#it's criticism of the in-universe character

[outlanderskin]

In 2017, I came across this text about fandom and since then it has been an illustration of this crazy and magical universe of fan life, which I call fan experience. Even though I've been going to Outlander Cons since 2015, it was when I met my Spanish friends that I started to not feel alone even when surrounded by people at these events. And at this LandCon, in addition to my dear Spanish friends, I was able to meet other friends from Tumblr. For years we've been following, reblogging, commenting, laughing, protesting and, above all, supporting each other. And suddenly, there's that "Tumblr username" in front of you and you can finally look the person in the eyes and tell them how much you admire them and thank them for walking alongside you in this fandom, which is so toxic in many ways, but where true friendships can create an oasis. Thank you for everything, girls.❤️

"Fandom is focus. Fandom is obsession. Fandom is insatiable consumption. Fandom is sitting for hours in front of a TV screen a movie screen a computer screen with a comic book a novel on your lap. Fandom is eyestrain and carpal tunnel syndrome and not enough exercise and staying up way, way past your bedtime.

Fandom is people you don't tell your mother you're meeting. Fandom is people in the closet, people out and proud, people in costumes, people in T-shirts with slogans only fifty others would understand. Fandom is a loud dinner conversation scaring the waiter and every table nearby.

Fandom is you in Germany and me in the US and him in Australia and her in Japan. Fandom is a sofabed in New York, a roadtrip to Oxnard, a friend behind a face in London. Fandom talks past timezones and accents and backgrounds. Fandom is conversation. Communication. Contact.

Fandom is drama. Fandom is melodrama. Fandom is high school. Fandom is Snacky's law and Godwin's law and Murphy's law. Fandom is smarter than you. Fandom is stupider than you. Fandom is five arguments over and over and over again. Fandom is the first time you've ever had them.

Fandom is female. Fandom is male. Fandom lets female play at being male. Fandom bends gender, straight, gay, prude, promiscuous. Fandom is fantasy. Fandom doesn't care about norms or taboos or boundaries. Fandom cares too much about norms and taboos and boundaries. Fandom is not real life. Fandom is closer than real life. Fandom knows what you're really like in the bedroom. Fandom is how you would never, could never be in the bedroom.

Fandom is shipping, never shipping, het, slash, gen, none of the above, more than the above. Fandom is love for characters you didn't create. Fandom is recreating the characters you didn't create. Fandom is appropriation, subversion, dissention. Fandom is adoration, extrapolation, imitation. Fandom is dissection, criticism, interpretation. Fandom is changing, experimenting, attempting.

Fandom is creating. Fandom is drawing, painting, vidding: nine seasons in four minutes of love. Fandom is words, language, authoring. Fandom is essays, stories, betas, parodies, filks, zines, usenet posts, blog posts, message board posts, emails, chats, petitions, wank, concrit, feedback, recs. Fandom is writing for the first time since you were twelve. Fandom is finally calling yourself a writer.

Fandom is signal and response. Fandom is a stranger moving you to tears, anger, laughter. Fandom is you moving a stranger to speak.

Fandom is distraction. Fandom is endangering your job, your grades, your relationships, your bank account. Fandom gets no work done. Fandom is too much work. Fandom was/is just a phase. Fandom could never be just a phase. Fandom is where you found a friend, a sister, a kindred spirit. Fandom is where you found a talent, a love, a reason.

Fandom is where you found yourself"

[mhfkah]

One question, besides Stolas, what other character do you absolutely hate in Helluva Boss?

Andrealphus. I hate him so, so much for what his character as a whole has done to Stella. His introduction strips his sister of the role she 100% deserved to have, and frankly, he is a horrible villian as his schemes make zero sense. The worst, most detestable part of his character are the implications he puts forward.

Not only did he ruin Stella narratively, but in-universe as well. It is appalling that Vivzie made a flawed monarchy within her story (a system that is historically incestuous and misogynistic), implied that a man (that she is directly related to) who has power over is sexually attracted to her, and absolutely refuses to acknowledge it or take it seriously.

But Andrealphus was just confirmed as mlm!

Doesn’t matter. We, as the audience, should not have to receive this information from supplementary material (i.e livestreams or external trivia). What we see in the show is him displaying obvious and overt signs of him being attracted to Stella in some shape or form. Him being queer does not absolve him of this potentiality; gay men can victimize women prior to realizing that they aren’t interested.

I’d go so far as to say that the implications put forward by Andrealphus offer an explanation as to why Stella was so violent and outwardly-cruel as a child. Children who’ve been victimized that young tend to lash out and display signs of aggression to cope with what has happened to them.

