#is this the gay version of the heroes journey?

[spectreofgreengables]

I've said it before, but I'll say it again

STOLITZ IS JUST DESTIEL IF DESLTIEL HAD BEEN CANON.

Let me explain

We are introduced to character A, a lower-class, hard-working hero type. He's been hardened through the loss of his mother, cruel treatment from an abusive father, and has high expectations for himself, because he always promised himself he'd become a better man. We see that he's an absolute prick at times, because he's developed an arrogant persona to get through life because he knows that nobody will ever be there for him.

Then, all of a sudden, our super-macho Superman needs something. And he can't fight or suppress or drink this need away. Probably something life-saving.

But here comes character B, an upper-echelon never-had-an-unfullfilled-need-in-his-life type with the power to save our hero. Originally, he's introduced as an antagonist to play with power dynamics in the plot, but the audience can't get enough of these two taunting each other. And so we get more of them, and slowly their character morphs into.. a companion role?

As time goes on, we see that lofty character B is trapped and without love (connection? friendship? purpose?) in his position of power as a "higher being," but goddamit spending time with character A just makes him feel alive. Suddenly he's questioning everything about the institution of class and power and race that separates him from his friend. Why should he be safer, richer, or worth more than character A, when clearly character A is a much better person, and deserves so much better in life?

And, at the same time, character A is learning, begrudgingly at first, that he can finally rely on someone to be there for him. He can have a weakness, and he can share his burdens.

Time passes, plots thicken, we race towards the climax of our story, and suddenly character B is forced to give up his power to save character A's life. For better or worse, they're equals now, and suddenly the power dynamic has completely reversed.

In the aftermath of losing his powers (status, rank, money, etc) character B is lost, confused, desperate in a world that makes no sense to him. And now, all of a sudden, Character A, who has never been able to provide anything for Character B, is in a position of power - but not only that - a position of care, as well.

AAAAAANYWAY Stolitz is Destiel and I think the fan artists and fic writers might find this information...potentially useful.

Thanks for reading. :)

[friendofbetty]

2025 - The end of the re-record era?

I spoke to my friend yesterday that I went to the Eras tour with last summer and she said to me “Now that the tour is over, do you think we’ll get the last two Taylor’s versions soon?” And not sure what or if the swifties are currently clowning for a new release date for rep tv, but I know Blondie loves a pattern and by that we’re due the last two re-records this year.

Sure, everyone is dying for reputation tv and they’re probably right in thinking it’ll be the next one. But here’s my hot take: for the overall journey we’ve been on since 2019 with these re-releases, and Taylor reclaiming her story with each album and the Eras tour, I’m actually more excited for Taylor Swift (Taylor’s version) than rep tv. And that’s for two reasons, hear me out.

1. The title. Everyone is calling this album debut which chronologically it was, but it was actually self-titled (Taylor Swift). As such, the correct title of the re-record would be Taylor Swift (Taylor’s version). And come on, you can’t tell me that doesn’t sound significant in the light of all the observations and theories we’ve had over the last two years regarding the two versions of Taylor. The two Taylors in the anti hero mv, all the mirror images and the Taylors in glass cages on the eras tour. Then she showed up in Paris for the Red set in a THIS IS NOT TAYLORS VERSION shirt. So, if it still isn’t, will rep tv kill off the current brand and when old Taylor can’t come to the phone anymore , we get Taylor’s (authentic) version of Taylor Swift? Reclaiming her coming out with the same process that’s reclaiming her art and completing that process by going back to the beginning and showing us what she always could have been if it had been her choice? That would be truly iconic.

2. Shock factor. Let’s be honest, everyone who is even vaguely familiar with Taylor lore already knows what the deal is with reputation. There’s a whole ppt presentation about it and it’s really made the rounds online since 2018. It’s not news and it’s actually pretty well accepted that this is the karlie album regardless of where you stand on it. She got away with ‘wear you like a necklace’ on this album… so yeah it’s a pretty gay album and it wouldn’t shock anyone to find some even gayer vault tracks on it. Even she/her pronouns. It was her gay villain era. But the sweet innocent fairytale princess from the debut album? SHE can’t possibly have been gay, right??? 😏 See what I mean, this revelation has the potential to shock people and make them see Taylor Swift in a whole new light. All these years, the boy crazy image, the red lips and A line dresses, everything that screamed straight and all this time she was singing about girls. It’s also a way of saying, hey I didn’t mean to lie to you, this is what I’ve always been and if you look back at these, my earliest songs you can already see that. Tim McGraw with original lyrics making it crystal clear that even her first ever song was written about a girl? That line from picture to burn?! The Outside?? Invisible?!?? It would change her entire story from the beginning. Yeah I’d be really excited about that and imagine how vindicating that would be for Taylor. Finally and actually Taylor’s version.

[supernaturallyliterate]

I noticed something big about TTPD. I think that it connects to Taylor’s plans for The Eras Tour, the Yellow Brick Road / possible coming out journey, and the New Romantics / Mass Coming Out theory.

If you’re not interested in that type of content, please keep scrolling. But if you’re down to clown and theorize, come on a little adventure with me. 😉

I noticed it first with the song “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”, so that’s where I’ll start in this analysis.

I think that this song is Taylor telling both Swifties / Hetlors and Gaylors that she is tired of all the expectations and obsession with her sexuality and love life (again). She’s been walking a fine line, Easter egging for both Hetlors and Gaylors for so long. She frames it as a lose-lose situation.

DEEP DIVE ON THE LYRICS:

Your hologram stumbled into my apartment

Hands in the hair of somebody in darkness named Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

And I just watched it happen

I haven’t quite figured out the first few lines. Hologram suggests that the person who arrives isn’t real, or isn’t really there. This could be a reference to “Is that your key in the door?” from Hits Different.

First, it’s been noted before, but the switching between female and gender neutral and male names. This suggests not only multiple muses, but also multiple interpretations. And, of course the queerness of the speaker, which is assumed to be Taylor Swift.

As the decade would play us for fools

It’s been ten years since kissgate. I think when Kaylor first got together and schemed about this coming out plan, they never thought it would take ten years to come to fruition.

