#me: I feel bad for people who get attached to their own versions of characters that don't have really any canon content yet

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

Do you think there is a way to ethically watch Sandman and Good Omens? What about Dead Boy Detectives?

Andddd this was why I originally turned off anons. I knew this was coming eventually, but I guess I'll respond just this once so everyone knows where I stand.

I don't love that I feel the need to disclose this, but I have personally experienced grooming and sexual assault in the past. So this post is coming from someone who has Been There and understands the importance of supporting victims. I also love all of the efforts NG-related fandoms have been putting into raising money for sexual assault charities. It's wonderful to see people rallying behind the survivors and supporting them so vocally.

- DEAD BOY DETECTIVES: NOT A GAIMAN WORK

I do not think that there is a world where Dead Boy Detectives would be unethical to stream. It has virtually nothing to do with Neil Gaiman, by his own admission, and is the brain-child of Steve Yockey.

Besides the first chapter where Charles and Edwin were introduced (with no development), he didn't even write the comics! Several artists did, including Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham - whose run the show is based on and who the sprites are named after.

Yockey was the sole person to pitch DBDA to Warner Brothers. Gaiman did not do that.

Streaming Dead Boy Detectives primarily supports its writers, cast, and crew - Gaiman, who only wrote 2 scenes, is getting essentially nothing in terms of royalties.

Someone on Twitter did a really good job of unpacking why Dead Boy Detectives shouldn't be lumped in with Gaiman stuff - I'll link it here.

But this leads me to the next section.

- HANDLING GOOD OMENS AND SANDMAN

I think that there are a lot of valid reactions to the way people handle the consumption of Gaiman's shows after what he has done.

Some people are going to be unable to stomach anything he has written, and that is okay. Others whose lives have been massively impacted by his work aren't going to be able to let go since - and I know people like to deny this, but it's true - the art you love more than love itself is going to have a serious material impact on your personality.

Both of these approaches are alright! The only incorrect approach is to harass those who disagree with your personal choices.

It also is, in my opinion, Bad to give Gaiman money. Purchasing his books and buying Good Omens official merch puts cash in his pocket.

Streaming the shows, though, is a little more nuanced to me.

I'm going to use Good Omens as an example here. I personally will not be continuing with Good Omens. It gives me a Yucky Feeling. I may one day change my mind and stream a pirated version, but I don't think so.

However, I don't think Sheen and Tenant's fans are wrong to stream it in support of the actors who have brought their favourite characters to life.

But this leads me into my next point, and the point that will probably get me Canceled.

- THE IMPACT OF SHOWS ON PEOPLE

The way that people handle their favourite shows post-allegations is going to depend on the impact that the show had on their life.

I like Good Omens. It's a fun show. I enjoyed it while watching it, and think (see: thought) positively of it. But it had no real deep impact on my life - it's not part of me. When I look at Good Omens now, I see Gaiman's work above the finished product. It puts a sour taste in my mouth.

But in a hypothetical world, if Dead Boy Detectives were a Gaiman production? I have the self-awareness to know that I probably would still stream it to support the cast and crew. I am attached enough to it that I think I would divorce it entirely from Gaiman (if he were the creator, which he is not.) My point is that other people who are still streaming Sandman and GO probably don't look at it and see Gaiman. They see something that they have absorbed into themselves.

The part that's going to get me canceled is that if George cameos in Sandman, I will stream that one (1) episode to support George Rexstrew (Edwin Payne's actor). This is because Edwin has had a material impact on my life (hilariously, because I am a sexual violence survivor who did not get justice, and Edwin did not get justice for his murder and fights for that.) I feel that Edwin is part of me and my life, because Edwin (and George's work as Edwin) has made me feel less alone.

A lot of people feel that way about Crowley and Aziraphale.

I think that asking people to ditch a show, characters, and performers that have had a deep impact on their lives is unfair to them. Like, yes, Neil Gaiman is a bag of shit! Anyone who defends him is also a bag of shit! But I don't think that it's fair to stop people from supporting works that have had big material impacts on their own lives.

- HOW TO PROCEED

TL;DR

My personal ideal outcome here would be:

Wrap up Good Omens with the 90-minute movie and nothing else.

Wrap up Sandman with season 2, and do not renew.

Revive Dead Boy Detectives WITH THE CAVEAT that Gaiman gets his name removed from it, even if he currently isn't making much money off it. Take the Sandman characters and references from DBDA and let it become its own standalone thing.

Cancel all future Gaiman productions and never hire him to work on television or anything else again.

Let Gaiman's career die entirely and let him fade into obscurity.

Arrest Gaiman, which will never happen but it should.

I think people should:

Stop giving Neil Gaiman money through books or merch.

Make their own decisions about whether or not to officially stream the shows in support of the actors and crew members who have worked hard on it.

Not harass anyone for either their decision to stream the show, not stream the show, or stream a pirated version of the show.

Engage as much as they want with fandom and fanworks, as they are divorced from the source material's creator.

Vocally speak up against Neil Gaiman. Amplify the voices of the survivors, and don't let fear for the future of your show get in the way of that. At the end of the day, real women were put through the most traumatic and horrifying experience of their lives, and that's what matters most.

[yazthebookish]

I loved all of what Sarah highlighted in her interview today and I'll elaborate a bit especially on the romance part:

In Maas’ fantasy worlds, love interests often exist as fated “mates,” with invisible strings between them that are powerful and often poetic. Readers can see the literary metaphors, like complementary powers between two characters. But other times, there are no metaphors, with their connection initially seeming random.

She's too attached to the mate trope and I like that she gives us different cases and scenarios for it, otherwise it'll be boring.

“Sometimes, I will write a scene with two characters that I’ve planned for them to get together, and then they have no …” She shakes her head slightly at me. “It’s like holding two dolls and being like, now kiss! And they won’t. … And then sometimes a different character will walk in and they will just” — she snaps.

I yelled at this part because it's as if she plucked the scene from Azriel's bonus chapter and used it as an example. Those parallels between Elain and Gwyn are intentional. It doesn't mean Elain is bad it's just their dynamic doesn't work as a couple and it was obvious to the author. I know she didn't specify who this was about but like, come on, who tried to kiss and which character showed up in a bonus chapter after that depressing scene and gave a glimmer of hope?

“It feels like magic in a way where, as much as I tried to plot out things years in advance, I let my characters guide a story. And they usually wind up with the people that they need to be with and who offer them the most growth and joy.”

I love this so much and allow me to speak about my favorite ship and its because the snippets we saw of Az and Gwyn together especially in the bonus chapter brought out a lighter version of Az. His scenes with Gwyn were light-hearted and the bonus chapter ends on a hopeful note for them. It's hard to deny that connection between them whether you theorize she's luring him or they're mates, those theories wouldn't exist if she had no ties to him (she's in his own chapter like come on).

I go the philosophical route with my next question: We’re talking about fate here, but at what point is a character the agent of their own fate? What happens if someone rejects their mate? (Listen, if I were Fae and I didn’t like my mate, whatever God chose for me is not my business.)

People are jumping the gun and assume this example is set to be Elucien but... we have Helion and Lady of Autumn likely being an example of a tragic rejected mates story (if you read ACOWAR and their history it's obvious they're mates). Maybe it's Mor and Eris and that's the secret that ties them to each other. We have other characters from other series too.

For a convincing mate rejection story in my opinion, it needs more than one book or it's a case that we see with side characters where we can see their history and the long-term implications of a rejected bond.

It's too easy of a story to have one person's central conflict be the words "no I reject you" and they're done. Again, this is not exclusive to ACOTAR but also her other series.

“That’s something I find to be very interesting,” she replies. “What if the forces that be put you with the wrong person? Or what if you just decide, eh, I’m not interested. … There’s a lot to explore within the concept of mates and your agency about it.

The concept of agency is something many readers in the fandom discussed especially when it comes to mating bonds and there were arguments on (would Rhys fell for Feyre if she wasn't his mate or would have Cassian fell for Nesta if she wasn't his mate). We know that some mates don't work out but stay together because their dynamic is unhealthy (Rhys's and Tamlin's parents). We got examples of a loveless mating bond already.

We also saw that Nesta didn't immediately accept the term "mate" because it would mean cutting off her last tether with humanity. It's not a matter of "you're my mate" "yes I'll be with you", the dynamic between the mated couple is important to explore.

“I’m not going to say if I am exploring it in future books or not,” she continues, “but it definitely offers a wealth of things to explore with this concept of freewill and what is true love. Is it something that’s destined? Or is it something that you make? Is it both?”

