#i ship them romantically personally but either is fine

[elrielffs]

Elriel is slow burn. I love that theyre not like Nessian or Feysand. They're different. Two people getting over their old lovers and finding each other. I think the reason why im so obsessed with them is because its not all about the dagger girl x whatever man trope that everyone seems to obsessed over these days, its so overused. I love how soft they can be. soft couples deserve better.

Yes anon! Elriel is the slowest of burns. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my enemies to lovers, bombastic romances where they bicker and argue, I loved the Rowaelins, the Feysands, the Nessians--but they've all become a dime a dozen. SJM is literally the blue print that all current/modern romantasy operates off of now.

Elriel to me is something new, not only for SJM but for the genre. She's written Elain adjacent FMCs before--Yrene and Elide but I don't think their MC and romance follow the trajectory that Elriel are on.

Elriel to me has the chance to be Romantic. Yes yes, all the couples are romantic but Elriel is Romantic. It's something new for SJM, not just their relationship but their story together in general and I'm also hoping it brings a new trend to a tired and worn derivative genre. The current trends have their place ofc and I'm not saying they are bad, just that it is overdone and and overwhelming an already overabundant genre that is quickly become fast fashion and paint by the numbers.

And topped off that Elain and Azriel are both mysterious characters, I disagree with people that say Elain is "unbaked" because if you pay attention to her scenes you can see there is more going on there then the surface level. (I find it hilarious that Elain's personal arc is about blooming into her true personality and showing everyone that she is more than they believe her to be at surface level because a good chunk of this fandom follows that narrative along with characters trying to box her in.) SJM has said that Elain is a walking spoiler and that's why we haven't gotten her POV or anything. She's being kept under lock and key because there's so much surrounding her. And Azriel, for all we have gotten hints here and there, we don't really know that much about either. See how people screamed and cried he was OOC with the one POV we got of him (we all know why they say that...) it's because people don't really know or understand Azriel either. He was not OOC to me.

Romances like Elriel don't get written that often because they are harder because you can't fall back on filler "banter" and petty arguments or an already pre- established bond to short cut to tension or interest. You actually have to build the romance from the ground up and have actual conversations. Elriel are soft with each other, their relationship isn't full of blown out arguments or witty remarks back and forth that we've seen over and over and I am so excited to see how SJM plays them, how they interact from their POV, how their conversations go.

Elriel have the potential not only to be amazing but to be the best romance for me personally. I have liked other couples of course, but no way have I ever been this ride or die for a ship. I am so ready for their book. People can not like it or whatever, fine, not everything is everyone's cup of tea but no one can say it's something they have seen before from SJM or in the genre.

[tnm-art96]

Platonic or romantic, these two are one of my favorite duos 💖

[a-bisexual-panicking]

question for the dead boy detectives fans:

would you prefer for Edwin and Charles' relationship to stay platonic or to become romantic?

i'm just genuinely curious

[alfhildr-the-word-weaver]

I got thinking too much about Marwa from What We Do in the Shadows again and how she was canonically making observations of Jupiter and Saturn in the 1200s. Then I thought about how Elena took Damon to go watch a meteor shower, and I decided that Marwa and Elena should get away from all the vampire drama B.S. in their lives and go nerd out about astronomy together, and this moodboard sort of happened. I also thought about how Elena becomes a doctor and went ah, they are both women in STEM! So I ran with that as a theme too.

But yeah, Marwa needs a friend who will actually support her interests and engage with her intellectually (no shade to Nadja and the Guide, I'm glad they had a fun weekend watching Mamma Mia together which was literally the only time we got to actually see Marwa happy onscreen, but they have never demonstrated much interest in science that I can recall and I want Marwa to have an astronomy buddy), and I think Elena would be fascinated by her and her perspectives on astronomy from centuries ago, and they could learn about modern astronomical advances together. If I find the time and energy I might even write fic about it, but for now, here is a moodboard so that we can all bask in the vibes of my beautiful crossover vision together.

Image sources: x x x / x (the first frame of x gif + a screenshot from x) x / x + x x x

[crimeronan]

i'm always a polyshipper before anything else bc my own found/created family is a polycule & i base all my (healthy) written relationships off various irl dynamics of mine. i'm genuinely curious how opinions of my fave toh polyship skew amongst people here. answers to this poll will not change the way i post about them or how annoying i am about them though.

[tathrin]

#i dont ship them but #LITERALLY THIS #gimli is so calm and collected about that kind of thing while legolas wears his heart on his sleeve

@cheriboms honestly my favorite thing about this relationship is that it's the same relationship whether it's romantic or platonic or who-the-heck-knows-what: they're just like this, no matter what. And I love that about them so, so much. It is absolutely the chief thing that makes them so wonderful and fascinating, to me!

