#my always favorite homosexual ship

[dbz1989]

[jinmukangwrites]

Don't mind me, just 4k words into a Thanos moment

just finished my rewatch binge of the old Magic Kaito anime episodes (not to be confused with Magic Kaito 1412, I just started my rewatch of that), and the fandom is really sleeping on the potential of Agasa and Jii being acquaintances, even to the point Agasa makes devices for Jii, which in turn KID uses during heists. Yeah it might have been a throw away reference, a little bit of fan service, but IMAGINE a fic with Agasa going to a KID heist with Conan and recognizing one of the devices KID uses, in turn figuring out KID is somehow connected to Jii (I doubt Jii would tell Agasa that the devises are for KID when he asked for them), and Conan/Shinichi pulls this information out of Agasa and meets Kaito that way.

There's plenty of fanfics where Shinichi meets Kaito through Hakuba, or through Aoko through Ginzo, or just by happenstance, but I think it would be a fun little change for Kaito to walk into Jii's bar one day and have the full body shock of seeing Shinichi Just Standing There talking to Jii and having to pretend to be cool while Shinichi definitely can tell something's up.

Idk I just think it's interesting that the fandom doesn't play with this throw away tidbit, I don't think I've seen a single KaiShin fic where they meet through their Old Man Friends/Family. If anyone *has* seen a fic with this please hit me up, I might genuinely write it myself brnfndnfn

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: Queer horror, part 1

We all like a good horror story, right? You know what's even better? A queer horror story!

A note: queer here does not necessarily mean “guarantee of an f/f or m/m ship with a happy ending”, but rather simply a significant presence of queerness. Some of the books feature no romance but has a same gender attracted/trans/ace spectrum lead, or features an m/f relationship with bisexual, trans or aro/ace characters, or simply features a world-building which is heavily queer inclusive in ways that don’t always compare to our own ideas of sexuality and gender. I have however disqualified works where the only queer presence is along the lines of “gay best friend” or a blink and you’ll miss it confirmation that never comes up again.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle*

Rose, like her parents, believes strongly that homosexuality is a sin, and holds great pride that her home town hosts Camp Damascus, a successful conversion camp for young teens. But Rose is also experiencing strange and terrifying things: memories of a beautiful girl, a demonic figure that shows up if her thoughts stray, flies crawling out her mouth. Something has happened in Rose's past that her parents won't speak of and that she herself can't remember, and Camp Damascus is at the center of it all. Sapphic, autistic main character, as well as a really cool take on demonic lore that is both inspired by and a subversion of christianity.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland*

Young adult. Something happened to Iris Hollow and her two older sisters when they were little; after having gone missing, they were all returned with no memory of what happened and identical scars on their throats. Years have passed since then, and though seen as strange the girls still lead mostly normal lives - that is, until the oldest, Grey, goes missing, leaving strange clues in her path. As Iris searches for her, a strange man with horns starts stalking her and memories start to rise to the forefront in her mind. To save Grey, Iris will have to find out the truth of what happened all those years ago. Features wonderfully morally grey characters. Bisexual lead, but little to no romance.

Winter Tide (The Innsmouth Legacy) by Ruthanna Emrys*

Aphra and her brother are the only survivors after the government raided their home, Innsmouth. Their only living family are the amphibian people of the deep, whom they will one day join, but until then they are bound to land where they struggle to build new lives for themselves after the great loss of their home and loved ones. Then rumors start to spread of a russian agent seeking dangerous and ancient magic, forcing Aphra to involve herself as they try to stop it. Does contain horror elements but is generally a much more optimistic look on cosmic horror than most lovecraftian stories, told from the perspective of one of his monsters. Lots of focus on found family and rebuilding of community. Asexual main character (however I don’t think that becomes in-text confirmed until the sequel) and multiple queer characters in the supporting cast.

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Young adult. One year ago, Sara's sister went missing. Since then, Sara has drifted away from her friends, but when she receives a mysterious text inviting her to "play the game" - the same game that supposedly stole her sister away - Sara and her estranged friends all come back together to find her. Together they set off on a path that legend says appears only once a year, leading them toward the ghost Lucy Gallows and, hopefully, Sara's sister. Bisexual main character, told in a faux documentary style.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

A young pregnant woman flees a cult that left her body strange and changing in terrifying ways. Hiding from both a world wanting to oppress her and the cult seeking to force her back, she does her best to raise her children while trying to find out the truth of the cult and being pursued by a hunter in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Bleak and scary, Sorrowland is a book that will creep under your skin with horrors both fantastical and very, very real.

Otherside Picnic (Otherside Picninc lightnovel series) by Iori Miyazawa

Sapphic light novel with a surreal and episodic horror vibe. Following the directions of an urban legend, university student Sorawo finds her way to a reality populated by horrifying creatures from ghost stories and modern urban legends (of which I’m sure you’ll recognize many). Here she teams up with fellow explorer Toriko, both to find out more about this strange world and to help Toriko find a missing loved one. Also available as a manga and (one season of) an anime. Sapphic.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Amrfield

Miri thought she lost her wife Leah when her deep-sea mission ended in a catastrophe. But Leah was miraculously returned to her - or so it seems. Because something happened down there, deep in the ocean, and whatever it was, Leah has brought it back with her. Surreal and strange, Our Wives Under the Sea will not answer all your questions, but it will give you a unique experience.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Novella. Alex Easton, retired soldier, travels to visit their childhood friends, siblings Madeline and Roderick Usher, after finding out that Madeline is dying. In the siblings’ rural, ancestral home, Madeline walks in her sleep and looks to be fading away, while around it wildlife seems to be possessed by a strange force. With the help of a mycologist and an American doctor, Alex attempts to save Madeline and reveal the truth of her illness. Nonbinary main character.

Alien: Echo by Mira Grant

Young adult. Twin sisters Olivia and Viola’s parents are both xenobiologists, bringing them all over the galaxy. Most recently they’ve settled on a new colony world to study its wildlife, but it proves more dangerous than they could’ve ever imagined. Under attack from alien monsters, the sisters must keep each other alive while also coming to terms with a dark family secret. Sapphic horror. Part of the Alien franchise but stands well on its own.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant*

A research vessel heads towards the Mariana Trench in search of answers of what happened to a ship which mysteriously lost all its crew some time earlier. In the deep dark, something intelligent and hungry awaits them. Very much mermaids of the horror variety. Sequel to a novella, can be read as a standalone. Also contains a sapphic romance, however that is a pretty small part of the plot as a whole.

Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

Based on the podcast by the same name. Keisha Taylor thought she had lost her wife. She even held a funeral and attempted to move on with her life. But then Alice started to appear, all over America, in the background of every single major tragedy in the country. To find her missing wife, Keisha gets a job as a trucker and sets out on a roadtrip, not knowing what horrors awaits her.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Young adult. Over a year ago, the Raxter School for Girls was hit by the Tox, a strange disease that killed off many and left the survivors’ bodies slowly changing in terrifying ways. The island the school is on has been in quarantine since then, and the girls dare not leave the school grounds lest they become victims of wild animals changed by the Tox. But as they wait for the promised cure, one of the girls goes missing, and her friends are willing to do anything to find her. Unsettling, spooky, and sapphic, this is a unique read featuring body horror and messy, dangerous girls.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

Once, Andy, Kerri, Nate, Peter and their faithful dog were known as the Blyton Summer Detective Club, until they hit their fateful final case in 1977. Now, the year is 1990, and the group hasn't gathered in years. Tomboy Andy is wanted in at least two states; Kerri, former kid genius, is tending bar; and horror nerd Nate is in a mental institution in Arkham. At least he still has the company of jock-turned-movie star Peter - except Peter has been dead for years. Now they must all come together to find out the truth of what happened all those years ago. Lovecraftian horror with a sometimes absurdist vibe and adult scooby do inspiration. Sapphic romance.

Contagion by Erin Bowman*

Young adult. After receiving an SOS, a small crew is sent on a standard search-and-rescue mission. But what they find are not survivors awaiting help, but an abandoned site, full of dead bodies and crawling with something… monstrous. No romance, but features one sapphic co-lead and one who can easily be read as demisexual (however this doesn’t show up until book two, which has more romance).

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand*

Young adult. The isolated island of Sawkill Rock has secrets. It hosts the legend of a local monster, and the very stark reality of decades of girls going missing, never to be found again. Now, three girls stand at the center of the horrific mystery - if only they can come together, perhaps they can save future generations of girls from a monster that may very well be real. Asexual and sapphic main characters, including a sapphic romance.

Salvation Day by Kali Wallace

A decade ago, the massive ship House of Wisdom was abandoned in orbit after its entire crew was killed in an outbreak in a matter of hours. Now, Zahra and her family of outcasts hope to claim the ship as their own by kidnapping the sole survivor to gain access. But the danger of the House of Wisdom is far from gone. Horror, no major romance but one of the main characters is gay.

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling*

Possibly one of the most unstintingly claustrophobic books I’ve ever read, and definitely the most claustrophobic. Gyre, a caver on an alien planet, ventures into the dark and dangerous underground, guided only by a woman who has no compunctions on using and manipulating Gyre as she sees fit to obtain her secretive goals down in the caves. Sapphic in the most messy of ways.

Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb series) by Tamsyn Muir*

Gideon, raised as a swordswoman by unfriendly nuns, would rather run away and make her own life, but her services are needed. The Reverend Daughter, Gideon’s childhood nemesis, has been invited to a trial to win a place as an immortal by the Emperor’s side, and she’s in need of a bodyguard. Listen, if you’re on tumblr I probably don’t need to explain this book to you. Trust me when I say it’s exactly as good as people claim. Humorous and spooky but also absolutely gut wrenching and clever with a lot of political commentary. There are also, indeed, lesbian necromancers in space.

Family Business by Jonathan Sims

By the author behind the Magnus Archives. When Diya's childhood best friend and roommate unexpectedly passes away, Diya falls apart and, among other things, loses her job. When she's offered a position at Slough & Sons to clean up after the deceased, she sees no other recourse but to accept. Her new job is grisly but important, and Diya starts to get back on her feet - until strange visions of a terrifying man and the dead's last moments start to haunt her. Slough & Sons are hiding something, and it's up to Diya to find out the truth. No romance, bisexual main character and trans woman side character.

Sodom Road Exit by Amber Dawn

Starla didn't want to return to her childhood home of Crystal Beach, Canada, but growing debt has forced her to move back in with her mother, despite the trauma hidden in her old home. But Starla is haunted by more than trauma; she is, in fact, literally haunted, by a ghost that may understand her, but may also consume her. Not overly scary, but handles dark subjects such as childhood sexual assault. Lesbian main character and romance.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson*

In a world where the rich drink blood to preserve their health, Marion applies to a position as bloodmaid in a notorious noble house far from home. Suddenly showered with luxuries and debauchery, Marion soon gains the interest and favor of Lisavet, countess of the house. A fresh take on the idea of vampires and deliciously dark sapphic romance inspired by the horrific real-life Elisabet Báthory.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Dracula inspired novella, following Constanta, who’s turned from a medieval peasant to an undead bride. As time passes the relationship between Dracula and Constanta grows all the more strained and potentially dangerous. Teaming up with his two other consorts, she seeks to unravel her husband’s secrets. Sapphic and polyamorous.

Dread Nation (Dread Nation duology) by Justina Ireland

Young adult, alternate history. In this world, the war between the American states is interrupted when the dead start walking the earth and hunting the living. Jane McKeene has been trained at Miss Preston’s School of Combat to become an attendant, skilled in combat as well as etiquette to protect the wealthy. But Jane wants a different life, and in her search for it stumbles headfirst into a conspiracy. Bisexual main character, aroace side character (who becomes a POV character in the sequel).

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

In a future where those with high testosterone are afflicted by a zombie-like disease, bloodthirsty men have become the enemy. Trans women Beth and Fran and trans man Robbie do their best to survive in this brutal world, where TERF movements seek to exterminate them and monstrous men hunt in the wilds. VERY gruesome and bleak, but also very timely in the present political climate.

Leech by Hiron Ennes*

Unbeknownst to humanity, a sentient hive mind has taken over the entire medical profession to ensure the health of their host species. One of their doctors is sent off to an isolated location where they’re cut off from the rest of the hive mind, only to realize they’re faced with a rivaling parasitic entity. Leech hands you only just enough information to get by, and whether its historical fantasy, an alternate timeline, or futuristic post apocalypse is hard to determine. It’s spooky and a bit weird and wildly creative, and does some neat things with gender.

The Outside by Ada Hoffman*

AKA the book the put me in an existential crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired sci-fi where reality is warped and artificial gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by cybernetic ‘angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart. Sapphic main character.

The Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

Nix Marr is a soldier and damned good at it, but that doesn’t prepare her for her next mission: bodyguard for Subarch Kessandra, beloved royal and Nix’s bitter ex. The two venture toward the underwater city of Fall to seek the cause of a bloody murder spree and a possible deadly contagion. But Kessandra has enemies, the answers she seeks marking her as a possible threat for the nation’s rulers. On their way in an isolated and enclosed underwater ship toward Fall, the contagion catches up, and Nix will have to put her hurt feelings aside if the two are to arrive alive. Sci-fi with flavors of horror and the supernatural and a sapphic romance.

[mai-komagata]

re: sexy stabbings

im writing this very long meta on how galadriel x sauron and silvergifting dynamics help an audience recognize different forms of seduction in a relatable way (including queer forms of seduction, which audiences are normally blind to), and how recognizing these ships isn't about "crack shipping" but about the text using the language of sexuality/eroticism/seduction to convey concepts that would otherwise be vague and not-understandable like temptation to a metal object or wounds that cannot heal or possession by an alien being as well as concept of "men in a fantasy/magical/superhero setting are not just power levels" -- ie. the strongest man should always win. Galadriel is *integral* to this because most characters in tolkien are male and audiences are pre-disposed to ignoring emotional dynamics in men other than anger and violence -- the contrast with a female romance lets an audience be like "these people, adar, galadriel, celebrimbor are more alike than distinct". (wow maybe i don't need to write it, anymore!). But since that is taking me very long to write and i keep running into queer-erasure every day i'll just say this: the reason we don't see Sauron torture Galadriel in the same way she tortures Celebrimbor is not because his relationship with them is cosmically different (obviously its different bc they are different people). Galadriel is not more "pure" or "loved" than Celebrimbor. Neither is blameless (i.e. both were ambitious) and neither is deserving of torture (nobody deserves that, even Sauron). It's because there is different symbolism to the way they are being hurt. Arrows being used as martyrdom is a millennia old way of showing homosexuality. Stabbing is metaphorical of penetration. He intended to kill both of them for denying them the Nine. Because Sauron is bad at impulse control, he takes and believes he is wiser than he is. If he wants something he will take it and then regret that he broke his favorite thing. (note he doesn't regret killing other people he doesn't twistedly love, like mirdania, or the orcs).

Galadriel had Nenya (i.e. Celebrimbor's magic, untouched by sauron) and Elrond was able to save her (love and light win the day). Celebrimbor died as symbolic for what happened to Eregion (he was alone and eregion fell).

This doesn't mean BOTH scenes aren't meant to be erotic. The stabbing is hot and the caressing of the arrows are hot. But they are hot in a BDSM/noncon way. "Do you understand what it's like to be tortured by a god?" sorta way.

Pragmatically, though, the reason we don't see more graphic galadriel is because it would make audiences uncomfortable. You can be way more graphic with gay shit and people won't be squicked than if you are graphic with m/f abuse. As i said, a good 50-70% of the audience won't even NOTICE the gay shit and think its just standard fantasy violence. The closer you make it to outright rape, the less compelling it is, because Sauron needs to both be APPEALING and EVIL in order to understand why people are drawn to the rings of power and why it is essential to oppose it.

[disclaimer: this is not anti galadriel x sauron, it is just in favor of seeing the ship in a dark way as part of the larger narrative. When I talk about shipping them in a dark way i don't mean simply its my kink, i mean this is a dark seduction story at heart. The actors are very hot, their acting is very sexy, but the function in the larger story is to display the different ways sauron tempts and corrupts people, including galadriel, celebrimbor, adar, and how sauron himself was corrupted by melkor].

[animentality]

Tbh I think it's still legit if you read and like Blue Lock for being so gay (at least subtextually), despite being misogynistic Kaneshiro seems to have sympathy for queer people to a certain degree. Besides the gay sidekick, As The Gods Will also has some other queer side characters (a lesbian, a trans girl, a few more hinted gay boys and a non-binary villain according to my memory) even though not all of them are well-written, the good ones are good. Specifically my most favorite is the gay sidekick Ushimitsu, he's actually a pretty well-rounded character with very strong role as a co-lead in ATGW 2, I never feel like he was disrespected in the story (rather I think he's obviously Kaneshiro's favorite), sure he's got an open ending that can be seen as tragic but it's actually in line of the whole theme of the story and I respect Kaneshiro to commit to writing it rather than just give a copout happy ending and it also proves his gay feelings as real & deep despite heartbreaking.

Now I wish Kaneshiro can have that same energy in writing Bachira as he's in a similar position to Ushimitsu in ATGW but somehow poor bee boy got pushed aside in bllk after U20 arc (probably in favor of more popular Isagi ship with Rin or Kaiser 🙃), I hope he makes good on the promise that Bachira will be a key character later in the series and this time since nobody will die in Bllk I hope Bachisagi will get a deserved happy ending.

well that's the thing, anon.

I feel bad for liking blue lock because it has such a misogynistic creator but it's hard not to cling to something so obviously queer friendly.

like honestly.

there's definitely Japanese media that's queer neutral or queer friendly but blue lock actually feels like it's always on the verge of just being properly queer.

it's not fanservice like free or yuri on ice. it legitimately feels as close to canon as it can get without changing genres. and I think the creator having queer characters in the past gives him some street cred.

i know what homophobia in a manga looks like. it's that awful rapist character from one punch man. this hyper masculine but also hyper feminine muscly man who sexually assaults other men.

it's tokyo ghoul having its only queer characters being pedophiles, rapists, and sex addicts/victims who get sexually assaulted until they're "corrected."

it's having no subtext at all and only ever using gay men as a one off joke and gay women as a fetish.

at least blue lock does seem to respect its characters enough that it takes their hinted at sexualities seriously.

it really doesn't go for the obvious "ewwwwww we're both guys" jokes. it's kept very ambiguous. it's subtle (except when it's not, lol).

the only character who really fits the usual offensive gay anime representation tropes is Shidou, but even him I wouldn't count as bad rep (as the closest to canonically gay character, aside from Bachira).

Shidou might be super flamboyant but he also gets to have the coolest fucking moments in the series. he's not just some pervert, he's a badass. he doesn't just flounder around like some useless weird loser who only exists to be the butt of a joke.

he loves to fight and play soccer and feel alive. he has the coolest aura in the series and everyone is constantly in awe of the ridiculous things he can do.

he's a proper villain, who's out of pocket and insane, but who's also intensely lovable and silly. and honestly portrayed pretty sympathetically. for all his faults, he can be very kind.

there's a lot of depth to him, and honestly, I think Blue Lock is pretty good at not doing anything to suggest oh hahaha homosexuality exists. isn't that funny

plus I think Bachira is canonically gay. we know he's canonically in love with Isagi.

kunigami and aiku are actually confirmed bisexual too.

