#mainly for the fact I do not like any of X’s female ships

[no1ryomafan]

Never shared my brain rot of why watching G dubbed is so funny not for the fact the dub is super fucking corny at times yet it adds to the show rather then ruining it-and also when it’s not corny, it’s still a pretty decent dub-but how Domon is X and Master Asia is Sigma and their dynamics unironically parallel each other that making a mmx g Gundam AU wouldn’t be too far off ESP if you just made domons brother Zero given “ehehe devil Gundam corrupting people just like the maverick virus”- if not for the fact I cannot see X as a straight man 💀

[marley-manson]

001 | Xena

Thank you! 💖

Favorite character:

Xena!! Everything I could possibly want in a female character, and a fandom that largely enjoys it rather than downplaying it.

I loooove that the writers went into the show (Xena, not her first appearance on Hercules probs) essentially writing her as a male archetype almost no concessions to the fact that she's played by Lucy Lawless other than pronouns and some het. She's cold and stoic - it's not until the first season finale that she even really displays a raw emotion other than mid-fight glee, including when her own mother draws a sword on her, and when she has to kill a man she loves to some extent. She's the strongest, toughest, most competent person in any room at all times, and everyone knows it and defers to her, absolutely including men. Early on there are a few scenes where she's hit on and punches dudes, but that actually goes away pretty quick as she just tends to command a certain sense of respect. It's an ideal female power fantasy - not to survive patriarchal violence, but to live without even having to spare a thought for it.

She's complex and nuanced and the narrative is very interested in exploring her as a three dimensional character.

She's formerly evil and still revels in violence, and it's amazing. She's often on the verge of going too dark again and needing to be pulled back from the edge, and she snaps in a few episodes including one where she attempts to murder Gabrielle, pre-meditated and all. She's framed like a horror movie monster in a few episodes, something I always love to see in a protagonist.

And on the flip side, she's fun! She steadily loosens up the more time she spends with Gabrielle doing good, and she can be very playful at times, and it's awesome to see in contrast to the first season.

I'll never be over her and idt there'll ever be another female character who can truly compare. Xena is a product of the tone of the show, and that tone is dead now.

Least Favorite character:

Borias, mainly for his appearance in The Debt as the only man who has ever had physical power over Xena - while her legs were broken - and for clitblocking Lao Ma.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon):

Xena/Gabrielle (and Mel/Janice who counts under this umbrella) Gabrielle/Aphrodite Xena/Ares Xena/Lao Ma Xena/Callisto

Character I find most attractive:

Gabrielle. I mean just look at her abs

Character I would marry:

Gabrielle 💖

Character I would be best friends with:

Gabrielle lmao.

a random thought:

Xena has the best clipshows of any show I've ever seen. Almost always worth watching for the absolutely delightful framing devices.

An unpopular opinion:

I get shallow entertainment out of the scenes where Xena seduces men in the later seasons lol. Like firstly, I love that the show really pointedly toes a line and she never actually sleeps with them past like season 2, because she's in a relationship with Gabrielle. I also love that they show Gabrielle being annoyed or jealous if she gets into it. The show is blatantly playing both sides and trying to appeal to het viewers as well, but very deliberate in never contradicting X/G and I can appreciate that.

But also I love how dominant Xena almost always is, both in bed and in how she just interacts with men, and how it's always framed as something she wants/how she behaves by default rather than something she does for the dudes, who are generally more ambivalent about her topping. Like, ultimately it's a fantasy for subby male viewers, but it doesn't feel like it so it's enjoyable to me.

This is popular with the het fans lol, but they're the minority so it still counts.

my canon OTP:

Xena/Gabrielle, and yes it absolutely counts as canon for the purposes of this question.

Non-canon OTP:

Xena/Ares

most badass character:

Do I have to say it after my ode to her up there?

pairing I am not a fan of:

Gabrielle/Joxer, Gabrielle/Virgil, Gabrielle/any dude. Xena/Borias in terms of canon relationships.

character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another):

Najara!!!! I absolutely adored her in her first episode, she's an amazing foil to Xena. She would've been a perfect recurring villain after Callisto, with her moral ambiguity, her deliberate choice to kill vs Xena's bloodlust, her more grandiose ideals vs Xena's more do good when its in front of you philosophy, etc.

Then her second episode just eviscerates her character and turns her into a caricature of a ~crazy girl~ and it's awful. The actress probably wasn't available for a recurring role, but like, she could've been written off more respectfully, or never given a second episode at all to assassinate her character. Boo.

favourite friendship:

Gabrielle and Aphrodite, I think. They're very cute together. Though shout out to Gabrielle and Ephiny, since I did find it quite touching to see her again in season 6.

character I want to adopt or be adopted by:

None, I don't really think of characters this way.

ask meme

[themostsanebug]

hey hi i was planning on sharing this to dsaf confessions but since. that place is where drama DWELLS in the fandom i will not be doin so and instead keeping this on my blog teehee. so. WOE dsaf identity/ship hcs be upon ye!!!!

jack kennedy; sorry guys. i hit this fucker with the trans beam.... (transmasc agender) he/him pronouns. he is!!! also aroace!!!! romance neutral, sex favorable! he fucks but doesnt necessarily do it because he finds them hot. he also tried to date. several times and that didnt work. he dated dave and roger briefly and broke up with both of them. he still refuses to acknowledge hes not straight and in fact doesnt love anyone. yeah hes. autistic too.

dave miller; GENDERFLUID!!!! MASC-PRESENTING!!!! he fucks with mostly he/him pronouns but any work he could care less. terms and stuff of the like depend on what mood hes in. sometimes he likes to be called a girl and will be very happy if ya do so!!!! pansexual!!! personally think its for the best hes not polyamorous but. sorry chat get hit with my dave x roger propaganda but he loves that orange phone. in my eyes hes more chill after breaking up with jack!!!! he also doesnt like jack all too much anymore though..... doessss he see roger in a similar light to jack? just a lil.... roger being orange doesnt help. but hes not. AS obsessive. he also has!!! audhd!!! 2 me at least.

steven stevenson; t. transman... canonically gay so that remains!!!!! the same!!!!! he/it/fox pronouns in my heart. he just says he/him if you ask though. also. autism. hes autisitic. i see him with jake now..... my ass could not escape the liminalspace propaganda.... are most of these based on his askblog? yeah!!! do i care? no!!!

dee kennedy; cis female!!!! she is aroace and and in my heart bow uses she/bow pronouns because i said so. i COULD see her wanting a platonic relationship with another ghost kid though!!!!!! so mayhaps platonic attraction?

peter kennedy; transman. woah wonder how often thats gonna show up here!!!! he/him and he’s bicurious!!!! mainly because it makes sense to me. hes kissed a man before he got married.

harry fitzgerald; ttt. transman transman t- sorry. i cant restrain myself most of them are transmen. BUT!!!! he’s polyamorous and omnisexual with a masc-leaning preference!!!!! he/they pronouns!!!! yayay!!!!!! theyre dating. roger and and walt!!!!

jake wilson; giggles. guys you would NOT be able to guess this but hes trans too. shes just built different. WOE GENDERQUEER TRANSFEM JAKE BE UPON YE!!!!! she/he pronouns and and hes gay too!!!!! i heart breaking gender stereotypes with my headcanons. shes dating steven giggles.

roger jones; TRANSMASC BLURGENDER!!!!! is that me self projecting??? absolutely. he/it pronouns and and he’s bisexual and polyamorous!!!!! its also autistic.... he is dating harry and dave!!!!! yay!!!!!!!

walt grouse; cis male!!!!! woah i think hes like. the first on this list. any pronouns he doesnt give two shit call him whatever you want. he is!!!! also implaromantic/sexual!!!!! he gave up he couldnt find a label that fit him so that was his last resort. he is dating harry because rarepairs i love you rarepairs.

rebecca; cis female!!!! probably a straight ally!!! she/her pronouns but i can see her being fine with gender neutral terminology being used on her!!!! she is also not dating anyone!!!!!

henry miller; henrys just a guy. a dude. but also not? oddly enough, i agree with the interpretation that henry is gendervoid and that henry doesnt use pronouns but just henrys name!!!!! thank you chribs for that. also dont see henry being particularly romantic or sexual? so aroace in the sense that henry is romance and sex repulsed.

THATS ALL FEEL FREE TO THROW ROCKS AT ME.......

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

While I normally don't read them, the thing that really gets to me are the gender swap(specifically Izuku only) or transgender character(normally Izuku as well), and how often these traits are used a props for angst or for porn scenes. Now I am fine with transgender and nonbinary people IRL, it's something about how the subject matter is used in fiction, that negatively affects the experience. While I am aware of the fact that Japanese is beginning to open up on these idea and that MHA takes place in a future version of modern Japan, which wouldn't bat an eye at transgendered characters as we do have a canonical transmale hero with the Wild Pussycat, there's just something more off about when Izuku is the subject character.

Now I am aware that gender swapping characters are likely one of the most common tropes used and is likely one of the first of types of fics a new writer would write about. I'm wondering if it's because of the combination with Izuku being Quirkless, that it combines ableism/disability with sexism/transphobia. Now yes, these are topics that need to be talked about and fiction is a good way to experiment on the writer's knowledge on these topics, it's another thing to go to the "stay in the house" idea or to make Izuku a prop in order to praise Bakugo, since female Izuku x Bakugo(or vice versa) is a common pairing. This isn't even going into the Omegaverse, which probably has its origins based off of a combination of transgenderism, that one redacted study on wolf hierarchy(where the author redo and investigated even more), and wanting to justify MPreg.

So I’m not really going to touch the trans/non-binary fanfics because it’s not my place to talk about them. I do agree that in canon, people wouldn’t really bat an eye to a trans and/or non-binary person, but I feel that those fics are made for the author to talk about trans/non binary issues, hence why the world’s more aggressive to them in these fics. It’s them writing their own experiences through fiction if that makes any sense and I have no place to criticize what they do in those fics.

For the gender swap, I actually have a fic that co-stars a female Izuku. Why did I make Izuku female? It’s to prove a point. A lot of people shit on Izuku for being overly emotional and that he should’ve stood up to Katsuki sooner. I feel that there’s a lot of sexism around these ideas and honestly feel that if Izuku was female, then no one would really have these claims and that Katsuki would be seen in a negative light. However, I do know that a good chunk of fics that star a female Izuku are mainly porn fics and are used as a means to write a straight BkDk story which has Izuku simply exist to be a prop for Katsuki. As someone who is a shipper, I like it when my ships are mutually beneficial to both parties rather than having one person be a prop or prize for the other and agree with what you’ve said there.

