#it was especially hurtful as a young black girl to see growing bc i really tried to like this show with its lacking diversity

[sukibenders]

Looking back at Girl Meets World, it will forever irritate me especially for how they handled/treated Angela. Oh this show really hated black women because how do you not only 1.) describe her, one of (correct me if I'm wrong) only few black and MAIN characters of the og show, as a "concept" 2.) have characters show obvious disgust at the small mention of her name 3.) depict her as a homewrecker for a new relationship that, really, shouldn't have ever happened 4.) have her old friends treat her like dirt and her old lover like she is the root of his problems, when there was nothing but positive love there 5.) reuse all the concepts from said previous love story just to elevate the new ship with a yte woman and 6.) compare her to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest hurricanes that caused significant numbers of death, harm, misplacement, and trauma to people, largely of whom were black? Mind you, all these points I mentioned were toward the only main black character of the OG show before the spinoff, and the only, from what I can remember, black female character of the spinoff who didn't even stay long. Not even getting into the racist drama with some of the members on set, but you cannot look me in the eye and tell me that the way the show handled Angela, her story, and her relationship with the other characters + Shawn wasn't fucking disrespectful, you can't because I won't believe you.

[feral-radfem]

I don’t think you came off harsh at all! Honestly some things I’m just not very educated on … like I have an idea that smths not right but I ask people like you who have obviously thought more about this for your side to help me grow my view.

Sometimes it takes someone to point out “don’t equate it with the horror genre” to realize that’s what im doing so I really do appreciate your response.

Something else you said that I really agree with, not trying to get through to these people and just go straight to the government. I will start doing that bc I’ve noticed on top of this whole issue with therapy language being used a lot of the people who write these fanfics are traumatized women (obviously not all just these spaces i believe but the ones I’ve run into were all women) who use their trauma to justify it. it’s like… girl ur SELF HARMING.

“I write pedo fics bc i was molested and it helps me cope” well to start, besides the obvious that it’s selfharm and you should never do that to “cope” you’re not that little kid anymore. Second the self harm issue … not all coping mechanisms are good.

There’s no winning with these people especially when we are in the age of “well if i consent it’s okay!” / “it’s not real it won’t hurt anyone..” it breaks my hearts and also yes ok no recommendations I only asked in case there was a better platform to be using but we should just fix the ones we have.

Good. I'm trying to find a way to balance being direct without coming across as speaking down to others or like assuming the worst of them.

If you would like some material from people who have thought very deeply specifically about this subject, I can recommend a few books I think cover the subject well.

I have tried to have these discussions with the actual creators of these works. The problem is is once people know they're engaging in behaviors that they know are societally look down upon they start to find defenses for their behaviors. They hang on to these defenses firmly. Some of the defenses were that they were traumatized as children in the same way, some of the defenses is that it's all fiction, and some of the defenses is it's horror so it's meant to be horrible. They have already convinced themselves that what they are doing is morally okay because they don't see themselves as a bad person so what they do cannot be doing bad. Its a harmful effect of black and white thinking. No one will ever convince them that they are doing a bad thing or causing harm because that translates to them being a bad person in their entirety. So removing the emotional element and the self-serving desires from it entirely by petitioning the government is the best option in this situation.

Because you're right, a lot of these are traumatized women or women who have "groomed themselves" (groomed by unregulated websites with adult material) by consuming this media at a young age and growing up with it. They have a warped sexuality that they've been encouraging through harmful media in their adult years. They've already done the damage, all they have to do now is justify the continuation of it. They can't go back and undo the damage they've done however. So they need to make sure that the moral judgment for participating in this form of media is grey at worst. They don't know any other form of sexuality, so they're desperate to hold on to the one they do know even if it's detrimental to their own health and safety.

Which is why we set up the government, to put regulations on things that people may still want but we understand is a detrimental to public safety. We recognize that physical health has to be handled as a community issue because community health affects everybody but a lot of people refuse to hold mental health in the same regard. They refuse to hold sexual health in the same regard. And after we get the regulations for what should be allowed on media to protect our communities and public safety, we can address lackluster sexual education that leads kids to looking at pornography for answer in the first. The way we help these women and children is by removing their access to this material.

That being said, on the defense of writing pedophile porn because you were predated on as a child, while you're correct that it's an unhelpful coping mechanism, we cannot negate that these people are now harming children themselves. They have become the pedophiles even if they were predated on his children. They are also feeding pedophiles interest who have never been victims of anything because they are posting it on public forums. At this point they are the perpetuators of pedophilia not the victims. They can't continue the cycle and remain the victim. (This doesn't contradict with anything you said, I just didn't know where to put it in my response)

I don't mind that you asked for recommendations, I was just making it clear to my other followers I was not comfortable with them recommending them here. Though I do agree, we should fix the ones we currently have because any site that people start migrating to will eventually have the exact same problems if we don't regulate them. Like the tumblr to Twitter migration.

Thanks for the asks btw, I always enjoy the engagement.

[yyangish]

enha bias line as ariana albums !

note: i have no idea where this idea randomly came from but as a huge fan of both ariana and enhypen, it felt very necessary ! >< hoping that any fellow ari–enha stans enjoy this because it was such a fun thing for me to do. 

members: jungwon, sunoo, jake, sunghoon 

YANG JUNGWON // 양정원

• definitely very in-depth and detail-oriented

- THANK U, NEXT

• has a determined side but also a vulnerable side that can’t help but show sometimes

• songs like imagine and needy :(( 

• he’s certainly somebody who works hard for his goals (7 rings kinda vibes) but he can get caught up with the weight of being a leading figure so young

• therefore his emotional moments are bound to come through (nasa, ghostin, fake smile)

• but we all know he does his best and he’s doing amazing <3

• also can we talk about the aesthetic of this era !?

• loving the high school, mean girls kind of vibe. it’s very preppy and reminds me a lot of tamed-dashed, which, in turn, reminds me of jungwon because he stood out to me so much >< 

• the jungwon ult in me is rambling aaa ! 

• anyway tun jungwon supremacy <3 

KIM SUNOO // 김선우

- SWEETENER

• has a fun, airy, and uplifting side :P

• songs like borderline, pd, sweetener and rem <3 

• but also an emotional side that deals with hurt and healing

• sunoo definitely has to struggle sometimes with keeping a positive aura ): 

• and that’s completely understandable. everybody needs time to wind down and think by themselves for just a moment

• songs like better off (my fav btw!), everytime, and breathin TT

• also he just gives me HEAVY ntltc vibes, he seems like he’d love that song (i mean so do i 😭) 

• sweetener was made to try and grow from the pain brought by the past

• and it’s a great example of how it isn’t always successful at first, it takes time to fully grow and learn from things that used to hurt

• but it does happen <3 

• and just like sweetener, sunoo reminds me daily to keep trying my best with whatever goes on. brighter days are always ahead! 

• also rq the colors and vibe of this era were so beautiful! :( the ntltc music video is so gorgeous and unique, it’s a masterpiece. like sunoo (’: <33 

SIM JAEYUN // 정재현

- DANGEROUS WOMAN

• ROMANTIC <3 

• a mature and adventurous sense 

• the dreamy aesthetic too hello?? 🌙

• he really reminds me of moonlight, into you, and touch it 

• touch it is literally such a breath-taking song, it brings me to tears every time i’m not kidding LMAO

• u cannot tell me jake wouldn’t fit the vibe of this album PERFECTLY.

• black and white, moon obsession, and romance <3 

• i feel like jake is more of an experimental type, maybe?

• like not afraid to show how in love he is, or how scandalous he can be HAHAHA

• jk it would definitely cause a scandal but for the sake of my happiness let’s just ignore that k! 

• also be alright is SUCH jake vibes too

• he would definitely be the kind to cheer you up and always be there to promise the better days that are ahead :( <3 

• he gives me extremely optimistic vibes, i love him sm 

• let’s not even get into how heart-breaking yet beautiful thinking bout you rlly is :(( 

• jake dw era <3 if this doesn’t drive u crazy yet pls give it time bc woooo ! i need this I NEED THIS

PARK SUNGHOON // 박성훈

• definitely an album about TRUE growth and passion

- POSITIONS 

• like u can literally see all the passion poured into this album 

• especially in tracks like pov, safety net, love language, and off the table 

• hoon always reminds me of someone who is just ... mature??

• and in the BEST way possible 

• like i feel like when he’d make a mistake, he would do everything he can to fix it as soon as possible and learn

• plus this album is all about ariana’s discovery of real happiness and true love after so many hardships

• and that can be interpreted in different ways that remind me of sunghoon <3

• he literally just looks like pov :( 

• if pov looked like someone it would look like hoon, no doubt

• it’s also a pretty mellow and chill album, which is how i see his personality for the most part

• he feels pretty laid back and calm, but there’s obviously a fun side too :P

• like six thirty and 34+35 (bc it’s a light song >< ignore the lyrics for now </3)

• and the entire positions aesthetic is actually SO pretty wait

• the color palette rlly looks like something sunghoon would be into 

• woohoo positions sunghoon era!! 

• (u can’t convince me that hoon wouldn’t look incredible in the positions merch sweats btw. <3)

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

i saw you liked kataang and was wondering if you have any fic recs? there seems to be such a lack of kataang fics in the world!

lmao oh do i!! i've been through the entire kataang tag on ao3 over the past month and a half i gotchu (although this list is nowhere near comprehensive; it's mostly just taken from my bookmarks 😂)

spicy (but rated T)

Insinuations by kuchi

Katara and Aang come across some ridiculous insinuations about their relationship in a tabloid.

Public Display of Affection by NerdChild644461217

She was torturous. A beautiful, dark-skinned water witch, and she had him completely under her spell. Aang decided a long time ago he was okay with that.

Fire Burns and Fire Warms by LightSage89

Katara is curious about Firebending. Who better to satisfy her curiosity than the only Firebender she trusts?

Desire and Will by The_Clockwork_Monk

With Aang still having trouble letting loose with his firebending, Zuko asks an alarming question:

"Have you ever kissed a girl?"

kataang family

Voices of Power by itsmoonpeaches

His mother let out another breath. “Please clean up and get ready, you two,” she added. “I can help you with your hair, Kya. Just come to the bedroom when you and your brother have put on the clothes I’ve laid out for you. Bumi will help you with your shoes.” She turned and walked through the gateway, intent on doing what she needed to do.

“Okay, mom!” shouted Kya.

Or, on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Hundred Year War, Bumi realizes just what his dad being the Avatar means.

Oral Traditions by itsmoonpeaches

“Are we gonna meet your family too, dad?” queried Bumi innocently. His pale blue eyes were wide.

“Yeah, daddy!” echoed Kya with a great yawn.

“You did meet my family,” Aang stated carefully. His back remained toward them as he gripped the reins atop Appa’s head. “You and your mother are my family. Your Gramp Gramp, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Suki, Mai…they’re my family.”

Bumi tilted his head. “No, they’re not,” he maintained.

Or, Aang and Katara bring their children to the second annual Glacier Spirits Festival in over one-hundred years.

Not The Last by binkabonkahankeydoo

And then she's crying too, her arms around them both, and he's so, so grateful for the little family that they'd created together, and the love that they'd found in each other.

heightened senses by peroxideprncss

in which Toph Beifong reveals a secret that nobody knew they were keeping

angst and hurt/comfort

The Warmth of Memory by purplecrescent

While Katara shaves him, Aang reflects on his childhood in the Southern Air Temple and the things that tether him back. In other words, time is an illusion.

Three Times by Silver Thunder

They happen to have kissed three times - but he's still just 'someone', and not a boyfriend.

To Take With Him by Roselightfairy

The kiss from the Day of Black Sun, in Aang's perspective.

Lightning by Roselightfairy

The fight in Crossroads of Destiny, from Katara's point of view. "Katara's hand leapt to her mouth and she prayed, prayed to whomever might be listening that he could deflect it, that he could defend himself, that he wouldn't get hurt – " In which Aang is struck by lightning.

Unbendable by cloudymagnolia

The human body doesn't stop functioning just because it's in a coma. A look at all that Katara went through to care for Aang, after the fall of Ba Sing Se.

Not Just an Airbender by The_Clockwork_Monk

Days before Sozin's Comet, Katara tries to reassure Aang about the task he now faces, and he tries to explain to her why he feels he can't go through with it.

The Price of Mastery by Stonehill

“I've always been taught,” she begins, voice slow and tired, “that water was life. Waterbending was a way to interact with our environment and bodies in a way that healed and created. Now it feels like death.”

In her infatuation with her craft, with her identity as a Waterbender, she’d forgotten that the ocean is a terrible presence full of storms and monsters; a volatile presence that, once it’s grasped hold of you, might never let you go.

Now she, too, has become one of those monsters of the deep.

you cut through all the noise by wanderinghooves

A year is such an excruciatingly long time.

Aang is sent abroad for a year of diplomacy while Katara helps to rebuild at home. Distance makes the heart grow lonely.

love is just a word (you give it meaning) by thriftedstars

He's falling and she's riding the wave, falling, falling, falling, and then he's in her arms and Spirits, he's so small. So small and burnt and quiet and still, and so, so young. His eyes are closed, his mouth gaping wide, and when she gives him the gentlest of shakes his head just flops, and she feels sick to her stomach because no, no, not Aang, not Aang.

or, a look into katara's thoughts immediately after aang is shot by azula.

Own Worst Enemy by ADCurtis

When Katara is… damaged – caught in the crossfires of men, spirits and the Avatar – Aang is forced to leave her. A choice made to protect her from their most terrifying foe – the monster within himself.

drabbles

Snapshots by RMarie124

This is all for Kataang week 2020, but finished a week late. A small collection of short drabbles that take place pre-, during-, and post-canon.

fluff/soft/humor

Staring by BetterThanCoffee

Katara finds Aang distracting. Post-The Blind Bandit

Can I Kiss You? by Marie

He’s smiling at her and she can’t help but smile back, the corner of her mouth quirking. She continues to stand, her fingers now worrying at the end of her still damp braid and she can see the confused tilt of his eyebrows as he stares at her.

These Moments by portable_tragedy

Aang waited a hundred years for his favorite worldly tether. This is their life. Vignettes. Fluff.

Overheard in Ba Sing Se by cloudymagnolia

At Zuko's seventeenth birthday party, Zuko dances with Katara, and Aang overhears some malicious gossip. The only thing that could make the evening worse for him? Toph trying to be comforting.

general recs

literally anything by itsmoonpeaches

Aang/Katara Missing Scenes by The_Clockwork_Monk

Kataang Raid by LightSage89

again this is not a comprehensive list!! especially bc there's so many good fics i read and then don't bookmark bc im just really bad. at remembering bookmarks exist for some reason. basically. if anyone else has some kataang recs, feel free to add on!! also i encourage y'all to rb this bc all these links mean this post probably won't show up in the tags 😂

[misterbitches]

I ship muren and li cheng bc i only saw it through gifs then i watched this episode cos i was like im only starting this show if they kiss im waiting and they did and it was nice and i got so anxious that i was about to fucking vomit. I really like them together. The top/bottom shit is dumb and i hope if they must mention it they all build a bridge and get over it so they can switch cos who gives a shit. I didnt realize how large they all are like most “tall” men on tv are lying. But bc that kid is so thin and tall and the other one (idk the stepbrother) is huge too. Li cheng is shorter than them both but more ~manly~ but still short so why doesnt he take a DICK UP HIS BUTT XD since that’s all that fucking matters and there’s only 2 genders and 2 eays to have sex lmao so nothing else otherwise ur screwed

Hd a terrible past couple of weeks personally and because i keep seeing my peopl eget murdered and things ripped from us ^_____^ anyway here’s Some libertatrian communist dumb bitch discoars so i’ll tag it:

keep in mind these are my opinions’”” when i engage in discourse. I am not the end all be all and I don’t need you to agree. There’s some shit I am non-negotiable on but thsi is just exchanging of information. Any authoratative tone I take on comes from my beliefs, my life, my experiences, and what I choose to cultivate as a person and an artist. I dont have control over your feelings, you do. If it hurts you then either tell me the issue and be PRECISE about it, understand that context matters which is why i type so much in engagement, and do not fucking lie or misconstrue my words. Do not call me western ever in your life either. I am a black-american. I have adhd and bc i am a black woman if ur automatically thinking im brolic i am accepting money in my paypal for ur wellbeing to get me to shut the fuck up.Thanks.

