#idk if this is. Unpopular per se

[demonstars]

fire emoji (im on my laptop pretend its there) opinion on dream

i understand his need to not be missundertood and over explain so fucking deeply

[your-unfriendlyghost]

Johnny cade for the "give me a character" thingy cuz I love him :3

How I feel about this character

  I love Johnny, man. Very simple feelings ‘bout him, but yk, I love him. I don’t often…spin him ‘round in my brain like I do with some of the others, but I have a lot of strong opinions abt him and I love him lol

All the people I ship romantically with this character

  I occasionally ship him with Dally, but only occasionally. Idk they’ve got something goin on but idk what lol. I definitely don’t see them as an older brother and little brother, although I get where people are coming from- idk though, that’s like the least interesting take on their whole…deal for me I guess? I (personally) don’t think Dally and Johnny are brotherly/parental at all, and reducing them to that means losing out on the much more interesting (I think) dynamic that they do have- like Dally can’t be vulnerable with anyone BUT Johnny, and Johnny is at his most confident with Dally. And he has power over Dally that no one else does. It could be romantic or platonic for me, but the important thing is that they’re equals imo. I mean c’mon, only one of them’s canonically stabbed a guy to death, and it ain’t Dally. They’re tied together somehow idk man

  I sorta like the idea of Johnny and Sylvia being something tho. I don't think abt it much, but it adds something morally bad to a character that’s supposed to be purely good that I find fascinating. Not the sorta ship I ship per se, but one I like toying with sometimes because there’s so much to unpack there ig. I don’t usually see it as canon but I sometimes like it.

  Finally, I read this GUT WRENCHING fic one time where Johnny was who Sandy cheated on Soda with. I…really liked that fic. The ship hits a lotta the same notes as Johnny/Sylvia but explores Johnny and Soda…idk man again not the sorta thing I usually see as canon but holy shit the fic kinda blew my mind lol. It’s here if y’all wanna check it out- mind the tags and all. It’s a rarepair but it KILLS me man. It ain’t…canon to me, but I think abt it sometimes (the ship and the fic) and just feel things idk. (Part of that is probably b/c I love Soda, but yk)

My non-romantic OTP for this character

  Uhh Dally also honestly

  I mean Johnny and Pony are close too, but I really don’t see them as BEST friends. Ik a lotta people do which is perfectly valid, but in my head they’re…not? I dunno. They’re definitely friends, but TO ME it’s in the way that I’m friends with kids who I’ve grown up with who are like cousins to me now- we’re close, and I know they have my back, and I could tell them anything if I really wanted to, but I probably won’t unless we’re alone together in a church for a week. (@veggiesforpresident just talked abt them earlier today here, and she put it into words a helluva lot better than I am rn- definitely check that out)

My unpopular opinion about this character

He’s tough. I mean everyone knows that, but I’m not massively fond of fics/art that portray him as small and soft. Like sure, Pony sees him that way, but to the rest of the world Johnny is a hood. He may be small, but he can fight. He loves drag races, man!

  Idk, Ralph Macchio put it best in this behind the scenes book I own: 

  “Johnny was always described as the runt of the greaser litter- the one they all protected. However, as the story unfolded he became the most level-headed and clear-minded in the face of adversity. I always recognized that in him even from the first reading of the book at age twelve. I am biased, but he is one of the richest and fully drawn characters in the ensemble.”

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon

  I’m biased b/c I love Soda but I woulda loved to see him hanging with Soda. Really the rest of the gang in general (not that there was time for that lol), but it’s canon to me that Johnny was friends with Soda first. Eventually they diverged and became close to Dally and Steve respectively, but in elementary school it was Johnny and Soda. 

  (On the other side of the coin, I like the idea of Dally and Steve having had a bit of a fling that they don’t talk about as a way of repressing their romantic feelings for Soda and Johnny respectively. But that’s not always canon to me lol.)

[azaharinflames]

The worst thing i realised about the break (NOT A BREAK UP FIGHT ME) was that, ngl, we BT fans really dragged about 'the writer' being on our side, but now, I think he dislikes fandom spaces in general.

(And i also think his way of writing is very weird and unfairly unpredictable, but to each their own eh)

Hi Nonnie!

Listen, I won't fight you because half the time my mindset is the same as yours haha so I am totally okay with calling it a break. And honestly? I think you make a very good point.

I personally didn't think he was on our side per se, but I did think he disliked that side of the fandom, and saw that, in comparison, our side was respectful and genuinely appreciative of the series. Perhaps it was naive to think like that, I don't know at this point tbh.

And listen, Tim is free to do whatever he wants. It's his show. But:

-I agree his writing (especially as of late) has been weird, predictable, and honestly, very lazy. And very, very frustrating. It seems like he's just bored with the characters, or the show altogether, and as a viewer it is a bad feeling to get when you're watching a show.

