excels at writing romance and has written and thought about this world for over 10+ years. I think if she wanted to do the things that antis theorize, she would have put in way more groundwork for it, either for a romance or just more narrative action for Gwyn and especially if she was an MC for the next book. She didn’t forget, she isn’t saving innocuous interactions for their book, she didn’t look at TOG and think,”well I gotta make a connection to music and mates so I’ll write about Cassian cumming and readers will be able to pick up that this means Gwynriel,” instead of…idk, actual interactions??

Too many antis characterize (and desperately hope) SJM as easily influenced and changeable and while yes, it's standard for an author to have wiggle room and change their mind on some things, I don't think 6 books deep SJM is going to drastically alter the narrative she's been building. This isn't her first foray into a long standing series or even in ship wars. (Chaol vs Rowan was big back when TOG was being written. SJM had a smaller fanbase and booktok wasn't a thing, but there was a shipping war on a slightly smaller scale with who Aelin would end up with.)

Can I see SJM doing something with the Valkyries as a unit? Yes. Can I see SJM doing more for Gwyn as an unexpectedly popular character? Yes but it won't be to basically shove Elain out of her role in the books and insert Gwyn.

[my-mt-heart]

Idk how to say this but I am not as bothered about whatever is going to transpire between Daryl and Isabelle (bcoz for one thing - we know what is going to happen in the end- and for another - I honestly believe that the male execs are not at all confident abt their vision for these two as they would like to be and the whole thing would prolly boil down to ambiguity and ultimately- it will fall upon the viewers to dissect how Daryl feels - the Caryl fandom especially is really adept at reading into storylines - even stupid ones) None of this is good by any means. It cheapens the integrity of all the characters involved. It blatantly insults and reduces female characters - I believe that Isabelle deserves better. That a story should hold space for multiple female characters. Also - I am worried about putting the fate and the story of one the best female characters on TV (Carol) in the hands of someone who has proven that he can't be trusted to handle them with care. Reading S2 reviews - I am sort of reassured that Carol is treated well enough in the story - which I believe - has a LOT to do with Melissa McBride's input. Going forward - it is going to be more difficult bcoz once we have dealt with old traumas - we do need to evolve these characters and make sure they don't stay stagnant. I don't believe Zabel has the chops to do that.

sorry for that rant. I am just really frustrated.

What I worry about is the way all of this bts stuff amongst the male execs is going to impact the Caryl dynamic. Whatever the antis may think - and while McReedus has insane chemistry - I do believe that the romantic energy is generated between them by a lot of their acting choices (bcoz the underlying story is teasing a romance). What happens to all that when a romance is completely off the table? When AMC has been pushing this friendship narrative down our throats in a very evident bid to do damage control - the insecure/defensive promo that we have been getting last few weeks is proof enough that Caryl was always more than friends?

The problems were already glaringly obvious from the very beginning. the fact that Melissa isn't billed equally for a season where she is proclaimed to be the major focus? It is not even about Caryl going canon for me anymore. I love Melissa and Carol way too much for me to give up yet but I treasure the Caryl bond primarily bcoz they have always been each other's everything. it is truly a bond that evades definition. Both Carol and Daryl doesn't have what they have with each other with anyone. THAT IS A CANON FACT. I don't think I can watch that dynamic that I treasure so much being butchered - s11 was painful enough - I can't go through all of that and more again.

Going to watch s2 and then my further commitment will depend entirely upon how the characters are treated and their dynamic is portrayed?

It sucks that I am dreading watching Carol and Daryl back together on screen.

been here just for a few months but the way AMC has been fumbling with this promo - have you guys always experienced this whiplash or is it a new thing?

I’m going to include big spoilers in my response, so proceed with caution ⚠️

I respect your opinion, but I disagree with you on the point about Daryl’s and Isabelle’s arc. It seems like the male EPs (Zabel, Nicotero, Gimple) are overly confident that an explicit romance between their male hero and a younger blonde nun who accused Daryl of being like his abusive father just for trying to go home to his family will attract a larger male audience and they aren’t sparing any feelings with it because we aren’t their ideal audience anyway. To them, we’re just a bunch of “hysterical” shippers whose POV’s don’t matter and we can just take their crumbs. AMC is a bit more complicated, but I’ll get to them later.

