#i seriously need to keep a consistent tag for these but i've got so many tags already

[sailing-through-hawkins]

Oh, Mothman!!! But also Siren!Kas, tell me about both??? 👀

okay okay so the mothman au is a steddie fic BUT i try to focus as much as i can on the platonic stobin bond as i can ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ a little snippet and a bonus one for you:

"Holy shit!" Robin shares a glance with Dustin before they both run through the bushes and find Steve pinning someone down, his antennae quickly shifting all around their face as two of his hands poke and prod their arms, legs, entire damn body because Stevie is nothing if not thorough. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit -" "Eddie?!" Dustin exclaims, dropping his glowstick (meaning Robin has to be the one to pick it up because last time Dustin dropped it, he stepped in it and Steve tried to lick the...juice right off the ground which, by the way, gross like come on, Steve, have some standards -) and walking over to Steve, hey wait, no. "You know this guy?" Robin pulls him back, gesturing to whoever this Eddie guy is, still swearing out loud as Steve scans him down from head to toe, basically shrieking when the antennae sneak under his shirt. Ha, serves him right. "Who is he?"

as for the siren!kas au (link to a snippet i've shared before) - it really is just me being super indulgent about my love for sirens (≧∀≦)ゞit started off with more dustin angst and a load of character dynamics but it was one of my earliest steddie ideas and i got burnt out halfway through planning it

it went through a couple different directions that were all canon-adjacent, from eddie just calling out for help through music to eddie only acting as kas under vecna's control to eddie actually being kas and pulling steve under his call for his own game

i'd honestly love to be able to write the whole thing out one day but for now, i have the bite-sized version to keep me going (/▽＼)

✧ask me about my wips✧

[kaija-rayne-author]

Dragon Age Veilguard Review 4th in series

22 game hours 20 actual playtime

Spoilers for Dragon Age Veilguard

Critical review and a rant

Obligatory disclaimer. If you've already read it you can skip to the cut.

Something came to my attention. I need to make it crystal clear that I utterly love the diversity in DAV. It's fantastic. I'm also a heavily left leaning, non-binary, queer as fuck reviewer, editor, and author.

I'm on media blackout while I play this, so I'm only getting second-hand info on how awful it is right now in the DA Fandom. Please be safe and take care of yourselves. Arguing with incels and white supremacists is completely pointless. They sea lion worse than an actual sea lion. Your mental health is important.

Y'know? Every single time the anti-queer brigade comes out for a new DA game, I sit there thinking 'have you Bozos ever played any DA game, like, ever?' My guess is nope.

3.5 in series is here.

If I've ever played a glitchier piece of shit game in my life I honestly can't remember it.

So I went to go watch a movie with the partner and kids. I saved my game and turned it off.

Came back and it played okay for a few hours. I met both Mae and Dorian squeeeee!

Met Davrin and Assan. Everything's going fine. I got creamed (again), I swear the devs have no idea. I'm a consistent gamer who plays on hard/tactician mode in most games I play. (Many the same style of fighting as DAV.) And I'm having trouble with the strength of these monsters. WTF do they think someone just getting into gaming is experiencing?

Anyway. I got creamed, clicked reload last save, and it loaded with the now far too familiar no CC reverted back to the basic elf body error. I went back to the main menu, and now absolutely none of the saves are showing up with video. They load with sound, map in the corner, and tags above heads but no fucking video. They're either corrupted or the game is just a piece of shit.

Yes. I'm rather annoyed. I was looking forward to finishing recruiting Davrin tonight and it doesn't make my brain happy to have to stop in the middle of what I wanted to get done. In game or out.

I'm currently verifying my files from steam. We'll see if that fixes it. I just... and this is what the devs thought was releasable? REALLY?

I know I keep using BG3 as a comparison (which honestly isn't a very good one because one is turn based and one 'live' fighting). But the Venn diagram of people who play DA and who play BG is probably a circle so that's why it comes to mind.

It's also the most recent game I've actually purchased and played a lot.

I played that day of release and on into the week and had nowhere NEAR this many problems. I actually think I've had more trouble with DAV in three ish days than I've had in BG3 for over 700 hours FFS!

Anyway. Vent over (for now. I imagine this game will give me plenty of more opportunities).

Dorian looked really weird. He has what I'm now dubbing the 'Solas effect'. He doesn't look like himself. I wouldn't have recognized him at all if it weren't for him introducing himself.

Oh, and way to retcon the condition of the veil guys. For three games it's been getting more and more tears and holes in it. Now it's solid and the only thing holding off a world of blight that hadn’t ever really existed in the fade like that before? It was just the black city. Do these guys ever get sick of retconning shit? I sure get sick of playing retconned shit.

My partner saw the game and he really can't get over how jarring the art is. He's a pretty consistent gamer too but I doubt he'll play this one.

Y'know how I said I didn't know WTF the devs were thinking in my review of the game play trailer?

I'm even more flabbergasted now. I just... seriously?

The game doesn't work well. it has numerous glitches.

The art style sucks.

The bad dudes are WAY overpowered for even a pretty decent gamer. Not so experienced gamers are likely rage-quitting in droves. Every one of the glitches I look up is pretty common. Even for people with better machines than mine.

The story took bloody forever to get started. It finally seems to have but it shouldn't take me 20 hours of game time to get somewhat invested in the story!

The characters are honestly pretty meh so far. My much beloathed Lucanis is the only mildly interesting one so far.

I honestly just can't get over how they felt this was A. Good. and B. Ready for release.