Shidou and Sae were also highly suspect during u20, to the point where even homophobes cant deny they have something weird going on.

so to me... that's a lot of queer characters who are taken seriously and actually have characters outside of being a joke or a gag. they feel like real people. they have distinct personalities.

the bar is in hell, but it's more than most manga/anime manage.

so I have to give Kaneshiro credit. he's doing as much as he can, without overstepping the boundary I'm sure kodansha has set for him.

it's just a shame he's a sexist. also, I hope Kaneshiro grows a pair.

just have bachisagi get married in the last chapter you pussy.

let Shidou officiate!!!

[sillyyuserr]

i am no hater or at least i don’t like to be, but do you (aoikane/aoiaoi shippers) actually know peace? Do i just happen to stumble upon the mean ones everytime or are ygs genuinely just so hateful? Please i don’t mean to be mean but like do you genuinely exist? No joke every time i have interacted with an aoikane/aoiaoi shipper they have been so mean and aggressive towards terukane or any other alternative ship including either aoi or akane. Not even just interactions but viewing you like in action and YOU interacting with OTHER aoikane/aoiaoi shipping people has made me like lose hope in the world. The main reason i come to hate ships is not because of the characters (sometimes) but mostly because of the people who ship them themselves. I mean for example I would die to see Nene and Hanako get together hell yeah but that’s mostly because theres no homophobia lingering around them?? Not only is there no queer subjects or matters involving either characters but the main crowd of tbhk fans just enjoy it above all else don’t get mad at anyone for shipping any one of them with anyone else because they know damn well its so clearly established and loved by everyone they don’t need to worry about it ever becoming something it’s not.

i would be so down to say like ‘oh thats so cute akane loves aoi’ if you didn’t harbor so much unwarranted anger towards us?? What happened to being respectful?? (And it might just be the homophobic ones i’m not sure.)

Like touching back on what i said about Hananene was that for example there is no queer subjects/matter involving either of them, however there is with aoikane (debatably). For example (again damn) there is arguable evidence suggesting another male character has romantic interest in him. Which of course does not make him HIMSELF queer, but it does involve him in such an agenda (?).

there is a difference between a good way to handle this, and a bad way to. For example, you are a good/unproblematic Aoikane supporter if you:

Acknowledge that either one character is associated with homosexuality and that one character is the sole supporter of the idea, and realize that homosexuality can infact coexist with your favorite ship

Acknowledge that aoiaoi has a few elements to it that make some uncomfortable, and allow others to respectfully disagree with you

You are a bad/problematic Aoikane supporter if you:

Deny the possible idea of either one character being associated with homosexuality and openly deny/act on aggression towards it

Deny aoiaoi’s initial or ‘current’(?) toxicity

And someone who will straight up deny that aoiaoi had something wrong with it in the first place is someone you do not wanna be. It is important to understand that aoiaoi is a semi problematic ship, and i’m not saying this ‘because I’m biased’ i’m saying this because (i think) it’s true. At the beginning and even some aspects of now, aoiaoi was a very unhealthy + toxic relationship/ship, hence why a lot of people hated it, and it’s okay to say things like ‘omg i love how aoiaoi’s coming back yess!!’ But to say things that make it sound like aoiaoi was perfect all along and people who disliked it were ignorant or ‘straightphobic’ is just stupid.

Please just be nice guys cmon😭 i have never in my life seen aoiaoi/aoikane shippers JUST TALK about said ship always finding way to bond ab their hatred for terukane (subconscious homophobia or purposeful, we’ll never know)

anyway guys stay positive!!!! xxxx

[theredengineapologist]

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! 💙❤

Of course, I had to do something Jameward for the occasion. Even though this meme is literally called "Understand my Ship in 5 Minutes", I still wanted to include some commentary/headcanons because I've been DYING to talk about them forever. So if you're interested, read on under the cut!

(Also, please note that the interpretation of the characters depicted here is specifically for my AU, TTTE: Sudrian Boys)

NAMES: For the sake of making sure their names fit in the boxes, I used the last names they picked for themselves before they got married. When they do eventually get legally married, they'll combine their last names together (a conclusion they got to after much bickering). So respectively, they will be James and Edward Hughes-Pettigrew.

GENDER + SEXUALITY:

James is GAY. GAY GAY HOMOSEXUAL GAY. Sorry not sorry, but there is not a woman-liker bone in his body.

Edward, on the other hand is bi. Part of me thinks he tends to prefer the company of men, but maybe that's just because there's significantly more male engines on Sodor. Also he is nonbinary. This will be something I explore later. But to summarize, Edward never felt entirely male in the strict sense that humans define it. However, he felt the need to be the consistent, steady, "old reliable" his peers saw him as, so he never questioned what others chose to call him. This changed when "The Great Shift" happened (aka, the engines learning to shift into a human-like form). Edward saw an opportunity to experiment with his presentation, and so he had a brief stint where he tried going in the opposite direction, presenting as a woman named Alice. As fun as it was, however, he found that it didn't feel quite right either. To him, "Edward" was where he felt most at home. He's not a man or a woman, he is just "Edward". Edward uses "he/they" pronouns because those feel the most neutral to them.

HORNY LEVEL: I will not be elaborating.

AWKWARDNESS LEVEL: I don't think Edward and James ever really had an "awkward phase". Before they got together, they always felt comfortable with each other as close friends would. They never really had that thing of "oh I want to tell him I like him but I also don't want him to know". Edward always knew he liked James, he just didn't say anything because he didn't think James was interested. And once James admitted to himself that he liked Edward, he confessed and it was all smooth sailing from there. To be honest, not much changed when they moved from "close friends" to "boyfriends". They still act like close friends, just with added kissing privileges.

JEALOUSY LEVEL: At the point where they're at in their relationship right now, both James and Edward are pretty secure, so it's rare for either of them to act jealous.

From Edward's perspective, he knows that James is young (relatively speaking) and very attractive, so it's hardly surprising to see that other people would try to flirt with him. There's a small pang of jealousy that comes from him thinking James would have preferred someone younger or stronger, but that quickly goes away once he sees James return to being on his arm and very proudly proclaiming he's already spoken for.

