#like. they’re not even romantically my favorite so it’s not a shipper goggles thing I just think the narrative would be stronger if the

[karouvas]

The “I don’t have a crush on Adam” part… I wish it was worded differently tbh. Like later in their break up scene she says things like “I don’t know you” and “It’s not going to be you / I don’t want to be with you the way you’ve been acting” and that all feels more apt and like it cuts to their issues better and is more interesting. I think she likes Gansey more than Adam for sure at this point and I would be here for “I liked Adam and still kind of do but I don’t like being around him the way he is now and I’m actually like falling in love with Gansey and haven’t felt the strength of these emotions with Adam, although maybe that’s because we haven’t let ourselves know each other enough for that” something along those lines where it’s not like. If you have a crush on one person you have to feel nothing even slightly romantic for someone else / it has to be black and white with no blurred lines. Idk I’m not even an adamant bluedam shipper their dynamic holds a lot of interest to me but whether or not that’s in a shippy way is a tad complicated/my feelings on it tend to shift, probably it’s the dynamic I tend to change my mind / feelings most dramatically on from reread to reread, (am currently writing a fic where they are in a lot of ways the central dynamic and I’d probably classify how I’m planning to write them as qprish if I was going to classify it?) but I just … don’t love the black and white you can only have romantic feelings for one person at a time idea that Maggie tries to push at times, maybe my issues with that overall idea on a doylist level influences how I feel about the scene in a vacuum.

[f3296]

Hi I just feel like I need to ramble and maybe some one else out there feels the same way. So in the AOT I’m not all that big on ships just because shipping really isn’t my thing but I do enjoy it to an extent. I consider myself to be a multi shipper because again the relationships in AOT are so complex and I love all the characters and their dynamics. My biggest “ship” would be Eurihan just because that trio to me is all sorts of fun and I love their dynamic.

But with that being said, I find myself to be drifting farther and farther away from the Eruri aspect just because as I continue to reread the manga and pay attention to the themes of the story canonically speaking I don’t actually see any “romance” between them. The Fannon concepts of Eruri are fun and beautifully tragic with the fan arts and stories especially in modern AU. They are a very attractive couple and I fully understand the hype but canonically speaking I just don’t see it anymore. I love their dynamic as a whole and brings such a complex look to both Levi and Erwins character that their friendship is something to admire.

And with that being said I feel their complexity of characters and their story gets lost within the fandom. I think the term that is used is “shipping goggles” when canon stuff of the original story gets lost or replaced for the sake of the ship. Which in this case I feel happens a lot in Eruri specifically.

Now I really don’t want people to feel I am bashing Eruri. I’m obviously a fan with my own fan art and my interactions with mutuals so please no one take offense. This is just a quirk I have in every fandom when canon material gets lost for the sake of a ship.

Specifically with Levi.

Now I understand my biases consider Levi is my favorite character and I truly Kin him. But when I watch edits or read DJs or even just scrolling through things like tumblr or Twitter I find myself avoiding the Eruri tags because I get so frustrated when all I see if Levi’s entire character being based around Erwin. The concept that Levi is only alive to fulfill Erwins promise or he only fights for Erwin and completely derailing his character to be centered around Erwin is frustrating.

Levi fights for all the scouts since the very beginning. When else first meet him and he promises the dying scout he would eradicate the Titans, this is a shared dream the scouts had and has said he will do what he can for All of them. Not just Erwin.

Now this isn’t to disregard Erwins importance to Levi. Erwin gave him a purpose to live, he was his friend and trusted comrade and felt he was the best for humanity. Erwin is important to Levi no one is saying other wise. He just isn’t the center of Levi’s world.

Levi trusted Erwin because he saw something bigger than himself and Levi wanted to help Erwin get there because Levi himself if a very loving and selfless character. This I find to be so beautiful of Levi’s (and mikasas) character.

When Levi learns the truth behind Erwins actions and his selfish reasons to fight for humanity was for the sake of seeing in the basement really sent Levi into turmoil. (I feel this is WITs fault for not expressing this properly in the anime) this is why he continued to pester and push Erwin to know his motives past the basement, because Levi wanted to believe he was this selfless leader he had been finessed into believing he was (because we can’t forget canonically speaking Erwin is a con man and enjoys gambling which makes him and great leader)

Levi tells Erwin to die so he would continue to go down with the facade he was a selfless leader and to continue to live up to the expectation. Levi accepted this fault of Erwin just as he had accepted the faults of all his comrades and their selfish actions.

Levi was canonically devoted to Erwin, but not in the romantic way.

Erwin also never expressed a “interest” in Levi in that matter outside of their friendship and Levi’s abilities. It also should keep in mind that Erwin was ultimately in love with Marie, and chose not to have a family and a wife (which he actually wanted) to avoid having a widow. We can head cannon all day long about how “he realized in his last moments” or “behind the scenes” or interpreting smart press stories a certain way to fit the narrative but it’s just important to remember the difference between cannon material and your own HCs.

Now I know a lot of people will read this and think “wow a levihan shipper wrote this” and you would be right I also ship levihan as well. And they are also not cannon in a relationship as well but the romantic implications for them specifically cannot be ignored because you don’t like them. Levi and Hange are canonically best friends. They are known as the “abnormals” of the scouts. They know each other the best. Their relationship is so complex it cannot be defined as a friendship. (Even Moblit admits he doesn’t have a bond with Hange like Levi does) and it’s okay if you just see them as friends, and I honestly don’t blame a lot of people who do considering WIT really bit the bullet with missing key Levi and Hange moments to better fit their dynamic (I’ve seen people say they aren’t even good friends and that breaks my heart they are besties )

And honestly why wouldn’t you want to ship levihan? This ship in my opinion is the least problematic with the least controversy to it. It’s comforting and sweet and gives a sense of love and family. It’s literally a best friends-> lovers trope. Their friendship is what makes this ship in my opinion so pure and honestly why I fall in love with it more everyday.

And I know some will say “what about Moblit?” And honestly, it bothers me how much he is used to argue levihan because I ultimately feel his character also gets dumbed down as a default for Hange just for shipping and it bothers me too.

*and honestly guys Hange and Moblit isn’t even that great in a ship since considering Moblit became an anxious alcoholic trying to take care of Hange and Hange would get so caught up with their work they wouldn’t even notice. NOTE: they obviously cared for each other as comrades and Moblit felt Hange was needed for humanities survival and cared for them obviously but just my opinion I don’t see that ship working in my opinion.

But in reality guys, I never saw any of these characters “getting together” because they’re soldiers. Their hearts were dedicated to the cause of saving humanity first so that’s the beauty of AOT and the ambiguity of the characters relationships with one another because ultimately they all have attributes to love and benefit each other. Even with the forest scene and the plane for Levi and Hange, I never expected A “happy ending” for them in the sense of platonic or romantic because that doesn’t fit their canon narratives. Levi was destined to be the last soldier standing and brings the complexity of being the perfect soldier with a human heart.

*though the implication of romantic feelings never being acted on were there because they indeed paralleled with eren and mikasa

Levi’s literally means “attached” he attaches himself to the people he cares about and dedicated his strength and ability to help others gain their hopes and dreams.

Erwin tragically lost his humanity to become the devil for the sake of humanity which ultimately left him fruitless to his venture.

Hange taking on the burden of making the tough decisions and shouldering the weight of the deaths of the soldiers and Erwins legacy left them feeling loss and useless until their sacrifice.

All these characters have such complexity to them, they are all deeper than their fannon ship and should be appreciated and the narrative shouldn’t be shifted for the sake of a ship.

Levi didn’t fight to the end for just Erwin he did it for all of them.

So again, sorry for my rambles and I hope there will be those who read this and understand where I am coming from with this and understand though I will continue to ship all three, it still makes me sad I feel I can’t interact with some without them destroying entire characters for the sake of the ship.

So again love ships not ship wars. That’s the fun part when ships aren’t cannon you can just mix and match whenever you feel like it ❤️❤️

[share-the-damn-bed]

Good luck on your rewatch! I didn’t watch past the first two episodes of Volume 1 but the St*ncy scenes do start to look more like bait with rewatch I’ve heard. Might just be my Jancy heart but the first episodes clearly show Jancy still being deeply in love (they’re even included in the recap) and we all remember that Robin and Steve looked like they were gonna get together through all of season 3 until the penultimate episode. Jonathan and Nancy will come back stronger, I know it!

Thanks, Anon! I'll always be the first to admit that my shipper goggles are superglued to my face so I absolutely agree Jancy is still deeply in love with each other but are facing very real and relatable issues (that didn't need to include St*cny ffs...) and that alone would have made for an interesting storyline. It would have allowed the characters to explore their own wants and dreams (personal character development) while also exploring their relationship on a deeper level. I'll stand by my point that it is definitely a good storyline. I just don't trust the writers to execute it well.

As for the St*ncy bait, I want to write a more organized and detailed post in the coming weeks before volume 2 drops but I'll share a bit of my chaotic thoughts here. Warning, I'll be discussing beyond the first two episodes:

First, it saddens me that the writers chose to push for some unnatural romance between these two characters. In the earlier episodes there are some great scenes between Steve and Nancy that would make for a wonderful friendship. They have some great friendly banter in her room when discussing why Nancy is going with Robin instead of Steve to Pennhurst (or whatever the assylum is called). I still like the scene at the Creel house where Nancy is pulling cobwebs out of Steve's hair and they're discussing Robin and how he thinks it's cool Nancy and Robin are friends now and maybe they can all hang out after the whole spooky shit is over. He even invites Jonathan.

Basically, it's a sweet scene with two exes that care for each other and have gone through a lot of shit together extending the olive branch and trying to be friends. And if the scenes ended there, I would be so happy since I have wanted them to be friends for years.

Second, though I've talked ad nauseam about why the "romantic" scenes felt off, one thing I've noticed upon my rewatch is the missed romantic opportunities if they really wanted to push for St*ncy. One scene in particular that was a missed opportunity is the beginning of episode 7 when Steve is being killed by the demobats and the group arrives to save him. Nancy says something along the lines of "Hey there" when they show up before they all beat the shit out of the monsters.

The line and the framing of this scene promoted Nancy as a bad-ass cool-girl more than a concerned lover. One would think that if the writers were really gunning for a genuine St*ncy reconnection, they would have played up the romance in this scene. Idk. This scene just reads way more platonic than it should for a couple they are considering bringing together romantically.

All in all, Anon, I would encourage you, if you are able and interested to watch until episode 4. The St*ncy stuff really doesn't pick up until episode 5 and the 4th is one of my favorite across the entire show.

[youbutstupid]

Do you notice that Dream and Georges friendship is a bit different? I’m actually curious how non shippers see their relationship. /gen

I’ve never really talked to people who don’t because they’re very aggressive about shipping irl people but you seem very chill and this is a genuine question I have. I entered the fandom with dnf goggles (dnf compilation video) so I’ve never got the chance to not have it be in my face.

Also you’re one of my favorite mutuals, you’re very very funny <3

Tysm you’re one of my favourites too!

Even from a non shippers POV it is very clear that they’ve shifted in a way. George seems to be much more comfortable on stream with openly flirting with Dream and making suggestive(?) comments towards him. Dream also just seems a lot more fond towards George lately and if you compared an early 2020 stream to a current stream, the vibes would be just completely different based just on how they interact with eachother and their friendship.

It makes me really happy to see because the vibes feel so much more nice and we are able to see just a new part of them and I think a large thing to do with that is the fact this year they have been through a lot of vulnerability and the fact they have been a constant for eachother definitely has helped them become a lot closer.

