#its very neurodivergent. very queer. very delightful.

[flowersandfashion]

annotating Anne of Green Gables

[respectthepetty]

as a major fan of your Thai BL list, I shall now ask about your Korean BLs! 🤩

I think I can actually trust you 😌😌

Anon Two, thanks for tag-teaming this with the previous Anon, so y'all could squeeze another list out of me. To recap, I've already given y'all:

Top GMMTV Actors

Top GMMTV Pairs

Top Five Taiwanese BLs

Top Ten Thai BLs

So what's one more? @lachikapercebe also asked for this list, but requested only my top five; however, since I already started the list without a specific target number from Anon Two, and Korea gives some of the best confessions in the genre mixed with color coding, I can't reduce the list now. It's too late for me to trim it. I am attached to each pick. They are my children, and I can't desert them, so . . .

Top Ten Korean BLs

Rising Star - Love Tractor

I don't trust Korean BLs. A majority are too short, so either the beginning is confusing or the ending is flat, but unless Love Tractor completely fumbles the second half (which it could because . . . Korea), this will be a yearly top and even possibly an overall top for its country and all BLs. It's that good to me. It's hitting all the normal K-drama notes while being oh-so-very-gay. And as a rural queer, it pleases my soul to see country life presented in such a kind and beautiful way.

#10 - Roommates of Poongduck 304

Mr. Petty Peter Jae Yoon independently earned a spot on this list. Ho Joon was a jerk and a true nemesis when the show began, but Jae Yoon started effing up Ho Joon's home life the more Ho Joon kept messing up his work life, so it was a beautiful tit-for-tat the first few episodes; then, Ho Joon lost focus and wanted a consensual workplace relationship. His father appreciating his new attitude and rejection of his ladies' man ways was a delight to witness since we all knew it was due to him falling in love with a man. And oh boy did he fall in love. That entire conversation of Jae Yoon saying it's impossible for two men to fall in love, only for Ho Joon to respond that it was impossible for him NOT to fall in love with Jae Yoon is a top tier confession for me.

#9 - Blueming

I have issues with Blueming solely due to its ending because I was just as pissed as Siwon was at Daun. Maybe even more so. All was going well; then, the end of episode nine pulled a Thai episode eleven, and DAUN TOLD HIS MOM TO PICK THE FILM! I understand men in love do dumb shit, but that was a bold choice, and a very, very, VERY wrong one. As the youths say, "that was not the move." However, the cinematography was delicious like their silhouettes with that bewitching blue backdrop and their first kiss was realistic. Pretty kisses are cool and all, but the awkwardness of desperately wanting someone yet not knowing how to physically perform is true to many people's experiences and should be spotlighted more.

#8 - Choco Milk Shake

I only trust two entities with poly: Thai director Jojo, and Korea's Strongberry, so the fact that Strongberry did not give me poly when it was so clearly laid out is the reason this show isn't in the top three. It had a supernatural plot, great characters who were all well cast, and a happy ending, so WHY NOT POLY? I don't care if the rest of the world is ready or not. I'M READY! We are getting a second season, so if I if get a kiss AND a vocal acknowledgement of Milk and Choco's love for each other when their love for Jung Woo was well established in season one, this will cement its place in my heart and on this list forever.

#7 - Light on Me

Sixteen episodes with most running about thirty minutes?! A love triangle where I could root for both love interests?! A straight boy who earned his spot at the queer table?! Light on Me had it all and then some! Looking at my various lists, it's clear I am not fond of high school dramas, yet I was seated twice a week to see how our neurodivergent baby boy, Tae Kyung, fared that week in his adventure through social norms and annoyances, like trying to help a fellow peer by giving him back the dildo he dropped in the hallway, but getting yelled at instead. I was not Team Shin Woo until that cellphone confession, and then all I could see was Shin Woo. I'm telling y'all, Korea understands how to confess its unwavering love. Gets me every time!

#6 - The New Employee

As the BL fandom continues to evolve and expand, we will get more BLs geared toward adults and workplace dramas, but hopefully, they take the approach that The New Employee (and Thailand's Step by Step) did and make the work environment part of the drama. Working adults, sadly, spend a majority of their time at work, so finding love at one's job seems reasonable, but if anyone has experienced coworkers breaking up, that shit can get rough, real quick. So having to navigate a relationship with someone you work with, especially someone of a higher authority position, ON TOP OF being queer can be stressful, and is something I want more BLs to explore. There are levels to being out, and for most queers, being out at the job is not a possibility, but finding love anywhere is always a possibility, particularly for our late 20-something virgins.

#5 - Semantic Error

The fact that this came out in 2022 is beyond my understanding only because it seems like I have appreciated it for at least five years. This has become a comfort watch when it first started as a "nothing else is on" watch. I have never cared so much about honorifics in my life as I did watching the slow transition of Sang Woo’s emotional walls crumbling under Jae Young’s affection through language. As much as I hated the idea of forced collaboration (aka group projects), seeing the way Jae Young squirmed his way into Sang Woo’s every waking thought and had him seeing red to the point that Sang Woo was saving screenshots of Jae Young’s Instagram posts was a delight and one of the major reasons I keep returning to it. But the layered confession about Sang Woo finding Jae Young, a man, attractive which lead to Jae Young's countdown kiss is, once again, the reason Korean BLs win in the confession department.

#4 - The Eighth Sense

I'm still really bothered by some of the discourse that came out of this show about how it was better than everything else ever because the comments were reductive about the BL genre, yet some of the comments resonated with elements I loved about the series, mainly its look at mental health and trauma. It was a beautiful show, but the message it carried throughout about depression being isolating and taking the light out of people's lives hit me in a way that if this was the Thai list, I would have left it off because it felt like a personal attack. Wanting someone to save you from yourself, but terrified to drag them down with you was not the plot I wanted, but was the story a lot of us needed to see. We also needed to witness someone actively going to therapy. Let's continue this trend!

#3 - Our Dating Sim

"Have you been well . . . without me?" - Put this on my tombstone because I died and came back to life from this utterance alone. Episode four was already killing me, but once Eddy snapped and allowed all his emotions to spill out in front of Ian, the show came for all my past lives and future ones too. Deceased. I wrote this about the show while it was airing, but no other show has done the leave-him-because-I-love-him plot as well as Our Dating Sim. This show nailed it then made a billboard to boast about it because it was perfection. Ian's reasons for leaving were valid, but the show really shined by allowing Eddy to voice his anger at being ghosted for seven years by his best friend and someone he loved. It even touched on the trust issues that stem from someone saying he loves you only to abandon you. Just know I have NOT been well since this ended.

#2 - To My Star 1 & 2

The first season was almost perfect. The cat/dog energy, the "If it's hard for you, I'll come to you" confession, and the budding kink of Ji Woo kissing a tiny bloody wound on Seo Joon all served in a quick nine episodes gave me everything I needed, so I thought this would be my #1 the second season two was announced, but understand the sequel hurt me. The foundation was great: everyone came back, it had more episodes, the episodes were longer, and the conflict always existed in the first series, so a last-minute twist wasn’t invented. Yet, every single episode hurt. Much like I Told Sunset About You, it was realistic to the point that I expected it to end with pain. If season two was its own show and not a sequel to one of my favorites, it would have ranked higher because it was beautiful, but knowing the magic the first series possessed, and having to be a bystander to all the angst for EVERY EPISODE WITH NO RELIEF was tough. But, somehow, here I am secretly hoping we get blessed with a third series. That’s the power of the Star.

#1 - Long Time No See

Small flex - I've been involved with an international queer film festival for over a decade. I've seen easily over 1,000 pieces of queer media including feature films, short films, and documentaries through the screening process, which only adds to my always growing personal watched list. Long Time No See was one of those films. It didn't make it into the festival because I think it was already available on a streaming platform (maybe?), but it was a top for me then, and it's still a top for me now. Is it a BL? Not really. Is it a show? No, it's more like a two-part movie. So why am I allowing it to reign at the top of this list? BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING! In 2017, we were still getting the bury your gays trope shoved down our throats, so a film about two assassins getting a happy ending was a miracle. I read comments from some who did not like the portrayal of "toxic love" but were probably fine with Mr. and Mrs. Smith beating each other with cooking utensils for all the world's children to see, so God forbid, the queers do anything like want to kill AND fuck each other. Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, LET THE GAYS DO CRIMES TOO! Oh, and it's Strongberry, so because of this film - In Strongberry I trust.

