#malice rambles

[full-of-malice]

i haven't seen the new deadpool and wolverine movie yet, i've heard a lot of good things about it and i was actually kinda excited? most of the mcu has sucked so bad for a while now and deadpool is cool i love both characters. i love the art that was made by the fandom and the creativity i've seen from the fandom from the new movie

and then i learned that they for some reason put an r slur joke in the movie for no good reason at all. like wow. we just can't have nice things.

i was genuinely looking forward to this movie and that just. basically ruined the entire thing for me. it leaves a gross taste in my mouth now. really disappointing honestly

like i genuinely think the fandom is lovely, the ships are goofy, the art is wonderful, the movie seemed to have wonderful potential but like. come on. and i've seen like a total of one person talk about it

[bloobydabloob]

Holy shit I love your Dirk interpretations, it's so true and I could talk about this shit forever. I feel like another part of his character that people seem to forget (along with Roxy for some reason) is that he's from the future in solitude in an apocalyptic wasteland. I just see that part of his character always removed which is disappointing because I feel like that's a pretty big part, especially regarding his themes around technology, his brother's theme of Time, his own isolation, and how he plays in the vastness of the universe and spacetime.

Art I drew related to the subject because I like to respond to asks with art.

But absolutely. I certainly understand where the lack of discussion over his isolation + upbringing comes from, considering a majority of the fanbase that I have seen builds their ideas based on their own version of postcanon. I’m not entirely sure how that would be fixed, but certainly even in the somewhat recent past I would see a lot more content regarding his upbringing both literally and symbolically. I don’t have much to add regarding the things you’ve mentioned, because they just are what they are. Dirk being confined to a singular room left to him by a father figure he never met, in a future where the only other person left on the planet is someone he cannot pursue a relationship of because of himself, with purely 3 robots to keep him companion, one being an exact replica of his own brain who is *also* trapped inside a pair of glasses, is about as literal as it gets to me.

The contrast to me involving the flooded, organic world in comparison to the little speckle of Dirk’s apartment packed with the dude and his technics is not only a representation of his isolation and entrapment within himself, but also of his lack of control. I think his obsession with & themes of control are a direct product in the case of Dirk specifically *of* this kind of upbringing. His themes of technology are also related to his themes around control. So much of his character is actually revolved around this to me like so much. Dirk is so deeply disconnected from humanity in every way and so much of his character + symbolism is based around that.

It doesn’t even have to be about the symbolism or anything though. It’s just pretty *interesting* in the literal sense that he lives in the middle of the ocean in the future. There’s not only a lot to theorise on to do with his young life there, but on how it might affect him in the way he acts for the rest of his life. The latter part is probably what I see mentioned the most by people talking about Dirk regarding this, I’m surprised I don’t see more discussion on the former too though. I really ought to actually talk more about Homestuck stuff on here. I will do it myself.

Roxy & Dirk’s relationship is largely ignored though because there is a narrative a certain demographic spreads that Dirk resented and blamed Roxy for her interest in him, and thus too many people believe that their relationship was or would continue to be an abusive one. Realistically, I believe it’s important to acknowledge that the way Roxy treated Dirk regarding his homosexuality wasn’t right while still acknowledging the obvious amount of respect and admiration Dirk had for Roxy. I mean we have a huge piece of dialogue from their post trickster mode conversations on the quest beds from Dirk purely stating how he feels about Roxy that people completely ignore somehow. I think this usually happens to characters that are women though. I know everyone says it, but it is true. Jane gets the exact same treatment of boiling her down to solely her negative aspects. The things I see completely mischaracterising both of them are horrific.

I mean how much more explicit can it get that their relationship is obviously very important to Dirk? But I digress. I think the best or I should say “most interesting” interpretations of their relationship usually come from DirkRoxy shippers actually.

I would be interested to hear about Dirk’s relation to his brother’s theme of time though. I don’t have any thoughts on this and I don’t recall ever hearing anyone talk about it before. If you or anyone else would be willing to enlighten me I’d be thrilled.

[bizlybebo]

still going mad over grizzly’s writing and establishment of the world of riptide btw.

a lot of writers (me included) accidentally end up with a pitfall where once a location is “left” by the main pov, it kind of stops existing/being relevant until it’s needed again, leading to tiny lil disconnects in immersion.

riptide has literally never had this at all. the world of mana feels like it is real and breathing beyond the scenes that we see; events that happen in the world “off-screen” or events that happened a long time ago (ex: death of empress malice) have long-term impacts and real consequences.

just a tiny lil detail about jrwi that i’ve noticed and absolutely adore as someone currently working on a massive worldbuilding project myself :)