From James's perspective, he thinks Edward is the real catch between the two of them. Plus, it's not often that other people would try to shoot their shot with the silver fox. So when other people do try to get a little too close for comfort, James would certainly be stewing in jealousy. If the feeling gets to a certain point, he'd probably make himself known. But once they get home, the situation gets explained out, and they're cuddling on the couch with a blanket and some tea, James finds he can let go of the jealous feeling relatively quickly.

BIG SPOON/LITTLE SPOON: Majority of the time, James is the little spoon. He likes to be held and Edward LOVES holding him. James's favorite thing is when Edward keeps their hand on his chest. But occasionally, they do switch places, especially if Edward has a particularly hard day. Sometimes Old Iron wants to be cuddled too.

LENDS/BORROWS CLOTHES: Both of them tend to steal borrow clothes from each other, but under different circumstances.

At home, it's relatively commonplace to see Edward walking around in one of James's pants, shirts, or even his prized red coat. But more often than not, these are cases of Edward just picking them up of his own accord and James just letting him have it.

Outside, it's James who more actively does the borrowing and Edward who does the lending. James likes to go out ✨IN STYLE✨ without taking into consideration pesky things like the weather. So when James (inevitably) gets cold at night, Edward is the one to lend him his jacket.

PET NAMES: They don't use pet names often, but they do use some of the more basic ones on occasion. For James, Edward would sometimes call him "Jamie", "darling", "dear", or his personal favorite, "love". James usually calls Edward by his full name because Edward prefers it, but sometimes he might slip in an "Eddie", "baby", or a "kitten" in there just to make the old man flustered.

AFFECTION THROUGH WORDS/ACTIONS: This one might seem paradoxical, but let me explain.

James is more receptive to affection through words because he's used to being dismissed. In his worst moments, he can be pretty down on himself as his insecurities eat away at him. At times like these, Edward knows exactly what to say to help James pick himself back up again. It's especially meaningful because Edward absolutely means everything he says. He's not the type to lie just to make James feel better. He's honest and straightforward. If James did something wrong that needs calling out, Edward will tell him (politely of course). So when Edward tells James that he's wonderful or that he's a "really splendid engine", he 100% means it. And you can tell from just the look in his eyes that Edward loves his red boyfriend SO DAMN MUCH.

Conversely, Edward is more receptive to affection through actions. Edward is always the one out caring for everyone else and tends to forget to care for himself too. But at the same time, he's very much the type to never ask for help (even if he needs it). James knows this, so he goes the extra mile to help take some of the load off. If Edward is especially tired one day, James will step up and do Edward's share of the housekeeping without being asked. He'll volunteer to go supervise Bill and Ben so that Edward can take a day off. He'll fix up a warm bath for Edward after a hard day. Anything to make sure Edward is taken care of, James will do it. Not only that, but James is also the one planning most of their dates. ;)

CONFESSING:

Edward NEVER had any plans to confess to James. Romantic relationships are uncommon amongst engines since there's no real use for them. Plus, he didn't think James would be interested in a plain old iron like himself (as he views himself anyway). So Edward was just content to just feel his feelings and never act on them.

James, on the other hand, took several years to both realize and accept that he was in love with Edward. But once he got to that point, he confessed fairly quickly. Sure, there was a normal amount of hesitation and worry that Edward might not feel the same. But he was about 90% sure that Edward loved him back so he didn't end up worrying that much leading up to the confession.

CAN'T DRIVE LOL: Even as engines, they can't drive themselves. Plus, they know trains are the superior way to travel. So if they ever need to go somewhere while shifted into humans, they just catch one of their friends' trains. I don't think they've ever even sat in a car before.

COOKING: Edward loves to cook (especially baking). It was one of the first hobbies he picked up after learning how to shift and he would often make meals to share for the entire Steam Team. James, on the other hand, can cook, but not nearly as well as Edward. He doesn't know as many dishes as Edward. Even the ones they both know, James's, for some reason, aren't as good. The only time James would ever take over cooking is if Edward is feeling too exhausted to do so. There's a mutual acknowledgement between them (and also the rest of the Steam Team) that Edward is the superior chef (and he also enjoys it more). So if he can help it, James prefers to leave the cooking to Edward.

PDA: James absolutely LOVES PDA. He will take literally every opportunity he can to dote on Edward in public so that the entire island knows that they're together, much to Edward's embarrassment. Edward secretly loves the PDA too, and he appreciates how proud James is to be his boyfriend (and later husband). But Edward would never admit it. He tries really hard to at least appear decent in public. That said, when the opportunity arises, Edward does like getting to flip the script and fluster James in front of onlookers.

OVERPROTECTIVE/CHILL GOING: Both are more than reasonably protective over each other, but for different reasons and under different circumstances.

James gets into accidents relatively often, usually as the result of his own dumbassery. So Edward has gotten to a point where he's not too concerned if James winds up in an accident again. He'll still worry a little and warn James to be more careful next time, but Edward knows after a trip to the Steamworks that his boyfriend will be good as new again.

It's when they're shifted into humans when Edward becomes more protective of James.

Because of the way James looks, it's unfortunately not uncommon for James to get harassed while shifted as a human. When this happens, Edward goes into full protective mode to make sure his beloved stays safe. Thankfully, it doesn't happen too often. But it does happen often enough that Edward feels like he has to keep close watch of James while they're traveling after nightfall.

James, on the other hand, always has a bit of worry for Edward at the back of his mind. He knows Edward is capable of handling himself, but he also knows that Edward is old and doesn't recover from accidents as quickly or easily as he does. He worries that if the damage is too great, Edward could be scrapped. So if Edward were to end up in any sort of accident, James would go ballistic. He's puffing over right away to make sure his beloved is okay and may or may not have a fierce word with whoever caused the accident. The same thing goes when they are in human form. If Edward were to end up in some sort of fight, James would put himself in harms way to make sure Edward is protected (even though in human form, Edward is actually physically stronger than James).

RELATIONSHIP EXPERIENCE: Neither of them had any relationship experience before each other, they were each other's firsts. You can maybe argue that Edward has slightly more experience because he's had crushes on other people in the past, but fleeting attraction that is never pursued could hardly count for true experience. Their whole relationship is something that James and Edward are navigating together. It's new and at times a little scary, but there's nobody else James and Edward would rather be with than each other.