I'll keep trying. But if it's corrupted my whole 20 hours I'm not sure if I've got the stomach to replay all that boring assed nonsense to get to where I only just got to today.

I HATE writing critical reviews as a matter of course. I especially don't want to write them about a piece of intellectual property like Dragon Age that I love so very much. But What. The. Actual. Fuck.

Part 5.1

[tarynkurt]

here i am again

being all wistful and shit, thinking about how i'm going to make it all work. once again i shall go into unnecessary detail for you.

this has been an intense first half of the year.

graduation is done, my final portfolio completed and i begin to put it into the world. i find myself battling a lot of confliction these days, dissatisfied with a lack of proactiveness during these three years, creating so much but denying my work any exposure, struggling to place myself in a worthy career to keep myself afloat in this city. now it is the summer and it is time to take that all seriously. not to mention trying to find an affordable flat, goodness me it's damn near impossible.

it's important to remember that momentary stresses are not permanent, and that the world isn't ending every time i feel overloaded with them. i am really quite dramatic sometimes.

now i'm just trying my best. i've made it back home again to rest with the family, a much much needed break from the madness of all i've been doing lately. got to get my head in shape, develop my spaces and creative expressions, and market myself.

it's about time i let people find this page too; i guess i'll start using tags and all that shit.

i do wonder what the future holds. i've always had such determined focus and belief in what i do, but lately that has wavered considerably. the combination of so many adult stresses with this passion to be an artist and express myself through these mediums breaks most people, and i can't bear to be another lost dream.

i really believe what i make is rather unique.

so it's time to make the weird short videos, try and get people to find my old stuff, develop new artistic concepts and portray my sounds differently.

build up to the main pieces, and hope that my singing may be of some solace to someone.

dying is easy, it's living that is the hardest.

but the best things do not come from nothing, and i ground to the understanding that consistent effort and the choice to continue to try garners the greatest rewards.

you just need to remember your purpose.

and get inspired :)

[mynonclicheblog]

An accidental character study of Erin Quinn (and James Maguire)

This post is mostly a thought dump because it's been buzzing around in my brain, but I'm tagging in case anyone... idk... is interested in reading my chaotic analytical thought processes or w/e 😂

Before 3x04, I was confident that if we got a Jerin confession in canon it was going to be James who dropped the bomb first. I've been thinking about this a lot lately in terms of, like, my understanding of James and Erin as individuals and WHY I felt that way (prior to ~that scene), so this is mostly gonna be me laying out my thoughts on Erin's headspace leading up to James's confession + why she wasn't mentally ready to be the one to say anything.

Anyway, my brain is a bit scrambled while writing this so please bear with me. 🐻

So let me just say first, I've got some Derry Girls/Erin POV ficlets saved in my drafts right now and I've never connected more thoroughly with any other character I've written for? Ever? It was like, suddenly I'm inside her brain and she's telling me things about herself that I didn't realize before with absolutely zero effort on my part. Idk man it's been so much fun & unlike anything I've experienced 😂

But anyway - as I stated in my tags on this post, one of the main reasons I felt it would have to be James who bit the bullet first boils down to their rationalized self-perception // the fact that he's more honest with himself than she is. This is consistent with James in pretty much all areas: he is easily able to recognize something, process it, and state it out loud.

His character falls pretty well into the "straight man" trope within the wacky and colorful landscape of Derry natives. He is often a voice of reason amongst the girls (a role he sometimes shares with Clare) despite his rarely being taken seriously by them - he's similar to Gerry in this way. Regardless, James is overall the most grounded and self-aware member of their group. The show hadn't dropped as many obvious nuggets of his crush on Erin imo (compared to the other way around), but that's fair because he isn't the one who needed his feelings to be billboarded in order to self-actualize them. Once James gets something, he gets it. Signed, sealed, delivered.

Erin on the other hand is notoriously delusional - even in situations wherein she's well aware of the reality, she's keen to mentally overwrite that by clinging to a self-imposed narrative which she finds to be more suitable. She's also an incurable romantic with a flair for drama and sweeping love stories - but then, she's stubborn, and not totally honest with herself.

So, how do you determine which side wins out? And if she so loves romance, why would she prefer to keep her crush on her best friend buried rather than take a chance on this potential romcom storyline come to life?

For me the answer is in her current frame of mind: despite her clumsy, awkward, and chaotic ways, Erin is extremely image-conscious. Since season 1 she has been repeatedly concerned with what others think of her (David Donnelly, Charlene Kavanaugh, Ms. De Brun, to name a few).

Putting aside the connotations associated with Anglo-Irish relations, I think Erin's biggest hang-up lies within her immediate circle, like the way she and her friends slag him off all the time. That is comfortable. Slagging off James is normal, familiar. But having to admit that she's actually started to fancy that same boy, the object of her and her friends' endless ridicule... that feels awkward. It's unheard of.

And most importantly - this is the real kicker - it's embarrassing.

To compound this she has a touch of Anne Shirley disease, in that James doesn't fit the 'ideal' mold she thought she wanted (just look at him next to her usual type; the cool, aloof, masculine lads). James is her dorky best friend - not exactly the conventional Love Interest hottie she's always imagined herself with.

I think after 2x05/6 Erin realizes on some level that she has a wee bit of a crush on James, but she's decided to keep a lid on it and pretend it doesn't exist. Why? ->->-> Because it's weird! My friends won't understand. The WORLD won't understand. He's an amazing fella but I'm... I can't date James! That's just- it's ridiculous! Best keep that to myself, then.