And you saw my bones out with somebody new

Who seemed like he would've bullied you in school

And you just watched it happen

First, “my bones” is referring to her body. For her body (pun intended) to be bones, she would have to be dead, and been dead a long time. The death of Taylor Swift. This could be referring to how she was dying inside from the closeting. Her true self was unfulfilled. It could also be referring to the beginning of the death of Taylor the Brand.

“Somebody” is still gender neutral, keeping with the ambiguity of the muse’s gender.

Yet the next line has he/him pronouns. Bearding. Taylor is bearding with a football player. We’ve seen football players bully a gay boy in the Taylorverse before.

If you want to break my cold, cold heart

Just say, 'I loved you the way that you were'

If you want to tear my world apart

Just say you've always wondered

I think the first two lines are for the Hetlors. This would be their reaction to her coming out— “I loved you [your music, etc] when you were straight.” This has Cold as You implications. To the Hetlors, she would be “cold-hearted” snake who was deceiving them by pretending to be straight when she was queer the whole time.

The second two lines are for the Gaylors. I interpret “always wondered” to be about wondering and speculating about Taylor’s sexuality, with possible ties to “Wonderland”. And the first part about breaking her world—that’s what would happen if she came out as queer. Not only would her brand and public world be broken, i.e. never the same, fractured, skewed, etc. The public “betrayal” and all that toxic shit. But also, her private world would be broken and shattered. The lavender haze she and her love created, their secret moments (even if in a crowded room), their coded language, etc would all be revealed. They wouldn’t be able to hide in their own little world anymore. (Also thinking about this in terms of “escaping to a planet where they could all understand it.”)

You said some things that I can't unabsorb

You turned me into an idea of sorts

You needed me but you needed drugs more

The media, the fans, etc have said things about Taylor that stay with her. That impact her deeply. We (and yes, I’m including myself in that) have turned Taylor the person into Taylor the Brand and Taylor the Anti-Hero, etc. All these different versions of her that aren’t truly representative of her true self.

I interpret the “you needed me” as “you needed me the person” and “you needed drugs more” as the addictiveness of Easter eggs, theories, fandom, media consumption, the need for “MORE” from Taylor. (Yes that’s a callback to ICDIWABH.)

And I couldn't watch it happen

And she couldn’t do it anymore. She needed it to end. But how do you break something so carefully crafted? By carefully deconstructing it like a mastermind chess playing badass and then smashing it with a hammer and setting the whole thing on fire.

I changed into goddesses, villains and fools

Changed plans and lovers and outfits and rules

This section reminds me of Mirrorball—she changed herself into different eras and personalities. She’s been a saint and a sinner. The villain reference is very reputation coded.

She changed plans after the Masters Heist and failed coming out during Lover.

Changing lovers refers to “switching out these Kens”, her PR boyfriends.

It also reminds me of Mastermind the game, how she constantly changed her outfits and the rules for her outfits to keep people on their toes.

All to outrun my desertion of you

And you just watched it

She literally said. I’m leaving you. But I don’t want to leave you, so I’ve been dragging it out as long as I can. But I can’t run from it.

And oh, by the way, you just watched it. You just witnessed it unfold. The duplicate meanings of this line!! “You just watched it.” the heartbreak of “you saw it happening and you didn’t do anything to stop it.” And “just” as a way to tell time—you just watched it, recently. And we’ve all been watching The Eras Tour for two years (well, 1 year 8 months, as she pointed out in her speech). And it just finished.

If the glint in my eye traced the depths of your sigh

Down that passage in time

Back to the moment I crashed into you

Like so many wrecks do

Too impaired by my youth

To know what to do

So if I sell my apartment

And you have some kids with an internet starlet

Will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon

like it never happened

This section is so Karlie coded. They met when they were super young, in 2008. And Taylor was too young to know what to do, how to navigate being a famous person and wanting to have this queer relationship. She had to figure out if she wanted to come out or stay closeted. And she didn’t know how it would go, how it could impact their relationship.

I won’t go too in depth but the having kids line refers to her marriage and family. And Maroon the song is 100000% a Kaylor song, so she’s drawing that direct parallel here.

Could it be enough to just float in your orbit

Could it be enough to stay in this lavender haze? Could it be enough to stay in our own little world, circling each other and not caring about the rest of the universe?

Can we watch our phantoms like watching wild horses

Ghosts of their past selves, when Kaylor was more open publicly? Like kissgate. But also I think about wild horses as beautiful, but easily spooked. If they know you’re watching, they’re going to run away. “I Know Places” and running from the hunters, the media, etc. So as soon as people started to notice and call attention to her queerness, she got spooked. She got scared, and she returned to the safety of the closet.

Cooler in theory but not if you force it

To be, it just didn't happen

I think these lines are her acknowledging that it is a nice to theorize about all these grand coming out plans, but it cannot and should not be forced on her and her lover by anyone—the public, the fans (hetlors and Gaylors), etc. “It just didnt happen” refers to the times she didn’t publicly come out. It could also be a reference to a Kaylor split (real or perceived) and Karlie’s wedding (which was referenced a few lines above).

And we get a repeat of the chorus, a reemphasizing of the impossible and unrealistic expectations on Taylor, and a transition to the end of the song, where she asks us a question.

If you want to break my cold, cold heart

Just say, 'I loved you the way that you were'

If you want to tear my world apart

Just say you've always wondered

Cause I wonder

Will I always

Will I always wonder?

Will I always be in the closet? Will I always wonder about what it would be like to come out? To be free?

[myimaginedcorner]

SCALES OF JUSTICE - PUBLICATION SET FOR JANUARY 2025

Hello my dear readers,

WE DID IT! After a few weeks of wait and talks, I can finally announce that Scales of Justice has been officially accepted for publication, both on Hosted Games and on Steam! The current publication date is set for January 2025; however, if that changes, I will update you with new information.

You can now wishlist the game on Steam! Here's the link -> https://store.steampowered.com/app/3089710/Scales_of_Justice/

I am so, so grateful to everyone who has been here for me during these past 3 years. What began as a shy attempt at dreaming has grown into a marvelous project that taught me so much, brought me so many new experiences and skills, and is going to end with my first publication as an author. I cannot be more grateful and excited. I hope this is only the beginning of an amazing journey.

