#i think good representation of grief is so important

[fightingdragonswithwho]

i can’t stop thinking about this last season of dead to me and the only thing i can say is… why?

[atamascolily]

I'm not the first person to observe that magical girls are literally a brighter and more vibrant version of their ordinary selves, but I like this particular Memoria from Magia Record, "Girl's Boundary" ("That Which Divides" in the North American server) not only because it shows this juxtaposition directly, but because it also makes the subtext explicitly text:

There is a vast gap between ordinary girls and Magical Girls. An invisible but tremendous gap. However, armed with their "feelings" and "wishes" they can cross that gap in a single step.

There's a tendency to focus on the downsides of contracting--and for good reason--but I think that it's also important to focus on the very real appeal (especially for adolescents) of stepping out of your boring everyday life and becoming an idealized and powerful version of yourself, complete with ruffles and sparkles. (The sparkles in this drawing indicate that this is 2-star Memoria, and probably were not meant to be Magical Girl Madoka is sparkling, but wow, does it sure look like it at first glance.) It's such a powerful fantasy, and this card does such a great job of depicting that, and showing what it's like for it to come true.

The use of "boundary," 境界 (kyoukai) here is interesting to me in contrast to the kekkai, 結界, or magical barrier created by witches (translated as "labyrinth" in the official English version). Becoming a witch is literally being bounded, circumscribed, limited in possibilities; instead of being able to transform back and forth, they are fundamentally stuck in a monstrous and inhuman form for eternity. A witch is neither a magical nor an ordinary girl but a secret third thing, reviled and trapped in their own personal hell, existing in a liminal space that is anathema to the world around it (represented by the change in animation). Magical girls, however, have the freedom to cross over at will because their feeling and wishes give them strength and power to do so.

This card's text also reinforces the idea that magical girls literally exist in a different world that ordinary people cannot experience. In the original series, this gap serves to isolate and alienate them from their previous existence and ensure there is no turning back (and Madoka and Sayaka do not even have to contract to experience this for themselves; just being introduced to that world is enough).

However, the act of becoming a magical girl--both the original contract and the transformation--is, like electrons, fundamentally quantum in nature: it allows them to instantly* jump from world to world without passing through any points in between. Which makes sense in a weird sort of way, since "feelings" and "wishes" are literally energy, and the transformation of soul gem to grief seed comes with a powerful explosion reminiscent of nuclear fission.

(*Many arguments have been made about how long magical girl transformations actually take in-universe and whether the slow montages are experienced by the girls and/or observers or are only a representation for the audience; YMMV, but on several occasions we see magical girls in PMMM transform instantly without an extended sequence, which makes the latter seem more likely.)

Speaking of transformation sequences, this card evokes Madoka's in the opening of the PMMM, where she dances with her double. More poignantly, it also speaks to Madoka's profound self-worth issues, where she feels she is useless in her ordinary life and can only find fulfillment as a magical girl.

Finally, I have a lot of questions about that magic circle design in the upper right corner, and I wish more of it was visible in the background.

[erinwantstowrite]

Hello!!!! Who is everyone dating in LoF (if they're dating anyone at all)?? :D

AHH good question!! I have a general idea for most characters, but for some I have plans :3

As for dating:

I honestly have no clue with Bruce, but that's just how it is all the time, isn't it?

Dick is dating Wally, because Birdflash for the win!! But he has dated Kori in the past, Babs, (and etc) and they're still good friends to this day :)

Jason I'm still debating on. I like him and Roy and I think it's a popular ship? I haven't looked too far into it. I also hear that Jay, Roy, AND Kori are a ship and that's so so so good

Tim and Kon are in their "will they won't they" where everyone else knows they're dating and they also know they're dating but they don't bring it up at all. Also might have a YJ polycule just for funsies, don't really know atp

I need to read more about Damian and Flatline (AKA Nika) but from what I've seen so far they are. ADORABLE. Like so freaking cute I can't stand it

Cass and Steph are also dating- if anyone is worried about a detail that was in a previous chapter that would make that WAY weird, I went back and edited that. My mistake, y'all, that's on me.

A lot of people asked about Lanky and Shoes and this is my formal announcement: Yes, they are in love!!

As for other characters, it's up in the air. It really depends on what I see everyone ask about the most (but final decision is left to me :3). If I see that people like a certain ship and it's good, I could go ahead and mention it in the background, etc.

And for Peter: Ned.

A lot of people have looked at me strange for this one, but I thought it would be fun to explore that dynamic. I know Ned isn't MJ, or Harry, or whatever other ship people like, but I think they're cute. Some people stopped reading because of it, but I don't want to go back on it... So I don't think I will. I understand where most come from, it's not their cup of tea, but others were just plain nasty and I had to delete their comments on the fic itself, tiktok, etc.

Right now, they're best friends!! Ned is definitely aware he has a crush and is ignoring it, but Peter has no idea. That's 'cause they're both younger in this fic and I think right now they have more important things to worry about than Love. It's more of a puppy crush thing right now, more subtext than plain text.

But later on in the story, it's going to be explored. I may or may not write them becoming a couple or putting a label on it, but it will be talked about. It really depends on where the story goes. But I am of the belief that romantic love isn't the only type of love that can be written about, and at the end of the day, LoF is about the various forms of love and grief.

I think a good way to term Peter is biromantic asexual? I'm not too sure about the terminology here, so take that with a grain of salt. I'm pretty sure bisexuality is on the ace spectrum? Like he's still 14 and he's got a lot of time to figure that out. In my head that's just how it is.

I hope to have a lot of representation in LoF! There's a lot to explore and being apart of the community, I know how important it is. And I hope I don't actually have to moderate my comments because of it, that would suck

[heliza24]

Complicated Thoughts on Daniel's Turning (or, in defense of disabled vampires)

So I have complicated feelings about Daniel’s turning. The way I feel about it changes every day. Sometimes I don’t mind it, but some days, on days like today when I’ve dealt with a bunch of other ableist bullshit out in the real world, I kind of hate it. Or at least I think I might, depending on how season 3 pans out.

One of the first reasons I fell in love with the show was its inclusion of a disabled character as the main audience surrogate. I’ve already written a lot about what good disabled representation Daniel is, and how including a sick character serves as a foil for the bodily transformation vampires experience and adds to the story. So many of the show’s themes of immortality and grief are thrown into high relief by the inclusion of Daniel as a disabled/chronically ill man.