She keeps her crush tucked away partially out of ignorance to the weight of it, but that's only because she WANTS to be ignorant of it. She knows it's there but refuses to look right at it.

Whereas James is able to zero in on the feelings and the feelings alone once he has a lightbulb moment (hi James I'll get back to you in a sec), Erin automatically filters those feelings against a bunch of external factors: what will people think of me, an Irish catholic gal, being with an Englishman? Will they think it's weird if I'm dating my sweet friend James and not some absolute ride-o-rama? What will our families, our FRIENDS think??!

Erin's got a rather anxious personality. Right now, while she's young, that manifests as this tendency to hyperfocus on her self-image and the image she projects to the world.

This futile desire to be perceived as 'cool' is something that Erin and James have always had in common, though each in their own way. I think James has shown the most progress getting past that fear as of series 3 as he continues to grow more comfortable with himself and has learned to fit in with his, quite frankly, crazy group of girls.

In the earlier series episodes James was frequently concerned with the judgements and/or assumptions people made about him - he's an English prick, he's gay, he's not much of a man. As time has gone on, we've now seen James proclaim himself to be a Derry Girl. He's performed onstage dressed as Posh Spice. He's no longer seeking approval from other males like he used to.

This isn't meant to sound like a cruel outlook, but I think the constant belittlement he experiences from the girls (affectionate) has aided him in learning to not always take words/opinions to heart. He knows now that it's not always an accurate picture of how people feel, nor is it a reflection of how he should feel about himself. Erin's not quite there yet, but post-kiss I think her mindset regarding her crush on James is going to make a conscious shift.

As of 3x04 she still prioritizes what Michelle thinks, still fears the newness of these feelings she's just finally had to face, and she doesn't want to make waves in the friend group. So she turns him down for now (though the dejection in her apology betrays her attempt at emotional distancing).

Eventually they'll all get older. A more grown-up Erin will realize that these things she's been so worried about re: a relationship with James are trivial, and ultimately inconsequential to the bigger picture.

James and Erin started out in the same place with the same trajectory - fearing judgement, eager to please, desperately craving validation. James's rational personality and experiences happened to boost his maturation ahead a bit, so he was in a position to break the fog sooner than Erin.

The parallels within their development arcs (to say nothing of the peace process symbolism) is really quite beautiful when you think about it.

[sparring-spirals]

I can't believe I forgot about Fy'ra Rai!!!!! The guest battle royal with her was a week ago!!!! Anyways, would it by any chance be possible to see the in depth analysis you mentioned in the response to my previous ask? As well as the angstier ones? I want to hear everything. I love cr meta, and you're one of better cr meta writers I've found on this wonderful hellsite.

Oh Fy'ra Rai was exquisite in the battle royale. :'D Anjali's delivery with her is top notch.

Oh! Well first of all- thank you, so much, that's really fucking cool to hear!! :'D Fantastic meta was what actually first drew me into the fandom + made me start following more people, and start posting more. So: You're in luck, there are a Ton of fantastic meta writers for CR, and also I'm really, really honored I'm doing the same for others now. hell yeah.

(At some point I might scribble out a recommendation list of some of my faves, but if you traipse through the #character meta tag here you're bound to find a few you'll like, I'm sure. Seriously talented people abound.)

And uh- listen. If you're sure! Sure! :D Fair warning that since its basically three different half finished posts mashed into one:

1- its long.

2- its even less edited than normal, so flowery as hell, long winded, rambly, potentially misspellings here and there.

There are bits that I've pulled out potentially to write a separate meta on (aka dorian feelz), but this is the gist of it. I labelled it to help break it up a bit!

this gem

wait this concept is funny so im moving it to the top: the exu trio dynamic is just two people affectionately looking at the third with a mix of love and concern and then looking at each other like "can u get a load of this". except in all combinations. thats it.

exu vibes, aka party of few braincell many love

I keep thinking about the EXU party, and the way they really, really, just liked each other. Everyone in the party was- lonely, or newly alone, or missing people. No session 0 pairs, just people missing a sister or feeling isolated or grieving, or running, terrified. And they came together and got blackout drunk and like- their intro is a domestic morning and a pissing contest. The EXU party liked each other so much. Right off the bat. They were terrified and panicking and they were also having a fucking blast, with each other. Doing orange-peel slice smiles. Performing for crowds. Sticking hands into ash-holes. And then I think about them split in two, Opal and Dariax somewhere together (if they were going to leave it to one person to keep her company, best to leave it to Dariax, armed with a sense of optimism like a mallet, as stubborn as it is hopeful). And thinking about the EXU trio, losing any more of themselves? A tripod without one of its legs? They like each other so much. They lean so close on each other. Please, dont rip them apart any further :(

exu vibes but angsty

(Even if they all come back together, their worlds have been so different, their experiences. Even if they all make it out. Even if they're all okay. Which is the way of things, sometimes, but Im also thinking about that first meeting, Opal yelling "FOOOOOOD" and everyone failing to interrogate a "gardener". Itll never be exactly the same, I know, so all we can hope for is everyone being okay enough to fondly remnisce on those times as well.)

(and I keep thinking about Dorian, running and running and unfurling from his shell, learning to lean on his friends, learning to express himself, learning, growing, happy. Having to rip that down. For a little while, he was happy. Safe. Overjoyed. Just a little while. Of course he couldn't have it forever, right?)