I am currently finishing my degree and working on preparing for the release; however, I will soon be posting a little more of my thoughts about future projects (including SoJ 2), continuing Torn Page, and being a bit more active around here. Until then, please, spread the word, and let's celebrate this together! ^^

DEMO DESCRIPTION:

Scales of Justice is a fantasy story that takes place in a world afar – a place called Therania. Albeit there was some interaction between Therania and other worlds a long time ago, now it’s solely a tale from their lost past… or, at least, that is the most common belief. Regardless, this story does not focus on extraterrestrial connections: its plot revolves around the people of Therania and their lives, their history and – what’s more important – their ‘determined’ future.

There are plenty of species living together in Therania, yet the human race is currently split in two: the one known as Hero kingdom, which is ruled by ‘heroes’, and the one named Vannais kingdom, controlled by ‘villains’. Both nations hate each other - here, the fight of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is something that happens on a national level. The game is focused on lore, character development, and the player's choices: perhaps, your MC just wants to live a peaceful life... or maybe they want to save the world.

Or even rule it, if you’re into such things.

THINGS TO DO IN THIS DEMO:

Set off on a new adventure towards Neutral Lands, to meet a mythic creature of all answers - The Visionary.

Play as a woman, man, or non-binary - straight, gay, or asexual.

Gather up to 3 companions to help you in your quest - befriend, romance, or rival them, the choice is yours.

Buy a horse - we know you want one.

Fight, conjure, support, speak or think - choose your way of handling a tricky situation.

Explore the kingdom of Hero up to Menai's shores, in search for someone - or something - to aid you in your journey.

The DEMO version of the book runs up to Chapter 5 and contains 276K words overall.

USEFUL LINKS:

If you want to know a little more about this project and read chapters 1-5, I'll leave the link to the game here -> https://dashingdon.com/play/myimaginedcorner/scales-of-justice/mygame/

If you want to discuss anything on CoG's forum, I'll leave the link for SoJ here -> https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/wip-scales-of-justice-new-project-announcement-and-demo-release/101088/16

If you want to send me a more extensive feedback, here's my email -> feedbackscalesofjustice@gmail.com

RO DESCRIPTIONS:

Shoren/Seile → Heir to the Hero kingdom’s throne, right where your journey starts. Also, your old friend who’s very attached to you. Likes to read and practices magic, enjoys adventure and heroic deeds. A recognised “hero”, with blonde curly hair, pale skin and a pair of sapphire eyes.

Robert/Reina → Order’s Paladin, defender of Hero and Knight of Fate. Brave and honourable, determined to protect the people of the kingdom. Very loyal to friends and very dangerous as an enemy. Has short brown hair, tanned skin and an athletic build.

Valerius/Venis → An Outworlder caught by cultists in the Wicked Woods. Gracious, elegant and charismatic. Has long dark brown hair with a silver streak, olive skin and golden eyes.

Arion/Aria → Leader of Vannais, a recognised “villain” who escaped from Hero and now rules the enemy kingdom. Serious but temperamental. Prefers action over words and so, is always present on battlefields and amidst negotiations, even if in an unofficial manner. Has short blonde hair, pale skin and emerald eyes.

[supernatural-ate-my-face]

I read that 'Peace of Mind' was supposed to be Castiel and Dean in Stepford town. And now I can't stop thinking about how that would have worked...

You know the question for Dean at the end of the episode would have been: did/do you want a domestic picket fence life like that? There is no version of that conversation between him and Castiel that would not have been absolutely fascinating, especially given Dean's comment at the end of 'The Heroes' Journey.'

Need a rewrite fic of this episode like yesterday....And yes, it occurs to me I'm just using tumblr as a notepad for plot bunnies. I do apologize. But the bunnies command me. They control my brain like fuzzy gay little cordyceps...

[sparklyshakespeare]

the case for hyper-femme hotspur

this is my tumblr blog and this is like kind of just what we do heresies

OK so basically okay so

first of all i think anytime there is a character who is so strongly associated with an extreme form of gender expression in our collective zeitgeist (i.e hotspur and hyper-masculinity) there’s something not only extremely fun to play with but incredibly valuable about analyzing the story from the opposite end of the gender performance specturm. also canonically there are like 3 female characters in 1h4 and that sucks. also also don’t you want to see hotspur in pink glitter? i know i do and this tumblr is not a democracy!!

in this hypothetical dream sparkly version of the play, both hotspur and worcester would be women. not played by women, i mean textually explicitly women. this is important!! 

worcester should be very nancy pelosi hillary clinton-esque in the way that this is a middle-aged woman who has been taught that to be successful in her field (politics) she will have to strip herself of most of her femininity and perform a certain level of masculinity in order to be taken seriously. this creates a whole other layer to the hotspur/worcester dynamic when all of a sudden this young, hyper-feminine woman is being taken more seriously and being given more praise than someone who has worked and fought through the bullshit and done it all “right”. she hasn’t earned her place, she hasn’t had to struggle - and worcester resents her for that. (there’s like a whole dissertation to be written about how much of 1h4 changes when only worcester is genderbent, i love you queen worcester you are everything not in this version here you kind of suck lowkey)

henry iv is just a misogynist he just kinda sucks but like this is something we all knew screw that guy

ok now we can talk about hal because i know hes like the one all you little gay people care about. 

to me, it’s never made sense why the Henriad is framed as hal’s hero’s journey. maybe it’s because i’m queer (i’m like actually positive that’s why), but leaving home and finding acceptance and family from a group of outsiders who society has deemed as worthless is the path i’ve watched so many friends walk. having to leave that and return to your shitty dad because “duty calls!” and THEN leaving behind and disavowing the same community that opened its arms to you? i don’t see that as an awesome coming-of-age about learning how to handle responsibility, that’s deeply, deeply tragic. and far farrrrr too true a reality for most members of our LGBTQ+ community here (Bible Belt). SO guess where this version of 1h4 is set!!!!!! anyways, its the Medieval Revival of the ‘70s in the Bible Belt south, the Boar’s Head is a gay bar, and hal is trans. 

hal is trans-masc in some way and this needs to be incredibly explicit (like pronouns pin with trans flag on costume explicit). and then when the news breaks, when “I’ll to the court in the morning.” (we’re cutting the text so this is where that scene ends. cool? cool. cool!), hal takes the pin off. it needs to be like A Moment. it should make me cry, and i cry really easily so that’ll probably be pretty easy to do, but this is a gut punch. 