With pretty much every other fictional relationship out there, the way they're written changes, at least a little bit, depending on if the characters are romantically involved in each particular story or not—but not them. They're just them, full stop. Always.

And they're sailing to Valinor and nobody can stop them.

I see a lot of stuff with Gimli losing his temper and Legolas having to hold him back from charging in axe-first at whatever has angered him (sometimes even picking him up to stop him) and admittedly I love this!

But also consider: almost every time somebody offends or insults Gimli in the books, his reaction is along the lines of declaring “I would take offense at your words, save that you are too ignorant to know how wrong they are” in I assume just the most refined, lofty voice you can imagine.

Whereas Éomer threatens Gimli one (1) time in front of Legolas and our Mirkwood madlad is immediately ready to throw-down with half* of Rohan’s army.

I’m saying what I would like to see more of is Legolas losing his temper, and Gimli being the cool-headed half of the pair that has to hold his lanky longshanks boyfriend back from doing a murder.

How about some more of that please, fandom?

[aromanticannibal]

Td//momo is much like Bk//camie, it's talked abt like it's canon bc the other guy doesn't have an "official" female love interest so the first woman that he interacted with is forever his destined wife lmao

Though i can see why someone would like them, they give jaded prince/warrior princess vibes

???? in what beautiful world do you live where baku/camie is considered close to canon by some people

[the-music-maniac]

It is very exhausting being in western fandom spaces sometimes. Tell me why I just wanted to enjoy a cute oubing ship vid on tiktok, and half the comments section was about people saying you can't ship them???

I wanna complain into the void, so here's a comprehensive of why Oubing/藕饼/Lotus Root Cake is fine (and even if it wasn't, why I don't give a shit):

(Spoiler warning for Nezha 2)

1. "You can't ship them cause they're brothers'": No, they are not brothers. Not by any definition of the word. Not by blood - not even sworn brothers technically, because they only refer to each other as best friends. They each have their own parents - those parents are not related to each other in any way, shape, or form. One of them is a freaking dragon, an entirely different species. Also, they're technically made of lotuses now. They weren't raised together either. Clarifying this point feels ridiculous.

2. "But they used to be part of the chaos pearl": If you wanted to define them by any type of relationship, they are soulmates. This is not me trying to spin them romantically, I mean they are literally soulmates. Their spirits are each half of a single Chaos Pearl, and they each represent opposite halves. They are literally soulmates and yin and yang.

3. "But they're children!": Are they three years old? Yes - and also no. (this is edited: I saw an official post that did say their ages were 3, not 6). They've been alive for centuries as a chaos pearl. I need you to understand that the original entity we saw at the beginning of Nezha 1, IS a creature that has been alive for thousands of years. They had personality too while they were fighting Taiyi. They were made into the pearls by the cauldron. Now, their mortal bodies as we understand it, is 3 (again edited. I originally said 6 cause I wasn't sure whether or not to count the 3 years of pregnancy). But because they're not really human, and their developmental stages therefore don't mirror a human, the movie shows them maturing into an adult form in the span of about 3 years. How do we know this? Ao Bing is the same age as Nezha, and he went from a baby to his adult form in those 3 years. The only reason Nezha is still in a child form is because he has the qiankun circle suppressing him. This is also the reason that putting the circle on his wrist releases his adult form. Also it's sort of maybe implied by the end of Nezha 2 that he may stay permanently in his adult form, since he reformed his body into it while he was in The Soup™. I dunno how accurate this part is so I suppose we'll see by Nezha 3. I would like to point out further that no three year old talks or acts like they do. Ao Bing and Nezha have very complete vocabularies, and are able to understand the complexities of their circumstances. They're both new to the world in this form, but they're not at the mental capacity of a 3 year old. It's like if you were dropped into a new form of existence with an adult brain.

4. "Nooo, why are you shipping them now": This ship is NOT NEW. It's been around since at least 2019. It is WILDLY popular in China. Back when Nezha 1 first came out, oubing literally won an award for best couple. I want you to understand the scale - from my understanding, they beat wangxian in cql. Y'all can correct me if I got this part wrong because I can't find the source of where I read this information, but if it's true, that's wild. I know the award part is correct. There was an official shampoo ad that reads like a shipping comic. Now that Nezha 2 came out, it is still one of the most popular ships. Every other post on my social media has been about Nezha 2 and at least half of that has been Oubing. There are over 2000 chinese fics on ao3 currently. Stop with this "why are you shipping them now", WE'VE BEEN SHIPPING THEM.

5. "It's not canon.": Not that I give a shit what's canon or even what the original creator thinks about shipping usually, but Jiaozi, aka the director of the movie, has stated that while he wrote Nezha and Ao Bing to just be a friendship that he thinks it is fine if people ship them. I'm pretty sure he also said something along the lines of 'people can interpret things how they want' or something.