(Im really sad about dorian actually but that might need to be its own meta)

dorian and orym, tired dads

Dorian and Orym very much had the "tired team dads" vibe during EXU (they were the only ones who seemed to consistently hold the brain cells), which was already delightful. But there was still a formality there, I think, and they didn't fully trust each other, which is how you end up with them nearly getting into a fight over the crown in early EXU days. But fast forward to C3, with Fearne between them gleefully causing mayhem wherever they go, and its just. There's a sort of settled comfort, that wasn't there before. They've already weathered some Shit with each other, they don't know everything about each other but they get each other, they trust each other, they love each other- all still undercut with a sort of shared, tired amusement. For two characters who are (Relatively) reserved, and guarded, sharing a knowing look over the head of Fearne is- its good! :)

fearne is third leg of tripod and also steals tripod

Not to say that Fearne is just an addendum to the two of them, because oh god no. Fearne would never. Fearne is a fae, and Fearne is Fearne, which means she loves Mayhem and Chaos and Problems, but she loves Dorian and Dariax too. She enjoys teasing them, yes, and giving them mild conniptions, but you also see her giving them healing, getting sad at the prospect of being separated. Fearne collects trinkets, and that means them, too. They're hers, and she's theirs (as much as anyone can Have Fearne), and she loves them.

dorian and dariax, liar and a fool

Oh, and Dorian and Dariax. The more we learn about Dorian the more I love their interactions in EXU. Dorian, running from expectations and shackles, meeting Dariax who would never ask for anything more of you than what you are. Dorian, made of 20 lies stitched together and chock full of anxiety, meeting Dariax, whose worldview is so, so, simple, and honest, who thinks Dorian is cool as hell, who likes Dorian for him. And Dariax, who is used to being underestimated and mocked, being treated kindly and sincerely and with respect from this fancy blue boy. The Double D's (YES they coined this themselves) were just. Agh. Fucking pure. Okay. They both called out for each other by instinct at different points in the campaign and like. Goddammit.

fearne you wanted to bring opal to the ocean

also Fearne liked Opal A Lot. Like. Goddamn. Theres something about that, the way Fearne is untouchable until she very suddenly isn't.

pretty pretty rich kids with the world on their shoulders

Dorian and Opal were like. I feel like its well summed up by the two of them banding together early on and doing a "we'RE NEW IN TOWN AND LOOKING FOR DAGGERS" bit sums it up. I think there's a level of- not wealth, per se, but a little bit of Extreme Younger Sibling vibes coming off both of them. Of things to live up to and endless debts and expectations that they never had control over. I kind of wish Opal were here, now. Ready to get excied about a ball with Dorian. Ready to rip off anyones head that makes him uncomfortable. Silent and understanding about going home, with all the ubwanted eyes and expectations you thought you'd outgrown. God, I really do wish Opal was there- I think she'd get it, maybe better than those present can. I really think she would.

[kinnoth]

meta request: what formal (and informal) royal responsibilities did thor and loki have in young adulthood?

Oh! I talked about that a bit here!

I think in terms of informal responsibilities, Loki's got more than Thor does. Thor is codified Busy: he is being groomed by Odin to take over in a number of formal, titled roles.

Loki is going to be his "chancellor", but that isn't an existing title that he has anybody to shadow: Odin and Frigga have more or less invented the role for him. He was supposed to be Thor's queen, but he refused, so now they need to find a way to split the allmother's political responsibilities between Loki and Thor's eventual wife.

(kind of a good thing that the empire exploded before it got to that point, bc this would have been the start to a tradition of seriously depowered queens in direct conflict with the king's chancellors)

So in terms of that aspect, Loki does shadow Frigga in many of her responsibilities (foreign diplomacy, tax accounting, matters of advisement and logistical support for the king) but not her roles: he will not be taking over in her house, he will not be the new leader of the asynjur, he will not be taking her place in her circle of witches. He additionally will not be inheriting her titles in vanaheim, where she is queen in her own right.

That being said, Loki is still her companion for most of his young adulthood. More frequently than not, they travel together, and Loki will make arrangements for her, acting as a kind of secretary. He gets more say than is strictly traditional: he can make reasonable proclamations and commands in her name, especially abroad, and Frigga will back him up. He is especially good at procuring things for her that are to her interest: they share similar tastes for comedic books and farcical plays

(I think Loki is the person in this family who Gets Things for people. He tries to take care of people by giving them things. He notices when someone likes or dislikes a thing and he caters around it. When visiting Loki at eljudnir, Thor notices that Loki always has on hand his favourite wine; when he has him for dinner, Loki serves him the meals he is partial to. It isn't until they combine households together in new Asgard and Thor watches Loki going through the household inventory with their staff that he realises this has been a deliberate effort.)

(side note on a side note: love languages? Loki gives gifts. Thor spends quality time and performs acts of service. They both need physical touch, which is easier once they're allowed to, but thor values words of affirmation much higher than Loki does, which is difficult bc loki puts absolutely no stock in words of any sort. Anyway, whenever Loki tries, the effect it has on Thor is always way outsized for the effort, which makes Loki feel kind of embarrassed sometimes. I've held this characterisation fairly consistent over the fics I've written so far, if anyone cares to keep track lol)

This answer has kind of gone off the rails, but the biggest informal responsibility they both share is in managing Odin's moods. They both play their parts in keeping each other and other people outside the scope of Odin's ire. They make a good tag team for that: Loki is quick to talk distraction and flattery while Thor tries to redirect some of Odin's more extreme impulses to more manageable actions. They both learned that from Frigga.