oh and lady percy is still a woman, they’re gay, because i said so. blah blah blah because look hotspur and hal really were so alike all along and look hotspur is fighting so voraciously because she’s hungry for a world where she can openly and unabashedly be with the person she loves but ultimately because i love lady percy and i love lesbians and this play doesn’t need another man. but also because look hotspur is fighting so voraciously because she’s hungry for a world where she can openly and unabashedly be with the person she loves. worcester and vernon should also both be women and have the blossoming of a relationship but be a lot more discreet about it (worcester should be extremely hesitant). now we get a cool split between younger and older generations of activists in both the feminist and the gay rights movement oooo themes oooo motifs oooo lady gagita 

as far as hal/hotspur parallels go, it’s probably pretty obvious at this point. your dad constantly praising someone who represents, at least in his mind, the ideal concept of a woman, disappointed you can’t be more like her, all the while you’re coming to terms with the fact that you’re not a woman, but he’ll never see that, so what the fuck are you supposed to do?!? it’s a LOT! but i think there’s also something to be said about the less obvious parallel. which is that hyper-femininity is NOT an attempt at ideal polite womanhood or self-Stepfordization, hyper-femininity is in fact the extreme performance of womanhood in rejection of that. hyper-femininity is queer in nature (also hotspur quite literally has a wife but i guess hal wouldn’t be able to tell that just by looking at her) there’s something to be said about the moment hal and hotspur see each other, and then the moment hal and hotspur seeeeeee each other. and go hey, you’re just like me. this person who you’ve been constantly compared to and made out to be lesser than  because you dare to be deeply wildly madly truly you is in fact exactly the same. we’re the same. and oh my god, in another world wouldn’t it have been lovely to just like go dancing together? sucks it’s not another world now we’re going to gay fight each other i guess

[marchentraume]

I had trouble sleeping last night so I kept thinking about an Aziracrow Hercules inspired AU

Per usual I bulleted every though I have underneath:

Mostly taking beats from the disney version (with a dash of the TV series for anyone who remembers)

Angels are the Gods on Olympus, not really using the royal caste system but those like Gabriel and the Metatron are higher beings with larger titles

Demons live/work in Hades and go on Earth to make deals with humans to create servants they can use

Aziraphale is the first god "born" in eons and therefore the youngest, he is taken care of by his nanny Muriel

Lucifer meanwhile at the same time receives a vision from his advisor Beelzebub that the young god will grow to be strong enough to defeat him and bring balance to the gods, demons, and earth (spoiler: Luci doesn't want this lol)

Sends his minions Hastur and Ligur to kidnap and remove the god-essence from the little one before taking care of him (plot plot they fail to remove ALL the essence so he looks normal but has his super strength still)

Tiny vulnerable baby Azi is found by Nina and Maggie, a sweet childless couple who raise him as their own

Fast forward: Azi learns of his origins from nanny Muriel, trains for years to be a hero to prove himself, soon is ready to start his journey

Runs into seemingly human damsel Crowley (gender fluid in this version/doesn't mind any pronouns), rescues, and is immediately smitten by them

Crowley meanwhile is only a pawn, using a disguise provided by demons to hide their true Gorgon form

This was a curse put on them as a human servant to the temple of the Metatron, she was found in the arms of a favorite priest and, though it was against her will when it happened, was made to be a monster who's eyesight would turn anyone who sees them into stone

blah blah plot plot out of despair he signs a contract with Lucifer to be a lure on land and especially given the important job of watching out for/bringing down Aziraphale

Has a hard time trusting Gods, Azi is no different in Crowley's eyes at first

plot plot Azi is a hero but not a TRUE hero yet

Goes on a date with Crowley, who realizes he's in love but Hastur so rudely reminds her she's a servant, one who has proven to be useful now

Demons use Crowley to get Aziraphale to give up strength

Azi is heartbroken to learn he was lied to but still loves Crowley enough to save them (after the latter push them aside like in the movie)

Azi brings balance to the world through love/being a real hero (plot plot) and goes to save Crowley's soul in Hades

Azi is offered a place in Olympus as a god, but turns it down and asks to be with his Crowley

Also either 1) Crowley is turned human again either as a reward for being a hero or on Aziraphale's request they are given the form that makes them most happy or 2) Crowley is still a Gorgon and either we don't worry about it or Azi is just immune as a final gift from the Gods

HAPPILY EVER AFTER SMOOCHES

Oh and yes Nina and Maggie love their beautiful gay demi-god son and his beautiful Gorgon wife <3

[the-desert-beast]

OC SMASH OR PASS TAG GAME!!

Tagged by @sleidog ! (ty for the tag >:D)

Rules: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

ofc im doing this for my main my love of my life Maelgwynnie my bounty hunter with his idiot title of The Desert Beast

PROPAGANDA;

NAME; Maelgwyn (means "Prince of Hounds!")

AGE; In sylvari terms he awoke 1 year after Trahearne. (iirc 33 present time.) Human terms/vibes he is 40s-50s energy.

GENDER; Preferred label: none. Maelgwyn's gender is "I'm maelgwyn. ???" / "what." he doesn't have a label he uses, most people view him as a man and he/him- which he is comfortable with. Present day this hasn't channged but time to time he'll wear dresses/"feminine" things and enjoys being reffered to with she/her pronouns here and there.

PRONOUNS; He/Any. (all through out his life this has been true.)

ORIENTATION; Bisexual! High preference for people with "power" over him, people who are as if not more muscular than him, people who are much much weaker than him. reliable, strong, flirtatious, high sex drive, (doms and tops as well), a list of some of his favorite traits and preferences.

PROFESSION; Ranger. He fights alongside his tiger Paola (her colors are that of a 'golden tiger'!) who is as battlescarred as Maelgwyn himself, and abnormally large for a female tiger like her. Maolmuire his griffon serves as a combat mount and ranger companion.

BUILD; 8 feet and 3 inches tall or 251 cm tall. Shoulders are broad, waist is thin, hips are average (wide in comparison to his waist), thighs are thick. He is very muscular, weighs somewhere in the ballpark of 500lbs. has an 8pack (because im gay and its hot <3) and his body is littered with scars. he also has tattoos across his chest and arms.

