#literally everyone else gets boiled down to specific aspects of their characters that I just don’t canonically see that often

[starlooove]

Im not even gonna say anything iykyk

[lesbiansanemi]

I know you said you will spare everyone from your essays, but I kind of want to read them (specifically the demon slayer ships that are popular [giyuushino,obamitsu,zenezu,tankana, etc])

Obviously, you don't have to write the essays, but if you were to write them, I would be the first one to read /nf

☀️🌻

Oh yeah! Sure! I'll take any excuse to get up on my soap box lmao

I want to preface this, as the ships you've specifically listed are popular m/f pairings among the fandom, and three of which are actually canon, that I am very picky with m/f ships. I don't dislike them by virtue of being m/f, but it does take an extremely interesting dynamic to get me to like them, and for them not to feel like people are just smashing the characters together because they're a guy and a girl and they should be together literally just because... they're a guy and a girl.

I'll start with Obamitsu and Tankana as I'm a lot less critical of them than Zennezu and Giyuushino

To be honest, I don't actually dislike Obamitsu. I just... don't really care about it, and I find that most people who ship it don't seem to care about any of the more interesting or nuanced aspects of it. They get boiled down to "mean angry man is only soft for his sweet bubbly gf" which is... not a trope I'm super fond of. I think there's a lot of interesting aspects to explore with the ship, like the angle of Mitsuri initially wanting a stereotypical masculine man to take care of her and provide for her, eventually falling in love with a physically smaller and weaker man who doesn't know how to function in society at large, leaving her the much more "competent" of the two, forcing her to examine gender roles and her own internalized sexism as well as her supposed preferences. There's also Obanai's fear and trauma regarding women, and the fact that Mitsuri is about as stereotypically feminine as you can get. I think these are somewhat interesting things to explore, but most people (and the manga itself) never explored these things and wanted to paint them as a very straight forward cutesy (and tragic, but only in the sense that they both die young) romance like "look! Obanai can be nice and soft sometimes! And Mitsuri fell in love like she wanted!" with nothing else. The relationship makes sense to me, writing wise and why people would enjoy it, but ultimately does not do enough to make me genuinely care about it beyond going "yeah it's okay I guess." All this being said, it becomes a lot more fascinating if you add the angle of transfem Obanai, or add Shinobu for Obashinomitsu, but obviously this is not canon nor what ppl want or expect with the ship at large

Tankana is kind of similar in the sense that I just find it really boring. Kanao is a very layered and fascinating character to me. Given her childhood and trauma, I get why she would latch onto Tanjiro and admire him in the way that she did. She was a character who never experienced kindness or even being treated as a human being until Shinobu and Kanae found her. To be honest, I think her relationship with the Kocho sisters is incredibly complicated, and immediately being entranced in the Corps lifestyle also affected her in an extreme way. To meet someone like Tanjiro, who is so unabashedly kind and genuine and immediately sees her as a person with agency (not that the Kocho sisters didn't do this, but that Kanao has had more time to adjust and process her trauma by the time she met Tanjiro so he's more... separate, in a way), like I said, it makes sense to me that she would latch onto him.

So it makes sense, and I don't hate that they became canon, but again, it's just a bit boring to me. I also personally think that Kanao and Nezuko's storylines and personalities compliment each other a lot more from a writing perspective, so I much prefer Nezukana. So yeah, it's a ship that makes some sense to me, I can understand why people like it, but I don't care about lol. And it does have a little bit of the "they get together because they're a boy and girl omg" angle, though it is a little less egregious than some.

And oh boy alright here we go

So Zennezu. The ship's only basis in Zenitsu's overplayed crush on Nezuko. I already don't like ships like that, where the whole thing is "one of the characters has a crush on the other for shallow, usually physical, reasons the entire series and the other character never acknowledges it/returns it until suddenly they do at the end of the series." Like, imo, that's one of the laziest ways to write a romance ever, and also just feels very unrealistic. Maybe that's the aroace in me, but "crushes" portrayed like that are just not realistic or compelling to me.

Beyond that, I think the ship kind of negates a lot of Zenitsu's character arc and development. He ended up in the situations he did because of his obsessions with women and wanting a wife, and a lot of him needing to learn to live and do things for himself, not because he wants the stereotypical image of a wife, and not letting his anxieties control him. Instead of getting that development, seeing him settle down with Nezuko at the end of the chapter feels... idk, out of place? Odd? I can't think of the right word, but just for a character development perspective it just doesn't make sense to me. Also. Nezuko deserves better lol

And for Giyuushino.... Yeah. The epitome of "guy and girl get together because they're a guy and girl and stood in the same frame so that means they're canon." (Because no seriously, I would be less bitchy about this ship if the shippers could acknowledge it has no canonical substance or backing but so many of them fully act like it's based in some kind of canon feelings or implications)

I just truly don't understand what is so entertaining about two characters who work together, who, conceivably, if they were ever going to even be friendly with each other, would have done it already. One of their few interactions is Shinobu telling Giyuu how much everyone hates him, and also Giyuu really never gives an indication whatsoever that he wanted to be close with Shinobu. He treated her the same as he treated all the other Hashira

Also Shinobu is a lesbian and anyone who disagrees just fundamentally don't understand her sorry not sorry she hates men

But yeah! That's the gist of it! Idk, I just tend to really dislike popular m/f ships as I hate the way ppl as a whole approach m/f shipping and the dynamics they go for for it. So much of it is "mean and/or emotionally stunted guy really likes girl and she fixes him and also we'll ignore a lot of the female character's nuances and flaws" but. You know.

[roxannepolice]

i think the reason this framework would aggravate me so much (though who knows, there's nothing better than a writer doing something you don't want in a way that makes you like it), instead of going for a play with the medium (which might culminate in a television show reveal) is that. Well, frankly, there are few things mass culture needs more right now than reembracing the convention. Like, the stuffing it up in versimilitude (because I would't call that realism) is at the core of everything from the Battle for Dawn being all but invisible bc "well y'know, it's night, it would be dark", through actors not being given scripts so they will be genuinely surprised at the twists, to "uhm, actually, liking Palpatine means you'd vote for Hitler". I've yet to see this hot take, but it boils down to diagnosing every singe theatre character with behaving-like-a-theatre-character personality disorder (hystrionics). THERE ARE WAYS TO TELL THE AUDIENCE THAT A CHARACTER IS HYSTRIONICAL even while everyone else monlogues in rhyme, just as there are ways of conveying introverted, autistic or, damn, full-body-paralysed characters' emotional states instead of audience projecting things on what's basically a blank slate.

Yes, art is supposed to make you emotional and engaged, and mass produced art is not inherently worse than your starving painter eating their paint, but IT IS ART. It's ARTIFICIAL. Characters aren't "literally" anything. Casting non-white non-cis-men as protagonists is important not because IT'S A STATEMENT THAT MAKES YOU REINTERPRET EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WORK, only because non-white non-cis-men actors should be getting the same deal as white cis men in what's essentially an industry. The Doctor being a woman and then a black man wasn't a good idea because yes, it's high time to tell the stories of the downtrodden victimized babies, only because it's ridiculous to act like two-headed humans are likelier to exist than those with vaginas and higer-than-european-standards levels of melanine. Yes, the representation aspect IS important, but on the level of reception, NOT on what it does in-universe. This is the same shit that had people throwing tantrums over Fourteen being referred to as Fourteen, AS IF THE NUMERATION EXISTED IN THE TEXT ITSELF??? Those numbers are there for the audience and pr team to move around, they DO NOT affect the text itself. Calling the current season "season 1" has more to do with marking it on a viewing channel than with an era statement, Does this argument sound a bit inchoerent with my premise of embracing convention? That's because ACKNOWLEDGING convention is not the same thing as FETISHIZING convention. Fetishizing convention is when you think camerawork HAS to have a diagetic reason rather than accepting that it's probably there to focus the audience's attention on a specific aspect of the scene and create a mood. It works TERRIFICALLY in comedies, but that's... precisely because you understand the convention.

This is also why I can't undertsand the shitstorms around BUDGET OF ALL THINGS being a reason to dismiss New New Who? Yes, I agree, the shitty effects of Classic and NuWho had a lot of charm. And Monty Python having too low a budget to hire horses is how we got coconut knights. And maybe if Bruce the Prop Shark was more realistic, John Williams wouldn't be so hard pressed to write music that's fear itself. But it's not like damn expensive animatronics ruined Jurassic Park?!

And finishing the rant this is also why I can't agree the titularity names are to show the Doctor is of the same "kind" as the Toymaker or the Maestro. Like, no. Again, this is about choice versus convention. THE TOYMAKER AND THE MAESTRO ARE CONVENTIONS EMBODIED. Covnetions are the ESSENCE of games and the Doctor's the guy who UPTURNS THE CHESSBOARD. That's specifically NOT something someone bound by rules can do, just as making sure your new witch coven picks up the tooth you'll be turned into. Those are the things you do WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE GAME. And the Maestro as the emodiment of music is also pure convention. Yes, music may be the purest of arts, but it's just as conventional as language (keeping my fingers crossed for The Linguist). There is no REASON two sounds are in tune (yes, there's the whole reverberation across strings that's physics but you get me), they just do because they do in the same way that the ace beats the king and the joker beats the ace. THAT'S WHY THE MAESTRO WOULD FLOURISH MOST IF ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS "THE PUREST" MUSIC OF AOLIAN SOUNDS, unmarred by sentient lifeforms' expressing anything through it.

The Doctor is the Doctor because THEY CHOOSE to be that. They aren't ONTOLOGICALLY INCAPABLE of "First, doing no harm" in the way that the Toymaker can't cheat.

Like, I undertand wanting all of the reflections on storytelling and music to be statements about the nature of the text. But for me, they are there to celebrate their apparent pointlessness. Apparent pointlessness, and yet without being able to evoke a story out of chaos of events, we would never know what to do, and without music we would have no other way to let go off our emotions than by attacking one another.

Reading all the omg fourth wall is breaking bc the Doctor is a godddd thing and whatever works for you.

But I'm going to sit at my little altar and pray to Ortega y Gasset that the actual story crux specialest story binding character that's going to discover something special about themself is in fact Ruby. Pleaseplwasepleaepleaer PLEASE RTD free my alien from linear journey and let them be the backdrop on which linear stories unfold.

[thefreakishmuffin]

Let’s Analyze the Hexes Hold’em Cards and Vee/Luz’s reading

I know this may seem like a bit of a weird topic to analyze, but please hear me out. I think it’s safe to say that the Hexes Hold’em cards in The Owl House are essentially this show’s equivalent of Tarot cards. And this is only given more confirmation when we see the girl in the recent episode use the cards left over in the Human Realm from Eda to tell fortunes. 

But I began to wonder; how accurate was the reading this girl gave to Vee/Luz? And I say Vee/Luz because, while it was Vee getting her reading done, she went to them looking like Luz, and even had Luz present on her compact mirror. 

It’s important to note that this girl had just very recently gotten those cards, and even stated that she was practicing with them. So this would tell us that she is still very inexperienced, and may not entirely know what it is she‘s doing. Different cards have different meanings, and it’s important to not take them so literally. So I took it upon myself to examine the cards in the episode itself and try to see just how accurate this reading was. And since there are no names written on the cards, the actual identity of some of them are a little up in the air. Let’s start off by reviewing what the girl said in her reading:

“You’re running from your past, from a previous life that was not kind to you. However, the guilt and fear you carry will catch you in a self-fulfilling prophecy, that you cannot escape.” 

Now, from the way she’s speaking here, referring to the past at the start and then going on through explaining what is to come, I think it’s safe to say she’s doing the classic “past-present-future” reading, one of the most basic readings you can do. So that is how I’m going to approach this.

To start off this analysis, let’s take a look at the first card, referring to the past. Now, to me this is obviously The Moon card. The Moon card refers to the unconscious mind, and even illusions. It even refers to the instincts and emotions we have buried deep down. This could indeed be accurate to the characters pasts, with both Luz and Vee running to another world. In their unconscious minds, they wanted so much more than what their current life could offer them. A life that, indeed, was not too kind to either of them. I feel like this part of the reading was fairly accurate.

The second card, referring to the present, can be one of two that I came up with. This specific card looks like it can either be the Death card judging by the skeleton, or the Ace of Cups, because of the single prominent cup. The Death card actually isn’t as negative as most people may think, and it seldom ever means a literal death. The Death card refers to the ending of a cycle, undergoing a metamorphosis, and new beginnings. The Ace of Cups card, however, refers to finding new love, and experiencing and overflowing amount of emotion and/or creativity. 

Personally, I feel like both of these can be applicable. (And, if I’m being honest, it was kinda hard for me to tell where the girl doing the reading was talking about the present). Now, because of the heavily prominent skeleton, I’m going to say it’s the Death card. Currently in the present, both Luz and Vee have been going through massive changes in both their lives where they’ve been able to have a “new beginning” so to speak. Vee is having her new beginning living as a normal girl in the Human Realm, and Luz is having a new beginning training to be a witch in the Demon Realm. And the Ace of Cups card can possibly refer to Luz finding new love in the from of her now girlfriend, Amity. But I’m still going to say that the card here is the Death card.

And lastly, we have this card. And again, I have two ideas of what this card could be, and they both have very different meanings. And while I fully believe it’s possible that the girl likely read some of cards wrong, this one she could possibly be correct.

The first card I have in mind is the Three of Wands, and the second being the Three of Swords. The Three of Wands card refers to looking forward to your future, a time of expansion and rapid growth for either you as an individual or in some other aspect of your life. The Three of Swords, however, refers to heartbreak, suffering, and an immense amount of grief. Now, Luz wants to look ahead and expand her horizons, but with how things have been going as of late, she may not be able to do so. It seems hardship and suffering in inevitable, with Luz promising to come back home to her mother despite having made a life for herself in the Demon Realm. The thought of leaving behind Eda, King, Amity, and everyone else on the Boiling Isles is heartbreaking for her, but not seeing her mother ever again is incredibly heartbreaking as well. And we don’t even know exactly what’s going to happen to Vee. She’s only been around for one episode, so for all we know something absolutely horrible can happen to her. I feel like her fate is very much up in the air.

But yeah, there you go. Did I spend too much time on this post? Probably. But it was something kind of eating at the back of my mind and I wanted to do a little bit of digging. I feel like the reading was somewhat accurate, but the present seemed a little iffy to me, and like I said, different cards can have different meanings. 

[lovee-infected]

I enjoy reading character analysis to understand them more and I've also noticed that some insert fics are like too exagerated and their personalities are far from the canon twst. I think some writers are just basing their fics to others and and makes conclusion about it and ignore important details or text on their cards?* And as a reader, I do sometimes think that "this" character are like that. Like Vil, being portrayed as narcisstic and beauty obssessed charac, I think he isnt like that and theres more to him than we think. Sorry for the long ask✌️

You're totally valid anon and I see your point, you know while I agree that each idea and interpretation on characters is worthy on its own and no one is bound to having a specific opinion or belief, getting too wild with personal fantasies and ignoring the originals can totally ruin the writing. Characters are often mischaracterized especially in reader insert fics and the most annoying part is that almost everyone is making the same mistakes about him-! Like some of the noticable mistakes would be:

(1) Femininely has nothing to do with Vil's terms of beauty

Oh lord what can I say- It's even against what Vil himself directly said through chapter five and how he cleared his point on male and female equal, and you can tell he is pretty strict about it.

Like did you just forget what he told Epel when he complained that he doesn't want to act like a girl: “a boy getting embarrassed about ‘acting like a girl,’ -- what year is your head stuck in??? did you take a time machine from 100 years ago??”

He doesn't seem to be one to appreciate the concept of labeling beauty as a female-only thing and on the other hand, he doesn't really seem to like the way women can be looked down on while being compared to men either. He seeks equality, and beauty wasn't ever defined as a feminine act in his dictionary; while there are tons of requests asking for: Vil forcing their trans s/o to wear more feminine clothes/ Vil asking their fem! s/o to wear more feminine stuff an look cuter/Vil complimenting s/o's appearance for not being feminine enough/... And literally TONS of requests like this. Please, you're forgetting one the most important parts of his personality, he considers male and female to be equal and it's so hecking important to show that he holds respect for all genders nonetheless.

(2) Vil's maturity is often ignored

Honestly, within all twst characters Vil's maturity on its own really impresses me. From the way he speaks to how serious and sincere he is all I gotta say is this man is waaay different from the way he's charactetized in most of the fics. Idk why but, he's sometimes charactetized as a guy who's ready to boil you alive if you dare touch any of his expensive make up pallettes or eyeshadows. Oh please, Vil isn't an angry child.

Also he often decides to keep his anger in, though you can tell when he's mad by just looking at his face. Clinching fists, trying not to talk and most likely, walking off or asking people to leave him alone until he calms down a bit is most likely his usual way of expressing his anger, but I've seen him being described as a loud, feral figure like Riddle is! Oh god no- Are you just ignoring how calm and collected Vil often tends to be?