This part aligns with what I think about Elucien. We never had a mated pairing who knew they were mates but are not in love with each other. Every mated couple found out they're mates when they were already in love.

Can a destined love turn into true love? Or do you settle for a destined love without love being in the equation. Love wasn't in the equation for Rhys's parents, but love was the equation for Feysand and Nessian. Elucien was left unexplored for a reason and both Elain and Lucien view each other by label "mate", they didn't have a chance to get to know each other. So it's going to be very interesting to see them navigate their feelings for each other despite the mating bond.

I didn't expect her to elaborate a lot on this but I love that she did and I hope in future interviews she gives us more good bits about her writing and examples of the decisions she took for some characters and couples.

Didn't expect this post to be long but happy reading! I'm still reeling from HOFAS 🥲

[poetry-protest-pornography]

Okay, let's talk about Ming, and how some people are talking about him like he's an irredeemable monster. (It's okay that you don't know anyone who was emotionally neglected and you have a decent relationship with your parents, but it's not okay to pretend your experience is universal and everyone else is garbage)

I know some of you remember my loud defense of Ray from Only Friends, and here I am again, to fight for the loveability of the character who doesn't know what to do with all their big feelings.

Ming's family, from what we see, is not a warm, loving place for him to learn emotional intelligence.

May is pretty great, but there is only so much an older sibling can do when your parents are physically or emotionally unavailable.

Ming's mom had only been seen trying to control Ming's life, marry him off to a woman, and insisting he is incapable of being on his own. Not exactly mom of the year.

Ming is clearly incredibly lonely, and so, so sad.

He likes Tong, but mostly after his sister and Tong are already involved -- because it's safe to transfer feelings you don't understand to someone that those feelings cannot go anywhere with. When he starts to feel too much for Tong, he leaves the country, because he can't process those feelings, and he doesn't want to hurt his sister with his crush on her boyfriend.

He comes home, and he sees Joe first. His likeness to Tong is obviously what pulls Ming in, but it is very quickly apparent that Ming is genuinely interested in Joe, but he has no fucking Idea what to do with that interest.

And when Joe clearly likes him back? It gets worse. He lashes out and then feels bad, but mostly doesn't apologize, he just moves on, because apologies require reflection on what you've done wrong, and Ming doesn't know how to do that! We see him struggle with it multiple times!

He does not know how to deal with being wanted. With the expectation of care that comes with that. Because, ironically, Tong and May are the best example of a relationship he has to look at, and he had to tell Tong to go take care of May when she was sick.

His crush on Tong remains so deeply a part of his identity, even as it obviously fades, and it clouds everything because Tong uses Ming's affection for him against him! And Ming doesn't see that! He doesn't see Tong's flaws until after Joe's accident, and even then, I don't know that he acknowledges Tong's actions as cruelty and manipulation, or if he ignores that all under his own guilt and grief over losing Joe.

And this brings us back to Ming and Joe.

Ming didn't have a crush on Joe. He sort of accidentally fell into a situationship, but then became intensely possessive and obsessed with Joe. We see him be so unbelievably soft with Joe, in moments where he's allowing himself to be, to stumble through having feelings and carrying for other people. But there is so much holding on tight that Ming can't seem to turn off.

He holds on to Joe --both of them!-- so tightly. He sees threats to his claim on Joe everywhere, and he can't confront that idea, so he doubles down on being possessive, and he looks cuckoo-bananas.

But it really just reads to me like he doesn't know what to do with feelings! I know people --especially ND people, who needed a little extra help to learn how to person -- who had emotionally neglectful parents and didn't understand healthy attachment until years of therapy and some determined friends got involved.

I don't have the greatest track record for "healthy attachment", and lean towards codependent in a lot of my relationships.

Some of the people I love the most are "hold on tight even when it's not good, because if I let go you'll leave" people.

They are absolutely deserving of someone who loves them. They deserve a happy ending and middle, too. They deserve the chance to learn and grow and become better versions of themselves.

(and they deserve people to love and cheer for them even when they're being assholes and throwing tantrums and hurting people because they are still learning how not to do that)

AND THIS DOESN'T EVEN TOUCH ON HOW JOE ALSO MISSED A LOT OF EMOTIONAL LESSONS, BUT IT MADE HIM UNHINGED IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY THAN MING!

Idek if this is coherent, or everything that I wanted to say, but here it is, my treatise on why Ming is my baby, actually, and why I will defend him until he is either better or actively worse.

ETA: what Ming has done is obviously not okay, reasons are not excuses, but I do think he deserves a chance to learn. and to tell Joe he loves him.

[bluedalahorse]

YR fandom new years resolutions? or just what’s going on in my brain

I had a longer version of this post drafted, but I decided to scrap it and go with a shorter version. The purpose of this post is to share some thoughts and feelings I’ve been having—not in a way that’s perfectly expressed, or journalistically objective—but in a way that helps me articulate those thoughts/feelings, and maybe lets other people who have similar thoughts/feelings know they aren’t alone.

For now, I’m open to reblogs and or discussions in the comments, as long as you’re replying in good faith.

Right now, it seems like two things are true at once in the Young Royals fandom:

Some Young Royals fans are longing for a greater variety of topics discussed and opinions shared, but also don’t always feel comfortable or supported putting forward their ideas. This can be a bit hard to summarize succinctly, because it sounds like people all want different things. Some fans want more non-Wilmon ships talked about. Others feel a little stifled in talking about characters and enjoying their nuance, because it seems like there are characters who are “okay” to like/dislike and others that are not. Others feel like there’s not much space to criticize season three. Still others want a chance for more crackfic and silly headcanons. Whether we do or don’t resonate with something on that list (I resonate with some things and not others) I’ve talked to enough people who mention that they self-censor in some way that it feels like something is in the air and people want a change.

There is a long-running issue of people in this fandom using anonymity to bully and harass fellow fans for their takes on the series and its characters. (This isn’t unique to YR fandom, but we’re also not immune to it.)

At present it feels like the two truths feed into one another and cause a vicious cycle. People are worried about expressing an opinion (shipping a controversial ship, for instance) and don’t want their name attached to it, so they look for a space where they can share those opinions more anonymously. As more anonymous space opens up, people do get their opinions out there. On the other hand, trolls and bullies also come in and use these spaces to harass people anonymously. As these trolls get more vicious, people get worried about expressing their more controversial opinions again, and those go underground or untalked about.

I applaud @young-royals-confessions for their attempt to put guidelines in place around the kinds of confessions people were sending in and moderate the blog accordingly. I think this is the best way to go about doing an anonymous blog like this, and they do a decent job of it. I personally chose to unfollow the confessions blog a while back, because it felt like the right decision for me in terms of which characters and ships I wanted to see more and less of. However, I do enjoy checking in on the blog from time to time, and seeing the occasional post on my dash.

From my understanding, someone has started a new confessions blog that does not have any guidelines in place for what people submit. I will not be following this blog, as I think a lack of guidelines will leave things open to bad faith actors, trolls, and bullies.

As I move into 2025, I’m going to try and address the needs of fans who are feeling truth #1 (including myself) by continuing to post about what I enjoy and find interesting in Young Royals, while also signing my name to it. I will be continuing to create fanworks that reflect my particular passions, and sharing ideas about fics that maybe I couldn’t write but would like to see. I’m also going to try and do more to defend and uplift others in doing so, especially my fellow nuanced character and rarepair enjoyers. I am going to bring these ideas to upcoming fandom events and share them as I’m able.

I’ve gotten better at curating my dash in 2024. Now I want to make sure I curate my own opinions less and don’t self-censor as much (while still remaining as polite as I can.) You’re welcome to join me, or not. I just sort of wanted to share my thinking and put it out into the world.

[tikiki05]

Miles and Gwen’s relationships outside of being spider people really could’ve changed the tone of the movie but alas here we are. Now I don’t read many comics, but I can speak for the recent Spider-Man PlayStation games that Miles and Ganke’s relationship is way WAYYYYY different that what Across portrayed. I’m still pretty sure it’s like this in the comics I hope but Ganke was more excited to be involved with helping Miles when he became spider man (Ganke was the biggest Spider-man Miles fan I guarantee you). And not only that, I don’t know if you know but Itsv released scrapped scenes which showed a dynamic between Miles and Ganke where Ganke also played an active role in assisting Miles in figuring out how his powers functioned and who he could be. Sadly that idea got scrapped and fast forward to 2023 and we got a Ganke that takes a complete 180 from other versions of him. It’s kinda hard not to look back at Across and then start to wonder if they just so happened to change Ganke’s role in the story just for them to push this narrative that there’s only one singular person who can truly know Miles. And the same thing can be applied to Gwen. (I’ve never read her comics throughly to know how she balances friends who do and don’t know about her second life)

I’m probably on the minority side, but I have mixed feelings about Gwen blowing up at the Mary Jane’s in the opening scene. Granted, it’s not easy to open up about about being a spider woman much let alone about all of the other spider people you learned about that live worlds away. All I’m saying is that those girls were trying to understand why Gwen wasn’t being herself which is what good friends do despite not knowing the whole truth. And I could say more stuff but this all goes back to my main thing: the writers attempting to convince the audience that both Miles and Gwen HAVE to depend on one another and that they can truly know the other is just a huge, random stretch.