The stepbrothers storyline is stupid and lazy writing. I really want to counter people that say it’s written well and that it’s interesting because it isn’t. Even if it was illicit and fucked we can write a story out about this. Let’s rethink what they could have done shall we:

- become stepbrothers at about 16 and their parents mismanage the relationship and they fail in trying to get an integrated family together (this is what happened in the #iconic transit girls and that was fuckin’ weird but hey dude guess what we watched it and it was weird but not unethical and we know one is like 19 and the other is 21 and a girl so it’s like wow you avoided so much and handled their stepsister story very…….um lightly given the end lmao but it was there and people had AGENCY)

-OR you realize that freak is obsessed with him and then he realizes it and is like “bitch i swear to god” and in typical shtity trope BL fashion they can find a way from obsession, to loss and independence when you lose your obsession, to “love” if they choose

- have the fucked up shit but make it clear what the issues are and you literally cannot write your way out of it so do not try

But why can’t fucked up things be shown? Also this is realistic.

0. Well according to you but no one said that they can’t. So that’s on your interpretation of critique (that is, again, not bullying or harassment.) They can, i just gave plenty of scenarios in which it is affective and not just annoying to witness, trope-y, and frankly ridiculous and offensive. Sorry! They don’t do it well. You can come up with alternatives too. See #2 btw.

1. No it isn’t doing a good job of reflecting life because life has consequences. The exaggeration in drama doesn’t mean the arc shouldn’t be there. Almost always things that aren’t heavy with the message or meant to be sobering in a deep way are COMPELLING. The realism is the basis for art because we are human. This is not the way real humans act.

Someone said Tharn Type was mature and I had to laugh because no, no one acts that way and is “in love” if they act that way that means they fucking hate each other and they’re immature and frankly it’s just not that interesting for many of us to watch because the dramatization of the “realism” is fucking bonkers. That was such poor writing it is unbelievable and someone has the audacityt o say it’s how real adults act. Fucking murder me if I’m with someone for 7 years and we break up over a miscommunication and for some reason I am not as horny as my always horny boyfriend. The fuck? What kind of lives do you lead? Either you are not an adult or you are an adult who needs therapy.

I also hear the “realistic” argument but then people try and temper it with “but also it’s fiction.” What do you think fiction is? Why do you think filmmaking exists? Number one, it’s propaganda in the sense that you want others to buy into your presentation and see what you see. That means that the creators are telling people and influencing them WITH ART BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT IT IS about their feelings around a situation. That’s why it is imperative to be responsible as a filmmaker and artist and underline the deepness of creepiness if that’s what they want. If they want to relay that rape sometimes ok and psychos are crazy so they get boy (??!?!?!? BITCH?) then they achieved it with no innovative information. We know people get raped bc we are human beings and many of us live with that fear. You know, being the target demo and all. And bc BL loves that trope it’s rape fantasy peddled to young people and women. Just like shitty wattpad fics or NYT best sellers. Hooray, what now? Or are you trying to purport that this isn’t glorified fanfiction? Which it literally is

2. This is the issue with these shows. No one is saying that fucked up shit cannot be shown. There’s a film about a woman who is raped and she falls in love with her rapist (because he was masked but i think we find out later that she knows. Binoche is in it.) I have no desire for that film—i think it’s by a man and i extra dont care—but I hear it’s sort of powerful for many. I heard it was a good film. But the act itself is always eschewed and the conflict comes from how fucking ridiculous it is especially finding out that she knows. The power imbalance adn the possibility. They may not have handled it in a way I would have cared for but it was there.

There’s simply no imagination because these people do not care that much and aren’t great writers and filmmakers because they simply do not have to be. Sorry.

The industry doesn’t rely on the best they rely on efficiency (this is everywhere.) You can tell by the camera angles, the editing, the camera itself (idk if it is multicam but the flatness is typical soap flatness without the glowboxes to soften their faces.) Simple constant lighting. Now the surroundings are mostly beautiful. But even to some of the costumes. And those edits are abysmal, some of that camera work.

So with all that said even with the couple I extremely enjoy I see its (H4) faults. Add into that a lazily thrown together “shocking” love and if they are trying to get us to feel a type of way about its sexiness they fail. This is why movies like 50sog, 365 days, etc aren’t enjoyable to people because it’s fucking strange situations that they dont want to entangle or make enjoyable to viewers across the board. They know what people will take. It’s just that bitch what are we here for if even the sexiness isn’t there for ur stupid story.

At least with that teenager and 30 yr old man in MODC (which i do not love but i like them in theory if it wasnt totally repulsive to me and also if it was developed in a way that was good TO ME) they had their, er, “sex appeal” i talk about this as well the main couple in MODC to me, visually, was a miss. Not bc whatshisface was small and stuff but bc he was so sickly and they needed that to propel the story but it was just not appealing given how the story progressed. A missed opportunity in tying the two together besides making him look waif-y and sickly only to have the “did ur mom die in a car crash? No, cancer” type of move in not another teen movie. But the opposite. And not funny. Wayne tho????? GORL. Eggs. Cracked.

fandoms have a very warped sense of harrassment and discourse.

Most fandoms have harassers who are “protecting” the cast and crew who don’t need their protection (or maybe the crew does since they probably dont get paid well but why the fuck would anyone care about that lol) but very few have the people who have concerns or massive critique about the show are not going to be “bullying.”

If people are saying “if you like xyz, u suck” then sure it may suck for you to see but who fucking cares. Either talk to the person or don’t be friends with them. That is not bullying or harrassment. Things that are shitty get criticized. Fuck, things that aren’t shitty don’t. Get away from this idea of cancel culture and people misunderstanding the story. We have the ability to.

Think beyond your noses of personal preference. You don’t have to convince people of what you believe. Discussing it is good but critique is not bullying, harrassment, or hate. Neither is fucking roasting shit because even this shit I like (manner of death lets say) deserves it. Art is meant to be critiqued and if you dont fucking like the bullshit people make then say it. They know stupid stories like this are scandalous and they don’t give a shit in how to present them.

And guess what? You won’t like everybody. Many people can’t stand me i’m sure. Oh well. I mean frankly I don’t like that and I feel very unsettled when I don’t feel understood. That’s ok! I have to temper it. Sometimes calm myself down. I won’t get anything and everything I want. And you won’t like every opinion and sometimes it’s like “man am i a dummy?” But the part of growing up is fucking maanging that and beng honest about “bashing and harrassment” and “bullying” and growing up. Yuo can like what you want the “let people like what they want thing” is so fucking juvenile and THAT is not the real world. Which is probably why so many people feel that way, they dont want to live in the real world. Unfortunately, you do.

Think beyond our noses of personal preference and what we feel emotionally in conjunction with others. You don’t have to convince people of what you believe. And you can say things that you believe to be true but it doesn’t make them so or maybe it isn’t received that way to people. And many times we learn new things in the discussions “oh shit i didn’t see it that way” right? Discussing it is good but critique is not bullying, harrassment, or hate. Neither is fucking roasting shit because even this shit I like (manner of death lets say) deserves it. Art is meant to be critiqued and if you dont fucking like the bullshit people make then say it. They know stupid stories like this are scandalous and they don’t give a shit in how to present them. Usually the “opposition” in these situations aren’t the popular beliefs that permeate through society. Trust me lmao

Antiblackness

Antiblackness is a thing. It permeates everywhere. It permeates in this genre and it permeates in fandom. Get it the fuck together. Also do not conflate cultural relativism with being repsectful. They are not barbarians, they are smart human beings either making work or deciding to. We all have diff cultures but we have fucking sense in what is respectful and not. And if we don’t we fucking learn. You cannot excuse things and say “oh culture” when you have 0 idea of that culture or actual people who are radical etc and are fighting against it. Additionally the word westerner is an ignorant term when referring to people in the US or UK who are black. Because we are not. We extend sympathy to other groups and empathy since we know so there is no inherent power imbalance between a black viewer and their subject. Don’t suggest that because it’s wrong and ahistorical and contextless.

FIRST the fallacy of representation as freedom makes people fucking complacent, individualistic, and doesn’t let them think critically. Consumption and discourse around consumption is not helping material conditions of the marginalized communities in your home, the black ones who are ignored, those intersectionalized in these communities. Groups talk about art and what it means for them outside of just what we see and because we also don’t have access to a bunch of Thai reviews or what movements or going on we are less likely to know if we don’t FUCKING SEARCH for it. Because art is constant...which leads me to....

Representation is difficult. It matters and it doesn’t.

Tthese shows are not meant to overturn the LGBTQ+ community.

There are queer filmmakers and artists in these countries. Deep illustrious film careers or even TV that is moving and deliberate. We can even see it with the dude from “your name engraved” in their short series he was in beforehand. BL is no wa pejorative because it is simply not “qu**r” storytelling whatever that means. But know it has always existed everywhere and there are also out artists or radical artists in all these countries who do no respect mediums that are cash-grabs and poorly made.

ex: As much as “Like in the Movies” sort of isnt for me and is a bit hamfisted you can tell how much love goes into that. Love of the characters, acting, and message. Yes it’s cringey to see some of the lines (like very tbh subtlety wasnt exactly their strong suit) and yea naming them after lenin and marx is just 0ihgoaudgijposkagjihou BUT GUESS WHAT? THEY FUCKING DID IT. THEY TRIED. And class was a large component as well bc u cant fuckin ignore it. The show is aware of the machinations in its world as a show but also in the philippines and for a fuckin reason. And duatarte? Loooooooool so like yea not so sure bl makes him love his ppl but the show isnt trying to do that

It’s not a transgressive genre and it has no reason to be. No ethical anything under the way we live it’s just trying your fucking best to be. That’s it. They serve societal ills and capital’s purposes. Which is fine but it is not revolutionary.

These countries in SEA or even SA do not have as big budget for even mainstream dramas—though things are changing and that’s bc REVENUE like revenue from kpop is fucking huge for SK and again so much about that is bc of what happened in their history from japanese imperialism to WWII to the US—so for “queer” stuff it is sort of now important to make that an export and it sure is one. Not only globally or to the west but a lot of these places make their money within asia (duh!) outside of their countries. OBVIOUSLY. so BL is a way to output and gain money. The thing is, it doesnt seem to be put back into the industry at all. For people in all these countries to make works that aren’t for mainstream or wont reach as many people there’s a difference between trying and just shoving shit in your face and going here it’s gay you like it right? But dont antagonize the inherent patriarchal nature of BL.

Another thing: did you guys know thailand was never colonized? You should look it up. There’s little hints of things in ITSAY to represent french influence still. Isnt that fascinating? Find out why. It’s certainly interesting that the representation, though damaging and dubious many times and also incorrect like any media, is huge in asia and this isnt a commodity here (the US) exactly. A lot of that has to do with colonial ideas of gender of which I am sure. But listen………lmao

Sometimes people dont give a shit. And it very much shows. Here is the thing once again. GOOD TRANSGRESSIVE WORK exists.

Een within the capitalist Bs paradigm or you can see people trying (I can sort of applaud parts of lovely writer) also queer media has always existed everywhere the reason you don’t know about it is because it gets takena nd commodified into a mainstream product. We hvae little incentive, particularly if we are not fans of cinema or art in gen, to search fror others when the output is right here. Being dictated by others and the state and who will give you money. No longer an effort of a cast and crew who want to convey things. But google [any country] independent cinema, radical cinema, queer radical cinema, or even retrospectives on the cinema and rethinking what is queer and radical in film. What if we took that, diluted it, got rid of the creators who put themselves through all the work, ignroe al the nuances and do……………….two actors who are conventionally attractive with no chemistry making out.

It’s the same here lets say daniel kaluuya winning the oscar for the film about the BPP. I heard it was okay and not too offensive but it still isnt’ enough. It still isn’t like hwood isn’t trash, nnati black, misogynistic towards BW and women, and all that other shit. It was pushy but it can’t be enough where we are. Black KKKlansmen i think won an oscar, by circumstance i fuckin hate these award shows they mean nothing, and i like the film a lot but he has his misogynoir still resting in his films even if it is poignant. And it was a film that honestly wasn’t really made for black people. And should all art be a response to direct trauma or trying to make ourselves palatable when we’re just human?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and it’s importance (capitalism) but also sorta individual responsibility

Considering a lot of these actors are rich and then just dip that’s another problem. Mainstream isn’t what sustains marginalized art ever. It doesn’t change in the vast ways we think it does. What changes is the people of these groups pushing, fighting, forcing and then capitalism trying to make it work under capitalism. It will not. It cannot.

This is why artists and labels often don’t mix or you see people like Sonic Youth doing whatever they want and pissing off their label but making them give them money. Same with Nirvana. Vince Staples. The thing is they can fight and make good shit but what capitalism helps people….not care? They don’t respect the audience? We’re getting those returns on poor executed product placement, lighting, editing, framing, fucking acting. And you surewon’t see mixed black asians in these shows. WHY R U is the oNLY one i have seen it in and he just disappears (but that was pretty cool.) so who the fuck is this representing? And before you start: asian countries are not homogenous the way we believe them to be. There are marginalized communities outside of even mixed people that are harmed. So you can skrrt cause on that one: you’re wrong buddy. But it gives us the IDEA of a paradise which is what they NEED.With representation and visibility comes consequence and responsibility as artists. What it allows them to do is coast and not think complexly because why should they; it’s mostly the fantasies of some older woman who probably has money and much less interaction with the world. It’s bonkers. And what that allows even further is for them to say YOU ARE THE THING THAT YOU CONSUME and the THING THAT YOU CONSUME IS YOURS. It is not, it is not your identity, form a close bond but figure it the fuck out. Especially for adults who are hellbent on twisting their minds into pretzels and can’t acknowledge what’s just laziness in art and not giving a fucking shit. Truly.