[lemmylemons]

Random, useless Tekken headcanons at 6 AM because I am bored and still a little high, but it's okay:

• Kazuya and Jun sleep like bunnies in bed, they curl up and fight over their covers because they both clutch onto the blankets for dear life

• Kazuya snores LIKE A MOTHERFUCKING TRUCK STOP, like Jun got used to it when they were young, but she comes back, gets back into bed with him, and swears to God he's going to choke to death in his sleep; and it's not like, consistent snoring, it's 'HONK-HONK *random incoherent noises*'

• I don't know if Marshall is still married, but I honestly think he's probably divorced - and married to Paul for money and convenience, DO NOT FIGHT ME ON THIS, I AM RIGHT (they 'adopted' Steve, aka, Steve lives with them)

• Jinpachi and Wang are just a little zesty, please, I love them, THEY'RE A LITTLE HOMOSEXUAL...

• Jin always, somehow, wakes up with his thumb in his mouth, he could be sleeping like a plank, but still wake up with his thumb in his mouth; ah, trauma (it's just comfy for him); adding onto that - I think biting his finger nails or skin is his indicator that he's stressed

• Kazuya's bisexual, Jun's a little unlabeled; she just goes with the flow of whoever (Kazuya's has many secret boyfriends when he was young, nothing can't convince me)

• MY PERSONAL FAV LITTLE WEIRD POLY SHIP THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONTENT: Raven x Victor x Dragunov - LET ME EXPLAIN - Raven and Victor are dating, (in my opinion, Raven's in his early 40's, he's gay, Victor's bi, they're definitely "open") and Dragunov is like... A 'sugar baby' who drops in, starts shit, SOMETHING happens between them, and then they go back to hating him (queers)

• Kazuya knew Jun was pregnant, I honestly believe that he knew, but it was in a short time frame from his death, if he didn't fucking DIE, I think he definitely would have had an amazing relationship with Jin

• I have a page in my notebook dedicated to Jin headcanons, and my favorite is that Jin has a stuffed tiger named 'Tora', it's a bit ripped, extra loved and dirty (from being left outside in Yakushima): it was given to him when he was born by Jun... As he thought- turns out, when Kazuya heard she was pregnant, he got a little stuffed tiger to give to their unborn baby, but obviously, his ass died, and Jun still gave it to Jin... He found out and blew a fuse, refusing to believe it

• All the Mishimas are born with that fuckass hair, evident by Kazuya LITERALLY being born with that fuckass hair

• Steve Fox is gay, do not fight me on that, he's gay

• When Kazuya was a baby, Kazumi used to sit down with him and her pet tiger, letting the 2 just kind of... Explore one another, the tiger was a gift from Heihachi, and she LOVED that tiger, so she likes to include it in family time - so she'd take baby Kazuya and just set him in front of the tiger and let to two sniff and grab at each other

• Jin's vegetarian to me, like, obviously he needs to protein, but I feel like he gets sad every time he has to eat meat because he just thinks of the animals

• Heihachi baby talks Kuma, I will never not think that; obviously not in front of others, but it happens, it fucking happens

• If Kazuya lived for Jin, he'd be the best house husband ever - obviously Jun's around a lot, but if she has to take a case, Kazuya's cooking for them, cleaning, with Jin, best house husband

I'll have more eventually...

[tatatatatara]

For the ship ask game: naturally houtata

Oh u still want me to talk about them 👉👈 been feeling embarassing lately but thank you for your support as always

1. What made you ship it?

Well, I first learned about the ship through this fanart, then I found their ending art in Root A is so meaningful too. And the more I think about it the more it makes sense in my mind.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

My favorite thing ever is how Houji sympathize with Tatara. Hell, he even apologized to him for unable to return Yan. Is he just that sympathizing, or did he have something special feeling for him, or is he actually a freak who feels related to man eating monsters? It's up to our interpretation and I like that too. HouTata is a free space and I can say whatever I want

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Idk about the others but I find HouTata very shippable? Probably because they're made to be foils and I have this thing with enemies to lovers ships. But arrghhh I've been in so much fandoms and HouTata seems to be the realest to me, like they are always meant to be die together spitefully and homosexually. Something something I can't live with you nor without you. I know I'm just delusional with this but I feel really comfortable shipping them and I have had so much fun

[billowingangel]

Welcome ✧

I've been into hetalia since 2016 and for a while I tried to pretend I didn't like it....And I'm tired of living that lie! So I'm back to thinking, loving, obsessing, and writing about Hetalia.

I also block very freely and I'd rather people be 18+ to interact (since occasionally I may post nsfw/nsft which I will always tag)

I'm currently working on a few fanfictions which you can find on AO3 and FF.net

My favorite character is Canada 🍁 And I ship him with pretty much anyone...and I mean anyone...If that makes you uncomfortable please feel free to block this blog or the tags associated with ships you are uncomfortable with. I may at times reblog problematic ships, I'll add tags for the ship and a cw for the problematic element of the ship. Please take care of your mental health and curate your online space to what is best for you ♡ ˎˊ˗

more information below the canada picture

Wow, you clicked continue reading so here's more annoying stuff about me and this blog (^_^)

I spam reblog, mostly fanart (so many in this fandom are so talented!) and miscellaneous things (memes, random shit, writing tips, etc).

I'll occasionally post some of my own fanfictions (drabbles or links to them)

I also will post my rambling silly thoughts. I have decided to let myself loose and be as annoying authentic as possible here.

Also I will do my best to tag content/trigger warnings but I may forget (memory of a goldfish) so if I do please let me know

Here are some tags I use on this blog to organize (still working on what tags to use) ᯓ★

#art reblog ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡): self explanatory

#hetalia fanart ✨: reblogs of hetalia fanart

#canon tbh: posts that I see as accurate to character's personalities, how I perceive them, and how I think they'd act

#hetalia fanfiction:

#hetalia meme:

#positivity: posts and reblogs that are positiive

#misc: posts that are surprisingly not related to hetalia

#me core: reblogs that I really relate to

#fanfic imagine: imagining a fanfiction and maybe i'll write or finish the idea

#fanfic in progress: my thoughts during the process of writing fanfiction, debating whether I should do this or that, talking about what I plan to do, blah blah

#my fanfic: fanfiction that I have written, usually a link to ao3 but may also be to ff.net

I also mostly tag hetalia characters as hws so if you look up hws canada (for example) you'll be able to see all posts about that character

Some of my favorite posts of mine ┈─★

Now more about me which is why you're reading this (I'm just kidding)

Call me angel or anything really I don't care what I'm called (ᐢ. ̫ .ᐢ)

Also please feel free to message me!! I love talking to people but I get a bit hestitant about initiating. My discord is billowingangel if you want to talk there!