Now don’t get me wrong, Miles and Gwen go through certain things that only other spider people get , but the movie is trying to convince us that in a span of a few weeks these two are attached to the hip and can’t live without one another?? The sudden jump just doesn’t make sense.

Oddly enough it could be an interesting plot line in Beyond for Miles and Gwen: Miles learning that his infatuation with Gwen led to false expectations and he views her differently (not in a bad way, but more cautiously as they have to build trust back). Gwen coming to terms that she still isn’t properly healed from when she was close with Peter and lost him. And I think understanding that Miles clearly isn’t the same person he was a year and a half ago, he’s not that amature spider man anymore and he’s grown in his ideals and aspirations and he’s allowed to make his own calls about certain situations

Good morning and thank you for the lovely ask! This has been on my mind a lot since I reblogged that one tweet.

In terms of Ganke, as I keep saying, I think it’s great that they’re trying to do something that’s different from the comics, but it continuously gets harder to support that when I keep hearing about how the comics are better!!! Like yeah, be unique, but also be good and make sense please??

The Mary Janes scene is honestly frustrating when I think back on it. I understand how hard it can be to reach out for help, cause mental blocks can prevent you from doing things that are in reality very easy, I’ve been there. But I find it so hard to sympathize with Gwen when her friends were actively reaching out to her because they were worried about her, and she loses it at them. Did they come at her with some attitude? Yes, and maybe that was unnecessary, but Gwens problems were disrupting their band time, so their upset is understandable

Ahh, this is why spider-verse Gwen is so frustrating to me as a character! They somehow made a character with struggles I absolutely relate to and who I want to feel for, but simultaneously just make her (in my opinion) extremely unlikeable and unsympathetic??? Maybe that’s just a me problem but does anyone relate?

I just don’t even know what to expect from Beyond the Spider-Verse at this point, nor what I even want from it anymore. The anticipation is killing me and I want it out now now now BUT also want the animators to work at a reasonable pace that is most beneficial to them. Cause when the animators thrive, the movie genuinely will too.

I’ve said this before as well; the movie we got with ATSV was spectacular, but if the production side of things weren’t so bad, I think it could have been even better. And the characters deserve better! Because they are good characters, I just feel they’re not reaching their full potentials under the constraints and shitty directing (lookin’ at you, Phillip) (I guess he’s not the director but still you guys get it I hope lmao)

I really wish they would stay friends too, because I want to see strong powerful friendships more often in media, especially amongst opposite gender friends so that when it’s a guy and girl, they can show audiences it doesn’t always have to be about romance. But no, they can’t do that, because the spider-verse movies are about the “love story” between Miles and Gwen, for some reason. Even though it doesn’t make sense. And right now is just a one sided unhealthy attachment caused by refusing to seek help elsewhere when it’s readily available to her (this is Gwen I’m talking about Gwen 😐)

Ah this was a long one lol, thank you so so much for the ask! Idk where else it’s happening but I’m going to an Oktoberfest today, so, have a happy Oktoberfest i guess!! 💖✨

[hakugin0]

So that new Levi card, woah boy(positive). I get how setting is slightly dubious but unfortunately my brain stopped at the ‘childish jealousy’ part and yeah childish was the perfect word he actually is throwing a bratty tantrum about MC talking about their time with Minhyeok WHILE THEY'RE NOT EVEN NEXT TO HIM. Levi, babey, you're not beating the Tsundere allegations.

Also the part about the sins was very interesting ‘cause it kinda puts in perspective why he feels like there's no King he's close to. Or at least that's my read on that part, all their sins have some positive parts while his is the only fully negative one so of course he couldn't feel close to them. (Personally I do think that part is his viewpoint on their sins and it would be interesting to see the other Kings’ too, Satan in particular since I feel like his sin and depressive mood swings do go hand in hand)

Now for the read more aka wiiiild speculations because he didn't come home in the reduced ten pull aka see you in 3 months bae when I have 500 pulls and you still refuse to show up(looking at you bath Satan), fair bit of character analysis and slight canon divergence(???) plus personal MC involvement.

GONNA PREFACE THIS BY WAVING NY ‘LEVI SIMP’ FLAG UP HIGH, IF THE CARD STORY WAS OFF PUTTING TO YOU OR YOU DISLIKE HIS CHARACTER IN GENERAL THEN MORE POWER TO YOU BUT PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS POST! IT AIN'T MEANT FOR YOU HOMIE (it's meant for me first and then anyone else who wants to witness my 3am insanity)

Aight? Aight! Here we go gamers

Gonna start this off by saying that when they dropped the first teaser for the card my expectations for the story were jelly Levi wants to replace minhyeok and thus enters MC's memories except surprise surprise it was actually some corn set in a high school (don't pretend those aren't a thing, we're all adults here, and with MC’s track record in that game it would not be surprising) in part because the story had to get spicy at some point.

Personal belief is that what we see in the prologue of Levi is the closest thing to a ‘normal’ him aka a version of him that got to experience a normal childhood and not have all the trauma of… ya know… HIS WHOLE PAST. The way he expected an attack when MC initially trips breaks me in a very particular way, he has never known peace, he expects everything to be some sort of attempt on his or his people’s life. The one time he wasn't as uptight ended up with him heavily injured (Bloodshed card).

There is also him ascertaining that they had different starting points. Now this could refer to a lot of things but to me one thing that does is put a definite line between them. To me it sounds like he's reasoning with himself that because of their very different lives they would be incompatible (combined with that thing about his sin being the only negative one it shows he always separates himself from people he would otherwise form bonds with)

Now he's still not nice, far from it, but he can be accommodating and look out for MC when he is not thinking 24/7 about possibly being attacked. Whether he reasons that it would endear himself more to them or out of pure instinct he looked out for MC, those were not Minhyeok’s actions he mimicked but his own.

So yeah, average Levi is horrendously bad at emotions and frankly probably the one who understands his own emotions towards a potential romantic partner(since tbh that is what MC is) the least. (This is a whole other can of brainworms about how aside from Solomon he probably has not been attached to anyone in that way until MC based on something he says in his H-Scene, but that can of worms shall be opened later) please get some therapists in Hell, clearly everyone would benefit from it.

There is also something impossibly endearing to me about seeing Levi in a high school setting even for a bit because that's not something he ever experienced and I wish his time exploring that part of MC and Minhyeok's past was a bit longer. I want to believe MC gets to ask him later in the story how he felt about it.

---

If you were only here for the character analysis then thanks for reading, have a lovely day/night/evening, we are going into wild speculation territory and some personal things regarding my MC Jin in that particular scenario.

tl;dr: After Jin's parents were killed she pretty much secluded herself in their home doing most of her studying through online courses and only showing up physically at school for a couple of days.

I choose to believe she was aware of stuff from the start but in that way you're aware you're in a dream while you sleep, she can tell things are a bit off but not fully what is wrong. She knows the person with her is not Minhyeok, she also knows who Leviathan is, but there's a certain disconnect when trying to piece it all together, but the further the dream goes the more she ‘realises’ and ‘awakens to the truth' if you will.

She cannot help but pity Levi’s situation even if she knows if she ever said that she'd probably get insta-hanged, so a part of her cannot help but wonder if he wanted to experience some normalcy for once. (She's not the brightest tool in the shed so the fact that he wants to replace Minhyeok would not pass by her singular braincell) (I love her I swear, being mean is my love language)

So I imagine after the whole dream thing is over and she next visits Hades she doesn't raise any questions about that event. She seems annoyingly unbothered and not curious at all. If anything this just makes Leviathan more angry because she can't be that unbothered after everything and pretend nothing happened, he should've been the only thing on her mind and yet she still sometimes mentions that detestable human. Oh how he should hang her for it. And then one day she has a conspicuously familiar candy in her mouth. “Was the experience at least a bit pleasant?” She's soft spoken anyway but she sounds almost apologetic. Why yes the experience was quite pleasant if Levi had to be honest but he'd never praise her openly… and then it hits him. She's not asking about that, she's asking about how he felt in a normal human high school.