-I want to preface this by saying I know this is just my impression, and not necessarily something he's done or does, but with the way he wrote 8a for me it wasn't just him showing he dislikes fandom spaces in general. Because, sure, he made sure to have a moment where Eddie 'broke' Buddie by stating he's straight, but factually? He also gave (in the same episode) the fucking couch scene. He can pretend he dislikes that side of the fandom by being shady from time to time, but he still caters to them. And with the way he wrote the show, it truly felt like he was rewarding their toxic behavior. Which, again, does not feel good as a viewer and as a fan.

Idk. One thing I know after this whole shit show is that it is unlikely for me to check another show he creates, knowing his background and the way he writers. Perhaps the spin-off just to see what it is about, but that's a strong maybe.

Anyway, my inbox is open for ranting, venting, giving your opinion (unpopular or popular, I'm happy to receive and discuss both), and even confessions!

Take care <3

[crystalflygeo]

NO BUT SAME ;;;w;;; for the longest time when we had BARELY any info on her I already loved their story and her so much, so tragic so sweet so loving so fundamentally important and I was scvasgcank

us getting more info about Guizhong was literally the number ONE thing in my list of "this will make me go insane" (followed by Baizhu release and Zhongli getting a skin). And when the leaks started last lantern right I was over the freaking moon I bothered my friends for WEEKS

SHE'S SO PRECIOUS SO CUTE SO KIND SO SMART SO GENTLE SO TINY I love her with all my heart Morax you big DUMMY their angst hurts so good, finding stuff about them is so hard ;w; and it's always just doomed bc..... ye.... she dead.... BUT ;;w;; they would be my otp if it wasn't for that aaaaa they just fill me with feels

Aineeeeeee you're a guili shipper/enthusiast??? bc I am SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THEM ;w;

khGFCXCVHJUHGFDCVBNJM PLS they're so angsty and i just??? eat it up????? BUT YES I HAVE A VERY SOFT SPOT FOR GUILI!!! you have no clue how excited I was to see the lantern rite cutscene because we finally had a face for guizhong.

ofc because of said cutscene, i have now opened my heart to guiping but you know what??? GUIZHONG HAS TWO HANDS, SHE CAN GET EM BOTH HAHAHAHAHA

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

I truly believe the latest leaks to be true because it's something these writers would write and goes well with the mess we've seen so far. And yes, Aemond is apparently the worst man who ever lived, he burns villages, executes kingsguards, punishes smallfolk, taunts his dying brother... All of this could have made perfect sense if they had developed his character well in s2 and with an actual respect of the narrative coherence, but we all know this wasn't the case. It saddens me to see the photo of him and Aegon knowing it's almost certainly a taunting scene, or the ones with Alicent (for a similar reason). I know this might be an unpopular opinion in the green fandom right now, but it seems to me that Aemond and Alicent got an even worse treatment than Aegon by the showrunners and writers. And those two were the ones who brought me to the green side in the first place. Idk, it seems there's nothing left for me in this stupid show.

Anyway, I always enjoy reading your analysis on hotd and would like to hear opinion on this. Thanks!

Hi! Thank you for your ask and for the compliment🙏🙂

Well, preach!

I, for one, do not have a problem with Aemond comitting acts of cruelty per se (executing the traitors (or even supposed traitors), burning villages and the like). I do have a problem with him turning on Aegon the way he did in the show - but even this, as you said, would not look and feel that bad if the writing had led Aemond to that point in a logical and comprehensive way instead of just going "well, he wants the throne because he believes his brother to be a dumbass (that he kind of is in the show) and because he's been bullied by him". Yes, Aegon is not the best ruler possible, he might do stupid things (he's at least partially driven to do them by rage and pain but still); yes, he was unkind and even cruel to his brother - but IMO we still haven't been shown enough to justify Aemond becoming - script-wise, at least - a full-on Disney villain.

A side note: as for Aemong&Aegon scene the sneak peek of which we got in the preview - as of now I do believe it is indeed a part of Aegon's hallucinations. Naturally, I can be wrong - and we'll know if I am soon enough.

And, whether it is an unpopular opinion or not, I also agree with you on the point of Aemond and Alicent having been treated way worse than Aegon (both in season 2 and in the story (season 1 + season 2) overall). The thing is, I believe that every character in HotD is being treated by HBO, writers, showrunners merely as a tool for pushing the agenda they informed the show with (I talked about it here). And, well, the characters within every story do serve to tell the readers/viewers something, to deliver the author's ideas to them. What doesn't sit right with me about HotD is the exploitative, disrespectful and amateurish way in which it is being done.

As one who loves Aemond, probablly the most of all the HotD characters - and although my second fave is Aegon as opposed to you naming Alicent, I do love her too - I share your feelings about the lot they've been dealt in season 2. And yet, as I feel it, the glimpse of light in the dark still remains - in the form of Ewan and Olivia's acting and screen presence .