OCCUPATION; semi-retired bounty hunter. pact ally. general "hero" around amnoon and the crystal desert. (maintains a positive reputation as a protector/reliable Peoples' Hero.)

PROS;

EXTREMELY loyal; will always be there for You

protective; he'd do anything to keep his starlight (partner) safe. (this sometimes borders on possessiveness but never anything to demand concern; he just gets a little insecure now and again and needs a little reassurance. gradually into a relationship, this fades to something much more endearing/completely harmless.)

Loves animals; if you have a pet they're part of the family now. he'll easily and efficiently take care of any of their health problems and keep them very happy and dote on them. he loves animals, especially cats.

Affectionate; he is so goddamn physically affectionate, he's not good with words so instead he chooses to touch and kiss and hold and snuggle. its his favorite way to show that he loves his partner.

CONS;

Maelgwyn suffers from a few things mentally that cause him to believe he is unlovable and cause him to isolate himself, so long term relationships with him can be demanding. he's making progress on these things on his own slowly but surely; a supportive partner helps him close the gaps much faster,

his insecurities can get the better of him now and again; unfortunately he has to be cornered into having some of the important conversations here and there. this too fades with time as he heals, but its taxing to put up with in the first year.

He is, at his core, trying his best to heal and become the best version of himself he can. joining him on that journey can be tiring and taxing but the good parts make up for it and soon enough; only the good parts remain.

(kinda wrote this like a dating sim and not smash or pass so uh onenight stand traits lightning round real quick? pros: experienced, size difference if ur into that, verse and a switch you can do whatever you want with him, cons: BITEY and scratchy if youre not into that im sorry, he can try his best to be gentle but there will be rough moments still he is very bad at holding back no matter how hard he tries, ThatThang is not fitting anywhere comfortably if his partner is not also fuck off huge stature. uhhh yeah 👍 also hes really into being collared and leashed and hurt and called a good boy.)

[zephyr-rat]

Green Giant Character Insights: Warwick - Inspirations and why Pre-Arcane Lore was Better

Back when Warwick got his visual gameplay update in 2017, he got a brand new bio to match him more with the new capitalist grimdark setting of Piltover-Zaun. Of the brand new bios they released for the new setting, I thought at the time that Warwick was one of the best with Orianna and Camille. 2017 VGU Warwick is ultimately the story of a rugged criminal desperately trying to redeem himself for his past crimes, but finds his attempts to make amends fruitless. As a result, the scientist Singed lists him as a candidate for his inhumane experiments because he believed that no one would lament a man like Warwick. After all, he’s a criminal, the worst filth of the earth, who would miss him? 

Singed abducts Warwick pretty easily and commits many convoluted experiments to test the limits of the human body, leading to the chemtech werewolf we see in the video game. In a subversion of most werewolf stories, this version of Warwick doesn’t want to turn back to a human, the man he once was. He hates that man, the one labeled the irredeemable criminal. As Warwick himself says in one of his VO lines

“The man I was, I killed him first.”

And yet, he still tries to make amends in his own way. He turns into the Zaunite punisher, wanting to kill those that have blood on their hands, that remind him of himself, through the same hateful lens that society taught him.. As Warwick’s color story “If They Run” puts it:

“They are the monsters I hunt. And I am one of them.”

It’s a heroism guided by hatred, but it’s still, in its own perverse way, an attempt at heroism, an act to better clean up the city that abused him. As edgy as this is, there are rich themes of self-loathing, justice, redemption, and systemic violence. Who gets to decide who’s worthy of redemption or not? Who gets to decide how you view yourself? 

(I still hate his new face)

Arcane season 2 sadly did not keep any of these thematics when adapting Warwick for their show, opting to make him a prop for Vi and Jinx to amend bridges over and a symbol of the hopeful future that was ripped from them by the end of act 2. Wowie I wish monster characters can actually be characters and not just symbols.

That being said, Arcane season 1 did give me hope by making Warwick / Vander’s big inciting incident, the big crime that got him to change his ways and play ball with Pilties, is that he helped start a revolution to make Zaun better. Using the framework of Warwick’s 2017 lore, I thought that was genius because it shows how socially constructed a crime really is. No one’s going to argue that murder and robbery aren’t crimes, but is being gay a crime? Is providing trans affirming healthcare a crime? Is abortion a crime? We can argue all we want on what’s a crime and what’s not, but by the end of the day, our governmental systems are the ones that make the final call. I’m very sure the current system wouldn’t like revolutions meant to upend everything, greater good or no. It also makes Warwick’s desire to be a vigilante more believable than if he was just responsible for unnamed crimes.

(Art commissioned by Cryspan)

For the Green Giant Saga, I based my version of Warwick mainly on the 2017 lore with that revolutionary aspect in Arcane season 1. My fanfiction series focuses on Zac’s journey to identify his own heroism: what him as a hero would look like. Warwick acts as an excellent foil with his messy, violent vigilantism. His age and cynical experience with Zaun contrasts brilliantly with Zac’s youth and optimism, an optimism that slowly gets dulled by realism as the city goes on. Both characters have great powers that they want to use to make the city better. Both characters struggled under the weight of societal labels. Both characters, at certain points in their lives, want to escape being a monster and be accepted.

However, if Zac can’t help but see the emotions and humanity of everyone through his empathy, Warwick can only see the blood on their hands.

---------------------------------

If you want to see how Warwick's lore interacts with the Green Giant Saga (fanfic series focused on Twitch and Zac), check the story out.

His story comes in effect in episode 8 and episode 11, the latest episode as of January 12th, 2025!

Ao3 Series

Main Tumblr Page

[sometimesraven]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWO AMAZING GAMES

Today marks the 10th anniversary of both Dragon Age: Origins and the 15th anniversary of The Longest Journey — two of my favourite video game series’ of all time and two of the most influential on my writing style. In celebration, here’s a quick rundown on what the games are about, their influence on my, and why you should experience them too!