Daryl and the nun kiss in 202, so there’s little to no room for us to dissect how Daryl is feeling. Isabelle’s death is the furthest thing from a relief because 1) it reduces her character down to man pain like you said and 2) from what I’m gathering, it completely overshadows Caryl’s reunion and then their entire arc. We get another hug that does absolutely nothing to elevate their relationship and then Carol has to face that Daryl didn’t need her to rescue him because he found a new family and become his emotionally supportive friend to help him through his grief of a lost love interest he’s known for a few months. It almost feels like it’s going to be a retread of Beth’s death, only worse. We know how Greg Nicotero views both of those relationships and to be blunt, the man needs to stop projecting his creepy fetishes onto Daryl and making it our problem 🤢

The way the story is framed, it’s not even about Caryl at all. They’re the relationship we’re the most invested in and yet all the emotional weight is given to a highly problematic relationship that developed over a dozen ish short episodes (compared to Caryl’s decade+ of emotional depth) and it’s all for nothing too. Zabel just resets Daryl like the hokey network procedural writer he is. And Caryl fans are rewarded for their years-long loyalty by getting more ambiguous subtext to analyze? Really?

I think you’re spot on about Melissa though. The reason she’s the bright spot of the season, the reason Carol’s individual arc feels true, and her spiritual connection to Daryl stays alive is because Melissa influenced all of that. She’s shown us time and time again that she understands her character so deeply and respects her fans. It really breaks my heart because I think she had a beautiful story in mind for Carol and she deserves all the support in the world, but as I’ve said many times, if damage is done to the character who has been written as her soulmate for over a decade, damage is also done to her. And I can’t watch that. I can’t watch the destruction of my favorite characters and my favorite relationship and put money in AMC’s pockets for gaslighting me. Retconning Caryl’s relationship into a platonic friendship is their way of protecting themselves from backlash. “Daryl isn’t emotionally cheating because he and Carol have always been besties?” “We didn’t mislead you. We told you they were friends, so you dumb shippers are doing this to yourselves. Please watch our slop anyways ✌️” They’re even trying to shift responsibility to Melissa by making her answer the shipping questions despite the fact that it’s Daryl’s arc throwing a wrench in everything and I expect that to continue at NYCC/Palyfest. It’s completely unethical and it’s backfiring.

Zabel cannot write for Daryl and Carol. He keeps showing us that he doesn’t understand their bond nor does he value it. A couple of the reviews mentioned it felt like Carol was shoehorned into certain aspects of the story, which tracks with what I already knew—that he and the other EPs think she’s hindering the story they want to tell about men doing manly things. That’s why they try so hard to challenge her significance to Daryl’s story and that is not going to change just because they’re moving to another location. Somebody like that should not have power to decide her trajectory. Fuck whatever he has planned for S3. I don’t want it. I still want Caryl and I still want to see them get the stories they deserve, but that’s only going to happen if we get a new showrunner who respects them and respects their fans. In case it needs to be said, Gimple is not that guy either (he can fake his enthusiasm on SM all he wants 🖕🖕🖕). A complete rebranding of the show to something that honors the characters and gives Melissa her dues (equal billing, title, etc) is the only way I’m tuning in now🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t have the emotional capacity to sit through S2, but I will be here, speaking up, to make sure Melissa gets all the necessary praise and those assholes can’t blame her if the show tanks.

I’ve only been here a few years and there’s been a lot of turn over at AMC even just in that time (I kid you not, all of our problems can be traced back to Josh Sapan leaving. He loved Caryl and Melissa). That being said, I cannot for the life of me understand why any of the guys over there (even the misogynistic ones) would approve of the Daryl/Isabelle arc after the PR disaster that Leah caused not even that long ago and at least for that, the arc tied back to romantic Caryl and we weren’t subjected to any uncomfortable physical intimacy. Why the fuck would they make the same mistake? Why the fuck do they have to spend more time cleaning up messes than avoiding the mess altogether at every fucking opportunity they had (and they had a lot). I just don’t get it. And I’m so tired of taking the abuse.

[reel-fear]

If you want my opinion, I think we should give Lone Wolf the benefit of the doubt, yes it does look a little bit cheap in some areas but the game does look pretty fun and both the art and characters are still on point. Alice and Sammy are also returning so that’s a plus! I think it’s best that we stay optimistic for this game and Bendy’s future.

That's fair and I respect your opinion, I think my thing is I'm worried people are too optimistic about Bendy's future games being better than the ones they've already created because the team behind Bendy is very anti-listening to feedback. Which means it's likely these games won't improve unless fans make a bigger push to be more critical of them and show the devs they won't spend their money unless the team can prove they care about this franchise and aren't gonna let the polish drain just because it makes more money.

I criticize Bendy not because I want it to die or be bad, I only do it because I hope one day either 1. A competitor rises up and gives the fans essentially a better version of Bendy that they deserve and they can use my feedback and others to see where it can be improved. or 2. The bendy team listens to my feedback and the general fandom's to make future games better. Plus generally get their act together.