6. Even if all of the points I made were not the case, I cannot stress enough how little I care about what someone should or should not ship. If you don't like it, just block the fanart/fic/video and move on. I promise society will not crumble because someone decides to ship two fictional characters from a mythology movie. We will be fine.

(Also if you see anyone in the chinese fandom write 藕饼cp, the cp stands for "couple". Just to clarify. They use different terms for shipping in chinese fandoms, they'll say they "ke CP" aka ship a couple)

Some of the comments I've seen make me wonder if people have even watched the movies. 'You can't ship them cause they're brothers', god don't make me laugh.

Don't let them find out that the chinese fandom is also shipping Ao Bing and Nezha from the 1979 cartoon, they'd lose their minds.

[yanderes-galore]

How would yandere Ace from OP get rid of his rivals ? 

ACE! I love Ace sm, ngl....

Yandere! Portgas D. Ace getting rid of rivals

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Violence, Burning/Burning others alive, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Murder, Possessive behavior, Stalking, Blood, Dubious relationship.

While Ace is similar to his brother Luffy, He's more mature.

He's still impulsive but way less oblivious.

He's intelligent and polite... yet can still be reckless and impulsive.

He's like a... more controlled Luffy?

He's oblivious occasionally, like when he acts too clingy or perverted.

Yet he's aware of his own jealousy.

He knows why he's on edge with others around you.

Ace no doubt has a better understanding of romantic attraction than Luffy.

Inexperienced... But he understands what feelings you stir within him when he sees you.

He knows you're an addiction, one he watches every single move of.

He's strong, charming, and a loyal fighter.

Although... He has a temper like Luffy.

He has a tendency to get into fights.

He doesn't want those close to him hurt and is easily set off by it.

Ace would originally try to rein in how he feels.

It shouldn't be his business... You deserve better and should talk to others.

Meanwhile he's over here being clingy or watching you from afar.

Although... Ace is capable of being terrifying when jealous.

Sure, with you it seems cute.

He plays it off as being petty pouting to try and get you to pay attention.

It works more than you think.

To others?

He's the devil.

Due to his parentage, many already see him as the spawn of the devil.

It's no surprise with his Devil Fruit powers that he looks like a demon.

It's small at first.

Ace is the type to insert himself into conversations.

He always seems to be watching over you like some twisted guardian.

When he feels he doesn't like the person you're talking with, he slips in.

He wraps his arms around your waist, leaning his head either on your shoulder or head.

He grins at the other person, yet his gaze isn't welcoming.

It's threatening... Ironically cold.

Ace is someone who can seem subtle with threats.

He's grinning with barely restrained irritation, seeming all happy with the other person.

They have to leave at some point, right?

Although eventually he's going to try and push them away, annoyed they're with you.

Ace, while easy to provoke, tries not to harm someone when you're in sight... Much.

But if someone was flirting, too close, threatening, etc...

It's enough to set Ace off.

Ace, like Luffy, is brutal.

He can be blinded with rage.

What makes him worse than Luffy?

The fire.

Jealousy and rage course through Ace's flames.

If you're in sight and some poor fool sets him off, at least you can stop him from searing them.

He gets to the point of his fists covered in blood before you stop him.

When you notice his skin heating and beginning flames licking across it...

You get his attention, sparing the person.

They've no doubt learned their lesson.

Other times... They aren't so lucky.

Other times, Ace is destructive.

He's used to being in the shadow of others, to being treated as unwanted.

We've seen him destroy whole ships with his power.

One measly person?

A rival?

Someone who hurt the one who saw him as something other than the Pirate King's son?

Ashes.

Ace doesn't even really feel bad about it, viewing said people as scum.

He isn't much better... but he views it as sparing you from the worst people of the world.

Ace wouldn't mind punching someone's lights out... watching as his flames consume them like kindling.

They should've known better in his mind.

Ace is infamous and pirates have to kill at some point.

Removing a challenge in his way is no issue.

Especially a nuisance in your life.

No one can touch you with him around.

He gives warnings and subtle threats to others before he does anything rash.

It's their choice if they continue in his mind.

Their punishment is becoming a fine ash to be whisked away by a strong gust of wind.

Afterwards, Ace acts like nothing happened.

He could probably burn someone and their life out of existence...

Then come back to you with a smile, nuzzling into your hair with a relaxed exhale.

It feels pleasurable knowing you're only his.

He simply goes back to clinging and watching over you.

You give him purpose... He needs you...

Yet the moment he sees a new threat to the obsession he has over you...

The process repeats all over again, with little regret if it means he has you.

[kaisturntoshine]

Rating Project: Eden's Garden ships (spoilers for CH1)

Disclaimer: Ships are meant to be fun and I find the Eden's Garden cast to be very shippable, so any ship that does not involve Toshiko is fine in my books!