Another thing I think has also helped create this shift is the fact that they have made new friends which is a bit ironic and shouldn’t be how it works but it is in this case. This past year they have had more opportunity to deviate away from eachother which has brought them closer in a way. With Dream moving in with Sapnap, collaborating with other ccs like MrBeast and Corpse whilst also being more involved in YouTuber podcasts and the role play side of the smp whereas George has been meeting up with Tommy and Wilbur, streaming with new people such as Tina and Corpse a lot and has created his own group (Aka Sex Havers) with Quackity and Karl. Despite them meeting all of these new and amazing people and getting all of these new opportunities, they haven’t strayed away from eachother and although they could theoretically move to new groups with people who are also rising quickly, they still choose to come to eachother at the end of the day and they still prioritise the Dream Team and no matter what it’s Dream who George would rather be staying up for 10 hours calling. I think this has allowed them to develop a new level of trust and value towards eachother as they’ve now realised a strength in their relationship and that no matter what they’re not leaving. This could also be part of why we’ve noticed a shift as they seem to appreciate eachother’s presence and loyalty more :D

I’m really sorry people have been aggressive towards you in the past and if you need anything then I’m always willing to help :). Although I don’t ship dnf, I’m definitely not an anti and I still really appreciate the cute content that is put out by shippers because I think it’s quite versatile as I am still able to appreciate from a platonic standpoint whilst others can appreciate from a romantic standpoint: both ways are equally valid as both George and Dream have expressly stated they’re 100% fine with it all. Sorry for the really long answer hahahaha

In short: yes I have :D

[chouetteffraie]

The Inherent Romanticism of Headpats - Why Ship Dazatsu

I was scrolling through the dark corners of bsd tumblr and came across a few “Why I Ship (blank)” posts and thought I’d like to try and articulate my unending love for dazatsu in a similar fashion! Please note that I am in no way trying to steal the spotlight from other ships or trying to claim that dazatsu is “better” - it’s just my favorite and I wanna talk about them! Also, I physically cannot talk about them without a shipper’s bias - I’ve had them in my heart since like late 2016. This is ingrained into my spirit.

So, without further ado, let’s talk about why I ship dazatsu (and why you should too). yes i’m kidding about that last part.

warning for manga spoilers and headers that would make amazing fic titles. tag me if you use one. manga pictures taken from dazaiscans and easygoingscans.

1. The Promise to be Good

hehehe let’s start with maybe the most obvious one that is, arguably, the most canon fact about these two. Just because I choose to view it as romantic doesn’t mean it IS - but it is certainly a beautiful aspect of their relationship and yes it makes me soft every time I think about it.

We all know Dazai’s past and what inspired him to make the switch from the Port Mafia to the side that saves people - Odasaku. No matter what you say, it’s obvious that Oda and Dazai have a very close, meaningful relationship - and arguably, Odasaku had the biggest impact (and the most importance?) in Dazai’s life. When Oda told Dazai to leave the Port Mafia, to go make something beautiful with his life - he did. And it’s those words alone that keep him motivated to stay in his job and help protect the city - because he loves it, maybe, but because someone he loves urged him to.

Dazai, despite what his strange poetry may make you believe, is only human. As much as those words mean to him, he gets discouraged.

Along comes Atsushi, the starving tiger boy by the river. Atsushi is an orphan parallels to oda saving the orphans already, and he was in dire need of someone to save him. So, Dazai did. Whether it was because of the tiger or Odasaku’s last words, Dazai saved Atsushi and gave him life. He provided food, shelter, a means to provide for himself - even companionship. Everything Atsushi has, it started with Dazai picking him up off the riverbed and lugging him along. What’s more, Dazai didn’t just turn him over to somebody else - he presented a case to Fukuzawa to keep him and serves as his mentor. Further along in the canon story, he provides Atsushi with the emotional guidance that he needs (Portrait of a Father, anyone? Let’s cry over that for a second.) He doesn’t just give Atsushi a moment’s care - he helps him build himself up, he supports him, and together, they protect the people of Yokohama.

Atsushi is living, breathing proof that Dazai is living up to his promise to be a good man. Even better, he seems to be perfectly happy with confirming that yes, Dazai is good, whenever Dazai needs it.

In this way, they complete each other. They provide a source of comfort that nobody else has been able to. Atsushi is Dazai’s proof that he is doing the one thing he wants to do, more than anything - be what Odasaku wanted.

2. You Saved Me, We Save Each Other

Keeping that in mind, Atsushi is sort of Dazai’s reward for being good. Now, I’m not implying Dazai is owed Atsushi at all - to an extent, you could argue Atsushi is maybe even too good for Dazai. But Dazai is trying to be a good man, and Atsushi is the one who tells him and reaffirms his efforts and gives him that praise, that recognition, that reward for being good. Dazai’s main inspiration to stay on the light(er) side is Odasaku - but that doesn’t mean that Atsushi can’t become another huge driving force that makes Dazai want to stay on that path. Oda motivates him, gives him the reason to start. Atsushi can be the prize that makes trying worth it when he tends to forget. 

Atsushi saves Dazai. He saves him from his self-doubt, and from the world that gives him every reason to believe he has failed in his promise. If anything, that promise might be Dazai’s strongest lifeline. By reinforcing the line, Atsushi is saving Dazai.

And of course, Dazai saves Atsushi. He did literally save him by the river, and he helps teach Atsushi how to Not Die by virtue of being his mentor, but it’s more than that. Dazai has been the one to save Atsushi from his own mind time and time again. He provides a reason for Atsushi to believe he has (or is) earned/earning the right to live. Atsushi isn’t entirely over his desire to prove himself worthy - but Dazai is always the one to tell him that he has succeeded in his goal. Dazai is the one to say “You’ve proven yourself. You deserve the life you’re living.”

3. You Learn Something New Every Day

As Atsushi’s mentor, Dazai naturally teaches Atsushi things. But beyond the simple strategic battlefield lessons, Dazai has been there for Atsushi multiple times to help him address and begin to overcome his trauma. Sure, some efforts are worse than the others (dazatsu stans just wipe our memories of the train station scene and that’s valid and sexy of us i think.) But in times when Atsushi is clearly distressed, Dazai has been there to help him through it. He’s helped Atsushi sort through his grief, and he’s helped Atsushi start to see that his feelings are valid and that he’s allowed to live a fulfilling life.

Atsushi isn’t the only one learning, though! That’s one of the best parts of the ship - Atsushi teaches Dazai, too. Dazai has spent a long time feeling as though nobody will understand him intimately, or as deeply as Odasaku did. But Atsushi is getting there. He’s one of the closest to it, I think. From saying things like Dazai is a good man, to picking up on Dazai’s feelings at Oda’s grave in Dead Apple, and even the end scene when Dazai asked Atsushi directly if he thought he was a good person and Atsushi said without hesitation “Sure, why?” Atsushi teaches Dazai that he is human. He teaches Dazai that he is capable of feeling and forming close, intimate connections. They help the other learn about the areas they need to, and in both cases, they’re becoming patient teachers and prized pupils.

4. I’ll Listen When Nobody Else Will

Everybody knows how Dazai is often brushed off when talking about dying. People have brought up that the agency just has faith in his resilience, but that doesn’t meant that they aren’t acting without care towards Dazai. Atsushi does this too - in the very first episode, Dazai’s attempt at suicide is just taken with him being exasperated at his antics before pushing him down. But here’s the thing - it’s generally agreed upon that Atsushi is the one who is sent out to find Dazai. Atsushi is the one who knows where to find him. Arguably, Atsushi is the one that will listen to Dazai. He’s becoming the one who can not only pick apart Dazai’s mannerisms and slightest tells - he isn’t proficient, but he’s working on it - but he’s the one that treats them with care.

I’ve spent a lot of time noting similarities between the understanding Atsushi has of Dazai to the understanding Dazai’s truest friend had to him. Here’s one thing that separates Oda from Atsushi, and for me, it’s one of the major reasons why I personally ship one more than the other: Odasaku didn’t push Dazai the way Atsushi does. Both Oda and Atsushi have a way of laying out a field for Dazai to talk and bounce his thoughts off of, no matter how cryptically they come out. But Atsushi asks questions, he prods at the darkest corners of Dazai and he allows Dazai to question himself so he can continue to grow. Where Oda gave Dazai a place to feel comfortable in where he was, Atsushi gives Dazai a space to feel comfortable as he grows, which is what he needs in order to continue being a good man.

And please note, this isn’t me saying dazatsu or Atsushi is better than odazai or Odasaku. What I mean to say is this is where the difference lies, and Atsushi gives Dazai what he needs now - something he might not have needed without Odasaku’s urging to leave.

5. Guiding Light

When two characters are each other’s north star, where is there not romance? Dazai is very much Atsushi’s main source of guidance, a side effect of being his mentor for sure - but it’s more than just asking questions. Their relationship runs deep into Atsushi’s train of thought, to the point where Atsushi hallucinates Dazai’s presence when he feels uncertain. Any time Atsushi needs guidance or reassurance, he looks to Dazai. 

This is more shipper goggle-y, but I like to believe Atsushi does the same for Dazai. I’ve said over and over again that above all else, Atsushi is Dazai’s proof that he is being good. I also like to think that Atsushi, in a way, is a ray of light for Dazai to follow. He’s selfless (although for some reasons that deserve to be readjusted), he’s kind, and he loves life - all life. He’s a sunbeam in action that provides a perfect example for what Dazai could be and is trying to be - and if this light is happy with keeping Dazai close, maybe there’s hope for him after all.

6. What Makes Life Worth Living

Atsushi and Dazai are opposites in once major aspect: Atsushi has a sort of reverence for life, whereas Dazai craves to escape it. These are two major points of their characters - but here’s the kicker. Dazai wants to get close to human emotion. He wants to understand what makes life worth living. Atsushi is quite possibly the strongest candidate to show him what he can do and how loving life can help. I’m not saying that Atsushi is Dazais’ fix-it-all elixir, but he has a good chance to gently prod at Dazai and get him thinking.

Atsushi can show Dazai what makes life worth living. And that’s something that I think would do Dazai a world of good.

7. Can I Change for the Better?

ATSUSHI! INSISTS! DAZAI! IS! GOOD! I will not ever diminish this point because it is so important! Dazai seems to have it in his head that his blood is mafia black, that he can play the charade of a good man but will never be more than an actor playing a part. Atsushi, though - Atsushi is constantly telling him that he is good. Atsushi, who probably couldn’t keep up a lie for that long because the poor boy has zero tact. Dazai even asks Atsushi frequently if he’s a good person, and Atsushi always says yes. Atsushi gives Dazai what he needs to hear.

Atsushi, however, has his own issues. He has his own trauma to tackle, and his own bad habits to reform to become a better person. Atsushi isn't’ a bad person, but he also isn’t the best version of himself. Dazai can help him become that. Dazai can give him the guidance he needs, as he did with sorting through his grief surrounding the headmaster. Dazai can help Atsushi start the battle against his past, and he has been there with him every step of the way, whether in body or spirit. They help each other be better.

8. I Trust You With What I Love Most

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again - the toast they added to the end of season 3 is one of the most tender moments Dazai has ever had with anybody. One thing Dazai never does is let people in on his past - not past the necessary details, anyway, and especially not the intimate moments he holds in his heart. But sharing that toast with Atsushi - inviting him in to the toast he shared with Oda and Ango, “To the stray dogs,” - it’s one of his most vulnerable times on screen. I don’t care what you say. Dazai deliberately letting Atsushi in, giving him this tiny piece of his past he’s had tucked away in a safe place - that was him offering up a piece of his heart. I’m soft just thinking about it again.