As it stands the trailer is rushed and cheap, which is bad because a trailer for a game should be the most polished part of the affair. I mean this is what is supposed to convince people to buy the game when it comes out! I had the same problems with The Cage and I'm unhappy to see this becoming a pattern. [I mean that's a game I'm even more confident is going to horribly crash and burn cause I honestly don't know why'd they make a midquel to a game which everyone hated the ending of-]

Look. I understand some people feel a sort of loyalty to the Bendy devs, it's hard not to feel like you're in some sort of friendship when it comes to such a small indie team. But at the end of the day you have to remember defending them when they mess up only gives them more reasons to ignore feedback and most of all you don't know Mike or Meatly as people outside of what they Choose to show in their public image. So when the public image they've crafted is one that's bad and leaves people worried about how the games they're making are gonna turn out. Nobody can be blamed but them. And if you really care about them and/or Bendy it's better to boost feedback even if it's negative.

Like sure Sammy and Malice are returning but look at the treatment they got in Dark Revival! Meatly and Mike have never addressed how poorly done the original characters were in that game and I think it's cause far as they're concerned it was perfectly fine and people are complaining about nothing. [That or enough people didn't seem to care for it to matter to them whether that point was valid or not] Despite the fact Sammy was shot down for a gag after finally speaking up [and was in a ton of Dark Revival marketing material] and Malice was nothing more than a rip off of her chapter 3 self with no interesting changes, we never got to hear her thoughts on how the world is doing, on how she feels now hearing her enemy, the ink demon, was supposedly killed, or on Wilson, the keepers, etc. I mean it was a huge waste and with the promise Sammy will be 'restored to his Chapter 2 glory' I want to call this poor writing out now rather than wait for the cage to come out and pretend I never saw it coming.

Criticism is a good thing for Bendy, we should embrace it rather than shunning or discouraging it. I hope most of us can agree on that. Even if I seem harsh, I would rather lean towards that, than risk going too easy with my words and being ignored by the devs.

[pynkhues]

I think you explained something I've been pondering over for a while, namely why so many loustat fic writers hates lestat lol. Like I'm always taken aback by how often lestat is written as louis' sex toy who only exist to serve him and fulfill his (self-insert) fantasies or an evil patriarchal abuser who needs to be punished (or both). There's so many other ships they could pour ttheir energy into, if they truly see him as an evil racist abuser and louis as his helpess victim why even ship them. I'm actually fascinated by this fandom Christian-like obsession with punishment, paying for your sins, martydom and having an redemption arc. I find it interesting that people who consider themselves to be atheists and are anti-religion still succumb to this mentality. The prevalence of fics when louis needs to punish lestat (apparently killing him wasn't enough), make him suffer, lestat has to grovel at his feet, stop killing humans and only then he will deserve pure moral louis and then they will be "even". I find this attitude to be so immature, like this is not how relationships work irl, and yes it's a show about toxic vampires but, in my understanding it was never loustat dynamic to begin with. Something about moral purity in a show about vampires is just so funny to me.

Y'know, I actually think the main reason I've taken a big step back from reading fic and checking ao3 is because a few months ago, I opened two or three Lestat x Louis fics in a row that all had an author's note where the writer said that they hated Lestat. The concept of that alone honestly baffles me - not the hating Lestat part, I don't care what characters people do and don't engage with on the show - but the idea that you could write fic - and fic where Lestat is one half of a relationship - while hating the character is just wild to me. Why are you writing characters you don't like? Why are you shipping characters when you don't like one of them?

I just - - it really shocks me. As someone who's been writing fic for literally 20 years at this point, I can honestly say I've never written for a pairing where I haven't liked one of the characters, and it generates a lot of questions in me about the current state of fandom, the projection, the virtue signalling, the purity culture, and what that dictates about how people are willing to engage with stories.

But yeah, I guess more to your point, I don't disagree. I actually don't necessarily think it's unique to this fandom though? In the last fandom I was super active in - Good Girls - the main ship was a straight one between a gang leader (Rio) and a 'housewife' / mother of four (Beth) who'd resorted to a life of crime and found she had an aptitude for it after her husband lost their house, and there was an enormous sense of Beth needing to be punished sexually and otherwise in fic, especially after she shot Rio in the (admittedly underwritten) s2 finale.