Damon x Eva (Evamon): I don't care as much for them romantically as I do platonically, but Damon's comments about Eva tear my soul apart. Perhaps under different circumstances, their relationship could have evolved. 6.5-7/10

Damon x Desmond (Maithall): Honestly I love these two! Damon sees Desmond as "the only other normal person here" and their interactions could be interperted as Damon having a little bit of a crush on him ("Desmond's remarkable charm", etc. etc.). Not my no. 1 ship for either of him, but it's my og ship and I hope their dynamic evolves more! 8.5/10

Diana x Eva (Diava/Evana): On one hand... toxic yuri. On the other... not a fan. Nope. 2/10

Wolfgang x Grace (Wolfgrace): I like them, I wish we could have seen more of them. I think they are the first pairing I shipped when I played the prologue. Their personalities were total opposites in a way that made them compatible. I'm probably going to ship them more in the next chapter tbh, when I see how Grace is dealing with it. 8/10

Desmond x Ulysses: I've seen the ship exclusively on tiktok. Whilst I personally aren't too crazy about it, I can't deny it's cute! 6.8/10

Damon x Kai (Kaimon): My OTP, it's one of the most popular ships in the fandom for a reason (though I do feel basic about it hehe). I love them so so much!!! 28/10

Mark x Jett (What's their ship name??): They are so silly, though I can't tell if Mark is enjoying the company or not... Hm. 7/10

Wenona x Ulysses (Wenysses? Ulynona?): Didn't expect them, but they are a welcome surprise none the less!! I'm glad to see Wenona interacting positively with another character. I don't know if I prefer them as romantic or platonic, but I enjoy their pairing nonetheless! 7.5/10

Desmond x Eloise (Desloise): My second favourite ship from the game!! I love these two so so much, their characters fit together so seamlessly, like a glove to a hand!! 10/10

If I don't mention a specific ship you like from the game, feel free to ask for my opinion through the comments, reblogs or ask box!

[sapphicstoria]

This is going to be a long rant, but I feel more comfortable venting here than on twitter so.

I’m sorry, but I can’t stand a lot of Ch*rlastor fans. I seen one of them try to say it wouldn’t make sense for Chaggie to be endgame, because Charlie is bi and because she and Vaggie have been together for a long time. It made me so confused because how are either of those two things reasons why Charlie shouldn’t end the series with Vaggie? Her long term girlfriend that she’s in love with? And saying because she’s bi, it’d be weird for her to end dating a girl is so ????

It’s been established that Charlie is bisexual, that she’s attracted to men, and may even have had a boyfriend before dating Vaggie. They don’t have to show her dating a man, in the present, for her to be bisexual. And being bisexual doesn’t mean she has to be with a man, if she doesn’t want to. She loves Vaggie. She has never, and will never, be attracted to Alastor.

I’m tired of people constantly putting Chaggie down to praise their ship, when they could praise them without even bringing up chaggie or Vaggie. Saying she is a horrible girlfriend, that she’s not supportive enough, that she doesn’t care about Charlie. People even give Alastor Vaggie’s traits and say he “encourages” Charlie and cares about her dreams when he… does none of that. He uses her and only wants her for her powers. He doesn’t care about the hotel, and only helps because he wants to see it fail. He manipulates her and does not care about her like Vaggie does. It’s fine for fanon, but in canon he does nothing like that.

Vaggie cares so deeply for Charlie, because she is probably the first person who has ever shown Vaggie true kindness and love. They spent awhile being friends, but eventually dated and have such a strong relationship. They’re business partners, and best friends, along with being a couple. That’s one of the best types of relationships. Where you’re not just each other’s partner, but also best friend. Sure, they don’t have many too overly romantic scenes, but that’s just how their relationship is. They’ve been dating each other for years, and are adults. They probably went through their honeymoon phase, but now they’re so close that they don’t need to be overly romantic to show that they’re dating. Their scenes are perfect to show a close relationship.

But when they do have their big romantic scenes, they’re always the most beautifully animated. Like the scene of them first meeting. How Charlie didn’t even hesitate to help her, and when Vaggie finally seen there’s someone out there who does care. It was a touching moment for them.

I’ll never get over how beautiful their duet is. Not only the song, or context, but how it was animated. Their smiles, the way Vaggie was the one to sing first, when she is isn’t really a fan of singing but she knows how much Charlie loves it. The KISS. It was a perfect song, to show just how deep their feelings are for each other. And it made me bawl, when I realized it was a reprise of more than anything. Showing that Lucifer and Vaggie are the people Charlie loves more than anything.