There’s damage that has been done from Parasite as he was supported by CJE&M and the bullshit obsession america had and eveyrone’s poor interpretation of it if they are rich. BJH is a socialist and he is a filmmaker. He has made films that are outstanding and cost a lot of money. But now a fear for indie filmmakers is just not being able to raise that much or have that much attention. Getting funding that helps them instead of expecting the Next Big Thing that is a fad because capitalism is trash. Yes this funneling of money is absolutely harmful to us artists. Even buying in is strategic. Additionally, that film is probs one of the most radical films to have that wide release and accolade (unlike “Sorry to Bother You” which i have a lot of thoughts about. One being that asian exports are acceptable but black ones are not. This is an overall art critique and global media critique. Blackness is removed, not respected.) However, filmmaking isn’t green, it can’t be socialist, and it’s a lot of work. They used tons and tons and TONS of water to do a huge beautiful feat but we still know there is a cost. We have to figure that out because it shouldn’t be. It doesn’t go back into the crew’s pockets the way it should and the work becomes that of the director’s and actors solely. It’s fucking hard. We have to do our part but it doesn’t mean we are doing it perfectly. We just have to try to do better. So does BJH cos he needs to not be a misogynist but anyways i digress.

additionally and this is something some users fail to understand: people in the media sphere generally have fucking money. I went to film school that was international with super fucking rich kids. Taiwanese kids, kids from south asia, china, thailand. They had money. No not upper middle class money, not “rich” money, not some paltry 1m that’s chump change. Fucking money. Fucking RICH-RICH. MILLIONAIRES. BILLIONAIRES. WHICH IS DISGUSTING MIGHT I ADD. The domestic people didn’t have the money for school (in the UK) and i am in a massive amount of debt like every other black student that went there. You do not understand how much money is needed to survive so people who turn to these crew positions even casting etc need this fucking money usually. OKAY. A lot of the people that do well in these dumb shows or even on a larger scale HAVE MONEY. The reason these industries are small and struggling is because of lack of people and lack of resources to independent shit because oh gee it takes money to make things.

Why should I try? Well you don’t have to really if you have money or a name. Yet...

We can tell when like those Tik Tok shows or DCOMs dont give a shit (anymore.) You know how frustrated we get when content for young people is garbage? Well, see, BL is literally that under that system. Occasionally we will get something good now but there is virtually no need in any sector in the world at this point to truly figure out how to make it better and what to do to enhance artistic literacy, outreach, teaching people new things, getting people from these communities there and having true realistic says. Art and culture is IMPERATIVE TO WORLD LIBERATION but not when it is so stiffly trying to bend to capital’s idea of progressiveness. No. Neoliberalism. No.

That’s why in a way ITSAY is a huge feat; it takes from films etc and they clearly had money (the actors rae rich too which….lmaooooo j’aime pas) but it was a respected fucking script, acting was important, blocking, framing. There’s very little to critique as a visual medium for that because I understand what they are trying to do, their market is going to be mostly young girls, but they RESPECT THE FUCKING AUDIENCE. And guess what guys? You can make money from it!!!! WOAH! Since that may be the only goal which is disgusting and repulsive.

HOWEVER AND THIS IS WHAT IS SAD: itsay is an ex of a great show however knowing the actors backgrounds and the pseudo trouble it stirred when they weren’t supporting people protesting against the coup in the summer it really put a damper on my enjoyment. And this is how we can see that:

a) it’s honestly just a show and a good one but b) now what?

These kids (actors, who are like idk 19? 20?) are rich and not saying anything while countless actors, who were filming, did. Even tul who has $$$$ and the thing is the protesting against the coup legitimately attacks the rich. As it should. The protests going on were cries for help, against a dictatorship and fucking coup, asking people to get fucking help for covid, having kids be able to live. There’s a mini on VICE about this and it probably doesnt go too in depth but there’s a kid in there who talks about his friends getting into drugs and how he just wants to make music, have fun, skateboard. And it’s harrowing to see. This is a direct example of what these things do and don’t do. Yea we know a good show is here, we know growing up and slice of life, we know this is a bit of escapism and idealism but the idealism is reflected in the way these actors also choose to live their lives. So what progress? To who? For who? How is this helping me? What purpose does it serve? I say ITSAY serves its purpose as a piece and a glimpse into possibility of growing up but i do not say it antagonizes a broader issue that needs to be relevant in some sense but simply is not. It’s very singleminded and, well, it’s sort of like “besides my sexuality, what do i have to worry about?” But for real humans like....a lot. I do not respect their decision at all.

Why can’t we do our jobs and make something decent and respect our audience? No time, gotta make that sweet sweet sweet cash baybee. Look how progressive we are! Don’t look at history and material conditions. Thanks in advance, management.

History 4 does not have that respect. Many of these shows do not. Sometimes we hit good, sometimes we don’t. But in the end we cannot settle. And I won’t. If I am critiquing something I will not be shy and if I am meant to enjoy something as escapism then these shows NEED to highlight that and it’s rare sometimes (the best twins is a good reminder like that show is bad but man do i Brain Empty when i turn it on and i like that and there’s not much in it that makes me want to kill myself from annoyance but there are transphobic jokes i dont love however the whole show is a comedy about this dude’s crazy homophobic sister and she is constantly positioned as wrong and they talk about the aforementioned trans women as the actor was in drag. Interesting that they can manage that, huh?)

Oh btw.....taiwan has a very complicated history but ignore all the bad stuff it’s good now you can kinda sorta get married and stuff. KMT? You know how i learned that? I care about human beings and read about it lmao. I am not Taiwanese and look at that. So now I have historical and DIALECTICAL~**~*~****~*~*~ context so i can judge it as an artist, a black woman from america, and from the knowledge i have to pick up on their history to see if this fits into a broader picture besides the micro-one of sexuality on an individualized level. And this is kinda where it comes full circle: these shows are not you, you are not them, they do not exist in a vacuum because nothing does. The failure to critique now means continuing on as it has and it will still do so. History and time are not linear in the sense we think it is. Someitmes things are better, sometimes things feel more austere. We are not living under liberation though and these shows are not going to do so. So they are not US nor are they for a nebulous “us” of which the groups are all fractured and have diff opinions anyway (my opinion as a black american is going to vary from an asian woman’s say and that could really clash and i do not feel solidarity with all those in every community i am for several reasons.)

Final thots that have taken up my time and the only thing i actually wanted to write but got distracted:

Anyway my dissertation is that I ilke Muren and LiCheng a lot a lot and i like how cute they are and how truly dumb li cheng is. This is an example of mostly good writing, decent actors, nice chemistry, and sort of a calmness to them. And I super enjoy how Muren is pretty forward with LC in the sense that being together is like very important to truly be together. When he was like “no i didnt forget!” Or when LC asked him something in the office I forget it was 6 am and again i almost threw up and muren nodded and then LC leaned on him. Very cute. I want more of them tho i may have to skip that othre couple (the cameo the ones from MODC) but omfg the younger one HIS HAIR GREW SO MUCH HE LOOKS SO MATURE AND CUTE OMFGIJ0HUG9SAOGIJPKOAGJSIOHUAGIJP hahhaha the one good thing i will say about THEM.idk how old the actor is i figure he was young idk it makes me happy to see him he’s very cute. I hope he’s in something i can watch and not gag at. Is he hot? Who knows but he is a cutie!!

Anyway muren and lc have a good thing going it’s nice to watch ho\pe they dont fuck it up but im truly a sucker for some true finds 2 luvas i think some user on her\e was like i’m not a fan of friends ot lovers bc it doesn’t seem like they’re actually friends and maybe they were referring to this show idk. But it made me think and it was a very good observation. So i think they are friends and also luvrs <3

[shoutoismybaby]

WereDragons

Can I get a Fantasy AU scenario with Half dragon Kirishima where he’s just sent to find some food by bakugou and during the trip he sees a group of dragon shapeshifters around a half dragon girl who looks terribly hurt (like arrows and just sword wounds) and he sees the group just leave her there sad flushing away and he rescues her and from then on they fall for each other?

***

This is a repost bc tumblr ate the old one

This is sooo cute! Sorry its so long, Warnings of Blood, injuries, mention of Bakuraka

***

Kirishima didn’t usually mind being sent out for food by bakugou. He actually enjoyed getting his alone time to enjoy nature or walk through towns without the blonde yelling at him. Of course there was a reason Bakugou would often yell at him, especially in towns. The reason being that it could be dangerous for him to enter, no matter how much he loved talking to the new people he would meet, it was not a good time to be a weredragon. Dragons were known to be evil, greedy creatures who destroyed homes. So even being part dragon got you stuck with that reputation, and the horns, wings, and sharp teeth that remained even in human form made it hard to hide what he was. Kirishima knew that humans often attacked unprovoked because they were scared, but that didn’t make the wounds any less painful. He would fly away from every attack if he could, but weredragons had an extremely long transforming time due to the large size difference between their forms. Not to mention how helpless they were during the transformation, it often left them unable to fight as their body shifted, making Kirishima never transform without Bakugou around to keep a lookout. 

Kirishima considered himself lucky that he had never been the target of an attack, most likely due to the fact that he found Bakugou when they were both young. The feral boy growing into a possibly more feral man whe chose Kirishima for a best friend. They would both defend one another to death, even though a certain person would never admit to such.

Being friends with Bakugou, however, meant being away on a constant adventure. Not that Kirishima really minded, he really never found a village he truly fit in at, even those that were peaceful. Plus, he loved exploring and could never turn away helping whatever village they came across. Which is why he often walked instead of flying when in search of food. It was harder to come across villages, yes. But he often found people in need of assistance. He liked to think he was changing the world's perception of dragons little by little, but Bakugou just thought he was gullible and too selfless for his own good.

But there was nothing the horned boy loved more than being someone’s hero.

So of course, when he heard panicked voices on his search for food he jogged towards the commotion right away. Quickly coming across a small clearing not too far away from the main path, littered with what looked to be other weredragons. Despite how his heart jumped in excitement at seeing some of his own kind, he remained hidden behind a tree. It was well known that some tribes of his species were, for lack of a better word, savages who attacked outsiders. It was while he was trying to see through the sea of about 10 bodies while also remaining in hiding that he began to hear soft whimpers and cries. From in between their legs, he spotted you. Laying on the ground as though you had collapsed, well you probably had. Your body was covered in blood and various arrows stuck out all over. Your face was contorted in pain, eyes squeezed shut. Kirishima's heart began to beat rapidly, why weren’t they helping you?

“how could you be so stupid?” Kirishima’s ears finally caught bits on the conversation.

“You weren’t raised to be so weak!” A males voice seemed to overpower the rest, he looked to be the leader, standing closest to you but showing no motive to tend to your wounds. “You know we can’t help you.”

Kirishima's eyes furrowed, what was this guy talking about?! You had fatal wounds that required treatment immediately.

“Please,” Your soft voice cut through, cutting off all other conversations. “I didn’t see them coming and there were so many.”

“That's your fault, and now you’ve probably led them to us!” The leader of the group spoke once again, and you visibly flinched. It was then that Kirishima's hunch about coming across a tribe was confirmed. Tribes had a hierarchy and, due to the current hunt on dragons in certain kingdoms, they valued strength above all else. And you getting attacked and so badly injured would do serious harm on your reputation. But from what it seemed, it was earning you excommunication.

“I’m sorry,” A sob racked your body and Kirishima couldn't tell if it was because of the pain or what was happening.

“Let's go.” The leader demanded. Kiri wished that he could jump into action right then. Convince them to stay and help you, but revealing himself would only put the both of you in more danger. Especially if they were right about the human that attacked you heading towards the group. The group seemed hesitant until the leader spread his wings, beckoning for the others to follow his example. A few looked sympathetic, but took off as the man did. Once they had finally taken off, shapeshifting into dragons once in the are, Kirishima made his way over to you. You had now curled into a ball as much as you could manage without inflicting even more pain to yourself. Your wings laid over your body, in a way that was hiding your face and that revealed how broken it was to Kirishima.

Upon hearing his footsteps you only curled into yourself more, releasing a pained hiss as the arrows were moved.

“I don't want to hurt you,” Kiri said, holding up his arms as though you could see them, “I just want to help. Your injuries look really bad. They could get infected... Or worse, if you don't let me help you.”

At this, you moved your wing from your face with a wince, and Kirishima's breath caught in his throat. He didn't think you’d be so beautiful up close.

“They’re probably not far behind, it would be smarter of you if you just left me.” You muttered, refusing to look him in the eye.

“Maybe, but I couldn't call myself a man if I did that either. Let me help, please.” He begged, getting increasingly worried as he noticed the blood pooling on the ground.

“What do you plan on doing then?” You asked,

“Well, I have a mage friend named Uraraka that lives in a small village a day or two from here called Tokyo. She’s taught me and my friend some healing remedies I could use in the meantime.” Kirishima explained, kneeling down next to you.

“You're planning on taking me to a village over a day away?” You asked, “Why?”

Kirishima looked up at you and sighed,

‘I don't know if you can feel it yet, you might still be in shock. But all these wounds, their fatal and-”

“And why do you care!?” You yelled, the people in your tribe had never done anything that didn’t benefit them. So what did he think he was going to get from this situation? A girlfriend? Because if so he could think again. “You don't know me, or anything about what happened to me. Why does it matter to you if I live or not if it's only going to inconvenience you?” Kirishima was taken back at your outburst. No one had really ever yelled at him when he was just trying to help them before. Well, other than bakugou, who ended up being his best friend. Which is probably why he didn't let your outburst faze him for too long.

“I don't know why I care, but I do and I want to help you. It wouldn't feel right to leave you here to die. What happened doesn't really matter to me. Now can I check your wounds?” He asked. You hesitated before accepting that he was your only chance at survival and nodded. You're adrenalin was wearing off and you could feel it. You knew the lack of blood was beginning to hit you, you began to feel drained and so, so sleepy. But each time he moved you to count your injuries a sharp pain from all over your body reminded you that you were very much alive. And you wanted to stay that way. It was a couple minutes before he spoke again, and you felt a lot calmer for some reason. “I’m going to pick you up and put you on my back okay? Its gonna hurt a lot but I need to get you to where my friend and I are staying.”

“A different friend, how many do you have?” You chuckled, “What are they like?”

“He can be aggressive and temperamental. And he doesn't really like other people.”

‘He sounds like an ass.” You yawned, but Kirishima just shook his head.

“He comes off that way, but he’s really not. Plus, he’s much better attending to wounds than I am.” Kirishima explained, and you had meant to respond. You really did. But it was at that moment you gave Kirishima a mini heart attack because you had blacked out. 

The poor dragon boy had thought for a minute he had already been too late to save you. But in the end, he was glad you had passed out because it ended up making the travel to the cave he and bakugou had claimed much easier.

Sadly, it didn’t help with convincing Bakugou to help him.

“Bakugou please,” Kirishima pouted,

“Your pet, your problem.”

“She’s not a pet.” Kirishima frowned, laying you on the ground. “Please, her wounds are fatal.”

This is what made Bakugou look down from his spot on top of the cave.

“What happened?” He asked, making his way down to the ground. 

“I think she got attacked by humans,” Kirishima explained,

“Wait, you don't know for sure!?” Bakugou asked, “How do you know she's not some sort of villain?” “Well, I watched her get kicked out of her tribe-”

“She’s from a tribe?!” “And it seems that she got attacked by humans. Please, Bakugou!” Kirishima begged once more, Bakugou took his sweet time thinking it over and glanced at your limp form. “Fine, but if she ends up trying to kill us. It's your fault.” He made his way down from the cave and growled as he got a better look at your condition. “Start cleaning her wounds, she’s going to end up needing a healing spell, but the potions I know how to make should help until we can get her to Uraraka. Also, you owe me for this”

Bakugou kept watch over you as the feeling of wind gliding through your hair brought you back to consciousness. Eyes opening to reveal the night sky, and you suddenly knew you were being carried on a dragons back. The tough scales under your fingers a familiar feeling, and the warmth that radiated from them was comforting. But you knew that no one in your tribe would ever carry you like this, and thus you began to remember what had last happened to you. You attempted to shift, being able to sit up once you got a hang of how the bandages around your body were wrapped. You went to pick at them only to jump when you heard a gruff voice sound from behind you.

“Go back to sleep, we’ll be there in a couple hours.” You turned your head to see the grumpy man who had finally decided to grab your attention. It didn't take you long to figure out that this must be the friend the boy had mentioned.