Interview with the Vampire is a show about trauma and grief, and I found it especially exciting that the show’s refusal to pull any punches extended to addressing the pandemic. The pandemic is a huge source of loss, trauma and grief, especially for disabled people, and Hollywood’s response to that has been to memory hole it as quickly as possible. Most shows, artists and viewers find it too painful to delve back into these sore spots. But Interview with Vampire can’t do that, because the main plot of the show is about a character being “protected” from trauma by having his memories removed. This is a show that wants us to confront our grief in our pain and learn how to move through it.

So you can see how Daniel showing up as a vampire in the very last minutes of season two was a little jarring and initially upsetting to me. Gone are all of those complex explorations of illness and trauma and instead Daniel is almost a completely different character. The fact that this was dropped as basically a tease for the next season, like a Marvel post credits sequence, was what really bothered me. This incredibly important transformation was reduced to a punch line at worst and a “coming next on” at best.

There are a lot of unfortunate tropes that get used almost every time an able bodied writer decides to include a disabled character (and let’s be real, they are always able bodied, because disabled writers do not get hired to show run). One of the most common is the “magical cure“. This happens in almost every example of speculative fiction that includes a disabled character that I can think of. It means that disabled characters are effectively written out of almost every fantasy and science fiction story. There are a lot of problems with this trope. It tells disabled people that they don’t deserve stories that include magic or adventure. It takes away opportunities from disabled actors and means that able bodied actors are cast, and then instructed to “crip up” for the scenes that take place before their cure arrives. (I love Eric’s performance, but it’s not lost on me that he’s an able bodied actor playing a disabled character). There’s the fact that cures are very rarely complete, and most disabled people live in a halfway world of having some access and some treatment that is effective, while they still deal with the physical pain or exclusion that being disabled brings. And there’s no reason that this in betweenness would not extend to treatment available in speculative worlds. Perhaps the worst part of this trope is that it bends to able bodied peoples’ discomfort around this ambiguity. Chronic pain and inaccessibility and reliance on care is sad and scary to a lot of people, and they’d rather not see it. And because of that, they lose out on an opportunity to explore all sorts of themes that only disabled characters can really unlock. Themes about the body, about metamorphosis, about community, and about a hundred other things that us crips understand in a way that someone outside our bodies cannot see in the same way.

So the way that Daniel was presented at the very end of season two was as a complete and total magical cure. He doesn’t have to worry about pandemic anymore, his movement seems a lot easier, and he’s immortal now.

If the show moves forward in this way, without digging deeper into Daniel‘s transformation and perhaps re-examining some vampire lore, it’s going to end up sacrificing some of the themes that made season one and two so great. And it’s going to make me very upset.

However, I think there’s a lot of opportunity for the show to explore Daniel’s transformation with sensitivity and depth. I haven’t talked about Armand yet in this meta, but I love him and I love shipping him with Daniel. My love for Devil’s minion is perhaps the one reason I wasn’t purely angry about Daniel being turned in the way that he was; I do appreciated the way it sets up the show to explore their complicated dynamic. In particular, I’m fascinated by the fact that Armand not only violated his own personal vow never to turn someone, but also violated the great laws when doing so. Daniel breaks the laws in just about every way – he’s written about the history of the vampires, he knows the vampires true identity and has been allowed to live, etc. But the biggest violation is that Daniel is “crippled“ when he’s turned. Now I’ve already written about the way the vampire coven and the great laws espouse eugenics, and I think the show makes it pretty clear that these laws are harmful. The greatest tragedy of the show is Claudia‘s murder. She was killed because according to the coven, she was turned too young. This early turning really had no tangible negative impact on her life as a vampire except in the way that other vampires perceived her. The consequences were all imposed by the coven, who saw her body as wrong and unacceptable. In show canon Armand was also turned when he was sick. Specifically, he had some kind of wasting disease, then made him lose muscle and feel weaker as he came closer to dying. I’ve always maintained the part of the reason that Armand comes down so hard on Claudia is because he projects his own insecurities and weaknesses on her. If he doesn’t eliminate her, someone might recognize how similar they are and question Armand‘s power and authority.

I wonder how much older Daniel’s Parkinson’s reminds Armand of his wasting disease. I wonder if the fact that their vampire eyes are the same color makes Armand think about how similar they are, and about how they are both violators of the Great Laws. I wonder if they ever talk about the ableism inherent in vampire society. I wonder if Armand worries that his transformation of Daniel will be incomplete or botched, because he’s never made one before and because why would there be a prohibition against turning disabled people if there weren’t potential negative consequences? I wonder if sometimes Daniel feels conflicted about leaving behind a body that caused him pain but also shaped him into the person he is, the person that Armand fell in love with (fell in love with again?). I wonder if the show will explore any of these questions with the depth the deserve, or if it will lean fully into a quick and tidy magical cure for Daniel. I really, really hope they do the conversations around Daniel’s turning justice. Because I think in the right hands, a script that explores these issues could be transcendent. These are all themes that the show has already been exploring, and it would be a downright shame to fumble the opportunity to deepen the storytelling around bodily difference, eugenics, grief and change at the final hurdle.

If I were writing on the show, I would lobby hard to have Daniel still retain some symptoms of Parkinson’s even after he’s turned. I know that Daniel will be an unusually powerful fledgling, because he’s Armand‘s only and Armand is very powerful and old. But disability does not preclude power. Daniel should have extraordinary vampire instincts, and power – we’ve already seen him master long distance telepathy quite early, and he could have access to other gifts as a young vampire too. But he could be doing all those things while still sometimes having tremors or fatigue or experiencing the ghosts of old pain. What an interesting way to add complexity to a loud and brash new fledgling.

In general, I want to make the case for disabled vampires. Anne Rice was immensely talented but also immensely ableist. But that doesn’t mean we have to be too. We can take her world and make it more colorful and diverse, just as the show has already begun to do. And let me tell you, there is no group of people more prepared to become vampires than disabled people. We’ve already had to adapt to bodies that act in unruly ways. We’ve already had to cope with being outcasts in society. And those of us with chronic pain (I include myself here) have a more similar relationship to pain and bodies to vampires than to most other humans. Vampires spend a lot of time being afraid of pain; since they are immortal, it’s the next biggest threat after death. Not a lot of people experience pain in this way, as totally separate from a mortal threat on their life. But I do, because even on days when I am in blinding, horrendous pain, it is in no danger of killing me. Its only consequence is the toll it takes on my mind and spirit. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone more prepared to weather the uncertainty and the pain and the brutality of living forever than disabled people. And I would absolutely love to see a disabled vampire in action on my screen.