[jovenshires]

endless au edits: smosh theatre's seasonal lineup (1/4)

SMOSH'S SEASONAL LINEUP: A COMPLETE GUIDE by mac kahey smosh theatre, a musical theater company known for its diverse and inclusive productions, has just announced its show lineup for the year, and it is safe to say that fans are far from disappointed. starting off strong, the company kicked off its announcement with its winter showcase: a production of hadestown, led by stars damien haas and jacklyn uweh, and directed by none other than returning smosh co-founder, anthony padilla. padilla made his comeback to smosh a little over six months ago to collaborate with his fellow co-owner on their spring and summer musicals. this will be padilla's first solo show at the playhouse in nearly six years - and what a show to start off on. coupling this tragic tale of love lost with padilla's edgy direction style is a bold move, and fans are, rightfully, excited. the casting choices are also impeccable. the star-studded lineup includes previously-mentioned damien haas, an openly neurodivergent and queer actor making waves for representation everywhere. he'll be taking on the role of orpheus, a hopeless romantic, poet, and musician, and as someone who had the pleasure of sitting down with him for an interview last spring, all of these qualities describe haas to a t. this will be his first time leading a show with smosh in his near-six-year run at the company, and his first time working with padilla as a director. the actor shared the show to his instagram and expressed his excitement for the production, saying, "anthony is such a great director. it's been an honor to work with him and my amazing castmates." speaking of his castmates - his leading lady is none other than superstar jacklyn uweh. returning from her recent stint touring with the cast of spring awakening, she has rejoined the smosh cast for another performance that's sure to be amazing. the actress is known for advocating for women of color in theater spaces and never being afraid to speak her mind. she also, notably, has one of the most incredible singing voices of our generation. taking on the mysterious yet powerful role of eurydice will be no easy feat, but somehow, i think she has the power to manage it. just with this one casting, smosh has shown that when the perfect cast falls into their lap, they aren't foolish enough not to utilize it. the stacked cast doesn't stop there, though. playing hermes, the play's narrator and father figure to young orpheus, is ify nwadiwe, a booming comedic actor who has been known to feature in smosh productions. his fun-loving demeanor and natural swagger are sure to bring a natural carefree energy to this rendition of hadestown. he, too, spoke of the production fondly on social media, posting on x: "this is one of the greatest things i've ever been a part of. come see us next december to february at the smosh playhouse for one of the most incredible, f***ed up things we've ever done." long-time smosh player keith leak jr is taking on the role of hades, the rich, powerful, and egotistical king of the underworld, and his friend and partner in all things theater, olivia sui, will be beside him once more as persephone, hades's free-spirited yet suffering wife. watching these two together is always a delight, and i cannot wait for their dynamic to shine through the characters that they play. as far as the winter production is concerned, the community's shared high hopes for padilla's return may very well turn out to be grounded in reality. with an all-star cast and an incredible crew, such as returning stage head erin dougal, it is easy to see that padilla knows what he's doing. though only time will tell, i am confident that this production will be a huge success, and very well may be my favorite show of the year - although, i must mention the other productions first - because they all have incredible potential.

[tallysgreatestfan]

Because the movie will come out at 13th September this year, I wanted to talk about an underrated detail of Scott Westerfelds Uglies series.

Just for clarification: I am delighted about Tally in the end choosing to stay neurodivergent. She and Shay absolutely understand by this time just harmful for them their self harm (and in Tallys case eating disorder) were and unlearn these, even if its very unrealistic how easily and fast they do that.

If this series feels healing for you or harmful will ultimately depend on what you're searching for. If you're searching for good self harm and/or eating disorder rep, it will not be good, but if you're searching for a complex female friendship with queer subtext, amazing futuristic worldbuilding, critique of beauty culture and increasingly more neurodivergence themes, you could like it.

Drawing is how I imagine them looking as Specials, a few years after the series. They are sadly not a canonical couple, but oh boy is there subtext.

And yeah, while this idea is even right now very rare and radical, and was even more so back then, it is not the only book to show it - "The Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon even focused its whole dystopia on it. But Uglies just touched me more.

[zuzsenpai]

Making a pinned post finally

My name's Zuzu or Zuz, she/her, 30+.

Current obsessions: Lost show retrospective and taking photos of bugs with my shitty iPhone camera

I'm queer (aspec) and neurodivergent (self-diagnosed autistic). I'm still going through self-discovery about both of these things. Please do not invalidate me. You will be blocked. I am currently not getting an autism diagnoses for reasons mentioned here, but in essence it's because I don't believe my psychiatrist or therapist know enough about my experiences to approve it.

I'm a fan of Digimon (Adventure universe and Cyber Sleuth), Pokemon (Team Rocket and mainline games), Ace Attorney (all games), Homestar Runner, Buzzfeed Unsolved, those YouTubers who talk about lost media or meme/fandom history, the Hobby Drama subreddit, cryptids (Mothman and Fresno Nightcrawler especially), bugs, memes about sea creatures, the color teal, that one day a year where we say "It's gonna be May", cosplay, and writing fanfiction. I write so much god damn fan fic.

I enjoy insect identification a lot. This gets its own paragraph because it's important. I'm very much NOT a fan of phones being able to do it for you. If you like a bug, tell me about it! My D&D character likes bugs too, so she's essentially just me but with the Scorpio tendencies I never possessed.

Fave band is Fall Out Boy and will always be Fall Out Boy.

I work in video production for healthcare marketing/healthcare education.

I've been on this website since 2010 so I've seen a lot. From like 2011-2015 I was a Supernatural fandom blog, believe it or not. But if you asked me anything about that show now I wouldn't know shit.

I don't have any other social media worth sharing (or even using) tbh. I'll stick around until the heat death of tumblr I guess. You can follow my fandom blogs at:

Digimon: @reliablejoukido

Ace Attorney: @detectivegumshoepals

And here's a picture of me:

Link to post where I'm cataloguing my daily "little positive delights" (on hold)

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

do you think ship AIs see the ship as part of their "body". do you think they'd feel the presence of everyone aboard, using the ship in any digital way (walking through automated doors, using communications, tapping on a screen, etc). imagine the different mindset an AI must have compared to ours, constantly notified of so many people and so many actions, perhaps a comfortable buzz like insects in a hive. some AI must feel at least partially responsible for all those lives aboard their vessel.

I have done nothing but go insane in my free time for the last few years about AI/Robots and different ways of being/experiencing the world. So yes I love exploring incorporeal beings extending their sense of self to their containers/environments. I love thinking machines and nonhuman constructs feeling feelings and getting attached to their select humans/crews.

Murderbot Diaries does it really well. I think the Imperial Radch books do it well with their ships and ancillaries hivemind thing (I've only read 1.5 of the books).

I also joke with people that the crew on the Infinity are Roland's tamagotchis he needs to care for and look after. I have an old ask where I went on about AI but their way of experiencing things is so interesting to consider. More under the readmore so I don't clog everyone's dashes.

I'm going to share a passage from Iron and Gold because it's stuck with me during my descent into AI obsession. It's also a kick-ass fic that has beautiful prose about ai and the way they interpret the world. There are so many examples of things in your ask that the author explores and covers and I think it should be canon supplemental reading material.

 “How about some music?” she offered, navigating through her media. She hit play, and Roland’s smile blossomed into a delighted grin as a synthesized rendition of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 flowed from the speakers.  “You know,” he said, “I’ve never listened to this album aloud.”  “Really? I thought this was one of your favorites.”  “It is, but I’ve only read the byte order before.”  “Is that how always you listen to— er, experience music? What about movies and books?”  He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “If somebody plays media in an area with sensors, then I can watch and listen to it kind of like you do. Guess it never occurred to me to play things for myself.”  At times like this, she found herself brimming with questions, each one raising more in its wake. What was it like to see without eyes? To hear without ears? To feel without nerves?  “I suppose this must be pretty slow and inefficient by comparison.”  “Oh, it’s glacial.” His avatar’s lips curved into a warm, shy smile. “But I enjoy listening to it with you.”

I love how AI/Robots/Constructs etc are written and how they can experience things. It's all very queer and neurodivergent and I find comfort in the Other and the way considering all the details stretch the brain.

These are beings existing on different scales, on different ways of interpreting time. The sheer processing power and number of thoughts juggled in such small timeframes are fun to consider and how their sense of self and bodies extend to the ship.

Are there favorites amongst the crew? Does the AI watch over them, remind them to eat? Do they adjust the atmosphere or temperatures to keep them comfortable? What about opening doors or lighting hallways? What about acts of service are layered with real compassion and worry?

Does the crew protect their home and friend? Do they defend servers and key areas? Do they keep each other company whether they're going to win the day or it's all going dark?

[suckerpunch-wrestlinggirls]

SUCKER PUCNCH -Pretty Devils [Wrestling Girls Vol. II]

Avid Queer Reader rated it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After loving the first volume I requested an ARC of this second installment coming out in March to the author and she was so kind to send me one in exchange for an honest review.

I read this entire book in one night. No shit. I got the email with the ARC last night at 10 PM, started reading right away... and next thing I new it was 5 AM. And my heart was singing.

I thought I loved the first book because of how true and genuine the love in it is, in all its forms... I wasn't emotionally ready to be completely blown away by Pretty Devils. The real superpower of this author is the heart she can put in each and every of her characters, even the ones who aren't really prominent in the story. That's what truly brings everything to life, what makes you smile and tear up as you read about this bunch of "queer disaster idiots" and their life at the Beatcave.

I wasn't particularly impressed at first by the main character because, after the lovely POC romance we got in the first book, we're now presented with... a lot of whiteness. BUT! It only takes a couple of chapters to grow fond of Liv and her struggles with life and the world. It's never stated anywhere that she's neurodivergent (autistic, I assume?) because, as many neurodivergent people in real life, she never got a disognosis: her mother just calls her stupid and Liv herself believes it's simply a learning disability. So bonus points for the white MFC. Liv is also poor and struggling to make ends meet every month because of her mother's drinking and gambling problems, but she never whines like a martyr and I really appreciated her tough fragility.

On the other side of the spectrum, quite literally, we have Raisa, who is gorgeous and strong and has never had to struggle for anything, coming from a loving, wealthy family. Raisa is presented, at first, as your sterotypical goth: brooding, quiet, maybe even slightly curt (I was swooning the very moment she was introduced), an Ice Queen clad in leather who likes to mind her own business and keep to herself.

No spoilers as to how they meet and how their relastionship begins and develops, but let me say this: we see both these characters bloom page after page right before out eyes. Liv, from the small, frightened kitten she was in the beginning, slowly starts learning to trust people and let her real self come out in the safe and friendly environment of the Beatcave. The dark ice coating Raisa's character starts melting away as she sends more and more time with Liv and I promise you you'll love every bit of their evolution as individuals and as a couple. Liv and Raisa and both far from perfect and they do a lot of things wrong (mostly because Liv has a hard time dealing with emotions and distressing events), but the patience and understanding and deep affection binding them together are stronger than anything else.

Now, subplots I ADORED:

- Roxie and Fiona. These two are show stealers: lesbian couple goals and the most beautiful Gay Moms energy you'll ever find. Watching them together really warms your heart.