I don’t see why people are judging them so quickly, when we’ve only seen eight episodes that were filled more with action and story than anything romantic. We’re getting more of their story in season two, even a look into their ~sexy lives~, and probably even more individual scenes of Charlie and Vaggie for their character. You don’t have to like them, but it really annoys me when I see people putting them down just to praise a mlw ship. :/ again, you can praise your ship, without having to attack Chaggie. And if you’re not able to do that, and can only bring up the positives of Ch*rlastor by picking apart chaggie as a couple, then maybe your ship just isn’t that great. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[rowie264]

Why Timebomb shouldn't exist in s2 (part 3 - Relationship)

Part 1 - Ekko Part 2 - Jinx

Now let's look closer at relationship itself between Ekko and Jinx that was shown in the series.

To begin with, I will briefly define my position - I don't ship Ekko and Jinx. But! I can appreciate something, even if it doesn't match my preferences, as long as it's written well.

Timebomb wasn't written well, guys. The foundation - the characters themselves - has already crumbled, as I pointed out in previous posts, and everything else followed behind.

Ekko had a crush on Jinx as a child, yes. But Jinx was killing his friends. Jinx was following Silco's orders, and I'll remind you that Silco killed Benzo and it was because of Silco that zaunites got hooked on shimmer. Forgiving all her actions and understanding why Jinx willingly followed Silco would have taken Ekko muuuuuuuuch longer than it was shown in the series. To cite their childhood bond is to reduce the depth of their conflict and importance of firelights to Ekko.

It's even worse on Jinx's side. Throughout both seasons (except for act1 s1), she doesn't think and talk about Ekko. Zero thoughts about him, zero reflection, as if she didn't care about him at all. All I see in her is a feeling of nostalgia for old friendships in a moment of vulnerability. How am I supposed to believe in their connection if one of the characters doesn't have a single second thought about the other?

And finally, episode 7. Why does it exist (regarding Ekko arc and his realationship with Jinx)? Does it reveal the characters in any way? Well, everyone except Ekko and Heimer are completely fucking different people and have nothing to do with the original ones, so I don't give a damn about them at all. Perhaps Ekko reveals himself more as a character? Mm… And how? What's new we find out about him? That he could be Heimer's student? We already knew he was smart. That he could have dated Powder if things had turned out differently? Well, thanks for the information, but why do I need it? Wouldn't you rather to reveal relationship between Ekko and original Powder/Jinx instead of wasting time on "what if"? Did Ekko need to make a time machine in alternative timeline? No, he could do it in canon timeline just fine.

Also, this "what if" does not serve to reveal relationship between Ekko and Jinx in original timeline. Or did Ekko need to see Powder (like a good version of Jinx) to understand that Jinx is a grown-up Powder and that she is still inside Jinx, and not gone as he thought? Well, you know, I personally saw it already shown in s1 on the bridge (in much more emotional moment with original Powder/Jinx lol).

And what do we have as result:

Ekko is not fully revealed; Jinx has become an OOC; their connection is not shown either through reflection, through characters thoughts, or through any interactions/mentions with other characters; they have very little screen time together - Powder in alternative timeline doesn't count bc she is completely different person; they get along with a snap of fingers as if they hadn't been enemies for many years; Jinx murdering Ekko's friends have no influence at all; restoration of their friendship takes place in a very short unrealistic period of time and, moreover, off screen; the romantic line is sucked out of the finger only to please shippers and is very poorly written.

Timebomb is the ship that demands slow burn if you don't want to fuck up the characters. It demands to attend to their complicated story and broken relationship before going anywhere romantic.

But all of it was brushed aside and that's why i'm not happy about Timebomb existing. Because Jinx's and Ekko's personalities, their complex history and their potential was sacrificed for the sake of this ship.

[mvrdermeharder]

Anyone who says that kaisagi doesn’t make any sense and there’s no romantic chemistry is just saying shit at this point… like cmon are we reading the same manga?? Is your reading comprehension in the room with us?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely fine if you dislike/hate the ship bc it’s not to your tastes, or if you’re just not a shipper in general, i’m not talking about that…

I’m talking abt the ppl who refuse to acknowledge the FACT that their dynamics have a lot of homoerotic undertones, and keep yapping about how they clearly hate each other (very true) and that’s all there is between them (not true).

Like cmon, Isagi has been considering Kaiser his ideal ever since the first nel game, it’s hate mixed with admiration, respect and desire (for his skills). The desire to “be alike”, the desire to “be chased”, the desire to “destroy him”. All of these feelings are prevalent in competitive sports AND when it comes to crushes/romance/sexual desires.

And i’ll say it again: IT’S FINE if you don’t ship it!! It’s fine if you interpret their relationship solely in a “they’re just rivals” way!

But it’s such bullshit to act like there is absolutely no romantic subtext. It’s such bullshit to outright DENY IT.

Oh and don’t even get me started on Kaiser: he’s literally positioning himself to “be chased” when he first meets Isagi, gets totally obsessed with the need to crush him to the point where he literally abandons all rationality and other thoughts to his own detriment (unhealthy obsession at its finest), then realizes that playing against Isagi makes him better, makes him evolve, and playing WITH Isagi is… fun????