As we move into season three, and into Lestat’s rockstar career, we’re going to necessarily leave behind the world that is still concerned about the pandemic. Rock venues and musicians in the real world have abandoned any kind of Covid precautions and no longer care if their concerts are super spreaders. Lestat doesn’t strike me as someone particularly concerned with the health of mortals, so I’m sure he’ll be the same. So I hope in order to balance that out, the show does make a deliberate attempt to continue exploring disability through Daniel. I guess they might also weave the pandemic into the Great Convergence and whatever they’ve got cooking for Those Who Must Be Kept since those things were mentioned together and season one, and I would also be excited to see that.

In the meantime, I’m going to be writing a fic that explores Daniel’s turning in a way that delves into all of the questions I asked earlier about the intersections of disability, eugenics, and vampirism. I would love if you read the first chapter and subscribed. I would also love if you included disability in your discussions about the show, and especially about baby vamp Daniel. I can only hope that the writers will follow our example!

[heartgold]

Something ingenious about ep3 is how Battler is at his worst here but in a markedly different way from his ep1 characterization... Also it's meta!Battler who acts that way rather than his piece, which marks not only the author shift but also this depiction being deeply allegorical

Like. Ep3 meta!Battler is super dismissive of Beatrice even as she tells him about the most horrific parts of her trauma through a fantasy lens that doesn't even obfuscate the worst of it (and Battler actually... manages to decipher it with some prodding from Ronove), and yet he still brushes it off. His relationship to Beatrice in the meta layer is super antagonistic at this point. He correctly figures out that she's confessing to something very painful but doesn't care to think about it or why she's bringing it up because she has already been characterized as a heartless cruel monster in his eyes, therefore she hasn't earned his sympathy and good faith. It might as well be a trick just to confuse him

The way their relationship improves the moment she starts "reforming" and acting all cute and pitiable is important because it shows her both playing into his fantasy of "fixing" her and making her change her ways just to sweep the rug from under his feet and prank him about it at the end AND playing into this good victim fantasy for herself and genuinely relishing in the understanding and good faith he was willing to extend to her once she played the role he wanted her to (this is blatantly Sayo's complex with becoming the person others want her to be in order to deserve their love... It hurts........)

This marking the author shift and being a meta-only dynamic is super interesting to me  because it can mean so many things. I like to think of the metaworld as a representation of the journey in understanding the story from within. We know that from the IRL angle Tohya wrote ep3 while not knowing the full truth and believing Eva to be the most likely culprit based off snippets of memory and her survival. You could read Evatrice claiming the role of the antagonist while Beato goes through a "redemption arc" as Tohya struggling with his memories, deep down knowing the painful truth but being unable to access that memory or accept it, therefore pointedly scapegoating Eva to process his feelings of guilt and grief towards the witch

But by wishing her to be blameless and pinning everything on someone else he is neglecting her heart and looking away from her true feelings, from all the things she wanted to communicate and from all the circumstances that brought upon the tragedy (and ultimately, from Battler's sin). I can see this internal struggle being meta-translated as ep3 Battler being selfish like that and refusing to engage with Beatrice until she becomes "good"... You can feel a lot of self loathing in it. It's a rocky start to their parallel journeys until they both Get It and it's so interesting to me how, in hindsight, it's very clear that it truly starts when the stories change hands

Overall it's a VERY good discussion of projection, with the added lens of how we engage with stories. How only seeing what you want to see flattens the complexity of humans into characters. Beato's "redemption arc" is tropey for a reason! She even shouts out dating sims and anime as the inspiration for it to make it clear this was just her reducing herself to a character archetype! Umineko is very critical of the idea of redemption in the first place and it really shows here

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

i think Helaena can be autistic but also a happy and joyful girl , autism ≠ depression. the way the portrayed the only neurodivergent character on screen as unstable, shunned depressed, and with no importance to the plot feel very ableist and weird , but then they're the ones who made the guy with a foot disability a feet fetishist 🫠

Hi OP, finally answering this because the trailer dropped and still the only Helaena shots we have are from her Jaehaerys' funeral. There is also one still photo of her. If you haven't seen it, here she is, apparently sewing the funeral shroud for her little boy:

So it seems like season 2 is going to continue on this trajectory for Helaena as a character who exists in order to suffer beautifully.

Don't get me wrong. I am glad that the show is going to wring the full emotional effect from Blood and Cheese, not just shock value. The audience will feel the real horror of a six year old child brutally murdered in his own home and the psychological torment of Helaena. It should be terrible, it should be devastating, and I hope they do not pull any punches.

What's disappointing about how the show has handled Helaena is that they didn't really put any effort into building up her character before her tragedy. It's all well and good that she likes bugs and she's touch averse, but what are her opinions? Who is she closest to? How did she react to becoming a mother so young? To what extent does she understand her visions? What does she value? She can be happy and cheerful, or she can be frustrated and angry, and hell, she can be depressed too, but I need to know why. It's telling that I can describe the basic internal motivations for each of the male children, including Luke who was a glorified plot device, but I cannot for Helaena. Aegon wants to feel loved, Jace wants to prove he's as worthy as any trueborn heir, Aemond wants what his brother has, Luke wants to be free from his family's expectations. Helaena? Fuck if I know. I guess she wants not to die horribly.

The ableism is an issue. F&B is full of women who were deemed "simple" -- Gael, Daella, Jaehaera-- without being given much else to define them, and HotD adds another (there's something, I think, to the way the "simple" Targaryens are always women and how disability kind of used as a way to remove them from the narrative and shunt them aside, often tragically). And while it's great to see an autistic person represented on screen, the show consistently has an issue with treating representation as characterization. "Autistic girl who likes bugs" is not a personality. Autistic people, (even those with horrifying prophesies I assume), do have hopes and dreams and feelings about things. The one peek we get into Helaena's life is at the in episode 8 when she roasts Aegon and even that scene is open to interpretation (and gets taken wildly out of context). Now, I can read a lot into the actor performances, but ultimately, lines that could have given a glimpse Helaena personality were cut. It's as if they're afraid that if they give her an opinion on anything she would lose that (frankly kind of infantilizing) "pure cinnamon roll too good for this world" "i would die for her" sympathy from people who are not inclined to be sympathetic for her family as a whole.