“Where?” Bakugou already decided he was annoyed with you, but he didn’t want to deal with Kirishima's whining if he ever caught wind Bakugou was anything but”pleasant” towards you.

“Tokyo, where the mage lives. He said he told you already” His red eyes rolled and he leaned back against the base of the dragon's neck, closing them. It was then that you realized you could probably get answers to the questions that had been brushed off before.

“When I asked him, he didn't really give me a clear answer but, why are you guys helping me out?” You asked, watching as he seemed to get more annoyed that you weren’t going back to sleep like he told you.

“Kirishima has a heart too big for his body, he’s always liked helping people even if it puts him in danger. Like an idiot.” You nodded your head and looked back out at the clouds and stars you were passing. “Since I answered your question. Answer mine. What kind of tribe were you a part of?”

“Well, it was,” You paused and thought for a moment. “The emphasis was on being the strongest. The stronger you were, and the better you were at hunting, the higher status you had. Which is part of the reason I got, you know, after being attacked.”

“You’re not strong?” The blonde cocked his brows,

“Not compared to the tribe, no. But I also wasn’t born there so I was always at a disadvantage to start with.” You explained,

“You weren't born to the tribe?” The boy began to look even more questionable of you. Tribes didn’t take anyone in. What made you so special?

“No, umm. My village got destroyed when I was little, leaving me alone and afraid in the woods. Where they found me and agreed to take me in. If that clears up anything for you.” You didn’t end up receiving a verbal response, but he seemed to be thinking it through. “What’s your name?”

“Bakugou. Don’t wear it out,” He demanded, “Yours?” He asked,

“(F/n).” He didn’t respond, and eventually, the exhaustion caught up with you once more and you laid back down. Letting the stars lure you back to sleep.

***

It didn’t feel like long before you were awake again, it was warm and you could feel the blankets piled on top of you. Your eyes found the detailed ceiling of a cabin. You sat up, realizing that the only thing left from your wounds was a dull ache. The room was empty, save for a small table holding various books and beakers filled with colorful fluids. You assumed you had made it to the mages, and the window near your bed informed you that it was almost dusk. You gently pulled yourself out from beneath the covers and walked over to the window, you seemed to be on the second floor, giving you a good view of what you remembered was called Tokyo. It was a busy village, you could many see shops and people bustling around below. The shops to close before dark, and the people to buy before the stores closed. Looking directly below you could see the blond from last night, Bakugou, who was talking to a short brunette in front of the cabin. She was handing him a piece of paper and he looked strangely calm, it didn't fit his face well. You would have continued watching, but you heard the door open from behind you. You jumped and turned towards the noise. But the impact of your knees back on the floor caused your knees buckle. Before you could hit the floor, however, you felt strong arms around you.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” You looked up to see the face of Kirishima, his sharp teeth appearing through his smile.

“I-its okay.” You blushed, allowing him to help you up and sit you back on the bed. “Thanks for saving me, again.”

“Oh,” he scratched the back of his head, “It’s not a problem.”

“How long has it been? Since we met.” He paused and thought, sitting down next to you.

“About three days.”

“Three days! I’ve been with you guys for three days?” You asked,

“Did you have anywhere else to be?” He looked concerned,

“No, I don’t really have anywhere to go now. Can’t go back home.” You looked at your hands as you said this, the reality setting in. You were alone, you had no one and no place to call home anymore. The scars that littered your fingers seemed to mock you, you had worked so hard for so long. Now it just didn’t matter.

“Why don’t you join us, we’re always going on adventures and doing quests for money. And even though Bakugou says its dumb I think we can really help change how people see dragons. Really make a difference, you know?” You could tell there was a hidden meaning behind his words,

“Get humans to stop trying to kill us like they did to me.” You muttered, clenching your fist. Sure, you didnt have anywhere to go. But try to help humans to change their minds?

Humans didn’t seem the type to ever realise they were wrong.

“Yeah,” He sighed, “I know you probably don’t like them much but, they’re just like us! They get scared and-” “They almost killed me!” You turned to him, wide eyed and teeth bared.

“And two of them helped save you.” He pointed out. “If we want humans to stop assuming all dragons are bad, maybe we have to put faith in them. Even if they dont deserve it. Plus, you can leave whenever you want. It’s not like I’m trying to force you. Just, give it a try?”

His large hand was held out to you, big red eyes sparkling, and you couldn’t bring yourself to refuse him.

And just like that those three days turned into a year. A year that you spent traveling, going on adventures, completeing quests, and what had become your favorite of all. Helping people, and maybe the rewards that came with it. You couldn’t deny your inner want of a shiny hoard no matter how hard you tried. Especially when the group that had become your best friends also seemed to indulge in the occasional collection of jewels. It had been just you, the mage, Bakugou, and kirishima for the past 12 months, and it was the best time of your life. You had never been more free, but as the winter drew near, there was still something you wished for.

“(Y/n)?” You turned to look back into the cave your group had claimed for hte night,seeing Kirishima make his way over to you. “What are you doing up?”

“Can’t sleep.” You answered simply, shivering as a cool breeze moved through the opening where you sat. You looked behind the half-dragon to see Bakugou and Uraraka cuddled up near the fire, you were happy for them. Yet bitter. You turned back to admire the stars as Kirishima sat down next to you.

“Not a comfortable enough cave?” He attempted to joke, but you just shrugged.

“No, it’s just,” You shifted, “cold.”

There was a sudden warmth through your body as he set his arm around your shoulder, and pulled you close.

“You could have just said so,” You let yourself relax into his hold, “but I dont think being so far away from the fire is helping any.”

“Probably not,” You chuckled, “but I needed some time to think.”

“About what?” Your eyes widened at the question, if he really knew what you were thinking about he wouldn’t have asked. Day dreaming about an impossible future you had with him was stupid. Bakugou would have mocked you for being as airheaded as Kirishima, but you couldn’t help it. Not when he smiled like that. “You can tell me anything, you know that.”

You sighed, turning your face towards his own. You were so close. His nose almost touching yours and you could feel his breath fan over your face. It made your brain scramble.

“My lips are cold, too.” You blurted out, face immediately turning red once you realized what you said. But you weren’t going to back out now, you weren’t that kind of person.. “If you want to, you can warm the-”

You didn’t get to finish your sentence before his lips were on yours. They were hot, almost burning, but you loved it. Too soon when he pulled away, a dorky smile on his face.

“I want to warm your lips up for the rest of my life.” his voice was breathless and you couldn’t help but giggle at him,

“I won’t stop you.”

***

[fairymadnessyeah]

BNHA Ship to Finish the Year

KuroMori (Komori Kinoko x Kuroiro Shihai)

Canon

Kuroiro developed a crush when he first saw Komori.

At first, he thought she was cute, but then she saw her decimate her opponents on an exercise and he was in love, No going back.

When the guys find out, they try to be his wingmen. But it's really hard.

Kuroiro is super shy, he can barely look at her in the eyes without falling apart. And Komori is the most oblivious person in the planet. One time, on their second year, somebody left her a teddy bear with a heart, and she took it to lost and found.

Kuroiro is so shy that the first times he tried to talk to her, he hid in the shadows of his clothes with his quirk.

Tetsutetsu, Kaibara and Tsuburaba are his main wingmen. They have been promised to be groomsmen at their wedding. They have a speech prepared. Whoever gets them together will be best man.

Ironically, none of them get them together. The one who is able to do so is Tokoyami.

He and Kuroiro are friends of darkness, and the bird can't see his friend suffer. He first talks with Komori, who says she never considered romance, but their conversation leaves her thinking. Then he asks the girls from his class to feign interest in Kuroiro. Not to flirt with him, but to show he is an available wanted suitor. Then he gives an inspiring speech, that only Kuroiro was able to understand, which gives the black hero courage to face the music.

It doesn't work, but in the end, Komori asks him out.

They go to see a movie and then to walk around the park. To this day, Komori thinks it was the most romantic outing she had.

They start dating after that.

Komori calls him 'Her Black Trumpet', it's a black mushroom.

To hang out on his room, she needs a forehead flashlight. The room is pitch black, and she can't see. 

I headcanon Komori to be an old-Disney fan bc of her hero costume. Like old animations in black and white with Minnie and Mickey Mouse.

That's why one Halloween they dressed as the two mouses.

Kuroiro is whipped. He knows and accepts this. If his girlfriend asked him to jump off a bridge, he would ask which one she had in mind.

In her birthday, he always surprises her with a new dress based on idol videos. She loves them. She can be seen wearing for a week after she gets it.

They stay together after graduation.

But being newly graduated heroes and dating is very hard. After a year of trying to make it work, they break up. Komori is the one who pulls the trigger, but Kuroiro agrees with her and says he saw it coming for a while.

They part in good terms. But their busy lives don't let them see each other.

They reunite when Monoma invites them to a class B reunion. He heard class A was doing one too and he can't let those pesky class A brats get away with that. Monoma, we are not even in the school anymore.

Everybody is kind of worried about their reaction, but the two don't make it awkward. And as drinks come and go, they end up making out on Kuroiro's home and falling asleep on the couch.

The next morning they talk and agree to try again, but to start slow.

Three years later, they get married. 

Family

Komori's parent are rich. I mean have you seen the dresses she wears on the Shifuku. That has to be expensive.

I feel like they would love Kuroiro. He would try to go the extra mile to impress them and how he is super attentive to their daughter.

Kuroiro's parents work in a theatre. That's were his drama came from.

He used to practice his quirk under the theatre.

Komori and Kuroiro have two kids.

The eldest one is called Kuroiro Tengu. Tengutake means Amarita, (that is a type of mushroom)

They have pitch-black straight hair, and crazy eyes like their parents, They are non-binary, pronouns they/them.

Unlike their sibling, Tengu doesn't want to be a pro-hero. They were born after the hospital raid and the golden age of villains, a lot of young people don't see the appeal of being heroes or having them.

Their quirk is called Black Bending. They can shape and form anything black, Tengu uses it to paint.

They are also stuck in their goth phase like their father.

The other kid, who is four years younger than Tengu, is called Toryu. Toryufu means truffle, another type of mushroom.

He is a copy of his mother except for the black skin.

His quirks is the same as his mother's, but he can also change the colour of the fungus he grows. 

Komori and Kuroiro are both heroes, but they both have different schedules. Kuroiro works at night and takes care of the kids during the day, and Komori works during the day and takes care of the kids at night. They spend the mornings together.

AU - Fantasy AU

Komori is a druid that lives reclused in the forest.

One day, she finds this man on her forest with obsidian skin and silver hair. He is wounded and hurt. She takes him to her shack and heals him.

When Kuro wakes up, he finds an angel taking care of him.

He is a warlock who barely got away from his abusive master. The last thing he remembers is blacking out in the forest.

The two spend a lot of time together as he heals and slowly get closer.

Komori has no problem with him staying with her for as long as he wants, but one day, another warlock, AFO, takes control of her forest and infest it with monsters.

The two ran for safety, and Kuro swears that he will help her get back her home.

They hear about this group of young warriors who are searching for a way to stop AFO and journey to meet them and join them.

Komori, who has lived almost all of her life on the forest, is very curious about this new world she finds herself in. Kuroiro shows her everything and tries to explain everything the best he can.

They do find the group they were searching for. Their leader, a man, called Midoriya, doesn't give them the best of news.

He tells them that they are trying to stop AFO, but they can't stop to help one small forest. He luckily does know some people that might.

Some friends of them had made a group of warrior who tried to weaken AFO forces that attacked the people of the kingdom. They are lead by a witch called Kendo and a dragon companion called TetsuTetsu.

The two set off again to find them and cross paths with a lot of different people, another druid with vines for hair, a centaur, a bard, a blacksmith, etc. They all have a thing in common. They are all looking for Kendo and her group.

They end up finding her and explain the situation, the group helps them.

But, when the forest is cleared, and the group of warrior has to leave, the idea of staying in the forest doesn't sound as appealing.

The forest is Komori's home. She lived here, learned here and had only recently left it for the first time. She knows her life got a lot of excitement these last couple of months, but she isn't sure if she is ready to leave everything behind.

Kuroiro has made plans to stick with the group and help the people with AFO. He makes promises to come visit whenever they are in the area.

The next morning, as they start packing to leave, Komori makes a decision. She says goodbye to her home and goes with them.

With this group, the two travel the land and go to places they've never seen before, sometimes even crossing paths with Midoriya and their group.

They also make a few enemies, especially with the mercenary group, the Vanguard Action and Detnerat.

Kuroiro and Komori don't acknowledge their feelings until the incident.

The incident happened in a remote town where magic users were going crazy. When the group arrived, it didn't take long for their magic users to start losing their minds.

The real problem was a man who was controlling them by poisoning the water. But Kuroiro was the hardest to stop. He is a warlock, and so he had been taught much older and much dangerous magic.

Komori is the one who snaps him out of the man's control. It's a very heart fell moment, and they have their first kiss.

Fanon Opinion

So, I can't think of NSFW for these too.

I don't know why. I just can't. So they are going to be the first to have the Fanon opinion.

And I know that Kuroiro appearentely likes taboo things. But I'm honestely afraid. I don't wanna google 'taboo sex stuff'. I feel like that is a hole you can't come out of.

The only thing I can think that might be okay with them is Vampire roleplay. Because that would fit. I can see it. Don't ask me who is the vampire, I haven't decided yet.

So... not many people ship them. Like compared to other ships, they have very little content. Then again, that will change when season 5 comes.

Hopefully.

The one thing I believe we can agree on is that Kuroiro is a blushing mess when he is near her.

There's also the rivalry with Tokoyami. Komori seems to be interested in Hawks, and the guy now works with him.

I have also seen a few pictures with her in gothic lolita dresses and let me tell you, girl looks good~

There is not much about them really. I wanted this day reserved for Komori because it's her birthday today.

There isn't much about them or many of the 1B class. That should change.

So, that's all I have for now!

[thefledglingdm]

so here’s another essay that maybe 0.5 people asked for? because i rewatched set it up and now someone great and in so many ways i think i arguably like someone great better???? so here is the long-winded rambly mess of me being emotional over this movie. info is below the cut, no pressure to read just bc i’m having rom com feelings this saturday night!!!!

for those of you who have never seen someone great (why are you reading this? i’m flattered but why), here’s a quick summary: when music reporter jenny gets an amazing new job opportunity, bad news comes with it: she has to move cross-country. to top it all off, her boyfriend of nine years breaks up with her because he doesn’t want to move with her. enter her best friends erin and blair, who decide to send off their best friend in style with a mind-bending 24 hours of partying and emotional catharsis.

a disclaimer: this movie also has a special place in my heart because it came out right as i was getting set to graduate from grad school. so many of my friends had moved on and moved away already, but i was about to do that, too, shucking off the safety blanket of school and entering into the “real world.” and this movie, i think, uniquely captures that feeling in a way no other film i’ve personally seen does? more on that later.

GOD where even do i start.

jenny so captures the feeling of being dumped. the anger, the ugly, loud crying, the messiness of it, the drinking, the up-and-down bevy of ping-ponging emotions. she belts lizzo’s “truth hurts” in her underwear, in her kitchen, drunk. her best friend then walks in and joins her. like yes THAT is what girls and breakups feel like.