When she gets no answer she stammers and starts speaking again, trying to fill the void. “I didn't exactly… go there often…” The pauses are plentiful and her shoulders droop almost in shame. “... so I imagine whatever you saw was rather lacklustre… aside from… my pathetic display-”

“It wasn't bad.”

A short sentence and it was enough to make the human girl perk up instantly. From anyone else that would be considered nigh an insult, but with Levi's temperament that was the highest praise she could hope for. By the time Jin was next to his desk after he'd beckoned her with a wave of his hand her visage had brightened significantly. ‘Stealing’ the lollipop from between her lips was ‘child’s play’ after that, the girl clearly took stunned to speak and becoming redder by the second.

“Yes, not bad at all.”

[muqingapologist]

it’s kind of funny how i put off reading scum villain for so long after reading and consuming adaptations for mdzs and then reading tgcf. im not really a fan of the fan-service sex scenes in danmei because it just takes me out of the story emotionally, and i had a friend warn me that this was pretty much the case with svsss. but like….not so much? at least not the main story.

to back up, my first introduction to any danmei media was watching the untamed. i fucking LOVED the untamed. it consumed my every waking thought for like a solid month lol. it’s actually hard to describe in hindsight just how captivated i was by wei wuxian and lan wangji. and because i loved it so much, i chose to wait for the english translations to be officially released instead of finding unofficial versions online. in the meantime, i “read” tgcf (skimmed) for the first time (bad idea. i finally reread it though last month for real and damn. not quite relevant though). anyway, when i finally got to book 4 of mdzs, well i knew there was the infamous bathtub scene coming, but i underestimated how much this scene would just…cheapen the entire story for me. and this is my own fault, i know, for taking the untamed so much to heart and not being prepared to engage with such different characterizations of the two characters i adored so much. like nothing could’ve prepared me for the fact that lan zhan was actually a nymphomaniac who was determined to have rough sex with wwx every day…it just made the story feel less meaningful to me. it took away the gravity it developed for me.

so knowing how the sex scenes in mdzs affected me, of course i was skeptical of svsss based on what i’d heard. and well maybe it’s because svsss was so tonally different from mdzs and tgcf, and maybe because i knew something very graphic was coming, but shen qingqiu and luo binghe boning to save the world at the end of the main story actually made…perfect sense?? like it wasn’t even really supposed to be romantic at all and yet it felt 110% more earned and necessary than the scenes in mdzs. which was just really surprising to me.

anyway i don’t make this to start mdzs vs. svsss discourse but more so just to discuss my thoughts on the two as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy gratuitous sex scenes and reads mostly for romance and plot (personal preference!). i still love mdzs and it’ll always have a special place in my heart, but watching the untamed and getting attached to that version of the story first definitely gave me unrealistic expectations for the source material.

im just rambling about this because im curious if anyone had a similar experience with how they read the mxtx novels? also in discussing the novels, im not giving tooooo much weight to the extras.

i’ll add another probably unpopular opinion that the lack of explicit content in tgcf (ik, due to censorship) actually worked in its favor in terms of emotional impact for me.

so yeah i just wanna know what people out there think of sex scenes in mxtx and their gratuitousness and how that affects the novel for you!!!

[class1akids]

Whats your take on the mischaracterization of the todorokis specifically dabi shoto and endeavor.

I feel like there characters are always portrayed incorrectly. They get so watered down and it's very frustrating.

What mischaracterization are you thinking of? In fics, meta, or OVA and spin-off material?

I think there are a couple of issues at play:

1. The Todoroki fam plot got dribbled into the story in small doses. Most of what happened isn’t truly revealed until 300 or so chapters. So Endeavor’s early characterization as seen through Shouto’s eyes got really deep into fandom. (The Endeavor’s Bad parenting tag).

Similarly, the “Touya is a good sibling” idea is something people were really attached to.

And for Shouto, there is a tendency to flanderize him and make his awkwardness and blunt, literal nature his entire personality, while ignoring his kindness and wisdom.

2. The characters change a lot and their relationship to each other is very dynamic. So while it’s in character for Shouto to hate Endeavor a lot early on, i think starting from the Pro Hero arc, his relationship with his father is much more complicated. I don’t see it ever be truly happy, but I think it can get to a place of slow mending.

3. The Todoroki dynamics are hellishly difficult to write well. As someone who has written some fics, I find it very hard to write them interacting with each other. I think even Hori is struggling with landing them well. Both Ch 301-302 and 388-390 were revised heavily in volume versions.

4. It being a family plot, there is a lot of projection going on. A lot of older men relate to Endeavor’s story of change and tend to paint him nicer or say that he wasn’t a terrible father. Many people also use the Todo-kids, especially Shouto and Touya to write about abuse (sometimes personal experiences).

The Todo-fam is written with a lot of nuance and ambiguity and requires reading between the lines. I found that the most productive way to deal with it is to interact the interpretation that resonates with me, leave the stuff that sounds ooc to me alone while acknowledging that everyone has a right to use their own filter to the story.

[3amdrabbles]

Midnighter and Apollo: A (slightly in depth) comic breakdown by someone who originally misunderstood the themes.

While I have always adored this comic, there was something that always bothered me a bit. But having re-read the series now that I am older and better understand media / media literacy, I can firmly say I was wrong about being bothered, and this comic deserves more praise and recognition.

Spoilers for a decade old comic

First things first, the part that made me uncomfortable when I was younger: The fact that Apollo ended up in Hell in the first place.

One of the few openly gay characters in DC gets killed and sent to Hell, pretty unceremoniously and suddenly. And while it worked from a narrative standpoint, having Midnighter go to Hell for his love, it did strike me as uncomfortable as a young queer kid struggling with my self-worth because of being queer.

And it’s implied, if not outright said at times, that it weren’t Apollo’s ‘normal’ sins that brought him to Hell. Pride, Murder, that kinda stuff. Yes, this is mostly said by Apollo himself, but the comic frames him as being in the right about this, and so we as an audience are pushed to believe this.

So then, why did he end up in Hell?

And that is where I originally went wrong. I shouldn’t have felt uncomfortable about the fact DC sent one of their only queer characters to Hell. Because that was the whole point of it. It wasn’t condemning and it wasn't some thoughtless, empty decision that just happened to have some negative connotations attached to it.

This comic is a beautiful, metaphorical representation of the queer experience

This story is one of love and accepting those around you (and yourself) as who they are, while helping them be the best version of themselves.

Apollo talks about how he has already gone through his own kind of Hell before, many times. From how he got his powers to his unaccepting father. Yet he persisted. He stayed true to himself, he didn’t break and he didn’t give in to what people wanted of him. Apollo being in Hell is nothing new, this time it's just more literal.

And we see that he persists. We see him fight and overcome because he knows that he deserves better than the sentences and punishments pushed onto him by other people. He knows that he doesn’t deserve this Hell of someone else's making.

And while he can survive, or even escape this Hell, on his own, it becomes easier with someone there at his side. Someone willing to risk anything, because Apollo is his everything.

In the beginning of the story, Midnighter refuses to accept Apollo is gone. He knows there must be something he can do, something to try or someone to beat up to get his love back. While Apollo is in a literal Hell, Midnighter goes through a personal one. The worst kind of Hell for someone like Midnighter; he feels helpless. He wants to protect the man he loves, but he simply can't. He doesn't know what to do.

And where Apollo's side of the story deals with being sure of who you are and persisting through the bad times, Midnighter's side is about the consequences that come with being who you are.

An enemy from Minighter’s past wanted to hurt him, and did so by way of targeting Apollo. The hate and anger pointed at Midnighter is what killed Apollo.

Apollo became a victim for loving Midnigher.

At the end of the comic, Midnighter explains to Apollo that he is, and always will be, a killer. That he is sure of himself and he hopes Apollo can accept. This scene, while likely not intended as such, reads so much as a way of coming out.

I know I probably read too much into it, and that Steve Orlando likely just wanted to write a fun and heartfelt story reminiscent of Greek mythology between these two lovers.

But to me, this story really represents the queer experience. The Hell forced upon you by others, watching those you surround yourself with get hurt because of who you or they are, but also the steadfastness of knowing who you are, the love and support that comes with being yourself, and knowing there's always the light to pull you out of the dark.

While I firmly believe Midnighter and Apollo were at their best in the old Wildstorm/Authority comics, this run has really become a favorite of mine that I highly recommend to anyone even remotely interested in comics or these characters.

And I hope I managed to portray my thoughts semi-cohesively.

[amummy]

I have some Arc*ne thoughts but i’m always afraid to voice my option online so i’ll put it under a cut

I like Arcane which is why I feel so frustrated by the writing of season 2. This will be a LOT of rambling with no content structure as a warning.