- Blu. Blair fucking Lucas, ladies and gentlemen, is a GEM. When she first appeared I groaned to myself: "Oh, here's the gratuitously mean girl whose only prupose is to make the protagonist's life a nightmare." I was wrong. Oooh, boy, so wrong! There's so much to her to discover in between the lines. ILUSM, Blu.

- Mum and her girlfriend + Dad and his boyfriend (I know it sounds funny, but... just read these books, it'll make sense). I sense BIG poly vibes with them and I LOVE it. The poly representation in fiction is so rare, especially non problematic, healthy polyamory, and I think it's so refreshing to see it such a positive, loving portrayal, even if barely hinted at. Maybe it's all just in my brain, but... a win is a win. *wink*

To summarise this endless, delighted rambling of a review, here's what you'll find in this book:

- REALISTIC NEURODIVERGENCY REPRESENTATION - SLOW BURN *CHEF'S KISS* (you can literally see L&R fall in love and will call them idiots A LOT) - PLENTY OF (devastatingly beautiful) FOUND FAMILY FEELS - STRONG WOMEN AND SOFT MEN - POSITIVE STRAIGHT CHARACTERS (who also are idiots in love but won't say it) - POOR GIRL DATING RICH GIRL BUT WANTING TO BE THE ONE WHO DOES THE SPOILING (seriously, though, this alone should earn this book an extra star.) - SO. MUCH. LOVE. (I want to be a part of this bunch of dorks. Where do I apply?)

Go read these books RIGHT NOW. Your queer heart will thank you.

[arwainian]

Reading This Week 2024 #20

Following up my midweek catch up, I shall now attempt to return to regularly scheduled book discussions! I'm thinking I should try and post more about what I'm reading as I'm reading it, like random thoughts or quotes that stood out to me? Let me know if any of you, my lovely mutuals, would like to see that

Finished:

Living Alone by Stella Benson Finished this mostly while riding the bus into the city to visit a used bookstore, it's about a little town of English people who's exceedingly normal lives are interrupted by a quirky witch during WWI. reading this with a tumblr-trained eye for queer and neurodivergence coding was honestly a blast, and I'd love to see like a modern adaptation that leans into that, and like, cast the witch as an autistic trans woman, I think it could be very pleasing and work very well (the whole point is that witches and wizards are kinda young souls who don't really get how they are expected to act socially but are delighted to participate anyway when people include them. manic pixie dream people but as written in 1919)

True Biz by Sara Nović Finished this since my update. Disappointed with the ending, I wish it was more willing to imagine radical possibilities for the future, success for direct action, etc. Instead it leaves all of the characters' central conflicts throughout the book unresolved. Like it felt like it ended with 1/3 of the story left untold. That's not to say I didn't really enjoy it. I found basically all of the characters charming, Austin and Charlie's budding romance was sweet but not saccharine, and I also really appreciate that a disabled teenage girl just, like, has a sex life, and its not made an enormous deal out of. And the way this novel handled dialogue happening in multiple languages (English and transliterated ASL), with gaps in understanding between different sets of people, was really clever visually and wonderful to read. Worth checking out for the middle, if not the end.

Started/Ongoing:

Tomie by Junji Ito just started this in preparation for Shelved By Genre doing an Ito section this summer. I'm pretty far in (64% according to kindle) and might end up finishing it today or tomorrow. Unsettling, particularly for how it engages with misogyny and domestic/intimate partner violence, unsure how I feel about how it handles that at this time but I can really see why Ito is regarded as a master of his craft

Reading Plans: didn't make any progress with The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet this week because I was catching up on Podcasts, but once I've done that it will probably become my crochet listening in prep for June sff bookclub this week I went to a used book store and picked up a lot of Samuel R. Delany's Nevèrÿon stuff, some Anne McCaffrey, and one random older fantasy written by a woman all of which I'm looking forward to reading and just yesterday I talked to some older fantasy fans to get recommendations for books with a significant amount of sexual violence for the sake of getting more source texts for my thesis written in the fall that I can read over the summer. i guess keep a look out as I pick those books up and analyze them?

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Trickster: an Ethari theory

I've had yea many Ethari headcanons, and I hope I live to have yea many more. Most of them are probably wrong, or incomplete at best. But boy are they fun.

I love to wonder what Ethari will really be like in canon when we get to know him for more than 3 minutes, but whoever he really is on his own, he will have an effect on Runaan , Rayla, and everyone who loves him, because they love him.

The first headcanon I can remember having for "Tinker" was that he could be like Leonardo da Vinci: a genius, creative, surrounded by beautiful ideas given shape by his hands, but also capable of creating deadly weapons, enchantments, and devices with equal beauty, and perhaps not really seeing where the line between them was. It was fun, but Ethari has ended up far softer than my headcanon, and I love and support him in his softness!

After a nice string of Ethari headcanons, this year I've started poking at the Trickster archetype and seeing if it applies to him. And I think it absolutely does!

Tricksters often seem like Chaos. But they're not. They're just Difference. "Chaos" is subjective. Like the "divergent" in "neurodivergent." Who says? Divergent from what, exactly? Perspective matters, and Tricksters have a very broad take on things which allows them to think outside any box people might try to invite them into.

My enjoyment of Loki has brought all kinds of ideas to my dash with the arrival of the Loki show. I've got a copy of the Edda, and I highlighted the hell out of it a couple of years ago as I searched for the roots of Loki's origin story. (It's truly fascinating reading and the symbolic language hidden inside their poetry is dazzlingly amazing and I'm super using it sometime just so you know)

Loki is a Trickster, and he's far from alone in myth and legend. Anansi, Coyote, and Sun Wukong are some you may have heard of. Aaravos is another, of course. Tricksters can be called upon to lend aid and wisdom when the rules don't have an answer for some extraordinary circumstance which the Trickster's people find themselves in. But that's not because they are truly outside the rule of order. They are actually a part of it. They are the catch-all for when the everyday ordinary rules fail people, and something "unthinkable"--in the literal sense--might just hold the answer.

This post crossed my dash today, and something finally clicked in my head, and all of this coalesced from what felt like separate places. But they're not separate, not anymore! Serotonin, baby. It's basically upped my headcanon to a full-blown theory.

What caught my eye was an answer to why Ethari's clothing is so determinedly asymmetrical, compared to Runaan's specifically, but Moonshadows in general. It's because of this:

Long protective sleeves below patterns on shoulders. A high collar paired with a bright and noticeable swoop around the neck. Fine detailing and graceful taste. Asymmetrical tunic point on the left, below broad strappy leather. Knee high boots with stylish protective gaiters.

And let's not forget the curling horns! In some comics, Loki has a broken horn. So does Ethari.

Yes, there is a lot of similarity here, but I'm not focused so much on the visuals as the reason they were chosen. Feel free to consider other aspects of Ethari's personality and how they might be similar to certain parts of Loki's. I did! But I wouldn't be me if I didn't go deeper than that.

My favorite book in the universe (so far) is Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion, and one of the many reasons why is because of her pantheon. It holds five gods, represented by a hand: Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard. The first four all have their roles and places. The Bastard--the thumb--inherits everything else. He is the god of all things that do not belong to any other gods, and that includes self-sacrificing vengeance and queerness. He is a Trickster, and his influence on Cazaril's life is far deeper than at first glance. Chaos has its place. It belongs, and so do the Tricksters who engender it. God, I love this book. Please read it if you haven't. Bujold's work is amazing.

If you've seen or read any version of MDZS/Untamed, you know that Wei WuXian is a trickster. Competent and badass in battle, but playful and teasing to the point where sometimes even he isn't sure what he truly wants, he can bring a massive amount of power and focus when he wants to. It's always a matter of "but is it important to me?"

I love WWX so much. The Trickster vibe is very apparent in his character, and in a way you just don't get in Western media. We see him on his own, and we see him with family and loved ones. And he's always feeling something so intensely! He's driven by his emotions, for good or ill. He vibes with chaos, and he will create it if it doesn't exist yet. But he will also create family from nothing, and that's something you don't see enough of! WWX is a Trickster with an emotional preference for joy.

In TDP, Ethari doesn't have a lot of lore yet. It's being Moonshadowed because spoilers for future seasons, and I respect that. The longer the wait for S4, the more ideas I will just amuse myself with in the meantime--and yeah, this is one of them, so what? :))) But we do know a little about him.

He loves music. He loves to read. He leaves his mark on things in swirly form. He works very hard, even through headaches, because what he's doing is that important to him, even though he would much rather be making jewelry. He loves taking the time to polish rough stones into brilliant jewels, and he adores big pretty flowers and had them at his wedding.

Ethari has a temper, but he also loves puns. The weapons he crafts are exquisite: "light, elegant, strong, and clever." And he knew darn well that Runaan was trying to flirt with him, but why return a sentiment he may or may not feel yet when he can play with the overly earnest assassin just a little bit first?

Okay, just... A "simple craftsman" deciding that it's going to be fun to toy for a bit with a broody assassin's feelings? Would you risk that? Ethari got balls the size of the moon, and a brain to match. When he has to make weaponry, he does not half-ass it. Ethari's stabby creations nearly have a life of their own. His creations are literally called "trick weapons." This elf is a lot, okay. And it's possible that he doesn't even know how "a lot" he is. Yet.

We're meeting Ethari after he's found something that is, in fact, genuinely important to him: Runaan, and Rayla, and Laindrin too. Ethari has found a relatively stable place to settle and find a role to adopt. I say adopt, though, because making weaponry for his loved ones is not what he grew up wanting to do. It's what he had to do to keep them safe, once he found a place to bestow his heart.

But in the show, Ethari has lost his family, one by one. First Lain and Tiadrin, ghosted. Then Runaan, supposedly fallen on his mission. Then Rayla, ghosted for abandoning Runaan. He and Rayla have reconnected now, but the rest of his family is still out of his reach. If Rayla has indeed told him, by S4, what she learned at the Moonhenge in TTM, then Ethari may parallel Rayla's journey to seek answers. But even if he doesn't know yet, and gets pulled into some other story arc first, we will be seeing Ethari without his family.