[eliounora]

it's probably nothing but sometimes I wonder if I have ADHD. especially at work I really struggle remembering all the little details and stuff I have to check, and I've noticed I always feel restless and yet tired. I've also started to forget more and more stuff, though I've always been careless without meaning to. my mom is convinced I should get checked but all mental health professionals have dismissed me because I've "done so well in school". one time I even paid a shitton for a private doctor and she simply told me everyone has some neurodivergent traits. now it's true I'm not the perfect picture of a stereotypical person with ADHD, but it's tough to get dismissed before even getting a proper evaluation

[girlfailurefelix]

thinking about how while we all make the “doomed by the narrative” jokes about tony, it’s so much worse than that. the narrative tries so so hard to save him multiple times throughout the novella and yet his tunnel vision with the ggy mystery always leads him to doom himself

[full-of-malice]

i sometimes feel like the community can give allos the wrong idea of what it is and feels like to be asexual or aromantic, and especially both.

like i feel when searching for perspectives you either find that being aroace is the greatest thing that ever happened it's so cool and swag or that's it's utterly miserable. when it's more then often both. it's a big package of good and bad.

it's part of you which means it's something so beautiful and powerful and right and wonderful and that's something to be proud of.

on the flip side as a romance favorable aroace person, it hurts like shit. i know that i won't feel like other people. i want to seek out a relationship but i know i'll never love them the way that they deserve and the way that any other person could love them because i will never feel romantically attracted to them. i feel the need to disclose this to people because i don't want to hurt them. i don't want to be a shitty person just for trying to find a relationship.

i've seen allos online claim how Easy it would be to be aroace. oh how they wish they were aroace no more crushes no more problems.

they don't realize that society is so romance and sex focused that you are forgotten and left to the side. and that even your own community might not support you if you aren't perfect. they fail to realize that people around you won't believe you or care. that society tricks you so you feel like you're missing out on things. being queer means that conservatives hates you and even if you don't feel attraction to anyone they still want you dead. like it is not all sunshine dragons and rainbows i swear to god.

also a completely different gripe but i will Kill the asexual extra free time jokes with my bare hands goodness gracious

[full-of-malice]

lgbtqia+ fans,,,

no ed sheeran fans is kinda based though icl

for the love of god please look at this list of banned fandoms from a MCYT discord server my boyfriend sent me

[defibrillism]

alternative transmasc amber thought. her dating wilson who's also transmasc but has been on t for years now and passes perfectly. every time she sees him do his t shots she feels a little pit in her stomach and she doesn't know why. she doesn't mind that wilson is trans. in fact, she likes that about him, and she likes when he opens up to her about it. it's a good sign that he trusts her enough to do this in front of her. so why is it bothering her so much?

[gojoest]

love a strong FL who can be a cunt

[lbhslefttiddie]

actually since im talking about vague ideas i like but havent worked into a useable setting yet: i think, under very specific circumstances involving sy, lbh and sj could become a horrible and terrifying collaborative force. like i think it would be fun and also funny in a shen bros au dealio where sj and lbh are just constantly at each other's fucking throats because of their respective Deals and then the second sy lands himself in a sy-brand Situation they both react with such vicious like-minded fury one would think they had coordinated their actions. i think they could reach an Agreement of sorts if they were put in a position which showed them that they both prioritize sy's safety to the same insane degree. something so fun about having to confront that the person you'd so comfortably despised for so long has shown themself to be very human in the face of the suffering of someone you also love dearly. that there may be no one in the world outside yourself who you would be able to trust your loved one's care to except that bitch you cannot stand

[full-of-malice]

you're so right for this op. the dehumanization and treatment of miguel is Weird, especially when compared to all the other characters.

there are a select few situations that it makes sense but not when being dehumanized like this by the writing. rather by a concept or have that addressed as a plotpoint if that makes sense. it was very common in the comics for him to not view himself as human, because of the tests that he had undergone, when in reality he was still very much human and his humanity was still intact.

i'm not sure if i'm wording things properly but rather then him being dehumanized by the writers, the characters, and the audience, i think it would be far more meaningful and important for him to come to terms with his own somewhat inhuman abilities and traits, since it can be hard to grapple with the identity of not being like everyone else, not being normal, struggling mentally, and knowing that you've messed up and can't go back. you have all this power and tech and abilities yet you can't fix what's already been done and he has to come to terms with that.

i'm not sure if it makes sense but yeah that's my word vomit on that if i messed up anywhere or said smth weird or confusing lmk i'm v tired and no always coherent about my takes on miguel.

Hey Writers of ATSV, STOP letting White Men off the hook and expecting me to clap.

The fact that Miguel is repeated dehumanized and called an animal even prior to him snapping but George Stacy's scenes are written completely sympathetic towards him -

It doesn't sit right with me. Look at this:

They call Miguel an animal in the opening scenes.