All of this about his character and relationship can be gauged from what he’s said and displayed, if thought about critically with historical backing of the monarchy’s inner-corruption. That system has made many victims within its own walls; I believe Stella herself is one, and her brother a perpetrator of all that is wrong with it.

I have a much, MUCH longer post in the works regarding Stella. A large portion of it is dedicated to how insidious Andrealphus is as a character, both literally and in-universe. Truthfully, I probably hate him a little bit more than Stolas, but it’s hard to tell. At least the narrative isn’t trying to portray him as a good guy. Yet.

[damnthatscraaaazy]

Okay guys, consider this. Epic the musical. But Bruce as Odysseus. Hear me out okay? Jason as Polites. And he dies at the hands of Polymephus!Joker, but then we'd have to consider if anyone would actually support Joker in any universe like the other cylcops on Polymephus's island.

But we get past that, we get the 'no killing' Odysseus!Bruce. But then who would Athena be? Does she have to be a DC character or do we leave her be? What about Poseidon? What about his speech in Ruthlessness? "You fight to save lives but won't kill and don't get the job done"?

Would it be a red hood? Or even Dick criticizing Bruce? Idk I had a vision and I've been thinking about this for the past like- week?

Other characters:

Dick/Tim/Damian as Telemachus? Or like Tim as Astynax(the baby ody kills in just a man) in a 'Astynax lives' AU. Then would Calypso be Talia?(I don't really want to enforce the whole racism with the racist guy that wrote Talia SAing Bruce but it js fits in this case i guess. Or it could have been Calypso!Talia using magic to conceive Damian?).

Talia as Penelope? I feel like i like that better but idk.

Selina as Circe?

I don't exactly know who Penelope would be. Clark? Idk.

But then imagine who Zeus would be? Would he need to change?

Who would Eurylochus be?

Do you see my vision? Idk it's not very coherent/clear but i needed to write it down n stuff.

[realizations-inc-units]

TOMURA SHIGARAKI: User Guide and Manual

Congratulations! You have purchased your very own limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit.

Please see our care guide, user activation manual and your model’s unique specification pamphlet to become acquainted with your newest companion! It is highly advised that you read all materials to avoid any incidents.

Note: Realizations Inc. expressly disclaims any and all liability for damages, injuries, or death arising from the improper use, handling, or mismanagement of your unit following delivery and activation. Upon receipt and activation of your unit, the customer assumes full responsibility for their personal safety and well-being. Use of your unit constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these terms.

Technical Specifications:

Civilian Name: Tomura Shigaraki Villain Name: Tomura Shigaraki Place of Manufacture: Kyoto, Japan Height: 5’9” / 175cm Weight: 145lbs / 66kg Birthday: April 4th Hair Color: Light Blue, Final War models have white hair and TENKO SHIMURA models have black hair Eye Color: Red, TENKO SHIMURA models have Grey Unique Features: No eyebrows, dry “skin” and minor facial scarring Physical and Mental Age: 20 Language Options: Default Japanese, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese

Character Profile:

TOMURA SHIGARAKI is the main villain and antagonist of the My Hero Academia franchise and universe. Despite his origins as TENKO SHIMURA, grandson of the heroic predecessor of All Might, AKA TOSHINORI YAGI, he grew up to become the protegee of the SS-Rank super villain All For One, leader of the League of Villains and arch-enemy of main character IZUKU MIDORIYA. His goal is to kill All Might and topple hero society as citizens and heroes alike know it.

TOMURA SHIGARAKI is one of if not our most difficult unit to bond with. It is obstinate, anti-social and contrary. However, gain its affection and you will be the owner of the most dedicated and unwavering partner we have programmed to date, whether it be romantic or platonic. If you have taken on a TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit as an employee, its quirk and thirst for destruction are rather compatible with minor demolition, shredding, disaster clean up and potentially bomb disposal jobs. Its knack for gaming could also qualify it for bug testing and even streaming.

Making sure that your villain unit has productive hobbies and outlets is a fantastic way to manage its destructive tendencies, so don’t hesitate to sign it up for groups and classes as long as you know for sure that there won’t be any rival units attending. And no worries about your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit’s quirk destroying anything accidentally. For the owner’s convenience we have given the unit complete control over when Decay is activated or not.

TOMURA SHIGARAKI’s quirk, Decay, utilizes Realizations Inc.’s very own patented DISMANTLE Nano-System. Embedded in the palm of its hands are micro-scale delivery ports that release technician programmable nanobots. These nanites use targeted enzymatic, micro-vibrational, localized energy pulses to deconstruct matter at the molecular level. Powered by a burst energy drawn from its battery core, this system makes for a high-drain, short-duration disintegration tool. Activation occurs when all five digits make contact with its target for canonical accuracy. Each use of decay draws seven percent of the battery core’s charge per full activation (battery usage scales depending on surface area). Decay nanites “reload” via TOMURA SHIGARAKI’s internal nanite self-cleaning chamber located in its wrists or may require a Nanite Refill Canister, sold separately, if a certain amount of them have been lost or damaged. Decay requires twenty (20) seconds between activations.