(And anon, you're right about Larys. And let me say, turning Larys' clubfoot into the punchline of an OnlyFeet joke also does not inspire confidence that they'll handle Aegon II's eventual disability with any sensitivity either, especially when Mushroom's accounts of his last few months are incredibly mean spirited. We need to start that discourse now so they get the memo).

Sadly, I don't think the show really has any intention of course correcting with Helaena in season 2. I imagine at most we'll have her try to warn Aegon and/or Aemond about Blood & Cheese but they won't understand her warning, and then this will be a vehicle to further their guilt and grief. And while we do need to see Aegon's guilt and his grief, I also want to know if Helaena blames herself, if she wishes they'd run away when they had the chance, if she thinks Aegon could have done something, if she is angry at Aemond for killing Luke, if she wants revenge. I do think, with the public funeral for Jaehaerys, they are going to show that the smallfolk are fond of Helaena, and hopefully that will be expanded upon this season and in season 3 because her death is the catalyst for the revolt that sees Rhaenyra driven from the city, and we should understand why her death has such an impact before she actually dies.

[punkeropercyjackson]

Man i just.Why do DC fans prioritize trans Jason over the actual representation in his story.Yes yes yes he has tons of transmasc swag so there's this he/they weird goth tboy so true but in CANON,almost all his important people are poc or women and every one of his love interests is BOTH and they're......completely erased in trans Jason headcanons,as if they can't perfectly co-exist

I've seen literally ZERO posts of Duke included in 'All Batboys are trans' in all my years as a Batman fan when he's Jason's favorite brother.No Talia helping out with adjusting to his Lazarus Pit testosterone and surgeries combo when HER FAMILY OWNS IT and when SHE WAS THERE WHEN HE GOT THROWN IN.T4T Jaytemis/Jayrose?Nonexistent and nobody even aknowledges they're a part of his lore while also complaining about lack of female characters because they refuse to seek them out so they can focus on their female coded binary white boy.Him and Stephanie being transmasc/transfem solidarity as found trans siblings?I may as well be dreaming if i ever see get to see it.I can't even enjoy the ones of him with Dick and Damian unless it's just them because it's genuinely so upsetting to see Tim too but no Duke.And i'm not gonna touch on the all loads of smut that claim to be representation but are actually fetishizing with ZERO respect or care for his transmasculinity other than i hope y'all get over that internalized trans*phobia soon and that fuckass transmisogyny with your minus zero inclusion of transfems,be it canon girls or egg headcanons

It literally dosen't matter if you make Jason trans if you erase everything THAT'S ALREADY THERE.As a black trans femme,i don't want your whitewashed bullshit.Jason is already rep-He's poor and mentally ill with ptsd and implied cluster b disorder(s)and with the add on of the afrolatino side of the DC fandom claiming him i'm good with those but y'all erase THAT too by making him rich by Bruce given nepotism baby status and a million other things you've made up because you just can't stomach the thought of some peasent being your fave,you woobify him by downplaying his symptoms so he can be your lil bad boy bf you can fix with your coquettish wiles or whatever the fuck and you don't see him as afrolatino because of a connection and relatability like we do but because you think it adds 'spice' to him or are a snowbunny or both.He's still him if he's cis but he's not himself if dosen't have those traits i said because they're actually fucking canon and believe it or not,canon IS better sometimes and you'd know that if you bothered to read and watch it

Jason's story is NOT a trans metaphor.Jason's story is about grief and poverty and trauma and the poc and women and woc he loves and cherishes and this is why so many of us irl love him.It's not Jason's story if there's no Talia or Dick or Damian or Rose or Artemis or Stephanie or DUKE,who IS a Batboy,who IS a Robin,who IS Jason's FAVORITE,NONE of who are options for him but the people he actively CHOOSES to have as parts of his life.Jason's story is NOT about YOU.Not everything is

[hoshiko2000]

So with production for Good Omens Season 3 officially halted, it does look like cancellation may be on the horizon. Because yeah, I really don't think Amazon would 'pause' production on a show this lucrative if there wasn't serious discussions currently going on about 'if' and 'how' it should continue. A production shuffle-up - ie. Neil Gaiman getting booted and new staff being put in charge - is certainly a possibility. But it is important to remember that this will still be a show that is written by him and very intrinsically linked to his brand. And whether fans or studios will still have an appetite for it considering this fact is something that has to be seriously considered.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that as disappointing as it would be, cancelling Good Omens season 3 may be the hard but right decision. And, frankly, if season 2 is anything to go by, we may not be missing out on too much to be honest.

But on a serious note, I do want to use this news as an opportunity to share my own thoughts on the situation, which I will do under the cut (and as is probably obvious, there are trigger warnings for references to SA).

Despite Neil Gaiman's works being a massive part of my content here on this tumblr - and yes, that is something I am very aware of- I've not posted about the sexual assault allegations up until now for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'm a working adult in my 30s; tumblr is very much a place I come to chill, I'm far too old (and frankly, tired) to get involved in discourse or heated fandom debates (not that those are the correct terms to use to refer to rape allegations but you catch my drift). But the other reason is that these revelations have honestly devasted me, in a way that I'm still processing and doesn't feel like an exaggeration to describe as grief, a feeling I'm sure is echoed by many other people.

Neil Gaiman's works have been a massive part of my adult life, and while I know it sounds like a cliche, they have gotten me through some incredibly difficult times. Coming to terms with the fact that such beautiful, thoughtful, empathetic novels and series have been written by a rapist has been incredibly difficult.

What has also been incredibly difficult to come to terms with is the fact that the incredible queer representation that has drawn so many of us to his television works in recent years was, in hindsight, indisputably a grooming tactic. And yes, grooming is the right word.

The grooming of communities is not something that is often discussed but is absolutely a thing. Predators groom victims to gain access to them, and they groom the people around both the victim and themselves to make it seem unbelievable when the victim later comes forward. And this can happen parasocially too. In the case of Neil Gaiman, he groomed his fanbase by constructing a calculated image as vocal a LGBT ally, drawing in queer fans and creating a smokescreen of apparent empathy and kindness to cast doubt on the future allegations he likely knew would inevitably catch up with him.