(3) What's with the potato fetish?

While it's canon that Vil can sometimes call people around him potato. You may like to know that in some languages, potato is translated as "Apple of the ground", which can be an interesting reason of him using this nickname for people.

Watching Vil call students potatoes can be as entertaining as watching Malleus play with his tamagotchi, but again, it's important to realize that you don't have to only use potato when you're thinking of what Vil might say in a reader insert/situation!

Come on there are hundreds of different statements and sentences you can use other than just 'potatoes' and it'll get boring to read him saying the same nick name over and over in a fic. Good lord of course this isn't the only word he uses in communication so please try to avoid using it too much. This, is NOT the only word that he knows to use! (Seriously though I've seen being used like 6 times in a 500-word drabble)

(4) Please avoid spreading false information about him and his personality

Funny how I'm saying it here, but don't forget that you do not own him! Vil Schoenheit is a property of Disney/ Aniplex and all, which means that no one can certainly decide on his sexuality/ background/ unexplained character details unless it's officially announced.

Why am I saying this? Because some people are seriously going to far! I've seen people attacking others saying that Vil's pronouns are She/Her and not He/ Him like: EXCUSE ME...???

I don't want to get into details explaining how this drama is going but I've got to say something anyway, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE ON HIS PRONOUNS! None of us do!

It's totally okay to have your personal preferences on his pronouns or anything else, but you must avoid spreading such information and forcing them on others as long as they aren't confirmed! Please keep your headcanons for yourself and don't confuse the fandom with them. Everyone's free to have their own headcanons but it's never okay to force them on others!

(5) Vil has a LOT to talk about other than just beauty!

Man... sometimes I feel like the fandom is just doing him dirty. Most of the reader inserts, fics , and even Vil memes have something to do with beauty while it's important to try and look through his personality as well instead of just sticking with the beauty aspect.

For example, through the Halloween event, I couldn't be any more surprised when Vil found the crying child who had lost their parents through the crowd and instead of just leaving them to headmaster or asking someone to take care of them he actually started to play with the child and entertrain and confront them on his own! That was probably one of his sweetest moments through the whole game and it really changed my mind about him! It was great to know that Vil as well can have a softer side when it comes to children, just imagine how good this can be used while writing a father AU for him!

His talents on the other hand need to be recognized, for example: his acting skills back in the ghost marriage proved how much of a great actor he can be and this can also give us lots of ideas to use in writings. On the other hand he's much of a celebrity on his own ( Woop- he's also got 2m followers on magicam) which gives us another great plot to write for him.

The way he is around close friends, how he compliments them and gets complimented by them in return, the way he manages Pomefiore and tries to put the students into doing their best in using their skills and lots of more interesting details that can be found through his stories are there to tell you that he's a lot more than just a beautiful Queen. A considerable part of his background as well is going to be released at he end of chapter 5 (Yes baby after the overblot Vil) and I hope that gives us all the opportunity to come up with stronger personalities and plots next time that we're describing or even, characterizing Vil!

Lmao I kind of rushed to finish this so I didn't get to talk about him as much as I wanted to, but hope that this is useful anyway.

[citadelspires]

P1 - Given how great you're track record's been for doing hypothetical interactions of Amphibia kids with the Duck kids and Owl House kids, let's try doing the Duck kids meeting the Owl House kids and who they'd like the best. I'll exclude Violet for this for the sake of evenening things out 5 to 5. I'd assume Luz would get along best with Dewey (both jump into adventure), King with Louie (could see em teaming up for a scheme), Willow with Huey (eh, more leftover interaction but can work)

Screenshot of second half of the ask provided. Text: P2 Gus with Webby (would totally ask each other lots of questions about their species), and Amity with Lena (both got abusive figures they stood up to and would totally talk about their crushes on Luz and Webby LOL). Would love to see you take on Duck kids and Owl House kids interactions.

First of all I’m very pleased to hear you find my track record on these posts good, they’ve been really fun to write and it makes me really happy people like them! Second I am so sorry it’s taken so long to get to this ask, it’s a really in depth one and it took a long time to write, I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait!

Aight! Oh and one last thing real quick before I get into it. I hope you wouldn’t mind me adding Violet back in, partially due to the fact I love her, but mostly because there’s actually another owl house character I think works significantly better with Louie than anyone else and I really want the chance to talk about that. Saving that one for last hehe. This’ll be another long one, writing below the cut.

Luz and Webby So I do like a lot of the possible interactions brought up by your suggested grouping but my mind went in a few different directions. I’ll start with Luz, who would fit in best with another excitable adventuring partner, as pointed out, but I think the best fit for her in that regard would actually be Webby. While Dewey would no doubt get along great with Luz, there’s a special element to the potential relationship between Luz and Webby that really elevates the potential of their friendship to another level, that being: they both want to eat a hamburger.

An aspect of Webby I wish the later seasons of the show got into a little more, but is definitely something I would consider a core part of her character, is the fact that she got held up in the mansion her whole childhood, with no opportunities to interact with the world around her, have all the adventures she wanted, and most importantly to just be seen as the kid she wanted to be. And while Luz was technically able to go out into the world, the place she found wasn’t one that was willing to see her, or give her any of the chances she longed for. Both Webby and Luz fully understand that feeling of being trapped in your own life, of finally getting the chance to break out and just doing your best to make the most of it. I think there’s a lot the two could gain from spending some time together.

(Also, to borrow the bit about gushing about their crushes but from the other end, these two would totally get sidetracked talking about their respective crushes and also trying to play wingman for each other. It’s a massive comic disaster in both cases, but somehow both Lena and Amity manage to find it endearing).

Amity and Violet Okay wait lemme explain. While the two of them don’t have a whole lot in common at first glance, I think they would genuinely get along extremely well. While a lot of Amity’s focus on school came at the force of her parents, you cannot honestly expect me to believe that girl isn’t a studious nerd on her own anyway. Heck even outside the realm of studies she throws her full dedication into literally every single thing she does. Remind you of anyone? Beyond just being extremely intelligent Violet is clever and ready for anything. She takes everything in stride and always has a plan, she can go from “we were sleeping over and you said everybody get on the plane, so we got on the plane” to “I brought an axe” in a minute flat.

I like to think the two of them would have a mutual respect for each other based on their respective intellects upon first meeting, but as they become closer friends they find they can move from more serious respect to a casual enjoyment of each other. I would go as far as to say that both of these characters really value dependability in a friend, and that they each provide a lot of that. To wrap back around to the stuff about intelligence I think Violet could provide a lot of insight to Amity as far as showing her that pursuing studies and academic heights of her own volition can be something that she can just do because she wants to, and that’s no excuse for unhealthy parental relationships. Getting along so well with someone like Violet only to see that her parents are actually really loving and supportive, that would be really eye-opening for Amity I think. For Violet’s part she could get a lot of help from Amity as far as her pursuit of the secrets of magic goes. I suspect Amity would be much more interested in the study of her magic than Violet would be able to get Lena to tolerate lol.

Bonus Round: Amity would absolutely be a senior junior woodchuck and she would love it you cannot convince me otherwise. She starts quoting the JWGB around the owl house kids and they all look at her like she’s crazy.

Lena and Willow I feel like this one might seem a little out there at first but trust me on this one. Initially Lena doesn’t think too much of Willow, being as close as she is to Webby she knows liking flowers and cute things doesn’t mean Willow is automatically to be taken lightly but she feels like she’s got a good read on her that she generally prefers to avoid trouble and turns down opportunities for violence, which isn’t really Lena’s deal. Over time Lena figures she was right about her first impressions as Willow doesn’t seem to take many opportunities to expose some hidden power, even when Lena knows the people around her kinda deserve it.

She learns to adjust her opinion when she finally does get the chance to see Willow in action and realizes that girl is more powerful than any of the other kids she’s met in the boiling aisles bar none(yes this is my genuine opinion of willow if you don’t think she could kick your ass you’re wrong). It’s at that moment where she starts to pay more attention to Willow and notices a lot more of the strength she puts into all the little things, how much she cares for everyone and everything, and it does a great deal to show Lena that maybe having super strong magic powers isn’t mutually exclusive with being kind and gentle. And maybe gentle isn’t her thing but still, it’s nice to know.

For Willow’s part she’s just happy to make more friends. Especially if the opportunity arises, as I like to think it would, when they’re close enough friends, that Lena would start to hint around asking questions about how Willow remains so casual and nice with the ability to do so much damage, and Willow takes the chance to help Lena figure out her magic a bit more, and learn how to better appreciate it as an aspect of herself she doesn’t have to be scared of. (I mean come on Lena never really learned how to do any of it except barely kind of from Magica of all people she could really  use something like that).

Huey and Gus Now there are some certain things about Gus that would drive Huey absolutely nuts. His lack of primary and reliable sources for any of his information being a big one, but at the end of the day I think he’d enjoy Gus’ desire to learn in the first place. Gus would probably be a little dubious about Huey’s “sources” and “citations” but if it helped him get more info on the human realm he’d certainly go for it in the end. In that way the two balance each other out pretty well. Gus is studious and intelligent but he’s a little off the wall, he’s got a big creative streak, and he’s really excitable. Huey is really really good at facts and analysis but he lacks the strength in imagination that Gus has. Huey is able to take all the grandiose concepts Gus is able to think up and help make them actually happen. Gus has that specific brand of an adventurers soul matched up with the fact he’s not actually the type to get into danger and fights, meaning he’s able to drag Huey out of his comfort zone a little and help him reach new heights with his mind that his struggles with creativity prevent him from reaching, while managing to not make him feel like he’s actually in danger. I actually believe the two of them together could get some really incredible stuff done.

What I’m saying is that with Huey’s help Gus could absolutely complete his tunnels under Hexside.

Dewey and King Now this, this is the pair who would go incredibly well together, at the detriment of literally everyone around them. If there is one person King “I Will Rule Everything” Clawthorne should not be exposed to its Dewey Duck. Within minutes of meeting each other the two of them would immediately have so many bad ideas. Between Dewey’s insistence on being the best and most daring adventurer while putting his name on everything and going down in history & King’s trying to rule everything and everyone, the attempts to raise the stakes would be constant and the two would spend literal hours endlessly trying to one-up each other. All in one day they search for legendary treasure, discover an entirely new civilization, try to take over said civilization, create a new species just to name it after themselves, and build statues of themselves in the middle of Bonesbourough. And that’s all before lunch.

Louie Here it is. The one I waited till the very end for out of sheer excitement. I even kept the second name out of the heading thing. That’s how secretive I’m trying to be about this. See, there’s one character in the owl house that works so well with Louie it’s practically canon. Their interactions have so much potential, they each bring so much to the table, I just couldn’t Not talk about it. And yeah, I know this ask was specifically asking about the owl house and ducktales kids, but I just couldn’t resist talking about the relationship between Louie and Eda.

A con artist from another world who was so successful she became nationally famous? There’s no way Louie would pass up an opportunity like that. For his part I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already managed to set up another underworld identity in the boiling aisles, or at the very least that Eda could totally have been to the ducktales realm and heard of his one there.

Either way I’m convinced the two of them would start planning a heist as soon as they figure out who each other are. Eda is a little prideful and wants to show this kid he can’t out-con her, but Louie knows what he’s doing just as much. Honestly with the two of them combined Eda wouldn’t have to worry about losing her stand for a long time. Over the course of their planning and seeing Louie in action Eda begrudgingly gains some respect for the  kid, and while Louie was definitely just using her as a learning/profit opportunity at first, he’s pretty susceptible to getting attached.

For Louie, it’s the fact that she actually respects him for being good at what he does. Even back with his family who all love and care about him and all that he still feels like most of them don’t really get what he does or see what’s special about him, so having someone who made a whole life of it be even a little proud of him feels really nice.

And of course, at the end of their heist when they finally have the money in hand, and Eda just casually hands over his half, he stares at her like she’s crazy.

“You’re just.. Giving it to me?!”

“Well, yeah. That was the deal wasn’t it kid? I mean if you really want I definitely have a few ideas for it.”

“No! Uh, no, thanks, I’ll keep it. It’s just that you really remind me of someone, I guess I was expecting something else.”

[im-still-watching-anime]

warning: this post is just me ranting about the writing of the naruto women for far too long

i honestly feel that one of the most frustrating/vaguely hilarious aspects of naruto is how naruto ended up being - and bear with me here - the best example of the extremely specific female archtype that kishimoto seemed to be obsessed with. 

like when you focus on sakura and hinata - arguably the most important female characters in the show as the two male leads’ respective end game love interests - you can break them both down into the same general mold:

- both devoted to the same boy their entire lives

- both are shown chasing after their crush in order to stand on “equal” footing (i.e. sakura’s “i finally caught up to them” and hinata’s “no longer chasing but standing by your side” mentalities)

- both suffer and try to overcome feelings of inferiority in their respective character arcs

and i want to be clear that while female characters who fit this mold aren’t usually my favorite thing it can definitely still work when written carefully and written well -  to be blunt i personally think both hinata and sakura are awesome character concepts and both had SO MUCH potential and i love their fanon interpretations but i feel that canonically they were poorly written, underdeveloped, and flat characters

most of their canonical character motivations revolve around their love interests - which really sucks because i would have KILLED for a deeper look at everything involving hinata and the hyuuga or even more about sakura’s development of her medical ninjustsu so much got skipped when it came to them which definitely didn’t help anything - that aside this is especially true in og naruto though to be fair - sasuke was still in konoha in og naruto and team seven was together for most episodes which made it especially prevalent in sakura’s case

the point is by the time shippuden came around it was extremely obvious that efforts were being made to improve the female characters - sakura now had much higher combat ability from the start of shippuden and, though she gets much less focus hinata is repeatedly shown doing brave acts and pushing herself to become stronger. and while i really loved the effort and it was definitely an improvement from especially sakura’s original character - it still fell flat to me.

sakura’s fight with sasori was perfect and a great way to revive her character but then she was pretty stagnant in a lot of the following arcs - i.e. injured in the reunion arc, not very important during the two saviors arc, her weird fake love confession during the assembly of the five kage arc, etc. - she constantly bounces between “now i’m strong” and “i still don’t measure up” making her character development - especially pre-war - virtually nonexistent because every step forward gets followed by a step back.

hinata is a bit more difficult simply because she’s such a minor character for so much of shippuden which is insane since she’s literally the protagonist’s future wife. regardless, looking at hinata’s big moments: her fight with neji in og naruto, blocking naruto from pain in shippuden, and the Smack during the war (there’s a few i’m missing i’m sure but those are really what constitutes her biggest moments to me during the meat of shippuden’s actual development phase - not the post war resolution phase) two of three of these moments precede her getting very heavily and soundly beaten which personally irks me - even if i don’t particularly like it i can see why and it makes sense to me she didn’t win the fight with neji or her pain confrontation and it definitely shows that she is brave and emphasizes the all-important devotion to her love interest aspect of her character BUT it’s also a little obnoxious that we never get to see her be REALLY victorious in her major moments.

so to sum up so far: sakura and hinata are both meant to be perceived as innovative and strong female characters but this perception doesn’t work in sakura’s case because she immediately repeatedly reverts back to the damsel in distress archtype and it doesn’t work in hinata’s case because the few strong moments she has are highlighted by failure.

and also the all important point that the majority of their “strong moments” are driven by their love interests - not a bad motivation except for the fact that that is one of their ONLY motivations

to the main point i’m trying to make: lets compare naruto (obviously take this with the understanding that naruto has a MAJOR advantage of having way more screen time and development as the titular character)

in regards to sasuke, naruto:

- is extremely devoted

- repeatedly chases after sasuke to match-up with him and improve

- and, especially in og, struggles with feeling inferior to sasuke

the context is a little different and the motivation behind some of the points changes between the two but it’s the exact same mold as sakura and hinata

the major difference between the two and the main reason that so many more people get frustrated with sakura’s devotion to sasuke and not naruto’s really boils down to development

sakura barely had her own character outside of loving sasuke and when she did, it immediately got downplayed in some way - just look at the war arc and her triumphant “i finally caught up to them” right before both sasuke and naruto essentially gain godlike powers, she then spends the war constantly distracted by sasuke even when fighting “sasuke isn’t worried about me at all” which really downplays her role.

on the flip side, even with his main goal of bringing sasuke back to the village, naruto has tons of motivation and character building outside of sasuke - ex. becoming hokage, gaining everyone’s acceptance, fixing konoha, living up to his parents/jiraiya’s expectations, bringing peace, protecting everyone he can, freeing the tailed beasts, etc. etc. you could go on forever the show is named after him after all.

we are told that sakura always chooses sasuke and nothing else about it but then we are told that naruto chooses sasuke despite everything else.

to sum up: the traditional female love interest that kishimoto wants to invent is the woman who is devoted. she puts the person she loves above everything else because she loves him. she’d do anything for that person even if it puts her at risk, etc. but at the end of the day there’s still the tired trait of still relying on the man in her life for certain things. and he doesn’t bother to expand characters like sakura and hinata beyond that. (great examples of characters who are almost completely separate from this mold are tsunade and temari - though one might argue about the way they were written designed to fit specific tropes for comedic moments - personally i think they manage to dodge that for the most part though)

with naruto and sasuke - naruto manages to fulfill every roll sakura is meant to in a much more elaborated and better way all without the curse of the female love interest that sakura and hinata bear. it’s hard to accept sakura and hinata’s “i’ll love you no matter what” when naruto is already actively outright doing that with sasuke. the roots of sakura’s feelings for sasuke, hinata’s feelings for naruto, and naruto’s feelings for sasuke are all exceptionally similar to one another which is what shoots kishimoto’s main romances in the foot - because it’s hard for them to measure up to the main “platonic brotherly” relationship he built between sasuke and naruto.

this post is obviously disregarding a lot of the Other really deep parts of sasuke and naruto’s relationship and some important points about the other women of naruto. also it’s important to think on the time period naruto and naruto shippuden were written in. we’re in a major incline period for improvement in how women are presented in fiction - just look at the difference of women between og and shippuden. obviously it doesn’t completely excuse anything but it’s a point to consider.

sorry for the rant and sorry if this is all really obvious to you or if it’s worded poorly, kinda just needed to word vomit my thoughts. i really like analyzing how women are represented in fiction and how the representations have developed over the years. i wrote a few essays about it for some of my courses and now i think about it all the time. obviously i’m not claiming this is how everyone should view these characters or anything i just had lots of my own thoughts about the entire situation and dynamics that i had to put SOMEWHERE. if you have any thoughts about it or points you wanna bring up feel free to do so i love fiction analysis a lot so i love hearing other people’s opinions

[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Goblins

Exciting Planeswalker Visitors

(Caution: Before we begin, this post is going to be much more opinion-based than previous ones. These are my own homebrew ideas, use them as/if you wish, discard/dismiss them if you prefer.)