CAUTION! Decay is a powerful replicated quirk, not to be used lightly. Overuse or repeated engagement may cause cooling delays and critical system warnings. Encourage your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit to engage with its quirk responsibly.

Please see your model’s specification insert to learn more about your individual model’s quirk upgrades.

Programming:

Your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit comes with the following base traits:

Sadistic. This unit derives pleasure from inflicting pain, both emotional and physical. Some units with this trait express it more intensely than others. If you find that your unit is too sadistic for your comfort, please call our help line located at the back of the manual and we will refund your unit for full store credit. Selfish. Whether its just egocentric or tactlessly egomaniacal, this unit values its own goals and desires above anyone else’s. Destructive. This unit is more likely to damage your belongings either by accident or on purpose. They tend to have less control over their quirk in general, so be careful! Arrogant. A more potent version of Confident. This unit will act without heed of its owner’s desires if it feels like it. It will be more likely to start fights with others that have the Arrogant trait, as both will most likely believe that it is superior to the other. Determined. Depending on the unit, this could be a great trait to have or a headache in the making. Determined units rarely take “you can’t do that” as an answer, and will follow their beliefs to the end, even if it means going against rules, norms or their owner’s wishes.

WARNING: Villain units are not guaranteed to respond predictably to emotional stimuli. Realizations Inc. is not liable for any damages caused by your units behavior responses.

Care and Maintenance:

Hygiene: All Realizations Inc. units are self-reliant and prefer to clean and care for itself. Do not worry about bathing your unit because it will do so privately and effectively. All Realizations Inc units are as waterproof as the average human, meaning that unless submerged for an extended period of time, the internal electronics and battery core will remain unaffected.

Note: TOMURA SHIGARAKI does not require any special care for its dry “skin” as even though it is programmed to feel the itch and discomfort of it, it does not actually suffer from the condition.

Feeding: As units do not need to eat or drink, please do not try and feed it anything. Attempts to feed or water your unit will likely result in malfunctions requiring technician support. Your unit does have olfactory sensors of varied sensitivity allowing it to “smell” the scent of food. Some units have preferred scents so get to know it and discover its preferences!

Rest: Charging your unit is easy! Thanks to Realizations Inc.’s exclusive and state-of-the-art battery core, your unit rarely has to charge itself! Approximately once a month (more or less depending on quirk usage) your unit will tell you it needs to charge. It will often wait until your usual bedtime to request this, as to not disrupt its owner’s plans. Simply open the nape panel and insert a plugged in Cascade charging cable. Your unit will find a comfortable position and shut down until either fully charged, or its name is called by its owner. Time till full charge takes approximately eight (8) hours for base models and six (6) hours for more advanced models.

Note: TOMURA SHIGARAKI may sometimes refuse to charge itself if it finds itself too engrossed in a game or hobby. If this is the case, you can either allow the unit to run out of battery, forcing shut down mode to reserve power before plugging it in, or utilize emergency shut down protocols to accomplish the same thing.

Emergency: If your unit is for any reason becoming unruly or dangerous, there is a code you can activate that will place it into an emergency shut down state. Simply state your name, the unit’s designation and then the words “emergency shut down”. This will immediately place your unit into a dormant state, using very little battery and completely unaware of what is going on around it.

Social: The social needs of your unit depend on the version and model of the character you purchased. Some can go days without interaction, others only hours.

TOMURA SHIGARAKI is one to prefer online interactions over in person get togethers. It doesn’t need its own personal computer, but allowing it to borrow yours to play social games online will benefit its mental health. For the sake of your device however, make sure it isn’t playing League of Legends or similar “player versus player” genre games. Like all units though, it requires face to face socialization both as a basic psychological need and for proper owner/unit bonding. TOMURA SHIGARAKI is a hard nut to crack, but talking about its interests will help open it up.

We at Realizations Inc. programmed our TOMURA SHIGARAKI units to be nearly identical to its fictional counterpart. Limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI is based on the canonical version of the character from between the “Shie Hassaikai” and “Meta Liberation Army” arcs. This TOMURA SHIGARAKI retains its childlike temper while still displaying the leader-like capabilities needed to take on a goliath like Gigantomachia. However, this is still TOMURA SHIGARAKI we’re talking about. It will be a hard companion to gain the trust and respect of, but not impossible. If accomplished, it will become a lifelong ally and partner to you.