[drawingshipchildren]

I love being annoying and also I am bored as hell so I may as well knock out 4 ships in one go (mainly with my MD ocs but I threw in an extra MD ship between canon characters that I kinda like cuz fuck it)

Firstly Daisy and Cyanna

Next Serial Designation B and Elenore from my Familial Bonds au (no official ship art yet)

Then Juliet and Lucy (drew a ship thing of these two in an old doodle dump that was mainly focused on Julie back in December)

Lastly Purplemalic (Nori x Alice) cuz yes

I feel that I’ve put too much pressure on you and I apologize in advance

That’s just the way I am xP

I'm so sorry it took me so long to do this! I just didn't really have motivation or any ideas! 😅

The only male is the last one, the rest are females.

You can come up with some fun facts and names bc I have no ideas whatsoever 💀🙏

[liliuastrawberry]

Do you find any Dashie and Wolfgirl character or ships overrated by the fandom?

✿ Does Izzy find any D&W characters/ships to be overrated?

I’m glad you asked. I don’t have any characters that I find overrated, but I do have a couple of ships. Not getting into all of them on this post though.

Let’s get into it!

✿ Milo & Lee

This ship is so gross on so many levels imo. I’m not against gay ships in the slightest. I have tons and tons of characters in queer relationships, but this one just isn’t good mainly because Milo and Lee fall into the found family troupe. The found family troupe is when a group of unrelated characters come together as their own family based on different connections and shared experiences rather than blood/relations. They see each other as brothers. BROTHERS EVERYONE!!! They are two peas in a pod. When Milo jumps in to save Lee vice versa is because that’s his brother!!! They have never viewed each other romantically. They quite literally grew up together too and it’s so obvious when you watch their interactions together. I don’t even have to site anything, JUST WATCH ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ On that note: honestly we need to save Milo and Lee because a majority of the people who like them are genuinely weird as hell and they like them for weird reasons. I have yet to hear people actually like Milo and Lee for the amazing writing, build up, and characterization. Like as stand alone characters in the series they are SO SO GOOD and they do deserve the hype that they get, however they’re getting it for the wrong reasons and I think that’s why I personally tend to stray away from them and love other characters more. (AGAIN it’s not because I don’t like them, because I do like them, however the weird jokes and over sexualization from the fandom really ruin it for longtime fans like me).

✿ Milo x Ava

This one isn’t super popular, but I see it so often that I need to comment on it because..ew. At first I was really confused as to where tf this ship came from until I started to rewatch some of Wolfie’s older videos (to gather up my evidence because I don’t just say crap without having the evidence behind it) and I came across the short film “Shadow”. In this short film we see Ava following Milo around as he tries to have conversations and finish his chores, but Ava keeps on crowding around him - not because she’s in love with him (because how dare a female character be around a male unless she’s in love with him!!!!), but because she admits towards the end of the film (time stamp: 4:41) that she really looks up to Milo and wants to be just like him when she’s older. I think it’s incredibly weird how many times people asked under that video if Milo & Ava’s hug was a kiss because not only are the events that occurred platonic, but because Ava acts and sounds significantly younger than Milo. Heck the doll herself looks so much younger too. Chloe was mentioned in that video too..Milo’s girlfriend?? Hellooooo? Why would he kiss Ava? Let’s use our brains!

✿ Milo x Kolya

One word. Ewwwwww!!

(Editors note: the fact that a lot of these are Milo is concerning lol)

✿ Bonus!! contrary to popular belief - I really like Shison!!

I’ve been seeing this ship get a loooottt of heat in the livestreams mainly because people do not understand that they are not related in the slightest, but also because Mason x Milo has become incredibly popular. Nothing against Mason x Milo, BUT SHISON ON TOP MMMKAY???

/)/)

( ᴗ͈ᆺᴗ͈ )つ━☆ ･*。

⊂ 　 ノ 　　　･°

しㅡＪ　　　°。+ * 。

I am their biggest hater and also biggest defender.

[daenaatargaryenn]

𝑅𝓊𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝑅𝑜𝓁𝑒 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼𝓃𝒻𝑜 𝑜𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝒪𝒞

Hello everybody! My name is Ari! Here are just some basic rules before we begin.

There isn’t much.

Mainly, I’d just like to keep it a safe environment for both of us. I am a black woman so racism or discriminatory behavior is unacceptable. I am comfortable with NSFW topics, actually I kinda prefer them, including but not limited to sexual content and violence. Incest is welcome… she’s a Targaryen.

I also ask, and I can’t stress this enough. If you are a minor, DO NOT INTERACT WITH ME. And yes, I will be able to tell.

In fandom only! No AU’s, no crossovers, nada! Yes, I will be playing as my OC. You are free to play whoever you like. I welcome OC x OC relations, in fact, I encourage it! But OC x Cannon is encouraged as well.

If you do insist on playing a cannon character, Daena can be shipped with pretty much any Targaryen male, or with Cregan Stark.

Keep in mind, I do work so my responses will most likely come late at night. But I promise I will make time.

Now, onto the fun stuff.

Daena Targaryen, first of her name, daughter to Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon.

At the young age of One and Ten, a small Daena made the almost fateful decision to search upon Dragon Stone for a mount, as her egg laid cold in its shell for many years.

She had hoped to find Silverwing and Vermithor, a dragon for both her and her sweet sister, Rhaena.

What she found next, was something much worse.

It was at that age that she almost lost her life, claiming the Cannibal Dragon, who she affectionately named Veraxes, after her mother and father’s mounts.

Daena is 18 when the dance begins, being older than her two sisters.

Much like her sister Baela, she is described as a female version of her father. However, whereas Baela was known for inheriting her father’s bravery, Daena had inherited his cruelty, how else could such a child claim the beast that is the Cannibal? Due to this, her and Baela do not get along very well.

Daena is very outspoken, snide, and pompous. She is very proud of her Valyrian heritage, and scoffs at Westerosi tradition. She’s standoffish, sarcastic, and stubborn.

She lives on Dragonstone with her father, though she visits Driftmark often to visit her Grandmother. Daena is fiercely loyal to her family as well as protective, even to Baela, despite their differences.

She is partial to archery, sword play, and dragon riding, spending hours of the day doing both.

That’s as much of her background that I can write without giving away too much.

The role play will take place on discord, my username is @skyprincess#8599 ! Hope to see you there!

[mytragedyperson]

Part of me wants to do a girl meets world x OC (probably multi OC) fanfic and part of me knows I probably shouldn't because I already have like 5 WIPs that I should be updating or at least working on but I'm not. So I figured I'd ask tumblr.

So I decided it would be a Maya Hart x Female OC fanfiction, with Rucas, Fakle x Smackle, and Zay x OC as endgame ships. Here any Joshaya before season 3 still exists but would remain one sided and Maya genuinely would get over it. The love triangle would still exist but probably be different. And in fact, a good part of season 3 would probably be different. Never watched it but I already know I'd change some things. I'd mostly follow the show, I may change some things like the autism episode, which treated autism like a deadly disease or something. I'd also have chapters between shows, to develop my OCs more, their friendships and later relationships with Maya and Zay. I haven't decided what gender to OC with Zay will be yet. Zay won't be gay but could be bisexual and part of me wants to make it a guy because there are so few male OCs.

Also, no, Maya will not just be using the female OC to get over Lucas, nor will her feelings for Lucas be fake. I kinda want to investigate that idea of falling in love with two people at once but I don't really like Joshaya and, while I don't mind Zay x Maya I've had the idea of Maya x female OC before and it keeps coming back to me so that seems like something I should explore. So even though I am a Lucaya shipper, and while there would be some Lucaya and love triangle elements, it would ultimately be Riley/Lucas endgame. I don't hate that ship, I just hate how they do the love triangle. So, warning: there's a huge chance I keep the first two seasons canon compliant then start writing season 3 and largely change things. There's also a huge chance it will expand past when the show did.

Also, there will be no Maya turns into Riley bullshit. When we get to that bit, the second Riley mentions anything similar, they're all going to sit down and explain to Riley how people's lives improving tends to make them happier people and that doesn't mean they're copying people. I'm not going to make Riley or malicious. She genuinely is just concerned and somewhat sheltered, so no, she won't be manipulative, she just won't fully understand. Because I hate that storyline more than anything, and also, because this ties into that, there will be no Shawn is becoming Corey bullshit either.

For those who watched boy meets world and liked Shawn / Angela, I'm sorry, but that will not be in this fic, mainly because I've watched some of Boy Meets World but not enough to know and write Angela ir her relationship with Shawn. He probably will still marry Katie, but if I think ahead I'll develop and flesh out their relationship a bit more outside of Maya.

Anything with Joshaya in season 3 will not be happening, no sir. That can be instead Maya finally accepting (Though she already knows) she is also in love with the female OC.

Also, as for Zay, the reason he's bi or straight and not strictly gay, is because he had a girlfriend, and while I understand gay people can have opposite sex partners, especially if they haven't come out, i don't want to completely erase his attraction to her, purely so my OC who ends up with him can get a little jealous in Texas and realise she likes Zay. The two OCs will either be friends or siblings but I think im leaning more towards friends, and the one that ends up with Zay will have an unrequited crush on Farkle in the beginning.

It would be 3rd person multiple POV but with a focus on Maya, Zay and the OCs. Follows episodes and shows but also extra chapters

So, should I write it, and if I do, what gender should I make the OC who ends up with Zay. Not much will be changed by their gender.

Also I've never been in a relationship and this would be my first time trying to build up a romantic relationship so it might not be perfect but it's something I want to try.

Edit: I decided I will do it. It will be Maya Hart/Female OC, Zay Babineaux x male Oc, Riley x Lucas, Farkle Minkus x Isadora Smackle endgame, with some Lucaya/love triangle elements. There will also be some unrequited ships like Male OC x Farkle, Farkle x Maya, Farkle x Riley, Maya x Josh. These will be one-sided and some, Farkle x Maya or Riley, will only be as they were in canon, Joshaya is minor, brief and one sided with only Maya having feelings for Josh and getting over those feelings. The OC ships will be slow burns. Since my OCs aren't in the friend group at the beginning, they probably won't be as involved early on and will become increasingly closer to the group. If you're interested, comment or like this and, when it's written on AO3, I'll share it here and tag you so you can read it.