(obvs not for everyone but i felt seen)

(the night of one of my college breakups ended with me on my best friend’s floor, wine-drunk and full of domino’s pizza, critiquing her presentation for an upcoming history conference.)

her best friends are there for her and love her and support her, taking the day off work to stay with her. but they also give her tough love when she needs it. and she does need it.

also that bond between women bc jenny is just bitching about her breakup to a random woman on the subway and she’s like, “yo fr???? he sucks”

this movie is also so hilarious???? these girls have been best friends since college and it SHOWS. they do all these goofy silly things together, they have in-jokes and references, they make fun of each other. they tease each other about their boyfriends/girlfriends. they smoke and drink and get high together. they SWEAR. they have foul mouths and my bffs and i did too.

god the LINES. like

“yo. i went to say hello to a chihuahua outside our building, and it was a fucking rat.”

“it’s... like a green juice smoothie. that’s kind of genius.” “she made me try it. it’s fucking disgusting. i am drowning out here.”

“we’ll tell them her mom died!” “oh my god????” “ugh, fine. her aunt.” “i don’t think you understand what is fucked up about this suggestion.”

“ooooh, you gave me my favorite mug, you do love me!!!” and the mug is a mini-toilet.

“blair, watching you take down all those carbs has been the highlight of my whole, entire life.”

“what happens next???? i turn thirty and then i probably die.”

*sobbing* “and like.... i really want to go to the farmer’s market with you. that sounds really nice.” “great fresh produce.”

the representation is so good??? jenny is Latina; erin is a Black lesbian; erin’s girlfriend is a South Asian designer.

no i’m gonna go into my thesis now which is that this is the only movie i’ve seen that actually serves as a “coming of age” movie that is not aimed at  teens. it’s not about finding yourself in high school or college or coming to terms with your sexuality (which are all important!!! but as someone in my mid-20s, who has graduated and is comfortable in my gender and sexuality, those movies aren’t for me. and i hadn’t realized how much i needed a movie like this for me until i saw it for the first time). 

this is a movie about looking around at your life and realizing that you’ve outgrown it. this is a movie about what it’s like to keep growing up, because you don’t graduate college/grad school and suddenly you’re an Adult and it’s all Figured Out. it’s not!!!!! and that’s okay!!!!!! you may think you have a Life Plan but then it goes off the rails and things change and it’s hard and it’s scary and it’s okay because we all feel it. we all grow up.

like.... people fall out of love. relationships change. people get jobs and move away. it’s scary. and the way that it’s described.... jenny’s realization that her breakup with nate was a long time coming, because they actually hadn’t been happy in a long time. when blair breaks up with her boyfriend in the single most amicable, polite breakup scene i’ve ever watched. they’re not angry or hurt, they’re relieved. and it’s so refreshing to watch an example of a breakup that is a relief, because two people are being freed from their own expectations, of their lives, of each other, of themselves.

and this also talks about the fear of really, truly falling in love for the first time. the vulnerability, the recognition that now everything in life is changing.

when jenny holds her best friends and confesses, “i don’t know life without this.” when erin screams that she is afraid of everything about growing up, because that means that she needs to change. truly everything about jenny’s goodbye letter to nate.

god i just. “i don’t know life without this” hits me in the fucking face because that’s exactly how i felt about living with my best friend and moving out to move in with my partner, about my eboard group of besties splitting and moving all over the country, about my group of friends that supported me through the worst moments of my life and encouraged me to embrace myself, my healing, and my sexuality? and there was something Terrifying about the notion of moving away, about all of us separating and growing apart. and to see a movie that showed that that fear was natural, and it was okay, and there were some friendships that last forever? and even if they don’t, that doesn’t mean they were without love and meaning? it was something that i needed at the end of my education career.

also jenny and erin joke about apparently facetiming each other on the toilet and that made me scream bc my best friend and i literally do text each other each time we shit, and also it’s usually at the same time. you know you’re besties not just when your periods sync, but when your shit cycles do, too.

yeah i feel like we’ve all gotten to know each other really well in this post.

also the soundtrack FUCKING SLAPS. the intro to lorde’s “supercut?” jenny singing along to selena’s “dreaming of you” in her bodega? jenny’s realization that things are truly over between her and nate, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be, and it’s okay, to jessie reyez’s “great one?” jenny cry-singing to “truth hurts” by lizzo? the super-fun scene of the three getting ready for their hedonistic night out to lil kim’s “the jump off?” cinematic brilliance.

also the cameos??? jaboukie young-white and rupaul are in it. they’re hysterical, especially jaboukie young-white oh my GOD

tl;dr this is the coming-of-age movie to women in their mid-20s when we feel like Death Is Coming at age 30 when really life is just beginning. life is about change. sometimes we outgrow our lives, and that’s okay. 

anyway please watch this movie look how ADORABLE and CUTE and BEAUTIFUL THEY ALL ARE

[astranne]

(Natalia Romanova) Crossover Harry Potter x Marvel

So, Natalia Romanova. Daughter of Black Widow and the Winter Soldier. The Avengers are totally her honorary uncles and aunts. Since she‘s James‘ daughter she‘s a super soldier too and HYDRA did some experiments so she‘s now stronger/faster than Captain America. She is now also an empath and telepath. And since this is an AU, Black Widow is a witch (Harry Potter universe here). But she never learned magic like all the others, she never needed speels and a wand. Just like Natalia. The royal family has always been magic, so they are important too in the wizarding world. But since Natasha never has been at the magic places they think she‘s a squib and like her daughter magicless. Anyway.

So, the muggle world thinks, that Natalia goes to a private school with other rich kids, bc Natasha wants her childhood as normals as possible. They send her to Durmstrang, bc this is the perfect school for her. (In this fic, many dark wizard families send their children there, Durmstrang is almost as big as Hogwarts and a proud school. The asshole Igor somewhat is not there) And a former Red Room 'friend' of Natasha is teacher there, so she can train her daughter while school. She goes under the name Natalia Romanoff, but somehow they realize this is the princess of russia. Naturally they try to become her friend, but... her glare is really scary. And then she starts talking about her father and they are like, nooopee not with me. But someone doesn‘t recognizes her. One Draco Malfoy. His father sends him to Durmstrang, bc the school is known for the good teaching in DADA (they totally also learn some dark spells) and Lucius will not send his heir to the school where this Dumbleshit is. Draco only says once, 'my father will hear about this', but no one fears his father. They are all pretty chill and not like britain wizards. So Draco slowly changes, doesn’t become this little brat who runs to his father everytime. He’s more like: oh fuck, my mom will kill me, when he does something dumb. It‘s in the middle of the school year, when he sees Natalia in the library and they just start talking. He has no idea who she is, bc Malfoys hate the muggle world and yeah. Natalia notices that and decides, this is now my best friend. They start to hang out, prank some olders and become friends with Vikor Krum, who starts his career.

And everybody is like: boy, do you realize this is a princess? Draco is just confused until she tells him and he‘s just: why did you do this to me??? I thought we‘re friends? He takes it with humor, yk Draco isn’t this little shit like in canon, Well, he still can be, but only when necessary. Anyway, he’s totally proud, that he’s the best friend of the princess of russia.

Anyway. They become friends and Draco writes a letter, before he comes home. There he casually writes he befriended the Romanova heir and how she teached him some moves with knifes. His father pales, bc draco- how in the bloody hell did you become friends with the russian princess, who is the daughter of the most feared assassin??? His mother is proud and excited to meet this Natalia.

Anywayyy. Draco comes home, his father tries his usual shit, but his son just walks past him and hugs his mother. Narcissa approves™

Uhm... probably should mention that Draco let his hair grow? Bc omg- twelve year old Draco Malfoy with a undercut and a little bun. Omg- and then some years later. You either die, bc he‘s so cute or bc he‘s so hot.

Anyway. Draco and Natalia write through the summer and also meet. James begins to teach Draco, bc you are now the best friend of my daughter. She can‘t always protect you. The Malfoys meet the Romanovas and somehow the whole wizarding world knows this.

Lucius called Natalia a half blood, bc he tought James is one.

“Excuse me, my Lord. But my father is the head of the Barnes family, an old and ancient house of America. He is a true wizard, if the muggels wouldn‘t have tortured him, his magical core still would be intact.“ James stares at Lucius, like he’s ready to kill and then mutters something in russian. Natalia snorts unladylike, while Natasha grins. (James called Lucius a little boy, (in not so nice words) bc he fears his daughter who is twelve years old. Shame on you, Lucius)

Bc Natalia is bored, she created an Instagram account, where she immediately gained millions of followers.

“Hey there! You probably think, what the bloody hell is the princess of-"

“Stop swearing, young lady!“

“And this was my father... anyway. I have summer holidays and while I still prepare for the next school year, I have sooo much time to do nothing! And- Draco, come here! I want you to introduce to Instagram.“ Natalia grins widely, while she films Draco, who was reading a book about the history of Russia.

“What now, Nat?“, he mumbles.

“Look in the camera!“

“You know, if you say that, I will especially not doing it.“

“And this is my best friend Draco.“

“Draco Malfoy.“ She rolles her eyes playfully, when he still ignores her.

“Draco Lucius Malfoy... now stop being such a brat and come here.“

“I hate it, when you call me by my full name.“

“Anyway. This is Draco Malfoy, my best friend. We met in the middle of the school year and since then-“

“Everybody has to suffer because of our alliance.“

“We are friends, Draco! Stop being such a bloody-“

“Young Lady-“

“It was Draco!“ Her fans love their interactions. Some even do competitions about Draco‘s insults at random people.

“My dad teached Draco some things and now he won‘t let this bloody knife-“

“Natalia Romanova, no cruse words in this household.“

“I swear, my dad knows everytime when I cruse. It‘s spooky.“ Draco snorts, while he still twirls the knife in his hand.

“Your father knows everything you do.“

“That‘s true.“

She gets the permission, still to post on social media while being at school. As long she doesn’t exposes the wizarding world.

“I wanted to introduce you to another friend of mine! This is Viktor-“

“Stanislav! Did you hear? I‘m friends with the princess, take that you fucking asshole!“

“We are not friends anymore, Vic! Stanislav, you are now my new best friend!“

“Hey! What about me??“

Some people are concerned, that she only has male friends, since they only met the three.

“Please. Girls can be soo dramatic, it‘s so fucking annoying. But I have some female friends. Like Daphne. But she goes to another school.... Draco? Do you think we could kidnap Daphne, so she goes with us to school?“ Draco is so done with his life. Why did he became friends with her? She only makes problems...

So yeah, Natalia is a cheerful person, but if you try to hurt her friends or family, she raises hell. Draco tries to control the chaos she creates, but is not always successful.

Uhm, fast forward I think? To fourth year, the Triwizard Tournament. Bc Draco and Natalia are one of Victor‘s closest friends, (and have powerful names) the go for a year to Hogwarts. They also meet the golden trio, who has no idea who they are, but Ron is searching for the princess. Hermione tries to stop him, but he already did the mess. Natalia begins raises an eyebrow and asks him what business he has with the princess.

“I need to speak with her.“

“And you are? Draco, is he a part of the pure blood families?“ Draco just shruggs and says: “I‘m not entirely sure, he has the looks of a Weasly and while they are a pure blood family, no one of the elite likes them.“ Harry begins to shout at Draco, Ron too, while Hermione wants to bang her head against the wall.

“I‘m sure, this is a misunderstanding. I‘m not from England, so I don‘t know the important families like Draco does. He simply said what your political position in the wizarding world is. I‘m sure you know the Malfoys, this is Draco Malfoy and he‘s my best friend. I appologies, if something we said came out wrong, but in Durmstrang you normally don‘t offend students with the political positions of their parents.“

Hermione becomes friends with the two, Harry and Ron are then pissed. Does she care? No.

So, they have their fun in Howgarts, they also befriend the Weasly twins and prank some people.

And then comes the fifth year. People loose their absolute shit, bc boy- They haven‘t seen Draco for 3 months and suddendly he‘s one of the hottest teenagers of the world. They start to ship the two, but Natalia doesn’t react to the fans about this.

For information, they are in the sixth year when they come together (somewhat)

But in the summer after the fifth year, some agency contacts Draco and asks him if he wants to do modeling. And he‘s like, why not. Then I have also a name in the muggle world and much influence.

He does a great job. He gains a fandbase, (he already has one) who are like: fucking finally-bitch, what took you so long???

He also starts social medias, mostly talks about his life. And the world meets his mother and they are like: ok wow, we understand, Draco. She‘s an angel, a badass angel. We know now, why he‘s such a perfect boy

So yeah, Draco starts modeling, his father tries to throw a hissy fit but can‘t really do anything about it.

I totally forgot about it, but Voldemort came back and James is like- fuck this shit and killed him. And destroyed all his Horcruxes. He went to all his former followers and was like: bitches, this was a half blood who wanted to destroy the wizarding world. Don‘t follow his mistakes or I‘ll kill you all.

They look at him with big eyes and he then tells, he wants his daughter save and how can she be save, when the parents of her friends follow a mass murderer?

And yeah, this is how the Winter Soldier destroyed Dumbledore’s plans and didn‘t even know it.

And yeah. Draco starts also acting (he‘s really good at it) and is a part time teacher in Durmstrang. Natalia is doing princess stuff, represents her house in the wizarding world and just lives her life.

They marry some years later (the biggest wedding of the century after Natalia‘s parents).

Masterlist

[endysgirl]

Sailor Mars Birthday Tribute

I am so late on posting this but I just did not have time to edit. For Mars I wanted to talk about her 90s anime version and her much better manga version.

Let me start by laying my bias wide open. I never liked Sailor Mars. As a kid I thought she was unnecessarily mean. She was and still is my least favorite, besides ChibiMoon. She’s beautiful, and her powers and attacks are awesome. As for how she fits into the overall scheme of things, I have major issues with how the anime portrayed her compared to how Naoko intentioned her. Frankly, I can’t help but view 90s anime Rei as an imposter and I’ll explain why...

Ok, first let’s talk about 90’s anime-Rei. We know she’s very hard working, goes to an elite girls’s Catholic school and wants to be an independent career woman when she grows up. Yet, for some reason (*cough*patriarchy) she sees Mamoru in season one and thinks he’s perfect so she’s gotta have him. She embarrasses herself going all boy crazy over him (he literally steps on her head and just walks away) and he seems like a typical clueless dude who doesn’t realize she *likes* him. I relate hardcore to Mamoru here. She’s so thirsty and he is so not. Then fast forward to after Endymion gets taken and Rei slaps Usagi calling her a coward. It’s meant to be some great emotional scene that some fans latch on to. Yet, it’s not Rei’s slap that motivates Usagi. It just hurts her. Go watch it again (epi35); it’s the voice of Mask from her memory, gently and patiently encouraging her, as always, that she is strong and can fight that spurs Moon into action. We’ve seen over and over that Usagi responds to patient encouragement over violence, just like when she does when she faces the baddest villains. Yet, the 90s anime always has Rei cutting her down. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just the patriarchy at work, trying to convince young girls that the boy or girl who’s mean to you really does care about you. It’s toxic and just plain stupid.

Now, am I saying 90s anime Rei doesn’t really care about Usagi? No. Not at all. She’s her Senshi and they share the same heart and the same dream to protect those they love together. Of course she loves Usagi. My issue is how the 90s anime portrays that dynamic. It’s spreading toxicity within female friendships and trying to sell it as genuine. I also understand that Mars’s fiery personality is what a lot of her fans love about her. I’m not saying that’s bad either, even if it’s an inaccurate representation of the character Naoko created. Apparently, it was Ikuhara that wanted the anime to change her cold and aloof personality to “fiery”. To perpetuate the patriarchal tropes I’ve mentioned, the anime tried to paint her as Usagi’s bff of the group, usurping Minako’s place. In the manga, Minako is the Leader of the Senshi and the one closest to Usagi in personality and in her role as the Leader of Serenity’s guards. Yet the anime is constantly trying to make Mars the one that is extra special to Usagi. Case in point, at the end of Stars the first voice we hear address Eternal Moon after she defeats Galaxia is Rei but in the manga, Usagi is drawn hugging Minako first. These little moments bother me, probably a little too much.