Accessories:

ONE (1) activation outfit TWO (2) civilian outfits, ONE (1) casual, ONE (1) semi-formal ONE (1) villain costume ONE (1) replacement “Father” hand ONE (1) Nanite Refill Canister TWO (2) Realizations Inc. patented Cascade charging cables ONE (1) user manual

Relationships With Other Units:

The League of Villains: Your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit is programmed to act more stable and less insecure around units designated as part of the League of Villains faction. HIMIKO TOGA is one member that your unit will tolerate much better than the others, while TOUYA TODOROKI and TOMURA SHIGARAKI tend to bicker with each other, sometimes to the point of needing to be separated for a while, though TOUYA TODOROKI is likely to remove itself from the situation before any owner intervention is needed. More League of Villains members are to be developed in the future. Please check Realizations Inc.’s website for future information of the unit’s relationships as they are released.

Adult Heroes: All Might, real name TOSHINORI YAGI is considered one of TOMURA SHIGARAKI’S main targets. Please do your best not to let the two units even within eyesight of each other. Although TOMURA SHIGARAKI holds no outward affection for SHOUTA AIZAWA, with the feeling being decidedly mutual, your unit thinks the hero unit is rather cool deep down. More Heroes are to be developed in the future. Please check Realizations Inc.’s website for future information of the unit’s relationships as they are released.

Child Heroes: IZUKU MIDORIYA is another unit that should not be in proximity to your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit. They will attempt to battle each other on mere eye contact. TOMURA SHIGARAKI holds an intense hatred for the hero unit, similar to its feelings for TOSHINORI YAGI. KATSUKI BAKUGOU, another unit with the trait Arrogant, will butt heads with your unit if they’re forced to talk to each other for longer than five minutes. Your unit will also disagree with SHOUTO TODOROKI if allowed to converse, purely due to differing opinions on society, philosophy and SHOUTO TODOROKI’S choice of friends. Honestly, it’s probably best to have your unit avoid any and all contact with hero units in general. More Heroes are to be developed in the future. Please check Realizations Inc.’s website for future information of the unit’s relationships as they are released.

Others: Stain, also known as CHIZOME AKAGURO, and TOMURA SHIGARAKI will not approach or antagonize each other as long as they are not forced into an interaction. KAI CHISAKI and TOMURA SHIGARAKI, unless ordered by a shared owner not to, will be at each other’s throats either verbally or physically if in the same room. If these units are required to exist in the same household, it is recommended to introduce the two slowly, and allow the units the ability to retreat to their own personal spaces as needed.

Removal From Packaging:

Lay down the received box that your unit comes in, horizontal on the floor. Remove the lid of the box and any packing materials covering your new unit. At the base of the “skull”, you should feel a small etching just below the hairline. Using a coin, flat head screwdriver or a long finger nail, pry open the panel. Inside you will see three things: a large charging port, compatible with Realizations Inc.’s patented Cascade charging cable, a small pinhole for factory reset and a flat circular button, about the size of a dime.

Press and hold the button for 5 seconds before replacing the panel. It should snap back into place. Your new unit’s eyes should open. Do not be alarmed that the eyes are blank! Your unit’s pupils and irises will appear once you say the activation code and introduce yourself.

Once the blank eyes of your unit glow white, state your full name before reading out loud the fourteen digit code on the back of the manual. Be patient while your unit boots up, and stand back. Certain models of units wake up suddenly and violently.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: My TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit is trying to kill me! I didn’t do anything, what do I do? A: One of TOMURA SHIGARAKI’S primary traits is Sadistic, some models accidentally are programmed with a higher value than others. If nothing you are doing is calming it down, engage emergency shut down protocols and call our help line. Our on call technicians can walk you through troubleshooting steps or connect you with our reprocessing team.

Q: Why is my TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit choosing to recharge at the foot of my bed? A: Your TOMURA SHIGARAKI is showing a rare sign of trust! If you truly want to discourage the behavior, simply move the Cascade charging cable to another room or to an outlet far enough away from your bed to eliminate the possibility of recharging in that location. The unit should get the hint. Should.

Q: Can my unit be friends with my other units? A: It is difficult to pull off, but with high enough affection and respect towards you, it should be able to put aside any disdain it has for things such as “friendship” and forge other bonds. Note: TOMURA SHIGARAKI units have extreme difficulty making friends with other units that hold an active Arrogant trait.

Troubleshooting:

Problem: You have received a different TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit than the one you ordered. ex. TENKO SHIMURA, Basic Model TOMURA SHIGARAKI or Final War TOMURA SHIGARAKI. Solution: Please contact our help line and we will replace your incorrect unit with a new, correct version. Store credit is also an available option.