Planeswalkers are an integral part of MTG Lore, as well as several of its most iconic characters. Put simply, a Planeswalker is an individual with an inherent gift for traveling between planes, or worlds. The gift does not appear at birth, but is usually triggered by some manner of incredibly emotional (usually traumatizing) event. In addition, each Planeswalker displays a unique aptitude for a particular style of magic; be it plant growth, transformation, becoming transparent, illusions, invulnerability, summoning beasts, structural analysis, setting things on fire, etc. Whatever their specific brand of magic is, it’s usually on a higher level than an ordinary person can hope to achieve.

Planeswalkers, as a general rule, are wanderers by nature. They may have a home plane, or even an adopted home plane, but being able to traverse the multiverse leads many towards lives of constant adventuring/shenanigans. Add in the fact that Planeswalkers cannot bring anyone else with them on these travels (except in very rare cases), and you end up with a special breed of super-powerful magical loner. They show up, make a name for themselves with their big magic, and depart when they feel like it. Did you say, “Instant Adventure”?

Ravnica has a few native Planeswalkers among its citizens; Ral Zarek, Vraska, and Domri Rade. In addition, it has several Planeswalkers who have at some point or another (depending on your timeline) devoted enough time & energy to be effectively considered citizens; Azor, Tezzeret, Kaya, Dack Fayden, Dovin Baan, Gideon Jura, and Jace Beleren. Some of these are currently dead, missing, or magically barred from ever returning. At one point, Ravnica had more Planeswalkers on it at one time than any plane in the multiverse has ever or will ever see. If you are going the War of the Spark direction, good luck. You'll need it and so will your players. For everyone else, which Planeswalkers you choose to include in your campaign (if any), should be based on who will work the best for the story you’re trying to tell. A recommendation; if you find their lore too distracting and complicated, stick to the main beats. A lot of these figures can be boiled down to simple ideas, and you don’t want to bore your party with the entire novel of these usually dramatic/tragic lives. Trust me, the base concepts are enough.

With that in mind, here are four Planeswalkers that I, a random person on the internet, believe would work great for a Ravnica campaign. My choices are not based on who has canonically already spent time in Ravnica, or who would be the most powerful/dangerous to suddenly appear in the city. Several Planeswalkers have their own prior commitments on other planes that are pretty central to their character, and BAMFing them to Ravnica for a quick Bad Guy to take down wouldn’t do them justice. These four characters would slide into various aspects of Ravnica beautifully. These four would be the most exciting visitors to Ravnica.

Ashiok, Dream Render

I don’t think any MTG character could be as good a fit for a Ravnican Guild as Ashiok is for House Dimir. Ashiok is almost literally a walking shadow of secrets and intrigue. Their origins, their age, their motives, their face; hell, their gender is a secret yet unrevealed. Ashiok’s power is creating living beings born of the greatest fears stolen from people’s nightmares. Literally.

It’s like if the Dimir stopped half-assing the art of stealing thoughts and turned it into a weapon of mass destruction. Because even the mightiest of Ravnicans are afraid of things. Ask Niv-Mizzet about the Nephilim sometime, see how quickly he changes the subject. What’s better, for a Guild that prides itself on always having the up & up on everyone, Ashiok is inscrutable. They have no past that can be divined, no secrets that can be stolen, no previous encounters to prepare any for their arrival. Neither Lazav nor Etrata can claim such anonymity, despite their best efforts. Ashiok is a true enigma and a dangerous new weapon for House Dimir.

Ashiok also comes with the ability to create minions and NPCs from out of any PC’s worst nightmares, making encounters a great combination of roleplaying & combat. Fighting them is specifically facing one’s deepest & darkest fears made real. Can you say, “character development”?

Ashiok’s arrival could spread this new magical art to other Dimir Agents for a longer campaign, but it might be best to confine it to Ashiok in order to allow for a cleaner victory. Ashiok is not a fighter, cornering them into a direct confrontation should be enough to make the Nightmare Sculptor run for the hills. The mind is powerful, but also very squishy.

Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded

You know how the Cult of Rakdos are technically Chaotic Evil but generally just a bunch of artsy hedonistic nuisances? Tibalt is to them what a gallon of gasoline would be to a lit stove. Good for fire, bad for everything else. Tibalt is an empath specializing in Pain Magic. Quite literally, he loves hurting people for fun. Drawn to pain like a magnet; physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, etc, he is sadism personified.

His brief time on Ravnica during War of the Spark was enough to make a strong impression on the Rakdos.

“I like this one’s energy.”

This is because they do not realize how bad Tibalt would be for the Cult. There is a fundamental difference between the Chaotic Evil the Cult practices and the Chaotic Evil Tibalt delights in. The Rakdos have survived 10,000 years by taking in the freaks, the rejects, and the crazies, and giving them a place where they can live out their most depraved hedonistic fantasies. They are the voice of the outsiders bringing all figures of power & authority down a peg. They always punch up, never down. Tibalt is a young man with no home, no friends, no job, and no interests or hobbies beyond inflicting pain in as many people as possible. Tibalt punches everyone. The most important distinction between the two is that the Cult of Rakdos is a culture, a way of life for people to embrace; it might be crazy, but it welcomes & accepts people no matter how insane the world says they are. Tibalt does not care about anyone but himself. Following his example would see the city turned into the largest, bloodiest, and most destructive riot in its history; with Tibalt inciting and sicking every monstrosity he can find onto the city at once. He will burn the Rakdos candle at both ends and leave them to suffer the consequences of his fun. The aftermath being the city in ruins, the Cult wiped from the face of existence, and him moving on to his next project. In short, Tibalt will hurt the Cult of Rakdos as much, if not more, than the rest of Ravnica. Because that’s how he gets his kicks.

The one thing standing in his way will be Rakdos himself. As the single largest diva on the entire plane, Rakdos does not tolerate anyone who tries to steal his spotlight. As a 10,000+ year-old Demon Lord, Rakdos is in a league of his own, and Tibalt is just a hotshit little pain mage with a few tricks. It’s not a fight, it’s either an exit or a curtain call for the Planeswalker. If Rakdos is around, Tibalt’s spree will be very short-lived. If, however, Rakdos is doing his usual thing of hibernating for weeks, months, or years at a time, that’s a different story. Tibalt is good for if your campaign wants to bypass politics & intrigue and go straight to killing Cultists & Demons. He’s bad for anyone he comes in contact with.

Garruk Wildspeaker

In case I haven’t made my contempt for Domri Rade clear, I hold Domri Rade in utter contempt. As a character, as a Planeswalker, and most of all as a Gruul, he’s a failure. Scrawny, weak, gullible, and stupid. My chief grievance with Domri is that he fell short in all the areas the Gruul Clans idolize. He couldn’t survive in the wilderness on his own without his Planeswalker abilities, he couldn’t fight for himself except against weaker opponents or with herds of animals as backup, and he acted on orders from someone else who wasn’t Gruul. For a Guild built on independence and survival of the fittest, he failed both completely.

Garruk is the real deal. Gigantic, strong, savage, and cunning. Here is a man who, on a fundamental level, has embraced animal savagery as a way of life. He lives like a predator on the hunt, an alpha of any pack, and a fierce threat to all who intrude upon his territory. On a plane like Ravnica, where civilization has encroached on the untamed wilds almost completely, Garruk would be a gamechanger. Not only could he feasibly fight Borborygmos for leadership of the Gruul, he could win, and he could unite the Gruul under his howl of reclaiming the wilds from so-called “civilization”. Garruk would bring animal strength to the Gruul in ways they’ve only begun to tap into, and he’d do it in their language. Because Garruk understands the Gruul, and they understand him. They have so much in common with each other that it’s hard to think of any Planeswalker who could be welcomed so readily into a Guild. They would become so much more than rock-smashers and anarchists, they would become Ravnica’s reminder that nature will survive when all traces of society have crumbled away.

As if taking on the city itself wasn’t big enough already, Garruk has also taken to hunting other Planeswalkers, and can actually track them across the Multiverse. Meaning a few high-ranking members of Guilds and even the Living Guildpact have to take his threat seriously. He’s got a particular grudge against necromancers, dislikes talking, and has a special gift with animals of all varieties. All of which provides plenty of ideas to build from. He’s an 8ft tall Human Druid/Barbarian who willingly chooses animal savagery over intellectual reasoning, can there be anyone more perfect for the Gruul?

Did I say Ashiok was the most perfect fit for an MTG character in a Ravnican Guild? Yeah, scratch that. Garruk is.

Sarkhan Vol

Most Planeswalkers have a theme to their abilities. For some, that theme extends to their personalities as well. And then there are Planeswalkers who can be adequately summed up in a single word. For Sarkhan, that word would be “dragons”. Sarkhan sees dragons as nature’s purest & most destructive form, and carries a fascination with them that is perfectly healthy for anything with wings and scales that breathes fire, but generally less healthy for everything & everyone else.

One of the things that makes Ravnica unique is the distinct lack of dragons (emphasis on the plural). Ravnica has a dragon, Niv-Mizzet the Firemind, who made the executive decision thousands of years ago that he alone was sufficient to represent his entire species. Ravnican dragons are considered more intelligent than dragons on other planes, Niv himself being a prime example of this. Around the original signing of the Guildpact, Ravnica’s Godlike dragons were hunted to extinction, with Niv leading the hunt against his own kind. They were not entirely successful in this endeavor, but what few dragons do remain in the present day survive by staying as far off Niv’s radar as possible. Some dragons live by carrying out Niv’s will under constant supervision, or by hunting in the untamed wilds outside the city, or as sideshow attractions for the Rakdos (usually with their wings cut off to prevent escape). They are effectively stripped of anything that would identify them as “dragons” for the sake of their own existence. Since dragons are such a notoriously touchy subject for the Firemind, few have the nerve or fire immunity necessary to speak out against it.

Sarkhan would be horrified. If he thought the extinction of dragons on his home plane of Tarkir was bad, seeing them living like this would infuriate him beyond words. What would Sarkhan do once the initial shock of seeing his spirit animal (in more ways than one) reduced to pitiful scraps of life as lab rats, scared prey, and freak shows wears off? Let’s make it a game! Do you think Sarkhan will:

A. Cry.

B. Throw up.

C. Embrace this as a plane’s reality that he has no right to get involved with.

D. Scream.

E. Set something on fire.

F. Set everything on fire.

G. Bring back the dragons.

H. Burn the city to the ground with dragons.

I. Kill Niv-Mizzet.

J. All the above except “C”.

If you selected Answer “J”, then congratulations! You’ve just won a free trip to a BURNING METROPOLIS! Sarkhan will absolutely make it his life’s goal to bring dragons back to Ravnica and destroy the whole wretched city down to the last brick. How he would do it is up to you, but it’s a solid bet that even if every other Guild treats him like an apocalyptic madman, the Gruul might side with him over some shared beliefs in smashing the city apart with ferocious animal savagery. They tend to lean towards such ideas with uncharacteristic willful compliance. Ravnican dragons are primarily red, with the most prominent breed still remaining being the Utvara Hellkites beyond the city limits.

Oh, and Sarkhan can turn into a dragon, too. Have fun with that.

[cardentist]

this isn’t a proper discourse post, I Agree with a lot of what the op said but there’s specific things about it that get under my skin in a way that makes me want to talk about it, but I don’t want to engage with that post both because I don’t want to speak over the point that’s being made and frankly because I don’t want to be misinterpreted because of the point that’s being made in it.

so for context, I’ll just say that it was a long post about how a lack of engagement with women characters in fandom spaces is tied to misogyny. just be aware that I’m responding to something specific and not criticisms of this in general. (feel free to dm me if you want to see the post for yourself)

the rest of this is going to be rambly and a bit unfocused, so I want to get this out the door right at the top: it is not actually someone’s moral obligation to engage with or create fan content. all other points aside, what this amounts to is labeling people as bigoted for either not creating or engaging with content that you want to see, and while the individual may or may not be a bigot it’s not actually anyone’s job to tailor their fandom experience to cater to you. 

fandom is not activism. it’s not Wrong to point out that a lack of content about women in fandom is likely indicative of the influence of our misogynistic society. and suggesting that people examine their internalized biases isn’t just fine, it’s something that everyone should be doing all the time. but saying that it is literally someone’s “responsibility” to “make an effort” by consuming content about women or they’re bigoted is presenting the consumption of fan content as a moral litmus test that you pass and fail not by how you engage with content but by not engaging with all of the Correct content. 

judging people’s morality based on what characters they read meta for or look at fanart for is, a mistake. it Can Be Indicative of internalized biases but it is not, in and of itself, a moral failing that has to be corrected.

if you want more content to be created about women in fandom then you do it by spreading content about women in fandom, not by guilting people into engaging with it by saying that they’re bigots if they don’t. you encourage creation Through creation.

okay, now to address what Mainly set me off to inspire this post.

this post specifically went out of it’s way to present misogyny as the only answer for why this problem exists in fandom spaces. and while I absolutely agree that it’s a Factor, they left absolutely no room for nuance which included debunking “common excuses.” which, as you can probably guess, contained the things that ticked me off.

first off, you can’t judge that someone is disconnected from women in general based on their fandom consumption because the sum total of their being is not available on tumblr. 

people don’t always bear their souls in fandom spaces. just because they don’t actively post about a character or Characters doesn’t mean that they see them as lesser or that they don’t think about them. the idea that you can tell what a person’s moral beliefs are not based on what they’ve said or done but based on whether they engage with specific characters in a specific way in a specific space can Only work on the assumption that they engage with that space in a way that expresses the entirety of who they are or even their engagement with that specific media.

what I engage with on ao3 is different from what I engage with on tumblr, youtube, twitter, my friend’s dms, and my own head. people are going to engage with social media and fandom spaces specifically differently for different reasons. you can’t assume what the other parts of their lives look like based on this alone. 

second off, there can be other factors at play that influence people’s specific engagement with a fandom.

they specifically brought up the magnus archives as an example of a show with well written women. which while absolutely true, does Not mean that misogyny is the only option for why people wouldn’t engage with content about them as often. for me personally? a lot of fan content is soured because of how it presents jon. I relate to him very heavily as a neurodivergent and traumatized person, and he faces a Lot of victim blaming and dehumanization in the writing. sasha and martin are more or less the only main characters that Aren’t guilty of this, and sasha was out of the picture after season 1.

while this affects my enjoyment of fan content for these characters To Some Extent on it’s own (I love georgie, I love her a lot, but I can’t forget that she looked at someone and told them that they were better off dead because they couldn’t “choose” to not be abused), the bigger issue is fan content that Specifically doesn’t address the victim blaming and ableism as what it is, even presenting it as just Correct. 

this isn’t exclusive to the women in the show by any means, this is exactly why I avoid a lot of content about tim, but it affects a lot of the women who are main characters. that isn’t the Only reason, there’s more casual ableism and things that tear him down for other reasons (the prevalent theory that elias passed up on sasha because he’s afraid of how she’s More Competent In Jon In Every Single way. which comes with the unfortunate implications of jon being responsible for his own trauma because he just wasn’t competent enough to avoid it) but that’s the main one that squicks me out.

of course not all fan content does this, and I Do engage with content about these characters, but sometimes it’s easier to just stick with content that centers on my comfort character because it’s more likely to look at his character with the nuance required to see that it is victim blaming and ableism. 

it’s not enough to say that the characters are well rounded or well written and conclude that if someone isn’t consuming or creating content about them then it has to be due to misogyny and nothing else.

there’s also just like, the Obvious answer. two most prominent characters are two men that are in a canonical gay relationship, which draws in queer men/masc people on it’s own but the centering of their othering and trauma Particularly draws in traumatized queer people that are starved for content. georgie and melanie are both fleshed out characters in and of themselves, but their relationship with each other doesn’t have nearly as much direct screen time. and daisy and basira have a lot more screen time together and about each other, but their relationship is very intentionally non-canon because of its role as a commentary on cop pack mentality.

people are More Likely to create content for the more prominent relationship in the show and be drawn into the fandom through that relationship in the first place. I have no doubt that there Are misogynistic fans of the show, but focusing on the relationship and the characters that make you happy isn’t and indication that you’re one of them.

which brings us to the big one, the one that sparked me into writing this in the first place (and the last that I have time for if I’m being honest). the “common excuses” section in general is, extremely dismissive obviously but there’s only one section that genuinely upsets me. 

without copying and pasting what they said directly, it essentially boils down to this: while they recognize that gay and trans men are “allowed” to relate to men, they’re still Men which makes them misogynistic. Rather than acknowledge Why gay and trans men would engage with fan-content specifically that caters to them they present it as a given that it’s 100% due to misogyny anyways. they present queer men engaging with content about themselves as them treating women like they’re “unworthy of attention,” calling it a “patriarchal tendency” that they have to unlearn.

being gay and trans does not mean that you’re immune to misogyny, being a woman doesn’t even mean that you’re immune to misogyny, but that’s engaging in bad faith in a way that really puts a bad taste in my mouth. 

queer men aren’t just like, Special Men that have Extra Bonus Reasons to be relate to boys, they’re people who are more likely to Need fandom spaces to explore facets of themselves. and while you can Relate to any character, it feels good to be able to explore those aspect with characters that resemble you or how you see yourself.

when I first started actively seeking out fandom spaces in middle school I engaged with content about queer men more or less exclusively. at this point I had no concept of what trans people were, and wouldn’t begin openly considering that I might be a trans person until high school. I knew that I’d be happier as a gay man before I knew I could be a gay man, and that’s affected my relationship with fandom forever. 