(read this post on Wordpress linked above, or click "Read More" to continue)

The Longest Journey

TLJ, also known as Dreamfall, is a trilogy of adventure games created by Funcom. It is set in two worlds. The first is Stark: a futuristic version of Earth with sci-fi cyberpunk elements, and the second is Arcadia: the world where magic and dreams come from, which is more of a high fantasy setting.

In this Sandman inspired story, you follow characters from and through both worlds, seeking to save the Balance between these worlds from complete collapse, as things on both sides get more and more unstable and sinister.

Dragon Age

Dragon Age is an ongoing series of fantasy RPGs created by Bioware, set in the world of Thedas. You follow the story of a different hero per game, backed by an ensemble of characters who recurr throughout, as they try to save the world from a combination of fantastical threat and tense political divides.

The story is character-focused but thick with worldbuilding. It contains elements of dark fantasy but also maintains a good level of humour and goofiness as you navigate through themes of oppression, leadership, war, corruption, friendship and romance.

The Worldbuilding

Both TLJ and DA incorporate rich, interesting worldbuilding into their worlds. Dragon Age puts a new and fresh twist into the traditional fantasy world, while The Longest Journey is one of the most beautiful and richly varied takes on the “hidden world” urban fantasy trope I’ve seen to this day.

TLJ in particular has a huge influence on my worldbuilding. The way Arcadia is built to feel so completely alien, and yet homely and familiar, while mirroring the mundane world’s conflicts, fits so beautifully into balance of the dreamlike wonder and gritty realism I want my stories to hold.

The Representation

Dragon Age in particular boasts some of the first and best examples of transgender inclusion in the games, and The Longest Journey series has the earliest examples of casual gay representation I can remember seeing, prominently features characters of colour, and even makes the “manly warrior with a heart of gold” archetype playable character openly gay in the final game.

Even though the gestures are small by today’s standards and some have aged badly (TLJ briefly has a non-passing trans woman as a joke, though even this is presented far less transphobic than most other examples of its time), they impact me to this day. This is what I hope to provide to the underrepresented demographics that exist today, which is why I put extra effort into representing stigmatised identities such as plural systems, aro/ace people, etc. in my stories.

The Characters

Representation is one thing, but it matters very little without a solid cast of characters to go with it. TLJ and DA both have a huge cast of characters that live in my heart to this day. From the playable characters to the prominent NPCs to the villains, it’s clear how much care is put into each and every character, making memorable and lovable even some of the brief roles that are allowed to be forgettable.

While it’s not my place to decide if my characters feel that way, I do strive to convey at least some of that kind of care and love in my work. Everything I write is character-focused and it’s partially thanks to the games I played in my formative years, but especially these two franchises. I believe the characters are the single most important thing about a story — there have been countless stories I’ve consumed that are objectively awful, but the characters and their personal arcs have made me adore them anyway.

In Conclusion

Whether you’re following an art student through two worlds at war, or battling corrupted creatures in Thedas, The Longest Journey and Dragon Age are two franchises that I believe to be utterly unmissable if you’re a fan of beautiful worldbuilding, diverse and lovable characters, and a story that will live with you forever.

(there's even a funny talking corvid!)

I genuinely can’t overstate how influential these games have been on my life, my love for urban and low fantasy, and my storytelling style as a whole. If anyone is interested in what I’ve stated so far, please try these games out! Again, even just watching a playthrough or playing the most recent games to get a ‘feel’ for the story — I just need people to experience these games one way or another.

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LBGTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 3, Wave 1, Poll 7

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included. 

Check out the other polls in this wave and prior here.

Link-Legend of Zelda

Qualifications:

He was legit designed to be androgynous (Nintendo has actually said this) and easily passes as a girl (I firmly believe Link is genderfluid), and also he got his arm yoinked

He lost his arm in TOTK, but ALSO we know that one version of him, the Hero's Shade (seen in Twilight Princess, and canonically is the one from Ocarina of Time) is missing his eye. Aside from that, one version of Link (the one in BOTW/TOTK) is commonly headcanoned as gay/bi (often shipped with prince Sidon of the zora), as well as seen by plenty of fans as genderfluid or nonbinary. People also headcanon him as having PTSD and severe anxiety due to the VERY traumatic things he's had to deal with (particularly BOTW Link, as he's the one who failed in his mission to protect Hyrule, unlike the other versions)

Additional qualifications by @sasybanana : Botw link is also canonically selectively mute due to his very canon anxiety over his responsibilities as keeper of the mastersword before the calamity. This is referenced both in some of his memories with zelda and some of her journals you can find. It was also noted by Robby in botw that link is riddled with scars and burns from the incident that put him in the shrine of resurrection to begin with. I forgot to say: many people also believe link is Asexual or generally Ace due to his overall disposition toward canonical romantic partners and prospective in-game ones as well.

Propaganda:

Link is the best and deserves to be in this

Link is cool, and I want more people to see how cool he is

Anything Else?:

Okay, if you want to see a GREAT Zelda comic that incorporates both the mental health headcanons common with Link, as well as one version missing his eye, look up Linked Universe, it's pretty good at showing those (Submitter 2)

Luz Noceda-The Owl House

Qualifications:

Canonically bisexual and shown in the show, never stated in the show but is also ADHD

She is bisexual and has ADHD.

Bisexual (canon) and neurodivergent (heavily coded)

bisexual adhd queen

Very cool character that shows children that it's okay to be disabled and in the LGBTQ community

Propaganda:

Has been through many of the troubles that I as an ADHD person have also been through, mainly regarding school. (Shown mainly in season 3)

She’s got a girlfriend, which is groundbreaking representation for a Disney cartoon (especially considering how she’s the main character). She’s also really determined and kind, having amassed a massive found family by the end of the show. Her ADHD causes her a number of problems throughout her journey, but it also makes her who she is.

I adore her and she had done nothing wrong in her life ever

SHES THE BEST EVER

People want to screw her for some reason so uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah

Anything Else?:

Canon girlfriend she has a canon girlfriend. And has crushed on both she/hers and he/hims (Submitter 1)

Enchanted Grom Fight was absolute bangers (Submitter 5)

[rowinablx]

My Team Arrow members ranking from worst to best

10. Evelyn Sharp / Artemis

Worst: Evelyn was introduced as a potential protege but quickly turned into a traitor, aligning with Prometheus. Her betrayal and lack of screen time after Season 5 make her the least impactful member. Evelyn's lack of any substantial character development makes her one the worst Arrowverse characters in the entire franchise

9. Rene Ramirez / Wild Dog

Rene starts off as a rough-around-the-edges vigilante with potential but is often more of a liability due to his impulsive nature. His personal drama with child custody issues also diverts focus from team missions. Rene is annoying and his actor never gave a good performance.