[birdmitosis]

if you’re still doing the ask game, i’d love to hear your thoughts abt voice of the smitten please 😊 (no pressure though)

[ask game here]

Oh gosh, no worries! I am super open to doing more of these :D

SMITTEN TIME 💖

First impression

My first impression of him was absolutely during the Damsel route, and I'll be real, I mostly defaulted to vaguely fond exasperation. I was a bit "oh no, he's funny for sure but Oh No" about him and he was one of my least favorite voices for the longest time!

Impression now

...Whereas at this point he may not be one of my favorites but I honestly love him. He is fascinating, having darker depths of emotion than one would think at first and being capable of some definitely bad things, but also having a great capacity for love that is unflinching, unashamed, and comes with no caveats. He is a supportive darling with unbending faith and this also somehow makes him not only one of the strongest voices but also one of the most potentially dangerous to the group. This is great.

Favorite moment

Ohhh, there are so many small moments I can't choose between! The "He just likes to hear himself talk." "I do." exchange, the part where he straight-up says he's no thoughts head empty except for the Princess, how quick he is to forgive Opportunist and just accept him back on sides, how he slays us if we slay Damsel and his homoerotic fight with Cold at the very beginning of the Burned Grey route, The Look...

I think my favorite moment, though, might just be when you find the Princess's skeleton in the basement in Burned Grey and he goes "No! She was alive and well just a moment ago, floating away transparently!" It is SUCH a funny moment and if I make another "funniest moments in Slay the Princess" video, that is definitely going in there. He is hilarious.

Idea for a story

TBH, before the Pristine Cut comes out, it could be fun to write a version of the Damsel Chapter III that I don't think we're getting, one that I'd been toying with in my head... Choosing to stay with Damsel and the Narrator trying to force our hand again (or threatening to) leading to Smitten slaying us to show Narry he's serious about that, and then when we get to Chapter III instead of a basement it's an upstairs room, and it's way more livable, comfortable, with chairs and things, and her chain is thin and long and allows her access to the whole room comfortably. There is no blade. The only option, if they don't want to stay forever, is to brave what might be out there together and face the world, whatever may be. Once you actually decide to break the chains they snap easily.

(I think Cheated would be a fun option for this one, but I'd probably write it with Paranoid. Torn between love and fear in the Damsel chapter, and part of why we're "staying together" instead of escaping is fear of what will happen and what we'll find if we leave...)

Unpopular opinion

IDK how unpopular either of these are per se, so I'm going to give two of them:

One, Smitten shines least in his own basic route. If you go for Damsel and either free Damsel or deconstruct her, it is definitely incredible to see just how powerful Smitten's power of belief really is, but he himself isn't all that interesting and isn't as hilarious or as fun as in other routes. He has incredible moments in the Razor path, he's intensely sympathetic in the Moment of Clarity, he is both funny and very interesting personality-wise in Thorn (especially if you do free her), and then if you slay Damsel and get into Burned Grey he's maybe at his strongest both humor- and interest-wise.

Two, despite what I said above about loving Smitten in the Thorn chapter, which I do... I don't actually like the way to get Smitten in the Thorn chapter. I think it's jarring and kind of off-putting to start strongly flirting with Witch in that particular situation, and I don't like the implications of the "why are you actually trying to free me" "you're beautiful" exchange.

Favorite relationship

Among the other voices, I think my favorite relationship he has with them canonically is the one he has with Opportunist in the Thorn chapter. (I told you I love Smitten in The Thorn! I just don't like how you get there with him!) His weirdass relationship with Cold is a very close second, though, and I would be very interested in seeing them with a different dynamic in one of the new Pristine Cut Chapter IIIs, potentially!

Among the other voices, the relationships we don't really get to see in game that I'd love to see are how he'd be with Broken or Skeptic, with Cheated, Contrarian, and Paranoid being runners-up.

Among the vessels, my favorite canonical relationship he has with any of them... Hear me out, because I did say he is least interesting in his own base chapter, but I still really do love his relationship with Damsel. One of the only two vessel/voice ships I actually ship somewhat strongly (along with Adversary/Stubborn). I'd also love to see his relationship with Prisoner, Spectre, or Wild!

My favorite relationship for him in a shippy way is with Broken, though, by far. (Mending Hearts my beloved...)

Favorite headcanon

I really do love the idea that Smitten's unhesitating, unapologetic love of the Princess also translates to a love of the world, and that in any post-Construct AU where Shifty wasn't slain, he loves the world and life intensely because she is a part of all of it, even if he misses her.

I also really love trans Smitten, though! I specifically go back and forth between seeing Smitten as transfem and Damsel as transmasc, or seeing both of them as bigender, sometimes he/him and sometimes she/her.