[petr1kov]

look, you are allowed to write and enjoy anything you want. i am not the boss of you and me writing a post on my blog about common tropes that i personally find boring and overused absolutely does not have the power to stop you from doing whatever you want with your time, if that's how you want to spend it.

you do have to recognize, on the other hand, that fandoms in general have a tendency to homogenize the works they interact with on a very specific way. i'm talking about how everything and anything tends to be shoved into a set of preferred dynamics and roles that appeal to fans and that overlap between fandoms, even when those don't make much sense given the context of the work they came from. look into any big fandom and you'll see basically the same sets of incorrect quotes attributed to x characters, of 'this is the sunshine bf and this is the grumpy bf' types of post, stuff like that. it's why migratory slash fandom is a thing, and also why fandom spaces, regardless of the source material they are a fandom of, often share similar sets of genuine issues (mainly, sidelining female characters and characters of color in favor white guys to ship).

it's why i brought up people consuming fanworks of things they aren't a fan of -- not because it's a crime, but because i think it illustrates my point well, the point being that the average fanon interpretations have become so commonplace that the switch from interacting with derivative works of things you are already a fan of (which is what fanfiction and fanart was originally about) for consuming fanworks of media you are unfamiliar is not even a big deal, because it's pratically it's own thing, at this point.

also yes, i am aware that tropes are not an invention of fandom, so you don't have to be condescending about that. however, common tropes and clichés have also always been scrutinized, no matter how beloved they might be to you. the fact that people enjoy hallmark movies doesn't mean that they aren't also routinely criticized precisely for their samey-ness and lack of creativity, as we are all very well aware of, so i don't see why pointing to something similar happening in fandom spaces should be much different.

and again, because apparently people get extremely thin skinned once they have to deal with even a little bit of criticism towards their hobbies, it's fine if that's what you're into. if you take the time to read my post, you will see that i never tried to say what people should and shouldn't be allowed to write, i just tried to articulate why i personally find fandom spaces unengaging as a whole. i curate my own online experience to the best of my ability so even if i see something like that happening, i am not too bothered by it. maybe you should also learn how to do that instead of jumping into conclusions on other people's posts :)

there are many complaints about how fandom tends to focus too much on shipping to the detriment of everything else, but frankly, i really don't think that's the real issue with it. not that the hyperfocus on it can't be grating at times, but i think what really bothers me is just 'fanon' in general. like, at this point i'm willing to say that fanon is its own entity and its not even unique to any work in specific. it's a one size fits all of generic, pre-made tropes that will be forced into each and every piece of media that gets even a bit of attention, even when these tropes and scenarios don't fit the personality of the characters or are in any way related to the original story they are supposedly drawing from. basically stripping everything that makes these works unique in any way just so they can be somehow twisted and shoved into yet another college coffee shop au. it's why you see people saying that they read fanfiction or engage with fandoms of works they haven't even consumed, which sounds bizarre at first (shouldn't you be a fan of something you make and/or consume fan works of?) but makes sense once you realize that yeah, once anything gets hit with the the fanonfication beam, it really does not make a difference whether or not you are even familiar with what this fanwork was even supposedly about, because they all become pretty much the same, like dolls reenacting the same little plots and following familiar scripts over and over again

[seabreezeraincloud]

I'm curious to know if you ship Cassandra with any character either from the Tangled series, or outside from the show?

Fun fact about me: I'm not much of a shipper just in general. I know, I know - a sapphic nerd obsessed with cartoons not being into shipping? How could this be?? But it's true. Fandom culture's obsession with shipping is not something I've ever been able to really relate to, and frankly I think part of why I generally prefer cartoons is that they tend to be less likely to rely on romance drama as a driving force for conflict (for the most part...). Every once in a while there will be a ship that hits that Sweet Spot, but even those are few and far between. One of my favorite romances in any media is Wall-E and Eve, for crying out loud (to be fair though, the romance in Wall-E is wholesome and adorable and fills me with joy every time I watch it, 10/10). Needless to say, shipping culture tends to make me feel a bit alienated, especially when it's treated as the default fan experience.

When it comes to ships involving Cassandra specifically...yeeeaaah, I'm a picky shipper, and the pickings are slim. I mean, the show's only other prominent female character in her age range is Rapunzel, so it's no surprise that's the fans' go-to. And if you don't vibe with that go-to ship, then the only other options I can think of are two career criminals who barely get any screen time at all, let alone with Cass, and characters from other franchises entirely, an obvious one being Elsa from Frozen. And, uh...I can't say I get super into any of them.

That being said, I do casually enjoy these ships; they just don't particularly influence how I interpret canon, if that makes sense. For example, while I do read Cassandra as having a crush on Rapunzel - mainly because it makes what Rapunzel does to her in S2 all the more tragic, and I'm a sucker for that pain - I don't interpret their relationship overall as romantic. I don't view their scenes through Shipping Goggles, and I don't have any headcanons about them getting married one day. I enjoy some of the fanart and AUs, but canon-wise, I interpret it as a bittersweet not-meant-to-be ship. Cass and Caine is pretty fun to explore, but again, not something I see working out in canon. Cass and Elsa, along with any other crossover ship, is pretty much the same thing. Despite none of these ships hitting that Sweet Spot for me, I do admire the fan creativity that goes into them.

The irony is that I do want Cassandra to fall in love and form a lasting romantic relationship, and in my mind, that happens outside of Corona with someone brand new. Yes, I specifically imagine that person being my OC, but even outside of me being a shameless Canon x OC shipper, it just makes the most sense. There is no one in the show itself that I find it satisfying to ship Cassandra with. So if you don't count my own OC or my casual enjoyment of multiple ships, no, I don't ship Cassandra with any other character.

[when-worlds-end-archive]

His Empress

A/N - This is the first time I’ve gotten a Star Wars prompt and I’m so excited for this Kylo Ren story! Please know that this somewhat of an alternate timeline, with Kylo Ren and Rey’s force-bond existing while Poe is captured and Poe’s capture lasting a few weeks rather than a few days.

Day 12 of Writer’s Block Challenge

Pairing(s) : Kylo Ren x Female!Reader, slight Poe x Platonic!Reader

Summary : You, feeling angry that your boyfriend is ignoring you for his force-bond partner, befriend a captured resistance pilot. When he finds out what you’ve been doing without telling him, he’s just a tab bit mad.

Warning(s) : “God” is said once. Mainly floof.

Word Count : 1,546

You’d never admit it to anyone but you were jealous.

You were jealous of her, of the girl who had attracted the attention of you boyfriend, of the girl who shared a “connection” with him through means you could never understand, of the girl who kept him up at night.

At first you had been okay with it, your daily routine stayed the same. You still woke up to soft morning kisses from your beloved, you still ate breakfast together while discussing his plans for the day, you still joked around while watching him practice new tricks with his lightsaber, you still talked about your days over dinner, and you still fell asleep in his arms.

But now, you weren’t so okay with it. All your moments, the ones that were sacred between you two, were now part of the past because of her. Gone where the private kisses and lingering touches. Gone were the silly conversations between his meetings that neither of you wanted to end. Gone were the moments spent alone in your bed when you were cuddled up together.

You’d tried your best to enforce those moments, you really had. You’d asked him to join you for meals, asked him to walk with you around the ship, asked him to set aside time for you, but even still, he always ended up brushing you off with something about how she was “important to the success of the First Order.”

What about what’s important for the success of our relationship? You think bitterly as you stride through the ship, no particular destination in mind.

Left, left, right, left, right, each turn takes you farther and farther away from your empty room. Just what you need. You don’t feel like being reminded of that fact that he had left you alone, that he had chosen her over you once again.

It’s not for a bit that you finally look up and find yourself in a place you do not know. You current status turning from bitter to completely and utterly lost.

“Where the hell am I?” You ask the air around you, not expecting any answer due to the fact that you were alone.

“You’re in the prisoner’s quarters,” a voice pipes up from your left.

You jump in fright, whipping around to see that a doorway had opened up when you passed. It revealed a man strapped to a contraption that looked rather uncomfortable. A handsome man, in a rugged way, black curls, tan skin, not exactly your type but close enough.

“And you are?” You ask softly, entering the room cautiously.

“Why should I tell you?” He had a fair point, being the one tied up when you weren’t.

“Nevermind then,” you sit down in front of him, “I’ll just call you Joe.”

“My name’s no Joe,” he states indignantly.

“Then how about Matt?”

“That’s not my name either.”

“Liam?”

“No.”

“John?”

“No.”

“Thomas?”

“What’s with all these stereotypical names?”

“My creativity can only stretch so far,” you shrug, “you won’t give me your name so I’m trying to settle on something else to call you.”

“It’s Poe,” he finally states after a few seconds of consideration, “and you are?”

“Y/N,” you smile, trying to convey that you meant him no harm, “and I know it’s a stupid question but humor me. How had your day been so far?”

“Pretty good,” he plays along, “went to the gym, practiced with my blaster, had a pleasant conversation with a beautiful gal. All in all, it’s been a pretty decent day. What about you?”

“More or less the same. Got up, had some breakfast, took a stroll to nowhere in particular, had a nice conversation with some handsome guy,” you respond accordingly, both of you choosing to ignore the situation he was in.

“What did you have for breakfast?” He questions, continuing the flow of conversation.

“Had some blueberries with a slice of bread,” you respond, thinking back to your meal.

“I haven’t had blueberries since I was a kid,” he comments softly, "can’t remember what they taste like, just that they were good.”

“What if I brought you some later? If I can find my way back here?” Your offer, not for purely selfless reasons.

“I’d like that,” he grins, something that implies his stay just got a little bit better. Good.

“Then I’ll be back later with those blueberries.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that was how it went for the next few weeks. Every meal you had, you would share with Poe, bringing him different types of food each time. It had become habit, a ritual, your new form of normal, and you liked it.

“How are you today kind sir?” You ask as you enter the room, two plates of strawberries, jam, and toast in your hands.

“Not too bad, my fair lady,” he responded playfully as you unlocked and unhooked the leather straps restricting his arms.

That was another thing that had changed, the level of trust you had in one another. At first you had fed him yourself, but somewhere along the line you began to release his bindings so he could eat on his own. He'd never once tried to get the key from you, not that you gave him much of a chance.

“Did anything interesting happen while I was away?” It was your typical way of starting a conversation.

“Not much besides getting grilled for information,” he answers plainly, taking a bite out of his toast.

