#i love tropes and imagery and symbolism

[raymoohackery]

what i wish i saw more people talk about in robot related transhumanism is maintenance. shit breaks down. every machine ever has needed a mechanic to look after it. the robot as an ideal of immortality should not be seen as an ideal of independence - so long as there are parts to keep you running, you will live, but you will need people to look after you to reorganize your cables and oil your joints and tighten your screws. you will outlive everyone but not if they help you do so first. and the inability to escape being cared for by others even as you are no longer made of flesh is what makes robot transhumanism loop right back to being human

[branwinged]

the magnus archives is a romcom—no what the hell it's not. it is, however, a gothic horror romance between jon and elias. because you see, the thing about jonelias is that their canonical dynamic is built around an absurd number of gothic genre tropes. jon sims obviously fits the mold of the tortured gothic protagonist quite nicely who's facing both external (the other avatars targeting him) and internal horrors (his progress as the Archivist weighing on his conscience). but he's also trapped in the gothic manor which is the magnus institute. there are secrets (the place being a temple to the eye), locked doors, forbidden chambers, and bodies in the attic which serve as evidence of past misdeeds (the panopticon; gertrude and jonah's bodies in the tunnels), the institute/archives is ultimately destroyed by fire - purging the gothic manor i.e. the symbolic destruction of the previous order with fire is a common motif in the genre. and jon's work in the archives is haunted by the figurative ghost of gertrude who remains a curious mystery he must unravel and will serve as a constant reminder to jon of his own inadequacies (just like du maurier's rebecca fr)

elias is then —

1) his personal bluebeard figure who murdered his predecessor, a comparison which only gets stronger with the jonah magnus reveal since he's been cycling through archivists for two hundred years, all having met gruesome ends in service to him and jon being his final and most notable choice. are you seeing the maxim de winter rochester imagery. are you.

2) his gothic double. doubles as a literary trope are your hidden self made manifest, the horror lies in the double (elias) revealing the gothic protagonist's (jon) hidden, true self to them. elias as an avatar of the eye is entirely unrepentant for his nature, he revels in it. which is a mirror to jon's own self-flagellation because despite how much he feels torn about his own metaphorical vampirism, he likes it. he admits as much to gerry as early as s3 when asked about his feelings on his ability to compel truths. and why wouldn't he! after being kept in the dark so long, why wouldn't he like it? and jon and jonah had in common their natural curiosity even before they found the beholding. elias is a mirror and jon looks in it and sees someone who is him, but not quite. someone who is what jon would be if he could simply let go, but jon can't. like most gothic protagonists he will kill his double because it is a reminder of a self-truth he can never escape.

and watcher's call. like what even is that. what do you mean that's a thing. what. literally wuthering heights. "why did you heed the call?" // "because this is the place i know i should be" <- normal dialogue to write for two guys definitely not starring in a gothic romance.

^ same genre of images. so the spider, the mother of puppets, the web which is the symbolic representation of narrative thread in the magnus archives universe WEAVED them together? red string fated, that's what they are? so they're soulmates. that's what you're saying. they're literally soulmates. soulmates as existential horror? just enough of an illusion of narrative agency for jonah/elias to claim, "the Chosen One is simply that – someone I chose" but paradoxically joined by fate, which isn't a good thing! because no god-like powers of hope, or love, or indigestion, or whatever, only fear. because even though both help the other achieve narrative self-actualisation (elias making jon the archive and jon making elias the king of a ruined world), their union also irrevocably destroys their lives as they hurt each other in deeply personal ways which signify their greatest fears. elias manipulating jon, whose biggest fear is mr spider, i.e. loss of control and jon repaying by being the very thing that kills jonah, who has spent multiple lifetimes trying to escape the end. and that's romance <3

[onesidedradiostatic]

On one hand I get why Mammon might be problematic aroace rep but on the other. I genuinely cannot imagine him going out of his way to form ANY kind of relationship that isn't inherently exploitative of his partner. It's just not in his nature. Like the word 'mammon' literally means money/wealth/profit 😭 there is no room for someone else with a person like that

okay anon I know you mean no ill-will with this but like… the reasons you listed is precisely why mammon as aroace rep is kindaaaa problematic (although again granted we don't know for sure AROace is the intention, but if the ace of spades asexual symbolism was intentional it seems that way)

exploiting every relationship you're in is completely independent of attraction. anyone can do that regardless of whether they are attracted to the person they are exploiting.

a character shouldn't be aro simply for the reason that they're too compassionless to have or want a partner, because that's just feeding into harmful aro stereotypes. that's kind of exactly what the "no love for the wicked" trope is.