[gaystan]

Stan Marsh and Kyle Broflovski Relationship Backlash Reveals the Hypocrisy of Political Critique of Celebrities

Why is being seen in public with Kyle Broflovski, of all things, the line in the sand?

When Crimson Dawn embarked upon their long-awaited Daybreak Tour in March 2023, it seemed like Stan Marsh could do no wrong. Their 5th studio album, idk man you name it im tired (2022), was their most successful; fans eagerly awaited the announcement of His Voice, an upcoming single; Marsh had recently come out of the closet and described himself as “Happier than ever.” Fans breathed a collective sigh of relief that the drama of 2018, which saw Marsh publicly “canceled,” was firmly in the past.

But two months later, we fans would be forgiven for feeling like the past four years never happened. Crimson Dawn’s tour of the U.S., wildly successful by any metric, has shared the spotlight with a steady stream of headline-grabbing drama, including social media unfollowings, pap walks, revealing new music, and, above all, a highly controversial new relationship. Marsh’s romance with podcaster Kyle Broflovski, who was recently described by Jia Tolentino as “something of a test case for the digital panopticon and its reaction cycle,” has been dogged by countless rumors of Broflovski’s attention-grabbing antics.

Broflovski is known for his controversy, and the motions of the outrage cycle are, consequently, fairly predictable: receipts documenting Broflovski’s behavior and critiques of Marsh’s “white activism” have spread across social media platforms, impassioned fans have launched a campaign to convince their idol to “engage in genuine self-reflection,” and even group chats I’m tangentially in are filled with disappointed disavowals, Onion headlines, and barf emojis.

It makes sense: Marsh is looked up to by idealistic young women everywhere, many of whom are heartbroken that he would choose to associate with someone heavily tied up in racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia. But this particular outrage cycle misses a few things.

First, Crimson Dawn fans claim their protests are not against Marsh’s dating choices per se, but against who has the privilege of associating with the mighty Stan Marsh brand. Yet the resulting impression is nonetheless that disillusioned fans simply don’t like their idol’s new boyfriend and are therefore appropriating the language of social justice (e.g., encouraging Marsh to commit to “dismantling systems of oppression”) in an attempt to change his mind. But Broflovski is not a public servant; the status of Marsh’s boyfriend is not a public good to be revoked nor a job from which someone can be justly fired for their sheer unpopularity. Conflating the two reveals the extent to which fans view Marsh as a public commodity whose intimate choices ought to be subject to collective vetting. What’s more, though well-intentioned, the positioning of one man’s romantic life as a broad political issue only serves to harm the credibility of progressive causes with a clearly defined political goal.

[youremyheaven]

Unpopular opinion: Tripti Dimri is on her way to becoming Margot Robbie of Bollywood (saying this with no hate to either because I love both but in context to how men loved Margot till she did Barbie and everyone is just hating on her now for no reason). I loved Tripti in laila majnu and bulbul and I mean I'm sure it has something to do with her plan for her career but Bad Newz is just bad news for her career rn. She's been getting extremely sexualised ever since Animal came out.... Idk what's the point of this film either. Personally I have no issues with the film per se but it's giving 'Revamped Bridget Jones Baby' vibes except usme neither of the men knew who the father is. Plus with the current situation of women hating going on people are going to be like see this is what women do and shit! Idk why everyone is making women the villains 🥲

I really don't want it to be the case but I don't think Triptii is going to have much of a career unless some miracle takes place and she begins to be recognised as a serious actor

It's so fcked up how Animal was the movie that gave her a big break 😔 a movie where an Outsider like her had to literally lick a Nepokid's shoes 😔😔 Vanga is such a violent misogynist, I hope he's rotting and never makes another film

I wish she hadn't done Animal because I don't think she gained anything from the film. The whole "national crush" thing is fake PR hype and most people don't find her attractive or feminine and slut shame for that movie :((( the amount of comments I see on IG reels about her calling her "cheap" or "masculine looking" is insane 💀

I know she made a ton of money and achieved mainstream recognition post - Animal but at what cost???

And she's Pushya Moon 😪😪 doing a film that clearly went against a principles is not going to help her in the long run (Saturnians always suffer when they act contrary to the rigidly righteous nature of Saturn)

If she had stayed on her indie film trajectory she would've eventually received a big break. Maybe it would've taken longer but she'd have been taken seriously as an actor and enjoyed a much better reputation.

I don't want to sound like I'm blaming her because as an Outsider with a handful of films under her belt, Triptii wasn't in a position to turn down a film as big as Animal and I get that. But she's now isolated herself from every demographic. The average Indian just thinks she's cheap or slutty because of her nudity and sexuality in the film (not the greatest first introduction for an actress in India) and the woke liberal crowd thinks she's a sellout lacking intergrity for working with an asshole like Vanga in a movie as horrendous as Animal.