Thor in particular draws a lot more heat than he really deserves by being the person who tries the hardest to change Odin's mind about things.

[ganymedesclock]

So... What do you think about revisiting Danny phantom in general? Revisiting the fandom I've noticed a lot of fanfic that have Danny's parents finding out his deal rather violently, or generally having more violence/angst than the original show..

I’m assuming you’re sending me this ask because of my recent burst of Danny Phantom art, so, it’s probably not a surprise to say I’m doing a certain amount of revisiting myself, and certainly not about to shame anyone else for it. It was a very dear cartoon to me in many ways and left some enduring hallmarks on my own writing, and I can absolutely understand people feeling the same way.

That said, as someone who’s been in this fandom for a while, albeit quietly- there certainly is a thread of macabre interest in fandom spaces, one I don’t always know that I agree with, especially when it comes to the Fentons.

My personal verdict on the Fenton parents specifically is I think they are not handled fairly by canon. This is a problem that Danny Phantom as a show shares with Fairly Odd Parents, though I would argue the Turner parents in FOP are quite a bit worse at this.

Roughly, I think how the Fenton parents are canonically depicted suffers from a phenomenon that affects many parts of the show: DP, as a series, has a bit of a sense of confused priorities between comedy and drama, and as a result, what’s 'real’ in-universe and what’s “just supposed to be a joke”. The kind of humor that DP tends to spring for is exaggerated or shocking behavior- it also tends to be a humor that hinges on the idea that other people are generally inconvenient to the main character. So humor-characterization is inconsistent here- Jack is negligent until it’s more inconvenient to depict him as overbearing (see: Girl’s Night Out and other cases he desperately wants to bond with Danny) he’s a recluse only loved by his wife until it’s more inconvenient to depict him as having an active social life (Masters Of All Time and that he and Maddie are going to a themed party so they’re dressed ‘weirdly’ in public)

A big victim of this is Jack’s sense that ghosts aren’t people and his desire to dissect them. Because here is the thing: it’s all talk, in the worst way. It hinges on the idea Jack- someone who knows enough of what he’s doing that along with Maddie and, in the past, Vlad- ripped two different holes in reality hard enough to permanently alter someone’s relation to undeath- has never seen a ghost before the series as he says in Mystery Meat.

The series has a big problem where it hinges on the Fentons’ inventions and expertise but also wants to treat them like idiots constantly. And if you notice how much I’m talking exclusively about Jack- that’s part of the problem. Maddie, in many ways, outside of episodes that throw her a bone, despite constantly being told by people she’s too good for Jack, is really treated as an extension of Jack. Masters Of All Time even suggests that her choosing Jack in the first place was just a path of least resistance between her two college friends, and she’d have married whichever one stuck around. 

The Fentons are not respected as experts, so Jack is given his ignorant line about dissecting a ghost. The Fentons need to remain exaggerated, ridiculous, an inconvenience to Danny- so they threaten his alter ego and point guns at him, but this is funny and not serious and not a reason to be worried about them as parents, because they are not on Danny’s level. Nobody is ever on Danny’s level. There is literally an episode called The Ultimate Enemy. The antagonist is an evil future Danny. The only person who could ever be Danny’s ultimate nemesis is Danny himself. 

And when the series stops milking the Fentons for jokes about how they’re so stupid and how Jack is an idiot and Maddie married that idiot but even she doesn’t respect him even though she loves him and dutifully follows him everywhere and god how can these people care about ghosts they’re so ignorant and out of their league- 

-then it kinda shuffles its feet awkwardly and goes, yeah. the Fentons love each other, and love their kids.

Yeah, Jack has framed photographs of Maddie, Jazz, and Danny on his personal workstation.

Yeah, in Mystery Meat Jack was seriously debating walking away from his lifework because it upset one of his kids. 

Yeah, every time in canon the Fentons find out Danny’s secret they’re immediately all in supporting him.

Yeah, even not knowing it’s Danny, Jack has an amiable conversation with him in Million Dollar Ghost and the ghost containment units designed by the Fentons get some jokes about that they’re a little cramped but they aren’t horrifying prisons of inhumanity- and as soon as Danny Phantom the ghost boy has a good point, Jack lets him go on purpose. 

Yeah, Jack is a competent ghost hunter who can take on Skulker and win as well as beat down the giant lake monster Skulker brought with him in Girls’ Night Out and would do this in a heartbeat, no jokes and no sidetracks, because that monster just chewed on his baby boy and nobody does that to his baby boy.

Yeah, Maternal Instinct is an entire episode of Maddie throwing hands with (or deceiving and manipulating) literally anything she thinks was responsible for getting Danny in this dangerous situation.

...And then the series says “but that’s not funny! Here, have jokes about the Fenton Stockades, that exist and have spikes and Jack wants to put his kids in them for time out, when the spikes apparently don’t hurt given Jack is not injured for being put in there. Here, have a joke about Jack attacking Jazz with a vacuum cleaner because he gets hellbent on the idea she’s possessed for no good reason. Here, have an uncomfortable joke about how badly Jack Fenton wants to vivisect a ghost while it screams. Funny funny funny. Why- why are you flinching?”

It basically creates a comedic situation where the show is constantly winding up like it’s gonna punch you- with the idea that the Fentons are bad parents and this has consequences for Danny and Jazz personally- and then laughs in your face if you flinch. It’ll never actually punch you- but it will sure keep swinging its hand really close to your face and laughing at your reactions.