and okay some may wonder "oh but what about alastor", admittedly even with alastor I was kind of skeptical going into hazbin since I was under the impression he was a full-on villain, but going through all of it, despite his immorality he still shows the capacity to care for others with mimzy, rosie, niffty and some extent the hotel. so he doesn't fully fall into "oh he's too evil to care of course he wouldn't feel romantic love" because he does care in certain cases, but I worry mammon falls into that category because we haven't seen any instance of him caring about anyone but himself yet

it's okay for an evil character to be aroace but they shouldn't be aroace because they're evil

also I do wonder if octavia is intended to only be ace or specifically aroace too, because unlike mammon she doesn't have the ace of spades imagery, it would be cool if she was though, she would at least balance out as being the only non-evil aroace in the hellaverse LMAO. but I also wish vivzie played around more with different type of aspecs and didn't have every ace be aro (or even GASP. include an aroallo character), honestly if it were between mammon and octavia I'd prefer for octavia to be aro over mammon, but obviously if mammon is intended to be aro I wouldn't deny him of it I'd just be… silently judging but accept it because we have so little aspec rep as it is I'll accept anything.

[c-l0wnery]

Two popular headcanons about Sophia's character suggest she was either a love interest or a big sister/mother figure to P. While both interpretations hold value, I personally believe she served more as a big sister/mother figure to P, and here's why:

Sophia and Geppetto:

One notable difference is their approach to P's transformation into a human. Sophia encourages P's choices, even if they involve lying, recognizing his progress, while Geppetto often demands obedience and no lies from P (I am certain he is well aware that lying is what makes him human), even so that he becomes distressed over the occurrence that P's hair is growing and not knowing how to deal with his metamorphosis of becoming human. Sophia's supportive nature contrasts with Geppetto's rigidity, indicating a maternal influence.

Granting Life:

Both Sophia and Geppetto played roles in giving "life" to P, akin to parental figures bringing a child into the world.

Carlo:

Sophia's long-standing connection with Carlo reveals her nurturing demeanour, which was made clear at black seaside, akin to a big sister comforting him in times of distress. (Yes, I am aware that P and Carlo are in fact not the same person, but I do believe that Carlo has influence on P his actions because Carlo his ergo is infused with his heart, we have seen this with multiple puppets such as, the puppet maid Camille, Romeo The King of puppets and even Sophia when P decides to fuse her ergo with the doll, it did not create an entirely different being, Sophia stayed Sophia because that is what ergo makes possible.) This dynamic parallels her relationship with P, suggesting a maternal influence.

Statue:

The imagery of Sophia cradling P mirrors the Madonna della Pietà (the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary cradling the mortal body of her son Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross.), symbolizing her maternal role in P's life, particularly evident in the True ending.

Original Story:

Sophia's multifaceted portrayal in the original Pinocchio story aligns with her nurturing and maternal characteristics, further supporting the big sister/mother figure interpretation.

Appearance:

Sophia's mature demeanour contrasts with P's youthful innocence, emphasizing her role as a guiding figure rather than a romantic interest.

Record Shadow Flower:

While Sophia's record hints at a love story, it is not to be forgotten that Alidoro, brother of Eugénie, gifted his sister a record with a song depicting a love story about a wolf who went an a journey to propose to a girl.

In essence, Sophia embodies the parental guidance that Gepetto fails to provide, making her a more fitting parental figure for P. While the romantic interpretation is valid, viewing Sophia in a nurturing role offers a refreshing perspective, highlighting her depth beyond mere romantic tropes.

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

Remembering how Game of Thrones tried and failed to make a convincing argument that Jon Snow was “the true king all along !1!1”, mostly because they removed all the myth and wonder that makes this trope land in the books. Because, don’t get it twisted, I absolutely believe the books are getting to this in some way. But it works because GRRM is intentionally recreating King Arthur’s origin story, with all its magic and whimsy front and center. GRRM knows and intends for Jon to be the clichéd fantasy protagonist: he’s got a magic pet, a magic sword (that’s about to be even more magic soon), magic powers, a magic lineage, and an obvious magic destiny. Book!Jon is the very idea of fantasy, the quintessential fantasy character - and like, THAT’S THE POINT! It’s why he’s literally every classic fantasy trope mixed into one. But none of this is present in the show. He’s got no magic, neither does his very normal pet, his magic lineage means nothing, and his magic destiny is laughably pushed to the side because the writers need to subvert expectations. Show!Jon is just some guy whereas book!Jon is meant to be THE guy. All signs in the narrative point to this.