“God, this is so good,” he mumbles through his mouthful, “can I have this tomorrow too?”

You let out a laugh, taking a bite out of your own toast and nodding, “that can be arranged.”

He pumps his fist in the arm, being careful to not jostle his other arm, a sight that makes you laugh out loud. It's a laugh that gets cut short when the door opens and Kylo Ren steps in, General Hux following short behind.

“Kylo Ren, General Hux,” you stand up, your plate forgotten on the ground, “what are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that question,” Kylo’s voice sounds through the helmet, slightly garbled from the voice modulation box.

“I was keeping the prisoner company,” you tell him, standing your ground.

“Seems like a little more than that,” Hux comments, to which you respond with a deathly stare.

If looks could kill, that man would be well past six feet under.

“That is enough,” Kylo boomed, “General Hux, re-strap the prisoner. And you, you will be coming with me.”

You looked over your shoulder at Poe as Kylo drags you out of the room, mouthing a quick “I’m sorry” before he disappears from view. You were worried for him and the pain Hux would instill upon him, but as Kylo strides down the corridor, you begin to worry more for yourself.

You count each turn as you take them, left, right, left, right, right, every single one nurturing the seed of fear rooted deep in your stomach. Whatever Kylo had in store for you, it likely wouldn’t be pretty.

You finally come to a stop at your door, his hand going to open it before pushing you inside with a surprising amount of gentleness. The second it closes behind him, his helmet is peeled off, his arms are wrapped around your waist, and his nose is buried into your hair.

“Kylo?” You ask softly, scared to move even a millimeter.

“I couldn’t find you,” he whispers softly, “I looked everywhere and I couldn’t find you. I thought you’d left me.”

You’re about to comfort him, about to wrap your arms around him, about to kiss him, but then you remember the reason you were with Poe in the first place.

“I should have,” you pull away from him, turning around to jab your finger into his chest, “with the way you’ve been treating me these past few weeks, I really should have.”

“What are you talking about?” A confused look crosses his face.

“You really don’t know? The all powerful Kylo Ren really doesn’t know why I’m mad?” You used his full title, something you only did when you were truly angry.

“I wouldn’t have asked you the question if I knew the answer. I don’t dance around the point like you do.” His answer only served to infuriate you more.

“Her,” you state, “you’ve been ignoring me for weeks because of her.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d have assumed you’d rather be in a relationship with her than me.” That last part was a teeny bit uncalled for but you didn’t care, you were livid with him.

The second he registered what you had said, his hand was pressing against your lips to keep you quiet while his other arm brought you back against his chest.

“Never,” he growled, his eyes staring into yours, “she means nothing to me. She is just a means to the end, a way to end those rebels once and for all. You, you my dear, are my everything, you are to be my Empress.”

That’s all it takes from your boyfriend for you to connect your lips to his, sealing his vow with a kiss.

“Then may the emperor reign supreme,” you smiles against his lips.

[hamatoclan76]

If it's ok can I ask your opinion on the TMNT 2012 turtle pairings? eg April/Donnie, Raph/Mona, Mikey/Renet, Leo/Karai (if you're comfortable of course. If you don't want to ignore the ask! Have a nice day!

Ooff I think i have never talked about this before but here we go(For anyone reading this remember i'm talking about the Tmnt 2012 ships)When it comes to Tmnt 2012, the romance is one of weakest aspects in my opinion, that at the same time, it's the blame for the series major writing issues. It often ruins the characterization (Mainly for Donnie and April) and distracts from other things that are more important in the story and characters.

Let’s start:

Donatello X April (Apritello): This one is a messy ship because, while Donnie and April’s chemistry is nice, it’s mostly a one sided crush from Donatello’s side. This often involves Donnie doing things to gain April’s attention to the point his behaviour comes off as creepy. This doesn’t help the fact that rest of the time  Donnie is a very nice guy to pretty much anyone. It’s only when it comes to April that he acts this way. Another issue is that a part of Donatello and April’s arc is about exploring this awkward crush, time that could have been used to explore other aspects of these characters (April’s powers and Kraang hybridness; Donatello’s obsession with overthinking everything). This is also the same reason some people dislike Donatello or April. And some fans pointed out that April comes off as somewhat manipulative in this relationship because it’s never left clear if she likes Donnie back or she doesn’t. In A Foot Too Big tried to go the direction that April doesn’t have feelings for him but at the end she kisses Donnie? It was so weird. There is nothing wrong with a character having a one sided crush but it’s not good when they don’t respect the other person’s boundaries and space. Raphael X Mona Lisa (Ramona): By far it’s the best ship, imo. The have great chemistry. Their relationship is healthy and they communicate their feelings well. It does make sense since they have many things in common (they both are fierce warrior with a soft heart, they like action and devoted to protect their close ones). I don’t mind if it’s seems rushed. Their interactions are very sweet and cute. It works because there is barely any big melodrama between them. It doesn’t have the awkwardness of Apritello nor the... whatever it is that Karai and Leonardo have. It’s just innocent teenager love with all the cheesiness that comes with it. I also like how Raphael is not ashamed of sharing his feelings for Mona Lisa. He is very open about them, which it’s a great twist for what you would usually expect from his character. My only complain is that Mona Lisa could have had more development outside this relationship? Maybe one episode about her past or how she became a soldier. However, this is general issue that some female characters from this show have. Michelangelo x Renet: I think it’s a cute ship. Their relationship is not as serious as Raphael and Mona Lisa’s, which makes sense since Michelangelo doesn’t seem to be the type that would fall in love for over just one person and start dating them. I see him as someone who likes to keep his options open. I don’t have much too complain about this one. Maybe that the series could have develop it a bit better? Confirm if they were a thing? Or have an episode about the two them doing time travel? I don’t know. Leonardo x Karai (Leorai): Ooofff, this one is a can of worms, let me tell you. Because their chemistry and development is great. I like how it develops over time. How they start off as rivals, then they start liking each other, how Leonardo tries Karai making her leave Shredder multiple times, the tension. It’s all interesting and well written... Except for one thing... that they share the same father, they are half siblings. Which makes their interactions feel incestuous and disturbing. That gets worse after they learn that Splinter was Karai’s real father and not Saki’s. It’s one of those things that makes you ask yourself: ¨Why? Why is this here? What’s the point of this?¨ Luckily, this was toned down in later seasons but it was brought up in some episodes instead of being totally dropped from the show.The worst part is that this could have been a great ship if hasn’t been for this fact that they are siblings. If it wasn’t for that creepy thing, i would be into it lol. To sum up:  Donatello X April: Yikes Raphael X Mona Lisa: Great ship, best ship Michelangelo x Renet: Cute ship Leonardo x Karai: Yikes and wtf

[lafayetteworld]

Robin 2021

Okay, so it's been a while since I've been actively posting on tumblr, mainly because I haven’t had time. That being said, the commentary I am about to make on the Robin 2021 series is not meant to offend anyone and while I am particularly critical, I also acknowledge that some people genuinely like it/prefer the direction its's going in. And that's fine. But I did want to break down why I feel the current series is just 'meh' to me at the moment and it’s not necessarily because Damian is potentially being shipped with a newly introduced character.

Please be aware, that there are lots of spoilers. 

So, to start off, I am a big fan of the older Batman and Robin (2009) series, where Damian had partnered up first with Dick and later Bruce (2011). I do no think they are flawless, certainly. I think, in particular, the Nobody plot - excluding of course the interactions between Batman!Dick and Robin! Damian which are gold - was very good. In just a handful of issues, I think we were offered a great insight into Damian's character and how layered he is. 

My first thoughts when I heard about Robin 2021, based on the announcement: Damian will follow his own path, for some reason he retains the Robin moniker which is weird but okay, it does seem like something he'd do I suppose. He will participate in mortal kombat-sort-of-tournament, which will showcase his abilities and in the process, 'he will seek his own destiny' (which I believe was a line used in the actual announcement). The reason he wants to win? Initially, it appeared to be only because he wanted to prove to be the world's best fighter -- which by the way, how is only a tournament of this level only coming up now? Anyways, ignored that. Not a big deal. The idea of watching Damian fight different opponents was appealing either way.

The art of those comics is perhaps nowhere as striking/appealing as Robin 2021 and there's certainly not as many elements to it, but there was just something about it. I stopped reading comics after, for reasons I can't recall but I do remember finding out that Damian was killed off sometime after. I was super heartbroken over it but luckily I found out about it right around the time DC decided to bring him so really I had to wait a short while to see the little shit being Robin again.

I am not as familiar with the arc on Alfred's death but I know Damian watched what was basically his grandfather figure die in front of his eyes. How it was addressed after was rather poorly and that's a discussion for another time, just as it is that hot mess of Gleason's Titans.

 My hopes may have been too high in thinking we will be offered the introspection we'd seen in Batman and Robin, or him deciding what type of vigilante he wants to be. Like who remembers Damian admitting 'sometimes I don't know who I am or what I want' or him saying he does not wish to be like Nobody. That was so poignant.  

First issue of Robin 2021 was a disappointment. I know that there's a lot of damage to the character that had to be addressed but why did he die from like the beginning? Why is it the first thing we see is the author's OC defeat him? I mean, we really didn't need that to find the tournament's rules. Anyway, I was so sold on the art that I could have overlooked all that, except then the art became inconsistent so.....

Do I think Flatline's design is awesome? Yep. Do I like that she is potentially a badass female fighter? Sure. Do I like her abilities? Somewhat? They haven't been explored that much. But to me, having an OC appear out of nowhere and kill the character I was hoping to watch mature/develop is a bit underwhelming. Then, we start getting references of how poetic it is that Damian may fall in love with the first girl that kills him. I thought it was funny at the beginning but subsequent issues only seem to point that actually, the author does want to use Flatline/romance in this journey of growth that Damian is undergoing. I mean, we really shouldn't be romanticizing that she killed him? The girl is serious about winning too. That she caught him off guard is actually rather awesome but I don't think it had to mean anything more than Damian meeting a potentially dangerous fighter and that he needs to be less reckless.

Damian is a pretty complex/difficult character with a lot to figure out. Why does he need a girlfriend? Why can't he have friends that helps him grow or mentor figures? Him and Rose have such a great dynamic, for example.

I see a lot of people saying 'well, he's a teenager boy so it's normal'. Yeah of course it is. But why can't it be the opposite? Damian isn't a normal teenager. Out there, may be teenagers who feel the same. They don’t care about this stuff. 