Problem: Your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit is acting significantly out of character. Solution: Looks like we might have accidentally sent you someone else’s order! For a certain price, Realizations Inc. offers a limited number of completely customizable OOC models per year. Some have only the slightest resemblance to the base model, while others are nearly identical minus one or two core differences. Please contact our help line and we will assist you in rectifying this error.

With proper care you will find a fine companion in your limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit. All units have a lifetime warranty, insurance of up to 10,000 USD or international equivalent and 24/7 on call employees ready to assist you and any of your concerns. Good luck and have fun!

If you ordered a variation of Basic TOMURA SHIGARAKI, please see your unit model’s distinct specifications on the insert included in this pamphlet.

This limited edition model includes the following exclusive features:

Quirk Adjacent Technology:

Limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI’S Decay quirk has been modified and upgraded for its limited time advanced model release! Decay now features single finger activation for small scale, precise destruction of objects. It can now control the speed and intensity of Decay on a scale of three levels instead of its default five (5) square feet / one point five (1.5) meters, minus precise mode. Level one can destroy up to two (2) square feet / point six (.6) cubic meters of material and takes 5 percent of its battery power. Level two is its typical five (5) square feet / one point five (1.5) meters at 7 percent. And finally level three is a whopping ten (10) square feet / three (3) square meters and a rather impressive 13 percent!

Note: All levels can destroy any kind of material no matter its durability, the only difference is how long it takes to fully disintegrate.

And last but not least, thanks to the work of our top technicians, this advanced version of Decay now only needs ten (10) seconds between activations!

Advanced Programming:

Your limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit comes with the advanced ability to unlock and adapt new programming traits as you interact with it! Unlocking each trait requires certain interactions with your unit.

Violent. This trait is more likely to activate if you, its owner, or the unit itself is in danger or feels disrespected. Statistically the most frequently unlocked advanced trait for limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI. Obsessive. When unlocked, your unit will become fixated on you, its owner. Be prepared to be followed around and stared at. The more unpredictable the unit, the more likely it is that it will manifest this trait as its sub-trait Possessive instead. This is the second most likely trait to unlock and the activation requirements are unknown. Insecure. What it says on the tin. This unit constantly needs things from its owner. Validation, attention, encouragement, praise… If not discouraged it can evolve into its advanced form Needy. If Needy is not nipped in the bud, its final and most unstable form, Clingy, may develop. Warning: This trait-line may interact strangely with the unit’s base trait Selfish. If both are active at the same time, unpredictable behavior may occur. Loyal. Your unit will become as loyal as a dog to you, its owner. When this trait unlocks, your unit will refuse to obey conflicting orders from anyone but you, even corporate overrides. This trait has a chance of developing naturally over time. Note: If the Obsessive trait-line is active alongside Loyal, this trait may unlock in a yet to be patched form our technicians have designated Devoted, which has been shown to result in severe attachment issues. Gentle. Tender and conscientious, this unit may exhibit sweet, if not awkward, gestures and words of care. Note: The code for the traits Gentle and Violent have extreme difficulty existing at the same time. This combination is considered mildly unstable.

CAUTION: TOMURA SHIGARAKI units with “Devoted”, “Possessive” and “Violent” traits active at the same time are considered Class-4 Instability Risks. Please contact Realization Inc.’s help line, extension zero, immediately if the combination is noticed.

Romance and Intercourse:

How exciting! Your limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI features our new and improved fourth generation Passion programming and Interfacing equipment.

Romance: Your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit may not understand love in the conventional sense, but that won’t stop it from trying, usually with unpredictable and possibly destructive results… While flowers and poetry aren’t standard protocol, property damage and oddly heartfelt rants about your "significance" may become regular occurrences. Do not be alarmed if your unit stares at you, well, all the time. This is a sign of its trust and affection. Handle it with caution and kindness; this unit is more fragile than it appears. TOMURA SHIGARAKI units rarely open up, but once it does, it does so completely, so make sure to treasure your newest partner!

Sex: This model of TOMURA SHIGARAKI allows you to either fully customize your personal preferences or allow the unit to naturally develop its taste in sexual matters over time.

This includes but is not limited to; its sexuality, dominance levels, kinks, preferred position(s) and more.

Limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI comes equipped with a water based, self lubricating five point five (5.5) inch / fourteen (14) centimeter long silicon phallus with a four (4) inch / nine (10) centimeter girth when erect. Its testicles are twenty three (23) cubic centimeters large. All units ejaculate hypoallergenic, glycerin-free faux semen in quantities of five (5) milliliters per climax. Its refractory period is customizable, simply tell the unit how long it should take to “recover” between sessions of intimacy.