And I think one of the biggest indicators of the show runners just not getting itᵀᴹ is the Tower of Joy sequence, which is meant to serve as a masterclass for fantasy protag myth building 101. The book version has: the most legendary sword known to man, the most legendary knight of all time, the leader of a legendary band of white knights, a powerful noble, a princess queen of love and beauty in a tower, a newly risen king, the shadow of a dead prince who was heir to the throne, obvious messianic imagery (e.g., three wise men witnessing the birth of a promised king), several metaphorical falling stars (Arthur, Ashara, Dawn disappearing for years afterward), etc, etc. So when the narrative beats it over our heads that Jon is “le true king”, it makes sense because the imagery and symbolism has been injected into the story to back this claim up. From a genre perspective, it’s not so much avoiding a trope but reinforcing it (though with several twists). The show version of Jon’s birth is some random dudes (names not provided) fighting for vague reasons (they cut out all the meaningful, character building dialogue). Show!Jon’s birth is not a mythological event heralding a king. But the show runners want to cheat and claim Jon to be the true king without doing any of the legwork. It just doesn’t land at all, and this pattern bleeds into them trying to claim Jon as tptwp…except show!Jon has no magic powers to back up that claim, unlike book!Jon who is a walking power plant. So even if they did come to a (mostly) correct assumption - that Jon is the king - how it’s written is so mind-numbingly bad that it doesn’t even matter anyway.

[incesthemes]

For day 31 of @spnficrecfest's event! All-Time Favorites or Free Space

American Myth by candle_beck

As long as you have a car, you are free, and other lies my country taught me.

SamDean // Mature // No Warnings Apply // 11,524

Tags: First Time

My Notes: This fic literally changed my life. The Sam characterization in particular is so on-point and insane that it fundamentally altered how I interact with him as a character. Jesus Christ.

Camdon Inn by dragonspell

In the backwoods of Northern Michigan, Sam and Dean are on the trail of what they think might be the area's fabled 'Dog Man.' What they find instead in the small town of Silver Lake is a suspicious sheriff, a shady innkeeper, a closed mouth town and a lot more than they bargained for when the supposed overly large wolf that they were hunting starts hunting them back. And, much to Dean's horror, he can no longer seem to keep his hands off of Sam.

SamDean // Explicit // No Warnings Apply // 44,412

Tags: Dubious Consent, Something Made Them Do It

My Notes: I'm convinced this author lives inside my brain to make all of my dreams come true. I can't believe they wrote my favorite kind of trope, wrote it well, AND gave it a satisfying ending. This is the fic that convinced me Sam has been in love with Dean for as long as he could love. I also enjoyed the struggle Dean had with his repulsion toward pursuing an incestuous relationship; not my exact headcanon, but it's developed well and I enjoy the strange, needy ambiguity and dubcon of it all. The author has a tendency to skip over words, but while it's confusing enough to make note of, it's not so confusing that it hinders the reading.

watch you weigh your powers by according2thelore

“Is this…You couldn’t speak because I told you not to?” Sam asks. “Like Ansem?” Dean’s face twists, and he looks at Sam guiltily. “No, c’mon.” He scoffs, shifting so his legs slide away from Sam’s into the passenger footwell. Sam blinks at him. Sam then looks straight ahead, at the steering wheel, uncomprehendingly. Sam’s mind spins, unhinged from its moorings. He tries to think of every order he’s given Dean in the past six months. Hand me that. Scoot over. Shut up. Pass the remote. Go talk to the coroner. Turn it down. Kiss me.

SamDean // Explicit // No Warnings Apply // 8,266

Tags: Codependent Winchesters, Blow Jobs, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Season/Series 02, Sam Winchester Has Powers, Mildly Dubious Consent, Established Relationship, Dom/sub Undertones, Mild Breathplay

My Notes: Incredible fic that has made a home in my brain forever. The focus on Sam's emotions, the fear and guilt and horror of what he's been doing to Dean, really makes me feel insane.

[filmcompanion]

Park Chan Wook + Jeong Seo-kyeong when making The Handmaiden (2016): juxtaposes objectification with genuine representation of sex, in a way Sarah Waters said is true to her novel Fingersmith that the film took inspiration from. Male entitlement is rejected as violent and unwanted a contrast to love between women being embraced as a means for liberation. Films sex between two women as actual sex - the full-bodied, passionate union between two people, without objectifying the women by keeping a distant, neutral frame that has the body parts men want to leer at out of focus. Shows women having active desire for each other, with love and sex being two sides of the same coin for those characters, as a contrast to men's cold view of women as objects. Uses abundant POV shots and spends a multitude of scenes building up the sexual tension and emotional intimacy before going explicit. Fills the scenes with narrative motifs and symbolism, emphasizing Hideko and Sookhee as equals despite their class disparity, as well as creating the imagery that two women can fulfill each other without a man. Focuses on the women's faces, includes dialogue and lots of humor. The scenes sex are literally so emotionally charged and revolutionary for the characters they are ready to change their entire life course after - it's the only time they can be completely honest with each other, and that emotional journey is conveyed. Writes Sookhee reclaiming the Count's fake fuckboy line of "spellbindingly beautiful" with literally the most genuine emotion after seeing Hideko's *****. Films cunnilingus as equivalent, or even superior, to penetration as a sex act. Asked an actual lesbian what sex would make sense to include in the movie, and from her request includes scissoring while making the point is it's an advanced sex move. Addresses the complexity that while men can objectify sex between women, the concept can at the same time be appealing to women and it's possible to reclaim it for yourself. Visually spells out that men thinking something is for them doesn't mean it is (their entitlement leads to the men literally dying). Explicitly dismantles pretty much all lesbian tragedy tropes with intent, such as suicide/death/torture/mental institution, lesbian relationships as inconsequential or ending in betrayal, lesbians having sex with or being objectified by men. Literally makes the whole movie about lesbians reclaiming narrative tropes used against them, and has them Win Everything with the most happy ending ever.