It is so frustrating, and underwhelming. Not because there's anything wrong with Damian having a crush. Not because there's necessarily anything wrong with Flatline. But because there's no need.

Why is it just because he's a teenager he has to have a romantic interest? If romance is introduced in a plot, surely it doesn't have to be just because 'he's a teenager'. And if he does, why does it have to be an OC that hasn't been explored very well? Flatline could be a seriously cool character without needing to be a romantic interest for Damian and vice versa, Damian has so much to figure out on his own. So for me it's not the shipping that’s an issue, it’s the reasoning and how it may perpetuate clichés when there’s other angles that could be explored. 

Also, why the hell is Alfred used to drive Flatline's likeability? If Alfred is Damian's guilt manifesting, then that's actually Damian thinking that?

'I like this one, Master Damian.'

Seriously. I really hope we end up finding out that was tied in with Flatline's ability or something. So, Williamson won't explore Damian's guilt over Alfred but he'll give us a panel where Alfred (or a manifestation of him) is basically giving his thumbs up for his OC. That doesn’t sit well with me. Not so early in the series, anyway. 

Why is this whole manga thing keep coming back? Yes, Damian reads manga. I loved this addition and I think it's great that Williamson actually brought it in. The fact that it was Flatline who found it seems cliché. And no, I don't think it's a parallel between the shojo manga characters and them two. I really hope that particular manga has a deeper meaning than that. The fact that we keep seeing the blood sprayed (or is it cuts? not sure) on it does seem to hint at that.

There were some good moments. Damian and Dick. Basically every single interaction between Damian and Ravager. The whole Damian and Conner could have been developed better, because it seemed rather sudden they had a heart to heart when Damian can be such a distrusting little shit. Damian reuniting with Goliath.

Why is it that we're five issues into this series and it's all over the place? I don't dislike it. The art is great, although there's so many inconsistencies. But it's been super hard to feel in any way about it other than just 'meh'.

Issue #6 was boring. I didn't mind Flatline and Damian analysing other fighters, it was interesting actually, but that it's still being framed as heading towards a romantic relationship is so.....well, eugh.

Overall, I just don't feel there's enough...substance? Damian does interact with a wide variety of characters and there are a lot of things going on - batfamily searching for him, Ra’s Al Ghul (which was funny yet so odd the way he was characterized), the whole tournament and magic island, so on.

Flatline is not the issue for me, but rather one part of why the series has not managed to appeal to me. I do feel there's a bit too much of her. Or rather, there's not enough of her as a character and too much of the whole 'they're teenagers so they'll have to end up having a crush on one another because he's a boy and she's a girl who literally stole his heart'. Like, I wouldn’t mind having Flatline or other fighters background explored, just to see the types of people they are and so on. 

I wish there'd more of Damian's inner thoughts too. If not that, then give us more fights. Not just snippets. It's a tournament. Let's see how badass they all are. Damian’s fight scenes in #6 were beautiful but brief. I hope the next issues will give us more of that.  As someone who does like Damian x OC fics, I can’t blame the author for wanting to hype their own OC, but I am also a great fan of friends to lovers, slow burns, friendships can be just as great as romantic relationships, of taking the time for mental/emotional growth. 

Anyways, if you've made it to the end of this commentary, I applaud you. Once again, if you do like the whole Damian x Flatline thing, that's cool. I don't, but I do understand to an extent why people find it appealing. And if you think the Robin 2021 series is amazing, then I am happy for you -- I wish I could be this enthusiastic about it.

P.S just saw the cover for issue #7 or is it #8 ? I think I may cry.

[dangermousie]

2020 End of Year Post - cdrama edition

This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2020; if I had to make a post about all the cdramas I watched this year, I would still be doing it in three months...

Overall it’s been a fairly decent cdrama year (certainly better than the very lacklustre kdrama year.) It’s no miracle that 2019 was (so many excellent dramas!) but overall pretty solid.

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

44 The Legend of Jing Yan - the worst cdrama I have seen this year, and possibly the worst drama of 2020, period. The hero and heroine were both uncharismatic, incapable of acting and saddled with such shrilly moronic characters, the only suspense was how they haven’t both perished long since from forgetting to breathe. Nor was anyone in the rest of the cast much better; the screenplay was written by a lower mammal and the cinematography was the best a third-rate wedding cinematographer could offer. Stay the HELL away from this one.

43 Unicorn Girl - the only unicorn about this bland yet irritating piece of pap was the fact that I was supposed to believe the leads are hockey players.

42 Autumn Cicada - I like spy stories, Allen Ren, and Republican Era settings. I can tune out Communist propaganda with the best of them. Yet, the propaganda ate the story to such a degree that there was nothing left; pre magic change Pinocchio was less wooden then this narrative.

41 You Complete Me - no you do not.

40 Skate into Love - the only positive thing I can say about this is that at least it’s better than Unicorn Girl, if for no other reason that only one of them is supposed to be a hockey player.

39 Irreplaceable Love - how do you make a story about fake siblings with a mad mother falling for each other boring? I don’t know, ask the makers of this.

38 Eternal Love Rain - I hate to rain on their parade, but these two actors cannot act, have about as much chemistry as a piece of bread, and are trapped in a story perfect for entertaining the mental abilities of the leads of Jin Yan.

37 For Married Doctoress - ummmm, you could do worse I guess. It only made me break out in mild hives. The sadistic ending did make me laugh though.

36 Dance of the Sky Empire - why you get Xu Kai and waste him in this insipid mess of a story is beyond me.

35 Love Designer - it’s inoffensive except to my sense of entertainment. There is nothing wrong with it but oh God is it bland.

34 Love a Lifetime - It felt like a lifetime watching this, but I didn’t love it. The story is incoherent, the actors have no chemistry and it’s all an epic waste of time.

33 Love is Sweet - so sweet it gave me diabetes. I like Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu, but there is literally no plot. I don’t need to sink into a plotless morass to watch pretty people engage in PG-rated make-outs. I am an adult with access to stronger stuff if I am thus inclined, though to be fair they could get x-rated and I still wouldn’t be able to sit through so many episodes of plotlessness for that.

32 Fake Princess - I love Zhao Yi Qin, but the guy needs to pick better projects. The female lead in this one has the voice and personality that can strip paint but the story is also doing nobody any favors.

31 The Changan Youth - I lost my brain checking this out. I had to go and read a dense treatise on medieval coinage or Mayan farming to try to recover it.

30 My Dear Destiny - kinda cheesy fun. It honestly shouldn’t be as low except it really feels like community theater.

29 Handsome Siblings - why is the Nic Tse version so good and this one so bad? True mystery for the ages. Chen Zhe Yuan is the sole reason this isn’t lower, because that kid tries SO HARD to make this drama bearable and almost succeeds. I can’t wait to see him in Sha Po Lang which actually will give him something to do.

28 In a Class of Her Own - see my comment on The Changan Youth. But at least Song Weilong is gorgeous to look at.

27 General’s Lady - inoffensive, pretty and so utterly pointless.

26 The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion - those two leading actors are a no go to me but at least they considerately acted with each other instead of ruining two dramas for me. It’s very pretty though.

25 Jiu Liu Overlord - it’s a mess and I bailed, but I placed it this high merely due to the fact that Lai Yi finally gets a leading role and he’s sexy as fuck and I am shallow. Whoever styled Bai Lu should never work again except at a circus, however.

24 Cross Fire - not my genre and Luhan will always look too much like my cousin for comfort, but it’s a surprisingly gripping and dark drama. I liked it!

23 God of Lost Fantasy - if you want to watch a mediocre wuxia/xianxia, this is not a bad choice. Probably better than Legend of Fei actually, because at least it doesn’t have an A-list cast to waste and gives us Sheng Yilun himbo and shirtless.

22 Renascence - the insane cuts (it went from 70 eps to 36!!!) made a fairly cheesy story into a total mess. But I had a good time until I finally bailed mainly because of the male lead (Chen Zhe Yuan yet again carrying a not-good 2020 drama on his shoulders; the guy should be nicknamed Atlas) and the insane but in a fun way story. The female lead (both the character and the actress) were not up to par but oh well.

21 Legend of Fei - only this high because objectively there is nothing I disliked it. But there is nothing I liked either. The most uninspired drama on the list. If you could eat cardboard, this is what it would taste like.

20 Ever Night 2 - compared to EN1, it’s a waste of film. On its own merits, it’s not very good (the cast replacements are uniformly inferior and Dylan Wang is so wrong for Ning Que I cannot even put it into words; the script is useless.) But it had some parts I loved so very VERY much (all the shippy stuff was perfection) so I don’t feel too bitter.

19 Castle in the Sky 2 - a lovely if not too complex fairy tale. It is inferior to its prequel because it doesn’t have Zhang Ruo Yun who elevated it, but it’s still a solid bit of fun.

18 The Great Ruler - it’s very high fantasy, very pretty, and surprisingly involving.

17 (tie) Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos - the secondary couple steals the show but the rest is not too bad if not too involving.

17 Legend of Awakening - a solid bit of fun with a seriously BDSM streak (theme this year apparently - but come on, the lead’s powers only activate when he’s in extreme pain!) It’s a bit generic and the costuming is done by a blind person, not to mention the OTP is a NOTP, but the rest of relationships (romantic and platonic) are wonderful (I live for the found siblings story in this one) and I like most of the characters.

16 Consummation - a rare modern cdrama I liked; a sweet coming of age story (and love story) even if wrapped in a pretty weird virtual reality concept.

15 Oops the King is in Love - this is how you do a low budget, sweet, silly piece of fluff. Our heroine pretends to be a eunuch and crosses paths with a powerless young king and they are adorable, even more so than the drama.

14 Song of Glory - pretty solid, though draggy and I didn’t love the toothpaste filter. But A+ cast, excellent leading couple chemistry, Li Qin being a BAMF and a leading man (Qin Hao) who is actually an adult.

13 And the Winner is love - objectively kind of a mess (and the heroine has the brainpower of a gnat), but the OTP chemistry is excellent and Luo Yunxi fighting and flirting with a fan as finally a leading man is worth the price of admission.

12 Miss S - snazzy and snappy and stylish and whatever else starts with S.

11 Eternal Love of Dream - I don’t know if it would work for you as well if you weren’t a hardcore shipper for this OTP in Three Lives but I was and this was such a darling, wonderful, shippy delight; plus I love this type of high fantasy.