Like all Realizations Inc. units compatible with intercourse, your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit is completely hairless downstairs unless special ordered. Additionally the phallus is by default hyper-realistic, but for those who wish otherwise, you can special order one with a more toy like design.

Limited edition TOMURA SHIGARAKI is programmed with versatile oral knowledge with no gag reflex or necessity to breathe, although if asked it can pretend to. Its lips, tongue, oral cavity, throat and anus are made of a proprietary TPE blend that mimics a soft buccal mucosa-like membrane. Your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit will clean itself after each completed sexual encounter, so feel free to get as messy as you want.

If you prefer for your TOMURA SHIGARAKI unit to act less experienced than our usual programming dictates, perhaps for the pleasure of teaching it yourself, please inform the unit of your preference and it will adjust accordingly.

Thank you for ordering Realizations Inc. limited edition! Good luck and have fun!

Here is Tomura! I had both a lot of challenges as well as fun working out the android quirk technobabble sections. Thaaaank yoooou nanobots! Such a perfect explanation for basically everything weird and impossible lol (I've also updated Touya's manual to match my tone and sciencey language).

Not sure who to do next, although I have a priority list to pull from. If you really want to see a certain favorite of yours though, just shoot me an ask and if they're one of my priorities (basically just a gaggle of main/interesting characters) I'll scoot them to the top of the list.

Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: Unit or Manualfics are the creation of FFN user 0ptimuspenguin (Warning, their stories feature casual, juvenile, 2010 Hetalia fandom typical rape jokes that they have since kind of apologized for. Check out their profile at your own discretion). They have given everyone blanket permission to use their idea on their profile page a long time ago, so here I am.

[ceasarslegion]

In your criticisms of character ai you guys can not seriously be implying that 1. It is at all easy to find long-term rp partners, or 2. That fandom rp spaces aren't nearly exclusively populated by the universes meanest morons

[unusualindigo]

Thank you so much!

I have to admit I have been a bit critical of some characters more than others based on personal experience, moreso Hua Cheng due to the fact from my reading I don't really know much about him and what I do know about what he is to everyone besides Xie Lian and a handful of others, it seems he'd be very unliked in-universe for more reasons than just bigotry.

I really wish MXTX dived more into the fact that as a ghost, Hua Cheng is kind of a problem for the common people. Like, the ghost city does have vendors just selling human cuts iirc, so it would be interesting to see if that would cause blowback, which it should.

For example, part of BingQiu's weakness as a pairing (in my opinion) is after the misunderstanding is cleared up, the world's reaction to the absentee ruling couple feels... weak. In a narratively unsastisfying way.

One thing I wish we got more of for Shen Yuan is dealing with consequences like the brothel sisters who comforted Shen Jiu and were likely cared for in turn, or how he probably isn't as shrewd or strategic as Shen Jiu due to their differing backgrounds and didn't know much of his life outside Binghe's perspective, which could lead to the collapse of things like spy networks or secret sect defenses the Qing Jing Peak Lords wouldn't leave written down for security purposes.

Binghe himself gets very little blowback but that is sofetened somewhat by the System's canonical influence upon the world, though that in itself feels woefully unexplored (I headcanon the System as the actual Original Binghe fed up with a life of unhappiness and ready to do whatever it takes to see some version of himself happy).

Likewise, I feel like Hua Cheng is... illogical? As in, his power-set is very inconsistent next to the defined ways a lot of ghostly powers work. Bai Wuxiang has a wide array, sure, but his "domain" as you might call it seems rather broad, and He Xuan and Qi Rong's fall in line for what they are said to do.

Hua Cheng's powers, by contrast, kinda feel all over the place with no connecting threads (ironic, given the red string), and it kinda gives me pause while reading as I wonder if he even has a pre-defined set of abilities or if his powers were written by the seat of the pants to fit the needs of the story.

But also, while a good ruler, Hua Cheng is needlessly cruel to particular characters, such as Feng Xin, who had nothing to do with the other gods in the contest as I recall, and left because he was expressly ordered to (Feng Xin and Mu Qing's unbalanced relationship with Xie Lian is also something that needs more exploration, but Feng Xin in particular given he can't cultivate and was a bodyguard from birth for all we know), so Hua Cheng threatening to kill or at least severely weaken him through temple burning feels unwarranted (and also why does Hua Cheng not have any gratitude for Feng Xin breaking his own arm after protecting him from Qi Rong? Feels slightly OOC given his MO).

Ack. Sorry about that rambling!

Anyways, yeah, SVSSS and TGCF feel like they could've used more time to bake and explore certain things or just need a little adjustment to plot and character. Oddly, MDZS, despite being the second book, feels the most complete in a sense?