Remember the ATLA episode "Zuko Alone"? Consider: "Ethari Alone."

Ethari has chosen, for love, to fit himself into a box that wasn't of his own making. And now that box has broken. His family doesn't need him to be their craftsman anymore. Perhaps others will need him to be other things to them. Or perhaps he will know that his family does need him, but to be far more than just a maker of pretty swords. A rescuer, perhaps. A healer, a guide? An avenger?

A trickster. Capable of taking many shapes, because he understands them all. Ethari works with form and function. If he needs to transform himself, he will.

That's what Tricksters do. It's delightfully queer and delightfully neurodivergent. Ancient peoples accepted and revered the different among them and actively sought their help with things they themselves struggled with.

Tricksters are Difference. Sometimes that manifests as chaos, sometimes as genius. But if you do not love and appreciate your chaos, it will absolutely turn on you. Wei Wuxian did. Loki certainly has, many times. Perhaps Aaravos is doing so as well.

I cannot wait to see what Ethari does with his difference. I have something very specific that I hope he goes and breaks.

All this from a picture of Tom Hiddleston in his Avengers 1 Loki costume? Yeah. Because Ethari was designed to wear asymmetrical clothing, in a Moonshadow culture that prides itself on balance. Sure, there are some other Moonshadows who wear this or that asymmetrical item, and I do love to see it. But Ethari has the most asymmetrical lines of them all. The meta glee I feel knowing that Moonshadow elves are designed to hold many layers of meaning in their appearances--that the writers, creators, and character designers just flexed with them--is truly a delight.

Ethari is asymmetrical. The full and practical application of that is a glass casket, and I hope it becomes a gift that keeps on giving, because boy do I want to keep receiving it. But right now, I'm genuinely seeing evidence of the Trickster archetype in him. And I really hope it gets to come out and play.

[sepublic]

Happy Birthday to The Owl House!

           Honestly, I’m… REALLY shocked to think back on how it’s been a year? It’s been a full, actual year, since that first episode?

           I remember when The Owl House was first announced around early 2018. Something about it, the premise, the characters from that one poster we got; It really drew me in, and I kept track of the show’s progress in eager anticipation. Whenever Dana released art of Luz, Eda, and King, I was ecstatic- And when the show was delayed to 2020, I was dismayed.

           Then we got our teaser trailer; The opening them, the end credits, even a little sneak peek! I remember speculating a lot about Luz and all of the other new characters we were introduced to, such as Willow, Amity, and Gus- And then we got more and more trailers in the days leading up to the show. I wondered about Luz’s home back on Earth and where her family was, I listened intently to the Hooty and the Parliament music video, finding an almost melancholic, weirdly nostalgic (despite having never watched the show yet) vibe to it- Whilst also avoiding looking at the screen and seeing all of the various clips it offered, because I wanted to be surprised! It was two years of anticipation, two years of wait for this show- I’d never looked forward to a series before like this, last I can recall… So having this content FINALLY come out, seeing these characters in animation, hearing their wonderful voices! My soul was vibing, it was time, it was coming after all this time…!

          Eventually I finished Infinity Train Book 2, the same day that The Owl House premiered… I was blindsided when I woke up to the first episode’s release online, in full- I was already planning to wait until later to watch it on television, so having it permanently accessible from the internet was such a pleasant surprise! And the show… The show, man- That premiere caught me off-guard with how much I enjoyed it! I knew I was looking forward to this show, but still…! It blew away my expectations, and even now, has continued to; It was like my personal investment and attention had paid off so patiently well! I even got a DisneyNOW subscription so I could watch each new episode ASAP, the day it premiered, hours before it aired on television!

           I remember scouring Tumblr before the show officially premiered, and there was understandably very little- A few pieces of fanart here or there. And when the show DID premiere, for a while there wasn’t really much of a fandom- There was barely anyone, in fact! But I can remember a few notable blogs who have been around since the beginning… Me, I got invested into this show. I found myself really enjoying Lumity as a ship, especially since I resonated with both characters in it; Luz was such a ball of sunshine that brightened my day, and Amity really spoke to me with her more introverted, top-scoring personality. When the show hit its mid-season hiatus, I remember not handling it too well, as I got impatient and frantic in my speculations- I wanted so badly to learn more about these characters, see what happened- Get a look at Emperor Belos (then known as Bellows by the fandom), etc.

          I wrote my Bile Coven piece in preparation for Halloween, even got to know a mutual or two over shared theorizing! I kept track of Dana’s updates, and even had people come to my blog, of all places, to send asks! It was and still has been such an engaging part of fandom for me… I recall impatiently waiting for the Owl Pellet shorts and freaking out over them- And when Adventures in the Elements leaked early? I LOST MY MIND, I remember postponing something I was supposed to go to, just so I could watch the episode- And it was so good! Then I started wondering and hoping the rest of Season 1 would come out, and well- It took a while…

          And when Season 1B’s trailer came out, I was all over it; Scouring every possible frame, freaking out over the Grom screenshot, and appreciating the influx of new fans! It was amazing to watch The Owl House go from a relatively minor and obscure fandom, to becoming so much more mainstream and populous! I got into Rebecca Rose’s channel, I began writing more meta and posts about the show, as well as little recaps for each new episode. I feel like my blog really took off from here, as I got to interact with more and more people who shared this mutual love of The Owl House, and I was so ecstatic to see more content and buzz about it!

           My mind was solely focused on The Owl House, it was one of my huge hyperfixations, even moreso than during Season 1A’s run- I remember being anxious about Enchanting Grom Fright, wondering if we’d get queerbaited… But NO, Amity was in love with Luz! She canonically had a crush on her, a girl in love with another girl- And I loved it because Lumity was a special comfort ship of mine! Then Amity was confirmed lesbian… It was amazing! And I found myself SO invested, so inspired by the show and its characters, and all of the little allusions to things, the foreshadowing, the moments here or there that made so much more sense after a new episode.

           This show inspired me creatively- It got me to write some of my personal favorite fanfics, and I was and still am so touched by whatever feedback I get from them! The Owl House really got me to write, to obsess over characters and analyze them, to look at motifs, to think about worldbuilding… It’s been such an artistically enriching experience, both the show and the fandom! I remember despairing so terribly when Agony of a Witch came out, the genuine betrayal I had when Lilith revealed the truth- Because I’d been legitimately endeared to her character beforehand, even formed a sort of ‘trust’ in a sense… And like many others, I agonizingly anticipated the season finale, the much-needed emotional reconciliation!

           I remember how the episode titles were revealed, bit by bit, and how I and others speculated on what they’d spell out! I remember when the fandom obsessed over the Witch’s Apprentice game and its relics, for clues and new lore after each episode, the little hints here or there! I was freaked out by characters like Belos, who lived up to my hopes and expectations- First being alluded to by name, then his amazing appearance… And then his voice and mannerisms and everything about him! And when the Season Finale came out…

           Well, there was relief. But there was a bittersweet emptiness- That it was over! The first season was over! There was a celebratory triumph, of course- We finally wrapped up the first, major arc of the show, the first batch of episodes that had been worked upon, the whole thing now unveiled and appreciated! But I was a little dismayed because a part of me KNEW a hiatus much longer than the previous one was ahead of me, and I did not handle the mid-season hiatus well. Of course, then Dana had her Reddit AMA, and the charity livestream; Both of which NOURISHED me creatively, and have helped to fill out the wait! To carry out my momentum, to not flounder about in hiatus; I invested myself into more meta, into various posts, etc. I read fanfiction that genuinely floored me, obsessed over fanart, etc.

           I supported the show’s release on Disney Plus, ecstatic to get this kind of ready access. I revisited past episodes and characters, looking at them in a new light, appreciating things; Like Luz’s relationship with fantasy… King’s surprising development, all of Eda’s little hints and clues. There’s been an emotional catharsis with these characters for me- And I genuinely feel like I’ve been a lot happier lately because of this show! I’ve met so many other blogs and gotten to know them, seen their ideas and displayed mine as we appreciated one another… I even remember doing another blog’s fanart prompt prior to the show’s release, in preparation!

           I feel like The Owl House has genuinely given me a new appreciation for meta, for fandom and analysis… For headcanons, for writing my own stories and contributing my own ideas and speculations, etc.! It’s contributed SO much joy to me as a hyperfixation, and rapidly risen through my blog as my most frequent tag! And even as I explore other fandoms and hyperfixations, both then and now, especially to pass on this crippling hiatus… This show holds a VERY special place in my heart for me. It’s really made me feel for these characters, the love and sadness, the excitement and sense of comfort… Its love and emotions, angst and found family, lore and speculation, it hits so hard to me in a way that other media hasn’t!

           It’s provided representation- Such as canonically queer characters, or protagonists who speak so well to the neurodivergent experience for many people! I’ve had delight in seeing people suggest Amity as autistic, when before Season 1B, I lowkey headcanoned and saw her as such- So seeing more evidence for this resonated deeply in my heart! I remember all of the discussion about King as a character, the confusion and talk about whether or not he WAS a King of Demons, when that first announcement in 2018 had made a similar claim… I looked forward to Eda and Lilith’s relationship, speculated on who cursed Eda, and remembered when I’d considered the Blights as a potential culprit! I remember thinking about Hooty, wondering what his deal is- And thinking then and now about that Owl Deity mural in the Owl House! Watching Luz’s development as a character and as a witch, seeing her become more proficient with magic until it finally pays off with her squaring up against Belos, and wounding him- I’d never felt so proud of a character and their progress before!