This is, I’m just gonna say- one of the worst elements of the series, this weird relationship it has with “hahaha are we depicting an abusive family or not? ;)” where its actual point is that Jack Fenton is a person who should be shamed for being overzealous, for caring about this niche field, because nobody cares about ghosts! (unless the entire premise of the show does) Nobody wants to think about ghost science! That’s LAME! (unless Vlad does it)

So I think ultimately this creates a polarizing experience in the fandom. What part of this information do you take?

Do you take, say, my personal approach, which is: 

“Hey, so it’s pretty clear and consistent that the Fentons love their kids and wouldn’t hurt them. The Fentons are nice people. They can be obsessive or headstrong but there’s nuanced and salient ways to examine this in the basic framework that they care, both about their family specifically, and in general- and while I think they can have flaws or conflicts with their kids, and with ambient ghosts in the world, I really don’t think they’re in danger of torturing a sapient entity in their basement and it frustrates and annoys me that canon ‘makes a joke’ of them doing these things because it thinks they’re so incompetent that these things are not really malicious actions, when- whether or not you successfully shoot them, it takes a certain kind of person to point a weapon you know is dangerous at something that looks, and talks, like a fourteen-year-old, especially when you’re a parent who has probably at least once in your life worried about something happening to your kids, and the ghost of a teenager means something happened to someone’s kid, in a general sense.

So my end conclusion on the Fentons is I think they are being depicted in a kind of metatextual bad faith, that they are not cruel or malicious people, and in my personal take or understanding on the series, I’d massively dial down those elements, and if any remain, take them seriously as problems they have in their relationships with other people.”

Or do you take an approach more rooted in,

“If the Fentons are shown to be negligent parents they are negligent parents, I’m going to examine and depict them as that, and I find this very hard to forgive, so it’s going to have real and nasty consequences.”

Both are basically valid. The place where I tend to get a little uncomfortable is twofold:

First, I think sometimes people just really want some fictional tragedy to either create or consume, and to that end, you aren’t going to get much juicy drama out of the Fentons being reasonable people. This isn’t evil or unforgivable, but for me, it’s definitely my least favorite fannish content to create or consume. I’m no fan of angst for angst’s sake, and I feel like there’s enough misery and heartbreak in the world that I’m not interested in wallowing in it unless it’s got something interesting to say.

Second- and this is a point I’m gonna be saltier: A lot of abusive Fenton fics that refuse to forgive them for the poorer-taste jokes the series makes, simultaneously give Vlad a blank check, when he has done targetedly malicious things to Danny. 

Now- do I also have a more sympathetic read on Vlad, and feel like canon also gives him a bad rap? Yeah! But you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say, “I can’t forgive the Fentons for stuff that was tagged onto them because canon thought it was funny, but I’m gonna editorialize Vlad’s depiction to lionize him as the ideal parent figure for Danny to run into the arms of.”

And the main reason I get so worked up in this, is I feel like Jack in particular (when Maddie is characterized as subordinate to Jack, following his cues, etc., and that’s its own demon) is... characterized as kind of a mocking caricature of traits that I personally recognize as an autistic and ADHD person.

Because the reality is? In many practical ways, I am Jack Fenton.

I like a bunch of weird stuff people find unacceptable or gross, like bugs

I’m hyperlexic (that means I talk, a lot)

Scatterbrained, forget words or where I left something or, sometimes, to do something important

Passionate and excitable including and especially in situations where it’s not normal, or expected, to have this much energy

I absolutely can forget birthdays, even for people I love dearly that mean the world to me! It’s horrible! There’s almost nothing I can do about it! My brain refuses to hold onto this information reliably and no amount of caring fixes it.

And being this way, living like this? My worst nightmare has always been that people think I either don’t care or that I’m just too much of a stupid, flippant buffoon to get right.

The thing about Jack is he’s “a person like me” and he’s “a person like me” who was designed to be a joke. We’re clearly expected to view him as untrustworthy, stupid, just like a big dumb dog of a man who barks in the wrong directions, who sometimes, when it counts, fetches a stick like he’s supposed to. Good job, Lassie. You got little Timmy out of the well.

And I am going to say with certainty and confidence that feeling like this is how people see me is the most unbelievably crushing feeling I have ever experienced in my life. That my excitement and passion means I’m unprofessional, stupid, don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s nearly painful for me, as an adult, to watch Danny Phantom because the show can never get off Jack’s case. And the few times it does, he hauls overtime arduously to make a difference, to help, to build something that will protect others, to put his own life on the line to stop hostile ghosts.

And immediately, then he goes back to being stupid stupid dog man. ha ha. why does his wife love him? no wonder his kids don’t ever want to be seen with him. no wonder his best friend is trying to kill him and he doesn’t even know, the big idiot.

(never mind that we see a scenario where he does know. and admits he would’ve forgiven Vlad anyway. but he can’t forgive Vlad hurting Danny.)

So to rein in this wild tangent: I’m not saying all must love Jack Fenton and despair. I’m not even telling people to hide their angst. If I have a sincere request, it’s this:

If you’re inclined to thinking of Vlad as a cool, troubled, complex person (as I do!) and are haunted by the implications of The Ultimate Enemy specifically for Vlad, that when Danny lost everyone else in his life that Vlad really genuinely tried to help, and was not gloating and happy and victorious to have Danny as his protege, and when that went badly, he was haunted to the end of his days by not having been able to help-

-but immediately turn around and think Jack is just a rotten awful person who’d absolutely hurt his own kid in spite of canon to the contrary (when there’s just as much, if not more, canon of Vlad being willfully hostile)

It might be good to examine why you’re feeling this way, and if this might not come down to the fact that even when canon has people call Vlad a desperately lonely fruit loop, it has a lot more respect for him than it does for Jack, and this isn’t because it’s actually taking a stance against any of the qualities it gave Jack that someone might find disagreeable- it’s because Jack’s just “a big old fat idiot nobody likes, right?”

and that’s... not something comfy to buy into.