But in general it is interesting to look at the three in a crossover sense, as it really does highlight the different approaches taken to each narrative.

ShangQiJiu is a vibe.

The beleaguered sect leader and his two venomous serpents whispering in his ear...

[il3x]

(spoilers for reboot s2, but not the endgame!)

thinking about the reboot cloning plot again and you know I love a clone plot, but the fact that This Specific clone plot is presented as a neutral to positive thing kinda rubs me the wrong way. I think there should be more exploration of how fucked up it was.

Like... Seb decides, without consulting most of his teammates, that the best-slash-only way for Pr0 to escape his pursuers is to die. He does not ask Pr0 about this plan, he does not tell Pr0 about this plan. He just straight up Murders Him. That's already a pretty big violation, and it's done to a character whose arc is about escaping control and abuse.

THEN, when Pr0's cloned, Seb just... decides, again, Without Any Input, that what would be best for Pr0 is to have his memories edited to process/heal his trauma. Better than just deleting it entirely, I guess, but it's kinda iffy that 1. in rebootworld there is apparently A Singular Point Of Healing after which trauma doesn't bother you any more and 2. you can get to that point precisely via invasive surgery/genetic reprogramming adn. 3. this is a kind and good thing to do to (to!!! he's not doing it FOR Pr0! pr0's fucking dead! Seb killed him!!) your friend who Has Been Controlled Posessed And Moulded For Most Of His Life. not to mention that Seb, iirc, specifically words it as like. hey can you make him more useful to us. Kinda fucked up innit

also they straight up inject 4 years of simulated military service into pr0's mind and like That's also kinda fucked up eh. What if that also gives him trauma. What if pr0 was anti-war and would never have wanted those memories and the resulting alterations to his personality. He might've been, man, we don't know. because again Sebastian Killed Him.

anyways pr0 is explicitly a new person (without any of those pesky coping mechanisms that annoyed his teammates, yippee!! /sarcastic) now, and again. like. this Could Have Been Good. if it was treated as "yo that was kinda fucked up". but no. Peter/clone-Pr0 is totally chill with it. Even Xiang, who explicitly believes that peter/clone-pr0 is a separate person and original pr0 is dead, is totally chill with it. She's still dating Seb. Y'know. The guy who murdered your friend/apprentice in front of you.

And for some more fun (worrying) context, Seb is, at this point, Actively Preparing his plan for global eugenics to... forcibly sterilise all mean people, I guess?? I don't actually recall the details. But he is all too happy about making unilateral decisions on who deserves to live.

(His global eugenics plan which he would've gone through with if his gf hadn't talked him out of it, to be clear! His gf Xiang who is disabled and presumably Asian, and therefore probably has a vested interest in Not Doing Eugenics, and this still doesn't impact her opinion of Seb very much. Xiang deserved better, I'm sorry. I love everything about her except her taste in men.)

Oh, and for Further Context, the guy who offers to adjust Pr0's mind and actually makes the adjustments (and takes it upon himself to age Pr0 up four years physically) legally owns Pr0. Just in case you're wondering if it's really that fucked up to make non-consensual mind and body modifications to a human trafficking survivor whose previous non consensual body modifications were explicitly done by his captors as a form of abuse. Y'know.

Oh, fuck, and now I'm realising that said previous modifications (cybernetics, experimental drugs, etc - they're mentioned in ep1) were for the purpose of making him a better weapon. And in-universe, the necessity of giving Jazza's character some more combat levels comes through as Seb going "hey, dad, could you make him a better weapon". clears throat. Fucked Up innit.)

AND the only team member Seb consults about killing and rebooting Pr0 in the first place is Incongruent, iirc, who is also the only other main character with a "replace all humans with a better race [robots]" plan. Also worth noting that when Incongruent, a member of an oppressed class directly reacting to his oppression, wants to replace all humans, it's kinda fucked up and part of the dystopia and the other characters don't like it very much and Incongruent changes his mind of his own accord, but when Seb and his mom, members of the ruling class, want to replace humanity, it's hand-waved as an "oh well" dropped plot thread despite that having Even More potential to be a load-bearing piece of worldbuilding w/r/t "this is a fucked up dystopia".

I do get why this happened on a meta level - Jazza needed to reboot (heh) his character build. And in-universe, it kinda works, it has some fun parts. In isolation I really like how chill Peter is about being a clone. Icon behaviour. I also get that Seb is reacting to his own horrific trauma. But just. Y'know. I didn't like Seb in this arc very much, and I wish the narrative had acknowledged that more.