           There’s still so many more questions and mystery, lore… as well as just genuine character interactions, to look forward to! I think The Owl House is one of my favorite shows of all time… It’s deeply touched me as a person and creator, and I genuinely strive to create something even close to this one day. This show has inspired me, made me laugh and cry, compelled me to creatively make content; It’s introduced me to a wider fandom that I genuinely feel like a part of, had me meet other mutuals… It really is something special to me. And while I am eager for Season 2, I also want to appreciate what Dana Terrace and her crew have already established. I love this show’s art style and animation, the designs and overall weirdness of its characters- I love speculating and thinking about them, getting more and more details, and so forth.

           If it’s for a better product, I’m fine waiting for Season 2. And honestly, I love what we already have, and I’ve done a lot with so many people. I’ve even looked over supplementary materials and stuff posted by the crew or news articles, in my need for content… And I love every bit of update, art, and/or acknowledgement of the show’s hiatus, and Season 2’s development! There’s so much to look forward to… And there’s so much that I’ve enjoyed, after plenty of anticipation!

           Thank you @danaterrace, and everyone who worked on this- For everything. It really is crazy to reflect on this entire year, to realize it’s been a full year since that first episode, since that first premiere that lit up my world like Luz’s light spells; And it feels like such a milestone that we’ve reached! I look forward to what comes next, and I also intend to keep appreciating and cherishing what we’ve already gotten. Here’s to this show’s second year, people- It’s been such a journey to look back on and remember each step, each phase, each particular moment and stage… And I can only imagine what will come next! This show has SUCH a special place in my heart, and has made me feel in so many ways I haven’t before!

           Happy Birthday, The Owl House! You’ve earned it!

[johannestevans]

ABSOLUTELY, esp because Bishop and David in Prometheus and Covenant are both coded as neurodivergent AND also are slightly quiet and effete in their manners, particularly David

the neurodivergent aspects of a quieter person who's more reserved which is autism-coded, but specifically a man who doesn't feel the same desire for women, or whose desire is removed from the "human" element, is a big queer-coding element too, I would argue?

and people find it unsettling and perceive it as threatening because it's outside the expected paradigm - I actually think it's noteworthy that amongst the marines, the only time Bishop is threatening or weird with another crew member is with another man, and only after being egged on by other crew

but the mere fact that he doesn't make disparaging comments to or about the female crew members is a signifier of his masculinity being tainted / neutered

I really like Bishop as a character a lot too, especially in the latter parts of Aliens, and especially contrasting his delicate masculinity against the female crew members' butchness, yes Jorden's but especially Vasquez'!

in contrast, David is very queer and effete and his queer desire is coded as like, incestuous but also deeply self-obsessed and autoandrophilic in a way that felt so much more queerphobic to me than like. the outright slurs or the clumsy depictions of queer gender and sexual identity as we see in the earlier alien films

because his gay and neurodivergent vibes are not about being uncaring, but about obsessing over the perfection of the alien species?

the pattern of android men admiring the xenomorph's matriarchal vibes and even worshiping or seeing them as perfect and pristine is genuinely intriguing when their premise is that like... these are men that are still men, but are either coded as gay or as eunuch like because of their neurodivergence, and therefore they see this form of reproduction removed from the social mess of social relationships, but even from the reproductive mess of sexual congress

but then with david, his like. obsession goes further, like forcing the pregnancies several times etc. it really put me in a mind of how the right wing talk about gay men and surrogacy, and it felt very different from bishop's like... neurodivergent delight in something so novel, not just because it was unpleasant, but bc it parallels such a real real-world bigotry

idk sorry to talk about david so much i just think that like... I really liked Bishop in Aliens and Alien 3, and I was astonished by how much the franchise felt like it had regressed in terms of the like. strength of its commentary in the frankly lazy writing and portrayal of david in contrast

prometheus and covenant made me appreciate A3 and even resurrection far more, bc they were just so awful in comparison

the thing i love about the alien movies is how blunt and honest they are about how like. rape is terrifying and traumatic, and unwanted pregnancy is terrifying and traumatic

and bc it's explored under a layer of allegory, it's not gendered in the same way

like these are films that are very explicitly about like. what if a thing wanted to penetrate and rape you, and use you to breed things, and it was terrifying to escape? and institutions and businesses didn't take it seriously? and what if it traumatised you deeply?

just the thought and the threat of it made it impossible for you to work, because it's inherently terrifying, and your thoughts are dismissed, your need for safety and assurance are dismissed, bc this monster, representing sexual violence, is a constant undercurrent?

a lot of horror movies are about how rape is scary but they're always like. made up with straight people's obsessive bullshit and they're all WEIRD about it. like it's about women's purity or the Gift or Miracle of childbirth and what if that was corrupted

whereas alien doesn't truck with that. outright, any unwanted pregnancy is monstrous and evil and violent and scary and it will kill you. it's intrinsically violent and terrifying, there's no way to pretend it's nice or miraculous or feminine or blah blah

[planetarywho]

Day 7 (Share Your Pride)

Ha! It's adorable that Tumblr thinks I can pick one. I'm bi, sweetie, don't ask me to pick sides.

In any case, here's a shortlist. It took me over 24h to get to this low a number, so be glad it isn't 30 books long. This list is IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! Most of the books listed are by queer writers.

❤ Amberlough, by Lara Elena Donnely.

This book should be taught in universities. Honestly, anyone who studies WWII, Weimer Germany, or the rise of fascism in general, should read it. It's beautiful speculative fiction, with queer characters that manage to be both incredibly complex while still recognizable as their original archetype. A true masterpiece.

🧡 Wayward Children series, by Seanan McGuire

These books are quality representation at its finest. The first, for example, has an asexual protagonist, a trans love interest, and a wlw best friend, and their identities, like in real life, don't define who they are. The characters are so well written, and the plot grabs you in a way that makes it impossible to put down the book. Every year I choose Every Heart a Doorway as my teenage students' assigned reading, and the discussions after each chapter are awesome.

💛 The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

Look, this book is a classic for good reason. Wilde is always delightful to read, and somehow managed to write in a way that was both sufficiently sutil to remain in Victorian circles for quite some time, and overt enough for his queerness to be unmistakable. I've been reading The Picture of Dorian Gray every year since I was 12, and it remains my all times favourite book. If you haven't read Wilde yet, get out of Tumblr right now and do so!

💚 Kissing the Witch, by Emma Donoghue

Fairytales are one of the things I love the most. This book is a wlw reimagination of several. Every story recreates a different one, in such a way that they are recognizable but also innovative. Plus, there's a very interesting common thread going through them. Honestly, this one is way too underrated, and deserved a lot more love...

💙 The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood, by Diana McLellan

This book is just so much fun to read. It's the only non-fiction entry on the list, and for good reason: the writing is so entertaining that you can almost forget it's referring to real people. Is the historical ressearch good? Not really. But there's enough verifiable sources to make it not as speculative as you'd expect from a gossip columnist. Finishing this without developing a crush on a least one star from the 1930's is impossible. Also, if you didn't despise the Hays Code before reading this, you will after.

💜 Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett

No list of mine would be complete without a Pratchett book. Through Discworld, PTerry discusses the idea of gender norms many times, with plenty of examples of characters who defy the constraints put upon them by the world (Cheery Littlebottom being the ultimate example). This novel, however, is entirely about women who, for many reasons, put on a male disguise to join an army. The way he treats the nuances in each character's relationship to their gender and its expression are the kind it's hard to find anywhere. Plus, there's a canon lesbian relationship featured, with two women who - gasp! - are not defined only by their sexuality, something of a rarity among male writers. One of my top 3 Discworld books.

🖤 The Drowning Girl, by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Just... So good. Even deciding which genre to classify it as is near impossible: dark fiction? Horror? Fantasy? Mystery? No clue. It follows the perspective of a queer neurodivergent woman, telling the story of the two first times she met someone. The sheer level of details used to make you doubt your perception while reading is amazing. One of the best.

(I would include honorable mentions, but decided not to. Exercising self-control!)

[millennialzadr]

About Page!

Hello~! Thank you so much for visiting my blog! My name is Koya, I’m 25, I’m pansexual, my pronouns are she/her, and I’m a full time freelance artist! My main blog is @koyakyuuun, so I’ll be liking and following from there!

Below are some guidelines for those who are curious to know more about this blog and what to expect from it, as well as some general info and FAQs!

Content Guidelines!

The focus of this blog!

So this blog is a mish mash of a couple different themes, but above all it is an adult oriented Invader Zim fan blog!! I grew up with the show and and was a BIG fan during highschool, and after rediscovering it this year I have been DAZZLED and DELIGHTED by the fan content being produced today!! I have a deeply nostalgic yet completely new perspective on the show now that I’m in my 20s, so alongside of celebrating iz content and fan content in general, this blog will center around my niche fave: the iz cast + millennial culture! in other words, the characters depicted as if they lived in the real world and aged in real time! I loved and related to the characters as a kid, and I still love them dearly to this day, so to see people experiment with character interpretations and create adult versions of them means I can still relate to them even now, and even make my own versions! and as a queer neurodivergent millennial who loves niche culture, my favorite versions of the characters are queer neurodivergent millennials who love niche culture!! (and by niche culture I mean MEMES, AESTHETICS, BAD FASHION, GAY CULTURE, CRYPTID CULTURE, DARK CORNERS OF THE INTERNET, CREATIVELY WEIRD SELF EXPRESSION ETC!!)

And of course the other main theme which fits into the first: ZADR! while I don’t ship Zim and Dib as they’re canonically presented in the show, I DO adore the idea of the two growing up together, eventually becoming friends, and eventually falling in love. I’m a Big Gay and I love romance and lgbt content, and ZADR holds such a soft place in my heart 😭 I wrote a big post about why I love it so much which you can see here if you’re curious about my interpretation of the ship!

And now, some guidelines!!

Things I enjoy and will be posting/reblogging!

- general IZ content! because holy SHIT I love the show and ALL the content the fandom creates is awe inspiring and amazing!!!