For example. Amanda Overton out here saying that Sky was the only person who understood Viktor. I’m not saying this with shipping goggles on when I say that Sky was barely a character. She may of understood Viktor but Viktor didn’t know her. He only knew her through his guilt of her death. And even then she felt oddly inserted into scenes when Viktor was exploring the Arcane. This isn’t Sky hate… it’s just that her entire role in the story is to make Viktor feel bad.

In the same breath i feel similarly about Isha and literally any of the child characters that aren’t the main cast. None of them have lines and all of them are employed to be a short cut for emotional weight and attachment. Yes, Isha was mute I know that and It is nice to see the representation. But her entire purpose in the storyline is to give Jinx a chance to heal and take that away from her.

And that’s another frustration I had was Jinx was a great character but reading an interview with fucking Christian Linke (fuck that guy) and Amanda Overton it seems like they had made it so that no matter what happens Jinx’s ENTIRE storyline is that she is a Jinx. That she’s not allowed to be happy because she will just ‘Jinx it’. They boiled down her entire story to her being unlucky and making everyone around her miserable. Riveting. No healing to be had. Because characters aren’t allowed to move on or have redemption I guess.

Back to Viktor. Ignoring my frustration with how disability is handled in the show, his entire plot in Season 2 made me angry(affectionate?). He had so little agency in almost every scene he was in. He was brought back from death TWICE without his consent(once by Jayce, second by Singed). He left the lab and seemed to follow the Hexcores guidance. When he healed Huck his hand seemed to puppet itself to do it. This isn’t to say he didn’t make his own choices after that for a time. Him healing people because it felt right to him was very much his choice. Him trying to save Vander’s humanity was his choice.

Jayce killing him then made him spur into a sad monologue about human nature. And from there i feel like the through line to villain hood was fast tracked and given literally no time to breathe.

A big part of why the league fans of Viktor liked him was his self modification. His experimentation with his body. Yes that happened in the story but only until a point. Him being fused with the hexcore was NOT his choice which flavors the whole interaction. I’m not saying he’s morally better or worse than the League version, because the LOL one took away free will as well. But all the build up in season 1 lead to a very weird escalation in season 2.

Mel’s plot while good in a microcosm was incredible shoehorned in and wasn’t necessary at all in the overarching plot. Ambessa acted pretty nonsensical in act 3 imho. She was very smart through out the show but her invading Piltover seemed blatantly dumb even with Viktor’s power.

Caitlyn… oh Caitlyn. Her plot while natural, completely undid ALL the development she has in season 1. I don’t think it was BAD to say how she was written, what was bad was how all her war crimes were swept under the rug in the end. And that dumb sex scene in the jail cell. Sorry I know people liked it but for me it felt wildly out of place for where it was placed.

Don’t even get me started on the class war that got shoved under the rug. The antisemetic language Linke used for Zaunites. How in act 3 Sevika doesn’t get a speaking line and is on the council as if that was ever a thing she would have accepted.

My favorite characters have always been Silco, Viktor and Jinx. So i guess in the Silco department I won. But ugh.

I’m not saying I was expecting a happy ending. But it was incredibly french to have an ending where literally everyone died but the lesbians p much.

I don’t know where i was going with this. I guess it’s hard to tell i really love arcane from the complaints but I truly do. I complain BECAUSE I care.

[marichild]

AO3 Wrapped #2 (Mari’s Version)

crazy year it has been for fic writing. careening into four(?) fandoms and being so absolutely insane about all of them. I think you can see here that I am not normal about anything ever

words written

technically, about 362k, but a lot of that is from my monster of a vampire au from … a while ago, so around 290k, probably. lmao.

works published

37, counting out the three chaptered fics I’ve had since before the year started, and also counting in one fic that’s on anon! I don’t know how I even got here, lmao. but it’s nice to know I’ve been pretty consistent with my writing this year, by my standards, anyway.

work I’m most proud of

what should we become, in what form, although only published in december, is one work I’ve been putting so much effort into since like … august, probably. this could be because that as much as the jujutsu kaisen world has disappointed me, it’s so dear to me—especially the characters. I’ve said this before, but while I knew I would become obsessed with satosugu even before I got into this fandom (what can I say, I’m weak for best friends, devotion, and betrayal), I didn’t expect to become so, so dearly attached to the gojo & megumi dynamic. so.

this fic, while it is worldbuilding and exploring gojo’s character, does also count as a love letter to them. I’ll stop now before I get carried away— (but be on the lookout for an update this month or next!)

also! shoutout to careless as could be! although it’s a rarepair, sigma & chuuya is a dynamic I’ve been enamored by since the moment they revealed sigma’s origin. something about humanness, affirming yourself, allowing yourself to live as the way you are, no matter what you were born from. their dynamic could be interesting and I’m genuinely hoping this is the direction asagiri takes it in once the narrative shifts back to focusing on dazai, chuuya, and sigma.

I think the thing I am most proud of with this fic is the characterization, because as I’ve said before, I’m so picky about sigma and chuuya characterization, even with my own writing, so it’s just … nice to see it done, you know?

also, I would say that the fic I wrote for New Year (which I unfortunately was not able to do this year), the little blue bird that’s lost its voice, does stand out. I think it does a good job depicting what it has to be like, loving your best friend, who, well. wants to die. shin and his mindset is always something that has intrigued me, of course, and who would I be if I didn’t add to the raiden/shin tag? overall, for how little this fic was planned, reading over it, I am happy with the thread of desperation and yearning that runs through the whole thing!

work that readers enjoyed the most

I’m not even going to lie when I say that evidently people are enjoying my taegyu porn, you know i want it bad, because. well. do I even have to say anything? I see you, you horny demons /aff (it is also worth noting that I refuse to look at this unless I get a comment …)

although. a close second is because you had shared it with me, this love and that’s…well, I do feel bad? I haven’t updated in a while not because I don’t feel the spark, but due to personal reasons, the very premise of this if i stay au kinda freaks me out. although I’m trying to ease myself back into it, the fact that the scary event that puts me off writing this au happened while I was well into writing it…well. I do try to tell myself that everything is okay now, but we’ll see. zeroses, please wait for me <3

fastest work to write

I have a lot of ficlets ranging from 1k to 2k that took a few hours to write (that’s the power of xikers I guess. specifically woojungz) but talking about longer fics, it took me about two days to write couldn’t even become a nobody, my transfem dazai / dazakiko fic, which is around 6k words, or speaking of even longer fics, five days like a deranged man with tunnel-vision for we’ve met like a miracle, my 13k T4T soulseob high school au. crazy work.

I’m kind of proud of myself, because even for the short amount of time and little to no editing done, I really do like what I did with that one there, especially because I was so busy with schoolwork and stuff, lol.

slowest work to write

strictly speaking of this year, this precious moment. not because I didn’t have the fuel, but because I was genuinely scared of what I was doing. I was kind of … doing a new thing for the fandom specifically, writing about a trans man’s pregnancy and subsequent raising of the child together with his partner. it took a few months, maybe? at least four.

while I know very well that there’s nothing wrong with that at all, it was such precious and personal work to me that I needed to do it justice, and also, I wasn’t ready to face criticism for it. I want to thank my friends sol and @draco-renn for encouraging me to post it. and draco for being the number one fan of the verse, haha. xi is the real reason I wrote that kindergarten sequel, really <3

number of WIPs I’m taking into 2025

um. well. quite a bit! if I do a process of elimination and count in only the ones I’m likely to be finishing, then 28 or so. at least. it’s a problem.

favorite character to write

*through gritted teeth* welcome, dazai osamu. I literally don’t like that dazai is so fun to write. what is wrong with him. go away you little gremlin.

okay but for real, besides the crowning king gendermess, I think my favorite to write this year has been either gojo or megumi. to absolutely no one’s surprise. there’s something fun about getting to write from their perspectives, especially exploring their respective stances on power, love, and what it means to be a sorcerer—and counting in both canon and in an au context, how they process the love they are given, how they react to more normal real-life situations. idk. they’re my beloved blorbos.

shoutout out to till alien stage. I love writing angry rebels who continually throw themselves into a wall. metaphorically and literally. I haven’t written luka perspective yet, but writing about him the way others see him … god. it’s so much fun.

favorite lines I’ve written this year:

from we’ve met like a miracle:

But. It’s Shota. He’s always been awfully good at tugging Jongseob along to his rhythm, catching all the flyaway strands of her seams as he goes, laughing in delight. And that’s the real miracle: that Jongseob’s been able to keep in step with him this entire time. She prays she never falls out of step, that their rhythm carries on.

from what should we become, in what form:

Because, he thinks as Tsumiki looks up at him with shining eyes and too-pale skin flushed with delight, searching for approval, he can’t let them become another Gojo Satoru, finding the meaning in life far too late, far too little of it. He can’t let them become another Geto Suguru, going crazy until salvation reaches him, only for that to not be enough, too.