It's kind of funny in that sense, because I have largely put the GG scenario down to internalised misogyny, especially given the volume of fans who watched the show exclusively for Rio, and who ended up feeling like Beth didn't 'deserve him', but it does feel different with IWTV. Not entirely maybe - I do think there's a sense of Lestat needing to 'earn' Louis back for instance which isn't necessarily tied to gender, but tied to a very shallow view of what relationships are, just as I think there is a cultural load and systemic connotations brought to scenes of violence, particularly intimate partner violence, when the person perpetrating is white (i.e. Beth shooting Rio, who is Latino, carries different weight than Rio shooting her white husband, and kidnapping her white sister, same with Lestat dropping Louis vs Louis slitting Lestat's throat + bashing a white man's head in after projecting Lestat's face onto him).

I think that's all important to talk about and to consider and reflect on, just as I think the insane amount of gender essentialism, TERF rhetoric, and feminisation in a gay ship is, but I agree that it feels married to a degree of moral purity and - I'd argue - it gets twisted up simultaneously with fetish, kink and fanon to make a bit of a melting pot of Stuff that feels difficult to reduce to any one thing.

I don't know if I think it's steeped in immaturity exactly - the people I know of writing some of the things that perpetuate a lot of these tropes and who have harrassed me and others I know are mostly in their late 20s and 30s - but I do wonder how much of it is tied to an isolated perspective of relationships and the world? I really do think you can tell when people don't often hear perspectives outside of their own in their day-to-day life, or, hell, I think people tell on themselves more than they realise in how they might phrase things, even on anon. I still joke with my sister about the doxxing attempt I got where one anon asked me if [my sister's first name] knew I wrote BDSM, which was meant as a clear threat, when my sister had literally sent me excerpts of the werewolf porn she was reading that day, lol. We also both talk about sex a lot, so like.

It wasn't an issue for me, but y'know, the sense I got was that the anon obviously thought I should be ashamed and my sister would be disgusted, and like - - I don't know. Most of my friends have read the smut I've written, man, and my sister doesn't care (my brother either now - given I told him what I wrote in the process of all of that, and he now finds it very funny to ask me loudly about my erotic fanfiction when we're on the train, so y'know, haha). It just felt very telling to me about how people like this think, how they feel about sex and smut, and also the relationships they have in their personal lives because, well, I guess from how they act, they wouldn't be talking to people in their real lives about any of this.

Is that Christian puritanicalism, is that immaturity, is that isolation, is that inexperience, is that something else, I don't know! It does feel wide spread in this fandom in particular right now, but I do think it's kind of everywhere, and I think the nature of this show having adapted this story as something both outright queer and diverse is pulling a lot of people towards it who might actually be more interested in the optics than the content.

[andorerso]

here we go, for one last time. at this point I have nothing but salt... but at least we made it to the other side

episode 10

tooka cat!!!

rip Lonnie, you were a real one

ERSOOOOOOOO GALEN ERSO

now do Jyn next please

lullaby pill Luthen?

well. I guess that works too…. but I think it would have been a cool way to include the lullaby pill

so much for the Kerri is Kleya theories... thank god

the way that Kleya is what Cassian should have been lmaooooo

no why is she literally Cassian 😭

ugh love Kleya so much fr. I just wish this was Cassian...

I'm so fucking glad we went a whole episode without showing Cassian lmao. at the most critical time when he's supposed to be committed. yay 🤡

episode 11

the empire turning against Dedra after she gave them her unwavering loyalty… poetic, I love it

ANOTHER GALEN MENTION FOR THE GIRLIES

good to see Cassian finally show up halfway into the arc 🤡

Cassian cheating at cards…. I don't like it thanks

laughing and getting drunk with the boys… is this the Cassian I'm meant to believe is the tired, beaten down, sorta suicidal soldier from R1… lol. lmao even

he's STILL doing unauthorized things. you have to be fucking kidding me 🤡 I can only laugh at this point

"I've been counting the orders we've disobeyed so far, would you like to know how many?" "17" oh yes yes so funny because that's exactly like the man in rogue one yes of course, disobeying orders is what he was known for in rogue one 🤡 it wasn't a big fucking deal when he did it the first time, not at all. christttttt

what happened to Draven's loyal soldier? they're really not even gonna attempt to make him into the Ct. Andor we know, will they? fucking brilliant

Kay feels a bit off to me? he doesn't feel snarky and sarcastic enough I think

"I'm not leaving you here" oh casskleya you'll always be famous for me

episode 12

the casskleya crumbs are delicious I'm eating them up like nomnomnom

the rogue one music is killing me 😭

"with a stolen ship and unsupervised mission" like honestly… I'm just. fucking baffled

Kay waving at them "I plan to tell them I was kidnapped" lmaooo okay yeah, that's Kay, I can buy that

"worth violating every rule we live by" how am I meant to believe THIS is Cassian Andor? jesus fucking christ, if you asked anyone after R1 to describe him nobody would have said disobedient COME THE FUCK ON

I don't like the way Cassian doesn't respect authority, it doesn't feel like him at all lmao. the way he's talking down to them is very yikes. but I guess at least I see why he knew that they would not believe Jyn lmao

this is so painful. oh Cassian what have they done to you

TIVIK MENTION AT LAST!!!