Like,, hello??? That is fucking huge??

We’re talking abt a guy who thought that he’s incapable of feeling joy except for when he’s tearing others down (past), and a guy who is wallowing in self hate and has no sense of self worth aside from when he’s scoring goals (present). So for him to feel joy just because he’s playing by Yoichi’s side and to OUTRIGHT ADMIT IT is fucking crazy.

And admitting it is very very important for his character: especially bc i don’t think it’s true that he’s incapable of feeling brief moments of happiness. He’s just not aware of how his own intentions of manipulating Ness had been mixed with the inevitable genuine feelings that spending so much time with someone does to you… cue the first and ONLY time we see his (imo) genuine smile (shower scene w ness).

And getting back on track. The incredible angst that is the recent two chapters… Kaiser breaking down bc he thinks that feeling joy/being affirmed as a human by Yoichi’s side is what made him lose at the end… if that isn’t some “love makes you weaker” ass villain shit then idk what is. (And anyways, he didn’t lose bc he allowed himself to feel good for once, like ffs Kaiser, babe, you lost bc of your constant mistakes when it came to understanding Ness)

And the sus dialogue isn’t there just for shits and giggles either, the mangaka is intentionally and deliberately making use of this language because he’s aware of the homoerotic subtext when it comes to sports manga AND sports in general. The sus dialogue is the author being self aware, regarding the tropes he writes, regarding how similar the power struggles are between competitive sports and sexual relationships. He’s pointing it out and making fun of it with all the ridiculous and downright outrageously gay bllk lines.

And yes, i will reiterate for the third time: it’s okay if you only want to focus on the kaisagi rivalry from a non-homoerotic standpoint. It’s okay if you’re not a fan of the romantic interpretation. It’s okay if the ship isn’t up your alley. IT’S OKAY TO HAVE PERSONAL TASTE.

But ffs don’t even try to argue that the shippers are delusional, bc the material for the ship is RIGHT FUCKING THERE.

CANONICALLY.

Oh and don’t even get me started on all the PARALLELS. Nuh uh, i’d be here for days if i were to yap about all of their contrasts and parallels (visually, in their storylines, regarding personality and psychology, ect ect), all of which that make their dynamics so fucking peak.

And with that, thanks for coming to my ted talk<3

[izzythehutt]

The Sirius being in love with James if he was into dudes is so real - how did Jegulus and Wolfstar become so popular when Prongsfoot was right there?!

The real reason is that shipping is more often a product of what fan culture wants than what the story itself shows (which is fine!) When Wolfstar became a thing, Jily was still the most popular ship for the MWPP era, and so you basically could have everyone's favorite characters double-dating (perfect excuse to cut unpopular Peter out of the dynamic altogether.) It was insanely popular for years and dominated all fanart and fanfic for those two characters—people when the books came out really thought it was canon and there was a lot of drama when Remadora sailed. The dynamic with Sirius and Remus in those fics played with a lot of typical/popular slash tropes (cool guy and bookish hot nerd) of the early 2000s.

Now, people ship what they ship, that's fine. My biggest issue with Wolfstar is that I feel like it led to people in the fandom fundamentally misinterpreting the dynamic of the Marauders as a group. James is clearly the person both of them like and trust the best of their friends, and it's canon that they both distrusted each other enough to each think the other was a spy. There is nothing in the books that would indicate there is anything particular in Lupin and Sirius's relationship (they might have actually been the least close of the four, given what happened.) In the Willow scene there is a classic adolescent boy group pecking order and Lupin is very obviously below James in Sirius's esteem. It's not a friendship of equals and is never portrayed as such. Lupin's inability to check Sirius and James's less savory behavior is a major character defining trait—he and Peter are both the followers in the group.

For the record, I think you could write Sirius/Remus in a romantic dynamic that would be consistent with their characters in the books, it would just be a hell of a lot more dysfunctional than fandom usually portrays them. Sirius would probably be using Lupin because he can't get James and Lupin would understand that's what's happening but put up with it because he has low self-esteem. He would still be passive-aggressive as hell, though.

Of course, Sirius and James having a romantic relationship gets in the way of the most important canon relationship, that of Harry's parents, which is why I suspect it never got a lot of traction in the fandom.

Jegulus seems to be a product of just moving away from the books/straight ships tbh. Back in my day Jily was a totally sacrosanct ship, nobody shipped either of them with anyone (except Snape with Lily, which actually had a canon basis! I guess Snape/James sort of existed too, but that was pretty fringe.)

Bonus: I even find Sirius and Snape being shipped together more plausible/interesting than Sirius and Lupin, lol. Shout out to the Snack people.