He can’t let them become like this generation of sorcerers. He’ll be damned if either of them end up on Shoko’s morgue table, like nearly all his upperclassmen, like Haibara, or children like Riko—

“Tsumiki-chan wins!” he grins, and for once, his boisterousness feels real despite the tears threatening, despite the cursed energy crackling in the air as a result. It feels real and true and good, despite Megumi’s concerned blinking, like he doesn’t know what he’s sensing. The blinking morphs to an offended scowl.

from the little blue bird that’s lost its voice:

But, when has Raiden ever been someone who’s given up? Especially not on his friends. His best friends. The only boy he’s ever loved this much. Because anyone would be a fool to give up on Shinei Nouzen, constructed of fragile, jagged glass and unraveling stitches of frayed stubbornness, a core of bloodied, torn gold. Because even if Raiden shouldn’t, loving Shin has always been a foregone conclusion.

Because when you love someone, even the threat of shattering yourself isn’t enough to stop yourself from jumping off the edge with them, if nothing else.

and finally, from careless as could be:

“You come in here reeking of blood,” Sigma deadpans. They feel like they’re playing with a fire here, a dangerously volatile one, and it’s—it’s thrilling. Besides, it is unfair of Chuuya to say that. “I’ve heard too much about what you’re capable of.”

You scare me, they don’t say. Judging from Chuuya’s raised eyebrow, he heard the subtext loud and clear, and he smirks. He smirks.

“That’s true,” he agrees. “It’d be easy enough for me to break your neck.”

Sigma’s stomach flips. “Would you?”

this was entirely based on @fushiglow ’s post! and also @hollow-lime-green !

anyone who sees this is welcome to try this as well! I think you’d like doing this, @anticidic @ryuvnosuke @littencloud9 @sunnyyflowerrs @zukkaoru but no pressure ofcs <3

[doublel27]

I love all your takes on fandom, ships, queer media, so I want to ask, what do you think about writing fanfic of real people ie. Thai BL couple? I'm coming back to fandom (K-pop to Thai BL specifically) after years and I'm having this urge to write fanfic of this branded pair that I like, like an AU version of them some sort. I have always wanted to write my own romance novels so I figure this could be a way to practice writing, but when I was still in K-pop fandom on Twitter, I was constantly told that writing fanfic shipping real people is weird. Honestly the thought of writing about a ship in this K-pop group I like still weird me out (although I do ship them) and is not exciting. But I have no problem putting the Thai BL pair into the stories I have in my head. I have spent hours consuming fanfics of them on Thai novel site using Google Translate. Also, Thai fandom has this thing where instead of the actor's name, it usually would be character's name with their face attached to it, like they are acting and the fanfic is a script, which make reading them more fun, open up more possibilities and dynamics. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you and sorry for the bad English. 🙏🏻

Hi Nonnie,

Thanks for the complement and coming here with this ask. I appreciate the kind words very much.

As far as real-person fanfic (RPF)I think it gets a lot of hate from a lot of people, but also it’s super common in the world in general and not just in unpaid fanfic circles. While I don’t write RPF myself, I’ve always had friends who did and do, and I see no real problem with it. As long as you’re not tagging the real people in it, I have no problem with its existence.

A huge problem and conflation with RPF being a huge toxic problem is that it assumes that everyone writing RPF is a toxic fan (tin-hat, sasaeng, etc) who is out there demanding that those real people get together and that by writing about the possibility of them potentially being together you are removing their agency and are being creepy and forceful. The reality is that most people who read and write RPF are normal fans with normal boundaries who know it’s all fiction and all in good fun, and it’s just a few bad apples that ruin the fun because they cannot separate the person from the object that has been created and is being packaged as a commodity (which is what the personas of famous people are).

I think in Thai BL fandom there’s an added layer of ease because they’ve already adopted an RPF model of promotion to sell their pairs and shows. Now whether any of those men are actually together in real life, there is a performance of a level of intimacy they perform in front of crowds and social media. Because the imagined couple or branded couple or CP already exists as a fantasy for fans to enjoy, there’s a level of implicit buy-in from the artists that doesn’t necessarily exist in other fandom spaces. This may be why it’s easier for you to enjoy it in Thai BL fandom than in another.

But real people write and profit off of RPF all the time. Every biopic in Hollywood tells an imagined story about a real-life figure and their real life events. People win whole Oscars for their depictions of RPF!! Hamilton is an excellent example of a viral musical that is an RPF story come to life, especially the Hamilton/Angelica storyline as she was already married long before they met. Evita is another classic RPF musical that is beloved by the people. The myth of Anastasia and the beloved 1998 animated classic is a hopeful bit of RPF that has existed in some form or another since the fall of the Russian royalty (though the grand duchess receiving girls who pretended to be Anastasia is a real event so…RPF). The Crown on Netflix is RPF. I think time and distance helps people not feel it’s less weird, like if the person isn’t going to see it then maybe it’s fine.

I think RPF also gets a bad name because it’s largely what tabloids and gossip blogs have long traded on. Especially as tabloids and gossip columns trade in stories that are aggressive and accusatory and demeaning, and are meant for the personalities in question to see and are reported to be true. A lot of people conflate the two things.

My best practices for RPF run about the same as general fanfiction: keep it to fan sites like the one you’re currently reading it on (or tumblr, or AO3, or any of the many options out there), if you’re going to share it on Twitter or Instagram (which I’m old and wouldn’t because I belligerent in a healthy level of separation - the way I can’t with people just casually adding omega verse comments and retweets to pictures on public forums) don’t @ them and even be careful using hashtags because if actors want to read that they should go looking for it like the rest of us, and generally just be respectful of the artists and their life and their personal boundaries. General rule of thumb for interactions with everyone: if it’s not something they can change in 5 minutes or something wildly not okay, don’t comment on a persons actions or decisions.

And that’s about it. I hope you write what you want to write. What you’re talking about, using them almost as a dream cast for your original fiction is also barely in the RPF category. I hope you have fun. Your English was fantastic (said as a lifelong English speaker who has taught the language and am unsure how proficient any of us are with this creole of a language).

Oh and if you’re messing around in Thai BL RPF just know that Joong Archen may find whatever you write and read it. We have a deal, Joong, I know you’re out here somewhere but I would like to keep my old lady sensibilities and pretend that my fandom life is still kept relatively separate from the artists.

[muttsterion]

I think you mentioned this before but, can you explain again how the fandom viewed Kenny pre-Mysterion Rises vs after the unveil and "The Poor Kid"?

It's been a very interesting journey with Kenny and his portrayal in fandom actually. Of course I have to point out fanon/fandom (fanfics, fanarts, etc?) have included/centered around him in their works a lot more than the actual canon and it's been a bit tough to piece together what his character was when M&T didn't give us much to work with. If you look through the earlier seasons Kenny's lucky to get a few scenes/episodes of his own other than when he dies. Obviously we were not supposed to get attached to this character….but of course some of us did. XD