- millennial culture/humor! I FUCKING LOVE IZ + 2019 POP CULTURE REFERENCES AND MEME CONTENT OKAY

- POSITIVE CONTENT! IZ is my comfort content and I deeply admire the positive impact the show has had on so many people. I also interpret Zim and Dib as having hard lives and mental problems but eventually recovering and finding happiness (and making each other happy!!). I do also love vent content and gritty/dark themes from an artistic standpoint (and of course comedic Depression™ memes) but I will be focusing much more on comforting and uplifting content!

- character development/relationships, fluff, comedy, domestic content, daily life, sci fi, conspiracy/cryptid content, fashion portraits and camp horror!! these are my favorite themes!!

- friendship, romance, and found family!! I adore the relationships between the characters and they ALL DESERVE LOVE!!!!! JHONEN CAN BITE MY ASS

- the IZ creators!! speaking of Jhonen LOL I LOVE seeing content about the creators themselves!! I genuinely have such affection and admiration for the wonderful people who brought and continue to bring the world of IZ to life, they are such amazing and inspiring human beings and I will be celebrating them alongside their creations!!

- IZ characters + aesthetics!! some of my MOST favorite IZ content depicts the characters being stylized with or sporting the fashion of vaporwave, goth, grunge, pastel, spacecore, cryptidcore, future funk, 90s disastercore and any and all things strange, niche, glittery and neon, and I FUCKING LOVE IT. GOD

- and lastly, I talk a fuck of a lot, as you can probably tell by this post lol. I’ll be screaming in the tags constantly and am liable to write the occasional super long text post! for those who are into that, I invite you to have discussions with me! and for those who aren’t, feel free to ignore them!

Things I will be staying away from!

- romantic content that depicts the characters as minors AKA underage zadr!! there will be no kid ships here! I’m an adult and only enjoy shipping adult versions of the characters! kid content will be either canon, wholesome, or friendship content! while I do find adult versions of the characters attractive since they have qualities I find attractive in real life, I see the adult versions as almost completely different people since they’re so far removed from the source content, and the love I feel for the canon kids is HIGHLY maternal and very nostalgia centric. this would probably be more clear if I didn’t lump the two types of content into the same blog, but I really do love both the adult fan interpreted IZ world and the canon IZ world in equal measure, just in different ways!

- content that fetishizes or ‘yaoi’-fies gay relationships! I am a queer person and I enjoy queer content made by queer people for queer people, you’re not gonna find any “B-BUT WE’RE BOTH BOYS!” shit here 😂

- content that depicts abuse between friends or partners!! while violence is an active theme in zim and dib’s canonical relationship, I very much dislike zadr content that depicts the two being aggressive or malicious towards each other while they’re supposedly in love. complex relationships are certainly interesting, but while toxic and abusive relationships are realistic, they’re not okay and should not be romanticized. I understand some people use that kind of content to cope, but for me it’s nothing but bad feelings. sparring and play fighting is fine and good, consensual violence could be interesting to explore, but hatred will stay separate from romance on this blog.

- discourse and long conversations about negative topics! I acknowledge the importance of discussing problems within the fandom, however I wish for this blog to be a positive and comforting place, since iz content in general is positive and comforting for me! there may be an occasional post that touches on real life negative topics but overall this will be kept to a minimum.

- explicit content!! while I DO both draw and consume nsfw adult zadr content, it will not be on this blog! since tumblr decided to be idiots and remove any way for minors and people who don’t wish to see nsfw content to hide it, this blog will remain pg-13. I will also not be providing any links to my other sites because of this (I am a nsfw artist and I sell porn commissions for a living, not trying to shove that in the faces of my minor, ace and sex repulsed followers, but by all means seek out my art if you DO wish to!). similarly, I will not be releasing my nsfw zadr art publicly anywhere, since aged up characters are controversial and my career, being online, could suffer if someone wanted to use that against me. HOWEVER, for fellow adult fans with extra cash who take a shine to my art, paid content could be a possibility in the future 👀

Interaction Guidelines!

Things I’m okay with!

- tagging my posts in any way you wish! kinning is fine! any ship interpretation is fine! any gender/orientation interpretation is fine! sharing your thoughts/opinions is fine!

- as long as you CREDIT me! using my art for icons/headers etc, drawing my iz designs, referencing my art, and reposting my art on other sites is all okay!

- asks or anons of any questions you might have about me or my content!

- asks or anons popping in to share thoughts, opinions and ideas! it’s always nice to hear from other fans!

- leaving comments in the tags/replies/reblogs of my posts makes me very happy!! tumblr is the only place I post my fanart and I love seeing what people think of it!

Things I’m not okay with!

- messages, reblogs, tags or asks that are blatantly rude or disrespectful! I really do not care what the subject or reason is, if you act like an asshole, I will not respond and will block you!

- asks or messages that say only ‘hi’ or ‘how are you?’ I have no problem with people trying to be friendly but I never have a single idea of how to reply to these kinds of messages, I’m so sorry 😂 please talk to me about fandom stuff though!!

- pressure to produce content! I like any other creator adore comments and compliments, but things like “DRAW MORE!!” “MORE ZADR!!” “WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DRAW MORE!!” are not compliments!! it is in fact very off putting so please don’t do that! it will mess with my motivation! consider commissioning me if you want more content!

- if you are considering trying to be my friend, please be 20+!! I am not comfortable being friends with teens! nothing against my teen followers, I respect and appreciate you, but please understand I cannot relate to you on a personal level, and besides that, being friends with someone over 20 can be harmful and even dangerous for minors! I am an adult and only wish to have adult friends! please respect my wishes!

About my content!

So since what I like to draw is usually pretty different from the show, here are the basic headcanons for my interpretations of adult Zim and Dib~! Basically they’re queer 2019 millennials who are damaged but doing their best and enjoy niche interests and subcultures. Zim is the type who’s tough to handle but it’s worth it because he’s an amazing and colorful person underneath it all and only those he’s close to get to see that, and Dib is an eccentric but completely reliable, intelligent, passionate, and loyal friend whose company is a familiar comfort and a total safe space. They live together and are mutually beneficial allies to friends to lovers!

I HAVE A FIC, or at least an idea for one lol and when using my designs for the characters, my drawings will most likely be set in its context! Affectionately nicknamed the Soft AU, it’s centered around rest, recovery, affection, care and bonding… bc I’m SOFT OKAY 😂 You can read the full summary here, but here’s the gist!

A little over a decade after arriving on earth, Zim’s banishment is reinstated and as a result his entire base and all his equipment is confiscated, leaving him stranded on Earth with no way off the planet and in danger of being caught and killed by the humans. Dib offers him a deal that he’ll hide Zim instead of turning him in in exchange for letting him study Zim. They live together in Dib’s apartment and eventually get used to each other. Loneliness induced affection ensues. Hooray!!

And now for the boys themselves!

My Dib!

- 25, 6′2″, Mexican, cis boy, bisexual, bilingual

- is recovering from depression and anxiety and has ADD and insomnia, has had a nicotine addiction

- has a ton of ear piercings and a few facial piercings, as well as a few tattoos

- is still just as obsessive about his interests as he was as a kid, just with more curbed enthusiasm due to, yknow, depression. researching Zim however brings his enthusiasm back full force. he still sucks at taking care of himself when enthralled with his work but he’s getting there

- runs various blogs, forums, and youtube channels making content about cryptids and conspiracy theories, the ad revenue of which is his main source of income (he dislikes using his father’s money to support himself, but will dip into the family account occasionally)

- is very patient and can communicate and problem solve very well, and is skilled at handling various conflicts and mental issues

- still has his ‘I hate people’ attitude but is more open minded and understanding than he used to be, and more compassionate. he has difficulty trusting strangers but his friends and family are very important to him

- can be moody and dramatic but he’s a big sweetheart at his core

- being friends with Zim has made him more willing to enjoy acting like a huge dork and total weirdo, even in public

My Zim!

- young adult, 5′5″, androgynous presenting demi boy, panromantic demisexual

- has PTSD and anxiety, is recovering with help from Dib

- displays inhuman behavior such as hissing, growling, chirring, chirping, scratching/biting, screeching, territory guarding and dominance displays

- is a demi boy, meaning he identifies as mostly but not completely male, and is more nonbinary than cis, but he’s never given it too much thought because gender is stupid. he has little to no concept and zero regard for human gender roles

- is a SHIT who’s main entertainment is annoying Dib and ‘winning’ arguments, but Dib seems to get harder to piss off as time goes on, much to his confusion

- pitches a fit when he doesn’t agree with/doesn’t want to do something but can be swayed with rewards such as food, sweets, new clothes, video games etc

- rambunctious and high energy, he gets stir crazy often, but since he hates the city he and Dib often take car trips to more fun/nicer places outside the neighborhood

- moody and bratty with skewed logic but smart and more intuitive than he used to be, he’s more than a handful to deal with, but this also makes him the most entertaining person Dib knows

- after having the free time to discover the world of aesthetics, he becomes very much into clothes, make up, accessories etc (be they masculine or feminine) and enjoys making a hobby out of creating a unique self image using fashion (thus also subconsciously asserting his individuality)

- is much more dependent on Dib than he admits (or even realizes)

- his beliefs in nationalism, fascism and genocide are direct results of brainwashing and personality altering programs run by his PAK, and are not actually part of his core personality (these programs will be overridden and deleted eventually)

Side Note: I haven’t thought as far with the other characters but my Gaz and Tak are definitely lesbians 😂

And finally, my tag list!

#my art - things that I drew!

#my post - any post that I posted!

#asks - asks!

#text post - any text post longer than a couple lines!

#video - videos!

#audio - audios!

#canon - content from the show/comic/movie etc!

#creators - any content featuring the IZ cast or crew!

#memes - memes, shitposts, short comics, comedic posts etc!