10 (tie) Maiden Holmes - solid and sweet and a wonderful OTP. Proves that functional doesn’t have to mean boring. If you watch one cross-dressing drama this year make it this one.

10 Qin Dynasty Epic - srs bsns history epic. I am not far into it but it’s so good and smart and visually stunning (if you love battles, this one is for you.)

9 Love Lasts Two Minds - I adored this so much more than I should objectively have, but it’s so beautiful (and no I am not just referring to Alan Yu’s face) and the OTP has wonderful chemistry and the story is solid, and the whole trope of her memory being wiped but falling for him all over again while he’s constantly and utterly devoted is a fave; plus he’s in pain and semi-dyng for most of it so sluuuurp (happy ending, don’t worry)

8 To Love - yes, a modern drama is this high! But it involves intensity, tragedy, genuine adults and sexiness that is Lin Gengxin. And there is an actual plot and darkness OMG!

7 Legend of Xiao Chuo - so beautiful, so fun, so full of gorgeousness of Shawn Dou. Plus, Liao is a rare setting for a cdrama and there are a lot of characters and stories I liked a LOT. Less ship content than I wanted but more than I expected.

6 The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so so delightful. I was literally laughing out loud. I have no idea if it will work as well if one isn’t a seasoned watcher of period cdrama/reader of web novels, with bonus for watching/reading Goodbye My Princess, but it was a complete delight for me (and yes, I shipped for real, as well. Best of both worlds.)

5 Twisted Fate of Love - Jin Han gets a leading period drama role! And he’s enjoying it to the hilt, excellent as a smart, twisty bastard who is also charming and so madly in love with heroine. Sun Yi is beautiful and tough and her chemistry with JH is on fire, the story never drags, and it’s so twisty and fun and just awesome.

4 Love In Between - the most underrated drama on this list. It has no big names or big budget, but it’s wuxia that’s clever, driven, tragic, hopeful and so beautifully shot. Three separate (amazing) OTPs, a leading man who is so not typical (a doctor who cannot fight and who never acquires this ability) and who is intense and smart and damaged, a heroine who puts her quest ahead of her emotions, an unhealthy degree of involvement by yours truly. This is a drama Fei should have been.

3 Love and Redemption - such a lovely, addictive, utterly romantic fairy tale. I was obsessed with it for a reason. All the tropes you love and some you didn’t know you did, a star-crossed OTP to the nth power (and a secondary OTP I hardcore love), a twisty yet coherent plot, some insane chemistry and so much whump and hurt/comfort they must have bought blood packets in bulk.

2 Go Ahead - yes, I can’t believe it either. A contemporary slice of life cdrama made it this high on my list. But the way it feels so real, the found family perfection, the characters I love and loathe, the perfect cherry of a wonderful OTP that hits my narrative kinks on top, and just a perfect storm of loveliness all around with this one.

1 The Wolf - is that any surprise to anyone who’s checked out this tumblr for the last couple of months? Tragic, intense and gorgeous; so romantic and angsty and passionate it made me lose my mind (though some of it was gone the moment the camera panned to Darren Wang) - all my favorite tropes and then some; this is a drama that may not be perfect but it is 100% and then beyond perfect for ME.

FAVORITE DRAMA

The Wolf - I have seen objectively better cdramas; even this year. But it has been literal years since I have been this hardcore obsessed, this utterly pleased, this emotionally catered to and devastated at once. A beautiful dark fairy tale that manages to own me despite the storytelling gaps due to censorship, it took me for one of the biggest emotional roller coaster rides of my drama watching career. Visually gorgeous, poetic, intense, and so romantic it took my breath away, this is not just my favorite cdrama of 2020, it’s my favorite drama this year period, and the one cdrama this year to make it into my permanent Top 10 cdramas list.

WORST DRAMA

Legend of Jin Yan - see my write up for it for why as I refuse to waste more time on this stupid mess.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Wolfie, The Wolf - he is such a haunted, tormented, complex, dark mess; loving and violent, severely damaged and with a hidden yearning softness, longing and aloof. And the amount of charisma and sheer masculine sex appeal Darren Wang brings to the role is insane and not something I see much of in a cdrama. Plus, that character arc with its rapid fall and slow painful redemption is A++++

Runner Up:  Sifeng, Love and Redemption - has a male lead ever loved more utterly and selflessly, suffered more thoroughly and beautifully, and managed to have such chemistry with both his leading lady and his leading man (that his leading lady temporarily turned into) at once? The answer is no.

Almost made the cut - Feng Xi, Twisted Fate of Love, Han Shuo, The Romance of Tiger and Rose, Qing Ci, Love in Between.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Xiao Qian, The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so funny, so much the reason this drama was such a delight. I adore her beyond words.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Murder Daddy, The Wolf - I am sad the censors robbed us of seeing him die on screen. He was fully human but nonetheless managed to be the worst monster in a drama full of literal ones.

Ling Xiao’s Mom, Go Ahead - I hate her so much I don’t want to look up her name. She abused the kid, the disappeared and came back to abuse him some more. I mean she literally gave her child mental health issues. She is the WORST.

FAVORITE SHIP

Xing’er x Wolfie, The Wolf - are you kidding me? Who else could it ever be for me? They destroyed each other and saved each other, sworn enemies and childhood lovers, soulmates and epic messes, they couldn’t live with or without each other. The longing, the passion, the intensity, the angst, the epicness. LIKE THERE ARE NO WORDS!!!!

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Si Yuan, Shen Manqing, Love in Between - I loved them as much and often more than the main OTP. So much angst and passion and a happy ending! She is a seeming sect darling (except the sect is horrible and also sexist so her only worth is as a marriage candidate) and he’s an information broker who is actually one of the members of a destroyed sect that’s blamed for the massacre of her family. That chemistry and yearning is insane. The scene where she touches his face when he’s unconscious was in serious running for my favorite scene of 2020.

NOTP

Legend of Awakening - I have never seen a couple that didn’t just have no chemistry but exhibited actual revulsion towards each other before watching Chen Feiyu and Cheng Xiao try to act as lovers in this one. It was almost entertaining to be honest.

FAVORITE SCENE

It’s a tie and both are from The Wolf. One is a sequence where Wolfie marches to the walls alone, seeking death at Xing’er’s hands and the whole sequence with the battle and rescue follows. The other is the intercut between Xing’er going to her wedding and Wolfie going to his execution, and the auto-da-fe being intercut with her wedding.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Wolfie, The Wolf - Ummm have you seen this tumblr lately, it’s basically a drool shrine to the man.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Yelü Yansage, The Legend of Xiao Chuo - I have loved this actor since The Myth and he continued to competently steal every scene he was in.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

To Love - come out of the coma, dammit!!!!!!!

NEEDS A DIRECTOR’S CUT

The Wolf - duh. It started out as 59 eps and got cut to 49. I reaiize some stuff is never gonna get put in due to censorship, but some of the stuff that got cut got for time reasons because they were deluded and hoping to get a TV broadcast so ep count had to be under 50. I mean I doubt the censors would care if they kept scenes of Wolfie building her a swing or whatever. I really really want a director’s cut the way Goodbye My Princess did even if like with GMP it’s only three extra eps. Hell, I will take extra three minutes, as long as those three minutes are Darren Wang shirtless or with a sword. Ahem.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

The Song of Glory - it’s a fairly solid drama but honestly it didn’t need to be as long as it was and kind of got draggy and I got lost interest. (I could have gotten snarky and said all the dramas I didn’t like needed scissors taken to them in their entirety but decided to play nice.)

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

There are a number of dramas I could complain about with regard to this (hi there, darling The Wolf!) but this award goes to Renascence - poor Renascence was never going to be a masterpiece, but it had the potential to be a bit of good cheesy fun until it had its run time cut by more than half and became an incoherent piece of insanity.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Dumb shrill innocent heroine who can’t tie her shoes - see basically all the cdramas I didn’t like this year.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Male lead torture - I mean it’s always open season on that in cdramas, but between Love and Redemption, The Wolf, Love Lasts Two Minds, Love in Between and so on, it was a banner year!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Legend of Fei - what a waste of that cast; what a waste of our finite time on this Earth. What a waste of my intelligence to hope for something better and stick with it for a dozen eps. I have had stale wonderbread that had more personality than this drama.There is absolutely nothing that stands out about this drama in any way,  from half-dimensional characters, to actors who are sleepwalking, to a plot that moves at the speed of an arthritic snail, to uninspired cinematography and direction, to lack of any chemistry between anyone in the cast. If paint-by-numbers was done by a group of particularly linear robots, it might come across the same way as this drama.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

The Wolf - honestly, I did not expect it to come out AT ALL EVER let alone to become my favorite drama of 2020. I was not familiar with the leading man (hahah), I liked Li Qin but wasn’t yet obsessed with her, and Xiao Zhan was excellent in The Untamed but I was hardly going to follow him from drama to drama (and I don’t do SLS any way.) And the trailer was enjoyable but unlike seemingly everyone, I didn’t think it was going to be some epic masterpiece. And then it came out and while it wasn’t objectively an epic masterpiece, it pulled out all the favorite tropes, shippy and narrative kinks from the deepest darkest recesses of my id. And I fell harder than I have in years. 

2020 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

None. Covid Year gave me PLENTY of time

BEST NON-2020 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2020

Novoland Eagle Flag and Joy of Life - they are in my Top 10 dramas from anywhere now. They are quite different except being smart and giving me protagonists to obsess over.

ETA: Also The Untamed because @idlewilds3 pointed out I actually watched it in 2020 even though I didn’t think so because this hellyear has lasted about three decades.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2021

I am gonna limit it to dozen and leaving out ones that aren’t necesarily supposed to air next year (Joy of Life 2, Love in Flames of War, Novoland Princess from Plateau.)

Monarch Industry, Novoland Pearl Eclipse, Silk Washing Stream, Dream of Changan, Sword Snow Stride, Wu Xing Shi Jia, Ancient Love Poetry, Immortality, The Long Ballad, Mirror Twin Cities, The Imperial Age, Fall In Love

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Zuko x female reader series: Part One

Imagine being General Zhao’s daughter and the rebellious childhood best friend of Prince Zuko. You haven’t seen him since he was banished but come across his ship at sea and are reunited. It’s the first time you’ve ever seen Zuko’s scar and he’s worried what you’ll think of it.  Zuko’s particularly worried because despite being just friends your opinion matters a lot to him, because he’s just a bit (a lot) in love with you.