Right now, Triptii is standing on shaky ground. Idk how big of a hit Bad Newwz will be or what it'll do for Triptii's career but the way it's currently going, I feel like she'll do a handful of films and then dip. She isn't really focusing on picking good scripts and is going for commercial appeal which I understand but I don't think the Indian general public likes her very much atp for her to sustain herself as a commercial actress 😔😔😔

It's really hard to be a female superstar in India and only a handful of women have ever achieved it. Hema Malini, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and to lesser extents Aishwarya Rai & Deepika Padukone. They're all women who were "known" for being traditional and modest irl (a lot of times it wasn't actually the case but at least they tried to maintain that image lmao and it worked) and they were also more cute and beautiful than straight up sexy 😶‍🌫️

I hope it all works out for Triptii and at least she'll make hella $$$$

I hate that Outsider women are treated like they're disposable in this industry whereas untalented nepo kids like Janhvi and Sara repeatedly get big budget movie offers even though they haven't had a hit in years lol. They'll never be written off like an Outsider and be given endless chances to prove themselves.

Nepotism sucks

[some-pers0n]

character asks. Turtle, Indigo or Albatross wof? you don't have to do all of them :)

Oh I'm doin' them all alright

Turtle

How I feel About Them: Positive!! I've always really liked Turtle and related to him a lot in that regard. He's just a lil' guy and I think he's cute and sweet. Always had a soft spot for him

All the Characters I Ship Romantically with Them: none.

Non-Romantic OTP: TURTLEWATER!! QPR TURTLEWATCHER GRRRAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Tearing apart the walls and frothing at the mouth theY'RE SO CUTEEEEE. Like they're just autism4autism and just GggrgrgrgRGGRGRGRGGR I love them,,,

Unpopular Opinion: Hm, I don't think I can really think of an unpopular opinion per se. I think my hottest take is that Turtle's refusal to change or act is a pretty interesting part of his character that is oftentimes ignored. A lot of things are his fault, namely Anemone's animus magic, just because he's scared of being witnessed and shoved into the spotlight. Tackling that sort of guilt and anxiety would be fun to see

One Thing I Wished Happened in Canon: Mhhh...hm. Well, not Turtlejou. Turtle is an aromantic character in my heart you cannot change that. I wished that stupid ass love spell never happened that's for sure

Indigo

How I feel About Them: Pretty nice! I wanted to make a fic about Indigo using this quirky silly AU where Turtle never realized that Indigo was still in the statuette and spent his entire life looking for her..only to then die and for Indigo to be released from it when Darkstalker's scroll burned. Indigo I don't think about too often, but when I do it's mainly about that scrapped fic. I could never figure out a proper plot to justify writing it lmao

All the Characters I Ship Romantically with Them: Fathom, duh. I'm not too terribly crazy about other ships, but yeah Fathigo you can't go wrong with

Non-Romantic OTP: Hmmm..again, I don't really think of Indigo too terribly much to form too many opinions on what her relationships are like. I do like her interactions with Clearsight though, those were fun

Unpopular Opinion: I don't think there's enough discussion around Indigo to even have an unpopular opinion. I guess it's that Indigo seems to fall pretty flat in terms of canon and especially fanon, where she's more or less relegated to being Fathom's love interest. I think she can be really interesting and fun, but I would like seeing more attention on her character. I think her relationship with Lagoon and Pearl and being a common SeaWing is neat. Same with her general attitude and trauma relating to Nearly Dying. Idk

One Thing I Wished Happened in Canon: Dunno uhhh... yeah. I think just more of her, but also she was pretty good already in canon

Albatross

How I feel About Them: THE GUY THE GUY THE GUYYYYYY!!! Killing him tossing him against the wall hugging him crying into his shoulder telling him everything will be okay stabbing him 5000 times with a spear pushing him into a ravine GRRRRRAHHHHHHHHH!!!

All the Characters I Ship Romantically with Them: 0. Aromantic Albatross the beloved

Non-Romantic OTP: My precious OC, Marlin. For some context, in my fic and general headcanon'd backstory for Albatross, his wife is named Marlin and such. I've already talked at length about Marlin but yeah :]] Love her

Unpopular Opinion: Albatross is what Darkstalker fans make Darkstalker out to be and then some

One Thing I Wished Happened in Canon: Albatross winglet. Where is it

[sunnidear]

SUNNI ASK GAME AHOY, YIPPEE

ANYWAY, 8, 12 and 21.

RAHHHH I CAN FINALLY ANSWER

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

flirty characters automatically being these type of "player" lover-boy types. as if being flirty isn't so obviously a cover-up for something 😭 see also: stoic characters being cruel for no reason

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

idk if she's "unpopular" per se but frye splatoon will ALWAYS need more love to me. she was made fun of the minute she got released (just like pearl :-() and has the least amount of splatfest wins... she's so funny yall just aren't hearing her...

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

shiver splatoon.