I really want to stress - particularly for younger fans - that no one is stupid or somehow culpable for having been fooled by Gaiman, for having supported his works previously, and for continuing to support his works now. I myself have no intention to leave the fandoms I am already a part of, and I genuinely do not believe anyone is under any sort of pressure or obligation to do so. The separation of the art from the artist is a very tricky subject and not something that can ever be done entirely. And if I'm honest I'm not really sure how to navigate this myself, or what this is going to mean for me in the future.

But to get back to the subject of my blog, yes I am planning to continue reposting content related to Good Omens and Dead Boy Detectives. However the latter differs drastically in that the series was not actually written by Neil Gaiman and is effectively an author-approved spin-off of one of his works. Good Omens on the other hand I have more complicated feelings towards, and at this point I am not sure how I feel about future series being made, with or without Gaiman's involvement.

I'm sorry if this post is a rambling mess, it has taken me a lot of time to build up to being able to share my thoughts, and while there is a lot more I could say I will stop here. But on a closing note, let's just be kind to each other. This situation is awful, lets not make it any worse. Give space for the victims, give space for the fans, and give space to people to continue to enjoy fandom spaces without making assumptions about where they stand on these allegations. It is a hard time, but things will get better, and these fandom spaces will continue to be a positive place for people to exist online. Lets keep it that way.

[sageandred]

This is a bit long, but my thoughts on Carlos/Season 5:

Gonna say something controversial, but Carlos' storyline has been foreseeable for a long long time now and the show has been laying the groundwork as early as season 1.

Carlos being a ranger and "following in his dad's footsteps" has been hinted at since the first season, and definitely in the works since his investigative journeys with Grace and the missing girl when his boss tells him he should take the Detective Exam. This isn't surprising. Carlos in "Bad Call" was shown to have good instincts and his dad couldn't admit to it (for protocol reasons), but they were shown at a point of contention for their differing work tactics and disagreeing on the kidnapping case with TK. And maybe Carlos "never wanted to be a ranger" and this goes against his beliefs — I get it, but I've always viewed it as he was scared and becoming a detective was inevitable. The moral compass of the Texas Ranger angle and his dad having potentially corrupt actions on his record is interesting and will definitely be a point they address for Carlos either going down a bad path or being conflicted within his rank.

I've had thoughts on this relating to a different topic, but there's a lot of storytelling they could do with Carlos taking on the same title as Gabriel. Could Carlos struggle in this position either with corruption and tough decisions or because following his dad ends up being "too big of shoes to fill"? Could he become so obsessed with the investigation that he loses himself completely and his morals along the way before he pulls himself back? Will Carlos' career upgrade actually make him an even better "officer" and be more fitting of a job calling for him where he challenges the history of the job and sticks to his belief system? This is obviously a connection to Gabriel and his motivations for doing it will come out upon the premiere, but he still has the opportunity to make his own path if he sticks with the title by the end of the season.

Another controversial take, I need to get off my chest: Gabriel and Gwyn's deaths were necessary and narratively vital to progress the characters Here's the thing with Gabriel: he and Carlos did not have a good relationship; they were on the path to mending (..kind-of), but they didn't see eye-to-eye and Carlos' hurt from his coming out was/is still present. I don't really see how they could keep him alive without sacrificing some of the deeper exploration into Carlos' progression and insight to his character. They already set-up the "Carlos, you and dad got along so well" narrative that he doesn't remember via his sisters.. This is important. I've always seen Carlos as viewing Gabriel as a strict father and (with 4x18's knowledge), he didn't fair well as the only son (who's also gay). Carlos is going to have to revisit some childhood memories and the memory of his dad and I don't think he would ever come to some conclusions without the death. Tbh, some mending and epiphanies only come in grief and Carlos realistically probably would never feel close with his dad the way he should've or have untainted views re: his upbringing without the event happening. He will probably feel closer to his dad and come to see Gabriel's personal perspectives & truths more than he ever has, if I'm right about the storytelling.

Lastly, I wanna talk about tarlos and their differing inputs on kids, or uncertainty for the future. I think it's cool that Carlos is shown to lean towards not wanting and they settle to desiring to be together in their own way in the end. If Carlos never has a definitive desire.. cool! I think they'll be fine and the story will be an uncommon on-screen representation of where it works out. However, as someone who's more leaning towards not wanting kids, I don't really think that's Carlos based on what he's said. It seems to me, Carlos has concerns about being a father AND being like his father that hinder him from feeling comfortable about this (no hate to Gabriel; again I think Carlos' experience of growing up conflicts to Gabriel's perception of being a parent and how others' viewed them together). The fact that the kids conversation happens in season 4 means the writers knew they were going to kill Gabriel off at the end of the season and were well on their way to setting up the story they're trying to tell for the audience. I know if Carlos grows fond of parenting or he has a new conversation with TK about his thoughts, there are going to be some people that say he "changed his mind" when the story is laid out evidently from where I'm watching.

Stories are set up with purposes that have beginnings, middle, and ends that you can usually tell where they're going once you make it so far in the journey. And you can predict this with every well-known character that I even just implied yesterday that Wyatt would struggle as a dispatcher, because that makes sense narratively (with what we've seen from him in the past), and when Grace is absent, he's the only option that makes sense to take her position rather than someone random (from a show-development point of view).

[seluneclerics]

Omg just binge read the five existing chapters of more the fool me and brooooo

Like I just sat my self down and didn’t get up until I finished and I’m so desperate for more!!!

The way you write the characters feels so authentic, even though their relationships develop fairly quick - it doesn’t feel rushed and makes complete sense!

You write Miranda so well, I’ve always in my head saw her as almost adjacent to characters like Narcissa Malfoy, Regina from Ouat etc

They have a cold, detached air around them but they’re fuelled by this addictive passion and commitment to their loved ones that they’re practically clinical about, like they’re not here to play and you get that across so well with Miranda.

I don’t usually read x readers and if I do, I don’t read OC ones but I enjoyed this thoroughly. I might be a little bias because I look a bit like Fraser - brown skin, long, black curls barring the fact that she’s 5’9 and I’m 5’4 at the best of times - but it comes down to how universal you write her.