I engage with most things pretty casually, reblogging meta and joke posts when I see them, but what I go out of my way to engage with is largely an expression of my gender identity and sexuality. I project myself onto a comfort character and then I Consume content for them because that was how I was able to express myself before I knew that I needed to. it’s not that girl characters aren’t “worthy” of me relating to them, it’s that I specifically go to certain fandom spaces to express and work through my gender and sexuality. that’s what I use those fandom spaces For.

I imagine that I’ll need this crutch less when I’m allowed to transition and if I ever find a relationship situation that works out for me. but also like, why should I? it’s not actually hurting anyone for me to explore my gender and sexuality through fanfic until the end of time. nor does it hurt anyone for me to focus on my comfort characters. 

fandom is personal comfort and entertainment, not a moral obligation. people absolutely should engage with women in media and real life with more nuance and energy than they do, but fandom spaces are not the place to police or judge that. 

[nobodyfamousposts]

You know I was watching a video by overly sarcastic productions and I’m pretty sure that from that definition Adrien is a Mary Sue. The episode was Trope Talks: Mary Sues.

Pretty much Adrien is this to a T.

I hear people throwing the term around a lot and complaining about the term being thrown around a lot but I think what ends up being missed is what actually constitutes a Mary Sue in the first place.

A Mary Sue is not a character who is overpowered or “too strong” like the complaints about Captain Marvel. If that was true, then literally every anime protagonist or super hero that exists is a Mary Sue by default. Every one. Ever.

Nor is it someone with a tragic backstory like Batman or any other long line of superheroes or anime protagonists. Whether it’s dead parents, a past trauma, abuse, bullying, or just a conga line of horrible circumstances, plenty of characters have had bad things happen to them. That’s kind of part of life and what makes them relatable and sympathetic.

It’s not even someone who is loved by many people. Or is a good judge of character. Or whom manages to talk someone into a heel-face turn. Regardless of what claims may come, these are not what make a character a Mary Sue.

What makes a Mary Sue—the central core aspect of what makes a character problematic all boils down to how the narrative itself treats the character.

The narrative is generally indicative of the author’s own preferences or leanings. We see it all the time with stories that create straw characters to symbolize people the author doesn’t like or things the author doesn’t agree with in order to belittle it. The opposite can just as easily occur where a character or position is hyped up to look better or promote what the author wants promoted.

Those previously mentioned tropes are a sign of that. For a Mary Sue, everything from powers to past traumas to relationships are all just “things“ for the character to have. Whether to emphasize their importance or to highlight their greatness. While they’re not necessarily what automatically makes a character a Mary Sue, they are often utilized as tools by the narrative for the sake of propping the character that is a Sue. That’s why they’re easy to pick out and attribute to a Mary Sue as well as used to claim characters are Sues. Because they are tools used to try to make people support a character instead of actually making a character people can like and WANT to support.

A Mary Sue is given powers for the sake of making the character awesome without the character actually doing anything to be awesome. A Mary Sue is is given a tragic backstory for the sake of making the character sympathetic without the character actually doing anything to warrant sympathy. A Mary Sue is given relationships for the sake of being the center of attention and adoration by other characters to shell how awesome they are without having to do anything to show how or why anyone would or should actually like them. Any relationships a Mary Sue has are NOT legitimate connections between two or more people, they’re just labels to slap on the Mary Sue to make the character seem more relevant and important.

Ultimately, a Mary Sue supplants the story for the sake of having this character BE the story, and it’s a major reason why they are despised in most fandoms. A reason that, sad to say, was actually deserved in the early days of fan works.

That said…

Adrien IS a prime example of a Mary Sue because of the way the narrative is going out of its way to portray him. Even the creator has come out and said he is “perfect” and that any flaw he could have isn’t actually on him so much as an indication of something being wrong with the world around him. Anything bad that happens, even as a direct result of that character’s own actions, is portrayed as being the fault of anyone and everyone else but that character, in this case Adrien. That, RIGHT THERE is pretty much the epitome of what a Mary Sue IS.

Some call it an ego trip. Some call it a power fantasy. Many consider it as a sort of reality warper. It’s ultimately the case when the story is being turned in on itself to make this character look good without the character actually DOING anything to BE good and even when the character is specifically doing things that AREN’T good.

This is why Bella Swan from Twilight is a certifiable Mary Sue.

This is why it can be argued that Rey from Star Wars is a Mary Sue.

This is why Anita Blake is definitely a Mary Sue.

And this is what separates Adrien from Marinette. And Adrien from pretty much everyone else in the series.

It’s not that he has superpowers—if anything, I think he got cheated in the powers department, all things considered. No, it’s the way he doesn’t seem to take those powers or the responsibilities that come with them seriously. Given that he has had THREE instances already in which he threw a major fit in the middle of an akuma battle because he wasn’t happy about something only for him to be shown as being RIGHT to do so even to the detriment of his partner, his Miraculous, and ultimately all of Paris.

It’s not that he has a missing mom and a neglectful dad, it’s how the narrative keeps emphasizing how sad Adrien is without actually DOING anything with it so they can milk the “Sadrien” angle. Because let’s face it, seeing Adrien looking sad sells.

It’s not that he has multiple girls who like him. I mean, he’s a model, and is rich and famous. I’d be surprised if he didn’t have multiple girls who were into him.

No, it’s in the over the top emphasis of his supposed greatness. It’s in this consistent impression the narrative is giving that the female lead we are supposed to be rooting for—whom we all KNOW has gone well out of her way to do things for him, try to make him happy even to her own detriment, and has struggled more than any rational person should be willing to just to try confessing to the guy is somehow the one side of the love square that “isn’t trying hard enough”.

It’s in the way he is always portrayed as being the “moral voice” and the one in the right in any situation regardless of how little he’s involved or even understands what’s going on. Whether it was lecturing people on how to deal with a bully or for being happy when their bully was leaving (when he was never actually a target of that bully). Or lecturing people on how to deal with a liar (when again, he wasn’t the one being played or threatened). Or threatening to quit when Paris was flooded by an akuma all because he wasn’t being told secrets that he wasn’t showing he was ready to know and that his tantrum CERTAINLY didn’t show he was ready or mature enough for.

It’s in the back and forth on whether he is supposed to be the epitome of “perfection” and the wise person everyone should listen to only to suddenly be made out as the innocent victim of everyone else when his less than noble or heroic behaviors are pointed out in order to excuse or justify his behaviors. (I call it the Standard Adrien Defense and it follows this trend each time.)

It’s in the clear and blatant double standard between what Adrien/Chat is allowed to do and get away with vs what is allowed from anyone else. It’s in the way that Adrien can do things that anyone can agree is wrong without getting so much as a lecture but anyone else in his place will—and have been raked over the coals by the same narrative that gives him the equivalent of a pat on the head and a cookie.

It’s in the way he’s just…there. He has the plot connections. He has the relevance. He has the position of being at the center of quite literally everything from the villain’s plans and motivations to the adoration of the female lead…and he does NOTHING with any of it.

And it’s in the way that no matter what he does or what side he takes, the narrative always ALWAYS frames him as being the one in the right when there’s a conflict, the one to sympathize with when he and another character are hurt, and the one we as the audience are supposed to agree with and support more in any situation.

And the truly sad thing is that Adrien as a character has potential. From a humorous character to a serious one, from the wise and introspective person to the wide-eyed innocent being thrown into the hero job, there was SO MUCH that could have been done with his character. Instead, Adrien is reactionary. Anything involving him is less a matter of what he personally is doing and more about what is being done to or for him. He has no dreams or aspirations other than being with the main female character, has no interests to speak of, and his other relationships actually seem pretty lacking—again, based less on what HE’S doing and more on what other people are doing to and/or for HIM. He somehow has a wide-ranging impact without actually taking action.

As it stands, Canon Adrien is about as real as the cardboard cutout or wax statue of him. To the point he might as well be either for all that he actually seems to accomplish. Because nothing annoys fans or creates salt quite like wasted potential, and that’s all canon Adrien is at this point.

That’s why Fandom Adrien is awesome, whether he’s portrayed as being dense as a brick, showing a polite exterior while internally screaming, acting like a massive dork, or just acting passive aggressive in how he deals with his father and people like Chloe or Lila. Because however way he’s being made to deal with the crazy situations the fans put him in, he’s at least doing SOMETHING besides standing there and looking pretty for people to fawn/fight over.

Strangely enough, this may be the first case I’ve seen where fans have taken a Mary Sue and made him a real character rather than the other way around.

[notesofarichlycolorednight]

eyooo!! i listened to firesorrow girl [TUMBLR | SOUNDCLOUD] by @gerrydelano and HAD A MIGHTY NEED (to also analyze this)

disclaimer: I have only listened to TMA through one (1), read it ONE time, so if you read something that seems wrong it probably is because my memory is not The Best (the seasons are 40 eps long and 30 mins each, Jonny why) and I’m probably straight-up not remembering or misremembering some aspect or detail about a character/a relationship/a part of their narrative

(and before you say it, i absolutely CANNOT just go relisten to an ep out of order. my nd brain Will Not Let Me until i have listened thru all 4 seasons, In Order, several times)

ALSO: i speak very definitively here, but it doesn’t mean i’m right abt my analysis

italics and bold are lyrics, normal is analysis. if there’s a way i can make this more accessible, lmk!

analysis under cut

little girl tries sleeping in the fireplace at home no one banished her inside it, she just lay down on her own she stares up into the darkness of the chimney and she hopes that someday she may go up in smoke this makes me think abt hilltop road first and foremost (but i have a feeling i’m missing something aljlkdjf) this is also the first hint to agnes’s wavering thoughts abt her being “the chosen one” for the lightless flame she’s already wishing she could burn, or in other words be normal

oh, the ends of her hair curl into embers in the wood beneath her head like a pillow, splintered shoulders in the soot flickers turn to flame and moves in kisses up her arms it loves her, so refuses her a scar i really like the imagery here bc, aside from the splinters, it evokes a softness embers are pretty, pillows are soft, “moves in kisses up her arms” really evokes a gentle intimacy, even before the line “it loves her” but then the last line really solidifies agnes’s relationship with fire--she wishes it would burn her but it loves her too much to do that, so she doesn’t

she doesn't burn oh, she learns again, reinforcing the motif agnes’s relationship with fire--the layers of 1) her not wanting this but 2) the first doesn’t care and loves her anyway i also see it as foreshadowing, or at least leading up to what she learns (put a pin in this)

pretty girl sits quiet in the coffee shop alone staring empty out the window like she used to do at home she feels his eyes fall down upon her from the counter, like a doe the ache of yearning blisters in her bones jack barnabas! hilltop road the use of doe, evokes the visual of “wide eyes,” which, in turn, evokes naivety--jack doesn’t know who agnes is, what she is, or that she could hurt him, even if she didn’t want to love, love, LOVE the fire motif here and used throughout the song--using fire metaphors bc it’s so fitting (put a pin in this)

he follows her up to the hill where water never works to send him down she broke his crown and blessed him with a curse her only kiss a smear of kerosene, a desperation unrehearsed and love made sure to let her know it hurts (love made sure it hurt) this only hit me like after the 5th time listening in a row, but LISTEN, “jack and jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.” i think it could also mean hilltop road, but i do think the stronger theme lies in that nursery rhyme. his name is jack and then to solidify that, “to send him down she broke his crown” vs. “jack fell down and broke his crown” i really love the contradiction of “blessed him with a curse” *ben from parks and rec voice* it’s about the layers. so listen, love is often seen as a blessing. but coming from agnes it’s a curse bc she burns anyone she touches. this is also in reference to her momentarily transferring her curse (the love from the lightless flame/fire) to him through her kiss “smear of kerosene”--another way of using a metaphor that evokes images of fire, and I LOVE IT “a desperation unrehearsed” MORE LAYERS YO. she knows what her touch will do to him but she’s so desperate to feel normal for even a second, she kisses him anyway “and love made sure to let her know it hurts”--going back to her curse, the love from fire/flame, and the destruction is causes bc of this. it could also be representative of how love can be very destructive. ppl often describe “the fires of passion” or passion as being like fire/hot *eyes emoji* i think the addition of “love made sure it hurt” could also communicate how the fire’s love for agnes is possessive--she cannot be normal or human or have any other relationship except with the lightless flame

he burns oh, she learns a parallel to “she doesn’t burn”--the striking difference between her and jack (the lightless flame and the rest of the world) what she learns here, tho, is also a parallel between what she learns at the beginning of the song there she is learning abt herself, here is is learning about everyone else

learns that breathing screamsmoke blackens hearts as much as lungs a heart motif, representative of love another fire-related metaphor that breathing in smoke doesn’t just fill your lungs with soot, but also covers the heart (love) in soot, as well a toxic love, as soot is bad for lungs and hearts it can’t be coughed back out and she can’t glisten like the sun using fire-related metaphors--the soot in her lungs and on her heart cannot be “cleaned” or cleared from her body with the body’s natural reaction to something obstructing breathing, which is coughing listen, i’ve said this before AND YOU’LL HEAR IT AGAIN: i really love “she can’t glisten like the sun” bc the whole point of fire, as the lightless flame sees it, is what the fear is named for: desolation. BUT fire is ultimately a neutral thing. if you respect and carefully control it, it can give warmth and life--like the sun (tho you can’t control the sun lmao). so there are positive aspects to. but not for agnes, given her upbringing and literally how she was conceived there’s no one left to save with love and no one she can touch affection is the pyre built on wildfire in the brush reinforcing her being unable to connect with normal humans bc of who she is ALSO i’m pretty sure this is referencing the bonfire she was born in--the ritual that made her the lightless flame’s messiah also, also, the use of the word “affection” uses the theme that fire itself love agnes, in it’s own, twisted way

her hands were only ever made to press through burning flesh and boiling tears won’t put it out but scald it like the rest referencing her birth again--that she was made to be this messiah for the lightless flame, for their ritual to remake the world through the lens of the desolation also more fire-related metaphors that i am IN LOVE with ugh, and, okay “boiling tears” communicates what agnes is feeling again--that she Does Not want to be their messiah, she just wants to be normal. she doesn’t want what the fire has given her but even her tears burn bc that’s what she is, what she was made for and the love of waxen women makes no difference in the end if never she can make and keep a simple human friend reference to jude, specifically, but other members of the lightless flame, as well. from what i remember, they all loved her but in the way that the fire loves her: possessive and toxic (like soot in the lungs) and then the reinforcement that she’s not human and cannot have the connection with humans she desperately craves, even if it’s just a tiny sliver

she can’t burn oh, she’s learned YO the difference between “she doesn’t burn” and “she can’t burn”--there’s a passiveness to it in the first line, but it’s more active in the second. here me out: as i said before, the “learn” lines communicate the inner thoughts of what agnes is thinking, the revelations she makes as he grows and lives. so “she doesn’t burn” communicates her learning and get used to the fact that fire doesn’t hurt her. versus “she can’t burn” communicates her knowing and accepting that the fire doesn’t hurt her, but she can hurt others with that very same fire. lowkey it’s so hard to articulate this difference, but this is the best my brain came up, hope it makes sense