I swear if the Tivik mention is also unsanctioned I'm gonna lose my mind

ALSO WHEN ARE THEY GONNA START LOOKING FOR JYN. CASSIAN PUTS TOGETHER HER FUCKING FILE HELLO????

they're not gonna mention her… are they 🙃

the way Cassian doesn't even seem that interested in finding Bix. maybe. I'll think about. idk, it's just not screaming I want to find her because I still love her to me

if Cassian's going to Kafrene tomorrow… there's no time for him to put together her file. they're not gonna mention her

"the man you do not like" ACTUALLY BAIL AND CASSIAN GET ALONG WELL, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME SO

maybe Bail will namedrop her? I'm spiraling so hard

who cares about Perrin lmao no offense GIVE ME JYN

oh Dedra's ending though. damn. that's brutal

STOP WITH THE FORCE HEALER STOP IT!!

that's….. it? that was anti-climatic as hell ngl

NOOOOO IT'S NOT EVEN A POST CREDITS SCENE?! YOU ALL FUCKING LIED TO ME

well at least Bee is fine 🙃

I pretend I do not see 🙈

I also fucking love how they killed Cinta to give Vel luggage and then never fucking did anything with her. that's so cool

I'm sorry how can you not mention the main character of the movie you're making a prequel to even fucking once? how HARD would it have been to show them start looking for Jyn after Galen was mentioned? what the fuck are we doing

and in the end the Cassian of R1 was nowhere to be found. thanks for nothing Tony Gilroy

the casskleya crumbs are delicious I'm eating them up like nomnomnom

the rogue one music is killing me 😭

"with a stolen ship and unsupervised mission" like honestly… I'm just. fucking baffled

Kay waving at them "I plan to tell them I was kidnapped" lmaooo okay yeah, that's Kay, I can buy that

"worth violating every rule we live by" how am I meant to believe THIS is Cassian Andor? jesus fucking christ, if you asked anyone after R1 to describe him nobody would have said disobedient COME THE FUCK ON

I don't like the way Cassian doesn't respect authority, it doesn't feel like him at all lmao. the way he's talking down to them is very yikes. but I guess at least I see why he knew that they would not believe Jyn lmao

this is so painful. oh Cassian what have they done to you

TIVIK MENTION AT LAST!!!

I swear if the Tivik mention is also unsanctioned I'm gonna lose my mind

ALSO WHEN ARE THEY GONNA START LOOKING FOR JYN. CASSIAN PUTS TOGETHER HER FUCKING FILE HELLO????

they're not gonna mention her… are they 🙃

the way Cassian doesn't even seem that interested in finding Bix. maybe. I'll think about. idk, it's just not screaming I want to find her because I still love her to me

if Cassian's going to Kafrene tomorrow… there's no time for him to put together her file. they're not gonna mention her

"the man you do not like" ACTUALLY BAIL AND CASSIAN GET ALONG WELL, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME SO

maybe Bail will namedrop her? I'm spiraling so hard

who cares about Perrin lmao no offense GIVE ME JYN

oh Dedra's ending though. damn. that's brutal

STOP WITH THE FORCE HEALER STOP IT!!

that's….. it? that was anti-climatic as hell ngl

NOOOOO IT'S NOT EVEN A POST CREDITS SCENE?! YOU ALL FUCKING LIED TO ME

well at least Bee is fine 🙃

I pretend I do not see 🙈

I'm sorry how can you not mention the main character of the movie you're making a prequel to even fucking once? how HARD would it have been to show them start looking for Jyn after Galen was mentioned? what the fuck are we doing

I also fucking love how they killed Cinta to give Vel luggage and then never fucking did anything with her. that's so cool

and in the end, the Cassian of R1 was nowhere to be found at all. thanks for nothing Tony Gilroy

[fullmetal-scar-simping]