Other than that, Dazai has an enormous faith in Atsushi. He’s built entire plans trusting that Atsushi will do his job perfectly the way it needs to be done. Hell, towards the end of the Guild arc, it was his faith in Atsushi to bring the doll down to him that convinced Twain they were beat. Not to mention, Dazai has trusted Atsushi enough to form a new partnership without him in order to protect the city - and if that’s not one of the most blatant displays of trust and faith you’ve seen, I don’t know what is.

9. There’s a Softness Within Me I Didn’t Know I Had

Another thing that’s good for Dazai - Atsushi is comfortable. Dazai can let his guard down, just a tiny bit, around Atsushi, There was the graveyard scene in Dead Apple, or the toast scene at the end of season 3 - those are moments where Atsushi has given himself a moment to relax and show Atsushi how proud he is. This kind of emotion, this vulnerability that says ‘I’ve been hoping you’d pull through and look at how amazing you’ve become’ - there’s a softness that holds that Dazai doesn’t hold for anybody else. It’s a gentleness or pride, of trust, of somebody becoming more than you could ever imagine and coming back to you, even thanking you - it’s a sensation nobody else has given Dazai, because nobody else has been a protege as trustworthy and gentle as Atsushi.

(and, believe me, there’s a hundred other examples of the softness in the anime, manga, official art, and so much more. here’s a thread that you can still add to if you want)

Atsushi is also soft with Dazai. He wants to make him proud, sure, but there isn’t any fear once their job is done. Atsushi doesn’t have to fear horrible repercussions if he makes one misstep - Dazai allows him to learn, to grow, and to feel however he seems fit (or, it’s a skill he’s improving at as the series goes on.)

They give each other a safety to feel vulnerable. They are comfortable to each other. And, of course, they have a special softness for the other that they do not hold for anybody else.

10. My Mistakes are the Cracks You Have a Knack for Fixing

Again, Atsushi is always there to reassure Dazai that he can be a good man. One part of this is that he insist that Dazai’s past doesn’t have to affect his future. He’s one of the only people who tells Dazai that he doesn’t hold him accountable for what he’s done before - he’s Dazai-san now, and that���s what matters to Atsushi. Atsushi gives Dazai the most space to fix these mistakes, to move past them, and to learn from them, not holding them against him at all.

In the same way Atsushi is Dazai’s proof that he’s being a good man, he is also Dazai’s proof that he can fix the mistakes he made. (Of course, I’m not excusing the way he strings anybody along - but the first step to fixing a mistake is admitting you have made one and working on yourself, and that’s what Atsushi allows him to do.)

In conclusion, I think Dazatsu is so soft and amazing because it’s about the healing and acceptance. BSD is all about gray morality, and dazatsu is a soft ship that can take each other’s bad and accept them. It’s not only about seeing the darkest side of somebody - it’s about accepting those flaws but also giving them space to grow. They grow and they learn and they heal together. They ensure that the other never has to go through a drastic change alone. In a way, they can be home for the other, a refuge from the shitty cards life has dealt them and a steady lifeline to reach for a better tomorrow. That’s why I love dazatsu - because I can’t see another situation with nearly as much love and trust as they have. They are tender, they can be vulnerable, and they can heal. 

Like the beautiful sunset hours the met in, they celebrated in, they console each other in, they allow the other to turn the page on their past and start anew, with a clean canvas for a dazzling display that they can make together.

[katnissmellarkkk]

Alrightttt, I’m on a roll so we’re going onto chappy five 🥳🥳🥳😎😎

I know the movies made the Capitol — re: basically only Effie and maybe Caesar — have those ridiculous made up accents but .... I actually feel like the description of the Capitol accent in the book is supposed to be like the Kardashians or Paris Hilton’s voice. 🤷🏼‍♀️

“Why do these people speak in such a high pitch? Why do their jaws barely open when they talk? Why do the ends of their sentences go up as if they're asking a question? Odd vowels, clipped words, and always a hiss on the letter s. no wonder it's impossible not to mimic them.” Like this is a pretty good description of how Kim Kardashian and her sisters talk. And Suzzy C did say she was inspired by the juxtaposition between war news footage and ridiculous reality television shows so... I think my theory of the Capitol all talking like they’re on the Real Housewives of LA is pretty valid.

Just imagine Paris Hilton as Effie and Nicole Richie as one of her preps

Lolololol this whole section of waxing is reminding me to go get my legs waxed 😭😭😭 straight up calling me out here, Suzanne

I like how Katniss says her stylist “apparently has no interest in seeing her until the prep team has addressed obvious problems.” Like you can tell from her narration she was expecting to feel the same was about Cinna that she does about Effie and her prep team.

The “gritty loam that takes off dirt and three layers of skin” is probably just a strong exfoliator 😭😭😭 my girl knows nothing about quality skincare 🤧🤧 someone build a Panem Sephora

She mentioned them waxing her underarms.... girl, did you have hairy armpits before this? Idk why this revelation is new to me

“Grease her down!” Just sounds wrong 😅😅😅😅 I need to stop being annoying omg I’m like a twelve year old

Hmm it’s funny to me that Katniss refers to Octavia as plump. You’d think in a place like the Capitol body image and weight would be very important. Unless it’s like back in the old, old days when being overweight was a sign of wealth. Which would make more sense so this was an unnecessary thought process curtesy of Samantha

Katniss faking a smile and thanking her prep team shows she does know how to play the game and fake it better than she says.

So ... okay, hear me out, I’m not trying to get over the top or make this into something it’s not but ... the whole stylists / Cinna coming into the room and staring at her naked is a little weird. Especially considering Cinna isn’t Lenny Kravitz who’s like a bit older than her but actually like a twenty-something year old dude.

But okay, here’s the thing I was getting at ... Cinna’s one of the best people in this series and you can’t deny that. Even if you find him boring, he’s still one of Katniss’ closest people. Also he’s probably gay. But like ... what about the other stylists? I don’t wanna be that person who makes everything more than it is, but like, this scene just sounds like a perfect opportunity for some Capitol creep to assault a teenager idk I’m probably making a mountain out of a molehill just ignore Samantha okay.

That’s nice that he complimented her mama though 🥰🥰🥰

So Katniss calls District Twelve the least desirable district but ... doesn’t District Eleven suck too? Like she also later says District Twelve is the smallest and the poorest but doesn’t she also say Rue is worse off than her and Prim? Make up your mind, Suz.

Cinna claims he asked for District Twelve but did he really get an option? 😅 If it’s his first year and Katniss claims the newbies get them anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️ Samantha is once again, reading too much into this.

Awww, Katniss is thinking about how long it would take for her to assemble this fancy meal at home 🤧🤧🤧 it would take her days and the Capitol just has the necessary resources at their disposal and they just takes it for granted. And yes, I’m aware this is supposed to be calling all us readers out who take so much for granted I know. We’re the Capitol.

“How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by?” It’s honestly so sad but so vital to her character that Katniss has zero hobbies or real free time. Her life is about surviving. She doesn’t get to live or enjoy very much of her time. She dedicates everything to keeping Prim — and her mother — alive, sacrificing everything a teenage girl should be doing. Sacrificing even the things the other girls in her world get to do. She mentions the merchant girls and the Seam girls who are more experienced romantically and sexually and socially than her. Because she doesn’t get to be a kid or innocent or even happy, in order to focus on her and her family’s survival. And the things she does enjoy, like spending time with Gale or dancing with Prim (mentioned in Mockingjay) she downplays in case they’re taken away, because nothing good is secure in her eyes. 🥺🥺🥺

Okay but what did Katniss’ facial expression give away that Cinna knew exactly what she was thinking? Or is she just less emotionless than she and Haymitch both claim? Ironically I think they’re the only people who call her emotionless which can easily be chalked up to their self-hate and terrible self-esteems.

Katniss is so afraid they’re gonna make her be naked for the parade 😭. Honestly though they’re children that’s so creepy that they’re even allowed to make 15/16/17 year olds be naked in a parade. I mean I know they kill kids every year but isn’t there like child pornography laws in Panem? 😭

“You’re not afraid of fire, are you, Katniss?” Is so foreshadowing 😭😂😅😎 Caesar Flickerman’s voice “Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire!”

Honestly though Cinna is smart to make Katniss recognizable in the arena by leaving her with simple makeup. I know and the sky is blue we all know this already beating the dead horses until the farmer comes home.

“It crosses my mind that Cinna's calm and normal demeanor masks a complete madman.” It’s true though 😅😅😅😭😭 he was always a rebel. I actually think he may have asked for District Twelve after Katniss volunteered, because he saw the potential in her. Poor Peeta. Baby, I’m rooting you for even if no one else is.

Also I always found it a bit .... curious? That Peeta had a female stylist and Katniss had a male one? Not just because of the required nudity, you’d just think men would do better as a boy’s stylist and a woman would make a better girl’s stylist. So yes, my whole Cinna was interested in District Twelve because Katniss seemed like a good symbol for a rebellion idea seems very plausible.

I know I know I know I read wayyy too much into this stuff sometimes a cigarette 🚬 is just a cigarette 🚬

Katniss being relieved when Peeta shows up 😭😭😭 because even if she won’t admit it and even if she won’t let herself trust him, she still sees him unconsciously and completely against her will as a comfort because they’re in this thing together in a way, even if they’re supposed to try and kill each other

And honestly, it’s such a like... relatable feeling? To feel alone and nervous and uptight and then someone who you recognize — even if you maybe aren’t even friends with but you at least know — shows up and you just instantly feel less alone. I’m totally looking at this through shipper goggles and I’m not even ashamed you all knew who’s blogging you were reading ight? 😂🤣🤷🏼‍♀️

“He should know about fire, being a baker's son and all.” And he’s gonna learn a lot more about it when he falls in love — for real, falls in love, not a childhood infatuation — with the girl on fire. 🥰🥰🥰

But also, I love this particular line on a reread because it totally is an indicator towards their future. Like Peeta knows about fire, he’s experienced with how to handle it, and later on, he becomes the only person who truly comes to understand Katniss, who represents fire, in a way that no one else could ever imagine.

Hmmm, Katniss’ point of view here, talking about how Portia and Peeta’s team seem all giddy and air-headed and it’s only Cinna who seems reserved makes me rethink my previous imaginings of Peeta’s stylist. Maybe she’s just a Capitolite idiot and nothing like Cinna. And my baby got a raw deal here then too. Good thing Haymitch loves him more. Just kidding 😅😅😅

But also I wanna know why Cinna is hesitant to accept congratulations for his and Portia’s idea? Wasn’t he at least lowkey excited about it when he pitched it a page ago?

Their horses are coal black 🐴 😅. I like that they went the whole nine yards with the theme. Nothing but the best for the kids on Death Row.