Part two here

Part three here

Part four here

Part Five here

Part Six here

Zuko’s POV

As soon as an admiral took over Zuko’s ship anger took over his body but then when he realised it was Zhao his anger faded. If Zhao was here that might mean you were too....with this in mind Zuko held his temper as Zhao swaned onto his ship and started giving his crew orders. Zuko searched all of Zhao’s crew mates but he couldn’t see you. He was barely listening to what Zhao was saying so eager to just see you, it’d been 3 long years and Zuko just wondered how you’d changed. When you didn’t appear Zuko sighed in defeat, he was itching to ask, to request to see you but he knew he couldn’t. Banishment forbid Zuko from contacting any one in any form, if he was to see you it’d have to be by chance and there was no way your father would let that happen. A fact made even more apparent as Zhao stood there smirking at the banished prince of the firenation, almost daring Zuko to dare mention your name. Iroh knew what Zuko wanted to ask, he’d seen his change in body language the second your father’s name was mentioned and he’d hoped you’d appear to lift his nephews spirits but you didn’t. He knew Zuko missed you but he also knew Zuko cared too much about you to risk dragging your name down with him. If it got out he’d been asking about you he could get you into trouble. So Zuko couldn’t ask about you but that didn’t mean Iroh couldn’t. “And where is your lovely daughter admiral? I heard she’s got a fleet just like yours”. Zuko tensed shocked and Zhao narrowed his eyes looking from Iroh to Zuko. Zuko’s eyes grew wide but he managed not to show any more emotion as held his breath, waiting for Zhao’s reply. “She’s not here” Zhao said smugly as he saw the prince’s posture slump, it was a micromovement but still Zhao noticed and smiled. “I sent her and her naval fleet to guard the fire nation borders”. “Aw that’s a shame” Iroh smiled sadly but he saw the look in Zhao’s eyes. The man was lying, you were here and he was going to buy Zuko some time with you. “How about a tour of your fleet Admiral?” he grinned at Zhao “one does not see a fleet as impressive as this every day”. Zhao smiled his ego stroked and nodded “of course, will the prince be joining us?”. Zuko glared and Iroh smiled “you stay here then, keep an eye on things” he smirked but his hint went right over Zuko’s head. The thought of seeing you had excited him but of course you weren’t here...nothing ever worked out for him. Zuko grunted and retreated to his room to sulk. Iroh scanned the horizon, he hoped you found Zuko and quickly, he would like to see his nephew smile again.

Your POV

You watched your father leave Zuko’s boat and smirked to only see Iroh with him, if you were a betting woman (and you were) you’d bet Zuko was still on the ship, probably sulking inside. You father tried to keep it a secret from you Zuko's boat was here but you had many eyes and ears throughout the fleet, mainly belonging to the workers who liked you because you didn’t threaten to burn them over any inconvenience unlike your father. The workers had whispered it to you and you discreetly made your way to the front of the fleet and boarded Zuko’s boat the second it was safe to. The crew apparently were expecting you, you suspected that was Iroh’s doing, and let you into Zuko’s quarters easily. You pushed open his door and smirked to see the familiar broad swords and belongings you’d forgotten about. Zuko was hunched over a desk in semi darkness and didn’t even look up when you entered. “I said I didn’t want to come on the tour uncle” he snapped and you smirked leaning against the door frame. “Well fine then guess I’ll go back to my own ship”. Zuko’s head snapped around so quickly you worried he’d get whip lash. “Y/n” he cried and rushed onto his feet. "The one and only" you smiled and walked forwards. It was weird neither of you were particularly sentimental but seeing each other again after 3 years you rushed to each other and just crumpled into one another. You only even hugged Zuko to embarass him but this was a serious hug. You clutched one another and held onto each other so tightly it hurt before seperating both grinning. "Zuko" you smiled and Zuko grinned back at you "it’s so good to see you but how...your father said you weren’t here". "So i figured" you rolled your eyes "now your reputation is questionable we wants to stop me associating with you, like him telling me that would stop me" you commented and Zuko’s grin got bigger. God you’d missed seeing that smile. "Still as headstrong as ever I see” Zuko smirked “the fire nation academy for girls hasn’t managed to change that?". You snorted "they tried but i’m pretty high ranking you know" you joked and Zuko laughed. You’d missed that laugh even more than the smile. Just happy to be in Zuko’s presence you just stared at him taking in everything detail of your best friend’s face before your eyes wandered to his scar. You hadn’t seen the scar before. You were away on a naval trip when Zuko was banished so this was the first time you’d seen it and you couldn’t help focusing on it. Zuko noticed you staring and went to turn that side of his face away self conscious and you winced “Zuko don’t!". Zuko paused and hesitated but obediently moved his head back so he was facing you, touching his scar awkwardly. "I forget you haven’t seen it before" he said quietly “that you weren’t there...”. You always felt guilty for not being there when Zuko was banished, you might’ve been able to stop it or atleast could’ve endured his punishment with him, so he didn’t have to face it alone. But you were at sea and didn’t even get back in time to say goodbye as your best friend was sent away for virtually forever. "What’s the verdict?” Zuko asked in an effort to fill the awkwardness “you were never one to lie to spare feelings so honestly how ugly does it look?". Zuko looked so sad, so beaten it broke you. Sure he’d never been particularly cheery but he’d never looked this sad before. An idea formed in your head and you smirked inwardly. "Honestly?" you asked wincing pretending to inspect his face and Zuko nodded staring at the ground. You smiled "well you were never a looker as a kid Zuko and i’m just saying that as your best friend okay! But you've grown up handsome scar and all" you grinned "if anything it makes you look dangerous, very attractive". Zuko blushed, grinned and looked away all at once. You smiled to see he no longer looked sad. "Shut up" Zuko managed to mutter and your smirk rose "i will not! I will tell everyone who will listen back at the palace how hot you’ve become". Zuko’s cheeks were almost as red as his scar as he put a hand infront of his face to hide it making you laugh. “I’ll be sure to say it infront of Mai in particular” you grinned bumping him with your elbow and Zuko’s blush grew. You took that to be because Zuko liked Mai but couldn’t be more wrong. Yes Zuko had been fond of Mai and he liked being around her but he always liked being around you more. When it became obvious you didn’t like him as anything more than a friend Zuko was heartbroken and started looking around for other options. Mai was one of those options and she was a good option, she was smart, beautiful, high ranking and they got along. Zuko had enjoyed dating her but it was never as good as it was just hanging out with you and that thought flooded back to Zuko the moment he saw you. He liked Mai but he was in love with you and nothing would ever change that. You took Zuko’s silence as him being shy and smiled grabbing onto his arm “awww look I made the prince blush”. “Stop it” Zuko said trying to get out of your grip but you only hugged him harder. “I will not! As your best friend it’s my job to tease you and I really am going to go tell Mai how ruggedly handsome you’ve grown, ponytail and all” you smirked twirling his hair with your fingers. Zuko managed to break out of your embrace and you laughed. “You see Mai often at the palace?” Zuko asked and you nodded flopping into one of his chairs. “Yeah we hang out some times” you explained and smiled to see Zuko’s shocked expression. “Suprisingly we get along rather well when you're not around, guess it’s cus we forget how gorgeous you are so can stop fighting over you for two minutes and talk" you said dramatically and Zuko blushed. Zuko remembered well the tension between you and Mai. Mai hadn’t trusted how close the two of you were, Mai thought Zuko liked you and she wasn’t wrong Zuko realised. Sure this banishment had made him realise how much he cared for you but it had always been there, he’d always cared about you more than anyone else since you were kids. "I forgot how embarassing you are" Zuko commented and you grinned at him. Zuko took the chance to examine your face and noticed all the ways it had changed in the years you’d been seperated. To Zuko’s eyes you’d only grown more beautiful but he knew that would be the case. Silence settled and Zuko’s face went all serious which you knew meant he wanted to tell you something. "It’s really good to see you” Zuko said into the floor “I’ve missed you a lot y/n" and you looked up at him suprised, Zuko never spoke about his emotions, atleast not so openly, you usually had to force them out of him. "Ive missed you too" you smiled taking his hand "when i got back and you were gone and when I heard your ridiculous mission...I worried I’d never see you again” you trailed off and tears filled your eyes. Zuko blinked shocked to see you so serious when you always had a smile or chip on your shoulder. But soon enough you shook your head and smiled again “so hurry up and capture the avatar so you can come home yeah?". Zuko laughed and nodded squeezing your hand “trust me I’m trying”. “Any way I can help, no matter how big, just tell me” you told him “I’ll do it and won’t tell a soul, I just need you back Zuko, you know I’m always thinking of you don’t you?”.”You haven’t forgotten me?” Zuko asked bashfully and you scoffed. “How could I forget my best friend! The person who made growing up in that hell hole bareable! The person who’d sneak me into the palace to get at the fancy food and then bail me out when I got caught. The person who gave me this scar” you smirked pointing to the large one on your arm “because he was so bad at sheathing his knives! Or the boy who gave me a turtle duck for my birthday when I was 8 because he knew I liked them but we didn’t have a pond”. Zuko smiled “you named it Jeremiah...how is he?”. “Good” you grinned “the point is i’ll never forget you, ever Zuko and soon enough you’ll be home again but until then I’ll keep your memory alive”. Zuko felt more emotion in these minutes then he’d felt in years. He knew he loved you, no matter all the times he’d tried to convince himself it wasn’t that serious, and was just overcome with the urge to tell you. He’d been terrified to admit his feelings to you for years but now he didn’t know if or when he’d next see you. What did he have to lose? “Y/n...” he started sitting forward “there’s something I’ve got to tell you...I’ve known for years but was too scared to....” when the door was thrown open. “Y/n” Zhao yelled storming into the room, Iroh close behind him “what are you doing in here?”. You rolled your eyes “seeing an old friend dad what does it look like?”. Your father looked furious but you were used to it now. “I told you to stay on your ship” your father glared and Zuko got angry at his tone. “It was my fault I asked her to come”. You shot Zuko a grin, he was always trying to cover for you but not this time. “No he didn’t, I found him, you had no buisness keeping this from me, Zuko’s my friend you know I’d do anything to see him”. Your father looked from you to Zuko and nodded, he had no doubt about that. He’d known the prince was in love with you for a while and back when he was an actual prince that had been good, now we was a rejected prince there was no way he’d encourage that. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get us in for this! You know you’re not allowed any contact with the traitor!” you dad yelled. You felt Zuko tense and stood infront of him blocking him from your father’s view. “Zuko’s not in the fire nation and neither are we, there’s no rule about avoiding him if our ships come close to one another and it’s not like I was here long”. “Still” Zhao glared “Ozai won’t like it! His punishment doesn’t include chats with friends”. You rolled your eyes “Zuko’s dad will never find out, who’s going to tell him?”. “I won’t” Iroh said helpfully and you nodded to your dad “see”. Your dad glared “fine but I want you out of here now! We are not risking falling out of favour just so you could see that excuse of a boy”.You rolled your eyes “whatever but let me say goodbye atleast”. Your dad went to object but you spun to face Zuko ignoring him. “Zuko i’m sorry whatever you had to say will have to wait till the next time I see you”. “whenever that is” Zuko muttered and you frowned. “Don’t talk like that” you commanded “I’ll see you again soon Zuko”. Zuko didn’t look convinced so you forced him to look at you closely. “Have I ever lied to you before? ever?”. “Many times” Zuko replied and you rolled your eyes “no about something as serious as this?”. “No” Zuko admitted and you smiled “see, so i’m telling the truth, i’ll see you soon enough, it won’t be that long, if anyone can do this mission it’s you, I know it!”. Zuko blushed and your father coughed “y/n now!”. “I’m coming” you snapped before you smiled at Zuko and hugged him tightly. Your father made an angry noise and Zuko blushed feeling his glares, he was hyper away many people were watching but hugged you back anyway. “I’ll miss you Zuko but nothing will ever stop you being my best friend”. Zuko blushed and nodded “I know”. “Y/n” your dad snapped and you nodded. “I love you Zuko” you smiled and his blush skyrocketed. He knew you didn’t mean it like he did but still hearing you say that... Zuko was aware of what a spectacle you were causing but it only made him smile more. You were always one to cause a scene, constantly over the top so he knew you were doing this to embarass him one last time before you left. He didn’t want to give you the satisfaction of winning so just replied honestly. ”I love you too” Zuko said and you grinned suprised he’d actually said it back as your father came and grabbed your arm “that’s enough”. You glared at him but squeezed Zuko’s hand “goodbye Zuko”. “Goodbye Y/n, i’ll be home soon, just you wait and see” and you grinned at him one last time before letting your father drag you out.