The name Fraser doesn’t feel like it carries too much connotations like a name like mf Amy or Charlotte which are wayyy to western for a non-white person to easily relate to and her personality is so relatable. And big plus she’s not super annoying so

But your writing is amazing - the way you write intimacy without it being sexual is divine, how the characters look at each other fondly or appreciate the others mind or oh! oh! How you slip in Fraser’s knowledge about them to emphasise how well she knows them! Like how she knew it was Alcina because of her height when she was passed out or how she’s aware that Miranda was coming to yell at her on the balcony! The way she holds Miranda’s face and how Alcina plays piano to her, how Fraser easily makes Mira, Alcina, and soon Donna I’m guessing feel less lonely.

I don’t know, I just live for good sapphic yearning and pining and it’s so nice to see that there’s still a plot - which omg I can’t wait to see where that goes - and it isn’t all easy. Fraser may feel some attachment to Alcina and Miranda but she’s still willing to go behind their backs to search for her father - like trying to sneak into that storage room. She gets close with them but not without her own agenda. The tender, heady back and forth with Fraser and the Lords/Mira is so perfectly countered by the far more gritty landscape and setting, the depictions of the violent, grotesque nature of the corpses and flesh, of the worms and the far less idealistic village and it’s history. You stay true to the grit of RE8 and I’m here for it, I hate when a wlw story or any queer story is all fluffy or all angsty like there needs to be balance and you got it.

Alcina has to hold herself back, she feels uncomfortable knowing about Miranda’s closeness with Fraser or vice versa, Miranda letting Fraser into her vulnerable parts despite how perturbed she is and Fraser not being a dick head that has no common sense but still makes mistakes.

The pacing is great, you have pretty neat prose and I am so interested! Keep up the really awesome work!

- from a dedicate fan now <3

holy shit, i’m???

thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read about the little evil gay women in my phone. thank you even more for making such a detailed comment, really it means the world to me—and also shocks me???

the representation of fraser being a black/mixed black woman was incredibly important to me. the RE community in general has a lack of rep for women of color, likely due to the games themselves not having too many woc in general.

i’m so glad you like my miranda characterization! in this fic, i wanted to lean heavily into what it’s like to be a grieving mother. outside of the vengeful, scornful side of miranda we see inside of RE8. of course, her rage and schemes are still very present in more the fool, but i wanted the aspect of dealing with the grief of losing someone to take center stage.

i think the beauty of miranda/fraser’s dynamic is that fraser exists within miranda’s grief, rather than trying to do away with it or fill the hole that’s left in her heart. she knows she can’t assuage her loneliness and she doesn’t want to. she simply wants to be with her through it all, and i think that’s the beautiful thing about them.

outside of the who-done-it nature of more the fool’s overarching story, i think it’s a story of what it’s like to go to the ends of the earth for a person, solely because you love them and would do anything to see you two reunited.

fun fact: fraser’s name means “of the forest men” and strawberry! the truth is, i got so attached to it when i was trying to come up with a name for her, but then realized it was a boy’s name. i thought it’d be funny for her lore to add in the fact that her father knew it was a boy’s name, but kept it anyway because he liked it so much. besides, i think we can all say it fits her better!

there’s so much more i want to say, but tumblr has deleted this on me like 4 other times already, so i’ll end it there. thank you again, and i look forward to giving you more to read soon!!

[fandomwe1rd0]

Okkkkaaayyy so. Someone on youtube is saying that the show Rick and Morty isn't complex...now as someone who absolutely considers this show to be complex, let me debunk their points! (If you see the video, please don't send hate, everyone is allowed to have different opinions!)

The characters are not complex. I obviously disagree with this point (Wow, shocker, the person that made multiple analysis posts on Rick, Morty, and their dynamic thinks they are complex) Now, while they may seem pretty one dimensional at first glance, just an asshole scientist and a nervous wreck, there is a lot more to them when you watch the series. Rick may be an asshole, but not because that's what he wants to be or because that's just how he is, he feels like he needs to be to keep the people he loves safe (I have made serval more analysis posts on him buttt I won't get into it here) and he also suffers from depression and a deep sense of guilt and self-loathing. Morty is usually a pretty sweet kid but as the series goes on, he progressively becomes more desensitized to violence (Thanks to Rick) has low self esteem, repressed rage, (Also courtesy of Rick) and becomes more codepedent to Rick each seasons, despite knowing how horrible Rick is and how unhealthy their dynamic is. They also argue that Jerry, Summer, and Beth are not complex. I don't really have a defense for Summer, but Jerry and Beth are emotionally neglectful parents, and we see Beth attempting to make an effort to be there for her son, and Jerry is trying to be less of a pathetic man-baby.

The themes are not complex. This is another point I disagree with. While Rick and Morty does prefer to be a comedy show and is a comedy show first and foremost, they do sometimes talk about deep themes, like Rick and Beth dynamic is a good metaphor for emotional neglect, and Rick and Morty's dynamic is a wonderful show of codependency, toxic famial relationships and the effects of emotional abuse. Rick and Unity is another portrayal of how relationships can be toxic even if both people are happy and if there is no obvious abuse. They also do dive into deep themes like depression, what grief can do to a person, emotional abuse, etc. while these are never exactly major themes of an episode, they are still important and make the themes complex. Although the person in the video talked about the theme of nilhism, despite the fact that Rick isn't one and just pretends to be one to keep the people he loves safe.

The plot isn't complex. I will concede a bit on this one, but the plot still has complex moments, like Evil Morty is a great representation on what can happen when abuse victims can have enough and abuse victims that aren't "perfect" and his desensitization to violence, seeing how many people he will kill with no guilt. Rick's backstory is also pretty complex and explains a lot about his character. And stuff like Beth and Jerry's divorce actually changed and made an impact on both characters, and that's not even getting into the latest seasons or how much Rest and Ricklaxation revealed about Rick and Morty.

Now was making a massive post about a video that was made 3 years ago that has an opinon that I personally disagree with a bit much...maybe but also hey shut up. What do y'all think?