Aww Katniss asking Peeta what he thinks about being set on fire is so sweet and pure for some reason. I just find their commodore here cute ok

“I'll rip off your cape if you'll rip off mine” this is literally their first friend type of interaction and it’s so pure y’all leave me be I’m emotional for them

🙃 Also lowkey reminds me of “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” Everyone look away ok I’m sorry

Peeta’s shady/annoyed Haymitch comment and Katniss’ joke at his expense 🤣🤣😂🤣😂😂🥲🥲☺️🥲🥲 they’re bonding it’s so presh

“And suddenly we're both laughing.” I hope they laugh a lot together post-canon 🥲🥲🥲. If they can make the other laugh during their terrible circumstances, then they can make the other laugh anywhere. 🤧 Except in Thirteen because he’s hijacked and she’s certifiable and they’re both so used and abused and ��🥺🥺🥺

Okay I have to say, Suzanne Collins really builds up a lot for certain events and then just like grazes over the actual action of said event? Like she builds towards the tribute parade but then kind of rushes through off the actual event itself? It’s a common theme in her writing. And I don’t like it at all ngl.

Oh wait she doesn’t actually rush the parade events the paragraph before just looked like she was about to I jumped the gun 🤣😂🤭 but what I said is still completely true for many events in these books sorry not sorry

I’m definitely reading too much into it but the fact that District One — the favorite of the Capitol — gets snow white horses and District Twelve gets coal black horsies kind of ... seems to imply something .... 🤭

Cinna just lets out a sigh of relief “it worked” like ... way to fill your tributes with hope, dude. “Yeah, you’re totally safe, don’t be scared-OH THANK GOD THAT WORKED I wasn’t actually sure you wouldn’t blow up.” But actually this answers my previous inquiry about why he seemed hesitant I guess he wasn’t even sure this wouldn’t burn them up that’s nice 🤭🙃

It’s a literal trial by fire *cue drum hit* 🥁 aww, I just cracked myself up 😭

“Then he gently tucks a hand under my chin. "Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you!" This is caught halfway between being very Capitol-y and very father-brotherly and idk which way to take it but it’s kind of cute 🤭

“For the first time, I look at him and realize that ablaze with the fake flames, he is dazzling.” This is such a significant line because Katniss isn’t saying Peeta is technically good looking (like when Haymitch said they were decently attractive) or someone else thinks he’s good looking (i.e Gale, her mother and lowkey Finnick) but she’s saying she herself thinks he’s attractive. Girl, your crush is showing.

"I think he said for us to hold hands," says Peeta.” I’m sure Cinna actually did say that but this just seems like a very good opportunity for Peeta to hold the hand of the girl he has a massive crush on. 😭😭😭

Okay Cinna gave a thumbs up so he actually was saying that but can you imagine Peeta’s excitement right now?

I mean, yeahhhh, there’s the certain death looming over him too but like live in the moment, babe. 🥰😘🤗👌🏻

I like that Katniss says the crowd is at first like 😳😳😳 before they start cheering like they’re thinking “what are these backwoods, hillbilly kids doing this year?”

“At first, I'm frozen, but then I catch sight of us on a large television screen and am floored by how breathtaking we look. In the deepening twilight, the firelight illuminates our faces” okay they both have to be pretty naturally attractive people objectively, because you illuminate my face without much makeup and no one is gonna be cheering.

“Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're going to love you! I hear Cinna's voice in my head. I lift my chin a bit higher, put on my most winning smile, and wave with my free hand.” I wonder what the true difference is for Katniss between Cinna and Effie saying this to her? Maybe it’s that Effie is just outright mean to her sometimes whereas Cinna shows her nothing but kindness from the start and expresses sympathy and understanding? It’s probably that he’s already earning her trust versus Effie who’s just cruel I’m not over her comments on the train ok

“I'm glad now I have Peeta to clutch for balance, he is so steady, solid as a rock.” Right from the start, Katniss refers to Peeta as solid and steady. Idk, I feel like this is something that the movies really misses along the way. Katniss wasn’t always strong or confident at all and Peeta, at least publicly, exuded those qualities pretty well. Samantha’s complaining again ™️ 💁🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Also this is just outright foreshadowing how Peeta will eventually become her rock. Or that he will be soon painted a rock ... pick and choose which way you wanna go with this. 🤷🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️😅🤣

“As I gain confidence, I actually blow a few kisses to the crowd.” Okay, see I feel like Peeta really gives Katniss confidence in herself. If he’d been there in District Thirteen and they’d done propos together, she probably would have been a thousand times better.

But also this makes me think Katniss actually has it in her to be a charismatic, confident, alluring celebrity. She just chooses not to. 🤗🤗🤗

But this also reminds me of “She has no idea the effect she can have” okay imma move on and stop focusing on every little detail

I say that every chapter 🤧😅

“The pounding music, the cheers, the admiration work their way into my blood, and I can't suppress my excitement.” Say whatever you want, Katniss is still such a girl underneath it all. She gets excited over people liking her and cheering her on. And I know it’s because it increases her chances of getting sponsors but still

Honestly Peeta trying to showcase Katniss and let her take the spotlight is so selfless and indicative of his ultimate plan to help her win but also ... I can see how Katniss would believe it’s too good to be true and he’s messing with her. That he’s just playing the game to earn her trust, get her guard down and manipulate her later.

See, Peeta is actually framed at the start like the typical, standard YA love interest turned villain. In majority of YA books, at this point the boy is kind and sweet and helpful to the girl until she trusts him completely and then he turns on her and uses everything she gave him to destroy her. But the difference is, Katniss refuses to truly trust him and she is guessing his game incorrectly at every step. And then it’s revealed that it was never a game and he truly isn’t messing with her and everything he’s done that’s seem too good to be true and not even remotely plausible has actually been genuine and heartfelt and that, my friends, is why Peeta is above all other YA love interests. Because Everlark is actually the foil to many of the cliches. That was a long speech over some incoherent thoughts I’m so sorry if you suffered through that.

“It's not until we enter the City Circle that I realize I must have completely stopped the circulation in Peeta's hand. That's how tightly I've been holding it.” Awww he is her rock 😭🤧🥺

"No, don't let go of me," he says. The firelight flickers off his blue eyes. "Please. I might fall out of this thing." Okay this part is so cute and so blatantly setting Peeta up as her main love interest omg 😅 this isn’t the least bit subtle or disguised. But first off, the fact that Katniss is also Peeta’s stability here too 😭😭😭 and second of all, she takes time to notice his blue eyes against the firelight? She was attracted to him from the very start, y’all. That’s indisputable. 👌🏻😎🤧

“It's not really fair to present us as a team and then lock us into the arena to kill each other.” I agree with you, baby, it’s not fair at all. But you two take care of that situation nicely. Or not. Y’all do start a dang war. 🤭🤭🙃🙃

It’s rather ... ironic that it’s District Twelve’s chariot of them all that is pulled up and stopped directly in front of President Snow’s mansion. I know it’s a book, certain details like this are definitively contrived, I know get over it. 🤦🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️

So uh. Snow is a small thin man? Why do I suddenly imagine Danny Devito as Snow 😅😅😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣 y’all know he’d kill the role

“The darker it becomes, the more difficult it is to take your eyes off our flickering.” Okay, this is such a great line and it’s so significant to the rest of the series? The fact that Katniss — and Peeta, let’s not forget our boy — became symbols of the revolution. Like this line is deep if you think about it. The worse things in Panem got, the more the civilians looked towards Katniss and Peeta for hope 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥰🥰🥰🥰

Omg now after Songbirds and Snakes, we know the national anthem. I’m sorry, babies, that you have to endure that I’ll get you out of there 🙉🙉🙉

I feel like in part, the Capitol camera crew — Cressida, Pollux .... Pollux’s brother... is that you here???? — put so much attention on District Twelve because it would create some resentment and competition between them and the careers 🤭🤗

“I notice a lot of the other tributes are shooting us dirty looks, which confirms what I've suspected, we've literally outshone them all.” Insert Gretchen Wieners “I can’t help that I’m popular!” 😅😅😅😅😅

“I realize I'm still glued to Peeta and force my stiff fingers to open. We both massage our hands.” — they were hanging on so tight 😭😭😭😭

“Thanks for keeping hold of me.” He’s so sweet ☺️☺️☺️ I love him even if he’s kind of an idiot sometimes but so is Katniss so let’s not point fingers

“I'm sure they didn't notice anything but you. [...] And then he gives me a smile that seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness” Omg I know Katniss views this as him trying to manipulate her but the fact that he’s actually just admitting the way he’s felt for years is so 😭😭😭😭 if only you’d spit it out sooner, Bready

“he gives me a smile that seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me.” She literally has a crush on her fellow tribute and her first line of defense is to decide he out to get her for making her feel this way 🤣😭🙃

“The more likable he is, the more deadly he is.” The more my crush grows, the more deadly he becomes. I know I’m reading this with shipper goggles but guess what? I’m unashamed. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ who feels guilty for reading this book with an Everlark bias not this girl right here 🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️

“I stand on tiptoe and kiss his cheek. Right on his bruise.” Okay first off, she says cheek here but according to a chapter ago, she claimed the mark was on his jaw... so in other words, she’s incredibly short. If a medium height guy has a bruise on his jaw and she has to stand on her tip toe to reach it... well... hashtag LittleKatniss

And second off.... can you even imagine how Peeta must feel. He genuinely complimented her here, the girl he has had a crush on forever, and she responds by kissing his cheek. He was probably really happy at this moment. And also this probably played further into his buying into her false display in the arena. That here we have her clutching his hand, smiling and laughing with him and kissing his cheek. Idk what I was trying to say necessarily but I made myself sad wow way to go me 🥺🥺🥺🥺🤧🤧🤧

Anyways! Those are my very over the top and too detailed thoughts! Hope you enjoyed if you read this! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳😎😎😎😎😎😎😎🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[ohahsoka]

hey! you might have answered this before, so i'm sorry in advance if that's the case, but any snk ship opinions? like, hate, apathy? i'm just curious, thanks!

Hi, anon!

My favorite pairing is levihan, and tbh, that’s the only ship I truly care about in a romantic sense. They checkmark so many of my favorite tropes: complementary opposites, sunshine and grumpy, parents to an adoptive family, perfect understanding of each other. (There are more, but it’d take too long to list them all.)

Crackships are fun as hell. Mikasa’s love-hate thing with Annie is fantastic, as well as her extrovert/introvert dynamic with Sasha. Is Jeankasa a crackship? Probably. His love for her is so caring and respectful, and I appreciate it so much. Jean and Reiner serving as thematic parallels/foils to Eren makes these relationships so great for me.

I really like analyzing yumikuri’s connection and how important it is plot-wise. I wish they had more time.

While I absolutely love the characters individually, I only mildly care about aruani. I’m not even sure why, they have a wonderful (though short) buildup. Maybe because I’m more invested in other aspects of their arcs.

EMA’s story is written so well, and I love their thematic connections; every relationship in this triad has something special going for it.

Falgabi are kids and a parallel/foil to eremika, and I’m interested in them for the latter reason heh.

As for dislikes, as far as canon goes, I don’t have any. It’s fanon that can drive me crazy, so I’ve learned to avoid bad takes. Shipper goggles are a powerful thing, and fandoms love projecting their favorite tropes onto characters that absolutely don’t exhibit them.

I still have a hangover from the discourse around ackerbond (as some weird twilight-like imprinting occurrence). Its existence has been debunked in chapter 130, yet people still use it as ship fuel or a reason for character hate.

The biggest fanon headache right now is ere/hisu. Conceptually, as crackship, they’re okay. What some fans created in their heads regarding this ship’s canon prospects is another thing entirely. I believe the manga goes against their theories, both because genocide has always been narratively punished up to this point, and because Mikasa and Armin’s connection to Eren is still the main focus relationship-wise. Hopefully, cheap shipping drama is not AoT’s final plot twist.