People with gender and film studies degrees who make a living out of writing intelligently about these topics: two women naked so for men :) only men like lesbian sex, please cut to black next time bc my brain cannot comprehend anything important happened, as I associate women having sex with p*rn and nothing else :) it's "performing" for men when it looks pretty! (in a movie something is Real and not performing when it looks Ugly). we as a society can only move on from the dichotomy of lesbian dehumanization as either desexualized or hypersexualized by diving all wlw media into the pure a-touch-of-your-hand-made-me-cry-alone-in-my-room-for-10-years with endlessly obsession about chaste Gazing from a distance versus the icky icky sex stuff that only men want to see!

[euphoniouspandemonium]

Cotton Mendings — a WIP intro by yours truly

finally doing a proper introduction yayy!! who would have foreseen this .

stage: drafting (rip it's been so long and it's going soo slow)

tags: #wip: cotton mendings ; #aes: cotton mendings

genres: historical fiction, literary fiction

themes and tropes: idealisation and romanticisation of people, queer love and toxic queer relationships, friends to lovers, tenderness and love for the world, hope, grief, obsession, mythological and religious imagery, breaking out of other people's perceptions of you, relearning gentleness after having it beaten out of you, being loved as being known

warnings: emotional and physical abuse, character death and mentioned animal death, period-typical homophobia & transphobia (will add on)

pov: 3rd person past tense

setting: 1920s England

summary: Oscar ignites a relationship with an old friend – charismatic socialite Salvatore – whom he has had repressed love for for years. But despite everything their relationship is haunted by the death of Oscar's brother and a series of portraits simply called Percy, made by a German artist: paintings of a red haired man who appears perfect and soft and yet incredibly, beautifully tragic. It makes Oscar question Salvatore and their relationship and wonder about the life and seemingly inherent sorrow of the subject, while Salvatore grows ever more enticed by ruthless, enigmatic Yvonne. Their separate obsessions grow and push them apart, while at the center of everything is Percy, devastatingly alive and spiteful, trapped in a narrative he did not create. Who is Percy, who is Salvatore, who is Oscar in rotation to them? Does he want to know at all?

characters, notes, excerpt & taglist under the cut <33

characters:

Oscar (he/him, bi): world's #1 most pathetic sad boy. romanticises everything to the point of self destruction. scared of acting on his desires but full of soooo much love. obsessive, incredibly sensitive, artistic, melancholy. also sooo autism.

Salvatore (he/him, bi): charismatic, intelligent, flamboyant, philosophical, hedonistic. he sees everything in a very realistic and nihilistic way. emotionally detached yet surprisingly protective and gentle with the people he loves.

Percy (he/him, bi, trans): babyboy !! baby!!!!!!!! full of so much life and love and poetry. he is very sweet and sarcastic and loves going on little adventures. mentally ill & physically disabled. he's suffered more than jesus but his wonder and whimsy are unmatched.

Yvonne (she/her, bi): hot evil woman❤️ ruthless, vicious and cold. her love is almost violent and repugnant. she only cares about few people but if they are in danger she knows no morality or law. also she's mischievous like a little cat <3

notes: Cotton Mendings is my passion project, my Magnum Opus, my baby. I have worked very hard on it and I've developed the character dynamics and symbolism sooooo much I could talk about them for hours. It all started with the song Angie by The Rolling Stones, but it has strayed very far from its original concept (actually Angie isn't even on the playlist — it is now completely a product of my obsession with The Smiths I'm afraid). It has helped me through so much and I will be very happy if people like it :] I love my horrible insane bisexuals. Why is everyone bisexual, you ask? well. I ❤️ bisexuals.

excerpt:

He thought again of Percy, of the way he glowed as if coated in honey and sunlight, the sweet smile on his face. What if Percy had spent his life failing at it, too? Trying to be the perfect picture of a beautiful boy. Turning hazy and translucent, like a ghost, from trying. And those few minutes with him, how the light extended and held Oscar too, how Percy was perfect and beautiful but couldn't possibly be only that. How they were both an image without a body.