I'm 20 years old and I go by she/her pronouns and I'm a lesbian I love me some boobs what can I say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I may be a raging homosexual but I'm also a raging hetaliansexual (joke), I am attracted to so many fictional male characters and shockingly a ton of them are from hetalia (shoot me dead)

I love hetalia if that isn't obvious, it's on my brain a probably disturbing amount what can I say I'm mentally ill. I also like other anime (demon slayer <333, jujutsu kaisen, the witch and the beast, parasyte, etc), doctor who (so happy there's a new season), yuri manga!!, and other shit. I love horrors and thrillers! I rarely watch romantic comedies but I love reading romance in fanfiction ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm working on my own book (probably my 20th book) but I'm hoping to actually finish this one.

I am also working on multiple fanfictions: red means it's completed

off the grid: canada slightly snaps and goes on vacation lol

???:idk what to call it, america, england, and france are all fighting for canada's love and he's oblivious

unhealthy obsession: another country becomes obsessed with canada

Falling for Canada: multiple rarepair oneshots with Canada

My first omegaverse 0.0

a really stupid horror drabble that I posted

amecan week 2024

And I believe that's it~ Maybe I'll add my favorite ships

[magpie-come-east]

One more for the character meme, Mohg!

favorite thing about them

First, his boss fight is probably my favorite in the game. I've probably beaten him as a furled finger close to 100 times. I believe I managed to no-hit him once, even.

I dunno I love his flying animations. He really seems to have weight and heft as he flies. It's a delight to watch. Plus those wings are outrageous.

As i've mentioned before, I find him being a narrative foil to Morgott really interesting. At first glance he seems like the most classically evil of all the characters in the ER catalogue (except maybe Rykard?). He kidnaps and tortures people. His goals are vague but he seems to want to usher in a God of blood and suffering. He has tortured the supposed purest of the Demigods- his child brother whom he wants to wed. Looking at Rivers of Blood and the blood pots, he's always had this strange, dark charisma that I love.

But literally scratch the surface and there's a deeper character there. He was abused himself. He suffered for so long. He was imprisoned for being a monster, and he embraced that role. Without his mother's guidance, he embraced suffering as an inherent truth to existence and feels no qualms about inflicting it on others. I feel there was a part of him that once wanted to champion the Order's spurned and oppressed. But if he'd accomplished his goals, there would have been little healing. He would have been a tyrant to rival Marika.

least favorite thing about them

While I loved the Miquella charm reveal, I do completely understand why others don't. Mohg is, unfortunately, blighted with the trifecta of unforgivable problematic character traits. I can understand why people would feel like they had the rug pulled out from under them when he was seemingly exonerated of those traits- and his supposed victim was to blame. 2 years after the base game was released.

He was always divisive, and SOTE muddying those parts of his character have only fanned the flames. It's unfortunate. Mohg is an interesting character, and while I think his relationship with Miquella is vital to his themes and role, it is only one part of him. But its the part that gets the most attention.

favorite line

Sadly Mohg doesn't have many canon lines. Of the ones that exist though, "You must abide alone awhile," is the one that has entered my lexicon lol. Nothing is funnier than telling the ferrets 'You must abide alone awhile' before leaving the house.

brOTP

I said it before, but Morgott and Mohg come immediately to mind.

Varre and Mohg somewhat fill this niche? Kinda? I do still feel Varre's relationship with Mohg is largely a mirror of Mohg's obsession and abuse. Varre was, after all, kidnapped into the Dynasty.

OTP

Mohg x Sir Ansbach at this point. I'm just weak for the loyal knight and their Lord dynamics all the Demigods seem to have.

Mohg x My Specific OC (Cyprus). I'm in my era of fandom where I want to see Mohg be with more Omen/hornsent partners. He sees being Omen as a blessing. Let him love an Omen!

Then finally, Miquella x Mohg in a sense. This one is weird because I don't enjoy it the same way I enjoy Ansbach x Mohg. But I do feel it to be an integral part of the canon. Mohg's themes of trauma and abuse and his nature being developed more by the rejection of his mother than as the creature he was born as is reflected viscerally in the relationship Mohg has (or thinks he has) with Miquella. It feels kind of hollow when fandom engages with Mohg's character but conspicuously leave out his deal with Miquella. Like this isn't me saying people HAVE to make Mohg/Miq a huge deal in fanworks. But scrubbing Miquella's existence from Mohg's story entirely sands down his overarching role in the canon if you get me.

nOTP

To me, Mohg is homosexual. I do not care for Mohg being shipped with women. To be clear, there’s nothing problematic about it. I don’t seethe at the sight of women getting with Mohg. It’s just that I prefer to indulge my HCs more. 

Trina x Mohg is my least favorite of all the Mohg-with-woman ships.

Again, Morgott x Mohg, too. As a lovely mutual put it 'it adds nothing' for me.

random headcanon

Mohg lays eggs. I will not elaborate.

Mohg coerced Ansbach into Mohgwyn by preying on his vulnerable circumstances. Just because Ansbach loved Mohg eventually doesn't change that he didn't exactly sign up of his own volition.

Mohgwyn pre-Miquella charm worked secretively to prolong the Shattering War. Both to prolong bloodshed and allow the hierarchy to destroy itself, but also to safeguard Morgott in Leyndell. Because if the other Demigods took the city, Morgott would fight to the death (canon tbh).

Morgott and Mohg kept in contact even after they parted ways. They shared a strong bond all their youth. Even if decades went between meetings, they still cared for one another.

Mohg was treated worse as a baby by Marika and her house because of his appearance. Morgott received some affection. Thus, when he was imprisoned in the shunning grounds he was better conditioned to re-earn and seek that approval again by championing the Order. Mohg never knew that familial affection. So he was drawn all the more easily to the Formless Mother for it.

If Mohg is ashamed by any part of himself, it's the behaviors that are ingrained in him by his torment in the Shunning Grounds. He is territorial and has irregular eating behaviors.

Mohg used to be a midwife in the Shunning Grounds.

unpopular opinion

I think I echo a lot of people here when I say that much of his fandom interpretations aren't to my liking. Since Mohg is a divisive character, there's a dozen ways he gets interpreted.

I don't like it when Mohg is made into a goofy comic relief character. It works in silly comics and jokey memes. But in more in-depth, serious works it's a shame he's too often relegated to this cringey funny uncle role. I feel like it's a big cope/defensive mechanism against fandom backlash. Like people strip him down of any rough edges to preemptively prevent harassment.