[va1kyr14]

I’m also an elder queer. I strongly agree that Caitlyn/Vi will end up together. It seems like that’s always been their intention - making one of the most prominent ships from the game canon. Riot has also gone out of their way to incorporate both of them during pride month for several years now. Their dynamic is extremely important for the story they are trying to tell between the sisters

There is going to be a lot of angst and bumps in the road with them throughout the season but that’s what happens with grief and an impending war. But they will work through it and come back together in the end. I also don’t think either of them are going to die even if after they reconcile, i don’t think that’s the type of tragic ending they are going for

They will. Mark my words. I have been through so much queerbait/ impending doom through my lifetime with queer representation I am so ready for this. It has been their intention right from the get go and they have said as much. It's just how they execute it. But I will be honest, with seeing how good S1 was, and my faith in Amanda Overton and just the writers in general, I know it will be organic. This entire thing called Arcane came about FOR the fans so I highly doubt they would do anything to jeopardise the most favourite couple in LoL. I know Arcane is seperate but they have said this is a canon prequel. Meaning there shouldn't be any major character deaths (hopefully).

Lots of angst to come though, but I am certain they will have a happy ending. It won't be them riding over a rainbow bridge on the back of a unicorn, but it will be confirmed. We will have our day!

[evilwickedme]

Thinking about how grief is such an important throughline in Spider-Man mythos and how that expresses itself in Spider-Verse

Peter's entire character is built off of that one death of Uncle Ben. We've never forgotten Uncle Ben, not ever. Peter B says: "if not for Uncle Ben, most of us wouldn't be here." And even when there is no Uncle Ben, there is still that foundational loss - Gwen's Peter, Miles' Uncle Aaron. These characters loved someone so deeply that causing their death, even indirectly, forever changes the entire trajectory of their lives

And there's this incredibly understandable, undoubtedly human need to assign meaning to grief that, in the Spider-Man mythos, generally expresses itself through the oh so famous line, "With great power, there must also come great responsibility". This is how Peter learns that he can't just use his powers to benefit himself, that he's required to use it to help humanity as a whole (I've spoken on this matter before, but that's not important here)

But this is not the takeaway Miguel has from his loss, exactly. His irresponsibility cost not just his family, but his entire world, and therefore, he feels like he must take every single universe under his wing. There is no deviation, no room for human error. The things he did must have broken the natural order of things, and if that's the case, to prevent any future problems there can be no deviations from the Plan. There is no room for human error or even human ingenuity

Peter B tells Miguel that he's the only Spider Person who isn't funny, and I do think that that's relevant to this. I think ideally the Spider-Man hero archetype believes in the goodness of humanity, and part of that is creativity and breaking the rules, and humor is based on subverting expectations. The laws that Miguel imposes on every single Earth are directly antithetical to this concept

If anything, Miguel's grief is the aberration. Peter B was entirely broken in ITSV due to his losses, but he still believed in Miles, our representation of that hope, of that human ability to change, of that challenge to the idea of what Spider-Man could be. Miguel isn't capable of seeing that hope, that glimmer of something more, because he's still blinded by his grief, still unable to look past it and see a different future

Ideally I think BTSV should deal with this grief. Not just Miguel's, but also Gwen's, and Miles', and the entire concept that the Spider-Man mantle needs to be defined by death and loss. But what do I know I continue to be 100% normal about this movie no doubt

[aliferousdreamer]

my thoughts on the next step 9a

clude leaving is so bittersweet... i'm so sad we've lost such a sweet couple and great wlw representation but they left happy and stronger than ever!!!!!!!

the colour symbolism with kenzie's signature colour going from yellow from to blue is a subtle but effective character choice imo. the yellow in s8 felt more youthful joyful and vibrant for when she was new to being dance captain, whereas now kenzie's blue wardrobe in s9 shows that she's maturing and gaining wisdom as dance captain, but is also going through some tough times too. blue is also tns' signature colour so it also shows that she's an important part of the studio!!!

i love heath in this season... his energy, his attitude, his relationships, carter's acting, everything 💯

grace's reasoning for wanting revenge is so silly because she legit made herself an outcast and when kenzie tried to talk with her she just dipped

i'm still upset and bitter and frustrated with daisy leaving........ i just hate seeing great potential dropped like that. melody was such a good addition to the cast!! also where was her goodbye scene with izzy???????? she wasn't just close with heath; she was close to izzy too!!!!!!

my heart broke for pete multiple times and i'm glad that we had a storyline tackling grief and (briefly) men's mental health. i wish it had more of a focus and lasted for longer but it was still effective.

thalia and eldon are still together!!!!!!!! yesssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!

JACQUIE MENTION YESSSSSSSSSS I'VE WAITED FOR TIMES LIKE THIS

kenzie basically being both the dance captain and studio head by herself because what does nick even do retroactively makes riley look even worse at being studio head.......... yeah season 4's treatment of riley is still annoying me in the year 2024

idk if it's just me but does anyone else feel like it's not internationals???? the vibe feels much more like regionals or nationals. the scale doesn't quite feel grand enough

i wasn't sure that heath was "the heart of the team" but after watching all of 9a, not only is he the heart of the team he's also the team therapist and cheerleader... i love to see it

i love that anthony is still a ball of stress/anxiety and is also in a really important leader position as group choreographer. so often you see anxious people just depicted as introverts and not as leaders, so it's nice to see someone who's anxious but also a very capable leader

olive is the definition of a precious cinnamon roll. she's sounds like a disney princess every time she talks. she reminds me of amy in s4 too!! she really is just the 🥺 emoji

random point but i love that adele's signature colour being emerald green. it reminds me of ariel's tail in the little mermaid and now i'm thinking of an au where adele is ariel and anthony is prince eric

i know i'm probably in the minority here but i am totally on board with anthony x adele (should their ship name be anthele/adelthony/adelony??). anthony really had one conversation with her alone and just fell for her instantly. some fans probably think it's dumb and realistic but i think it's really sweet and they have potential for 9b

i do also lowkey ship adele x olive because they're so cute together (and they remind me of pamy a little.) when adele didn't want to work with ariana but was unable to resist olive's puppy dog eyes...... they're so cute!!!

kenzie and pete are really just the sweetest couple ever and they have such a natural, easy chemistry... they're definitely one of the best couples tns has had in years 😘👌

IS HEATH'S DAD DEAD???????????????

ethan showing character development by being much more of a team player, we love to see it!!! he's still competitive but he's ready to share his ambitions with others

kenzie holding hands with heath was such a sweet, underrated moment... i love seeing strong, supportive and affectionate platonic male/female relationships

ebby naming her pet snail snaiyoncé is iconic

izzy calling heath "heathcliff" and heath calling izzy "isadora"....... the best friendism of it all

eldon mentioning west's iconic bangers and mash solo!!!!!! yes, thank you!!!!!! west is one of the most iconic dancers this show has ever had!!!!!!!!!