[sssammich]

💚🤍🏳️‍🌈 :)

yippee hello let's see what we have. gonna assume this is for sg lol

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

well it may shock no one to know that lena is my favorite character (brunettes, amirite)

hmm idk if people get it wrong or if this is even remotely uncommon or unpopular, but how lena conducts herself amongst the superfriends is just never going to be how the superfriends hang out with each other. the superfriends is such a cliquey group and they're tight-knit and they care about each other and etc etc all that, but lena is also a luthor who grew up with lex and lillian, who's a billionaire ceo genius with sharp business acumen, and who exists in what is essentially a different plane of existence. her clothes are expensive, her habits are expensive and subtle, she's just a different caliber of woman. she's not better, per se, she's just rich and lives a very specific lifestyle. it's like she steps into being part of the superfriends. does that make sense? idk if that makes sense. and of course we could all chalk this up to the writing or directorial choices that kept the superfriend interactions pretty underdeveloped overall, but i also just find that people in different socio-economic strata can and do and will get along, but how they appear and exist have subtle nuance and differences that show that they are just not the same

🤍: Which character is not as morally bad as everyone else seems to think?

mm mon-el is just kind of a rich privileged prince? by no means am i giving him his flowers, but i also don't believe him to be morally reprehensible beyond what i know him to canonically be. he actually falls pretty in line with what i imagine dudes like him would and do act

🏳️‍🌈: Which character who is commonly headcanoned as queer doesn't seem queer to you?

winn? i guess?? he just feels like a nerdy dude to me hahaha

ask game

[utilitycaster]

idk if you're still doing the unpopular opinion thing. Feel free to ignore if you're not. My unpopular opinion is that, because the romances in C1 happened without any planning from the players, it set the precedent to the cast and the fandom that if they talk about the relationships out of the game, it's gonna make them not as organic or "earned". Laura just teasing Travis about fj already made people disregard the ship as "planned" (ignoring the 500+ hours of development) and treating it as if it was bad because Laura "planned it" in advance. But honestly, Imodna is a ship that would've benefited A LOT from some out of game conversations between Laura and Marisha and I think it would've been better if they had planned for them to become a couple from the beginning, so maybe they could've focus more on developing it in game

I'm not still doing it per se but I'm not not doing it, but also to be honest I agree with you on which of these ships are good and that Imogen and Laudna needed considerably more planning, but I actually disagree that this is how this played out for other ships.

I didn't watch Talks for campaign 1 nor watch Campaign 1 as it aired (and Talks didn't start until after the romances had begun), but from what I recall from other conversations Liam did at least float the idea of playing romance out of game to Marisha and Matt - the surprise was when and how he revealed it, which is really no different from Fjord and Jester. I think (and as with all thoughts re: the fandom in C1 I might be wrong because I was not there; it's educated guessing) it was simply more surprising to the audience in that campaign because there wasn't a talkback show, because the fandom was smaller and less romance-focused, and because Vax and Keyleth particularly was very early since some of the development was pre-stream.

I think this post, which I made about a month and a half ago, about talking about the relationship in-game and in-character, might be relevant, as might this post about defining the relationship from yesterday. I think talking out of game is good and useful (and I think the fact that Matt, on 4SD, essentially said "do not try this at home" re: Imogen and Laudna is worth keeping in mind) but also I think that having the characters communicate in-game is arguably more important. Like, I don't know how much Taliesin and Laura talked about Percy and Vex out of game, nor can I say how much was necessary, but the fact that Vex, while Percy is dead (but Taliesin is watching from backstage), says that her heart belongs to him is the equivalent of a green flag conversation. Like, I don't think the cast typically plans out "my character is romantically interested in this character", and even if they do that doesn't mean it will remain the case or that anything will come of it; but a lot of the conversations happen in-game, but in a place where action is not immediately required from the other party (this is important) and that's just as valid a place to talk as out of game. It even serves as a reason to talk out of game; if Taliesin heard that and Percy was not interested in Vex (or if he as a player was uncomfortable playing romance), that's a chance for him to say "by the way, here's where I'm at" out of game after the session.

With Fjord and Jester specifically...look. A lot of people just don't like that relationship, which is their right, but the arguments against it have always been incoherent. As I was around during Campaign 2 I can say that the criticism was essentially ever-changing with each episode, which is usually a sign that it's baseless. It went from "Travis doesn't do romance so this isn't even on the table" to "Jester isn't even interested in him" to "wow Travis didn't plan this at all lol he doesn't care" to "wow this is too planned and inorganic and fake" to "well Laura blinked twice in Liam or Marisha's direction this episode [and also Fjord and Jester made out mid-combat] so I'd say we're winning, folks!" to "we popping the BIGGEST bottles in the finale where they break up" to "this campaign was a FAILURE and I hope Jester is eternally miserable" to "how DARE we have a Fjord-centric two-shot, prayer circle for Fjorester divorce" to "[incoherent sobbing, incorrect use of the term 'comphet', rage-quitting the fandom, and/or creating an entire Essek Hate Block Evasion sideblog]."