I really think father and hohenheim should have been the same character? I mean, father is such a bland villain. Maybe I just haven't looked enough but I haven't seen even the most hardcore bh fans talk about him? It's all just about how ed punched god or whatever. No one's actually interested in the guy himself. I can think of several ways them being the same person would make it a lot more interesting, at least to me. I mean, first of all ed and al having to fight their own shitty father is some delicious angst. Second I really like the mad scientist type character and that's what hoho would be in that scenario. Third I think it would be fun to analyse the "sins" he took out of himself if he was a human to begin with. Ohh and come to think of it, it would go really well with Ed's whole "alchemists are the closest things to God yadda yadda" speech in the beginning wouldn't it? Honestly I can't think of any reason why they had to be different people at all...Ah, except how can I forget. Arakawa's writing this. Of course they have to be two different people. One who actually did all the wrong things and the loving father and husband who's going around trying to make everything right(nevermind that he left Trisha to care for their 4-5 yos all alone with no support. Nuh uh he's perfect) If she held the fact that the two can in fact be the same person it might just explode her world. I'm rolling my eyes.

Father and Hohenheim as the same character? Who is a mad scientist? Who as a result reimburses Ed's pompous "Alchemists are the closest things to god"? Blends aspects of being an unforgivable monster with having loved his family? I've got your guy!

🎉Hohenheim of Light!🎉

Oh sure, he's not the final big bad that the Elric bros have to fight, and sure he's more of a retired villain who's mildly penitent for his centuries of bloodshed, rather than continuing to enact widespread destruction. But we do get to see the results of all his transgressions against humanity and his own first son too! So, 🎉 ta-da! 🎉

To actually address your ask:

Besides what 03 had already done, for awhile I actually thought Father WAS Hohenheim in Brotherhood.

To clarify: I avoided the online fandom from 2009 onward in order to prevent getting spoiled for the (at the time) new fma adaptation. I kept putting off watching it for well over a decade (lol), and for no other reason then a combo of 1) not being in the mood for more fma, and 2) when I was, I would immediately run right back to fma 03 without fail, and then be so thoroughly satisfied with revisiting a long time fave that I just. Would put off watching Broho for another time.

Still, being online in any capacity meant that every once in awhile I was unavoidably being exposed to the odd screenshot, text post, and fanart. No big deal, nothing really spoiled anything heavily enough for me to know the full story, and I could easily scroll away before making sense out of anything.

But I did one day stumble into a screenshot of Father glowering in his underground throne. And here I thought "Oh shit! Hohenheim is actually in full villain mode this time around?! We're going to actually explore the mass annihilation he commits for philosopher stones and how his sons will have to contend with their own father. This will surely dig even deeper into Ed and Al's heel turn against the military, and what alchemy means as a method of power and control. Man, this is gonna fuck!"

lol

lmao even

So to my now endless disappointment I finally watched Brotherhood this last spring. And although I surprisingly liked* this affable, bumbling, rather tragic version of Hohenheim (which stumps me, given my initial assumption for Brotherhood AND being a long time Hohenheim of Light enjoyer) (I still like Hoho of Light more tho), Father was such a fucking let down on every front.

*Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming Von Hohenheim didn't do wrong against Trisha and his kids. As much as he had to build the anti-circle around Amestris, it doesn't erase the fact that Trisha had to shoulder the full burden of raising their kids, and child Ed's sense of abandonment and outrage against him is highly warranted.

Even keeping Father as a homunculus that duplicates Hohenheim's appearance, he still could have been an interesting character and villain. But every step of the way he was just the obvious big bad mostly relegated to the background, stored away except for a few key encounters and flashbacks. He was paper thin, an easy excuse for why the core ills of Amestris are all his exclusive fault, and conveniently the canon has an in-baked reason for why he has the personality and stage presence of cardboard. Woo. hoo.

God the lore and function of homunculi blows in mangahood. At the very least make me actually feel like they are parts of this once former-cyclops in a bottle! And still make Father an actually compelling character! In fact the other homunculi could have potentially been an effective vehicle for that, but noooooo-

Honestly, I agree. It would have been so much more affecting for Hohenheim and Father to be one, singular character. Of course much of his backstory would have to change, but that's not a loss in my hater's opinion. The implications for the Elrics, for their paradigms to be entirely torn asunder and have to be rebuilt in order to survive and make sense out of their position in Amestris, it would have been juicy.

You're right, I have seen next to no deeper interest or investment into Father as a character and as a narrative device from hardcore fans either. I'm sure it does exist, given Brotherhood's immense popularity, but damn if we can be forgiven for getting the impression that most fans just don't give a rat's unseasoned ass. I see more posts and fanart for Von Hohenheim than I do Father lol

Mangahood simply can't have (or actually address) any truly murky topics, or depict messy and complex characterization, if it doesn't ultimately shine the brightest, most admirable, most absolving light on our protags as possible. So why would Von Hohenheim have anything to do with Father besides having been his victim?