Zuko’s POV

Zuko watched you go ignoring the way his uncle was smirking at him or the way his chest now felt empty again. He would do everything and anything to capture the avatar so he could get back to the firenation. Not for his father, not for his reputation, not even to regain his honour but for you. Zuko would do anything necessary to get back to you, nothing not even an impossible mission would get in his way.

[deepdonutkid]

Can I ask for multiple character break downs?👀

Well if I can, then would you please do one for Ada and one for Tommy and one for John

But if only one has to be done, then you can choose any one of these.

Thanks! <3

Thanks for the ask! 💞

Ada Thorne nee Shelby

How I feel about this character

Just love for her! She is adorable, strong, fierce, absolutely amazing! Ada and Polly are the best developed female character on the show. Mainly, because Tommy can’t fuck them, so they can’t be reduced to his love interest, which is such a good thing, because I love strong women. Makes me weak in my knees.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Freddie Thorne, Ben Younger, Jessie Eden, because Ada is bi, she just gives off that vibe, u know.

Somehow I prefer to read stuff with a female reader for her, more than a male reader for her. Because it’s either Freddie x Ada for me or Ada x female reader.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Lizzie, Polly, Ada and Linda are an amazing combination! She and Tommy have an interesting dynamic as well! I would have loved to see more John and Ada interactions, because they have not such a big age gap inbetween, so I think they are close. Especially after Ada got her child and John got married with Esme. Oh, Ada and Esme would have sooo much fun together. Esme would be like the sister Ada never had.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I think her character changed a lot between season 1 and 2, because of Freddie’s death and also after she joined the business again. Sometimes when I make memes or the alignment charts, I have two icons for her, one from first season and one from third season, because I think she is one of the characters who changed the most through the series. First season Ada would do a lot of things different and more naive than third season Ada. Mainly, because she still believed in communism in season 1 and she somehow lost her faith after losing Freddie. Which is super understandable tho.

She acutally becomes wiser with age... unlike her brothers, who just do the same shit over and over again.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wished Ben hadn’t died, because they kill her lovers even fast than Tommys. WTF, right?

On the other hand I wished Ada talked some sense into Jessie, to NOT SLEEP WITH TOMMY THE WHORE SHELBY! Because Ada knows her brother very well and I think she genuinely liked Jessie, or she liked her enough to save her from the pain of being Tommy’s toy or pleasure doll.

And I’m still bitter about the way they killed of Freddie... but more about that later...

Tommy Shelby

How I feel about this character

Relationship status: It’s complicated!

Yes, well, I ramble about Tommy’s shit a lot. I know! He is still an intersting character and it’s so tempting to think about his actions in certain situations, but if I would meet him as a person- I would hate him from the bottom of my heart! <3

He is such an asshole all the time and when I first watched the show, I forgave him a lot he did to his siblings, because I was caught up with his good looks and the presentation of him being the good guy who does bad things to survive. But I spend some time to think about his actions and I noticed, he is an awful human being... to Polly, to his siblings, to his lover and actually to everyone. He might think he does all those mean things to archive a bigger goal, but he is just a gambling addict who can’t stop taking risks he isn’t even prepared for.

Shitty things Tommy has done over time:

Forcing his brother to marry somebody, John didn’t even know at that time, to end a feud, Tommy had started himself and only when it was in his favour to end it, he used John as pawn, so he could archive his plan. HOW FUCKED UP WAS THAT? Nobody seems to talk about this. It was fucking awful! And the way he did it was horrible to! Tommy said nothing to John until the very last moment, when they were already surrounded by enemies, so John couldn’t said no. It also shows, that Tommy thinks he is above his siblings. Tommy thought John wasn’t capable of chosing a wife for himself, so Tommy did that for him too. Even when John didn’t ask for this at all!

Destroying Ada’s relationship with Freddie and chasing his best friend out of town, just because... TOMMY WAS AGAINGST HIS SISTER HAVING A RELATIONSHIP. and yet he proclaimes to listen to woman and to give them a fair change. Maybe just not for our dear Ada!

Destroying Arthur’s marriage, because he kept dragging Arthur into shit, he wasn’t mentally stable enough for. Putting thoughts of rejecting Linda into Arthur’s head, by talking bad about Linda and making jokes about her any given time.

Sleeping with Lizzie over and over again, even when he knew she loved him and when she tried to get over him by dating someone new, he made the order to burn down the pub of Angel, humilated his family, and have him killed later.

Sleeping with Jessie, so he could use her

Humiliate Polly, when she was at her lowest, after Rueben had left her

Drag Michael into the illegal business after Polly begged him not to

Dragging Finn into all this shit after John died, because John wasn’t avaiable anymore

Calling Grace a whore, when they first met

Paying Lizzie in his head, even after she stopped being a sex worker

Helping a fascist

I could go on for a while, but you see my point here!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Nobody! I want to see him miserable and alone! Honestly I’m never going to read all these soft!Tommy fics or whatever, because they really don’t interest me. I don’t want to see him happy.

But go have fun people and write and read whatever you want!

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Tommy and Lizzie, because they have a sexual relationship, which is not based on romance and I love this sad and depressing dynamic between them. It’s so interesting to write and read about.

Tommy and Ada are great in the show. I love their talks and Ada actually points out when Tommy is acting like a douche again.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I have a lot... where should I start?

I get so annoyed, when I see Tommy shown as a twink, because the actor is just 1,70m... which is not small to me. I know a lot of men around that height and I think they are average and not small. Also a lot of men feel bad for not being tall enough, because everywhere in our society it’s normal to have a tall man and a small woman. And the way tall man or small man are sexualized in this alpha/omega thing or in a top/bottom dynamic is so... meh. It’s really uncomfortable to see how people try to push the patriarchal man-woman dynamic into same-sex relationships.

Tommy is a class traitor and a horrible husband.

Man, I could rant for hours, but I stop right here. Just remember, please don’t feel attacked, I don’t mean to attack you. Even if you write or draw... whatever with Tommy, I would never say something bad about this. Enjoy creating Tommy content, I will love to ignore it!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I was so disappointed when they killed Freddie, because those two could have had an interesting and compelling relationship. Freddie could have been a great frenemie. I put this here and on on Ada, because their marriage wouldn’t changed the plot as much as Freddies and Tommys friendship. Tommy would have been a way better person, if Freddie was around.

John Shelby

How I feel about this character

MY HUSBAND! I love him and he has never done anything wrong in his life.

Nah, John has many faults, but I still adore him as a character, because his faults are actually making the plot more interesting. I also read, that he and Tommy fight a lot, because John is more moral and has way more integrity than his older brother. It was just hinted in the show, but I love this side fact and I will base my whole characterisation this.

I love to write, draw and read stuff with him. He is my favorite character from Peaky blinders and my love will never die, even though he did.

Funny tho, when I first watched PB, I adored Tommy and was annoyed by John, but as I rewatched it I changed my mind about those two.

He had so much potential and I would spend all my money, which is not much, but the devotions counts, to see a spin-off with just John and his army of children.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Esme, because they are sooo cute together!

My OFC, because I love writing them.

Any reader, because I’m a sucker for John.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

All kinds of interactions with other characters and John are great! My favorite is John and Ada to be honest. But here are other dynamics I adore as well:

John & Polly, (she would help him a lot with the kids)

John & Arthur (they come to the garrison to drink and play cards, they talk a lot about their problems, deep bond here)

John & Tommy (in my head they are always fighting)

John & Lizzie, because they have a great friendship, and they helped each other a lot. She spend time with the kids and he gave her financial support, so she would quit her job, which she didn’t do, because she feared being all alone again, and she has trust issues) (I’m actually writing a fic about these two)

John & his kids (I’m soft for dad!John)

John & Michael (especially in season three, because John seems to be jealous of Michael)

My unpopular opinion about this character

John is not completely stupid. Well, he is certainly not smart, but he works in the betting shop, and Arthur does not, or not really, because Arthur is bad at math... John at least knows his numbers. And also Tommy chose him to be the legal bookie over the others, so John must do a good job there. He just never got a degree or something similar like Michael. Which is also a reason, why John seems to be bitter about Michael joining the business. Michael was put in a higher position than he did.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

This one is obvious... John should have survived.