My answer is a bit messy, but I think I covered most of my feelings on the topic. I generally try to avoid drama related to ships, but I also love analyzing canon, so inevitably I see some weird interpretations of scenes/relationships that are fairly self-explanatory.

[panharmonium]

I like good romantic pairings as much as anyone else but lbr viewing media solely thru the lens of “shipping” is rly reductive, so I appreciate ur view on romance not being a priority in merlin. Like, I’ve seen too many posts abt Merlin mocking Arthur at their first meeting w ppl saying things like “that is not a straight thing to say 👀” Guys. You’re missing the point, which is that Merlin is brave and cheeky and rn Arthur is a bully. It’s a good moment, but an obsession w shipping ruins it yk?

god, yes.  thank you.

i'm putting the rest of this under a cut just because i know for a lot of people the above kind of fandom experience is fun, and i'm not here to harsh anyone's vibe.  i'm glad that people are able to enjoy fandom in their own way, and me talking about my own preferences does not mean i think anyone else should change what they're doing.  i am comfortable curating my own fandom experience to suit my needs - @ everyone else, please continue to do your thing and have fun with it!

I’ve seen too many posts abt Merlin mocking Arthur at their first meeting w ppl saying things like “that is not a straight thing to say” 

YES.  this is my least favorite shipping-related trend ever.  

it's not just that scene.  it's every single moment in the show (and not just between merlin and arthur, either).  every possible interaction gets pulled out and twisted to be about how in love two characters must be, when the actual point is Clearly Not That, and it's exhausting.  i know other people find it fun, and i'm glad they're having fun, but for me, it's exhausting.

for a show where the main character canonically demonstrates virtually zero interest in romantic attachment, it's really...difficult for me sometimes to fully immerse myself in this fandom, because almost all of the fannish content is about shipping merlin with arthur.  and if you don't think arthur is good enough for merlin (valid lol), you ship him with gwaine, or somebody else who you think would treat him better.  merlin without a love interest - the merlin i know from canon - is so hard for me to find.  i don’t really see him anywhere.

(also, to clarify: the PEOPLE in this fandom are fantastic.  everyone I've encountered in my limited experience has been beyond lovely; and pretty much everyone I've met has always seemed totally warm and welcoming of various ships and opinions, which obviously isn't something you find in every fandom, so in that sense, my experience with the merlin fandom has been consistently awesome.  what i'm musing about now isn't individual shippers or their preferences; it's about the overarching content-related experience of being a non-shipper in a fandom where, content-wise, shipping is The Main Thing To Do.)

and of course, this isn't just a merlin fandom trend.  this is the way things have been done in every fandom i've ever been involved in.  every single interaction between two characters always ends up getting pulled out and viewed through a shipping lens, and suddenly everything about the characters as individuals is made to be about the relationship.  EVERYTHING.  things that very clearly have actual, non-romantic explanations get taken out of their context and framed as "they're in LOVE."

and again, as I said before - there's nothing inherently wrong with that, and if people have fun with it, good!  that's what fandom is for.  but it's not my jam, and it can be a bit frustrating sometimes, because a) it’s a reductive analysis, like you said, and b) as someone who is deeply invested in all the friendships on this show, i'm not sure what the institution of friendship is even supposed to look like in this fandom.  does it actually exist?  because a character can't do anything even remotely kind without immediately having it captioned "they're so in love" or "today in totally platonic things, winkwink nudgenudge"

like

what tiny smidgen of caring is small enough to fall under the category of friendship?  how cold and unfeeling do characters have to be with each other for their interactions to qualify as friendship?  literally everything that happens in merlin bbc is, in fact, a product of the love merlin feels for his friends, and nothing about that fact was ever difficult for me to believe while i was watching the show, but once i got out into the wider fandom, it was like that just wasn’t possible.  nobody would do these things for "just" friends.  nobody would be that gentle or caring or loving with "just" friends.  nobody would look at "just" friends like that.  nobody would grieve for “just” friends like that.

to borrow a phrase from one of george lucas's discussions about a different media issue - "i don't like that and i don't believe that."

nothing about that philosophy is interesting to me, or remotely realistic.  and i don’t necessarily think it’s what shipping as an institution is actively trying to communicate, but it is still what’s actually being said in those kind of *wink wink, nudge nudge* posts.

[it’s worth noting also that the *wink wink, nudge nudge*, “every little thing is romantic” lens only applies when people want it to.  i see a lot of the following two modes in the merlin fandom: when it comes to merlin/arthur, fanon interpretation of the show is twisted to make every single one of their interactions serve as evidence for an imaginary romance, but when it comes to arthur and gwen's actual, demonstrated romantic attraction for each other, fandom twists everything the opposite way.  i constantly see posts that are like "i think arthur and gwen loved each other, but they weren't IN love" - uh-huh.  ok.  convenient, that.  suddenly we’ve lost the ability to perceive romance in every single innocuous gesture?  apparently we can fabricate romance out of two people blinking at each other, but only when the relationship in question is a pretend pairing we wish was real.  otherwise, the canonical romance and all of its attendant acts of devotion just don’t register.]

and you know, it's whatever.  i've been involved in fandom long enough to know that this kind of shipping is just how things always go, and i’m happy enough keeping to my own area and trying to curate my fandom experience in a way that brings me the most enjoyment.  but i 100% feel you on ubiquitous shipping goggles being a difficult thing to constantly navigate.  

[beingpassionateabout]

Elsa in white and Anna in black--> opposite attract. That is it. That is the whole post.

I’m sure you did not ask for this but it made me think so bear with me for a sec. lol

I think we elsanna fans like to play with the idea that Anna and Elsa are color-coded as a romantic pairing and that’s fun and true but now with Frozen 2 we see that they’ve being given new colors and so their coding changed as well. There are even some people pointing out how they’re playing out a more “yin & yang” vibe. But what does it mean?

In order to comprehend their changes I took to Tvtropes to help me better characterize each of their phases. 

1. “Red Index/Blue Index”

In Frozen 1 and most of Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna are color coded as the Blue/Red (purple-ish) dynamic duo we see in this image. According to TvTropes, this means: 

“There’s just something about red and blue, the way these two colors complement each other but also seem to oppose each other. Since they contrast so well, they seem to be paired together in some form more than any other two non-gray scale colors: hot and cold, red team and blue team, red ribbon (2nd place) and blue ribbon (1st place). And this leads to their inevitable contrast in symbolism […]”

Also, in the Red Oni/Blue Oni section: 

“This trope is about two individuals (or occasionally, factions or civilizations) that are significantly linked together somehow (such as through a rivalry, friendship, being siblings, co-workers, competitors, etc.) that have differing personalities and, with it, often different approaches to the world in general, especially whatever they might be competing in/for/over.”

In both F1 and F2 they are represented in these colors. The “hot vs. cold” metaphor is even used in Olaf’s song “In Summer”, to indicate how they are opposites and yet complementary forces, and how he views both of them due to being a result of their creation. Also both the red ribbon (2nd) place and blue ribbon (1st) place play a part in there, indicating their places in life and the line of ascension to the throne (more on it later). 

All in all, this color-coding indicated their conflicting (in the beginning of F1) and complementary (F2) colors and approaches to life, with Elsa being more reserved and introverted and Anna being more assertive and adventurous. We saw how in F1 this color-coding meant that their arcs’s main goal was to overcome their differences and reunite in the end, as long lost siblings who just found love and comfort in each other’s presence after years of separation. That’s good and it fits the sibling narrative (canon) and the fanon shipping of them (elsanna) we saw after F1. 

Btw, this is my favorite spin of this trope: “Fire/Ice Duo: Since Fire Is Red and ice is generally light blue”

Bc I’d have loved if they gave Anna fire powers in F2 and made it even more of a romantic coded-pairing. So easy to ship.  

Back to the analysis tho, I was thinking to myself that my favorite aspect of F2 is how much elsanna we saw in it, totally wearing my shipper’s goggles, of course. 

But it’s important to point out why we see so much of them: because The Creators words were right and Elsa and Anna’s relationship is the main focus of the narrative, playing an important role in explaining later developments (like the “bridge”, as they told us later).

I am still of the opinion that this was a weak script and they could have done many things differently, not to mention better. However, now that I think of the main reason why i liked Elsa and Anna’s story together I see that it’s bc the creators had the right idea in mind: developing their relationship into something that would support both of their character changes later, while still keeping them together and strengthening their bond.

I’m not saying they did it well, i’m just saying that now that i see it, it sounds like a good idea (and even better shipping material, if you ask me) and that they really took them from one point to the other. 

Let me explain. They were coded before as Red and Blue, but after the changes in F2 they are now color-coded as:

2.  Light/Darkness juxtaposition. 

sauce

This new color-coding can mean many things for characters, mostly pointing out at the broody type/sunny type of relationship I don’t think they actually embody anymore (even so, Elsa would be seen as the broody type but she’s in light colors now so.. doesn’t fit). That makes us turn to the more mythical implications of this trope, as seen bellow:

“Darkness is the absence of light, and light cannot exist without darkness. The dichotomy between the two has been part of human storytelling for a very long time—many Creation Myths often involve light emerging from darkness, and many destruction myths involve darkness engulfing light.”

In F2 they did play with death and ressurection, with lightness (acceptance) and darkness (despair) and with mythical vs fairytale themes, but what did they settle upon for Elsa and Anna’s relationship? A narrative of epic and mythical love.

Yes.

“It can also be used in conjunction with other contrast tropes; for example, Life/Death Juxtaposition will generally have life associated with light and death with darkness. Solar and Lunar usually pairs the sun with light and the moon with darkness (due to its association with night). Chinese philosophy associates this with Fire/Water Juxtaposition, where the yin is associated with darkness and water, and the yang with fire and light. Light and dark can easily be treated as opposing cosmic forces.”

Wow. 

Their love for each other transcended death not once but twice.

Now that Elsa achieved goddess-like status and Anna ascended the throne (no longer representing 1st/blue and 2nd/red place, but standing as equals), it means that their character dynamic are now placed on a higher level than before too. But what could beat the True Love narrative of the first movie? A mythical tale of balancing cosmic forces, of course! 

Not only it means they’re each other’s true love, but it also means that they can’t exist without the other now at the risk of destroying the world’s balance. 

This fits nicely with the idea of The Bridge (a terrible excuse for separation but a beautiful metaphor for their love story) and how they connect the nations.. but most importantly this fits nicely with how they connect both human and spiritual realms now.

Whoa.

Now I see why Anna tells Elsa this line “our love is worthy of the great myths” by the end of Forest of Shadows. Because it is. Their love is worthy of the greatest tale of all. 

Here’s to hoping i made sense.

[echodrops]

Maybe you don’t want to answer this, but do you think Voltron falls under the bury your gays, word of gay and/or queerbaiting tropes?

Ah, at the risk of my follow count which dips whenever I’m anything less than glowing about Voltron, lol…

1) The Voltron writers knew about the “bury your gays” trope and killed their gay characters anyway, so yeah, that’s pretty blatantly bury your gays, no way around that. Maybe if it had been one of the gay or gay-coded characters, it would have been iffy and could have been given a pass, but–and I still haven’t finished the season so I don’t actually know for sure, but I believe Zethrid and Ezor were romantically coded and then also killed off or at least exploded/seem to have been killed off? That would mean that all four gay characters were killed off. Shiro got lucky and came back, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s dead and the EPs originally wanted him to stay dead. This isn’t a little bit bury your gays, it’s A LOT bit bury your gays. And the whole “It’s a war so we wanted to kill off someone meaningful” makes absolutely zero sense because A) Adam was in literally one flashback and that’s it, he wasn’t meaningful; B) Shiro didn’t get a real moment to mourn for him at all, so the death had zero emotional impact for his character and therefore little meaning to us viewers either.