(general) taglist: @ribelleribelle @talesofsorrowandofruin @writing-is-a-martial-art @alexwritesfiction @aether-wasteland-s @sculpture-in-a-period-drama @phantomnations @olimpias (ask to be added or removed)

[ninadove]

7 and 11 for the ask game! :)

7. Your favorite tropes to read/write/draw

I love hurt/comfort so dearly! There’s something that always gets me about characters growing and overcoming adversity together. Combine it with found family and SIBLINGS and you’re basically pouring liquid sunlight into my heart. It doesn’t get better than that!

Interestingly enough, I was always more of a friends-to-lovers/medium-to-slow burn person when it comes to shipping, until Feligami happened and rewired my entire brain. And because they get most of my romantic fics fastburns are basically all I write now. Feligami fastburn in Shadow Strike. Feligami fastburn in Glitter and Gold. Feligami fastburn in Escape the city and follow the sun. Feligami fastburn in the Black Cat Felix AU and the Black Cat Kagami AU when I get to them. It works because their childhood was stolen from them, because their life could end with a snap of fingers or the crack of a ring, because they’re both touchstarved and lovestarved and don’t want to lose a single second… It works because their love is always a choice and an act of defiance… Feligami Argami Ryargos Relix… Where was I?

OH YES. Redemption arcs followed by the reformed antagonist taking care of the hero who saved them. Reformed antagonists holding a mirror to the good guys and forcing them to confront their flaws. Reformed antagonists with imagery that is typically associated with heroes. Reformed antagonists in general. It’s about the growth.

I also apparently love bird imagery very much. Clive Felix Edelgard Yang Weiss Sasha —

11. If you're a writer or artist, what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?

I’m very proud of the progress I’ve made in the past year when it comes to pacing and imagery in my writing! And since we were just talking about subverting symbolism, today I want to highlight this fic:

They make me so happy 💚💜

Thanks for the ask, Anon! ☀️

[morethanwonderful]

Rereading and really thinking about page 82/the title page after not looking at early Homestuck for a long time makes me feel unhinged. I know the page has been analyzed to death but god there really is just so much in there thematically to unpack.

From more or less the first moment that both concepts come up in Homestuck, wind and loneliness are tied together. It's partly a joke about John being melodramatic about the desolation of his empty mailbox, but it's also the core of his entire character.

John is the Heir of Breath. He's all about freedom and individuality on a symbolic level and wind on a literal level. And as we see time and again, the inherent price of his power is that achieving freedom also cuts him off from others. He's the opposite of blood and bonds. He becomes unmoored from reality and can retcon his own story, teleporting to where and whenever he pleases across the multiverse, but it comes at the cost of relocating to a new timeline where his friends have all shared a reality different than his. And that's just one example.

For John, the aspect of freedom and wind comes at the cost of isolation. Wind is the space that keeps neighbors apart.

Hell, you could even say something about the fact that it's specifically the wind in the gaps between suburban homes that brings up the imagery of desolation. On one hand, talking about loneliness alongside suburbia is an old trope, and for good reason. American suburban architecture and city planning is designed to put people in nuclear family bubbles and isolate them from their communities (and god forbid, anyone outside their immediate community). So the isolating wind in the gaps between picket fence houses is a classic image.

But also, it's really fitting for the specific sense of loneliness that John experiences.

Lots of Homestuck characters have loneliness as a major recurring theme. Even among just the beta kids, Jade's isolation is even more iconic than John's. She spends most of her life alone on an island with just her dog, and in the retcon, she spends three years alone on the ship between realities. She's constantly isolated by great gaps of physical space (heh) between her and the people she cares about.

John's isolation is different. He's never so cut off as Jade from the people he loves, but there's always some gap between them. He has a loving father that he often feels adversarial toward as a kid, and their conflict circa John's thirteenth birthday is in large part because of the harlequin misunderstanding. Dad Egbert is right there in the same house loving John, but there's a fundamental disconnect, and he fails to understand something major about his son.

Plus, we never see any mention of John having friends in his offline life. From his attitude toward himself (constant self-mockery) and the lack of any reference to him having friends that die in the apocalypse, he probably lives a pretty lonely life at school. He's a goofy nerdy insecure kid that can't connect with his peers and has to turn to faraway friends on the internet. Classic suburban isolation.

And it's the same in post-canon! John doesn't have to be cut off from his friends! He can fly and teleport and call/text them any time he wants. There's nothing subjecting him to physical isolation. All the loneliness of his depression is social and psychological. He's living on an empty suburban street—lonely while surrounded by people.

Genuinely, I don't know if there's a better image for him and his arc than the wind that blows through the gaps between cookie-cutter houses. The breeze keeping neighbors apart.

[zenkindoflove]

R and Y for the ask game!