8. Curtis Holt / Mr. Terrific

Curtis has moments of brilliance with his tech expertise, but his character often feels underused compared to his comic book counterpart. His initial lack of combat readiness and later personal life distractions impact his ranking. Curtis was the show's first openly gay character and while this was a good step for representation, when Curtis was killed off, nothing changed.

7. Dinah Drake / Black Canary

Dinah steps into large shoes left by Laurel Lance. While she brings her own skills, particularly her sonic scream, her integration into the team sometimes feels forced, and her storylines are not as compelling.

6. Roy Harper / Arsenal

Roy had some great moments, especially in season two. However, his character development peaks early, and his exits and returns from the show somewhat diminish his overall impact.

5. Thea Queen / Speedy

Thea's journey from a troubled, party-girl sister to a capable vigilante is one of the show's highlights. Her character growth, relationship with Oliver, and eventual departure for her own path give her a solid mid-tier ranking.

4. John Diggle / Spartan

Diggle is the heart of Team Arrow. His loyalty to Oliver, his military background, and his eventual role as a leader when Oliver is unavailable make him indispensable. His family life adds depth, though it sometimes overshadows his vigilante activities.

3. Felicity Smoak / Overwatch

Felicity's tech genius, her evolution from IT girl to a key strategist, and her complex relationship with Oliver are central to the series. Her character brings both humor and heart, though her storylines have been criticized for focusing too much on romance at times.

2. Laurel Lance / Black Canary (Earth-1)

Laurel's transformation from a lawyer to Black Canary is one of the show's best arcs. Her death was a controversial yet pivotal moment for the series, and her return as Black Siren from Earth-2 added layers to her character, though this ranking considers her Earth-1 version.

1. Oliver Queen / Green Arrow

Best: Oliver's journey from selfish playboy to a selfless hero defines the show. His leadership, personal growth, and sacrifices for his city and team make him the quintessential member of Team Arrow. His role as both the protagonist and the moral compass of the series places him at the top.

[myimaginedcorner]

SCALES OF JUSTICE - GAME SUBMITTED, DEMO AVAILABLE

At last, we’re here, my dear reader. After almost three years of sweat and tears, you and I are witnesses to this book’s full release, the end that lays foundations to the fresh beginning of a bigger journey. I cannot express just how grateful I am to everyone who’s been supporting me throughout this process, to each of you who wrote their lovely messages and useful advise that helped me keep improving with every chapter. The road ahead doesn’t look long, now - we’re now waiting for a decision to be made by Hosted Games. Whatever that may result to be, I’m glad I went through with this project, and I’m glad that I finished this book. This has been worth it.

THE BOOK HAS NOW BEEN SUBMITTED FOR REVISION. A DEMO IS AVAILABLE, UP TO CHAPTER 5.

DEMO DESCRIPTION:

Scales of Justice is a fantasy story that takes place in a world afar – a place called Therania. Albeit there was some interaction between Therania and other worlds a long time ago, now it’s solely a tale from their lost past… or, at least, that is the most common belief. Regardless, this story does not focus on extraterrestrial connections: its plot revolves around the people of Therania and their lives, their history and – what’s more important – their ‘determined’ future.

There are plenty of species living together in Therania, yet the human race is currently split in two: the one known as Hero kingdom, which is ruled by ‘heroes’, and the one named Vannais kingdom, controlled by ‘villains’. Both nations hate each other - here, the fight of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is something that happens on a national level. The game is focused on lore, character development, and the player's choices: perhaps, your MC just wants to live a peaceful life... or maybe they want to save the world.

Or even rule it, if you’re into such things.

THINGS TO DO IN THIS DEMO:

Set off on a new adventure towards Neutral Lands, to meet a mythic creature of all answers - The Visionary.

Play as a woman, man, or non-binary - straight, gay, or asexual.

Gather up to 3 companions to help you in your quest - befriend, romance, or rival them, the choice is yours.

Buy a horse - we know you want one.

Fight, conjure, support, speak or think - choose your way of handling a tricky situation.

Explore the kingdom of Hero up to Menai's shores, in search for someone - or something - to aid you in your journey.

The DEMO version of the book runs up to Chapter 5 and contains 276K words overall.

USEFUL LINKS:

If you want to know a little more about this project and read chapters 1-5, I'll leave the link to the game here -> https://dashingdon.com/play/myimaginedcorner/scales-of-justice/mygame/

If you want to discuss anything on CoG's forum, I'll leave the link for SoJ here -> https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/wip-scales-of-justice-new-project-announcement-and-demo-release/101088/16

If you want to send me a more extensive feedback, here's my email -> feedbackscalesofjustice@gmail.com

RO DESCRIPTIONS:

Shoren/Seile → Heir to the Hero kingdom’s throne, right where your journey starts. Also, your old friend who’s very attached to you. Likes to read and practices magic, enjoys adventure and heroic deeds. A recognised “hero”, with blonde curly hair, pale skin and a pair of sapphire eyes.

Robert/Reina → Order’s Paladin, defender of Hero and Knight of Fate. Brave and honourable, determined to protect the people of the kingdom. Very loyal to friends and very dangerous as an enemy. Has short brown hair, tanned skin and an athletic build.

Valerius/Venis → An Outworlder caught by cultists in the Wicked Woods. Gracious, elegant and charismatic. Has long dark brown hair with a silver streak, olive skin and golden eyes.

Arion/Aria → Leader of Vannais, a recognised “villain” who escaped from Hero and now rules the enemy kingdom. Serious but temperamental. Prefers action over words and so, is always present on battlefields and amidst negotiations, even if in an unofficial manner. Has short blonde hair, pale skin and emerald eyes.