#friends - friendship art between any characters!

#family - family bonding between the membranes/found family between any characters!

#ships - ship art between adult characters!

#suggestive - any content that could be considered sexual in nature!

#positive - fluff, friendship, wholesome content, uplifting content, characters being happy/cute/having fun etc!

#negative - angst, vent art, violence, mental illness, dark themes, characters fighting/being sad/getting hurt etc!

#kids - content depicting characters as kids/irkens as their canon designs!

#adults - content depicting characters as adults/irkens with noncanon designs!

#millennials - content depicting adult characters that includes any modern culture! (personal fave)

#aesthetic - highly stylized or surreal portraits centered around aesthetic themes!

ship tags!: zadr (zim and dib romance), tagr (tak and gaz romance), rapr (red and purple romance)

friendship tags!: zadf (zim and dib friendship), tagf (tak and gaz friendship), zatf (zim and tak friendship), tadf (tak and dib friendship), zagf (zim and gaz friendship), zag (zim and gir)

character tags!: zim, dib, gaz, tak, gir, red, purple, membrane, skoodge, gretchen, keef, spork, miyuki, recap kid, bg chars, ocs

[quasi-normalcy]

Tagged by @alethinephrine. So what you do is answer 11 questions then write your own new questions.

What’s your favorite cuisine? I assume that you mean my favourite national cuisine, so I’m going to say Thailand.

Do you want to be awake or asleep when you die? I’d rather be awake, unless its especially slow and horrible.

What’s your favorite field of science? Astrophysics. Unfortunately, I don’t have a degree in it, but I’m looking to change that.

Who is your favorite author and why? I’m actually going to say Susanna Clarke, because her writing style is so delightful to read.

What is one cool fact (about anything!) you know that not many other people know? Ballerina hand-gestures are meant to convey specific emotional or narrative states.

Everyone has weird quirks about their body (I was born with crooked pinky fingers and I can vibrate my eyeballs). What’s yours? My fingers click when I bend them.

Do you play any instruments? If not, what’s one you would want to learn? I’ve always wanted to learn the violin. Perhaps now I should.

If you had to live in a different time period, when would you choose? For the sake of this fantasy, let’s assume you wouldn’t get immediately killed for being brown/queer/not male/neurodivergent/etc. The 24th century if it’s like Star Trek. Otherwise, let’s say first-century Alexandria. I’d love to visit mediaeval / early-modern Europe, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

If you had a chance to go to outer space, to the far reaches of another galaxy, and explore a new planet that could potentially have life and even an intelligent civilization (no guarantee there would be!), but you’d have to leave the earth behind forever, would you leave? Pfft. Fuck yeah, I would.

What kinds of fantasy worlds did you build when you were a little kid? I had this notion that all fiction existed in another universe called the Fiction World. I occasionally thought about writing a story about going there, but I was afraid to do so because I figured that if I did that, then the machine I used to get there would exist in the fiction world and the denizens there could use it to travel here.

what’s your favorite art piece ever made? (movies, plays, video games, and books count as art in this question) Oh frig, umm...Orlando: A Biography, by Virginia Woolf.

Now for my 11 questions:

What is your favourite ancient civilization?

What is the strangest thing that you believe in?

What is your favourite field of science? (yeah I’m keeping this one going)

Is there a specific moment in your childhood when you recall becoming aware of your own existence as thinking entity, and if so, when?

What bit of folklore from your childhood has stayed with you? (by which I mean, was there one sordid story that everyone in your age group “knew” to be true? Like, when I was a kid, everyone “knew” that there had once been a really hefty guy who had bellyflopped off of the ten-metre diving board at the local swimming pool and exploded upon hitting the water)

Do you ever feel a bit frightened when you consider how big the Universe is?

If you were asked to picture your concept of something that is sacred, what, if anything, would it be and why?

If you had to live in another country, which would you choose?

Is there a little part of you at the very back of your mind that is absolutely convinced, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, that you, personally, will live forever?

If you could go back and live your life over again, but pursue a difference route in your education or a different opportunity, what, if anything, would you do differently?

What is the first dream that you remember having? (or, if this is traumatic, what is the best dream that you’ve ever had?)

Tagging this for 11 people: @noctumsolis @that-northern-lad @nyxreva @gryphyl @ajax-daughter-of-telamon @shineon-youlittlefeministdiamond @shychemist @opheliaownsyou @sidereanuncia @buttstothemoon @microbewrangler

[lifeismadeofstories]

Thoughts on A Court of Wings and Ruin

Social Justice

Feminism: A+ (awesome women!!! a lot of them! who interact with each other in complex ways and achieve so much)

Racial Diversity: A+ (the ambiguous racial coding from the last two books is cleared [it used to sound more like tan than skin color to me], and it seems a lot of the main characters who appeared white are actually POC! Well-done!!!)

Sexual-Orientation Diversity: B- (an explicit effort in that direction, which is commendable. And the number of people per group who are not straight actually makes sense 

[one in 7 High Lords, one in the Court of Dreams {6–9}...]; but no major ships? the assumption that everyone is straight... at least, until the queer characters are introduced/come out as gay... so many characters, so long lives--could have asked themselves so many sexual-orientation questions... It’s safe to say, there is a lot of room for improvement. Is Mor going to be a main character of one of the next Prythian books? Please!)

Non-Binary Gender and Deconstruction of Gender Roles: C (Yes! and No! Male and Female are definitely our only options. And although, women are allowed everywhere and do so much, the words “female” and “male” are used repeatedly, as if they reveal a lot of information about the characters referred to. And, indeed, the book confirms there are differences... Especially, on the battlefield. Also, in their reactions to trauma and their expression of emotions... And their sexual desires... Ugh.)

Cultural Diversity: B (another great effort, but definitely falls short of the real world; Prythian cultures are just too similar.)

Physical-Disability Representation: B+ (Lucian, Nephelle(??), the Suriel, the Weaver)

Treatment of Mental Health Issues/Neurodivergence: B- (While Elain’s depression is respectfully depicted, I’m not sure about the way Feyre’s PTSD is treated in this book. It’s definitely mentioned a lot, but we rarely see it actually affecting Feyre and her attitude towards some people [Tamlin!] And I definitely need more of Azriel! Also, Mor! I thought ACOMAF was mostly amazing in its addressing Feysand’s mental health issues. ACOWAR definitely falls short in comparison.)

Treatment of Social Inequality Issues: C (Although Feyre and Rhys explicitly want social equality for all Fae [and people?], it seems that almost all major characters were born in some form of aristocratic families [still don’t get why the Archeron sisters needed to to have been rich before getting poor]. Cassian and Azriel are the obvious exception, but they somehow happen to be the most powerful Illyrians ever. All the major characters are so special and, therefore, rich and powerful. And no matter what they say about equality, they don’t seem particularly interested in sharing.)

Writing

Exposition: D (awkward villain-monologue type of scenes; long unrelated conversations during battles. They are in a hurry, but they have so much time to think, explain, and share.)

Dialogue: B (is it just me, or did the Rhys-Feyre monologue lack some... um, spirit that it used to have. It wasn’t just the “Feyre darling” thing. It was less fun. And what was that missed opportunity to have them talk through the bond during her stay in the Spring Court? But yeah, back to dialogue in general: it just didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. So much is said, yet the dialogue does not inspire a reaction.... like it used to in the previous books. But it’s not awkward or anything; it just could be better.)

Language: B- (nothing especially impressive or annoying. Bonus points for the Prythian words and magical meanings we learn to grasp.)

World Building: B+ (I can’t believe this is not an A! ACOTAR and ACOMAF are basically textbook world-building perfection. Here, we mostly visit the same locales we already know, so very few things are actually added.)

Show-not-Tell: C (We were robbed of the ouroboros scene! And what about the actual conversation of the High Lords about the pros and cons of a wall?!)

Pacing: C (It gets so slow sometimes... Why did we have to spend so much time in the Spring Court? We could do without so many scenes throughout the story...)

Page-Turning Potential (plot, mystery, intrigue): B (There were boring/too slow bits.)

Emotional Impact: B (The last chapters were so great in terms of emotional impact, but there were long chapters that did not move me at all, including the Feysand reunion to a certain extent--which I did not expect at all...)

Sex Scenes: B- (The minus is because of the slightly metaphorical nature of the sex-scenes writing, which I am committed to hate. Otherwise, they just weren’t especially remarkable or interesting and emotional, but there were nice bits here and there.)

Plot Twists: C+ (SPOILER: Can I just say I hated how we were forced to forgive the father and Tamlin? First, we had to learn to like Nesta who didn’t so much as apologize for how awful she had been... Which... okay, I actually like Nesta now. But the father and Tamlin were taking this too far. Also, one moment Feyre loves Amren, then she wants to kill her, then she loves her again... Overall, some of the twists were just annoying and done just for the sake of surprise. More Feysand plotting would have been nice, too.)

Freshness (avoidance of jarring repetitions): D (”We should leave now!” A page later: “We should leave now!”, and so on. Oh come on, do whatever you’re planning to do already. Stop telling us about how it’s time! Also, a lot of the places and things they did were variations of what they did in ACOMAF.)

How Well It Managed to Steer Away from Annoying Loose Ends and/or Inconsistencies?: B- (Tamlin! Feyre’s attitude towards Tamlin changed more than his allegiances shifted. Tamlin’s storyline is the main inconsistency that irks me. The loose ends may be tied in the next books, and I am fine with that.)

Ending: A

Memorability

Favorite Characters: B (Rhys had lost some of his spark?? Why?! No funny banter and little ridiculous flirting... No new heights reached in terms of his delightful feminism. I still love you, Rhys! Also, as I said, I need a book about Mor, PLEASE!)

Ships: A- (Feysand is wonderful! A lot of the other ships are quite intriguing, but I am not even sure I ship them. I need to see a lot more of them.)