YOOOO GIVE ME A MOMENT THIS NEXT PART IS MY FAVORITE PART

firesorrow girl says, “hang me up; i’d like to go” (i would like to go) referencing her death--her realizing that bc she’s fallen in love with jack, she can no longer lead the ritual for the lightless flame. but bro, listen, the addition  of “i would like to go” is a direct line to what agnes is thinking and feeling. more than not being able to lead the ritual, she doesn’t want to live like this anymore; doesn’t want to live her life unable to make connections with humans this isn’t quite a chimney she can column up to choke (i choose now to choke) a throwback to the first lines about her lying down in the fireplace and looking up through the chimney ALSO has a double meaning here, reinforced by what agnes is thinking: you can choke on smoke. her death involves literal choking the “i choose now to choke” again is a direct line to what agnes is thinking/feeling BUT ALSO a decision she finally gets to make autonomously the weighted hand upon her waist is chained there like a ghost, (always been a ghost) i know you’re probably tired of hearing but i ain’t gonna stop saying it. I REALLY LOVE THIS LINE. the lyrics say one thing, agnes’s internal thoughts say another bc raymond fielding is a ghost. not just like a ghost. he is one to her. i believe it was distortion helen who said that there was a scar on hilltop road. and we find out later that it’s bc hilltop road belonged to the web and even tho agnes burnt the house down, the web still left a mark on her. part of that mark is fielding, who i assume, was an avatar for the web. and it’s quite literal, as agnes never got rid of his hand he literally is a ghost haunting her bc of this but the rope she wears is woven cold with hope (yearning to be cold) THIS LINE BRO,,, i’m gonna say it I FUCKING LOVE IT. of course, referencing the rope she uses to hang herself BUT LISTEN “woven cold with hope” YOOOO THIS IS TAKING THE FIRE LOVES HER THEME AND TURNING IT ON ITS HEAD COMPLETELY she has been burning with fire this entire song, her body a raging inferno, contained in a body that appears human but hurts anything she touches. BUT AT THE END OF THE SONG WE GET THE COLD fire is often associated with warmth is often associated with hope, right?? but this time bc of the circumstances and what fire means to agnes and the lightless flame, being cold, not burning everyone she touches horribly, is her hope ”yearning to be cold” strengthens that message coldness is also associated with death, and here it’s quite literal but it’s also important to note that it’s also still agnes’s hope. so it’s still a very positive thing, even tho it’s associated with very negative things. bro,,, i gotta go lie down

those who can remember sing her name out like a prayer (i am not your prayer) the lightless flame, of course, bc they are a cult. don’t @ me, i’m right BUT “i am not your prayer”: again, a direct line into agnes’s thoughts. she never wanted, nor asked to be their messiah. she was thrust into the position against her will as she was literally borne in flames. from birth she had this shouldered on her. and she doesn’t want it, even in death the music to it hollow of the truth in her despair (hollow with despair) goes along with the “prayer” for her above: the lightless flame sing and mourn her but they’re not mourning her, not agnes, they’re mourning their messiah, the one who was going to lead them through a ritual that would remake the world. their words ring hollow bc of this. and it hurts even more with “in her despair” bc even in agnes’s despair at not being able to connect with a human, as well as not being able to lead the lightless flame like they wanted her too, they’re only mourning the idea of agnes they’ve created in their minds, not who agnes really was in wickerwind the crackleburn of candles cries for fate (i rewrite my fate) and firesorrow girl may someday be chosen again (firechosen girl, again) i LOVE the use of “wickerwind” and “crackleburn.” no analysis i just love the way they sound okay but the “cries for fate.” i think this has a lot of meanings. one is the fire crying out either about agne’s ultimate fate (having to kill herself or die, anyway) and/or crying out for another to fill her position (putting agnes’s fate onto someone else’s shoulders). another is the lightless flame also crying out for the same reasons. and the third is agnes, herself, crying out about her unfair fate. i think that last one is strengthened by “i rewrite my fate.” a common but powerful theme in many stories of a character defying fate bc it’s unacceptable to them. it’s also wholly contradictory to what the lightless flame wanted and then, of course, the second line strengthens the idea that they’re already looking for another messiah for their ritual

and so the wheel turns ‘round and ‘round

final note abt the music that is probably wrong bc i’m not musically inclined BUT i have been listing to sideways on youtube, who is very musically inclined. and that makes me an expert right? /s anyway, what i wanted to note abt this musical structure is that the beats aren’t the usual 4/4 that most popular songs use these days.

and what that means is that you get gratification ever 4 beats. (sideways describes it way better than i ever could here) this song doesn’t follow that structure (i think lakjlkdjf again, i’m not musically inclined at all) and i think it really adds to the theme of how agnes feels: trapped with this fire burning inside her until she finally chooses freedom (tho i know it’s more complicated than that in-verse).

now whether was was purposeful or not, i have no idea. but still a cool detail i, personally, noticed.

--

again hope it was semi-coherent. as with my other analysis, i just listened to the song and wrote what i was thinking, stream of consciousness

bloodwater ballad analysis | bonus meme i made for these analyses bc it’s funny and i wanted to share

[rutilation]

Does mulching a prisoner of war into shiny little woodchips before burying them alive indefinitely count as a violation of the Geneva Conventions?  Asking for a friend.

(Hi guys, I’m back, and I brought 4,400 words with me.)

First of all, my apologies for the nearly five month wait.  Ever since last spring, I haven’t had much time at all to devote to writing and I’ve only been able to work on this essay in small increments.  And yet, despite the fact that I don’t have the time to do so, this essay somehow turned into a bloated treatise on the failings of gem society.  Truly, I am a slave to my obsessions.

I’ve refrained from reading chapter 80 because I just know that if I do, it will insinuate itself into my brain like a tumor and I won’t be able to concentrate on finishing this essay.  (That said, I did happen to see someone on twitter make a joking reference to third impact in regards to said chapter, so I am certainly Afraid.)  Though my takes may be ice cold by this point, I hope that there are some nuggets of insight to be found in this.  With that said, here are my thoughts on chapters 78 and 79.

While the past two chapters have certainly been…hard to read, I think that their contents have been a long time coming, primarily regarding the parallels between Phos and Kongou, and the uglier undercurrents of gem society reaching their logical conclusion.  (And I gotta say, this display of—for lack of a better term—inhumanity on the part of the gems jives quite well with all the Shirley Jackson I’ve been reading lately. When I get tired of one display of flagrant mob violence, I can quickly flip to another.)  

And then there’s the matter of the gems on the moon…  I remember that when I first got into hnk, which was right around the time when Phos and the others left for the moon, everyone was afraid that Phos would go off the deep end and the gems stuck on the moon would end up as collateral damage in Phos’s quest for vengeance.  But since Ichikawa is too powerful us, she said “what if it was the other way around, and Phos is the one getting thrown under the bus while the moon gems start a death cult?”

So there’s a lot to talk about, but let’s address the earth gems first, because these characters sure do live in a society.  (In order to make my prose more tolerable, I encourage my readership to take a shot every time I write the words “gem society.”)

First of all, I’ve seen a number of people interpret Kongou’s line about the gems forgetting Phos very literally, and assume that the earth gems all have Phos-specific amnesia. I highly doubt this is the case, and he probably just means that Phos is now out of sight and out of mind.

As bleak as the situation is, I think it’s been a long time coming.  From the beginning, one of the major philosophical elements of the story has been how the gems’ desire to give meaning to their long lives has compelled them to create a society in which only those with a concrete purpose have value.  The characters see themselves and each other as instrumentally but not inherently valuable.  With so much of the story focused on how this ethos hurts those individuals who aren’t seen as useful, how much it fosters shame and self-hatred, and how much it makes the gems unable and unwilling to help each other through hardship and depression, it makes sense to me that this inhumane mindset would eventually boil over into something truly cruel, and thus the other shoe has finally dropped.  In a strange way, I have more respect for Rutile’s attitude towards the situation than I do the rest of the earth gems (sans Euclase, who I’ll get to in a moment.)  Rutile is treating Phos like an enemy that must be vanquished, whereas the others are treating Phos as a kid treats their dirty clothes when they don’t want to do laundry—by shoving it in the back of a closet and trying to forget about it.  The former strikes me as less dishonest and dehumanizing than the latter.

Even before chapter 79 made it official, I had a gut feeling that the timetable for figuring out what to do with Phos was nonexistent.  I’ll be generous and assume Cinnabar was being sincere in the moment when they implied that they’d put Phos back together eventually.  But just like how everyone ignored Cinnabar’s suffering because there was no compelling incentive to do anything about it, or how they all turned a blind eye to the Kongou/Lunarian situation for millennia, I figured that Phos would end up as another problem they wouldn’t bother solving. (Regarding Cinnabar, while I hope they’re still on good terms with everyone after the time skip, I would not be the least bit surprised if the earth gems started ostracizing them again once it became apparent that there would be no new attacks from the moon and thus no further reason to tolerate their mercury.)

(Bort, please stick up for them.)

And to be clear, this is a problem that the earth gems are refusing to solve in exchange for a short-term sense of security.  If Phos and Kongou had been allowed to hash things out, and this stalemate hadn’t festered for 220 years, then maybe the moon gems wouldn’t be entertaining the idea of starting that aforementioned death cult.  (Tbh, this mostly applies to 84, Yellow, and Dia, since Cairn has been their own personal death cult since chapter 33.)  Even leaving aside how bad things have gotten already, if this state of affairs had continued to drag on, I think the situation would have gotten very ugly the second Aechmea got tired of waiting.  While playing fruit ninja or whatever with Cairngorm, he says something to the effect of losing a battle here or there isn’t important as long as you win the war in the end, which I’m pretty sure is meant to communicate to the audience that Aechmea is playing the long game.  And since he hasn’t done anything in the interim other than reluctantly and incrementally humor Cairngorm’s pet project, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that he’s biding his time specifically for Phos, and that he’s counting on them eventually being reawakened.  In that case, what would have happened if Kongou had been too meek to interfere, and the gems succeeded in getting rid of Phos for good?  If Aechmea eventually gave up on his current scheme, scrapped working with Phos, and came up with a new plan, I’m betting things would quickly devolve into heinous war crimes since he’s only played nice so far in order to keep Phos on his side.

In chapter 78, we get to see two instances of the most common nugget of gem wisdom: only act when you’re guaranteed to succeed, and never take risks.  It been a common refrain, with Antarc, and more subtly, Dia being the only gems aside from Phos to push back against that sentiment.  And to be clear, I’m not saying any one of these iterations necessarily are bad advice, but it’s become increasingly obvious that it’s the only acceptable mode of dealing with problems in gem society.  More on that in a minute.

So, uh, regarding Euclase, here’s an exclusive picture of me, after I’d spent months writing: “Gee, this Euclase character seems pretty shady, but I have faith in Cinnabar, Bort, and Jade to act humanely!’

That said, I think I got at least one aspect of their characterization right in my Euclase-focused essay—that they have a greater comprehension of their mortality than most.  Unlike the other gems, they’re not childishly naïve enough to believe that ignoring their problems will save them; they understand that death is always around the corner, and that the (mostly) tranquil life the gems lead requires constant maintenance.  Simply sliding down the path of least resistance will come back to bite them all in the ass later down the line, and Euclase knows it.  That’s probably why they at least went through the motions of asking Kongou to pray every day for two hundred twenty years.

This is a bit of a tangent, but regarding my earlier point about the gems not commiserating at all, Peridot and Sphene come across as anomalies in that they helped each other through their grief over their lost partners, but that doesn’t seem to happen all that often.  As we see in the aftermath of the winter arc, it seemingly did not occur to any of the gems who had lost friends of their own to try and help Phos through their grief.  And I think it’s likely that they weren’t given much comfort in their hours of need either.  Yellow bottled up their grief, Alex and (presumably) Red Beryl threw themselves into their work to the point of obsession, and Ghost seemed to have largely withdrawn from everyone else.  But none of them really healed or helped anyone else heal.  Despite their society placing a high value on interdependence, the gems are truly alone when they have to reckon with complicated or inconvenient emotions.

It may be hard to remember, but Phos was once influenced by all these toxic mindsets as well.  Recall Phos’s conversation with Benito in chapter two: it implies that Cinnabar did live with the other gems during Phos’s lifetime, recently enough that Phos expects to find them in their room.  From this we can infer that our kindhearted Phos never reached out to the clearly lonely Cinnabar while they were actually around, and didn’t even notice when they left the school for good.  They may have had the potential for kindness from a very young age, but it was only when they were hit with with the stark truth of Cinnabar’s suffering that they snapped out of the fog of apathy that seems to surround the gems.

In fact, it almost seems like the struggle to drag the gems kicking and screaming out of their comfort zone is a macrocosm for what Phos had to grow out of at the beginning of the series.  You’ll recall that once upon a time they were lazy, wanted easy solutions to their problems, and had no faith in their ability to effect change.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say that in the eyes of gem society, the problem wasn’t really that Phos was lazy, it’s that their laziness manifested in the wrong ways.  They were supposed to be fastidious and reliable about things like crafting, or fighting, or writing reports, but apathetic towards anything that requires more nuance or imagination than that, kindness or cruelty be damned.

All this is cast into even sharper relief if you think back on the arc with Ventricosus.  She was in far more dire straits than the earth gems are now, and had a compelling incentive to throw Phos under the bus.  But in the end, that wasn’t a line she was willing to cross.  Her final line: “If we’re not willing to change our ways, we’ll end up just like the Lunarians,” seems quite portentous in retrospect.  I don’t think Ichikawa is positing that being immortal makes you a sociopath, otherwise characters like Kongou, Yellow, and Padpa wouldn’t be such cinnamon buns.  But I think she is insinuating that someone who refuses to change is dooming themselves to a state of perpetual immaturity, and that being truly kind requires growing up a bit.  It’s a harder for someone who knows they’ll die one day to remain in a state of arrested development than it is for someone who could indefinitely procrastinate on growing up, and just focus all their mental energy into making paper or whatever for all of eternity.

And this seems as good a point as any to stop harping on gem society and start talking about the gems on the moon, starting with my muse, my most problematic of faves.

I brought up in my chapter 77 essay that Aechmea may not be willing to divulge what he was about to tell Cairn, and that was exactly what happened.  Since he’s only willing to share this mysterious information if he literally would not be around for the fall out, I’m guessing that whatever this secret is, it’s not benign.  And while Cairn has probably put it out of their mind by chapter 79, it’s clear that it’s bugging them before the time skip.  I smell a shocking revelation brewing and I dread to imagine what could possibly top mind-control eyeballs.  Make no mistake, I’ve devoted an embarrassing amount of brainspace the past nine months or so to contemplating what it will look like when the other shoe finally drops for Cairn’s character arc.  (Is there a German word for the ambivalence that arises from wanting to call future plot twists for bragging rights, but not wanting to look like a dipshit if your predictions are wrong?)

Their line from chapter 78 that I alluded to earlier in this essay is rather interesting to me, because although they’re referring to Phos, they might as well be talking about Aechmea.  They exhausted themselves to their breaking point trying to look after someone who didn’t take care of themselves, but they’ve nonetheless latched onto someone who is also seeking self-destruction.  And as I pointed out earlier in this essay, this line also serves as yet another iteration of the defeatist sentiment that the gems often espouse.  But, for a while, it had seemed like Cairn was moving away from that.  The decision Cairn made in chapter 67 was certainly…fraught.  But, one can’t deny that it wasn’t a brave one on their part, to leave behind everything they knew and cared about for a shot at living authentically; the only problem was that they undercut that step forward by returning to their chronic doormat tendencies.  And again in chapter 70, they took a risk by sneaking off to earth knowing that Aechmea would pitch a fit later.  But ever since chapter 75, they’ve been backsliding.  As said chapter pointed out, their wish has shifted from wanting freedom to wanting what amounts to eternal codependency.  I also find it interesting that Cairngorm apparently hasn’t bothered with getting a new name, and is just copying Aechmea’s shtick of going by his title.  They’ve gone from sharing a name with Ghost, to having their own name, to not having a name at all.  In conclusion, my child is a god damned mess.