Then there’s the love triangle they tried to created with her and Mamoru. Fucking kill me. The love triangle garbage is just typical, patriarchal tropism within the storyline that has no place in the SM story in regards to Mars. Let’s make two friends like the same dude bc that’s drama that people have been conditioned to enjoy. It’s lame as far as I’m concerned. Let’s take a moment to remember the random, stupid and pointless scene in the curry episode where ChibiUsa and Mamoru run into Rei and after a moment of awkwardness they decide to go find Usagi together. Tell me that’s not the patriarchy trying to validate one woman’s place by using another woman as comparison instead of letting her stand on her own. 😒 And they’re trying to backtrack on the whole Rei liking Mamoru episode. This isn’t Rei’s fault obviously, I’m just using this scene to explicate why I don’t like the dynamic the anime created, and why that makes Mars a difficult one for me to get excited about.

There’s no way you can convince me that Mars’s bitchiness wasn’t a direct result of a “male perspective” (as Naoko called it). The idea that female bffs bully each other and cat fight all the time is ludicrous. As a 32yo woman (and lifelong Moonie) with a tight circle of girlfriends, there isn’t a single one of us who would tolerate such toxicity from the other, even at 14yo. It just isn’t realistic, unless it’s a bad relationship. I’ll give the anime credit for getting one thing right - her bravery. In both the manga and the anime, Mars is fearless. She charges into battle and gives it her all. She doesn’t let any doubt get in her way. She does not hesitate or dwell on self-doubt. And that alone is reason enough to love her.

Now, let’s discuss Manga-Rei. Because Adult-Moonie-Me LOVES manga-Mars. She actually appears in Codename Sailor V outside the arcade. She says the atmosphere is “disquieting” and leaves. In the manga, she’s very quiet and reserved. There is no bickering or cat fighting between her and Usagi. She’s also probably the most objectively beautiful of the Inners. She’s suppose to be “slender”, with long black hair and brown eyes which are sometimes seen as purple. When Usagi first sees her on the bus, she thinks she’s soooo beautiful. And another time, when they’re at the beach/pool, guys keep buying Rei drinks but she’s not flirting or giving them any attention, bc she is not boy crazy. Sis is enjoying those drinks tho.

Her awakening in the manga is very similar to the anime with the exception that’s she sees a premonition of Usagi and Jadeite that makes her go find the bus. Like the other Senshi, she is drawn to Usagi.

In her manga profile, her dislikes are television, modern society (the anime has her immersed in pop culture, going so far as to make her write her own songs and dance at the school festival), canned asparagus and men. It’s implied that she doesn’t like men or care for them bc of her father. He never had time for her and she doesn’t have a good relationship with him. Plus in a short story, she has a guy she likes but he chooses to follow her father’s footsteps into politics. So she kisses him and is like, boy, bye. ✌🏽 She considers men emotionally weak, untrustworthy and is generally disinterested in them, even if they’re buying her drinks and fawning over her. Same, Sis.

She is described as beautiful and “reserved”, but “scary” when she’s angry. She so beautiful that when Mamoru’s underclassman, Asanuma, sees her, he thinks she would be the perfect girlfriend for Mamoru (who Asanuma thinks is perfect) and that she should be Mamoru’s ideal type. He’s really surprised that Usagi is so *ordinary*.

Rei has strong precognition and has an affinity to fire. Ironically, there is nothing in Shintoism about fire reading, so that must just be a shoutout to the Greek influence on the manga. I love her psychic abilities in both the anime and the manga. Random fun fact: Naoko worked at a Shinto temple for a while before or maybe during college.

Mars is one of the only Senshi, like Michiru, who can use an item as an attack in her civilian and Senshi form. Her “ofuda” (Shinto talismans) are powerful enough to disperse evil and make regular people faint (remember anime epi w/Unazuki’s mouth getting sealed and in the manga/crystal she accidentally “purifies” Usagi, causing her to faint). Mikos (shrine maidens) are known to use archery attacks, so civilian Rei was already proficient in archery before awakening as Mars. Also, just like Jupiter’s earrings stay on her when she transforms, Mars is always wearing a pendant and when she transforms, it attaches at the waist to her fuku.

Mars also, uniquely, has her own guardians: the Crows, Phobos and Deimos. In the anime, the crows never take human form as they do in the manga. In the Dead Moon arc, Jupiter and Mercury power up by speaking with their inner consciousness. But Mars powers up by speaking with the human forms of her crows. This is a great moment in the manga bc Phobos and Deimos basically tell Rei that’s it’s ok to not want or desire men and marriage. She is the asexual goddess everyone overlooks and I love this aspect to her personality. The Crows are the ones to give her the Mars Crystal which is her starseed. We also find out here that Mars pledged a vow of Chastity to Serenity in the SilMill. They don’t explain the reasons behind the vow, but considering Rei’s spirituality and serious conservatism, it’s understandable. Also, while Phobos and Deimos are named after the moons on Mars, in the Stars Arc it’s revealed that they’re from the Coronis and were acquainted with Sailor Lead Crow.

For the most part, Rei in the manga seems more boring than Rei in the 90s anime, but personally, I don’t think so. Reading the manga in middle school and seeing a female not *give*a*fuck* about marriage was awesome to me. She’s also kinder and she has far more respect for Usagi. She’s extremely popular at her school and has her own fan club. She carries herself with a certain dignity that reminds me of Michiru. She’s second in command after Venus. And let me end this by saying that Crystal gave Rei justice, and for that I am happy.

Happy Birthday, Mars! 🔥 🌙 ⭐️

P. S. Check out Allison Yarrow’s book “90’s Bitch: Media, Culture and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality” for more detailed analysis on how women in the 90s who wanted to have a home and a career got turned into the bitchy boss, bitchy girlfriend or bitchy best friend to subvert their quest for gender equality. I think Rei is the perfect example of this narrative. Especially when you consider men changed her nature in the anime from what her female creator intended for her. Also, check out the podcast on it https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unladylike/id1333193523?i=1000432317654 (podcast name: Unladylike episode 45. how to free the 90s Bitch)

Thanks for reading all this you wonderful Moonies!!!

[wexhappyxfew]

So I’ve been trying for ages to think of a question for TT and I can’t bc I am a dummy SO I thought maybe you if there was a question you wanted someone to ask and no one has then answer that! OR I’d love for you to talk about how writing has helped you/made you happy if you’re comfortable with that! I LOVE YOU SUNSHINE 🌻🌻🌻🌻

AWWW ANGE DONT WORRY ABOUT IT I SWEAR <3 <3 and oooooh that’s an interesting take!!! i haven’t ever thought about that actually, but now i might LOL! and ooooh yes! I LOVE THAT OTHER QUESTION TOO! imma just do both THANK U ANGE!!! <3

hmmmmm....a question i wanted someone to ask....

i’m thinking of doing some talking about character flaws and possibly some strong female ocs and just my take on that! 

For me, character flaws have just always MADE the character, a human being. But it’s not for everybody, but for me, as I am a flawed person in many aspects, writing flawed characters has helped more than anything. All the characters I write are deeply flawed just like every human being. They all have pros, but they are all also weighed out by the cons of life. But that’s simply what makes us human because no one’s perfect.

For example, Charlotte Tarvers, even though she’s this ‘sunshine’ girl, who always makes people smile and laugh, and feel good, and cared for, she’s also deeply hurt by her past, and has attachment issues. Part of being a medic, is strictly not getting attached to the people you might end up seeing dying or wounded - and that’s what Charlotte really struggles with simply because she is an extroverted people person who cares for everyone and she can’t help and it hurts her in the end. 

Hazel Parker, while being a soft and innocent person, that can shoot straight on a sniper and can get zeroed in and focused and honed in and obey orders, has trouble speaking her mind, she doesn’t trust easily, she also let’s things get to her constantly and then her emotions come into play. Only when she’s in war and numb to it all do emotions stay out, but many of her decisions are emotion based and it’s painful mentally for her. She constantly battles her mind simply because she doesn’t say much but her mind is too loud and that just is something that affects her greatly - especially after her wound that she getts.

Catherine McCown, while a fantastic leader, and a confident, intelligent young woman, she tries so hard to be perfect and then that’s when she breaks - after staying strong simply for too long and then her emotions comes and she starts heavily doubting herself in the process of it all. She tries her hardest she genuinely doesn’t feel like it is never enough because people always die in the end or get hurt and she takes it personally sometimes, too personally and it hurts her in the long run.

Elizabeth Elliot, as tender, gentle, and hilarious as she is, struggles with her mental health. In many circumstances she is very mentally strong, she can block the pain but in others, after learning of her hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD), which it was called in the 1940s, she hits that downward slope where she feels she can’t escape. And I have only seen a few OCs that struggle with mental health (various types of mental health), such as a disorder like ADHD, so I decided it was time to write a character like that. And her ADHD is what really makes her struggle throughout Bastogne to the end of the war. It causes her to lack in the ability to do her job right - there’s the distraction, the mind-eating thoughts, the inability to fully concentrate, the rereading and getting nowhere, the frustration - all of it - and that makes her really struggle more than anything. 

And....for a little sneak peak at the Flip Children (Natia, Klimeck, and Ryzshard) I will briefly discuss their flaws...

Natia Filipska, is genuinely a warrior, with a highly intelligent mind, who easily understands people from one to the other, but she grows easily numb and cold to others and flushes out her emotions in dangerous situations, ideally making her reckless, distant and tough to work with. Which doesn’t bode well for a character who HAS to work with others to survive. But that is just in short - I can’t spoil much more! 

Klimeck Filipska is, like her sister, intelligent, hard-working, and a powerful role-model and leader for all, but her anger sets her apart from others. She lets anger in many cases take over her decisions and it ends up getting friends injured and possibly even killed in the end. And it is something she takes very personally because she is very much 0-80 within seconds and her decisions are angry and emotionally driven simply because she has seen what the Nazis have taken and it angers her more than anything. It never amounts to something good in the end sometimes.

Ryzshard Filipski, who albeit, is smooth, charismatic, and deceptive, is, like Natia, VERY reckless, and it almost gets him killed sometimes. And sometimes he is purely too humanity driven. It almost makes him lose his cover. But he is in fact the youngest sibling, the youngest and only brother, and so he watches what his sisters are like in their way of being driven through the war and tries in a sense to be a bit of the light - but he is only a 20 year old man - he is still a child in the war, struggling with the idea that he lost his innocence with it as well. 

And don’t get me wrong, they are all deeply flawed but they are ALL strong oc’s, strong female ocs and a strong male oc. The 6 female ocs I have I believe, are all strong in their own individual way, whether it be quietly or loudly, they are all strong. Quiet people can be strong and confident people can be strong - and they don’t take bs either :) They are all strong, just like you all are, even if you have flaws - they make you stronger. 

And Ryzshard, as my ONLY male oc, I didn’t want to make him the stereotypical male oc - the always brave, always angry, emotionless sorta of persona - he has emotions, the most innocence out of the flip children, and he cares the most, and that’s what I really hope to get across even through his recklessness - he cares. 

“how writing has helped you/made you happy if you’re comfortable with that!”

So, this is a question I’ve gotten throughout the day, but I’ll put it in short!! Writing has just always been an outlet for me, and a way to express myself. When I’m stressed, upset, or angry, I come and I write and know that I’m in my own world. I’ve always found motivation in myself to write because I always just do it for me, really. I love everyone and appreciate everyone who reads my works and my stories, but I mainly do it because it is something I love doing and something that has helped me in more ways than one. 

It just always makes me so happy to make art on a screen with black and white words - it truly is an art form for so many people and for someone like me and as an artist myself, to create art with words is something I just adore. 

And, off topic sorta LOL, but I feel the reason I keep having motivation day in and day out to just keep writing, is because I do it for me? If that makes sense? I always tell myself ‘you’re doing it for you queen, you’re doing what you always want, and just for you - how ADORABLE is that - it’s like treating yourself” and I just tell myself that always, because I’m like wow, I’m doing something for me that’s fun!

And writing’s always there, it doesn’t leave, it doesn’t judge, it doesn’t make fun of you, it doesn’t turn cold, it doesn’t lie - it’s purely just WRITING - and I’ve always loved that about writing. Writing’s just always been there <3

thank you sm for the ask ange!! this was genuinely super fun! and i loved being able to talk about my oc’s and their flaws a bit, since i feel i needed to explain them just a bit and why they are flawed like a normal human! and plus talking about my writing experience and the true work of art writing is, is something i will always rave about!!! thank you <3

[thelowlysatsuma]

Ramble in whatever form you choose. I won’t be able to be active all the time so if you want to be able to do it whenever you want I’d say text posts but I’ll also try to occasionally ask you about them so there’s some variety

!!! okay! well i think i’ll choose a couple from the list that i haven’t made many posts about before (aka no ts or go) and ramble on here!

oof under the cut bc idk how long this will get

steven universe

oh hon don’t even get me STARTED on su like that shit? that shit is so good? okay first of all i love the cast so much? gosh they’re just all so sweet and cool and sometimes they collab w/ thomas sanders and i love rebecca sugar and im gonna cry they’re so sweet im so soft

okay SECONDLY the show itself oof

okay okay im just? god im so soft?? like the music is so good, i can (and do) watch it w/ my parents, GOD do i wanna cosplay pearl’s new outfit (and rainbow 2.0, if i can pull it off), im in love with the concept and all the fusions and the story and the worldbuilding and god, this made me realize my utter love and adoration of COLOURS like they’re so PRETTY im in LOVE oh my gOD and just

god it has such a good message and such a good plot and such good characters i wanna be steven’s friend i wanna be all of their friends oh man i just can’t wait until my baby cousins are old enough for me to show this to them because i’m going to enjoy that experience so much

ducktales

oh jfc where the fuck do i even start with ducktales okay david tennant as scrooge mcduck makes my fucking life literally he’sthe best goddamn charaacter in the show – well, best besides the triplets (my BOYS), webby (!!! my KID), f e n t o n (god i love that nerd), mark beaks (what an asshole), mrs beakley (i wanna be her when i grow up), launchpad (!!! he!!), and so many others??? this is like serious every character in the show erasure but hot damn duck tales says gay rights and it does so in style (oh yeah also i love lena della donald oh webby’s new friend whose name i forget uhhh herules oh the inventor guy fenton’s boss that dipshit love him uhhh gandra dee who’s voiced by jameela jamil if im not mistaken??????) and yeah it’s a hilarious show but it’s also just a really good one for me to watch whenever i start to like. feel empty inside?? but then like i’ll put on ducktales and i’ll feel better

gravity falls

this show. this show RUINED ME. i started watching it like four years late (aka last year lmao) but GOD, im so in love with it. def another one i wanna show my cousins.

like?? just??? the ciphers and mysteries appeal so much to me and my love of mystery and crime novels, the characters are all amazing, alex hirsch himself is just such a g?? and like. it’s so good. it hurts me so much but then it’s all okay in the end and it’s just. it’s so good.

yeah i sobbed my eyes out when i watched that series finale.

camp camp, which somehow i forgot on my other list

god, is this show hilarious. like, fuck is it funny. it’s so good. it’s so fucking good. i was a little shocked when i saw the first episode but i’m so into it now, and i’m so attatched to all the characters bc they’re just dumbasses trying their best (or worst, in a few cases) and i love them for it. that’s peak fool energy right there and it speaks to me

orphan black

okay okay okay veering now into a much darker type of television, orphan black is??? phenominal???