Friendships: A (FOUND FAMILY!!!! Enough said.)

Positive Message(s): B- (There is such a thing as a High Lady now! Maybe just show her more in that role instead of telling us about it? A lot of the time she was acting like the wife of the High Lord [and he was taking most major decisions concerning the court]. Also, the importance of choice and love--but they were better developed in ACOMAF. I liked the discussion of possibly rejecting the mating bond, but it got us nowhere, unfortunately.)

Intriguing Themes: B+ (Embracing all of oneself! The ouroboros reflection was one of the coolest things about the book. What did Feyre decide to forgive herself, to love instead? Hm... The Nephelle philosophy. ...)

Cool Images: A+ (I love the imagined paintings! I love how the Cauldron produced the Big Bang. I liked the visual of the splitting-the-sea story and flying between the rocks. Of Feyre and Rhys flying over Velaris! This books are so full of cool images.)

Food for Thought: B- (again, embracing all of yourself... the losses of war... sacrifices... inequality... the reign of a high lady... Nesta and the world... Why so many unanswered questions, ACOWAR?)

 Overall Score: B

[10moonymhrivertam]

A Wound Too Deep? An Academic Essay on authorial ethics and BBC’s Sherlock (The edited version)

Being asked to use one of my readings to complicate another has been a trial for me. With these readings, I’ve had no great breakthrough like I did with the last set. I must consider, though, that John Duffy’s “Writing Involves Making Ethical Choices” has struck a chord to do with my non-academic real life at the moment, if only because I believe Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss to have been unethical in their writing of BBC’s Sherlock. Duffy says a writer must ask themselves: “What kind of writer do I wish to be? What are my obligations to my readers? What effects will my words have upon others, upon my community?” I answer, as a fan, that whatever they wished, they were, in the end, deceitful writers; they did not fulfill their obligations to their viewers; and while the community that was created from fans coming together over their writing was a positive effect of said writing, their latest (possibly last) impact on said community was profoundly negative.

If one looks solely at the contents of Sherlock, it doesn’t appear deceitful. Up until series 4, it told a cohesive story that many people enjoyed! It was when you examined outside interviews or commentary that the relationship between Gatiss, Moffat, and their fans began to look deceitful. Many fans were growing confused by series three, except a small segment of their fandom that was reading the show through a queer lens - that the writers’ endgame was for John Watson and Sherlock Holmes to become explicitly romantically involved. These fans were told this wasn’t the case several times, but found it difficult to believe because of quotes like - “[W]e do our best to surprise you with a combination of lies and deceit. So we’re never going to tell you what we’re going to do.” (IGN, Jan 2014). So despite being told “I don’t think there is anything that suggests Sherlock is gay but if he was he wouldn’t fancy John [Watson]” by Steven Moffat (digitalspy.com), because the writers also frequently admitted they were lying to their audience, the audience took what they saw in the show and ignored what the writers said in “real life”, and when they heard in The Lying Detective (the second episode of series 4) that “romantic entanglement would complete [Sherlock] as a human being”, they were sure validation was coming. This was a show that had always seemed interested in separating man from legend, reminding everyone that the deer stalker was never mentioned outright in the original Holmes stories, just a flair by an illustrator that caught on like wildfire. The show had always tried its hardest to make Sherlock more human. Therefore, these niche fans were sure that despite the confusion they may have felt in the third or fourth season, the third episode of series 4 would end in a romantic arc, probably fighting against Moriarty, a prior big bad potentially brought back from the dead, or Sebastian Moran, who was Moriarty’s right-hand man in the books but who never showed up in the show. What they received instead was a secret psychopath sister, not even a hint of romance, and plot holes such as: an army doctor not recognizing human bones; John Watson chained to the bottom of a well but, despite still being chained, somehow managing to climb a rope to get out of the still-filling well; a well that was within sight of the Holmes’ house being used to drown a boy who was never found, except whose bones are still in the well, twenty or thirty years later, by the time the episode is set.

Gatiss and Moffat had a pretty playful rapport with their fans - everyone spent two years together waiting for series 2. The conclusion of series 2 spawned idea after idea after idea - there was a popular idea that Sherlock had jumped off to land in a laundry truck, or that somehow Moriarty’s corpse had been disguised as Sherlock and was what had fallen off the building. Fans were shocked and delighted to see both of these ideas pop up in the first episode of season 3, and that was when they began to wonder if the writers were aware of the fans’ social media presence, and therefore aware of what their fans believed their obligations were and what Moffat and Gatiss’ most dedicated demographic was - young, queer people. These young, queer fans believed that the writers’ obligations - as a gay man and a man who has several queer characters in his writing history (Jack Harkness, Madam Vastra, and Jenny, all from his time on Doctor Who), men who said that they were “correcting everyone else” (premiumhollywood.com) - were to “make television history” (This one comes from Amanda Abbington at a San Diego Comic Con) and make Holmes fandom history by explicitly pairing John and Sherlock together. The writers have teased endlessly at the idea (Sherlock’s brother, Sherlock’s landlady, and an old client of Sherlock’s - all people who have known Sherlock for an extended period - assume John and Sherlock are in a relationship within a day of each main character meeting the other; others don’t go that far but allude that our main characters do have feelings for each other - in A Scandal In Belgravia, Irene Adler - the baddie of the episode - remarks, after John has punched Sherlock, that “Somebody loves you. If I had to punch that face I’d avoid your nose and teeth, too.”) and therefore teased with fans’ expectations. Nothing has come of this teasing. It’s possible that something could happen, eventually - Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock, is contracted for five seasons, if I recall correctly - but I and many other fans are worried the writers have left the show in a place they cannot pick back up from. Moriarty, the traditional Big Bad of Holmes stories, is gone. Mary, who left our hero clinically dead on the operating table until he restarted his heart from sheer force of will, has been killed. The secret psycho sister, Euros, is neutralized. Who else is there to fight? How do you create character development without an antagonist? I suppose the antagonist would not have to be a person, but in a show that has always had Big Bads before, I find man vs. self an unlikely fix. The most sensible way to fix it would be to have had all of series 4 or at least parts of it taking place in a character's head - not unprecedented, given The Abominable Bride turning out to be a bizarre drug trip for one of our characters - but why would they not have told us within the series that it was “fake”, when the average wait-time between seasons is two years?

Sometimes I’m not sure what I did with myself before I started watching Sherlock. I suppose I must have talked to people interested in Doctor Who or Harry Potter, but I did not roleplay or publish my writing as often as I have for Sherlock. The community I have discovered is fiercely intelligent, and beautifully, unabashedly queer. It’s a very open community, filled with every letter under the queer umbrella. Sherlock brought together these young, intelligent queer people; both who were already intense fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s version of Sherlock, and those who only had a background cultural awareness. It was a beautiful community, and I cannot deny that in creating it, the writers did a good thing. So one would hope the writers were aware that their audience was not exclusive cisgendered and straight and neurotypical. That there were people in their audience who were transgender or gay or depressed/had Asperger’s/were otherwise neurodivergent, who find one thing they can trust and cling to it as a lifeline. It is risky and, perhaps, unreasonable to blame writers for an audience’s reaction, but I feel the writers should have noticed the dissonance between this series and their others before their fans began passing around suicide hotlines. If series 4 turns out to be all in a character’s head, there should have been a textual indication left before the fans were put on hold for years. If series 4 is not all in a character’s head, and is indeed all “real”, I feel that someone at some point in the editing process should have noticed that this series would be getting a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 35%, as opposed to series 3’s 95%, series 2’s 98%, and the first series’ 98% (even the critics’ score drops from 100s or high 90s to a 63%). Alas, suicide lines were shared, and some of the loudest voices in the niche fan community have removed themselves, out of not being able to handle the hope of a “secret fourth episode”, or who feel awful for spreading “false hope”. It’s not only that they disappointed the fans with inconsistent writing, or that people didn’t see John and Sherlock confess their feelings, but that fans were sure they had found a bisexual man (John) and a gay, somehow neurodivergent man (Sherlock, and in the show, Asperger’s is offered off-handedly as an explanation for some of his behavior in The Hounds of Baskerville) who were finally going to have a happy ending. Instead, the only confirmed queer characters were antagonists or minor characters. Most notable are Irene Adler, who makes remarks suggesting Sherlock might be her ‘exception’ to her lesbian preferences and an antagonist in the single episode she shows up in; Jim Moriarty, who is introduced as a gay man trying to seduce Sherlock; Eurus, whose sexuality is introduced as she is talking about committing sexual assault and saying she wouldn’t have cared about the gender but no one could tell afterward whether her victim was a man or woman because she mutilated her victim so badly. So, yes, the writers created a wonderful, diverse, often divisive community, but failing to meet their viewers’ understanding of their obligations has left a lasting wound.

By Duffy’s definition of ethics and the philosophical questions he adapted to writing, Moffat and Gatiss have proved themselves to be unethical writers in the extreme. Just consider the dissonance between interviews in “real life” and writing on the show, not meeting their obligation of fixing what everyone else has done wrong and giving Sherlock Holmes a “romantic entanglement”, and hurting the community they created just before disappearing for at least another two years. Even if the writers return after those two years with a series 5 that fixes everything the fans were upset about - that plugs the plot holes, and has Sherlock and John talk about their feelings and perhaps even kiss - there will be some who are too wounded to return. Many who will stare, bewildered, from the sidelines, and wonder why there had to be gaslighting and the attacks on their queer reading before queer canon was handed to them on a silver platter.

Cornet, Roth. "Benedict Cumberbatch and Steven Moffat on Sherlock's Big Return for Season 3." IGN. IGN, 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.

Moffat, Steven, and Mark Gatiss. "The Lying Detective." Sherlock. BBC. 8 Jan. 2017. Television.

Posted by Will Harris (10/23/2010 @ 4:02 pm). "A Chat with Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”)." A Chat with Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”). N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.