I know I said I was done talking about gem society, but I guess I’m not.  Going back to what I said in the last paragraph, about Phos not taking care of themselves, that’s been a reoccurring element throughout the series, and in my opinion, it was a significant contributor to the breakdown of Phos’s relationships.  The reason Phos never just tried to make friends with Cinnabar—which is what the latter really wanted, and only focused their efforts on following through on their promise, was because Phos’s self-loathing runs so deep that it doesn’t occur to them that anyone would actually want their company for its own sake. Chapter 14 is the most direct allusion to this in my mind.  Phos clearly wants to talk to Cinnabar, but instead they hide away and mutter that they’d have nothing to say to them.  And as I touched on a moment ago, Phos’s self-destructive tendencies wore down Cairngorm over the course of their partnership.  

But, here’s the thing: Phos’s self-loathing isn’t some immutable part of their nature, it was instilled in them by their society from the moment it became apparent that Phos couldn’t slot neatly into a role.  This is very apparent in the early chapters, in which no one ever misses an opportunity to remind Phos of their uselessness (except Dia, bless their heart.)  Back then, they pretended to not care about it by way of snark and bravado, but in truth, I think it warped their self-perception in an incredibly negative way.  

There’s also something that illustrates this which has been on my mind for a while, but I haven’t had the opportunity to talk about it.  When Phos was trapped by their arms during Antarc’s fateful capture, the insult they yelled at their arms to get them moving is the same one that Bort lobbed at them a few times in volume one.  I usually see different translations of the word between the two scenes, but to my non-Japanese-fluent ears, it sounded like the same word to me when I watched the anime.  It was a striking way of implying that this moment of personal growth had been seeded with something more insidious, that their self-loathing is a taint that has followed them across their many incarnations.  I’m not the first one to point this out, but there’s always been a certain tension within the text regarding Phos’s changes.  On one hand, their courage to change is framed as admirable and heroic, but on the other hand, they’re also hurting themselves because of social pressure to avoid being useless, which is kind of awful.  I think the narrative resolves this tension by making Phos’s quest for validation something which would eventually lead them to try and tear down the status quo that they hurt themselves for in the first place.  

Okay, back to the moon gems.  I’ve reread the part of chapter 79 focused on the moon several times, and it just feels more ominous with each iteration.  What exactly was their idea of administering therapy for Yellow?  Why is Amethyst on board with Cairn’s death bullshit?  Why is Dia okay with it?  Why did they stop fixing the dusted gems?  And most concerning, where are the other three gems—especially Alex who would probably be extremely opposed to halting the gem restoration?  It feels as if there’s something terrible just out of our field of view and chapter 79 is dancing around it.  (But hey, my intuition was wrong about Euclase so maybe when I read chapter 80 Ichikawa will tell me that Alex, Goshe, and Benito were at moon-disneyland the whole time, and that Aechmea is a real swell guy, actually.)

(No, I’m not bitter in the least.)

I also find it interesting that in chapter 79, Cairn is espousing a lot of the same sentiments as poor Yellow, but since they can mask the dysfunction better, they’re treated as an expert rather than a victim.  In reality, both of them are in serious need of a therapist, which is apparently non-existent in the post-post-apocalypse.

And finally, Barbata continues to be the truest audience surrogate.  I find it interesting that he clearly doesn’t approve of all the bullshit going on, while at the same time being too reticent to do anything about it, aside from some side-eyes and passive-aggressive comments.  Perhaps there will be some payoff to this down the line?

At this point, let’s talk about Kongou, because both his actions and his role as a sort of parallel to Phos in the narrative are fascinating.  I think this is the first time in the story that he’s really done something proactive.  I touched on this in a cursory character analysis I did for him, but to reiterate, the impression I got from his at times obtuse and contradictory behavior was that he had completely given up on trying to solve the Lunarian problem long before the series had begun, and that the only thing cutting through his despair and compelling him to get up in the morning and not just “meditate” forever was the prospect of spending a little more time with the people he loves, even knowing that he couldn’t protect them in any way that mattered.  But watching Phos’s struggle reignited a tiny bit of hope in him, enough that he wanted them to succeed in their efforts, but not enough for him to believe that he himself could make a difference.  To me, that seems like the only explanation that accounts for both his obstinacy when Phos directly confronted him along with his casual acceptance of the path Phos has been walking.

So for him to go behind everyone’s back to fix Phos is quite the departure from his usual passivity, and it tells us that he’d rather subject himself and everyone else to Phos’s brand of chaos than endure stasis that comes with their absence.  And it really does seem like the world enters a stasis along with Phos whenever they end up comatose.  Nothing moves forward, and the only thing to mark the passage of time are small deteriorations: Morga and Goshe are captured, and Cairn quietly becomes suicidal, and this time around, Yellow gradually loses their mind, the Admirabilis that Phos tried to spare overcrowd the tiny waterways they were released into, and the gems on the moon stop caring about whether they live or die.

For a while now, various characters both gem and Lunarian have called Phos their hope, or their savior, or some variation thereupon, and with each new iteration, the sentiment feels more and more ironic.  Time and time again, Phos rises to the occasion only to buckle under pressure, their noble intentions haven’t gotten them good results since, like, chapter 10, and everyone who at one point had faith in them is completely done with them.  And at the end of it all, they don’t have it in them to ask Kongou to pray on anyone’s behalf but their own, as if they’ve become so exhausted that they don’t have the energy to be kind anymore.  And just to rub salt in the wound, their ambiguous phrasing makes it unclear whether Phos is asking to Kongou get rid of the Lunarians or themselves.

All of this seems to mirror what Kongou is implied to have gone through.  He was created to save the souls of humanity, but was ill-equipped for the task, and he’s spent god knows how many millennia dogged by his failure to deliver.  Aechmea’s line in chapter 55 about how his human creators didn’t bother to think about what would happen to him after everyone was gone, in my mind, parallels how Phos has been abandoned by the people who once supported them once they became too much of an inconvenience.

So now that these two failed saviors are finally confronting each other with no lies to hide behind, and nothing to get between them, what’s going to happen?  I get the feeling that chapter 80 is going to give us some long awaited catharsis, for better or worse.  (Please Ichikawa, make things a little better for once.)

On a related note, I’m hoping this possible catharsis might clarify something else for me.  For all that the series is steeped in Buddhist symbolism and philosophy, I’ve never been able to tell what Ichikawa actually thinks of Buddhism.  On one hand, the assumptions that life boils down to suffering and that the self is ephemeral and illusory are certainly present, but on the other hand, the characters who lean most heavily on the Buddhist aesthetic are villains, the characters most invested in reaching nirvana are portrayed as…let’s say misguided at best, and as I’ve already noted above, our two would-be Buddhas are chronically ineffectual.  If I had to take a stab at it, I’d guess that the aspect of the philosophy that she takes issue with is the idea of relying on a savior figure and the idea that there exists a nirvana that could save anyone from samsara.  But if the Lunarians’ wish were a complete pipe dream, then Shiro et al wouldn’t have already disappeared?  Unless that was a misdirection and their souls were actually reincarnated?  Idk, I don’t have enough brain cells to parse The Most Viable Interpretation at this juncture in the story.

Lastly, assuming Phos doesn’t ascend to nirvana via pure rage next chapter, I think their next replacement is going to be imminent.  All of Phos’s other changes have been accompanied by death and birth imagery: they lost their legs out at sea, which is where inclusions are said to emerge, they lost their arms and their head at the site of their birth, the time they spent comatose evoked the image of a shrouded corpse in a morgue, their first trip to the moon in which they got their new eye apparently lasted the length of a Buddhist funeral, and now, they’ve literally been buried.  (On a side note, it’s interesting that there’s a lot more death imagery for their later transformations, while their earlier changes alluded to birth.)  I’m not the first person to point this out, but it seems likely to me that Rutile made good on their threat to throw Phos into the ocean, and discarded whatever pieces they were assigned to bury.  And indeed, there seems to be a gaping hole in Phos’s torso.  I still think Padparadscha is the most likely candidate for a replacement—the red stone from the lotus sutra has been alternately described as ruby, carnelian, amber, or coral, and Padparadscha is the closest we have to any of those—but who knows.  Ichikawa might even decide to stop short of all seven treasures in service of some greater thematic purpose.

And with that, this belated essay is finally done.  Except it isn’t.  This is a complete tangent, but I recently looked up the one and only region where gem-quality phosphophyllite was briefly mined, a mountain in the Bolivian Andes called Cerro Rico.  Hundreds of thousands have died there since the 16th century while mining silver, and that figure may be lowballing it, as some scholars think the death toll is actually in the millions.  It is colloquially known as “the Mountain that Eats Men,” and the miners pay tribute to this fellow in hopes of avoiding cave-ins and pockets of toxic gas, but are otherwise doomed to die young from silicosis.  According to a forum post I found belonging to a mineral collector, the mineshaft where all the phosphophyllite came from had to be walled off with a concrete bulkhead because the poisonous gases that accumulated in the tunnel had killed a number of miners.  The idea of gem mining already conjures up images of exploited workers in abject conditions, but I must say that Maneater Mountain exceeded my expectations.

Okay, now I’m actually done.  I’m going to get some sleep on account of the fact that it’s 2 AM, but afterwards I shall read the new chapter and repeat this whole grueling cycle over again, but like, in a timely manner.

[storiesofwildfire]

So... Thoughts on the Marvel Phase 4, specifically Loki's movie?

Ummm, okay, I’ll be honest, I didn’t keep track of a lot of what was happening at comic con both because I was busy with life stuff and also?

I hated Endgame. I know a lot of people didn’t, but I personally really hated the way Endgame wrapped up Thanos’ story arc and closed out the first ten years of the MCU. I hated Tony’s death. I hated Cap’s choices. I hated how everyone seemed to be either slightly or severely out of character save for a few people ( like Clint and Nebula in my personal point of view ). I hated the approach they took to time travel. It seemed like they wanted to be interesting and different rather than just? Stick to time travel as we know it, but in doing so, they made it more convoluted than it needed to be. I hated that they forced Tony to endure seeing his dad again and while it was nice to see him get closure, they were definitely forcing a narrative that Howard wasn’t as bad as Tony made him out to be and honestly? No. Marvel–MCU especially–loves to give us shitty and abusive parents, fathers especially, and then backpedal on them actually being all that bad ( looking at you, Odin, looking at you ). I hated that they brought back so many heroes and we got to see all of them step out for the final battle except for a select few, like Loki, Heimdall, and Vision. I understand Natasha death having to be permanent because she gave her life for the Soul Gem and that couldn’t be undone, but everyone else? Dying pre-snap or not? The Infinity Stones, when wielded together, can do just about anything. Bringing back those few characters wouldn’t have been difficult.

After watching Loki literally die to his abuser in Infinity War in a way that made no sense? I am so sorry, but Loki, an extremely capable and intelligent magic user, who is the only person who does not work for Thanos and is not related to Thanos that actually knows anything about him. Loki would not attack him with a single dagger, expect that to work, and then die from being choked out. Loki has sustained much worse injuries in MCU canon and comic canon that were unable to kill him. Thanos choking him? Is a stupid way to die, I’m sorry. The entire vibe resonated that his death was fake ( again ) and that he had some sort of plan that would unfold once he got away, but that didn’t happen and I’m extremely bitter about how they handled Loki in general. So to not see him come back in Endgame? When basically everyone else got to have their moment of vengeance and glory and happiness of reuniting with their friends and family? And Loki did not get that because he was so close to a happy ending of his own only to be killed off by his literal abuser? Just as Gamora was killed by her abuser?

I wasn’t okay with Endgame for the story elements, for the character development, and for how they handled my favorite character. 

So, because I was so unhappy with Endgame, my enthusiasm for the MCU has died down a little as a whole? I don’t intend to stop watching the films or anything like that but I do feel less invested. I will say, from what I’ve seen of the Comic Con panels, I think there are some interesting ideas coming in Phase 4. Lots of cool television shows. I’m actually pretty excited to see the What If series and the Hawkeye one as well. They seem to be expanding the universe even more which can be both a good and bad thing in my opinion. I feel like MCU’s quality as a whole did start to dwindle when they started shoving more and more characters down our throats and while I want to see all these people and new ideas, I do question how well Marvel Studios can handle that, if that makes sense?

I also feel like they still haven’t given some existing characters enough screen time or development. They’re finally doing a Black Widow movie after she died. They really don’t do anything with Bruce and Hulk outside of Avengers movies and that one time they showed up in Thor. If they’re gonna focus on OG characters who are still around and new characters, they should focus on all the OG characters, you know what I mean?

Not really sure how I feel about Thor Love and Thunder. It’s got returning characters that I am so excited about ( like Valkyrie ), but I’m not really sure I’m entirely enthusiastic about Jane taking up the mantle of Thor. I know it happened in the comics. I genuinely understand her comic story arc of becoming Thor, but I don’t really think that it fits well into MCU, especially with how little Jane actually played a part after the first two Thor movies. Most people didn’t resonate well with Jane and that’s partly due to bad scripts and partly due to her being a character that seemed so obsessed with Thor, she’s not a character that can stand on her own two feet? And her taking up the mantle of Thor kind of still relies on her being directly connected to Thor, so? I have mixed feelings about it. I would have rather seen them focus entirely on Valkyrie.

That said, I do have hopes that they can pull it off, but I’m not convinced yet.

And if Loki doesn’t make a reappearance and show up I’m honestly not sure how I’m going to handle that. People go to see Thor movies for Loki. Not everyone, of course, but a massive amount of people do, myself included, so without Loki, I don’t know how well I will personally take to the film.

The Loki series–I believe it’s a series, not a movie–is something I’m? Interested in but also not holding my breath for. I want to see Loki get more screen time and more development. I want the MCU to explore Loki’s backstory more. I want to see Loki’s pain and trauma, but I also want to see the good aspects of their life too. I want them to not gloss over Loki being genderfluid anymore. I want to see them bring in elements of lady Loki and Loki’s seriously impressive magic ( I am so sorry but MCU robbed us of everything Loki can do and didn’t even try. I want them to fix that shit ). 

At the same time, the series is supposed to pick up after Endgame, where Loki managed to run off with the Tesseract during Tony, Scott, and Cap’s attempt to get the Tesseract and the Scepter. 

I am not terribly happy with this as they reinforced the idea at Comic Con that the series will at the very least start out with Loki as the “villain” he was in The Avengers. They are basically undoing all of Loki’s character development over the span of years to boil him back down to a villain again. And a villain who was a villain because he was working for and under the influence of Thanos, not because he went to Earth of his own free will. 

Plus, the Loki they’re going to be discussing in the show is technically an alternate timeline Loki, which? Is a cool concept, but at the same time, not the character we’ve all invested our time and energy into caring about.

I do genuinely want the show to be good. I’m tentatively excited for it, but the MCU’s handling of Loki over the last couple of years has me worried. They’ve treated him like an absolute idiot in Ragnarök, they also took characters that are canonly Loki’s children in both Norse mythology and the comics and completely ripped Loki out of their backstory all together which I really hated, treated him like a throwaway character in Infinity War, and let his abuser murder him right before he had a chance to find true peace. They have not been kind to Loki’s character. They have not respected Loki’s character. Their handling of Loki in his last couple of appearances have been abysmal and I’m concerned for the series as much as I am excited and praying for it being good.

I do love Tom Hiddleston a lot and I am so happy to know he’s coming back to play Loki for the series. For a while, there was speculation that he would be completely replaced for the show. I know he’ll do the best that he can with the material and even if the show ends up not being great in my opinion, I’m still looking forward to seeing Tom get more Marvel love and expansion.

So… yeah? Marvel Phase 4 has a lot of interesting content that may be amazing and I hope that it is, but because–in my opinion–MCU’s quality has definitely been in a steady decline since Age of Ultron with a few good exceptions here and there like Antman 1 and 2, I’m speculative of if it will actually be good or not. Part of me almost wants a break from MCU before they cram so much more content down my throat, you know what I mean?

Plus, an MCU without Tony Stark feels… wrong to me, so that’s a personal hiccup I’m gonna have to get over.

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, SIDNEY! You’ve been accepted for the role of LADY MACBETH. Admin Rosey: Ah, my dear Lady Macbeth. Sidney, you capture her so effortlessly, it almost scares me a little bit. Her voice simply flows so easily, so dangerously easy that it enraptures us all. What with her purr that could make any person fall to their knees, and the way that she strikes terror with little to no mind for the psychological fractures that she is likely to cause. Your plot points in particular had us all practically salivating for the drama that you are promising to bring. Bring the terror, the brimstone, and the damnation, Sidney. We are ready for it all. Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Sidney Age | 21 Preferred Pronouns | She/her Activity Level | I’m fairly active! I’m usually here when I’m not working or sleeping, and most likely mobile and available to plot. I get to replies within 1-3 days depending on muse and time management! On a numerical scale, I’d say I’m a 6-7/10. Timezone | EST Current/Past RP Accounts | This is my most recent, and this is another from the past few months! And of course there’s my old DV account here!