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

Most of my big influences are fanfic writers from my previous fandoms. People who I spent a lot of time with, who I co-wrote stories witch, who were apart of my community. They are long out of fandoms now, but they really shaped me when I was a young writer.

There are two Elucien writers that definitely stand out in my mind for people who inspire some of my own style when writing Elucien fics.

@infinitefolklore writes amazing tension in her fics. You can feel the electricity between Elain and Lucien when they are near or interacting through her writing. I try to infuse that in my own fics and hopefully it comes through even half as good as hers.

@crazy-ache is always an inspiration to me and why I work so closely with her. Her prose is simply divine. It amazes me how naturally symbolism and imagery come to her. Anytime I try my hand at it in my own fics, the first thought I always have is "Will Ari like this?" We also just share a lot of head canons and she is my go to person to work out new fic ideas with. So she an all around inspiration.

Y: What are your thoughts on your personal satisfaction with something you’ve written vs. the popularity of your stories?  Do you tend to be most satisfied with your most popular stories?  

Oh, this is tough question to answer. I think for anyone writing fanfic, the constant pull of "I write for me" and "I would like people to like my fics" is always a see-saw.

I don't think I am most satisfied with my most popular stories. But I do love the fics of mine that are the most popular. I did really good stuff in those fics, and I see why they are popular. But I'm also doing great stuff in the fics hardly anyone is reading, which there are plenty. And there are of course a lot of reasons why certain fics I write are more popular than others. I don't think it has anything to do with how well written they are or how good the story is. I really do believe all of my fics are great in their own way and have something special and unique to offer. And I'm satisfied with the work I put into them. They're not perfect, but I can say I am happy with all of them.

Reading fanfic is about escapism primarily. We are spoiled for choice, and people have their own niches of what they prefer to read. They also have hard no's of what they won't read. I'm the exact same way. So I understand that certain tropes, character pairings, or tags are going to turn people away from my fics. That is natural. I would of course love all the love and validation on all of my fics that people who read me can offer, but that is an unrealistic expectation and one I don't hold anyone to.

Fanfic writer ask game

[clownsalot]

OKAY SO DEEP COVER IS OUT AND IT IS SOOOOOO SICK TO ME THAT THEY GAVE KOTOKO A WEREWOLF TRANSFORMATION

like. i am SO excited that they took kotoko's wolf imagery from trial 1 and took it to its logical extreme in trial 2 by giving her an honest to god werewolf transformation it is so damn cool i am SHAKING

most of us are probably already familiar with the trope in monster fiction of werewolves representing the kinds of monstrous emotional aggression you're supposed to repress but bleeds out and wrecks everything around you right. so like. the fact that kotoko applies this symbolism to HERSELF??? IT'S SO COOL TO ME. it's her acknowledging her own monstrosity!!!! that's so damn cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and like. she's so HORRIFIED by it looming over herp

LIKE. SHE LOOKS SO HORRIFIED BY HER OWN MONSTROSITY. BUT SHE GOES ON TO DO MONSTROUS THINGS ANYWAY

just. i am SHAKING and SCREAMING because this is so damn interesting for her characterization. ESPECIALLY with her association to red riding hood im so excited i feel ill. i love kotoko so much

[jasontoddiefor]

Love your fandom asks! 6, 7, 8?

you know what, going with SCTIR for this one!

6) something you see in art a lot and love

this is gonna sound so weird, but I love the way people use monster/animal/cage imagery to depict Han Yoojin's relationships to other S-Classes and speicifcally his brother. It is so intriguing to me!!!

7) your favorite tropes to read/write/draw

i'm a canon divergence person at heart so I really enjoy reading things that fuck around with HYJ and HYH's relationship in the context of like, what could've pushed them back together earlier? what symbols define their brotherhood, what memories are they haunted by. also kid fic. I'm forever a fan of kid fics.

8) you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

that one god damn chapter where HYJ just does a little murder after being kidnapped. I need people to start treating the way he's obsessed with his brother's safety just as insane as the way they act about HYH's complex over him. Like, until that point, I didn't quite realize just how ruthless HYJ could be??? and then I was like "oh. oh, my boy is a mess mess. love that"

Send me a positive fandom ask!

[novelconcepts]

One of the things I love so much about Yellowjackets and its use of sex scenes—and one of the reasons I balk at puritan culture claiming sex scenes have no place in media—is how much character gets across in these moments. The scenes are rarely, if ever, just about the sex.

It’s Van and Tai in the woods, this moment of pure intimacy, of letting someone see you when you’re at your most broken and realizing you can still be beautiful and present and whole. It’s recognizing love transcends what you look like, and that there is safety in trusting someone to really look under the mask.

It’s Jackie trying to prove something to herself and to Shauna, that she can be an adult, that she can catch up to this perceived finish line Shauna already crossed, and it’s Travis being so distant that he barely even knows where he is, that this physical act that feels like everything to Jackie is nothing to him. It’s a microcosm of that young adult fear of being left behind, of not fitting into the right tropes.