We remain starved by the emaciated, sorry excuse for 'pathos' that is Father's whole deal. What a shame.

[rubydubydoo122]

thank you for your very correct opinions on red hood!tim 🙏 like why would he even care specifically abt crime alley???

but what are your thoughts on red hood!damian or duke? i honestly believe talia would kill the joker and that would be it - good luck on making talia let her kid back into gotham

red hood!duke though... we could maximize angst potential if he finds his (jokerized) parents *after* he comes back to gotham from the dead

Here's the thing, I see Duke Becoming the Red Hood more than Damian, but I still can't see either of them becoming the Red Hood.

Damian would be able to be ruthless, yes, but he doesn't have a reason to have an iron fist over Gotham's drug problem, and--

see here's the thing that Reverse Robins au is that most writer don't really think about how the character would react if they were in another character's shoes

So, If Damian died, and came back only to find nothing had changed, how would he react? He would probably think he was never enough for his Father, and I think he would stay with the league and become Ra's heir.

now Duke....Duke Dying trying to save his parents from the Joker, only to find his parents jokerized???? Idk why, but I don't think Duke could ever become an Anti-hero like Jason is. I feel like Duke after coming back from the Dead would probably be more apathetic, and especially since he was trying to save his parents, he would have a more "We can't save everyone" mindset. He would make sure none of his younger siblings took extensive risks, He would see himself as more expendable (Which probably drives Damian and Bruce up a wall) Im sorry, I just can't see Duke becoming an Antihero

but also, I don't think anyone in the 80 saw Jason becoming an anti hero, until Garzonas. So idk. Take my opinions with a grain of salt

[lost-inanotherlife]

Lost S2 Rewatch - spontaneous, random thoughts (might change my mind)

Kinda dig Ana Lucia. I remember that, back when the show first aired, I didn't like her but I guess I've changed my mind. I like the fact that she seems to be unapologetic, she's leader-material and she knows it and acts as such but she's not smug about it. She does bad things, she knows it and doesn't hide behind excuses. Honestly? So far she's cool.

The introduction of the Tailies was a ballsy move, we haven't seen our fearless leader Jack for 6 episodes now (I've reached S2E7) and the show is still compelling and exciting. We meet five new characters and their introductions are different from those of the main characters in s1: it's fast, no flashbacks, direct. The comparison works because I find myself wanting to know more even though I wasn't even given enough screen-time to care about them. Ballsy, well-executed professional writing move.

I like how the first 3 episodes are taking place on the same night/day as the last 3 episodes of S1 (or 2 episodes, according to how you're watching "Exodus"). We see the events from different perspectives and this method of storytelling sometimes is very effective, sometimes I personally find it a bit boring. This doesn't happen here at all.

Hurley is such a more interesting character when you rewatch the show! I think that he's the only character (so far) where knowing things in advance makes him better and I'm like "hell, yes, why didn't I see that before?". Like, when I first watched the show I thought that Hurley was the "comic relief" of the series. He kinda is, but he's also not and so much more? Upon rewatching the show you can clearly see why he was the right leader and the best protector of the island. Gotta love The Dude.

I've said it once, I'll say it again (and forever): JUSTICE FOR SHANNON. I'll protect her against anyone. Her centric episode "Abandoned" is okay but I find it very distasteful that her death is framed as manpain fodder for Sayid. Also, she has sex at the beginning of the episode and at the end she dies? Ugh. Again, distasteful, it felt a little like she had completed her function so off we go. My girl deserved so much more :(.

Speaking of Shannon, her relationship with Sayid is meh. I actually liked it 20 years ago but thank god I've definitely changed because it's a badly written ship. I mean, I can see that the two characters have potential, but there's no "meat" behind it. The story is not "built", it's just there. One day Sayid finds her attractive and that's it. The two of them have spent like 1 afternoon together and all of a sudden the guy creates a romantic location on the beach so they can have sex. Shallow. And also, let's never forget that these people are on a fucking island full of things AND people that want to kill them, but okay, let's go beachsex-camping somewhere!

I'm an anti-Charlie. It really costs me a lot to say this because he was my favorite twenty years ago and now I can't stand him. I've reckoned that if I have to spend more time trying to make excuses for him while I actively don't like his actions... well, it's wasted time. Let's call is as it is: Charlie's a dick. That scene after Locke was holding Aaron and Charlie was jelaous or, I'd rather say, unhingedly possessive? Brrr, chills bruh and the wrong kind. Dude, you're cringe.