In Character

Character | Lucrezia Falco / Lady Macbeth (I do plan on sending in a Cressida app (hopefully) by Saturday, but I’d be happy to potentially play either so I will defer to your judgement upon acceptances! Thanks so much for reading, love you all <3)

Lucrezia Carina Falco (née Ricci) LUCREZIA:“profit, wealth”, a name she’s taken quite literally since the day she looked up its meaning. To say it gave her a complex would be a vast understatement. If it had been anyone else who had discovered such a thing — that their given name means pure profit — it surely wouldn’t have created a monster. But the same cannot be said of the little princess who bore it one fine January morn. Thirty years in the making, and Lucrezia suits her better now than it ever has, as she walks the marbled floors of Falco Manor, donned in the finest of silks from the best of designers. A name can mean so many things, and in her case, she turned Lucrezia into gold. CARINA: “little darling”, once her mother’s name and cherished tenfold since the day she died. It fits you, mi carina, her mother would say before tucking her into bed at night with a kiss to her temple. Little darling, she’d coo despite her daughter turning into anything but. Though it became a persona she’d wear whenever she was feeling particularly cautious. Carina, she’d whisper with a small, calculated smile as she introduced herself to new strangers. With a bat of her lashes and lips painted a blushing pink, Lucrezia became a different woman. Someone her mother would have loved, someone she would have approved of. It’s a comfortable mask, one easily slipped on, but a mask nonetheless. It fits, but it doesn’t feel quite right. FALCO:It sits atop her shoulders in a black shroud, casting long shadows and grasping throats tightly with its wide reach. Mikael’s surname once tasted like candied cherries atop her naive tongue, sweet and rife with possibility—but it’s long since turned rotten in her mouth. Still, she wears it. Like a shield, pieces of armor she’s nailed and stapled to her chest with triumph. He may have been born with it but it was her who made it anything to bow before. It had no power, no fear or fealty attached to it with him in tow for there are only two uses for rabid dogs: annihilation and worship. He’s good for both, not much else. She’ll don it for now, milk that wretched man for all he and his name are worth and, by God’s gracious graces, that’s still something. For now.

What drew you to this character? | Lucrezia’s just so unapologetic; she is who she is and ever since birth, and never has she wavered. She knows what she loves: power. She knows what her best assets are: her sexuality. Instead of spending her life fighting to rise above everyone simply seeing her as this unattainable object, she embraces this so-called stereotype and uses it to her benefit. Manipulation is not only her best skill, but it’s her way of life. Since she was a child, she’s been told to change nearly every fundamental aspect of herself, to mold and shift and evolve into this delicate flower everyone thinks she should be, but she refuses. She is who she is—like it or not, and if you don’t, well, then she’ll convince you. Lucrezia derives true pleasure from making people squirm, bending and twisting their will just so she can get what she wants. Through pain or through pleasure, it doesn’t matter as long as they offer up exactly what she wants to hear. What it all boils down to is that reaction. Ranging from igniting pure, unadulterated rage from an enemy or sparking an animalistic, carnal desire in a lover’s eyes, all that matters is what they give her. With the smirk of her ruby-coated lips coupled with the sultry sway of her hips, or the hard slap of her leather encased hand followed by the sharp heel of her boot, people will kneel. They will obey.

I’m so drawn to her and all the power she has, whether it’s been created and cultivated by her through the Falco name, or entirely imagined simply because of her inflated sense of self worth. As a writer, it doesn’t matter to me because her motives are so crystal clear. She just wants more. That’s all she’s ever wanted, and I so desperately want to give it to her by any means necessary. There’s a reason they whisper Lady Macbeth behind her back; and she wears the pet name with pride despite the ashen taste of Mikael’s name being attached, but the lady always comes first.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? | ONE: All her life everyone around her has told her exactly who she was supposed to be: delicate, tender, angelic. Characteristics that, if you truly knew Lucrezia they wouldn’t describe the raven-haired, irresistible dame by a long shot. While she could mimic these attributes, they did not come naturally. And it was those completely opposite traits which define Lucrezia that Mikael was first drawn to. Though she may still not be sure whether she truly love(s)d Mikael, she keeps him around. His attractiveness comes from the power the Falco name now elicits—all due to Lucrezia and her hunger for notoriety. Can’t find a man who will make you a queen? Then make one. And so she did. From the moment she saw him, she saw opportunity. But that only got her so far, unfortunately. At the moment, Mikael is just as useless as his rank. Not a single soul fears the name Falco—no—and with fear comes respect. Lucrezia has worked hard to change this, shaping and molding Mikael into a man who can command a faithful following, burrowing his insecurities behind a false sense of confidence from simply being her husband. Lucrezia’s affections can do wondrous things—turn simple people into leaders, mere men into gods. She turned Mikael into the perfect soldier for the Capulets and they should adore her for it. They should want to be her. But is adoration enough? No — never. Still very low in the ranks of the Capulet’s, she has her sights on something better: a crown. One clad with the finest jewels in all of Verona, dripping in the blood of whomever dares to step in her path. The only things Lucrezia pledges full loyalty to are herself and opportunity. She’ll need to decide quickly whether or not Mikael could be useful in helping her climb the ranks or if she would benefit from finally putting the poor dog to sleep.

I’d love to explore her specific manipulations of Mikael and his rank. He pushed her (and his own) feet through the door, but he is still only just a soldier and she is still only just an emissary. If he has nothing more to offer, then she would not even blink at the thought of killing him, or even carefully orchestrating such a tragedy. People always pity and underestimate a poor and young widow, a role she’ imagines she could play perfectly.

TWO: Where there is death, there is opportunity—at least to Lucrezia. With the news of Alvise’s demise spreading like the plague, she can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Undoubtedly, the Capulets will be accused of committing such a horrible act, igniting a war among the feuding families, creating absolute chaos. And there’s nothing she loves more than a little mayhem. If she was a betting girl, she’d put her money on the very side Alvise pledged his allegiance to as the guilty party for the crime of putting an end to his very, very important life. There’s nothing like the hunger for power; Lucrezia is all too familiar with such a craving. Being an emissary has its perks. You’re given a direct line to the Boss’ needs and therefore delegated with the tasks deemed too dirty for the them. There’s something pure about being in the trenches, getting your boots wet (with blood), so to speak. You always know where you stand when you’ve got your heel to someone’s throat. Breaking and bending the enemies of Cosimo Capulet has its benefits. Lucrezia is free to do what she wants as long as the job gets done, but freedom is dangerous when a guard dog is given the opportunity to rip out its owner’s throat. All they’d have to do is offer her a particularly delectable bone as incentive. She wouldn’t give it a second thought, lunging at the opportunity to betray her so-called “family” if it meant ending up that much closer to a throne.

One of the only things she’s loyal to is opportunity. I can see her figuratively splitting herself in two. One side reaching toward Vivianne or Rafaella, going straight to the source and attempting to seduce them—platonically or romantically—by any means necessary. Mikael is, after all, only a soldier and Lucrezia is hungry. Her other half would be seeking any and all opportunities to inch her way into bed with a Montague and work her way up. Defecting would be a betrayal by anyone’s standards except Lucrezia’s.

THREE: Love can bring anyone to their knees—except Lucrezia. After all, the person she loves most is herself. While she finds lust and infatuation entertaining, and may even develop real feelings from one of her many, many trysts, they can all be reduced to ash in the palm of her hand as quickly as they were sparked to life. Nothing and no one will stand in her way—not even herself. Legally, her heart is tethered to Mikael and for that, he’ll remain loyal and grateful, despite his jealous tendencies. He has every right to be possessive, of course, because Lucrezia belongs to no one—not even her him. Assuaging her husband’s envious passion is easy, though; all she has to do is smile. She’s found a great friend in Delilah, but deep down she’s still unsure of whether or not the girl can cut it. If she cannot instill in her the same selfishness that’s gotten Lucrezia this far in life, she may have to cut ties with her as well. No matter the cost. Lucrezia will always blow through people’s lives like a tornado leaving only obliterated hearts and the burning embers of betrayal in her wake.

I’d love to explore a new relationship in her life, one where she sets her sights on someone with every intention of completely devouring them. Perhaps they will surprise her at every turn, matching her witty remark for witty remark and keeping her on her toes.  Maybe they’ll be easy prey, weak and naive and capable of great manipulation. While there’s no doubt she’d be absolutely fascinated with someone just as devious and unapologetic as herself, Lucrezia would still ultimately throw them to the wolves to further her own personal interests. God help the lover who stands in her way, or worse tries to change her for the better. Lucrezia’s already perfect the way she is; this she knows. But they can surely try.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yes.

In Depth

In-Character Interview:

What is your favorite place in Verona?

“Mmm… The Dark Lady,” she purrs, the words pouring from her mouth like molasses, beckoning the interviewer to lean in closer as if she’s going to reveal a secret meant just for their ears.

“Music echoing off the walls and swirling with the soft chatter of Verona’s most notorious gluttons and the city’s biggest hedonists—it’s wonderful.” Her eyes fall shut for a moment as she settles in and leans back on the sofa, stretching her arms out on either side of the pillows behind her.

“There’s something about the smell of depravity in there I just love. The gambling, the liquor. And lust just hangs in the air like a thick fog,” she chuckles wryly, but her eyes shimmer, igniting with a mischievous wanton eagerness. “You never know what’s going to happen,” she leans forward once more, crossing her legs and winking at the interviewer.

What does your typical day look like?

“It’s rare that I wake up alone,” she mutters quietly, twirling a curled strand of her hair around her index finger—a tic she’s picked up along the years, usually stemming from boredom.

“I wake, I dress, I stumble—depending on how drunk I still am—back to my room and sleep or change and then leave the Emelia.“ She rolls her eyes carelessly, tossing her hair over her shoulder and leaning forward to take a sip of the tea the interviewer offered her when she sat down.

“Depending on the day, I either head to the Cathedral for work or I wander the streets, looking for entertainment. I can’t stand days sitting around doing nothing. I need to be moving,” she emphasizes her words with her hands dramatically, “I need to live, but you know, you can always find me at The Dark Lady or The Tempest come dusk.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

“War,” she deadpans, brushing away a few stray strands of blonde hair from her face. “It’s a waste of time, if you want me to be honest.” She doesn’t wait for them to ask her to expand. If Lucrezia is known for anything, it’s for speaking her mind whether it’s warranted or not.

“You’ve got one side, filled with — by anyone’s definition, especially their own — do-gooders. Saints, if you will. They’ve worked so hard to re-brand and re-build their name so it not only invokes respect, but one of generosity as well,” leaning forward, Lucrezia reaches for her silver cigarette case and lifts it from the coffee table in front of her. In one swift motion, she pulls one out, lights it, and takes a long first drag.

“Y-y-y-you can’t smoke in here,” they chirp, stuttering as if they’re afraid to scold her for fear she may tear out their throat. She chuckles and exhales, blowing the smoke up and to the right as she leans back once more into the plush cushions of the couch.

“Anyway, like I was saying, you’ve got the Saints, right? A real underdog; a redemption story. But then you’ve got the other side — the Sinners. Debauchery courses through their veins. I mean, it has to if you’re going to be in their line of work, doesn’t it?”

She takes another long drag, narrowing her eyes at the interviewer across from her. Their pen shakes ever-so-slightly in their hand—tremors from being in the presence of someone so domineering, if Lucrezia had to guess. The assumption brings a devilish grin to her wine-stained lips.

“But Saints always rely on Sinners to do their dirty work. The promise of becoming a Saint is all a hopeful Sinner needs to surrender their free will and execute orders deemed too evil for a Saint. But in my opinion…” she lingers, taking one last drag from her cigarette, before leaning in again. The interviewer leans forward in tandem, hanging on her every word.

“I love guns just as much as I love drugs,” she whispers, tossing her cigarette into the cup of tea atop the table, pushing herself to her feet and walking out.

In-Character Para Sample: Ten years ago —

A doe-eyed, fresh-faced, twenty-two-year-old Lucrezia stepped out of the cab into the cool summer air. She took in a deep breath, savoring the moonlight as it bounced off her caramel skin and basking in the light breeze rolling through from the west. Soft giggling echoed off the balconies above and she could hear a distant, yet very loud thumping of the bass all the way down onto the street. She could practically feel the pavement vibrating beneath her Louboutin sandals.

She lived for nights like these, nights filled with luxurious outfits and promiscuity. In fact, she spent all week looking forward to this very night—Saturday. The one night a week she can afford to venture out to Tempest. It was her guilty pleasure, indulging in the obscenity and carnality. She loved it; she lived for it.

But tonight felt different.

She quickly slammed the door to the cab shut and waved a thanks to the driver before heading in. Immediately, the door was held open for her and she smiled at the man, giving him a peck on the cheek as she brushed past him. Her heels clicked atop the marble as she sauntered over to the elevators, ever step radiating sovereignty—as if each touch of her toe to marble meant she was that much closer to becoming royalty. She knew it was a far off dream, but still her heart yearned and ached for such notoriety. She already had the following of a queen; people fell at her feet, worshiping the very ground she walked on. But something was still missing—a crown.

She rode up alone, but she liked it that way. Entering a party with a man immediately eliminated any and all opportunity, and that was the last thing she wanted. The silence, however, was deafening—something she detested—and by the time the elevator dinged and the doors opened, she was relieved. Noise traveled down the hall and bounced off the walls behind her, enveloping her in a warm embrace, beckoning her.

And she obliged.

Anticipation coursed through her veins as she headed toward the entrance of the Tempest but her brows knitted immediately at the people gathered in a line along the wall. Her face fell, her lips forming into a subtle pout as she stepped behind a brunette and proceeded to wait impatiently. Minutes passed and she inched forward with the line, growing angrier by the second.

A queen never has to wait, she thought, letting out a frustrated sigh and tightening the maroon pashmina draped across her shoulders. Her attention was so fixated on the clipboard holding, large, bald man in a black suit at the front of the line that she nearly missed the opportunity of a lifetime. She caught him though, thankfully, out of the corner of her eye.

Dressed in Armani from head to toe, he swaggered past her—and everyone else—in line, heading straight for the bouncer, who greeted him with a smile. He shook the man’s hand as his friends brushed past him. Lucrezia was transfixed. Such confidence. Such power. A few kind words to the man in front, and he was granted all access. No wait. No line. Amazing, she mused.

And that’s when he turned to face her.

Their eyes locked immediately and Lucrezia batted her lashes instinctively. Invite me in, she beckoned. She shrugged her shawl slightly, letting it slip naturally down her shoulders, revealing the spaghetti straps of her gold Dolce & Gabbana dress. A chill ran up her back and she shivered lightly, goosebumps covering her skin as the shawl fell farther down her arms, hooking in the crook of her elbows. As if in tandem, he took a few steps toward her as she rolled her right shoulder back slowly, reeling him in. Methodically, as if checking steps off of a list, she broke their eye contact, turning her head away and tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

“I must say,” he started, approaching her, and with no discretion he continued on, “you are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on.”

She blushed, letting out her perfected adorable giggle and shook her head ever-so-lightly. He didn’t wait for a response, and instead proceeded to lean in, his lips hovering just inches from her ear.

“You must let me buy you a drink,” he whispered, reaching around and placing his hand on the small of her back. Once again, he gave her no time to object — not that she would — and lead her out of line. Breezing past everyone, she reveled in the envious side glances and resentful snickers. Everyone wanted to either be her or kill her. It was the kind of attention she’d wished for all her life and the power gave her a bigger rush than she’d ever had.

She wanted more.

Minutes passed and they reached the bar. He pulled out her seat and even held out his hand to assist her in sitting. He was such a gentleman—easy on the eyes and strong in the jaw. Lucrezia was used to such treatment, of course. Men of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds fell at her feet in all corners of the world, but what she really wanted was to bring men to their knees. She wanted them to bow.

“Mikael Falco,” he strained to make himself heard above the overly rambunctious Saturday crowd, but she nodded and smiled. Mikael, she repeated it again in her head slowly, taking it in—trying it on for size. She wasn’t sure if she liked it…yet.

“Lucrezia.”

“What would you like?” He asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Everything,” she purred, the corners of her mouth pulling her lips into lascivious smile.

He let out a chuckle, naivety clearly evident in his eyes, and hollered down at the bartender. She watched him carefully; he was meticulous in everything he did. The way he walked, talked, even smiled. It was calculated—a show. For her benefit? Perhaps. Indicative of his future ability to follow orders? Absolutely. Lucrezia wasn’t one to express her feelings, let alone speak them aloud, but by some miracle she was absolutely smitten. This man could take her places. She was sure if it.

Extras:

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HEADCANONS:

ASTROLOGY: Born January 13th, 1990, Lucrezia is a capricorn.    — Element: Earth, practical while valuing material things.    — Ruler: Saturn, well-established boundaries and icy exteriors.    — Colors: Brown, black

STRENGTHS: Responsible, confident, strategic, charismatic, disciplined, passionate, practical, independent, decisive, determined.

WEAKNESSES: Arrogant, cruel, stubborn, judgemental, distant, controlling, impatient, condescending, aggressive, cold, overly critical.

MBTI: INTJ, the Architect - a very strategic thinker and always has a plan, believes wholeheartedly that with intelligence and perseverance anything is possible, radiates self-confidence as well as irresistibility, a natural born leader.