It’s Shauna and Adam in this primal, teenage courtship that is so about immaturity and spontaneity, where it’s entirely about her getting to reclaim the childhood she lost, even at her own detriment. And it’s Jeff and Shauna, where it’s entirely about trying to reclaim something damaged beyond repair, about the desperate need to hang onto something that maybe wasn’t ever yours to begin with.

It’s Natalie and Travis with this Lottie imagery hovering between them, an encapsulation of Nat trying to show him that reality is tangible, and Lottie being a symbol of hope and spirituality, with Travis being caught between. It’s building on this traumatic space they’re living in through the lens of distraction and escapism, and whether those things can be enough when real life is so deadly.

This show is so good about deploying these very human moments through physicality, and pushing the character arcs forward. Sex can genuinely be such a beautiful and painful way to explore character, and it’s such a fundamental feature of this story which is rooted in hunger and desire and collaboration. It’s so interesting to me.

[sapphire-weapon]

I think the fact that so many people want to label Leon/Ashley as canonically "sibling- coded" is because they feel threatened in the way they view other of Leon's relationships, they can tell Leon and Ashley have chemistry and they try to convince themselves that they have a familial bond going on (like Ellie/Joel) so that they can justify not shipping them and making people who ship it feel bad/weird.

Because nowadays so many people can't just dislike something, they have to make up a reason why it's morally wrong and unacceptable so that way they can bully people that think differently and feel like their own personal opinions are objective and right while everyone else is wrong smh. This is mostly the case with younger fans (tho a lot of people older than me does this too lmao) so that's why I don't really find it frustrating bc it's most likely they have limited real life experience. Plus they might not be that good at interpreting canon from contextual clues yet.

In my case though I think a lot of these people are actually doing the opposite tbh because to me it just shows that they recognize that Ashley's relationship with Leon is real and they can't even concede that they're friends in the canon because they know it could lead to something else if followed through in the story, they admit there's potential there subconsciously with how hard they try to make it seem otherwise with nonsense claims. It's like when insecure guys feel uncomfortable but try to seem tough by buying big trucks and having guns on them all the time lmao.

So, I've talked about this before -- about how the "sibling coded" or "problematic age gap" discourse is just modern-day fandom's way of slutshaming and engaging in casual misogyny in a societally acceptable way.

I'm pretty confident in saying that anyone in my generation who slaps "siblings" on Leon and Ashley are probably people who have another ship and have had it for a while and don't want Ashley getting in the way of it, tbh LMAO

Like.... my generation has co-opted the current generation's vernacular, but make no mistake about the kind of bitches we are. We're ship war bitches. That's all we've ever been AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE OUR WAYS NOW fjdskfh

But if we're talking about the current generation...

Media illiteracy is a big factor in this. It's no secret to anyone that the US education system took a massive shit starting in the late aughts/early 2010s, and things like critical reading skills aren't being taught in schools anymore.

I graduated high school in 2007. Two years later, I went back to visit an old English teacher to get a letter of recommendation, and he was lamenting to me that he'd just given up. It wasn't worth trying to explain the deeper themes of Beowulf to kids who didn't care, because the only thing that mattered was getting them to pass standardized tests.

So, now, without an overt, explicit declaration of love or something visually concrete like a kiss, kids literally do not have the skills to parse through a text and pick out themes and tropes and use of symbolism and imagery. They were never taught how to do it.

But there's a more culture-based thing happening here, I think. It's this fucking mess of a cocktail of internalized misogyny paired with learned helplessness, social anxiety, intense sheltering possibly exacerbated by the pandemic shutdowns, peer pressure, and internet purity culture.

I think it's pretty safe to say that fandom is predominantly made up of women and teenage girls. That was true in the 60s in Star Trek fandom, it was true in my generation, and it's still true today. And what I've seen happening today is that young women are absolutely terrified of their own sexual agency -- because the internet keeps telling them that, if you're under 18, it is wrong and bad and unacceptable for you to engage with anything even remotely sexual and how dare you express your sexuality -- and you'd better not do it not just because it's wrong and bad, but also because you are GUARANTEED TO BE PREYED UPON IF YOU DO. SEX IS DANGEROUS ALL OF THE TIME AND YOU'RE LITERALLY TOO YOUNG AND TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING SO DON'T TRY TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. Because if you're 17 and he's 18, he's a pedophile!!!!!!!!

I just.

So, we've now basically turned an entire generation of young women into the same type of young women who created the BL genre in Japan. These are women who were too afraid to explore their sexuality on their own, and it felt safer to do it with two male characters, because it was always more "okay" for men to be sexual. This is happening here in the West, now.