[catras-breakup-song]

im crying my fucking balls out i'm just out here scrolling on tiktok at night and baked and suddenly this bitchass motherfucking tiktok of people claiming catradora is abusive using s4 ep3 like LEAVE ME ALONE. I JUST WANT TO WATCH CATRADORA??? these people are making me sob because they're coming to the conclusion that catradora s5/post-canon = toxic and abusive because of this while ignoring the literal steps catra takes to change oh my god i'm going to eat the wall

i feel sooooooo tempted to drop a whole rant about how catra is portrayed as a villain up until the end of s4 where she finally starts becoming better and is on the side of the good guys and these people are failing to differentiate these versions of her/failing to recognize the differences between villain catra and rebellion catra. like hello is growth and change not a thing with you?? is redemption not a real thing??? "ohhh she said ilyiah but she hurt her so much!!" I cant take it anymore. Can you take it anymore?? I cant. how do i permantently block anti catradora tiktoks.

i know exactly how you feel, it stresses me out just as much and i get anxious about the next time i'll have to see anti-catradora content. often i'm not sure how to argue at first and it messes with me mentally to think that they may be right until i reflect on it more and sometimes consult with friends to get their thoughts.

without exaggerating, i've made this media my lifeline. it's what i look forward to when i'm bored or sick or having a hard time emotionally. i've never been so hyperfixated on any show for so long. not to mention, i take attacks on catra's character very personally because of how much i've related to her over the years. it truly feels like when they hate her, they hate me and would believe i'm irredeemably bad (which is unfortunately rather accurate to how people see punitive justice for whomever they dislike). my anger issues do not cope with receiving all this backlash very well. to be fair, i wouldn't end reality over it, but i can't say i blame her (joking... mostly)!

i get it completely and take this vent to heart by seeing myself in your concerns. but here are some things that i always try to remember when i feel overwhelmed:

1. no matter what else catra theoretically/hypothetically could've (not) done throughout the story, whatever was different for better or worse would never change the minds of these critics. they're dead-set on ignoring, out of hatred, the fundamental themes of the show (which is a kids' cartoon) about what traits hurt people need to be given externally in order to make the right choices and what drives their motives to either descend into self-destruction or grow into their full potential for greatness, depending on what their environment tells them. not only that, but fiction has much different standards for what's excusable or can at least be let off the hook easier, since a literal world war with soldiers under the age of 20 does not tend to be relatable to the typical target audience. if SPOP was meant to be portrayed as realistic beyond just the psychological & interactional aspects, maybe we all would be more worried about the stories we're consuming with the messages we're being taught, but that's not nearly the case.

2. if the fact that catra quite literally died and physically suffered at the hands of countless others in her life both before + after was not enough to mean anything, then they don't want rehabilitation ─ they want endless torture for their own entertainment, which honestly makes those hypocrites exactly like her but i'm sure they'd hate to be told so. the point is though, they're not worth listening to because they're approaching these "common sense" takes with bad-faith, and despite how that crowd is rising in numbers by "waking up to the truth", popularity does not equal righteousness. they neither know nor care about what effectively holding someone accountable actually involves as proper accountability is not the end goal regardless of what most of them claim. i may have mentioned before that these people never bring up ideas such as social exile or community service in terms of post-war; they just wish adora, shadow weaver, hordak, and/or prime had thrown her around more. i think that speaks for itself plenty.

3. i know the "media literacy" argument is overused now but they truly lack any amount and fail to consider let alone apply it to their conclusions, and will remember every single time she made life harder for others but conveniently never when she showed empathy and tried to protect them. although they're entitled to their opinions (i.e. "i just can't move past everything catra has done and believe she still had a long way to go before potentially earning a romantic relationship with adora but even then i still wouldn't support it"), the problem with it is that they force that bias into their analysis that they paint as an objective truth and end up willfully misunderstanding how the characters were written (i.e. "catra was always an inherently evil abuser who never once looked out for adora and therefore cannot believably improve, & adora was a pushover who was forced/pressured to forgive catra which ruined her own arc by sidelining/backtracking it").

i know that got rather long, but i hope it made you more confident & assured! if you ever want to write that rant, i'd love to be directed to it in the future (or you can always return to my inbox, but no one would know who the author is unless you come off anon)!

on a final note, i wish i could tell you how to avoid coming across catradora hate on tiktok but if there's a direct way then i don't know it. i can tell you to block the creators as you see them and not engage at all (even if it's negatively), or else the algorithm will get the opposite information and think you want more. that being said, it's quite easy to do on tumblr if you aren't already aware, you just have to filter out these recommended tags. also, everyone else is free to add onto any part of this post!