That's not to say he didn't get ANY characterizations but what we mostly got were the parts of Kenny being more knowledgable in sex/adult stuffs than he prob should be for a kid of his age and that he likes women. Funny enough we also got bits and pieces of his heroic nature willingly sacrificing himself in the movie for the world, dying to save people in a hospital (Cartman's Mom pt2) , and dying to save Moses from Hamon (Jewbilee). He'd also been shown trying to comfort his friends like with Cartman in the Tooth Fairy episode. And having dreams of becoming an opera singer in The Quintuplets Ep. BUT what fanon mostly locked onto was the dirty little boy part of him and cranked it up to almost creepiness levels? And this version often had a lot of bravado...one was almost abusive..and of coursee we have love/sex guru Kenny who knows exactly how to get girls or how to get them to automatically like you. And there's of course him being highly addicted to drugs....like all of them? I'm guessing "Major Boobage" didn't help there but even before then some fanon had that mixed in. But this was ALL he was sex and drugs and....like the folks of South Park themselves(I guess) they all pretty much forgot his actual sacrfices and that he wasn't as selfish as they were portraying him. Funny still too some people were including people remembering his deaths too(my bad XD)...until Mysterion noted they don't remember...(well I didn't know either. XD).. But yeah so when Mysterion came up and before his actual reveal there were people/fans like me still debating he could have been Kenny....while others were like "....that he doesn't care about people." and then I had to remind them of his own selfless sacrifices and apparently he cared an awful lot about people.... and then boom next week Mysterion was Kenny...and things did change after that a lot. Rather quickly. Yeah the fanon mostly changed to seeing and portraying him more as a tough badass...though I always thought Kenny was a badass before...he's literally died in every way possible and comes back like it's normal and hasn't snapped yet just mostly goes on about his business his rather not so glamorus life happy to just be with his friends....that's a badass nah he's not lucky to have Mysterion, Mysterion is lucky to HAVE HIM. I apologize. XD I'm very happy we got Mysterion and love him and the fact he changed some fanon perspectives on Kenny being more than just sex and drug craved..? And then of course we got little Karen who helped to showcase his more caring nature. That he does care about someone other than himself and his own personal pleasures and he's in fact strong enough to fight for himself and others when needed. Now we have more empathetic, caring Kenny? I still see some of the sex/drug addictions in there too not as much though? I feel it could use more of a balance but I feel it's gotten a lot better. I mean he's going to have some flaws that's only human. Like I love what TFBW did with Mysterion's revival ultimate? Like it shows us his dirty boy side is still there but he willingly puts that aside to return to help us because he knows we still need him. I feel that is who or part of who Kenny is...if that makes sense? But yeah I didn't need the cape to prove how awesome he was for me but I'm happy Mysterion was able to show fanon/the world what I (and other loyal fans) saw in Kenny. :D

[bluemoondust]

Can You Do Headcanon Yandere De N, Damian (Pokémon), Atsushi Nakajima, Odasaku And Marrow (RWBY) With A Motherly And Caring Personality Darling?, Thank You And Forgive My Bad English

A good chunk of these men are touch starved so this was fun to write 。^‿^｡ Also, no need to apologize! Your English is fine!

When it came to searching up Damian, this is who showed up so I hope I got the character right! Edit: My dumbass found out that Arven's name is Damian in the Spanish version of the game (plus he kept showing up when I searched up Damian). I hope I got this right so please let me know if I didn't!

✧Motherly Darling✧

✧Currently Playing✧: Lock Me Up by The Cab

Characters: N Harmonia (Pokemon), Arven (Pokemon), Nakajima Atsushi (BSD), Sakunosuke Oda (BSD), Marrow Amin (RWBY)

cw: fem!/gn!darling (implied, no pronouns)

Warning(s): Obsessive Behavior, Overprotective Behavior, Slight Paranoia and Stalking

✧N Harmonia✧

Instantly attached the moment you show genuine care for him. N had already heard from your Pokemon that you were a magnificent person. They would only speak praises upon praises about how you love them as much as family would. It warms his heart to hear such things. So when he interacts with you, learning that your kindness extends to people and not just Pokemon, he immediately wants to keep you around.

The man has never experienced true care outside of his caretakers (Anthea and Concordia) so he is incredibly touch starved. His lack of experience with actual human beings has distorted his views of humanity and the norm (especially with what Ghetsis has taught him), making him socially stunted. N, however, doesn't feel out of place when he's with you. He truly feels like an actual person and not a freak because of your patience and attentive nature. You were able to pinpoint his struggles and aid him when necessary, never chiding him for the habits he has (speaking quickly, his hyperfixations, the ability to speak with Pokemon, etc.). It was an issue he was facing with after Team Plasma dissolved, but now he feels a sense of security because of you.

That's why N isn't really fond of being away from you for too long. He's grown dependent on your motherly nature and refuses to let go anytime soon. As I mentioned before in his general yandere headcanons post, it's hard to say no to this man when he looks like a kicked Lillipup. You feel extremely guilty when you try to refuse his offers to hang out. He doesn't have anyone else and he finds comfort in you...maybe your friends can wait. N needs you right now.

✧Arven✧

This is the same case with Arven, but he's not willing to admit it just yet. Unlike N, he is not ready to be fully vulnerable due to the grievances he's faced as a child. As we all know, his mother/father wasn't around often and he became independent at a very young age. He is the type of yandere who will keep his feelings to himself as he admires you from afar. Your immense amount of love and affection was so...unfamiliar to him. Foreign. He didn't know how to deal with it at first.

Though one thing is obvious to him is that he can't get enough of it. You're always reminding him to take care of himself and helping out when you can. It was odd since he's used to doing everything on his own. It...it feels good to rely on someone else for once. Was he...missing out on this for all his life? Arven reflects on things before he becomes attached to you. It's somewhat subtle but at the same time obvious. He's always by your side and doesn't go out of his way to befriend others (not like he was trying to do that in the first place).

Arven is so protective over you. It may seem endearing at first, how he stands by your side whenever you're speaking to your own friends. He's like your guard dog or something like that. Holding your hand as he squeezes it gently (you've made it a habit to hold his hand and he certainly didn't object after a few times of it happened) as he glowers at your friends. You insist to yourself that it's just his usual expression, but it really isn't the case in this scenario. He can't fathom why you even need these people when he could obviously provide you with so much. His insecurities eat at him slowly everyday. Aren't you satisfied with having him around? You don't need them...

✧Atsushi Nakajima✧

From the moment you showed your unconditional affections and compassion, Atsushi couldn't believe you actually existed. Not only are you such a warmhearted person, but you don't even expect anything in return. His heart strings are pulled with every kind action and word you take/speak. Coming from a place of hardship and pain, Atsushi had to take some time to process the way you were. It was something he clearly wasn't used to but...he couldn't help but be drawn to it. It's odd to admit it but maybe, deep down, he craves this sort of treatment. Something you just can't get enough of once you have a taste.

Then there comes the fear. You're so precious and ever so kind. It's the perfect set of traits that horrible people like to ruin. The world is just like that; where awful human beings like to destroy the beauty of it all. You're no exception and Atsushi would be damned if he allowed you to meet the same fate. He becomes protective, and why wouldn't he? You're living in a city where danger seems to lurk in every corner. You...understand why he insists to walk you home, right? Not only to make sure you're safe, but also for peace of mind. Though, sometimes he finds himself searching (and following) around for you in secret whenever his paranoia strikes him.

Atsushi can't help it. He simply cannot lose you, a person who has shown his genuine care when no one else did. You are literally the light of his life. The very person who keeps him going. He'd do anything to ensure you are never in any danger. The thought of you dying out there frightens him to tears. Always holding your hand when when it's just the two of you, just to make sure you're still with him. He feels like it's his obligation to do all this. Otherwise...what good is he to you? There might be better people in the world for you but...but he wants you!

✧Oda Sakunosuke ✧

Congratulations, darling! You just earned yourself a protector who will stick by your side no matter what. Oda immediately could see how much you hold your heart on your sleeve (unless there's more to it as he observes you). He admires your personality and has no doubt that you're a light that shines brighter than most. You have his deep respects. The tenderness in your eyes and voice when you aid others is very evident. You're definitely too good for this world. He wonders if you ever have struggles of your own. Oda doesn't mind your care or concern for him, but do expect him to return the favor, no matter how much you protest against it. The two of you are both an adorable sight, honestly.

Still, as a yandere, Oda can be a bit protective but he isn't going overboard in his actions. He does work for the Port Mafia, so he does make sure you're under some form of protection in case of anything. I will say that he is the least yandere to concern yourself over due to many variables that keep it that way. His ability is incredibly useful if anything were to go wrong. However, even then, it doesn't get to that point unless someone really wants to seriously hit him where it hurts. Also, Oda doesn't get jealous often. He has faith in you, your kind hearted self, but he worries about how others can take advantage of your kindness. Oh, and he's honest about that. He sits down to talk to you about it and knows you'll listen, taking his words to consideration. What a lovely man he is.

Oda definitely introduces you to the orphans he's taken in. He knows you'll love them and in turn they'll love you as well. He believes they really do need someone with a motherly presence, given how they don't have that anymore. If he wasn't already obsessed with you before, watching you play with the kids certainly made him want you even more. You've been a lingering thought, a dream to be added to the one he already has. More than ever, Oda wants to be a novelist who writes with a view of the ocean...and you by his side with kids of your own (if you'd want that). His drive to leave the Port Mafia is stronger as he makes sure nothing from that organization reaches your senses. Don't worry...You two will have the life you always wanted.