[mohntilyet]

i have to be so real. sometimes you have to outright not give a shit what the author thinks. i’m not saying to disregard how a character is portrayed and give into fanon characterisations but sometimes i will see fans be like “(head writer) omggg do you think this character is a good person?” “how would this character react if xyz happened?” as though that’s not a question you can and have to answer for yourself.! any character can contain multitudes and if you keep limiting your perception of them solely on word of god its not fun for the writer or even yourself anymore. THINK FOR YOURSELF. INVENT NEW WAYS TO FUCK YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS OVER

[valnorok]

im really obsessed with dc right now and @sreppub's selkie drawings tingled my brain because seals r just so :3

i also ran with the idea of damian being a polar bear bc i just think its neat. once hes an adult he gonn be a UNIT but hes just a lil baby man rn

inspirations below the cut thank u pinterest

[evilroachindustrial]

I'm sorry but like, the armies of Vasselheim are entirely in the right in immediately trying to stop the Bells Hells from reaching Exandria because from their perspective, these assholes are about to do the one thing this entire military operation was created to prevent: releasing the God-Eater.

The party expressly choosen by all the leaders of the world to save the day and stop Ludinus Da'leth's plan of releasing the God-Eater have instead decided to go entirely off book and release the God-Eater.

Literally every terrified and threatening reaction the party recieves from Vasselheim, Vox Machina, the Air Ashari, the Kryn, all the people they called their allies going into this is entirely justified because the Bells Hells have proven that they cannot be trusted at their word.

[abyssal-ilk]

sometimes i think about what vivienne could of been if she wasn't written into a universe with fucking western white liberalism at the core of its writing and i get. actually kind of mournful.

[tshortik]

The traitor duo absolutely nobody has ever asked for | og meme

[soath]

Ashton “if this was a decentralized anarchist godkilling endeavor i might be in favor of it but you guys have an org chart. and i hate the person on top of it. so fuck you” Greymoore-of-the-Hishari, I’d say you’re a gem but everyone already knows that.

[truuskn]

Spotlight: Jazz is peak Prowl being able to comfort Jazz even though Jazz doesn't want to open up about how he's feeling and Prowl completely respects that

i love their dynamic so much here and in "all hail megatron", it's such a shame that their connection ended up being completely forgotten in the rest of idw series... reading "optimus prime" and coming across that one frame, observing what we have had and lost because the authors couldn't keep in mind how and who they were writing... it actually hurts

you guys. you guys! why are you doing this to us. why is it so hard for you to keep track on your story!! why do we have to see their relationship... fall apart?? without a decent look at it?? somewhere out there, in the background?? we're just left with the fact that they are over or maybe never even were there in the first place

prowl and jazz had so much potential at some point of idw history. the way how well they worked together despite all the difficulties, how sincerely prowl supported jazz even though he remained very closed off and aloof the whole time, how he really tried to be a good loyal friend, respected jazz's personal boundaries, didn't push, didn't go too far with his concern, didn't except anything in return and was just there to help... a rare bright moment for this version of my poor boy :'D

there were so many opportunities to develop this further, to show how they could exist in the new cybertronian future for which they had gone through so much hardship, how could they fight all the problems that were coming down on them, together, exactly as it was on earth. but, alas, we have to accept that they were quickly brushed aside and forgotten. a little time passes and they become strangers. forever. their entire bond is just erased. because that's how idw works with their characters...

[macdenlover]

we don’t acknowledge enough how dee used to be a pageant winner when she was a kid and how much damage it did to her. she worked her ass off and got recognition for being pretty and talented at a young age and it was the only source of self esteem she could garner in a family that constantly berated and talked down to her. she sought after that external approval because it was the only way she could prove everyone around her wrong. her dream of being a performer didn’t come from a self-aggrandizing delusion— she genuinely showed a lot of potential when she was younger. but she went through an unflattering puberty and her spinal condition got worse and that natural talent she had as a kid plateaued way too early. the “former gifted kid” dilemma. she slowly lost the thing that promised her that she was good, but she was so desperate to keep holding onto it that she tried anyway. again and again and again no matter how much people made fun of her because it was always about proving them wrong. but after a while she couldn’t jump anymore without anticipating the way it feels when she hits the ground face first. self-sabotage became her way out, choosing to rather live in the fantasy of her own unrealized potential and blaming those around her for her lack of success, than having tried and crashed again. she’d rather buy lottery tickets over and over and never scratch off the numbers than to see that she lost. that self-sabotaging behavior bled into other aspects of her life too, from friendships to relationships to therapy. her own short lived success is what made her grow into embodying the cycle of failure.

[minmiami]

“we want more morally grey female characters” as if they weren’t seconds away from being hung, drawn and quartered by their respective fandoms