[llucy-san]

CHARACTER STUDY

Tagged by lovely @pd3 ❤️ and maybe someone else but.... 🤷‍♀️

@faithchel @ja-crispea @smithandrogers @shelliechen @v3ryvelvet @veinereastath @dieguzguz @f0xyboxes @fadedjacket @risenlucifer @tomexraider @fromathelastoveritaserum @goodboiboomer-fc5 @geronimo-11​

I made it as my OC's would answer this ask game, so go ahead and read if you want to know more about them or how they interact.

LAYER 01: THE OUTSIDE

NAME: Hope Amelia Lansdowne but Hope is enough.

EYE COLOUR: It's mix of blue and green, but more of blue.

HAIR STYLE / COLOUR: Long, wavy blond hair, but I like to comb it into a bun or a ponytail.

HEIGHT: 5′6″

CLOTHING STYLE: I usually wear comfortable things like T-shirts, pants, combat boots and of course my military jacket. But you won't find anything fancy like dress in my closet.

BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE: *shrugs* Don't know, whole body i guess. I'm trying to be fit.

LAYER 02: THE INSIDE

FEAR: Lose the ones I love.

GUILTY PLEASURE: I got drunk once so hard with mates, Sharky and Hurk that you don't even want to know where we woke up the next day. A week after our little meeting, I felt still little dizzy. But I would never trade my two to ride and die. NEVER.

BIGGEST PET PEEVE: My plane!! You can look at it but don't touch it.

AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE: Live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment with our loved ones.

LAYER 03: THOUGHTS

FIRST THOUGHTS WAKING UP: Glaring at those little numbers on my alarm clock and whisper “I hate you” but then *sighs* I remember all the things that awaits me that day and somehow, I get out of bed.

WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT MOST: If I will have the strength to get up the next day.

WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT BEFORE BED: My baby!! I usually fall into bed and instantly fall asleep.

WHAT THEY THINK THEIR BEST QUALITY IS: My flying skills and maybe my humour. There is nothing better than being sarcastic to someone who you don’t like. Or if I won fight over men twice my size.

LAYER 04: EITHER OR

SINGLE OR GROUP DATES: I don't do dates, and quite frankly, I don't even have time for it. But if I have to choose, I prefer single.

TO BE LOVED OR RESPECTED: Can't I choose both? I think they're both corresponding.

BEAUTY OR BRAINS: Brains, definitely.

DOGS OR CATS: Both, take a look at Bommer and Peaches. They're both so adorable.

LAYER 05: DO THEY

LIE: Who hasn't? I try to be honest but sometimes some situations requires it.

BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES: What kind of bloody question is that? *frowns* Of course, I believe in myself.

BELIEVE IN LOVE: If you meet the right one, go ahead. Though, I was not so lucky.

WANT SOMEONE: Why are you asking? You offer?

LAYER 06: HAVE THEY

BEEN ON STAGE: Nope.

DONE DRUGS: Sharky has a lot of stuff, but I keep my hands off it, so no.

CHANGED WHO THEY WERE TO FIT IN: I don't need to pretend in front of anyone to fit in. I am who I am and I will never force myself.

LAYER 07: WHAT'S THEIR

FAVORITE COLOR: Don't have one.

FAVORITE ANIMAL: Wolves, I adores them.

FAVORITE BOOK: *shrugs* I don't read much, but when I do, I read what's first hand.

FAVORITE GAME: If you consider games where you drink a lot, then yes. *shifts in her seat* Hey, you should come to Spread Eagle with me sometimes and we can play our drinking games. Hurk will bring his liquor he got from many journeys he survived and Mary will make her famous cocktails.

LAYER 08: AGE

DAY THEIR NEXT BIRTHDAY WILL BE: 24th September

HOW OLD THEY WILL BE: 25

LAYER 09:

I LOVE: Flying, I have flying in my blood, or just being in lap of nature.

I FEEL: *sighs* Tired of your questions.

I HIDE: My bourbon! You wouldn't believe how hard it is for me to bring it here unseen. Especialy from Sharky cause he will drink anything he can see.

I MISS: My parents. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye with them one last time or go to their funeral.

I WISH: To be done with this so I could go.

LAYER 01: THE OUTSIDE

NAME: Marcus Adam Lansdowne but Marcus is fine.

EYE COLOUR: Blue

HAIR STYLE / COLOUR: Short-cut blond, short on the sides and up here *combing his hair* I have to comb it back or hold it with something, usually cap helps me.

HEIGHT: 6′1″

CLOTHING STYLE: T-shirts, pants but also something elegant like suits. But I wear them only at special occasions. 

BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE: Arms, for sure. But Avery, my wife, will tell you something else.

LAYER 02: THE INSIDE

FEAR: My family above all. All I have left is my sister and my loving wife. So if you so much as look at both of them in the wrong way, *leanes closer in his seat* then, you and I have a problem, mate. 

GUILTY PLEASURE: You would believe me but singing while playing on my guitar.

BIGGEST PET PEEVE: When I lose something and Avery or Hope says, "Well, where was the last place you had it?" Seriously? That's being helpful? If I knew the last place I had it, it wouldn't be lost, now would it?

AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE: I don't know. I have everything I need and don't need anything else.

LAYER 03: THOUGHTS

FIRST THOUGHTS WAKING UP: Time in the army taught me to get up early so, next question.

WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT MOST: Family

WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT BEFORE BED: What kind of question is this? *frowns* The bed equals rest. What else should I think about? Oh you mean. *clears his throat* Next one.

WHAT THEY THINK THEIR BEST QUALITY IS: Strength, devotion, intellect.

LAYER 04: EITHER OR

SINGLE OR GROUP DATES: I don't know what you want from me anymore.

TO BE LOVED OR RESPECTED: Respect from others and love from family.

BEAUTY OR BRAINS: Brains.

DOGS OR CATS: Dogs.

LAYER 05: DO THEY

LIE: I hate it when people lie to my face, but I'm not an innocent either.

BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES: Yes, I do.

BELIEVE IN LOVE: Yes

WANT SOMEONE: *quirks his eyebrows* I'm hapilly married. Avery is only one I want.

LAYER 06: HAVE THEY

BEEN ON STAGE: No

DONE DRUGS: Never in my life.

CHANGED WHO THEY WERE TO FIT IN: No.

LAYER 07: WHAT'S THEIR

FAVORITE COLOR: Dark blue, black, dark green.

FAVORITE ANIMAL: Wolves, dogs, I don't know.

FAVORITE BOOK: I don't know, but the last time I read something was by Faulkner.

FAVORITE GAME: Hope once took me to one of their gatherings in Falls End and it didn't go so well. Although, I had fun like never before, but I have never had such hangover in my life. And I have to warn you about Sharky's home-made liquor. Strong as hell.

LAYER 08: AGE

DAY THEIR NEXT BIRTHDAY WILL BE: 2nd February

HOW OLD THEY WILL BE: 33

LAYER 09:

I LOVE: Enjoying days with my family and friends or spending time in the woods.

I FEEL: Fine

I HIDE: Nothing you need to know about.

I MISS: Parents. I miss them very much.

I WISH: To stop asking me these odd questions.

LAYER 01: THE OUTSIDE

NAME: Hayley Louise Moore but friends calls me Hale.

EYE COLOUR: Olive green

HAIR STYLE / COLOUR: Semi-long chocolate hair and at the ends it turns into soft waves.

HEIGHT: 5′5″

CLOTHING STYLE: It's usually a blouse and a pencil skirt, but also a dress. But what I love most are my sweaters and sweatpants, which I wear in the late evenings while reading books.

BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE: I run around the docks every morning so I'd say legs. Nature here isn't like in Atlanta or New Orleans, but it's much more beautiful.

LAYER 02: THE INSIDE

FEAR: *laughs* Well, my husband's flying. Like, I'm not afraid of flying, but the last time he took me with him and he did his wild stunts like front flips or whatever he calls it, I almost killed him after we landed. I'm not kidding. *shift in her lovechair* Affirmination and I are not friends.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Dancing while vacuuming or cleaning the ranch.

BIGGEST PET PEEVE:

AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE: Seeing my kids grow up into the wonderful adults we're with John trying to raise.

LAYER 03: THOUGHTS

FIRST THOUGHTS WAKING UP: New day new beginning. Morning is my favourite time of day.

WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT MOST: Kids, Family, you know stuff like this.

WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT BEFORE BED: Sleep, only sleep, and maybe something else, *whisper while leaning closer* but that's not appropriate.

WHAT THEY THINK THEIR BEST QUALITY IS: My persuasive skills. I always get what I want because I learned from the best, I know.

LAYER 04: EITHER OR

SINGLE OR GROUP DATES:  Single, certainly single. Actually I think I've never been to a group dates before.

TO BE LOVED OR RESPECTED: Both

BEAUTY OR BRAINS: Brains. No matter how handsome or beautiful you are, I care how you will deal with difficult situations so I choose brains.

DOGS OR CATS: Cats

LAYER 05: DO THEY

LIE: Not often, but only here and there.

BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES: Yep.

BELIEVE IN LOVE: I do.

WANT SOMEONE: Why are you asking? Only my husband.

LAYER 06: HAVE THEY

BEEN ON STAGE: Nope

DONE DRUGS: No, it will completely destroy your brain.

CHANGED WHO THEY WERE TO FIT IN: I've never been able to pretend who I'm not, so no.

LAYER 07: WHAT'S THEIR

FAVORITE COLOR: I don't have a favourite colour, but my wardrobe mostly consists of soft colours and black and white combination.

FAVORITE ANIMAL: Cats because of their eyes.

FAVORITE BOOK: Fitzgerald. I love Great Gatsby.

FAVORITE GAME: I don't play games much. I'm not very good at them.

LAYER 08: AGE

DAY THEIR NEXT BIRTHDAY WILL BE: 15th August

HOW OLD THEY WILL BE: 27

LAYER 09:

I LOVE: Watching my husband cook, because have you seen someone like him work around in the kitchen? *glances behind her shoulder* I just adore him.

I FEEL: Good

I HIDE: My cookies!! Listen, I love Jacob, he is my favourite brother in law but he always eats almost everything on plate before I can. I have to be fast if I want at least one or two cookies from Faith.

I MISS: Every now and then I miss my life in Atlanta and my best friend Nadia. *sighs* God, you should meet her, you’d love her.

I WISH: To have at least one of those delicious cookies cause my brother in law just came so if you don't mind I will go.