2) Word of gay… slightly more iffy but still marginally present. Personally, as an adult viewer, I wouldn’t mistake Adam’s line for anything but romantic. I don’t know a lot of friends who go around saying things like “How much do I mean to you?“ in that particular tone. As an adult viewer, my assumption after viewing the scene would be that they were in a relationship. I don’t believe that gay characters need to “prove” they’re gay by showing physical intimacy on screen. However, I definitely do believe that the scene (and the one with Ezor and Zethrid) was intentionally vague so that it would/could be missed by younger viewers. The intention was to appease the older fans who were expected LGBT+ representation while leaving anything noticeably gay–like Lauren’s comments about Adam and Shiro’s beautiful years-long relationship–outside of the actual show where a large majority of the people who would see it would be older fans. This might have been part of their agreement with Dreamworks just to get the LGBT rep in the door at all, but honestly, at this point… given that the EPs wanted to kill their one gay character and it was the execs who told them no… I almost doubt the whole story that the flimsy representation is all Dreamworks fault. So it’s not really word of gay to adult viewers… but it was intentionally vague and could have been there if that one line wasn’t there.

3) Queerbaiting… is more complicated. In terms of inside the show itself, in the actual canon universe of the plot and characters, I would say no. I know there are many, many fans who analyzed the show with some heavy shipping goggles on and turned up all kinds of “proof” like the bi pride flag colors being used in a scene and etc. But we have to recognize that shipping goggles are shipping goggles–they’re a fun, great way to watch a show, but as far as determining the actual plans and intentions of the show writers, these kind of “secret signs” are usually not really good indicators. That degree of subtle hinting would really take less heavy-handed writers, wouldn’t it? Even from season one, I was never particularly of the opinion that Keith and Lance or Keith and Shiro (or Lance and Hunk or Shiro and Matt or… so on) really had any chance of being canon. I don’t feel as if the content of the show itself baited fans into thinking they were going to get their favorite ship in canon.

But you know what did bait fans into a frenzy? The EP interviews and statements. Stuff like Lauren’s post with Lance and Shiro holding the LGBT+ poster, her comment that “The only thing incompatible about them [Lance and Keith] is their ship name,” the early, unquantified statement about them really, really fighting for LGBT+ rep (they had an opportunity to say that the story was either already written or almost already fully written and that they hadn’t been able to include it yet, but they oh-so-conveniently forgot to mention that), the fact that Lauren knew Adam was going to die within one episode but still talked about his meaningful relationship with Shiro, their claims of wanting to do something great by making Shiro their rep, etc., the many, many, many opportunities they had to shoot down Sheith and Klance to stop literal death threats to their own cast and yet chose not to, and the fact that they continued to answer questions about any potential relationships between those characters instead of confirming that they weren’t in the story as it already existed… Let’s all be real. I don’t know the real demographics of Voltron’s viewership, but I’m willing to bet that the EPs and other members of the team fully recognized that a large portion of their viewers were fans who were watching for the ships, hoping for their ship to become canon or for good LGBT rep in general, and they knew that if they fessed up early on that neither one of the big two popular ships were going to become canon and the LGBT rep would be so limited, they would likely lose a significant number of viewers.

In interviews and other media outside of the show itself, the team deliberately strung along viewers with vague comments, encouraging nods to shippers, continued mentions of LGBT rep and more, and all of this exploded into a fandom that really felt like they had a chance of seeing what they wanted in canon–while the EPs knew all along that that was not the case. To me, that does qualify as queerbaiting. They deliberately capitalized on the popularity of slash ships in their series to keep and increase their viewership with no intention of delivering on that “bait.” That’s pretty much textbook queerbaiting.

So again–the show itself didn’t and if you ignored all the outside media, you probably wouldn’t feel queerbaited at all. But if you really bought into the teasing and comments made outside the show, you likely would feel baited and let down.

That’s just my two cents!

[littlemisssquiggles]

mojo72400 asked

“Combat goggles is yang x neptune and gelato is neo x roman”

yellow-eyed-green-crocodile replied to your post “What's your favorite rwby ships? Mine are rosegarden, white knight,...”

Gelato is the ship between Neo and Roman, but I don't know about Combat Goggles. I think it's Yang x Neptune. Which I ship myself, because of the cool girl/uncool guy dynamic.

lookyeekiti replied to your post

“What's your favorite rwby ships? Mine are rosegarden, white knight,...”

I agree with Rosegarden and the between of Blacksun and bumblebee wholeheartedly!

niteangel496 asked 

“On the subject of RWBY Ships, I ship Rosegarden (they're just so precious), Renora (been shipping them together since v1), Jaded (their back & forth banter is amusing to watch), & Gelato (Torchwick showing worry for Neo in v3, then fighting Ruby even more ferociously afterward basically made me like the ship even more). I also kinda have a softpot for Illia x Blake (I love how Illia didn't resent Blake for loving someone else & how she was so focused on helping her people no matter what)” 

Squiggles Answers: 

Thanks for clarifying the ships for me Mojo, Yellow and Nite. Appreciate it. Funnily enough, I thought Roman and Neo’s ship was called Froyo for some reason. Blame it on RWBY Chibi.

RWBY Chibi made me appreciate the Gelato ship. Their relationship dynamic in the Chibi-verse is too cute especially with how eagerly devoted Neo is to Roman. I loved the episode with the red button where Roman ends up falling into a black hole and Neo’s all like “He’s a dum-dum but he’s my dum-dum” before jumping in to join him. 

I thought that was adorable. Gelato in the Chibi-verse is win-win in my books. 

Ooooh yeah, I forgot that Yang and Neptune had a ship too. If that’s the case then I used to like Combat Goggles as well. Back when Neptune was introduced in V2, ever since the ‘Paint the Town’ episode where Neptune was paired with Yang, I liked how Yang and Neptune looked together. 

While they lacked any kind of romantic chemistry, still thought they looked cool. I even did a little fanart of them together once because I thought they looked so cool side by side. Aaah good times.

Combat Goggles was part of Past Squiggles along with the time I considered shipping Lancaster and…begrudgingly Team RWBY with Team CRDL. Now before you thwack me, let me explain.

Back in Volume 1, when I first got into RWBY and was still getting used to the characters, I considered Jaune and Ruby because Jaune was technically the first person to reach out to Ruby and from there, I always liked their rapport as the two leaders of our two main teams.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ship them. I was more like, “Well, if things don’t work out for Jaune with Weiss or Pyrhha then Ruby would be my third option.”

At the time, I wasn’t sure if romance was in the cards for these two but for the first volume, I saw Ruby as Jaune’s backup love interest in a sense. But that was since RWBY V1 days. I don’t think about Ruby and Jaune’s relationship like that anymore and you can tell that the main canon series is more or less setting up Jaune and Ruby caring about each other like family. Jaune is the big brother figure in Ruby’s life and was the proxy replacement for Yang during V4 and V5. And Ruby is like a little sister to Jaune. He obviously cares a lot about her but not in way that screams anything beyond platonic and mutual respect. This is only my opinion though. No disrespect for the proud Lancaster shippers.

As for CRDL and RWBY---Again, wayyyy back in V1 when we got our first glimpse of Team CRDL during the ceremony when the teams were being formed by Ozpin, I actually thought CRDL, as the main all boys team would be paired with RWBY.

I thought the series might pull a Winx Club---y’know where the main all girls team would be paired off with the members of the main all male team like how it was with the Fairies of the Winx Club and the Specialists team.

BOY WAS I WRONG! I thought that was going to be the case…up until the episode afterwards where CRDL were revealed to all be a bunch of irredeemable jerks that would bully Jaune and harass poor Velvet for being a Faunus. It’s a stain on my past as a RWBY shipper. One that I can shamelessly admit now. But hey, I was young and still getting into RWBY back when all it had was the one first season. Mistakes were made.

@lookyeekiti and @niteangel496 Damn skippy RoseGarden = love! Joooooooin me brothers and sisters! I honestly have high hopes for Ruby and Oscar’s friendship. Though I’m still unclear if the CRWBY Writers plan on getting romantic with these two younglings, it’s a concept I welcome because, for me, it’s refreshing to see Ruby getting attention from a young boy closer to her age that isn’t just purely companionable; if y’know what I mean.

Oscar was hinted at having a crush on Ruby last volume so I’m really hoping that, even with all the madness to come from this new volume with the journey to Argus, the show still takes the opportunity to highlight this aspect of Oscar’s feelings towards Ruby. If RWBY is an anime then in true anime fashion, I want some deep blushing moments where Ruby smiles or just breathes in Oscar’s direction and his whole face turns into a spotted tomato.

Bonus points if Maria Calavera picks up on Oscar’s crush on Ruby and boldly designates herself as his wing women; playing matchmaker by constantly creating opportunities where Oscar and Ruby can be alone or at least closer to each other. It doesn’t need to be on-the nose since, as I said, there’s a lot to come this season for both Ruby and Oscar’s development. But little hints and nods and gabs would be greatly appreciated.

@niteangel496 Ilia and Blake are cool. Speaking of Illia, I hope she and the Belladonnas keep safe this volume. While I’m still unclear on what the CRWBY Writers’ intentions for Adam’s story are this season---hunt down Blake for revenge or…personally target cutting down the New Faunus Brotherhood since the Belladonnas are a part of it along with Ilia in order to hit Blake where it hurts and draw her out to face him. Whatever they decide to do with Adam, I’m concerned for what it will mean for Ilia’s fate.

But for now, let’s only think of the cute moments with Ilia. Speaking of which, can I just say that I really adore Ilia’s new look. I like how it shows off her freckled tum-tum which I find so cute as its covered in spots. I want somebody to poke the freckled tummy, mainly Sun because he totally would.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2018)

[billy-batson]

an anon asked a while back if i could write an essay explaining why i hate karen and kastle and me, being me, saved it in my asks until i could further explain to full capacity. my response?

absolutely. i’ve had this ask in my inbox for quite a few weeks, since before the release of the punisher. in order for people to understand my view points and beliefs, we must take off any shipping goggles we might have and view it from a fairly objective view point. (i’ve also added my own gifs to this because eh, why not?) also, this got quite long so under a cut it goes. also, it sort of gets messy but bear with me. (word count: 2.5k)

we’ll first begin with miss karen page. first introduced as a girl being framed for a murder she did not commit; a fresh breath of air, of sorts, in a show focusing mainly on foggy and matt, two men. as the first season moves on, we see that she’s interested in discovering more about union allied, who attempted to frame her, and that eventually leads her to ben urich, a reporter who, in his heyday, followed thrilling and intense cases and wrote groundbreaking articles. now, though, since he’s aged and has more concern for his life and job--which he needs to support his dying wife while she’s in the hospital--he writes whatever his editor wants him to. he’s fine with this. in fact, he’s comfortable with this.

the issue, though? karen essentially pushes him back into this type of work, bringing him into her hunt on union allied which he explicitly stated, multiple times, that he did not wish to do. he knows how this will likely end--he even tells her as much, reminding her that he’s old now, and he’s “a lot less stupid”. while we can’t entirely fault her for coercing him into working with her, since he is a grown man and he can make his own decisions, she was the cause of the events that led up to, and caused, his death. yes, a white woman caused a black man’s death. unsurprising news when you’re black.