Slash ships have always been a thing in the West, but not to the degree that they are today. In today's fandom, if you have an M/F ship at all, you are outnumbered by at least 3:1 -- because M/M just "feels" safer for a lot of the current generation.

So, I think young women look at the Remake portrayal of Ashley Graham, and they identify with her. A lot. They're probably around her age, and her personality is very relatable to the kind of girls who play video games. Ashley's clearly introverted, but she's a fast learner who just wants to help, and she's got a good heart and a weird, kind of awkward sense of humor.

And, not only do these girls identify with Ashley, they're probably thirsty as fuck for Leon.

But that's terrifying to them.

Because they have been taught to fear their own sexual agency. The idea that an attractive, traditionally masculine, older man would be romantically or sexually interested in them is immediately categorized in their brains as wrong and bad -- and they don't want to think of Leon in that way.

So... for them, it can't be romantic. It can't be sexual. But there's clearly something there, but Leon would never abuse or prey on anyone so... that bond must be a perfectly innocent familial affection. That's what it is. That's what it has to be, because anything else forces them to face the uncomfortable reality even young women like them go on dates and have sex -- and sometimes, it's with men like Leon.

So, they thirst over Leon at a safe distance through Luis, primarily. Or they self-indulge on reader fic, because that's so much easier to write off as "just a fantasy" and not a statement on who Leon actually is as a character.

And it's just kind of sad, man. It sucks to see this happen to an entire generation of young women.

That's why I don't really get mad when I see the "siblings" shit out in the wild. I just feel sad for those people -- because they can't just say "I don't like the ship." They're so insecure and neurotic that they have to think of a reason why the ship is literally impossible to ever happen so that they don't have to be worried about it.

One day, they'll finally suck a dick for themselves and learn that it's not that serious. It's really fuckin not. Dicks are stupid, and the boys that are attached to them are even dumber.

[wormswurld]

i just wanna talk abt the movie ma mére again on here & show you (some) of my fave screen caps because that movie quite literally is a rollercoaster of emotions, depraved acts, unique depictions of grief, and overall a commentary on love and it’s differing forms and how it can toe the line of what is deemed “socially acceptable” etc when you are infatuated with someone (who happens to be your mother lol,, spoilers ahead btw!)

- i think louis garrel played the role of pierre perfectlyyyyy like his chemistry with isabelle hupert is so natural ?? like the way their realtionship as mother and son is shown throughout the progression of the movie is such an interesting and incredible sight like truly! in regards to this screen cap you can literally see the boyishness dripping off of pierre as he gazes up at his mother !! he’s so soft looking! just embodying the confused yet desired filled teenage boy trope to the max lol

- absolutely love this still. love it so much. not only does pierre just blend into the filth surrounding him as he grieves the loss of his father he looks so beautiful and content while doing it? i love the messiness. i love the dirty clothes strewn around on the floor. i love the face that he’s wearing red underwear and it immediately draws your attention to the curve of his ass, his thighs, and gangly hair legs.

- next up this sequence of shots from my FAVORITE scene in the entire movie….for context pierre goes out with his mom, her friend, and this cute girl he’s acquainted with and ends up drinking too much he essentially falls asleep in a nearby train station (not too busy but there’s still some passerby’s); okay with that be established can we just look at this ????? like really look at what the fuck is going on????? the pain and desperation on his face as he gets his cock stepped on by the same boots he kisses in the next sequence! his hand placement on the boots as his makes them push down harder!!!! the way he is only stripped down to his shirt, everything else being forcefully taken off of him when he is asleep and unknowing holy fuck. this scene is just perfect. so incredibly perfect. i can go on more and more about it but we have like 2 more screen caps to cover lol.

- *sigh* y’all know and or should know if it isn’t just oozing off of me that i’m a slut for religious imagery & themes… combine that shit with sexuality and depravity and i am so sat! pierre’s make shift cross hes praying to out of the pages of the bible he ripped out, the light casting a warm ray onto his person as he begs for forgiveness and mercy as he grapples with his purely fucked up situation, his hands clasped over his hand as if god is about to punish him and he’s trying to protect himself, the bowing of his head + the clothes that he’s wearing + his legs tucked under his body = beauty in its purest form in my opinion.

- wow. last screen cap and i have so much to say. i love the curve of his spine, the focus on his ass, the soft kiss he’s planting on someone’s knee, his shoulder blades, just how soft and light and airy this shot looks?????????? this image is post-sex gold right here. this image drips non-verbal aftercare, “after everything we have just done i am still here and i am yours.” this shot is so fucking beautiful good god. to quote @priestfrommidnightmass ‘s review of this movie “i fucking Love awful sick entirely morally Wrong dynamics i love blasphemous religious symbolism i love honest and twisted portrayals of sex i love the line of pleasure and violence being blurred…”