[biscuitboba]

Prepare for a very long wordvomits from yours truly (or just ignore)

The thing about me being so frickin obsessed with luffy and zoro's relationship is that... i just think they really are that compatible and perfect for each other in a way that they just, makes sense 

Like yeah i think one or two ships involving zoro and luffy (other than zolu/luzo) are cute or at least ok, but like the amount of love i have for them is like dust compared to my love for zolu:"D And if i'm being reallyy honest, personally i can't really imagine zoro being with someone else that's not luffy IF luffy is present in his life and vice versa?, like for example i think *insert other luffy ship* is cute, but like zoro can't be present in luffy's life for that ship to actually work for me?? So it's gotta be an alternative universe where they don't meet... I can appreciate the fanarts of the other luffy and zoro ships though, as long as they are not insanely wayyy too out of character?? (i just don't actively seek out content of ships that i'm not crazy about)

Not to state the obvious but luffy is my favorite character in one piece:) and right after him, unsurprisingly it's zoro (zoro used to be my number one when i was younger but now he is number two, but i'm sure zoro is fine with me loving his captain just a little bit more, haha)

When it comes to the ships involving my favorite character(s)... i am actually suuuper picky about it? i have to think very deeply about it, like i only want what's best for them, but also the best for the other person too cuz it can't be one sided! And i literally love both luffy and zoro almost equally? (actually i always love the two characters that i ship cuz i can't ship my favorite character with someone that i dislike) With zoro and luffy i've done a lot of thinking. Like, a lot. I thought about all of their potential love interests, every single one of them, but always arrived at the same conclusion that no one completes them the way they complete each other. Proof? Plz just scroll through my tumblr #zolu or #luzo i literally only talk about their relationship😭 They really are the most perfect person for each other. It's almost like they were made for each other? Everything about them, their principles, their personalites, they just fits

Like they are so insane, because at a surface level they can be interpreted as just platonic (which is a completely fine interpretation for the non zolu people out there!), but when you try to look more into it, on a deeper level, looking at every part of their interactions while considering their characterizations, motivations et cetera, like everything just clicks. Their devotion towards each other, all the little things they say and do relating to each other. They are best friends, they are the captain and the first mate, and maybe they are also something a lil bit more? Sometimes i don't even think i can label their relationship, cause from the outside… their relationship looks so simple, yet not without depth (so much depth!) and nuance. With zolu, you either get them or don't get them at all. One thing for sure is that they work really well together!!

Also, everytime i think about zolu as just friends.. but then i compare my relationship with my best friend(s) to luffy and zoro's relationship... and i don't know, if my best friend treats me the way zoro and luffy treat each other? I fear i will have to drop the "what are we?" question. I'm so serious, like that man? zoro?? He is enamored. Completely whipped- bewitched, body and soul. While on luffy's side, his way of expressing love is more subtle, but i've talked about that before here.

They say there's a thin line between love and hate... but there's also a thin line between platonic and romantic love, and maybe that's why one of my favorite tropes in ships is the one where they start out as friends... (harurin from free, bakudeku, pegoryu, fluri, soriku, cloti, cleon, kimron, percabeth, kataang, lumity, appledash, katyana, korrasami, harlivy, etc #friendstolovers ftw!)

Like luffy and zoro... The god personified and the non believer. Oda is literally so insane for that..

One is very carefree and easy to put his trust in others. And the other is the more rigid one and needs to slowly build his trust. One is the more emotional one. The other is the stoic and more composed one. They share the same values, the same braincells, they can communicate and understand each other even without having to say much.

Their colors complement each other, their zodiac signs are compatible, their personalites can be quite contrasting but they actually blend perfectly. They are different but also the same. No one makes zoro smile as much as luffy, no one else luffy likes to lean on as much as he likes to lean and rely on zoro. No one makes zoro worry as much as luffy, even though luffy himself is very strong. No one luffy trusts with his crew as much as he trusts them with zoro, and his nakama means everything to luffy. They are the happiest when they are together.. fighting side by side, laughing with each other, talking with each other... They respect and understand each other the most. They are just so insane and i am also insane and-

They are the only two strawhats with twin numbers for their birth dates and months. The only two strawhats with CoC. The only two strawhats fighting for the greatest titles (pirate king and world's greatest swordsman respectively) they are the only two strawhats with a lot of parallels (let it be between each other like the hero talk in fishman island, or with the other captains and their first mates, which i kinda(?) have talked about before, here).