after his death, though? karen--who holds absolutely no relation to him--gets the ownership of his car, which could have gone towards paying his wife’s hospital bills, and his job, despite having absolutely no credentials or prior experience. that is a fine example of white privilege. never worked or trained a day in that work, ever, and yet she gets his job. i know this isn’t real life, but it’s a piece of realistic fiction. it should be realistic---which, i guess, it is, since the only way someone with no credentials or experience in journalism is going to get a job is if they’re white. also, this is marvel netflix’s first example of violently murdering a black person in their series (which they do in every one of their series), so that leaves a foul taste in my mouth, as a black person.

and next came the, what i like to call “weirdly random ooc #female badassness! wannabe episode”, aka the episode where she kills wesley, stating that she’s fired a gun before and insinuated that she’s killed before. not only does she get off scot free for this (which, by the way, never would have happened unless she was white), but it’s also never mentioned ever again. it was a needless act that was ludicrous in execution and inserting into the narrative. it was just a way to say “look! our blonde haired beauty is a badass haha :)”

season two comes along, and it’s shown that she’s digging up information about the punisher while also going on dates with matt. eventually, though, she meets frank for who he is and this is what i call the sort of beginning of manipulation, at least for her, but i’ll be getting more into depth about this later. in the last few episodes, she gives frank an ultimatum -- stop being the punisher, or she’ll walk away. you’ll recall that in the defenders, she also gave matt the same ultimatum, which is a form of manipulation and underlying abuse. karen can not accept that these mens’ alter egos is who they are inside, and that causes for her to make them choose between her and doing what they want to do. having experienced such abuse from the hands of ex friends in the past, it sealed the deal for my disdain for her.

the main thing i dislike about karen is how she’s written in a way where it’s as if she can do no wrong. and fandom’s behavior definitely perpetuates that. she’s seen as a “#perfect cinnamon roll” or a “#goddess” or a saint or whatever fandom is referring to her as. she truly is not all that, yet the writers tend to portray her as such. (needless to say that in the comics, she sold matt’s identity as daredevil for drugs, but that’s beside the point.) she does not deserve to be held to such a high pedestal, and fandom, specifically certain individuals in the fandom, should not hate people who point out valid criticism of her because they can’t see it from any perspective that isn’t their own.

on that note, fandom is a large part of my hatred for characters or ships. fandom never knows how to be normal and they either detest you for not liking their favorite character / ship, or don’t listen to you at all.

when it comes to kastle, though, things are more simple to explain. (as of writing, i am currently on the third episode of the punisher and going slowly through it for obvious reasons.) the entire reason frank does what he does, is because of the death of his family. of his children, of his wife. he relives that all throughout season two of daredevil despite claiming to not have ptsd, and we see it even more intensely in the punisher. he thinks of his wife and children every day, without fail--often times its the first thing he thinks of, and the last thing he thinks of. even a year to two years after their death, the wound is still raw and he is very much not over it.

so why, pray tell, is the ship kastle a thing? he is not, in anyway capable of having or maintaining a healthy relationship as of right now--nor might he ever. the fact that people could excuse this obviously damaged man’s feelings just to ship him with fandom’s white fave, thinly veiled self insert character is saddening and bordering on disgusting. he hasnt even had the chance to heal or breathe and everyone’s already shipping him with her?

matt said that karen deserves better than him. “better than [matt]” does not equal “you should date frank”. frank, himself, says that karen is in love with matt. he compares that love to him and his wife, who he’s not over. karen understands this and accepts this -- she is in love with matt, just as frank is in love with maria, still.

his love for maria is further solidified in the first episode of the punisher, when he repeatedly relives good moments that he had with maria and reminisces on the things that he loved about her through his memories. he, in every way, needs healing. what he does not need is a relationship. that would be one of the last things that he needs, especially after going through all that he has. the death and loss of his family was one of the most traumatic things he’s experienced, to the point that he takes it upon himself to track every single person connected to their murder and kill them, even going so far as juarez, mexico, to do so. six months after that is not enough time for the emotional stability that frank needs before a relationship with anyone could even be considered.

after frank kills schoonover, karen is visibly upset.

she didn’t want him to kill someone, and she even goes so far as to tell him that he can’t keep doing what he’s doing, otherwise, they’re through, and she’s walking. (to which he obviously keeps doing what he’s doing and doesn’t look back as he leaves her in the woods.)

going back a bit, in episode ten, after his escape, she’s afraid of him to the point that she draws a gun on him.

(needless to say the scene right after this is everyone’s beloved #zomg kastle!! scene. everyone seems to ignore what happened right before that scene though. hm. wonder why.)

does that even seem like a good relationship build up? he makes her cry out of a fear for him, she gives him an ultimatum, manipulating him, she pulls a gun on him and absolutely can kill him, as seen since she’s murdered wesley and has apparently done so before in the past. he has no reason to believe that she won’t pull that trigger, and the audience, aside from knowing that the punisher is too iconic of a character to kill off, has no reason to believe that she won’t pull that trigger. why not? she’s done it before on screen, and she showed us what she’s capable of doing.

she doesn’t get the chance to because her apartment is shot up and frank, the good person that he is, ducks down and protects her. because he’s a good person, and she’s someone he can consider, at this point, to be a sort of “friend”. (i’m like, 90% sure none of you guys have ever had any good things happen to you from good people or that yall have friends and cant tell the difference between friendship love and romantic love, since yall ship this, but i rest my case.)

a fun scene i saw pop up in the anti kastle tag -- a post written by a shipper -- was the scene in the punisher where someone refers to karen as “his girlfriend, and takes that as a sign. please, i know we all know better than this. people tease people all the time when it comes to friends, especially attractive ones, typically those of the opposite gender. i can’t list the number of times that one of my childhood friends was called “my boyfriend” by my family or i was called “his girlfriend” by his. it would be completely ludicrous to presume that that sort of comment meant anything other than a jest or a poke at frank’s expense. that’s what friends are like, that’s a universal experience for most people who have friends. it does not hint towards that ship or somehow verify it. thats not what the comment was. by thinking it verifies the ship in some way, you’re all effectively making a mountain out of...dust.

finally, let’s talk about fandom’s need to show their ass when it comes to their ableism. frank castle has ptsd, albeit he is in denial of such a fact. fandom often writes fics and headcanons that if kastle was canon, karen could “fix” frank of his ptsd and “make the pain go away”. for one thing, ptsd does not go away. it doesn’t. being with someone does not make it go away. i know fandom likes to see karen as a saint or an angel or a goddess, but she’s human. even if kastle were to happen, the ptsd would still be there. frank isnt going to magically be “cured” because he’s dating karen page. the fact that this is such a common fandom headcanon is ableist in and of itself. as an abuse survivor still living in an abusive situation, fandom needs to understand that ptsd does not go away. it can be lessened, yes, but it does not go away. an event such as watching your entire family get slaughtered before your very eyes does not go away, especially when said person repeatedly has flash backs of said event. you cannot expect it to. this is part of the reason why the fandom, itself, sickens me.

also, there are volatile tendencies on both sides. as karen isn’t the sole person to blame for why this ship borders on toxicity (almost as bad as the fandom); frank is, as well. due to his volatile nature, and her stubborn and subtle manipulations, as well as the fact that neither of them, specifically frank, are in a position to be in a relationship with anyone (karen as well, considering matt, who she canonically loves, has just appeared to die), makes this ship unable to work. it cannot work and it does not work despite fandom’s perpetual pleas to make it work, likely due to the fact that karen is the self insert character for women all across the fandom, typically and most often, from what i’ve seen, the white women. (needless to say that comics canon karen is so vastly different from show karen that she might as well be a self insert oc at this point.) these are the same white women who will likely regard this as “misogyny” and label it as just “another hater hating”. that is not what i am, but if thats your prerogative, to demonize a black woman for pointing out valid criticisms and flaws found in the beloved ship and the white woman, thats not my problem.

so, in conclusion, why do i hate karen? mainly due to the fact that her white privilege gets her a job, a car of a dead man with a dying wife, who’s dead as a result of her actions, and, of course, fandom and their constant push to make her a savior of some kind, here to “fix” frank. why do i hate kastle? because of fandom’s desire to show their ableism in wanting karen to “fix” frank of his ptsd and thinking that a relationship with the woman who gave him an ultimatum and manipulated him in order to act the way that she wanted him to is anywhere near “romantic”. volatile relationships built on past fear of the other and aiming a gun at the other is not a good foundation for any ship. since their meeting, they were known as being in love with other people, and they are currently in a space where they believe their loves are dead. why would someone’s first reaction be to ship them with each other? why would someone’s first reaction be to ship the man who regularly has nightmares and panic attacks about the death of his family and his wife with someone else when he is obviously still in mourning? why would someone’s first reaction be to ship the woman who was crying, sobbing as she attempted to keep him from doing what he wanted to, who was so afraid of him to the point that she held him at gunpoint? where does any of this set the foundations of a good ship?

and why would one ship it?

[wewillgotothewindsofwinter]

I honestly don't see what people see in jonerys

Listen, Nonnie, my life was a nice piece of cake before I started to ship something on GoT. I always thought romance was never the strong point of the show, at least it never touched me for some reason and I was fine with it. Turned out every romance ended in tragedy sooner or later anyway. I kind of lowkey shipped Jaime/Brienne during season 3 (my favorite season god good times back then) and Gendrya kind of, but I never invested in them emotionally. My life was so easy… *sigh*

So, falling in love with Jonsa was tough for me. I put up a fight. I was actually ashamed of myself. They think they are siblings goddamnit. They can’t have that kind of feelings for each other…… Or can they? Well, I lost that fight pretty quickly in the end. After Battle of Bastards I was like FUCK IT BRING IT ON I DON’T CARE I’M ON BOARD! There wasn’t much I could do about it despite surrender. 

Because you cannot control with respect to whom you fall in love. Same thing goes for J@nerys I guess. People start shipping characters for all kinds of reasons and no reasons at all. Just because they like seeing them together. For their interesting dynamics. For their chemistry.

Here’s the thing, Nonnie. I tried. Really. I have to confess: I was open to J@nerys even after falling into the Jonsa pit. I read the leaks back in October. I didn’t believe them right away, but when they turned out to be true I was like ugh no why??? Gods… And then time moved on and I steeled myself and I thought girl get your shit together, toss your shipper goggles into the trash where they belong and try to enjoy the show. Maybe, just maybe you’ll like the outcome (what is this? I hear some people laugh in the back!).

And why not? The secret prince and the dragon queen. Sell it to me and sell it good. There’s a chance I’ll take it. I watched their scenes as obectively as I could and I got the impression like many others that Legolas Queen was way more into Jon then the other way around. Something was lacking, something was off especially from Jon’s part. This confuses me. (To be fair the fandom seems to be 50/50 on this–there are people out there who love their chemistry while I’m still looking for it.)

D&D are capable of establishing a romantic connection in a short time. They did it with Robb and Talisa in a single scene when they first met. Nobody had to tell us they are into each other. You could see it. Supporting characters didn’t need to point out to us that they want each other, a single look was enough. They know how to do that. Back then they trusted their viewers to understand. Now they want to make really sure nobody is missing that J@nerys is a thing. 

And that makes me suspicious. I think they are trying to hide something, they’re baiting us, trying to make us look in the wrong direction. 

Whatever happens by the end of season 7 with J@nerys, everything will change after Jon’s heritage is revealed. Apparently this will take a while. We will see how everything turns out in season 8 and I’m still very sure the gods will favour us in the end.