Anyway my point in all this, in addition to having fun, is that haters gonna hate and in the case of the Campaign 2 ships, which are all incredibly well-developed throughout the course of the campaign, they are going to make shit up. We don't need to pretend like it comes from a place of anything other than illogic and bitterness; too much planning was just one of the many things they threw out to try to justify a dislike that was, imo, barely related to what was happening onscreen.

But yes: especially because Imogen and Laudna were, out of game, intended not to be romantic, it desperately needed some kind of conversation that defined boundaries and indicated a change, and it's telling (and obviously I'm biased, but also, my blog archives speak for themselves) that the tenor of the conversation among those who ship it has drastically changed over the course of the campaign whereas the criticism has been remarkably consistent since roughly post-gnarlrock fight. But the fix could have been a conversation either out of game or in-game with other characters. Like, FCG and FRIDA, or Deanna and Chetney, are actually a perfect model of how you can handle this primarily in-game.

[daniclaytcn]

🔥 + hen

idk if it's an unpopular opinion per se but i think hen has a very strong tendency to be judgmental (as 7x02 proved) and while it's worked out mostly okay for her in the past it's not the greatest attitude to have as a first responder tbh. it's one of her biggest flaws and i think it would be interesting to watch her work through it

[just-antithings]

Not really an anti thing per se, but something I feel the need to vent about:

One of the reasons I feel so conflicted on the Harry Potter thing is not only my concerns about continuing to give Rowling a platform, but also just, unpopular opinion, I… kinda think the fandom can be almost as performative as the haters?

I KNOW HOW THAT SOUNDS BUT HEAR ME OUT!

First off: they’re always going on about how "oh, we’re making ALL the hp characters trans to piss off the TERF!" and then you look at the fics and art and stuff and it’s like, at least 80-90% is just the same cookie cutter "Draco and Harry are gay trans men who make out 24/7 and there's some trans gay WolfStar in the background too, I guess, and also maybe black trans Hermione can have a cameo at some point as a treat, but who cares because it’s Drarryin' Time! *proceeds to Drarry all over AO3*" fics.

Like… why is it that after Rowling announced her status as a card-carrying fascist, "all the hp characters" suddenly became just Harry, Draco, Remus, Sirius and maybe Hermione if you're lucky? ESPECIALLY considering the fact that I know from experience that the fandom used to have way more diversity headcanons than this?

What about Ron "angsty because his mom wanted a daughter" Weasley? Or Neville and Hannah, who never had children (clearly, one of them is trans! Or maybe both are trans AND ace! Two groups Rowling hates for the price of one!)? Where are the Trans Dean/Seamus and Trans Lavender/Parvati fics? Trans Luna??? One of Bill and Fleur's kids being the first known male Veela hybrid in the series (literally a fuckin' goldmine of gender possibilities)???? What about fuckin' Nymphadora "gender nonconforming shapeshifter who hates her traditionally feminine name" Tonks (if ANY character would’ve been made trans or enby to spite Rowling, I’d have thought Tonks and her son Teddy would be the FIRST choices)???? EBONY DEMENTIA DARKNESS RAVEN WAY (objectively the BEST Harry Potter character)??!!!????

Part of me suspects that this is at least partly because these characters aren’t "popular" and therefore won't get the same attention as the Drarry "rivals to lovers" vibe and the All The Young Dudes spin-offs, but I can’t be fully sure of that.

And like… a lot of times it looks like their activism just, begins and ends with fandom activity? A lot of the same questions levied at HP haters ("are you supporting and/or donating to pro-trans causes?" "Are you making an effort to understand WHY TERF ideology is bad?" etc., all 100% valid questions) can also be levied against fans who make their headcanons and shipping the main source of their activism.

I’m not saying that NO hp fans are doing actual activism, I’ve seen a few examples, but it feels to me at least like the majority are not. It just seems they think shipping Harry and Draco whilst transing them to pretend it makes the TERF seethe (when really she probably doesn’t even know your fanfic exists) is a substitute for activism, just as HP haters think hating the series and patting themselves on the back for not reading it when they were twelve is a substitute for activism.

I guess the bright side is that at least the Drarry shippers aren’t harassing people? There are testimonies from trans people about hp fans harassing them, but the majority of those fans obviously wouldn’t also be writing trans Drarry fics so ehh?

Idk, like I said I’m conflicted and I need to vent. I’ve been holding this vent in for a while now.

I guess my thesis statement here is: HP fandom, if y'all really want to "diversify Harry Potter to spite the TERF", then please for the love of Glaux ADD MORE CHARACTERS AND IDENTITIES TO YOUR HEADCANON ROSTER.

.