okay so my best friend @fuck-me-gently-with-a-slurpee got me into it when i was like 14 or 15 i think and i honestly cannot thank her enough because this show is incredible. the plot’s super engaging, i literally cannot say anything about it without giving away spoilers, and the main character has quite possibly the best actor i’ve ever seen playing her

like. you think thomas sanders is good? he ain’t got SHIT on tatianna maslany

mythbusters

you guys. you guys. mythbusters was my childhood. like seriously, i watched that show religiously.

it’s what first got me into science, and it’s what kept me interested in explosions. it’s light and funny and ridiculous and scientifically accurate in the dumbest ways possible. i swear to god the main cast nearly dies once an episode

these guys are my idols. like, i seriously cannot overstate how much i love the mythbusters. adam and jamie, tori, kari, and grant.

when i was a kid, i wanted to be a mythbuster when i grew up, and god damnit, i still do. they mean that much to me

bill nye

fun fact! i actually had no fuckin clue who bill nye was until seventh grade, when i had to watch an episode of his show for homework because i missed a day of class. it was the episode on static electricity, and i remember sitting at my dining room table in the dim winter afternoon light, squinting at my computer, and thinking “what the FUCK am i WATCHING?”

needless to say, i’ve seen more since then, but that initial what the fuckery is still present and i love it.

not only is bill nye the science guy a flippin fantstic show, but bill nye himself? the coolest guy alive. god, i love him. what a g.

various comedians including but not limited to john mulaney,john oliver, and hasan minhaj

okay, as a gay, i am legally required to love john mulaney, but seriously that guy is so. fuckin. funny that i can’t help myself. his timing is priceless, the way he moves onstage is hysterical, just. god i love his stuff.

literally his comedic timing and style is half the reason people find me funny. i just phrase my sentences the way he would because, you know, i’m good at stealing things, and people laugh, and i go “hey. that actually worked”. and then i keep doing it

next, john oliver. okay, so while i don’t watch his show religiously, i do watch it when my parents do every now and again, and fuck is his stuff funny. like. just. shit.

finally, hasan minhaj’s patriot act is just. one of my favourite current events comedy shows out there. it’s in a similar vein to john oliver’s stuff, just more international, and shit, is he good at what he does. i lvoe it.

hoodwinked the movie (i am dead serious)

okay, while i haven’t seen it in over four years, this is still my favourite movie of all time. it also has one of my favourite villain songs of all times, and some of the best character exchanges just. ever. especially with wolf and twitchy

...god, i love twitchy. also the goat. i’m probably gonna be the goat when i grow up, let’s be honest

one day at a time

i just.

there’s so much to say about odaat. like. it’s so funny. it makes me nearly cry every episode (and makes my mother actually cry every episode). the characters, god, the characters

like. alex is such a cute dumb kid (who’s smarter than he looks), penelope is so salty constantly and i love her but she’s genuinely so cool and such a good mom and i cry??? elena is so amazing like god she’s such a fuckin nerd but she’s also so salty (takes after her mom) and is literally the best????

and then there’s abuelita, whom i adore. like, god, rita moreno is SO cool and SUCH a great actress and has SUCH an amazing sense of comedic timing and GOD, i LOVE HER

can’t forget about syd and doc berkowitz, which like. okay first off the good doc. just. god i love the doc. he’s so sweet and such a genuinely good dude and he’s a bit of a coward at heart but that’s okay because he genuinely cares and does his best and god he’s just such an amazing character im !!!!! and then syd is such a dork and i love them and elena and god, it made me so happy to see not only an actual enby character on a big sitcom, but also just?? like??? it’s not forced but it’s still there??? like there’s one episode where one of the plots is just syd and elena trying to figure out what elena should call them, since neither of them are comfy using “girlfriend” for syd since they’re not a girl, and they finally agree on “significant other” and schneider imMEDIATELY says “dont you mean, SYDnificant other?” and then they use that for the REST OF THE SHOW IT”S SO CUTE OKAY

and finally, schneider. he might be my favourite character in the entire show (which is a damn hard list to pick from!!!), but he’s just. he’s so sweet, he and penelope have one of the absolute best male/female friendships i’ve ever seen (which! never! turns! romantic! ever!!!), he’s actually got surprising depths but he’s also like such a nice goofball that when they get revealed, it hurts, and he’s just this canadian dumbass (heyyyyy repreSENT) with the worst goddamn canadian accent sometimes and he’s a hipster and The Dumb Friend and the weird uncle all rolled into one and GOD, i love him so much

the good place and brooklyn 99

okay, i love these two both so, so much, but i’m lumping them together because a) they’re both mike schur shows with a similar sense of humour, that say gay rights, and with characters who’d definitely love each other if they met and b) my hand is getting tired from all this typing but i still have so much  love to go around!!!!

okay so so SO! they’re both so good. they’re so fucking funny and amazing and i was immediately hooked on both of their pilots. their characters are all so genuine and flawed and fucking hysterical to watch, and the ships and friendships are all so amazing and pure and good and soft and they have their problems and they WORK THEM OUT HEALTHILY AND IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY OKAY!!!

god, i literally cannot overstate how much i adore these two shows. mike schur, you’re a wonderful, wonderful dude. thank you so much

many musicals (top faves include BOM, hamilton, legally blonde, chicago, matilda, and more!)

i’m putting the musicals together because while i do adore each and every one of them individually, i also just have great big deep-seated love of the art of musical theatre itself in general, ya feel?

like, as someone who’s been both performing and viewing them from a very young age, the sheer sense of utter joy they bring is almost unparalleled

not to be That Bitch who quotes musicals, but “and that hop in our hearts as the overture starts lets us know how lucky we are” might be the closest i’ve ever gotten to finding words to fit the feeling when the lights go down and the show begins. it’s simply phenomenal

the others series by anne bishop

okay, OKAY, if you haven’t read this series (first book called written in red – they have terrible titles but god, they’re worth it), then what are you doing with your life? like, not only is there the perfect logicality au to them (just sayin’), but god, it’s such an incredible series

the worldbbuilding is so cool and the characters are all great and god the ships are the damn hill i die on it’s got literally such a good “sort of enemies mostly just dislike each other to reluctant acquaintances to friends to lovers” ship and it deals with some serious issues rlly well and it’s got baby puppies!!!

like, they’re wolf puppies, but still, they are b a b e y

and finally (for now, at least), the mysterious benedict society, by trenton lee stewart

this book series was my childhood. i mean, there are so many other books i could be talking about right now that i utterly adore (the artemis fowl series springs to mind), but gosh, MBS just brings me such absolute joy to read that i just had to have it on here.

i’m not thinking straight at this point in the evening, but i just wanna say that i will never, not ever forget about reynie. about kate. about sticky. about constance. about rhonda and number two and milligan and miss perumal and my absolute son sq pedalian and, of course, i will never, never forget about mr benedict

it’s bright, and it’s bittersweet, and it’s beautiful.

and it’s good. simply, utterly, wonderfully good.

thank you for the ask, anon.

thank you.

[lilyev]

wassup my dudes, i’m bee and i’m a huge ass nerd who’s super excited to be here ! pls take my daughter lily and love her, or hate her, w/e, i’m fine with it either way

isn’t that LILY EVANS ? yeah that is HER, sitting there at the GRYFFINDOR table with those other SIXTH years and i think i heard sybill saying they look like ZOEY DEUTCH… whoever that is! when she looks into her crystal ball she sees fireflies, coffee with cinnamon, cigarettes in the backyard, honey-flavoured chapstick, chipped nail polish, lying on the roof during a thunderstorm, flowers growing from cracks in the pavement, the feeling you get walking out from a cinema.  anyway i’ve heard they’re pretty TENDERHEARTED, TEMPESTUOUS, and INDEPENDENT. apparently they’re a MUGGLEBORN but i’m sure that’s not related. 

aesthetic: fireflies, coffee with cinnamon, cigarettes in the backyard, the smell of bookstores, honey-flavoured chapstick, whispered secrets, the burn of firewhiskey in your chest, chipped nail polish, polaroids, lying on the roof during a thunderstorm, chapped lips, the summertime buzz of cicadas, flowers growing from cracks in the pavement, burnt chocolate chip cookies, jane austen novels, angry tears, happy tears, scribbled notes in the margins of old books, the red glow of a sunset, the feeling you get walking out from a cinema

CHILDHOOD

lily evans grew up in cokeworth, england, a “distinctly unmagical” town that is solely known for being the fourth-largest steel producer in england. the steel factory smokestacks in the west loom over the town and its winding alleyways, cinder blocks, and weeds growing out of pavement cracks.

lily’s childhood was that of mowed green lawns, challah bread, flintstones reruns in grainy black and white, and playing outside after dinner with petunia till the sky grew dark and the fireflies and mosquitoes came out and their parents would call them back home for bed.

her parents were both university professors who had met while getting their doctorates, her mother in german literature and her father in political science. they were both academic, intelligent people, and saw no reason not to treat their children as such. this meant lots of political discussion over the dining room table — at nine, little lily knew more about the government deficit than most of her schoolteachers probably did. petunia tended to tune out these debates, claiming disinterest, but lily loved them, listening in avidly even if she didn’t understand. as she got older she began to participate more and more, and often even brought up issues she was interested in.

but despite her brightness, contrary to popular belief, school hasn’t always come naturally to lily. she just could never quite bring herself to focus in school. some teachers labelled her a chatterbox, others simply labelled her trouble. really, it was more of a combination of a desire to befriend every creature she met with an inability to sit still.

because lily yearned for something more than life at the end of the cul-de-sac, yearned for some great adventure. she was a curious, fearless thing as a child, always leaping off of the swing and tugging tuney to go explore on the other side of the tracks, where their parents didn’t allow them to go.

so when she met a sallow-skinned boy from the wrong side of town, and he told her about magic, lily was enraptured by the thought. severus snape and the world he spoke of represented, to lily, the adventure she’d only ever dreamed of.

you all know the story — lily didn’t mean to, but she traded one best friend for another, and petunia was left behind, hurt and angry.

HOGWARTS

flash forward to eleven year old lily – small for her age, sitting on a stool in the great hall and listening to the hat debate between slytherin and gryffindor. after she ended up being sorted into gryffindor, and heard everything her housemates had to say about slytherin, she couldn’t help but wonder why the hat had thought it might suit her. ( like mother like son, am i right ? )

but lily is ambitious and proud, and ( especially as a first year ) overflowing with a desire to prove herself. but when it comes down to it, she has a softness under her skin that doesn’t suit the cold blood of a snake, and her instinct to protect those she loves vastly outweighs her self-preservation instinct.

and all of a sudden, she was doing better in school than she ever had before. hogwarts gave her eager, curious young mind the adventure and intrigue it had been craving. for the first time, she actually wanted to learn. the professors quickly became used to the wiry girl with messy auburn hair and bright eyes sitting in the front row of every class and peppering them with questions.

she became the gryffindor prefect last year, something she was both very excited and very apprehensive about. she’s very conscious about the influence she has on younger students, and she’s determined to prove that she was the right choice.

PERSONALITY

lily evans has two main motivators: sentiment and spite. on one hand, she’s romantic and nostalgic, clinging to her fairytale endings and her belief that everyone has at least a little bit of good inside of them. she’d like to believe that everything will turn out the way it should, and that all pain is temporary and useful.

but on the other hand, she has her temper. lord, this girl is stubborn and proud to her very core. she does not easily admit she’s wrong, and she’s often guided by her emotions rather than her reason. it’s not a great combination. she has been called tempestuous.

she tends to make snap judgements about people and stubbornly sticks to those snap judgements. it takes her a while before she admits that someone isn’t as bad as she had previously thought, or that someone is worse than she previously thought ( see: james potter, severus snape )

she doesn’t react well to personal criticism. she can be pretty defensive and even hypocritical sometimes.

but for all her faults ( and she has many — she’s stubborn, over-idealistic, proud, spiteful, at times selfish, hypocritical, quick-tempered, biased ) lily loves. and she hopes. with all her heart.

she cares so much about everything. she wears her emotions on her sleeves. she cries when she’s angry, and when she’s happy, and when she’s talking passionately about something she loves.

if you’re someone lily evans loves, you should count yourself lucky, because she will defend you to the death. and if you’re a person who lily evans hates, you should also count yourself lucky, because no matter how much she hates you, there’s a little part of her that believes in the good part of you.

sometimes she wishes she was tougher, less vulnerable. she wishes the word ‘mudblood’ wouldn’t sting each time it’s flung at her like a grenade ( but it does ), and she wishes she isn’t disappointed with every chanukah that goes by without a card from pertunia ( but she is ). but in true lily evans fashion, she stubbornly holds her chin up high and smiles and doesn’t let the world see her hurting.

HEADCANONS

she keeps trying to keep a diary but she always forgets to write in it, although she refuses to admit it’s a hopeless cause.

has a love for sweeping, dramatic classical music and movie soundtracks

lily comes from a progressive jewish family ! lily was never really super into it when she was little ( she enjoyed the chanukah dreidel games and the purim festivities, loved listening to the stories of esther and the exodus, but fidgeted all through hebrew school and hated the solemnity and fasting of yom kippur ) but she has a greater appreciation for the culture now she’s older. still doesn’t really observe kashrut though.

[ HOLOCAUST TW ] part of the reason she’s super super super against blood purity is bc of this and obvs also cause she’s a muggleborn ! her mother was eight when the second world war started, and as lily’s gotten older she’s heard more and more about her mother’s experience. and it chills her how much it reminds her of all this blood purity and voldemort stuff. [ END TW ]

petunia converts to catholicism for vernon when they get married and lily is so angry she cries for days, but then their mother sits down with her and talks about how everyone has their own faith and you can’t judge someone else for theirs

loves cats even though she’s allergic to them ( has a toad named gilbert, after gilbert blythe from anne of green gables )

has an irrational fear of seaweed – not the kind you eat, the kind that brushes up against your ankles when you’re swimming. also afraid of flying and airplanes

has an extensive collection of nail polish ( picks at her nail polish when she’s nervous )

a physically affectionate person – loves hugs, and cheek kisses, and platonic hand holding

loves old audrey hepburn movies 

she always loved when her parents read to her but she never had the attention span for actually sitting and reading books even though she loved them

[ DEATH, SMOKING TW ] she smokes …… she knows it’s bad but she started after her paternal grandfather died when she was 12 – they were going through his belongings and she found a half-used pack of his cigarettes and pocketed them. she just smoked them to try and catch his smell and feel closer to him but it developed into a habit and then an addiction ( although lily will insist she can stop anytime ) [ END TW ]

bisexual as FUCK thanks 4 coming to my ted talk

[thepringlesofblood]

thoughts on stranger things three  (spoilers. so many.)

this is just me yellin into the void as usual, but I like recording my opinions on things even if no one will read them 

good:

- every single scene w/ the robin, steve, erica, dustin gang, especially!!! the coming out scene. scoops?? iconic. steve and dustin’s secret handshake? transcendent. the drugged out back to the future scene? perfect. 

- eleven and max say fuck the patriarchy. love el’s new look 

- more competent women is always a win

- funhouse fight!!! carnival fight!!!FIREWORKS??!??!

- the destruction of the mall (sadly the only anticapitalist symbolism I could find)

- the scene after jonathan and nancy get fired where they’re angry about their separate marginalized identities making this loss worse. I really liked how it went into the ways it will impact both of them, and I especially liked when nancy got home and talked to her mom. 