[starvinbohemian]

The T2 screenplay is trying to kill me. And since I’m rife with feels, I’m going to do a deep dive into John Hodge’s screenplay with my Mark/Simon shipper goggles firmly in place. (Although, I didn’t really need the goggles, because it’s all right there.) 

Interestingly, their relationship is both better and worse in the screenplay than it was in the film, with some interesting changes along the way. In a way, the script is less romantic about them and their relationship than the film ultimately became.  

Of course, the highlight: 

Veronika (in her own language): You know nothing. You understand nothing. You are quite clearly so in love with one another that I feel almost awkward even in your presence. Why do you pretend to hate each other so much when all you want is to be together? Instead of looking at me why don’t you just take your clothes off and get on with it.

Another:

Simon sits on a bench at the edge of a park. Looking this way and that, he does not hear Renton approach.

Renton: Brought him with you, have you?

Simon: I didn’t know.

Renton glares at him. There is no question of believing a single word of Simon’s bullshit. 

Simon: OK... OK... I may have, you know... heard something. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it--

Renton: May have heard something!

Simon: All right-- fuck it, I knew! I knew he was out. And I could have served you up to him on a plate any time I wanted to!

Renton: And I’m sure you were going to!

Simon: Yes! Yes, I was! I was looking forward to it!

Renton: I ought to fucking kill you.

They sit in hostile silence, each inwardly deciding whether to kiss or kill the other.

And another:

Renton and Simon are in old-married-couple mode. They are watching a film-- could be anything, an old Van Damme movie, a black-and-white classic, a documentary. There are cardboard pizza boxes, bottles of lager. They converse lazily while watching the film.

This is typical of John Hodge, who usually offers suggestions for what the characters are watching or listening to but with a big ‘eh whatever you want’ attached, which I like to think is because he’s so used to working with Danny Boyle by this point that he knows Danny will have stronger opinions about media choices than he will. Completely my own headcanon, but still.

They’re talking about Spud wanting to publish his stories-- the scene will later be chopped and moved to the end of the movie-- and Simon is feeling so comfortable that he answers his phone “cheerfully” without checking the caller ID. Simon. It’s Begbie, and we get to see Simon do some more of his dance to keep Begbie off Mark’s trail, adding to Begbie’s later accusation that Simon was stringing him along.

And:

Spud: Are you going to see Simon?

Renton affects to have barely considered the matter.

Renton: Simon? Uh... I don’t know... he’s probably busy...

Spud: Naw, you got see old Simon.

Renton: You know how it is-- time goes by--

Spud: -- be gutted not to see you.

Renton: --He and I, you know how it was, we sorted of drifted apart...

[This calls back to the original novel, where Mark and Simon are pretty explicitly done with each other by the end of the book: “He thinks about Sick Boy, and all the things they went through together. They had shared some good times, some awful times, but they had shared them. Sick Boy would recoup the cash; he was a born exploiter. It was the betrayal. He could see Sick Boy’s more-hurt-than-angry expression already. However, they had been drifting apart for years now. Their mutual antagonism, once a joke, a performance for the benefit of others, had slowly become, through being ritualised in that way, a mundane reality. It was better this way, Renton thought.”]

Spud: You and Simon was like that.

Checkmate.

Renton: Yeah. Like that.

Interesting, the “Your blood runs in my veins, Mark!” line was originally after Simon’s angry outburst at Mark for looking at his watch during Simon’s pitch/walk down memory lane, as opposed to before, which I think adds more emotional weight to the line because it’s said out of anger instead of emotional manipulation and therefore feels more “real.”

And I like this bit at the end: 

A beat. There is nothing to say. Renton and Simon look at one another. The feud is over. Simon starts the car.     

I’m glad the less romantic bits were either cut or softened for the film. Obviously lol. Because the script has a more cynical take on their relationship:

Renton: I look out on the world and I see strangers. And you... you are the... you have the distinction of being-- I don’t know... the least unfamiliar-- that’s it.

Simon: It’s better than nothing.

One of my favorite small bits in the movie was when Mark reassures Simon that his flat isn’t too messy, because it felt like a reminder that, underneath it all, they really are friends. But in the screenplay, it’s with an ulterior motive (the lack of which is precisely why I liked it in the film). The motive being Veronika of course: 

Simon: It’s not a mess, is it?

Renton sees no reason to correct his rival’s failings.

Renton: No. No, it’s just masculine.

The portrayals of the apartment and Simon in general in the film vs. the script are also interesting. The apartment looked fine to me in the film, and Simon as fastidious as ever with his nice clothes and attention paid to his personal appearance (bleaching his hair, straightening his cuffs, usually seen in his nice suits, etc.). Whereas, in the script, he’s described as fairly slovenly. He’s repeatedly introduced in scenes as slouching around in his “underwear,” and his apartment as “the most disgustingly untidy, food-and-booze-container strewn bachelor pit imaginable. Dirty laundry, sticky floors, nightmare kitchen, crusty bathroom.” That doesn’t feel like Simon to me, either in the movies or the books. I’m wondering if Miller and/or Boyle agreed with me and ignored those bits in the script, because the apartment never looks too messy to me, and even while in his “underwear,” Simon is wearing a sexy black tank top that matches his well-fitting black sweatpants. Vain, always.

Another interesting character bit: before Mark and Simon go into the Orangemen bar, the script describes Simon taking off a crucifix necklace he was wearing and handing it to Veronika, suggesting that he’s actually Catholic? I don’t remember that being a “Simon thing” from the books, and it definitely wasn’t in the first movie. After a re-watch of the scene, I noticed that you can see Miller reaching up to take off the necklace hidden beneath his shirt just as the script dictates, but the cut jumps ahead a few seconds before you ever see the necklace. You can also see the gold chain of the crucifix in other scenes when Simon’s being casual in his black tank top, but the cross part is hidden under the shirt. I wonder at both the inclusion and the exclusion.  

I think it’s pretty clear that Simon more or less gives up his plan of revenge against Mark (or at least temporarily forgets about it) after Mark returns to him and is finally honest with him. After all, whether he admits it to himself or not, what Simon really wants is to have Mark back. And he has him by that point, and I don’t think there’s any suggestion that Simon was planning to give him up until old habits assert themselves at the end and he plans to run off with Veronika and the money (and I really question whether he would have gone through with that, given the opportunity). I also don’t think that the film ever suggests that Simon is doing anything with Begbie other than protecting Mark. (I recall it being more nebulous in the book.) Another favorite moment of mine is when Simon tries to shield Mark even when Begbie aims a rifle at them. If that isn’t the height of love for Simon, I don’t know what is. Simon does save Mark from hanging to death in the script as he does in the film, but he doesn’t rush to do so and his first instinct is to try to save himself:

Simon: Frank, I can explain.

Begbie: You knew. Stringing me along, so you were.

Simon is moving towards Begbie, hoping to leave Renton isolated.

Simon: Honestly, please--

And suddenly Begbie strikes him across the side of the head with a tool he held in his hand.

I don’t really have to explain why I dislike that lol. Kinda dampens the bromance through-line when one of the romantic leads attempts to betray the other to save their own skin at the eleventh hour. Simon only comes across as protective in the film. I cannot stress enough that Simon, snake that he is, attempts to shield Mark with his own body. That’s not in the script.

On another note, the Trainspotting ladies get a bit short-changed. Gail lost a few scenes, including a good one with Mark, and it’s made clear that she still loves Spud and that they’re still technically married. I have an even stronger appreciation for Anjela Nedyalkova’s acting, because Veronika comes off as really flat and two-dimensional on the page without the charm she brings to the role. Poor Diane was a much bigger part of the movie, and the loss of her subplot with Mark is borderline criminal. She comes to his rescue more than once. You see the strength of her character, their unspoken bond, and you really get the tragedy of it that these two missed their shot:

Diane: I’m not stopping you. I’m not here for that. I’ll solve your problems and I’ll pick up the pieces and bring you in out of the cold, but I’m not going to stop you making a fool of yourself. That’s up to you.

Renton: Do you ever wonder--

Diane: No. I don’t.

Renton: I do. If you and me... if things had been different...

Diane: No, Mark: if you’d been different.

FEELS. But going back to Mark and Simon...

The through-line of the movie is their relationship, their bond. In the end, you see that they didn’t lose everything, because they still have each other. Finally have each other, thanks to Veronika removing the “opportunity” for betrayal. The temptations and trials are over, and they’re together in “old married couple mode.” When all of their characters are having their “moments” of reconciliation at the end of the film, Spud goes to Gail. Mark goes to his father. Simon thinks about Mark and the good times when they were children. For him, it was always about Mark. In the published script, Simon doesn’t think about Mark. He just dwells on the loss of his “dream” of the sauna and a future with Veronika. I prefer the movie ending.

[theowldetective]

So the writers went and edited an entire video explaining step by step the whole non-triangle storyline,going through how and when Maya's identity crisis began,and how it was always Riley for Lucas,yet y'all are still denying it and saying they were wrong or planning something else had there been a season 4?Cause for me that settled it,they just wanted for everyone to understand what they have always been saying,to make it crystal clear,but apparently you all skipped that part.

I have never once said “the writers are wrong.” Not one single time. Ever. In fact, I think the writers have gone about things just about exactly RIGHT. If you think “proving the writers wrong” is what this blog (or almost any other GMW analysis blog, for that matter) is about, I’m sorry, but you deeply misunderstand me. I think the way they’ve written everything is pretty great, and there’s little to nothing I would change. Ski Lodge 1-2 are some of my favorite episodes ever in terms of the writing.

Do I think the writers were planning a big surprise/change in S4? You bet I do! The set-up for it is absolutely there if you look at the narrative from a broad perspective. (And even if the show doesn’t get picked up elsewhere, MJ has said that he will do a Q&A to let us know what was coming next—so hopefully we will know either way eventually!) For my part, I think they were about to blow a lot of people’s minds, given the chance.

Anyway, Girl Meets Goodbye made it pretty clear to anyone not wearing extra-strength shipper goggles that Riley and Lucas aren’t actually in any kind of real romantic love despite what those two sweet idealistic kids think they’re supposed to be, so…I still think that montage was most likely intended to lull people into a false sense of security (aka mind-wipe the audience) ahead of the finale and that almost entirely unemotional, matter-of-fact break-up scene which came on the heels of showing exactly zero “hope for their relationship” one episode after paying a lot of lip service to said hope.

Anyone who went in believing Riley and Lucas were in any level of legit romantic love with each other—but who also accepted the Rilucas arc in GMS16-GB for what it was rather than denying it—was probably relatively surprised by how easily and calmly Riley and Lucas gave up on their relationship in the end, I’d reckon.

If you think that montage was meant to “prove” once and for all that Riley and Lucas are in actual love and Maya literally “became Riley and absorbed her feelings,” cool. I happen to believe that’s exactly what it was meant to do, so I don’t blame you or think less of you just because I happen to believe they were messing with people again. If I hadn’t been spoiled rotten about what was up next, I might’ve believed the same thing you do after I saw it.

I also just happen to think it was yet another trick, especially considering what happened next. Not just the break-up scene, but Maya’s entire bit about evolution in S16 as well.

Anyway, for me? The narrative as a whole + context > any selectively edited out-of-context montage. That’s my position. You don’t have to agree with it. 👍

Further reference: http://theowldetective.tumblr.com/post/155549637606/did-you-watch-world-meets-girl-and-if-yes-what