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil, the destroyer - greedy to a fault, loves to watch destruction just for the hell of it, quite hot-tempered and vicious, has a tendency to lean toward violence, often labeled as demonic which she embraces with a smirk.

GENDER/SEXUALITY: Cis-female, using she/her pronouns. Lucrezia is bisexual, having shown great attraction to any gender since she was around 14. She has no preference and rather enjoys heated encounters with especially interesting people. She has excellent taste, of course — only the best of the best — but she never turns down a good time despite the diamond that rests on her left hand.

STYLE & HABITS: She smokes unapologetically — any place, any time — but this habit increases exponentially when she’s intoxicated. And peaking of, Lucrezia drinks heavily to keep herself sane. She prefers whiskey to scotch and red to white wine, not caring for the sickly sweet taste and preferring an oaky coating of her viper’s tongue instead. She doesn’t care for mind altering substances; that would require her to enjoy letting go of control, and that’s something she’s nearly incapable of doing. However, Lucrezia will indulge in anything at least once, be it a new drug from Theodora, a new liqueur at the Tempest, or a new pretty face that catches her eye. Because of this, she rarely wakes up alone; always found in bed at her regular room at the Emelia with whomever she’d sank her teeth into the night before sprawled across the hotel’s luxury king-size bed. She’s often donned in the best outfits from the classiest of shops within Verona, loving vintage designer the most above all else. She prefers stark tones, wearing mostly blacks and whites with a few colorful accents, mostly red, but if there’s no top-five label on the item, she won’t wear it. And when in doubt, a pair of black pumps goes with most everything.

CAPULETS: Her goal has always been to climb to the top, and for a while now, that’s exactly what she’s done. She’s surpassed Mikael, even and was rewarded with one of the most coveted positions: emissary. She is the eyes and ears for Cosimo, her and his other little favorites, each with their own skill and proficiency. But greed is a funny thing and a deadly sin for a reason. If she were to use this opportunity to seize any sort of power, she’d have to be quick. She’d have to undoubtedly trust people to come to her aid. She’d have to tie up loose ends that call themselves her beloved. The more she thinks about it, the more strings emerge into her purview that tie her to the Capulets. But that doesn’t mean they cannot be severed for the right price. Loyalty, it’s supposed to mean something, isn’t it? Especially with a bloodied C pinned to her chest for all of Verona to see. It draws a line in the sand wherever she walks, that sweeping letter. Stand back, it says. Obey, is always what follows. And that’s a sentiment Lucrezia can get behind. For now, she’ll remain loyal. She’ll do Cosimo’s bidding and she’ll listen as Vivienne drones on in his name, but watching and waiting in the wings Lucrezia will be. It’s an easy thing to fake, loyalty. Especially for her, just ask her husband.

[haljathefangirlcat]

still thinking about that “we Have To Talk about how quips are ruining fandom by destroying meta and turning all fic into shitposts” post @ms-demeanor wrote a great rebuttal to, and about the other posts she wrote about it and about the You’re Doing Fandom Wrong attitude in it, and about the notes on those posts. not gonna reblog or reply to any of those because my thoughts are admittedly kind of random and jumping from place to place and probably OT to the point of the discussion, but you know. still thinking.

so, uh. not trying to start wank or anything but enjoy the ranting that got way out of hand under the cut.

so, like... that one “we can’t just block everyone who quips and shitposts because some of these people also write actual meta but then they unfortunately go back to Not Engaging With Canon by writing quippy shitpost-y stuff” line, or however it was actually phrased? besides the blatant entitlement with the “you have to fandom ONLY in ways I like, I can’t just engage with the part of the content you create that I’m interested in and scroll past the rest” thing (which kinda reminds me of the whole “you can’t CNTW on some of your fics, I should be able to read ALL of your fics” thing, in a way) and the ”I refuse to curate my fandom experience and I’ll make it some stranger’s problem” thing (which... reminds me of a few other things, but tbf it has probably been around since the very first days of fandom), what if someone doesn’t even see meta and quips/shitposts as fundamentally different and mutually exclusive approaches to fandom? what if they see them as just two ways to be interested in a specific fandom and interact with it, and maybe even closely linked together, so going from one to another is actually very, very easy for them? hell, what if they (gasp!) even mix quips and meta together sometimes?

I have a few posts about what I think Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese might have been doing with mythological references and themes in Dark, and about what I got from the series finale. some are meme-like, phrased in a joking tone, probably even shitpost-y? another one is literally just a gifset plus me having intense Feels in the tags, and the last one is an edit of the kind I’ve seen people complain about as “those cringey unoriginal tumblr aesthetics that all look the same” in at least a couple of occasions. does that automatically mean I only wanted to “win” at fandom (with my hard-earned prize being... a handful of notes in a fandom that’s not even that big compared to others) and that I haven’t actually spent probably way too much time thinking about the significance of Martha’s Ariadne play as a commentary on character interactions/plot/narrative themes (and honestly still do from time to time), or that I don’t occasionally read the captions under other people’s gifsets and suddenly feel very much enlightened about why the Ariadne play mentions the myth of the Flood of all things? that I didn’t start reading posts and comments and reviews and theories about the series finale as soon as I finished watching it? that, just because I didn’t write 10K+ words of Perfectly Serious Seriousness about all that stuff, I simply refused to Engage With The Text? 

... and if I said that I feel a little irrationally self-conscious at the idea of writing down all of my (often rambling, sometimes jumbled) thoughts about a series that to me actually does feel very deep and complex, so adding memes and humor to that or finding different means to put my ideas out there makes me feel more comfortable expressing myself while also taking off the (admittedly made-up) pressure of having to write a whole coherent essay where I have to find a clear and explicit way to explain where every single thought comes from and how it leads to the next like I’m gonna get graded on it? or that a lot of those thoughts stem from memories of spending five years of high school translating and analysing ancient Greek poetry and reading and watching and discussing every available interpretation and reinterpretation of it from Nietzsche to Vernant to Dürrenmatt to Christa Wolf to Pasolini to a lot of others and from certain things in Dark violently hurtling me back to those times without even asking for permission, so a part of my self-consciousness is actually “I probably don’t actually know/remember enough about this to base a whole in-depth analysis on it even though I do think there’s something there” and another part is “shit I’m too lazy to dig through all of my old textbooks and homework and additional readings to hunt for the thing I feel the desperate need to reference or figure out who might have said it, so no extended explanation here either”? I guess in the end it would all boil down to “there’s an amount of effort and physical and mental energy I’m willing to put into fandom but I also have limits to stop something that makes me feel happy from becoming a chore”, which. considering the whole “you have to put all your resources into constantly pouring out 100% serious meta and nothing else because that’s what I like, no deviations allowed” thing? yeah, I can see saying stuff like that would still make me a blight upon fandom. and/or Not Engaging.

which, I realize, it’s a thing I keep coming back to. but that’s because I really, really, really hate it? seriously, what even counts as Engaging With The Text correctly? not shitposts, and not quips either, apparently. Regardless of the fact that humor and crack have existed in fandom since forever and that it’s actually not uncommon AT ALL for them to be born out of looking at canon from different angles, pointing out whatever the fan in question finds surreal/strange/implausible/convoluted/awkward/just kinda funny about it. 

also, not canon divergence/what if fics motivated not by a desire to “fix” something that made us feel bad when it happened in canon but by a desire to actually fix what we felt was objectively a poor writing choice from the author, because we shouldn’t Engage by analysing the text to criticize it or to think over how and why certain aspects of it don’t work for us or how we think the structure of the text itself could be modified or even improved, we should Engage by... writing meta and/or writing canon-compliant fics with perhaps a little allowance for slightly-to-the-left-of-canon-compliant missing moments fics, I guess? 

from what I’ve gathered from reading other fandom discussion some time ago, AUs are also out, especially Modern/No Powers AUs, because those are always just an excuse to slap your fave’s name on your OC/disguise your original fiction as fanfic to get comments/ignore all that’s interesting about canon to write yet another dumb syrupy high school or coffee shop AU, even if I’m honestly not sure what kind of AUs people are even reading to never get to the “there’s no supernatural threat so let’s focus entirely on the fucked-up family dynamics and blatant mental issues in a world where you can’t just ignore them by marrying off your daughter or sending your son to be someone’s squire” AUs or the “this is pretty much what happens in canon but adding new dimensions and different outlooks on the themes by moving everything to a new context” AUs. seriously, I could rec you a pretty great “this guy would be a horrible father and treat his children horribly in any world, it’s not just the feudal society around him, it’s him as a person” AU and that’s literally just the first thing that came to my mind. but, hey, maybe Engaging is only engaging with the canon plot and setting and nothing else, what do I know.

... fuck, thinking about it, I’m not even sure if by “not shitpost and not quips” I should even mean humor/crack? because it’s not like the OP was clear about it in any way? maybe it’s just all that’s weird and tropey and not-canon-compliant? I can see the “everybody gathers in the main character’s stuff to smoke weed and weird shit happens” fic I got a chuckle out of some time ago being one of the dreaded tumblr-born shitpost fics that are supposedly ruining fandom by ensuring that fans stop thinking (?), but what about the “everything is the same but this one character is a catboy, not for any particular reason but just because” fic I’m currently following and loving? people have been joking and shitposting about catboys a lot on tumblr lately (I distinctly remember that the last catboy joke to pop up on my dash was the “I’m your catboy gf and I’m stuck in a wall” one...) and finding an always-a-catboy!AU initially got an amused smile out of me, so is the mere premise enough to make the fic just a joke/just taking a trope and running off with it/just part of a shallow trend? even when the author literally goes “oh shit just realized this is all a metaphor for neuodivergence and masking” in the story notes? unless writing a character who’s never explicitly stated to be neurodivergent in canon as a being literally or metaphorically neurodivergent in your fic is always shallow projecting or posturing issuefic... instead of, y’know, looking closely at the text and Engaging with it by interpreting it that way....

I feel all this ranting/venting might end up plunging into Why We Slash discussion territory now, so I better stop here.

anyway, in short, good to know I’ve been in fandom for years yet I’ve always been just a Fake Fan who Can’t Think and is constantly Doing It Wrong (by Not Being Transformative Enough, possibly). gonna do my best to stay exactly like that in the future <3

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... F is For Family (S02E03) The Liars Club Airdate: May 30, 2017 @fisforfamily Ratings: @netflix Original Privatized Ratings Score: 8.75/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********* One thing I've never been accused of is being un-empathetic, at least not since a bit after high school anyway... It is quite possible I may have had some sort of horrible God complex like most did in their early stages of adulthood. I often question why I treated people certain ways or did things that I did. Not knowing any better really isn't a good answer. Sure, empathy is a trait you hone and grow into as you age and experience life's many different heartaches, but its also true that it does come naturally, eventually anyway. Sometimes there's just something inside you that literally allows you to cosmically switch shoes with someone in a blink of an eye... At times I can be so sensitive to other people's energy that I adopt their general mood or disposition. I know I'm not the only one, but I think there's a select few of us that had a very distinct opportunity to experience as much as humanly possible and it shapes the way we see the world. As a young, developing adult, I wanted to be as street smart as I was book smart. For me, you couldn't just have one without the other or else you opened yourself up for great windows of ignorance. I purposefully put myself in awkward and dangerous positions. Sometimes I'd even travel great distances with nothing but a few hundred bucks in my pocket and an eagerness to connect with others in any way possible, hoping it would somehow shape my maturity, worldliness, and understanding. I'd end up homeless, reveling in it, attempting to draw as much as possible from the experience instead of focusing on removing myself from a bad situation. Homelessness wasn't the only thing... I had to see, feel, and try everything I could, because for me, perspective was everything... And even as a wiser adult (with still so much to learn), it still is. There was a large stint in my life where I was unemployed like Frank (Bill Burr). I allowed my core values and self-importance to destroy good things happening in my life. I always tell people this who are thinking of quitting their job on a whim or reacting off of strong emotion, or even those needing a dose of reality in confirmation form. When you have a job, everyone wants you. It's easy to find work when it's not a necessity, but when you find yourself in a position, like Frank where you're forced to take what you can get, suddenly nobody is in a giving mood. It's one of life's dirty little tricks, and if you don't believe me... Try it out. No, no, please don't, seriously. I wouldn't wish what Frank is going through on my worst enemy. I've been there and it doesn't feel good. Frank has been blacklisted by his boss throughout most airlines as an undesirable, no matter how qualified for the position he may be. Sure, there is pride involved. I saw a commenter call it 'toxic masculinity'. I understand the concept of 'toxic masculinity' and the harmful psychological effects it has on men and women within society. Even though this particular string of events happen p in the 70's, a better, more accurate example of 'toxic masculinity' would be the misogyny that Sue (Laura Dern) is dealing with in her stifling, unhealthy office space... Not Frank's unwillingness to break down and accept a handout from the government, or filter through jobs that he deems compromising or humiliating to his experience and very specific set of skills. I don't think there's anything 'toxic' about the drive to provide for your family... Or the desire Frank has to actually do what he's trained to do, what he's good at, and what he can potentially make the most money doing. If anything this is human in nature, not exclusive to the ideals of masculinity. When we talk about ego, there's definitely a split on how both genders handle things... Why each gender may protect certain aspects, attack issues in a particular manner or prioritize ideals more than they do others; but ultimately as human beings, at the end of the day, we all want to count. We all want to do our part in protecting and providing for the ones we love. Even in the 70's, where male ignorance and patriarchal control reigned supreme, as continuously displayed in Sue's ongoing story arc... i.e. 'I'd like to put some mustard on her sandwich', Sue is now head of her household and must assume the role of lead 'bread winner' and only working spouse. She wrestles with earning the respect of a group of men who rule over her company like a bunch of primitive primates and a woman who gives into the ideas of that sexually charged, insult driven, 'toxic masculinity' to maintain her position by acting like 'one of the boys'). Ultimately, they don't even deserve Sue's respect. We are seeing Sue, as a character, show signs of defying what a woman's role is in the 1970's. Honestly, this is one of the most endearing spots of S2 so far, Sue's drive is inspiring... Even though she's constantly pulled down and made to feel less than human, she wades through a cesspool of humiliation and depression because her family is counting on her. Sue pushes on because she must. She knows she has no choice, but this isn't about that... This is about maintaining her family, and clearly Sue is not afraid to step up to the plate, though it does take a lot out of her emotionally and physically as well. She looks to Frank to do the same, and as hard as everyone wants to be on Frank, I have to put my hand out here. I find it hard to believe that this many people have never found themselves in a situation even remotely similar to Frank's. His embarrassing breakdown during Maureen's (Debi Derryberry) 'Honeybee Troupe' meeting was comical and a great way to tackle these sensitive subjects with a cheeky wink and irreverent humor... But don't let that waggish satire cloud that sense of relatability and empathy with Frank. The follow-up scene that contrasts that similar humorous moment with an embarrassing private period of candid vulnerability where Kevin (Justin Long) catches his father sobbing and verbally exclaiming that he 'fucked up' as he breaks down on the living room floor had me torn. This is almost like an instance of 'talking to god', where you're completely letting your weaknesses and insecurities boil over to where you're simultaneously falling apart and attempting to find a way to cathartically push on... And then boom... One of the people that you go out of your way to always make sure they see you in a position of control sees you completely helpless. Frank springs into action and attempts to show Kevin he's still a man who can solve problems by attempting to create a space for Kevin to have private moments for himself, freedom to grow without being cramped by his younger brother, Bill (Haley Reinhardt), his constant hovering and a instinctive drive that is very similar to that of Sue's that annoys Kevin's apathetic teenage sensibilities. Kevin is gracious towards his father at first, but he hears Frank lie to his mother... And that doesn't exactly sit well with Kevin, especially since it was Kevin who was outed for skipping school and Frank then used his authority to keep his own lie going about keeping with his assumed responsibilities at the Unemployment Office. Any headway Frank made with his eldest son was destroyed in that moment. Kevin remains silent and allows the moment to remain uncontested, but the damage has been done. Obviously animated series rarely inspire this sort of impassioned article from me. 'F is For Family' is an extremely special and 'one-of-a-kind' show that really takes all my favorite elements of any type or genre of series and turns up the existential volume to full blast. Michael Price and Bill Burr have literally created my dream series in animated form. With each episode, I become more and more appreciative of what this show is at it's core. When people put their heart & soul, their blood, swear & tears into their work, it shows. People see that, they react to it, even if they don't completely understand it's value right away. I continue to take my time w/'F is For Family'. Netflix has already renewed the series for S3, there's no longer a need to rush through the episodes, and to be honest... Rushing through a show this earnest and intricately nuance is only doing it a disservice. Netflix may have reinvented the way we watch television, allowing for binge sessions, and all-night marathons... But 'F is For Family' provides us an exceptional antidote for that new style of consuming entertainment, calling for the series to be sipped like a fine wine, even promoting repeat viewings of episodes so that the series can truly be honored for everything that it is. Great job guys, I can't praise this one enough.