At this point, he's not a threat to anyone but Vulture. In this scene, Miguel is doing exactly what he's supposed to do as Spider-man.

He gets called an animal.

Two pages later it's literal George Stacy holding a gun to his daughters face, and yet it's written completely, 100% sympathetic towards him AND ONLY HIM.

Which like..... Girl... Let me adjust my spectacles because I cannot be reading this right.

He's pointing a loaded gun at his daughter. Gwen is undoubtedly more scared than she's even been in her entire life.

She's confused and desperate, one of our main characters is going through a traumatic event.

The script though? It only cares about George and how he was 'betrayed by his little girl'

As if Gwen isn't her own person.

As if Gwen didn't just save dozens of lives. In a situation where the police could do nothing.

Had Gwen not been there, the police would not have been able to handle Vulture. The threat is subdued - yet he still persists.

It doesn't matter that she just saved multiple lives. It doesn't matter that she's not a threat - or that she's his literal daughter.

What matters is how hard this is for the adult white man with the lethal weapon in his hands.

The scene SHOULD be written from Gwen's point of view. SHE'S the victim.

But no, the white male cop is going through it due to his own emotional incompetency so let's focus on that while calling Miguel an evil animal.

In ATSV both George AND Peter - the two white men in the movie - let Gwen down. They either put her in danger or do nothing as they watch.

George points a gun at her. Peter watches Miguel as he physically assaults Gwen and puts her in the machine, exiling her into homelessness.

Then, he gets to go home to his wife and kids, not even mention to MJ that Gwen and Miles were both assaulted and are now missing. And instead he whines about how he's 'not good at this mentor stuff'.

In ATSV the White Male characters repeatedly fail the people around them with no consequences at all - even from a lot of the audience.

And yeah - Peter Parker is completely neglectful.

To the point it's not okay whatsoever.

I've seen MULTIPLE people say that 'Peter is justified in not helping Gwen during the Go-Home scene. Because Miguel was obviously violent and he's probably scared of him plus he was holding MayDay.'

Which is an excuse that ignores the fact that it's pitiful that GWEN a teenage girl facing homelessness - who is likely weaker than both Peter and Miguel - is more willing to stand up to Miguel than PETER PARKER.

It ignores the fact Miguel would NOT attack a fucking baby. He's a FATHER.

But it's easier to assume the Latino man is a raging, angry, baby killer than to admit the white man is committing neglect.

It baffles me that people will really defend Peter saying 'he was scared - he didn't know what Miguel would do-'

Neither did Gwen. But she still did it.

Because she's a GOOD GUY. Because it mattered to her. Because the people she cared about were getting hurt.

She stood up to Miguel in the face of literal danger and homelessness.

Peter had nothing to lose. He make a joke and shut up when he was told.

Once again: If Gwen and Hobie hadn't come for Peter, we have NO IDEA how long he would've stayed with Miguel. We are given NO INDICATION prior to Gwen's arrival that Peter is actively going to change sides. Or is even really considering it in that moment.

Even in the script Peter shows no remorse or worry for Gwen or Miles at all.

It's as if they don't cross his mind. As if he doesn't care he led Miguel directly to Miles because he forgot he had on a tracking watch. As if what he just witnessed didn't disturb him, as if he isn't worried that Gwen is literally homeless.

All he cares about is him, and his image as mentor.

Like sir, I do not give a DAMN. I might not even give a fuck, if you will.

Shut the fuck up about that mentorship shit 😭😭😭😭 You tryna mentor niggas that's MISSING.

He's like that deadbeat dad that brought you a bike a decade ago at 6 and he still bringing it up asking you why you don't call him 'dad'. Like just because you taught Miles to swing over a year ago doesn't mean you're his mentor mfer. Miles would've learned to swing anyway cause it's literally instinctual and every person bitten eventually learns it by themselves so really Peter wtf 😐

People will scream 'But there's nothing he could do!! Miguel is too scary!!'

One: Peter is one of if not the Spider-person with the most experience. If we assume he was bitten at 18 and he's say 45 now, that's still over 25 years of experience. If he was bitten in high school, that's even more experience.

He has biological powers Miguel doesn't, plus he has years of experience over Miguel - who canonically got his powers as an adult. If anyone in that room can beat Miguel - it's him.

If you're telling me that Peter B. Parker is not only scared of Miguel but he's scared to the point he will not even attempt to question him, even though three people younger than him will - Gwen, Hobie, and Miles - that's pitiful. That's a sad excuse for a Spider-man.

Also He's Spider-Man. The whole point of Spider-man is he fights even if he isn't sure he can win.

Two: At the very least, he can show that he's genuinely concerned for the kids he wants to mentor so bad. But he doesn't even do that. Even bringing them up or saying their names doesn't cross his mind.