[sokkastyles]

I agree that zutara is not super dark, it's why even amongst their fans there are people who don't like darker ships (and even get up on their high horse about it sometimes, "I only like healthy ships" crowd). I think it's annoying when people describe every enemies to lovers or villain/hero(ine) ship like it's the same

I actually don't think every ship has to be healthy and I think part of what's so interesting about zutara is its versatility, so I think it's awesome when people like it for its wholesomeness and awesome when people want to explore a darker version of it. But let's be real, it is unique in the enemies to lovers game because it has what most of these kinds of ships rarely have, a canon resolution where the former enemies become friends and allies before any possibility of romance happens. A lot of people like to make the distinction between enemies to lovers and enemies to friends to lovers for that reason, because many people who ship zutara do so for the journey of them becoming friends first. And some people just skip the enemies part and begin from where they are at the end of the series and explore them falling in love from there, in which case the "enemies" part of their relationship isn't even focused on, so it's more like friends to lovers. The zutara dynamic can be vastly different depending on where you put the focus in their narrative arc. It annoys me when people describe it as always having to be so angsty because it %100 does not have to be. At the same time, it also annoys me when people try and say that focusing on the angst is unhealthy or wrong, because it's not.

Me, I like to play around with different aus and I also think it's annoying when people act like there's only one specific way to ship it and then you're locked into that dynamic forever. That idea seems to have gotten more and more prevalent in fandom in general in recent years, the idea of having a specific headcanon on a ship that is forever unchanging, and it's so strange to me because to me, fandom is about creativity. It's why I also think it's strange when people are against multishipping or act like it's a "betrayal" or "cheating" to ship a character with many different characters. Fandom is about possibilities and many can be true at once.

I still don't like KA and MZ though.

I also find this weird when the "but Zuko is gay!!!" crowd rears their ugly heads. Not only because Zuko is canonically not gay, but also because like, who says you have to be locked into one specific headcanon? Zuko is gay when I ship him with boys and straight when I ship him with girls, and bisexual most of the time anyway. What's hard to get about that? Still don't ship him with Sokka.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Do you think that Zutara would be as popular as it eas in its heyday had ATLA come out today? I think it would still be pretty popular, but I don't think it would come to dominate the fandom like it did when the show first came out. A part of it is definitely because people are a lot more educated about toxic behaviors and relationships and colonialism than kids in the mid 2000's were

But I think the bigger part is that people are a lot less patient nowadays. I don't think people would willing to give Zuko a chance after making a bad first impression in season one and as a result Zutara probably wouldn't have gained the traction it needed to domimate the fandom like it had nearly 20 years ago

You rarely see villains like Zuko who are straight up unrepentant monsters and slowly have to learn not to be douches. Sure you do see a lot of villians in the Zuko mold who are bad for like a second then the show or movie beats the audience over it's head to reassure them that this villian isn't actually all that bad and it's ok to root for them. Hell, netflix's live action avatar did this. They couldn't trust the audience to stick with Zuko through his redemption journey and immediately tried to make him sympathetic. Him and Azula. Zuko's journey from horrible little monster to redeemed hero was slow by today's standards. He's completely unsympathetic in the first season and slides back and forth between his ideals. I just can't see today's audiences to be that patient anymore. People are way too fast to judge now, and first impressions are often the only thing that matter to some. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it, and all it takes is being a hot dude to get people to forget you participated in a genocide

Sorry for that tangent, but anyways I think that if the show come out in 2024. Zutara would still be popular but not the most popular ship in the famdom. Honestly, I think Zukka would be the most popular, and I don't know if that would be worse or better

The ship would slightly less popular because it is "woke" prefer gay ships instead of straight ones - hence Zukka's popularity even though it's fans tend to write to be as generic of a ship as Zutarians do with their own OTP, and even though Sokka is from the same tribe and family as Katara, so if Zutara was inherently racist (and it isn't) so would be Zukka, only the fans of it would cope by arguing that it being gay cancels out the racism side.

There will ALWAYS be people latching onto Good Girl/Guy X Bad Guy ships, regardless of it making any narrative sense. That was already a thing before Avatar, and it's still a thing now. "Thing could be problematic if done wrong" has never stopped anyone from having fun with a concept, nor should it, so let's not kid ourselves here.

What I fear would be different if Avatar came out today (and that you seem to agree with me on) is that it would essentially be the Netflix version: cowardly, generic, boring, and with a pace that is both too fast and too slow because the execs insisted on a far shorter number of episodes, but with a full hour instead of half, that force the writting to combine plots that simply don't go together.

And, of course, without the literal years of praise towards Zuko's redemption arc, it'd result in the character being absolutely fucking maimed and turned from his flawed, but interesting self into the boring "Awkward turtleduck" the fandom loves pretending he is - and obvious Zutarians would eat that shit up because they don't care about the real Zuko anyway, that's why he's PAINFULLY out of character in most of their fics.

[romanceyourdemons]

Hi! My friend and I are looking for a new TV show or movie to watch! I thought you might have some cool ideas. Here is a bunch of information that may or may not inspire recs. Throw anything at us! Any language is fine as long as we can find it subtitled.

We enjoyed The Untamed and Word of Honor a lot, enough to delve into the fandoms and the original books. We’re glad we watched Journey of Chong Zi although it had… room for improvement lol. Some other non chinese shows we liked recently are KinnPorsche, Cherry Magic (both Thai and Japanese versions), Our Flag Means Death, The Good Place, Interview With The Vampire.

She really loved reading Scum Villain and is down to check out anything gay. I’ve been on a Guillermo del Toro movie kick and in a Frankenstein adaptation phase lately if that says anything useful. Big bonus for both of us if it fucks around with Magic and Death in interesting ways. We love cool villains and scummy protagonists.

i’m honored by the opportunity! right off the bat i’m going to recommend nirvana in fire, because it’s got the schemes and bad people elements i enjoyed so much in word of honor and the untamed and also because i’m at a point my life when i can do nothing else. for films, i’d recommend painted skin (2008) and painted skin: the resurrection (2012); kung fu monster (2018); curse of the golden flower (2006); ashes of time (1994) and eagle shooting heroes (1994); detention (2019); black sabbath (1963); the exterminating angel (1962); memento mori (1999); and a chinese ghost story: the tsui hark animation (1997). in addition to being movies i really enjoyed, they’re also a good mix of wuxia, queer, parody, and gothic films, so hopefully there’ll be something you like in there