kenzie is allergic to flowers, noted!

heath is penzie's no. 1 shipper

ariana putting jett front row centre in her trio........ i know what you are................

ethan's loyalty to izzy is so sweet

WHO IS GETTING CUT??????????????

grace is definitely turning on ariana in 9b... i have a feeling she's going to out her as a traitor and a troupe might kick her off the team for a few episodes

remi is totally going to break ebby's heart, isn't he???

i have a feeling that presley might return to talk to her sister and say something like "chill ariana i'm fine living life and there was no need for getting revenge"

is ethan getting a boyfriend in 9b??????

can't wait for chekhov's bo staff to make its grand return in 9b

also how many enemies to lovers / rivals to lovers style relationships is heath going to have???? ozzy, daisy, pascale....... heath is immune to not having some sort of conflict in his relationships

this is a long shot but i'm really hoping to see more previous cast members returning. yeah i know it's not necessary, but i still want to know what our old faves all doing with their lives

given season 9's marketing has been pretty terrible it really does make me doubt that there will be a season 10. i would like a last series to tie the whole show together and maybe have a few reunions so the show has a great send-off, but feels unlikely now that they really dropped the ball when promoting this series

bring on 9b!!!!!!!!!

this is really jumbled and i've probably missed out so many things but i'm very unorganised so there you go

[skys-archive]

Rock Lee, vs Disability

This is kind of all over the place. Basically talking about the disability representation we could have had, what we did have, and how just other things around it. This started as just kind of specifically how he could've been great disability rep if they hadn't healed him after his fight with Gaara, but I had more to say so here we are. I'm sure I'll talk about him again when I make my comprehensive post about non canonically disabled characters.

As much as I love Rock Lee and I've always been glad to see him heal and become a great shinobi like he always dreamed, a part of me also wishes he didn't get better. I want a story in popular media of someone who doesn't get to go after their original dreams, the way so many disabled people aren't.

Yes, it was powerful to see a story of advances of medicine and how Tsunade learned from others even an enemy, and Lee being able to get to his dreams despite such horrible odds. But, what about a story of someone who can't? An operation that's too risky, or nonexistent, and how people have to completely rework what they wanted their lives to be because of an illness or injury?

I personally always wanted to in physical jobs, protecting and helping other people. I briefly thought about coast guard or army, for a long time I wanted to be in the fire department or a paramedic. I loved sports like cross country. But those aren't really options for me anymore.

I would love to see a story exploring that. The grief that comes with it, having to rework your life plans. Lee is full of passion in everything he does, I would've loved to see him lose that passion, but learn to find other things to give that passion to.

Maybe see him go into the medical field, hoping help others in the same situation, whether by rehabilitating them so they can follow the dreams he couldn't, or being an example to them as a disabled person who still found joy in a different field, and inspiring them in a way he didn't have.

I think the anime/manga did a genuinely good job at showing the grief and pain and anger that comes with having your dreams ripped away from you, and I think that was really important too, but it would've been so much more powerful if you saw him grow past it instead of just giving him an out.

And also, Gai outright telling Lee to get the surgery just feels, uncomfortable. While sure I think Lee is the kind of person who would've done it anyway, he had big dreams and would do anything if it even had a chance of getting it to him, the people around him still should have been more on the side of letting him make his own decisions. Though in real life people will try to convince you one way or the other. And it wouldn't be a problem if there was variety but there's not really. At the very beginning Tsunade sort of reccomends he doesn't because it's bad odds, but she's a medical professional so, I don't know. Gai reccomends he does. That's it.

The way he was represented that I thought was good was his inability to use genjutsu or ninjutsu. If I had to guess it would be due to a lack of ability to channel his chakra. While I can't think of a real world counterpart at the moment, I'm sure there are similar disabilities, and really any disabled person can relate to just simply not being able to do the same things as their able bodied peers.

Anyway that's my thoughts on Rock Lee and disability

[skellymom]

BAD BAD BATCH SEASON 3, EP 8 SPOILERS

FENNEC SHAND

Total bitch. But effective bounty hunter.

Props to her cutting the wires on the pontoon boat.

Boo to her nasty remark:

Hunter "Money isn't everything."

Fennec: "That's cause you don't have any."

He didn't clap back. Too tired? Or, he KNOWS he's got a family and a place on Pabu where money isn't really even super important.

In fact, she even asked him about Omega. Back in S2 she seemed to be bantering with Omega about having to be careful, especially if you are on your own. It seemed she was speaking about herself too.

She also alluded to Omega being taken. But didn't elaborate if that was when Cad Bane or Hemlock took her.

The person Fennec spoke to via the garbled or distorted transmission at the end:

Could it be Tech? Or Clone Trooper X?

I tried to turn up my TV as loud as possible to hear the voice, but I think it was distorted intentionally to keep us guessing.

The music playing was ominous, so there is a chance it was nefarious. But it wouldn't seem to be the Empire as she wouldn't need to phrase the question about the "Empires M-Count" the way she did.

Fennec to Wrecker and Hunter: "You can either fight me or trust me. Your choice.". Then she salutes them as her ship pulls out of the hangar.

It would be kind of cool to see them all work together again. Good bickering teammates.

**********

CROSSHAIR AND OMEGA

While I like the message of reaching out to others for help. I didn't like the narrative of having to "fix yourself with meditation/possible Force power" if Crosshair indeed does have PTSD.

This series is veterans of war coded. PTSD is something many came home with and struggled/will struggle with for the rest of their lives. There is no quick fix.

I'm hoping Omega will be supportive, but Crosshair may have to accept not being a perfect killing machine in exchange for being an imperfect loving human being.

We will see..

********

PHEE

This saddens me so much: The lack of serious conversation or even a memorial moment for the loss of a central character and potential love interest.

Yeah, it's a kids/young adults show. But even then effective grief representation could have been written in.

The clones (many of which were nameless) in TCW S7 who went down with the Tribunal got a final resting place tribute marker with their helmets.

There could have been one for Tech on Pabu with his Goggles. Perhaps he would have had a place in the Archium? And a moment of silence with the whole Batch, Phee, Lyana, and Shep. He helped save the people of Pabu and rebuild after the Tsunami.

********

That's all I got to say about this episode.

What's everyone's thoughts about it???