- joyce going buckwild and getting shit done. 

- the portrayal of hypervigilance as a symptom of PTSD. All of these characters have seen some shit, and all of them pick up on the littlest things the second they present themselves because subconsciously, they’re always on edge, always aware of bad it could break. 

- most of will’s character arc. not all, but most of it. the queer experience of watching all your friends get dates and feeling like you’re missing out on something? trying to regain their interest because you feel lost and left behind? worrying that you’re not “growing up” because you don’t recognize romantic interest in yourself? not realizing you’re falling for your best friend until they get a romantic partner and suddenly you hate the partner even though they haven’t done anything wrong? a poignant, beautiful, very painful portrayal of queer teenhood. I really, really wish there was a moment that the audience realized will was in love with mike though. Like, it’s been building for a very long time. Also, a more thorough confirmation of will’s queerness would’ve been nice. I think they meant mike saying “you don’t understand bc you don’t like girls” to be that confirmation, but I want to hear it from will. Robin’s moment is so so so good though. 

- domestic fuckery 

- getting someone on the inside to help them/alexei as a character. not the symbolism or larger ramifications of his character arc, but how his knowledge and personality interacted. 

- mr clarke!!!!

- el going into someone’s memories again

- how prepared everyone is to fight because they’ve seen this shit before and robin and erica are just like ‘this might as well happen’ 

- keeping with the stranger things pattern of having a bunch of different groups of people all in different genres and then together they all meet up and go ?????

- I know every says billy didn’t get enough of a redemption arc but tbh I did not see his character development as redeeming in any way and I liked that. It didn’t excuse his abusive actions, it just explained them. There was no “oh he was secretly good all along”, no dramatic total character reversal on his death bed, just him deciding that he had enough of being controlled. Max didn’t get full closure with him, he didn’t say some big speech about being wrong or realizing the ramifications of his actions bc he hadn’t reached that point yet. he just said “I’m sorry” and died. that could mean “i’m sorry for how I’ve treated you”, “I’m sorry for how many people I’ve killed”, “I’m sorry for not being able to stop the monster”, anything. we don’t know what it means. we don’t get an explanation. It speaks to how survivors of abuse often don’t get to know why, don’t get closure, don’t get all the answers. 

- steve finally won a fight before getting the shit kicked out of him

- the whole no one knowing anything about each other bc no cell phones and/or wasnt there when It Happened. 

- Erica getting the DND set was poetic cinema 

- when joyce sees will on the firetruck and they run towards each other because finally, for once, will is completely unscathed, will isn’t the one who got hurt/possessed. I was already crying but this is the part where i had to get tissues bc I was sobbing. 

Bad:

- the red scare bullshit and glorification of capitalism. this show started out as “the US govt is doing shady shit” and now the big climatic “everything’s alright” is the army getting there?? what the fuck. There’s being accurate to the time period and then there’s sending a message. they could’ve subverted that trope in so many ways, but they just went for straight up “capitalism is great! fuck russia!” and I hated that. also, talk about one-note villainry. there weren’t even any dramatic monologues to make up for it, it just kinda sucked. 

- Hopper’s character in the beginning of the season. the scene where he gets wasted after getting stood up? shitty. not talking to el about his vaguely sexist overprotective actions? shitty. blowing up at joyce for no reason? shitty. he pulls it together in the end but it was OOC for a bit there. Plus I would kill for more “hopper and el work through their trauma together”, rather than “friend group splinters bc hopper did a yell” 

- I don’t know what to think about hopper’s death. It just hurts, and not in a satisfying, last harry potter book way. 

- why the fuck are the byers and el moving?????? did they ever give a reason???? WHY?????? WILL AND EL’S ENTIRE SUPPORT NETWORK, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH AND CAN HELP THEM, IS IN HAWKINS!!!!!

- the ads. omg the ads. lucas idc about your fucking coke. there’s so much goddamn product placement. christ on a goddamn bicycle. 

- previous seasons have had body horror, but it was all black goo so it was removed from reality and conveyed a psychological, otherworldly horror. and I liked that. WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH FUCJING MEAT IN THIS ONE??? THE MIND FLAYER LOOKED LIKE IT WAS MADE OF BBQ SAUCE AND I HATED IT!!! STOP!!!THE MEATS!!!!!

- can el not be injured......for oNCE?????

- also can people stop standing around staring at shit so much? theyve seen it before. it’s not like it’s a huge shock. people stand around for like 5 minutes before Doing Things and it annoys me. with the New Kids like erica and robin it makes sense but like....whenever theres a monster mike just sits there like :o cOME ON DUDE YOU’VE DONE THIS SO MANY TIMES GET A KNIFE OR SOMETHIN!!!

- WHAT. WAS. THE GREEN STUFF?????????????????? IS IT FUCKING PLUTONIUM OR SOMETHING???? WHAT THE FUCK!!! IF YOU NEED A MACGUFFIN BE LESS OBVIOUS ABOUT IT!!!

- idk about you but murray yelling at them about sex kinda rubbed me the wrong way. 

- speaking of, you caNNOT convince me that murray, 4 locks on the front door lives in a bunker murray, would take a goddamn enemy of the state to a carnival and leave him alone for any period of time. seriously????????

- look.....it was adorable.....i’ll give you that.....but.....the song dustin and suzy sang slapped me with secondhand embarrassment and genre disconnect so hard I found it impossible to enjoy. also...planck’s constant??? you could/......idk........call mr clarke????????? you’ve interrupted the man’s life for less!!!! I was also half expecting it to be joyce who remembered it from all the studying she did on the magnets. I did enjoy the whole “i met a girl at camp” story being unbelievable until it was but like I was expecting the thing she wanted him to say to be like a famous star wars love quote or something not an entire song jesus christ 

- if hopper turns out to be alive I will face god and walk backwards into hell. I suffered through supernatural, I will not be caught in a cycle of fake deaths again. 

- i get the whole “we’re growing up now” thing but aren’t they like 13? theyre still so young??? also like i dont rly care for the vague soap-opera-y vibes the core squad gave off. 

- the only people who got flayed were either a. already pretty shitty or b. completely unknown. like. it just made it less scary????

- hopper just fucking standing by the machine looking at joyce instead of running the 5 seconds up the steps into the room. seriously? was that supposed to be slow motion or was that real time??? 

- the whole thing with cerebro not working at the beginning sucked ass. 

- hey does mrs wheeler have eyes??? like??? there were exactly two (2) scenes she had with mike and nancy and both were Big Conversations like they live there right/????tbh i forgot she was their mom until those scenes bc of the whole billy thing, which i decidedly do not have an opinion on but like....do they eat breakfast there??? 

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

(Liz) Kali, Beatrice II, and Friday for the hc meme?

OH NICE 

Kali Prasad

Headcanon A (realistic): While she doesn’t get to engage in hobbies often, Kali’s actually a very good artist, and she really enjoys painting, especially since she can sometimes create an illusion and use it as a base image. 

Headcanon B (while it may not be realistic it is hilarious): Kali has absolutely no sense of social norms, and she is fully aware of this and does not give a fuck. Who has time to care about what girls should and shouldn’t do when she’s got revenge to get? 

Headcanon C (heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends): She will never admit it, but she’s almost completely forgotten her biological family by this point. El and her Gang are the only family she truly knows. 

Headcanon D (unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own): In the occasion that she meets the rest of the Party, she is both Nancy and Max’s Bi Awakening��� as well as the reason Erica begs Lucas to get her a leather jacket for her birthday. 

Beatrice Baudelaire II 

(based mainly on the books) 

Headcanon A (realistic): When she was a baby, Bea was only soothed by the sound of the ocean when she was fussy. Even as she got older, she always found the beach very calming. 

Headcanon B (while it may not be realistic it is hilarious): She is a bit “out of touch” with what normal kids do, mainly because her and the Baudelaires were on the run for a good while, and Klaus was in charge of homeschooling her and Sunny. While she could get along fine in a conversation with kids her age, she gets surprised when she finds out it’s abnormal for ten-year-olds to have read Les Mis, and she and Sunny have their own Memes that only they understand. 

Headcanon C (heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends): She’d been separated from the Baudelaires for almost four years by the time she managed to contact Lemony, due to being abducted by VFD. She doesn’t know this, but since Sunny and her had been in an argument before her recruitment, Sunny blamed herself for a very long time, though of course nobody else did. 

Headcanon D (unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own): Beatrice is a lot more manipulative of VFD- both sides of the schism- than literally anyone suspects; she wants to reunite with her guardians, and she doesn’t care what she has to do to accomplish that goal. She’s set quite a few more fires than she thinks the Baudelaires and Uncle Lemony would like. 

Friday Caliban 

(definitely based more on the books bc netflix don’t interact) 

Headcanon A (realistic): Assuming she survives the Medusoid Mycelium, Friday grows up to be a Researcher, similar to Klaus. She’s a little Ravenclaw, and the second she could get her hands on books, there was no stopping her. 

Headcanon B (while it may not be realistic it is hilarious): She ended up taking care of Inky, at least until she should potentially see the Baudelaires again. While Inky is very much opposed to hurting anyone, it is still very threatening to see a young girl running down the street with an intimidating black snake draped across her shoulders. 

Headcanon C (heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends): Friday ends up joining VFD, if only temporarily, in order to find her Father, and because she found out the Baudelaires were once a part of it, so it can’t be that bad, right? A lot of their more shady practices don’t phase her, because they’re what she’s become used to throughout her life. 

Headcanon D (unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own): Very similar to my Ellington unrealistic headcanon, sorry: Friday eventually comes across the Quagmires and Fiona, and ends up bonding with Fiona quite a bit. The older children may-or-may-not have “kidnapped” her away from her chaperones, oops. 

Send a character’s name to receive four different headcanons!

[lux-astrorum]

so i’ve seen this “bts is racist (most specifically antiblack)” post going around and i...wanted to say some words

first of all, they (and their company, who obviously play a hand in their product and their image) have made a lot of mistakes. especially early on in their careers. they have appropriated black culture. they have said inappropriate/insensitive things. i’m white, and so i can’t relate to how black people may have been hurt by their past words/actions, but as a woman, i have to come to come to terms with the fact that they’ve said a lot of misogynistic things as well and openly joked about engaging in behaviors i don’t support (cough cough watching porn cough cough). 

secondly, i’m sorry on behalf of our fandom that so many people treat bts as literal perfect angels who can do no wrong. whatever bts themselves have done/said may hurt, but i’m sure it also hurts even more when most of their massive following literally blindly idolizes them and cannot acknowledge their flaws. celebrities are humans too, and no matter how “perfect” they may try to keep their image, they make mistakes like any of us, yet so few fans are willing to see that.

that said, i did want to say a few things. as someone who has lived and taught in Korea for over a year know, I’m here to tell you: this country as a whole sucks ASS at international awareness, supporting minorities, and general social issues education. bear in mind, even in Seoul, it’s mostly a homogeneous society, at least ethnically. even so, the sensitivity to social, particularly multicultural, issues is pretty abysmal. for example:

-i don’t even own a tv but i went on a trip here and we had a tv in the room we were staying at and were just flipping through channels and saw blackface on a variety or comedy show. this is the year 2019

-the south korean president himself has greeted foreign rulers & dignitaries in the wrong language on his recent Asian tour (more of a gaffe than anything but still demonstrates that this unawareness and lack of care about other cultures penetrates to a very high level in politics and society)

-hey remember when Blackpink took some heat for imitating tribal yells in “Boombayah” a few years back? well apparently koreans still don’t have an issue with that bc literally my first day of teaching last year the 3rd grade teacher puts on a video of the song “10 little Indians” and had the kids imitate tribal yells as part of the song. i didn’t even know how to respond

so there’s a few takeaways from this: most importantly, bts themselves were likely not educated, perhaps at all, on any of these issues growing up. i’d hazard a guess that seoul does a slightly better job than anywhere else in the country since it has the most representation of the international community, but even seoul is awful and NONE of the bts members grew up here. 

which brings me to my second point: as far as my memory and understanding goes (i’ve only been involved in the fandom since 2016, i don’t know every single thing there is to know about bts, and i didn’t check all of the specific things the op of that post mentioned) most of the relevant insensitive words/actions occurred earlier in their careers. bear in mind that in 2013 when they debuted, most of the members were still teenagers - jin, born in dec 1992, would have been the oldest at 20. all i know is before i was 20 i still held a lot of really trashy religious/social/political views too and wouldn’t have hesitated back then to say a lot of things that I now realize could be insensitive at best and hurtful at worst. but i’ve since stepped back, listened to others, educated myself a bit better, and i’m always trying to work toward being better & understanding others more.

which brings me to my final point: i’ve been in the fandom long enough now to see bts gradually enter the mainstream entertainment/fame scene, and even since then i’ve noticed they’ve made efforts to be more culturally aware and sensitive. the most poignant example that comes to mind now is when they first performed at the BBMAs in 2018, they changed all the lyrics to “Fake Love” that included 내가 (”nae-ga,” I) and 네가 (”ni-ga,” you), just to avoid any possible misunderstandings that might arise from a primarily non-Korean-speaking audience. (I mentioned before that as a woman I have to deal with the fact that bts once released songs like “War of Hormone,” the lyrics of which sadly perpetuate misogyny and rape culture - BUT, bts would later go on to release “21st Century Girl,” the entire “Love Yourself” series, and “Boy With Luv,” titles that show us a developed, thoughtful, mature, educated view on women’s inherent dignity/value and true love.) i’m just word vomiting onto this post so i’m not going to include a general list of evidence, but it does seem like, especially once bts started getting exposed to the international community and traveling and collaborating frequently outside of korea, they have made a lot of conscious effort to grow, mature, educate themselves, and be more careful about their words, actions, and overall message.

is bts perfect now? no. some of you may recall recently (ok maybe not recently....but like, within the last year) some controversy over jimin wearing a  korean streetwear shirt that had Korea’s independence day printed on it with an image of an atomic bomb explosion. yeah, maybe not his most shining moment as a person. (but AGAIN, i can vouch that most koreans wouldn’t have a problem with that at all, in fact the shirt sold out shortly after the controversy arose, bc lots of koreans in my experience are constantly looking for ways to give the middle finger to japan. but i digress). the POINT is, no member of bts ever was, is, or will be perfect or completely pure and unproblematic. that’s just life. but i think their image and music have come a long way in trying to promote something positive, and that’s something to be acknowledged. 

to conclude:

1) i do not know bts personally as people. i am aware that idols qua idols are first and foremost a carefully constructed image designed to make money. that said, my impression of bts is that their words, actions, and product were sometimes insensitive, and as a result hurtful, more frequently early on due mainly to a lack of proper education and awareness (same as korea in general), as well as the fact that they were still young and immature, and of course flawed human beings. however, my impression is also that they’ve never intentionally tried to be malicious or hurt anyone, and that they’ve made sincere efforts to educate themselves and do better going forward.

2) bts having said/done racist, misogynistic, etc, etc things IS a problem. but it’s not a bts problem, it’s a nationwide korean society and education problem. and the fact that so many bts/kpop fans refuse to see this problem makes it a WORLDWIDE problem. we can all do better to be more sensitive to others and be more careful with our words/actions, and we can all do better about not blindly elevating people as though they’re perfect and trying to point-blank defend everything they do even if it’s obviously wrong.

3) people are people. we make mistakes. we do/say hurtful things. sometimes it’s innocent ignorance, sometimes it’s willful ignorance, and sometimes it’s just plain malicious. those things do hurt, but please give people room to learn & grow after their mistakes.