Zoro's the only member of his crew that luffy actually tries to find (he doesn’t stumble upon him like how he does with the rest of the strawhats) Zoro is the first person in canon that we see luffy enthusiastically feel it's okay to share his meal with. The first person outside of his family (i consider shanks and his crew, dadan, and makino as part of his found family!) that he cries and worries for (baratie arc). Zoro is the first person that he mentions when he splits up with his crew and the first one he calls whenever they meet again (alabasta, skypiea, punk hazard, zou, etc)

Zoro is luffy's anchor especially during difficult times (e.g. water7), he is luffy's voice of reason (e.g. pre-egghead), and luffy often listens to him (like when zoro gives luffy his assessment of a situation and how he thinks they should handle the situation and luffy immediately agrees to his plan)

And kinda random but meat is like the perfect food for beer! luffy's perfect for zoro!! Meat paired with the right beer can amplify each other's flavors. Even their favorite food (luffy) and drink (zoro) complement each other, like oda are you serious?? and the crazy thing is i'm pretty sure i haven't written down all the things that make me crazy about them

From their deal in shells town, then BOOM! zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark, all the way to luffy's blush, the iconic hug, and whatever tf that "if you're gonna invite our captain to hell, i'll come along as well" // "sorry... now you have no reason to die" bs in wano

Like how can i be normal about the two characters whose dreams have already merged into one that they can no longer achieve their dreams without each other by their side? i'm on my knees crying thinking about the bond between luffy and zoro-

[trianglesimpfordpines]

the thing is. i'm not really interested in arguing over whether or not "billford is canon," because we know the story of bill & ford and interpreting it as romantic or not romantic doesn't change much at this point. whatever they had, whether or not you personally view it as romantic, was very intense, had a profound effect on both of them, and was horribly abusive on bill's part.

deep friendships can be abusive and cause lifelong trauma, just as much as romantic relationships. so i'm not gonna be out here being like "um, billford is canon, cry about it" because it's not my business how any given individual fan goes about interpreting the semantics of their relationship.

that said, though, it's become very clear that romantic feelings between bill and ford are a valid and canonically plausible interpretation. no, that's not the same as "100% explicitly canon," and no, it doesn't mean you have to ship it. but it does mean that continuing to behave as though people who do interpret it as romantic are doing something morally and/or intellectually wrong by having this interpretaion is unreasonable.

since bill was abusive to ford either way, why is it that interpreting ford's feelings for him pre-betrayal as having been romantic in nature is viewed by some people as being Uniquely Problematic? like being interested in the dynamic of their still extremely toxic friendship is normal, but the second you read anything besides friendship into it suddenly you're crossing some sort of line into Trivializing Abuse?

because...like. romantic relationships get ugly in real life. frequently, in fact. it's a very well-known, extensively-documented phenomenon. and, while "the use of romance-coded language to describe bill and ford's relationship in tbob is just a joke" is also a valid and plausible interpretation, why is that Less Uncomfortable than the idea that ford could have been in love with bill? if the goal is to avoid acknowledging the unfortunate idea that a person can hold positive and affectionate feelings for their abuser, then shouldn't viewing them as ex-close-friends be just as bad as viewing them as ex-lovers? after all, platonic or queerplatonic feelings are not "a step down" from romantic feelings. friendship isn't a "lower" tier of love, just a different type.

and most of all, why is agreeing with the romantic interpretation still treated as if it means you can't possibly be taking the story (or ford's abuse) seriously? because this is a common thread i see in a lot of fandoms, not just gravity falls. the idea that applying a romantic or formerly-romantic lens to the relationship between two characters, especially two male characters, can ONLY be done out of a "zomg hawt yaoi 😍" mentality. again, i am not saying you have to ship them or view this interpretation as "canon," but i kinda wish people would spend a bit of time thinking of why, whenever somebody else does ship it, their immediate conclusion is that that somebody else must be a "brainrotted fujoshi" who can't possibly understand how serious abuse is.

like, why is it that so many people think "shipping" is some kind of uniquely frivolous thing that is fundamentally incompatible with (a) actually understanding the story, (b) engaging with any serious and/or uncomfortable themes in a mature or respectful manner, and (c) knowing when a ship is not realistically healthy?

why is it that saying "ford held very deep feelings of platonic affection and admiration for bill, and viewed him as his closest or only friend" all fine and dandy, even though this interpretation does not change the fact that ford once felt very positively about his abuser, but saying "ford was in love with bill" nosedives straight into Gross Icky Weird Freak behavior?

finally, a lot of billford shippers are people who've had personal experiences with abuse. as are a lot of people who are triggered by billford content and don't want to see it. this isn't because the shippers are problematic abuse-fetishizing fujoshis, nor is it because the non-shippers are coping and seething and refusing to acknowledge canon. it is, in fact, because different people, even different people with similar experiences and similar traumas, are going to have different reactions to seeing things that hit close to home in a fictional story. neither party is necessarily "wrong," nor are they necessarily invalidating the other.

and again. just to be absolutely clear. i view all three interpretations (romantic billford, qpr billford, & platonic billford) as valid. the one i personally go with is that ford was in love with bill romantically, but i do not think this is the One True Canon Interpretation. this post is not arguing about the canonicity of billford as a ship.