[yonemurishiroku]

Do you think that the solangelo contains more of a forceful representation, and if so, what is your advice to authors who are trying to make lgbtq+ representation seem more a part of the story/flow with the story then the opposing option?

May 22nd. I'm so sorry, my mind has been going off track for a while. I'm really sorry for the delay. 😭😭

So, regarding Solangelo as a representation, well this is gonna be hard to say lol. This has been circling the fandom since the day of its emergence, and this is certainly not a good time but eh penny for my thought ig.

Now. I suppose I have a very varying definition of representation, but let's not dwell on that. As for now, I can say that I do consider Solangelo somewhat forcefully developed. As in, the term of writing, plot-wise, etc...

It's quite difficult to say. I have no problem with Solangelo as a couple - or their dynamic - per se. Rather, it's the pacing that throws me off. This has been addressed in many posts - Solangelo has a quite... abrupt (?) takeoff. I just felt like Rick did not mean to make them a thing but just a spur of a moment - something small and... promising that you left hanging at the end of the series for reader's interpretation, for whatever reason (This actually lines up with Boo's time of releash I think? The LGBTQ+ literature being unpopular I mean).

In fact, Solangelo's whole developing process happened behind the curtains - as in, we're told, not shown. Imagine. In BOO, their friendship just barely sprouts, and the next time we see them again in TOA, they're already a couple. For the longest time possible, it was left to the reader/fanfic writers to deduce wth happen for them to become a couple in like idk 6 months? (A pretty fast process for someone like Nico imo. but that's just me).

Something like that is bound to raise some doubts.

The full picture itself is only revealed - partly, and through second reminiscence, mind you - in TSATS. It's also the reason TSATS feels kinda off to me, ig - the fact that some parts actually misalign with the established canon events, or appear like a patch to cover a hole in the piece of fabric. And some others just straight up fall into the what-the-f-was-in-your-mind-rick category. I doubt it was even Rick's initial plan to come up with TSATS in the first place.

However, it's also worth acknowledging that, whilst it would certainly help, Rick hardly has the capacity to fully-build another 5-book romance for Solangelo. That's as far as it can go (I usually think this to placate myself at the thought of the ship being undeveloped). Nico is not the franchise's protagonist (more like deuteragonist I guess), no matter how far this story goes and how widely loved he is, let alone Will.

On to the advice part.

Please keep in mind that I am, in no way, a professional or good writer, nor do I study sexual orientation and/or identity theory (I barely know the flags). I've also grown up and received education in an Estern (somewhat conserative?) country, so please take whatever I say with a grant of salt.

Now. When it comes to "make it seem more a part of the story", I... actually don't know how to say this...

Just look at the all the BL mangas (Japanese comics) and danmeis (Chinese BL literature) and BL manhwas (Korean comics). I have been reading BoyLove longggg before I even came to PJO, you know? The Eastern fandoms have surprisingly extensive LGBT content for a conservative culture, anw they have been telling and/or drawing stotries upon stories about same-sex couples since the dawn of internet. They don't even need to try. They have the image of a love, a story in their mind and just... go along with it.

You don't make it a part of the story. The story is either about it (much or little), or just nothing at all.

I'm saying making a story about it - rather than trying to incorporate it into the story. Give it background and enough development, it'd progress itself. You don't give it anything, of course it'd feel flat. This goes with any type of romance, not just LGBTQ+.

The problem with Solangelo itself, imo, is not the nature of their relationship (tho I do admit somtimes Rick makes me go wtf), but rather how they're portrayed. And furthermore, said portray in proportion to people's expectation. Solangelo, by all means, is a side-story at best (unless Rick manages to come up with a trilogy about their journey from start to finish idk 🤷‍♀️). People like it, so they tend to expect more from it, but the author's just a human.

I think this is everything... My thoughts are kinda in a jumble as I'm writing this, so feel free to ask if something doesn't make sense... This is also just my personal view lol don't take it too seriously if it differs from yours too much.

Lastly, I know my advice would probably not do much, however I hope for you to find your way to tell your stories the best you can!

[seiwas]

🍬🥑🪲

These are such fun questions 🤭

mocha!! thank you for asking 🥺 they are so fun aren’t they 🥺

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

omg idk if this is unpopular per se but i am of the people who believe that gojo satoru unfortunately does not get btches 😔✊ i think he maybe has a few go-to lines he uses to flirt with, but when real feelings are involved i don’t think he’s smooth with it at all 😭

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

omg—dilly, @soumies, @augustinewrites, & @stellamancer to help me sort through my moral dilemma LOL then if the murder is justified (in some way, even tho it’s an accident LMAO), maybe inez (i miss u inez) & @yutaleks for chemistry help… on how to dispose of the body…

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

sawbing bc this fic is so very personal to me… but not emotionally… it’s basically just all my rants about the gym and working out 😭

send me an emoji from this fun truth & dare game!