But once again, the white male character emotionally neglecting those around him - especially the children who depend on him - and both he are George are either shown as innocent, unwilling to act, or the script is outright sympathetic towards them.

It's easy to call the Latino man an animal but writing a scene in which a white cop is rightfully portrayed as selfish is too hard.

It's easy to call the Latino man a monster but writing Peter Parker as a heroic figure is too hard.

The racism is not just towards Miguel. It's also in the blatant favoritism the white male characters are given.

Both George and Peter actively endanger those around them and at no point do they do something on their own accord that helps anybody but themselves.

Gwen has to go to her father - by force. Gwen has to go to Peter - using Hobie's hard work.

What we NOT GONNA DO is give the white man praise when it's literally the black guy who did all the work.

Fuck - Hobie mentored Gwen TEN TIMES MORE than Peter ever did Miles. Hobie put a roof over Gwen's head and came to get her when no other person would.

Writers, stop trying to make me sympathetic towards the white men who actively hurt the people around them when there's good mentors like Hobie and good parents like Rio and Jeff.

I ain't with the shits'. If anyone is an animal in this script, it's the man who pointed a gun at his daughter.

I guess assaulting and mentally scaring children is only okay if you do it with a firearm? Or if you make this face while doing it 🥺*

(*coupon not available for the melinated)

I changed my mind i don't forgive Peter or George. Miguel who has a whole ass arc of life and death and loss gets called an animal while the white cop with six minutes of screentime gets shown as father of the year while holding a loaded gun to a child girl you must be kidding me

Maybe Gwen would be in a better mood if we let her kick their asses idk 🤷🏾

[steamclouds]

Does anyone know where the bit in the description of the Lolth-Sworn "subrace" in bg3 "marked with bright red eyes by Lolth", comes from? There are so many examples that don't fit into that, and I think the separation into "Lolth-Sworn" and "Seldarine" is weird anyways? What about other deities like Vhaeraun? Or those that follow no god at all? And why is it stated that all Lolth-Sworn drow come from Menzoberranzan? It's not like that's the only drow city in the Underdark

[doodlejoltik]

my favourite writing device is having an un-Rei-liable narrator

[lanternliighting]

"stop talking about malice mizer for two fucking seconds"

no. MANA SAMA.

[full-of-malice]

hello hi so nanowrimo has been a bit. of a cesspit.

on nanowrimo there are two branches. two separate websites. the ywp [young writers program] and the main nanowrimo site. both have forums, moderators, and a challenge in the month of november.

the moderation on both sites is bullshit. they allow predators to run free, racism to go unchecked. for the ywp the moderation is actually done mainly by minors who run around correcting problematic things, flagging malicious users, and begging the mods to do something. as a member of the ywp this has been going on for years. children and teens working as unpaid moderators.

we recently brought our stories forward to adults about having to fend off predators and pedophiles while being ignored by those in power who were supposed to protect us. turns out that the adult site has it just as bad. we learned there is an fbi case because a now fired mod was allegedly guiding minors to f3tish websites.

mods have constantly silenced those who try to talk back and have abused their place of power. the staff is incompetent and cannot stand the laughing stock that they've made of themselves.

my friends and i do intend to make a large post in addressing what is happening and spread the word to a larger broader audience with as much details as possible. there's a twitter thread in regards to what has happened here that has some ywp testimonies on it

long story short it's. a shitshow and us minors are finally getting adults and the board of directors involved in hopes for change.

Days since the NaNoWriMo staff has disappointed its community:

0

[speedofsoundsketches]

Oh, it turns out Ian flynn worked on the Shadow animated shorts, he did a pretty good job consider he doesn't always get Shadow right in idw

I'm aware. With the amount of #knowingsmiles posted during the initial announcements, it's hard to not know he was involved.

He also wrote the Knuckles short in Frontiers which I also really liked but I attribute that being thanks mostly for having to work under Tyson Hesse's direction.

Shadow being ok in these shorts happened thanks to Sonic Team giving a LOT more direction and scrutiny on the scripts since it's held to a much higher standard as part of the games than Flynn was for IDW. (which still didn't stop him from inserting some of his fanfiction sourced flynnisms but what it do)

One hopes that this closer work relationship with Sonic Team will teach him how to properly write these characters and internalize the art of writing Sonic Stories in the future. I have my doubts tho since some of the writing in the shorts IS still pretty contrived (wouldn't be on brand for him if it wasn't) and ignores established lore to make the plot make sense like Shadow not warping directly into the Space Ark as he's done before. But nope, we gotta have big fight sequences so let's raid a base for a shuttle he doesn't need!

And I say this as someone who enjoyed it overall and thought the fight scenes were hype. But I'd like fight scenes to have thought behind the spectacle, not without.