✧Marrow Amin✧

Marrow is an open book when it comes to how he feels about you (for obvious reasons). However, he won't admit that outright. He has a reputation after all and he can't get mushy on the job. This is what he insists as he quickly grabs his tail to stop its wagging. A dead giveaway of course. Even if Marrow is an open book, that's only half of what's going on. He deeply appreciates your kindness and it's evidently in the way he looks at you when he believes no one is around. Unlike some of the other yanderes in this post, he doesn't have much insecurities. Sure, with his background as a faunus and the potential discrimination he had faced, it could brew about self esteem issues. However, Marrow does not dwell on all that, especially since he's made it this far in life. Even so, he really enjoys the way you treat him.

The man doesn't even have to ask for anything as you go out of your way to assist him. It's cute to him, but he presents his response as a smooth, "Oh, I had that covered" just to dismiss how much he appreciated the help. It's not like Marrow is undermining your actions...and he really does feel bad when he's alone with his thoughts. Especially when you're offering your help to others instead. A sense of guilt washes over him, but also jealousy. He honestly can't stand watching you give so much attention to the newcomers who General Ironwood made official huntsman and huntresses. Like, sure, they're young and impressionable (and he likes them too!) but aren't you supposed to be aid him? I mean, he's the rookie and all (something he doesn't say out loud a lot...). Marrow can't help but watch you longingly from afar.

He's come to be accustomed to your attitude, praise, and warmhearted behavior so it was a matter of time before Marrow became completely attached. He is now sticking by your side more, giving you puppy eyes for his morning coffee, insisting you check him for injuries despite the fact that he only got hit once while fighting some Grimm and much more. Heck, he even hopes you're watching him when training or fighting off Grimm so he can hear from you how amazing he is. It just feels special coming from you...There are times where you feel like all you see in your day is Marrow. It was if your schedule only revolved around being assigned to assist him. You don't question it too much, especially since Marrow was still new to the Ace Ops. He needed guidance and all the help he could get. Is that really true though?

[gffa]

Kinda vibing off the other anon’s ask…how did you reconcile with Anakin’s portrayal in the clone wars cartoon? I keep trying to, but the movie version and cartoon version seem like completely different characters at times. Like Hayden’s Anakin is so emotional and reserved and idk, vulnerable? (also prettier lol) Just generally more relatable in his struggles with his fears, anger, etc. And the cartoon version is so…not. Just kinda feels like a generic hot headed, himbo protagonist. Which is weird since that’s supposed to lead to the man we see in RotS. (I have similar issues with Padme and Obi-Wan’s portrayals at times too. But that’s not nearly as bad as with Anakin) So like any advice  or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!!!🙏

This may not be a super helpful answer, but it's the truth of how I came to reconcile the two: 1. Trying to view Anakin's character through the lens of how the war changed him, how in some ways he was rewarded for it (because he's so good at killing things, he has a new confidence, ego in the stratosphere, self esteem still in the toilet, so he seems "settled" in his own skin at times, he gains a more confident demeanor, his issues manifest as the more traditional anger issues, etc.) even as it was slowly chipping away at his emotional foundations. I try to view Anakin (and the other characters) through the lens of how being in the middle of an active war zone practically 24/7 would change his day to day demeanor, even if I acknowledge that the real answer is "because they were trying to 'correct' Anakin's portrayal", this can pull the two versions a little closer together in my mind. 2. Focusing on the bigger themes, like rewatching the first season of TCW, I was struck by just how often Anakin was willing to throw people to the wolves to go rescue the ones he cared about. Like the whole thing with refusing to wipe Artoo's mission logs, so he's willing to risk his entire squad of clones to go rescue him, because that's what attachment is--the willingness to get a thousand people killed because you have been afraid to live without the one you love. Moments like that help bridge the gap a little further for me as well. Or the entire Mortis storyline is one I will defend as being a great look at Anakin's character and the themes of the Force (basically, it's the Force trying to get Anakin to get his shit together, that everything that happens in that arc is a reflection of Anakin's struggle as the Force tries to get him to face his inner self, because that's what the Force does) and that helps me with enjoying TCW, too. 3. Just giving it some time, not just since I first watched it, but settling into the idea that I will never fully reconcile it, it's just not possible for me, and that there are some ways I can reconcile it. Just... time to settle into the idea of its imperfections being okay and I still enjoy the good parts of it. 4. Maintaining my boundary of, "My foundation of understanding of Anakin's character comes from the movies, that is who the character is at his very core, that is the structure that everything else must rest on." and anything TCW adds on is still canon but is the layer over the movies. The movies/Hayden's portrayal will always come first for me, and anything that conflicts with that, I tend to view as "something else is driving the way he acts", "this is a partial layer, rather than a whole layer, like the movies are", rather than that it's a core component of who he is. That's pretty much it for me--I view TCW as part of Lucas' canon, but I also see it as connective tissue to Lucas' canon, rather than the foundation, which means that sometimes it feels a little off, and I can go, "Well, Anakin's acting like this because the war has made him appear more confident, but once that's over, at his core he would still have been that reserved, emotional, soft-shelled person we see from Hayden's performance."

[slimyalienfreak]

Could you do a Hypno (pokepasta)/Hypno’s Lullaby mod x reader with a psychic user reader who sympathises with Hypno pls?

Hypno With A Sympathetic Psychic User

I’m not sure if there’s a difference between the pokepasta/fnf version of Hypno or if they’re just the same person but I mostly focused on the fnf version because I prefer that version of him and I love him in general. Hope you enjoy it. ~Blaze/Dawn

Pronouns: Not Mentioned

Warning: ⚠️Angst for the first few points + Slight spoilers for Hypno’s background in the fnf mod⚠️

Requested: Yes/No

Characters: Hypno

Proofread: ❌

Credits: Art By HLoArts on Twitter/X + Banner By ewnokia (Edited By Me) On Pinterest

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- I can imagine Hypno being a pretty closed off/lonely person in general. I mean he did lose his trainer so of course he had some reluctance when meeting new people. This dude probably has massive trust issues thanks to his past. It doesn’t really help that he has earned a bad reputation for kidnapping people so that pretty much gave him more reasons to seclude himself. No ones going to trust him anyways so what’s the point? But oddly enough he doesn’t necessarily mind it. Like sure it can get lonely but at this point he doesn’t think he can trust anyone so it’s only himself. Well until he met you of course.

- Admittedly when the two of you first met you two didn’t get along straight away. Mostly from his end due to your sympathetic nature. He may or may not have attempted to hypnotise you as well but due to your own psychic powers you were able to defend yourself from him. Admittedly he was impressed seeing a fellow psychic user.

- Due to your empathetic nature you were very insistent on being around him even with him insistent on you leaving him alone but kept persisting. Of course you did respect his wish for alone time when he did want it but when you could you did try to get closer towards him. You showed him kindness, something others usually don’t do, they’re usually just become extremely cautious of him seeing him as this horrid creature who does some terrible shit so with you giving him so kindly he couldn’t help but get attached to you. Though he did try to not let it affect him that much, his emotions did get the best of him. The thought of needing someone’s kindness or sympathy has never crossed his mind but with you now here it just hit him that he really needed it after all this time of being alone.

- At some point the two of you do eventually become mutuals and as soon as you two do he makes himself a promise to protect you and keep you safe. He already lost someone close to him and now that his heart has gotten attached to you he isn’t going to let his feelings get hurt again so do expect him to get attached to you. He knows you’ve got powers as well but honestly he doesn’t mean to call you naive but sometimes he feels like some people can and may take your empathetic nature for granted. He’s kind of self projecting but he just doesn’t want you to get your heart broken by someone so he feels like he has to otherwise you’ll become like him and he doesn’t want someone as kind as you to go down that route.

- Honestly even with the two of you being friends I kind feel like he would still be emotionally distant in a way. Like sure he’s more open then what he used to be and yes he trusts you more than other people but he still doesn’t feel like he deserves your respect. It mostly stems from slight insecurity. Some days he does feel like you're deceiving him in a way but at the same time he knows you wouldn’t do it. You sometimes have to tell him or do things to prove you're not planning on going anywhere.

- Adding on from the previous point. Sometimes he does have some moments when he does crave your attention but he’s kind of stubborn about it. But he really does like being close to you. He knows he can rely on you despite his past. The way he can just hug you and know you wouldn’t judge him this gives him a little bit of hope for humanity. Not a lot of course but it’s a start.

- Due to your kindness he does try to return the favour. Sometimes it isn’t exactly the best but you could tell he is genuinely trying his best to make you happy. Sometimes it’s the little things that can show what people are really like. And the fact that he was trying his best to return the favour made you extremely happy.

- When it comes to your psychic powers he really likes to indulge you into using them a lot more. Mostly because he himself besides his hypnosis powers also has psychic powers so he’d probably like to see your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe even trying both yours and his powers together to see what it can do.

- Overall, the initial a bit rocky at first the two of you did eventually became great friends.

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