Again, Rykard, the character closest in the villain archetype to Mohg for me, is never flattened out as much as Mohg is. No one has to write Mohg as an incestuous rapist if they don't want but at least allow him some intimidation, bravado, charisma, and dignified competency?? Please??

song i associate with them

Never Change (Sullivan King Remix)

Villain - MISSIO

March of Mephisto by Kamelot (especially this one, latin, slightly corny rock, fitting lyrics)

Virus by Gen.Kloud

Ptolemaea by Ethel Cain!

Kiss Me You Animal

The Dark - Whipped Cream

Cloud Nine by Evanescence!

Thomas by A Perfect Circle!

Nature of Inviting by IAMX

(Whew thats a whole playlist lol)

favorite picture of them

There's too many to list. But right now the Mohg in Jordans one is my favorite.

@krakenguard since you asked for this one too!

[gaykarstaagforever]

TNG Season 6 certainly has its good episodes. Like Episode 8, "A Fistful of Datas".

Yes, it's another goofy "Holodeck-on-the-fritz" episode. But I goddamn love these. And the writers seem to too, because they usually tend to be well-written. This one in particular focuses on Worf and Data, probably my two favorite TNG characters, which helps. And Spiner and Dorn get to flex their substantial acting chops, dealing with this fantasy situation.

Also they finally let Troi do something cool. I may be a filthy homosexual, but Cowboy Troi still gets it DONE. Hot damn.

This episode raises all kinds of questions about how the Enterprise-D computer works, and why the hell. You'd think after the "Elementary, My Dear Data" incident of Season 2, they would have physically isolated the Holodeck from the rest of the ship's computer, or at least put up some firewalls or memory-access limits. The VR computer game app should not be able to just use ALL of the ship's insane computing power to run games. Like, games are shit when they do that now. This system keeps fresh air flowing in the ship, and makes it so that not everyone explodes immediately every time you move it. Probably should wall-off the thing running Space Fortnite from the bulk of that.

But they certainly don’t. By the end of this episode, the computer has nonchalantly generated FIVE different perfect recreations of Data for its corrupted cowboy simulation. Five. He's the most advanced android in the known universe, and his inner-workings are a mystery even to Starfleet scientists. And the Enterprise-D computer just made 5 clones of him for a video game. Hot damn, this system is scary powerful.

...Of course, in "Elementary, Dear Data", it accidentally created an ENTIRE SENTIENT MAN, just because Geordi asked it to troll Data. And it let that creation seize the rest of the computer with steampunk levers and nearly kill everyone. Again, why don't they have basic code permissions in place to prevent stuff like this? And yes, I know the answer is this was written in the 80s by people who wrote it on typewriters.

And this comes up again in Season 6 in Episode 12, "Ship in a Bottle", where Moriarty breaks out of his digital prison and attacks them again. And tries to force them to make him real! And they only stop him then by tricking him into trapping himself inside a Space iPad!

Starfleet. For God's sake. Basic security protocols, my dudes!

All this said, the Moriarty thing only happened because Data and Geordi were messing around with the computer, and this cowboy mess only happened because...Data and Geordi were messing around with the computer. That's twice now, guys. Picard should at least give them a stern talking-to. You'd think the Chief Engineer and the Android would be smarter about their computer shenanigans. But here we are.

Here we motherfucking are.

Some people are always playing chicken with the train.

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Part 3 of 3, and these two are my favorites, and I have characterized them a bit differently. For Esmund is love of what you know, and Kul'Zak is the love of the Unknown. The Past and the Future.

Esmund - The God of Protection, home, agriculture, children, and sex/love (hear me out on this one). Esmund is who you call when your village is under seige, the true opposite of Shad if you will. He is the one you pray to when you are having to leave your home and the one you thank when you return. He is the one that keeps your family safe, the warm arms that you return to night after night after night. The one who keeps the pirates unaware of children hiding, and the one that fuels a soldiers rage when their lord is in danger. He wishes to keep what he loves in a bubble, but can you truly contain nature? He is the past, never moving or changing.

Kul'Zak - The God of travelers, storms, music, storytelling, arts, the deep seas, and forbidden love. The God of fleeting moment and passions, the one you pray to when it is time to move on and let go of the past. The one you pray to when your lover must leave and the wish for their safe return. The God of Muses and the love between them and their artists. He is also the decimating storm, the ones that kill the unjust men but leave the human "cargo" safe. The one wo will save or sink a ship with the only warning being the call of the ocean. The god you wish for when your lover has to run for he is great, but unable to produce an heir like your female fiance can. For he is time, ever wandering, ever changing.

Esmund is the warm comforting weight of blankets and your partners arm around you, while Kul'Zak is the soft carress of the waves while your lover runs their hands over you.

Esmund only has eyes for what he needs to protect, for he is of no true use unless he is needed by her. Kul'Zak is always searching for the feeling of home, but it is always just out of reach.

Aka: Love Bend between Irene, Esmund, and Kul'Zak. Irene is the Goddess of Motherhood, Esmund is the God of Family, and Kul'Zak is the God of Unrequited Homosexual Love. I can go more into this, along with the love square between Shad, Irene, Enki, and Menphia

Not bothering asking anon

Ohhhh I wanna hear moreeeeee aaaaaaaaaaaaa

[salempie]

Not necessarily a romance ship thing but Crystal and Clem? I moreso wanna hear your take on their relationship

Me personally I think it’s kinda one sided regarding romance on Clems end.

I think abt how one of his pics on campster is lovers leap along with the fact when you rebrain him the only thing he says is crystals name before running off ( on that note I also found out he waits for Crystal to get rebrained in the room with the unbrained kids )

On Crystals end I feel like she doesn’t exactly harbor the same feelings but wouldn’t exactly mind getting into a romantic relationship ( like in a settling for him type of thing )

I have a lot of thoughts on this, let me get my charts

First and foremost, I ship them completely platonically! They are the best friends ever! I think they could have tried to make a relationship work (see their campster testimonials, they have at least discussed having a relationship and Elka talks about them as if they are a steady couple) but I don’t think something like that would last. Also they’re both very very homosexual to me. Gay Man/Lesbian bestie dynamic. Though I enjoy transfemme Clem as well and yes, estrogen could save her.

I can absolutely see the one sided aspect of it. A lot of my thoughts about them concern Clem dragging Crystal with him. Crystal is depressed, absolutely, but I still think she has some kind of hope for others if not herself. Clem is far, far more cynical, at least from my perspective. Misery loves company, and while both Clem and Crystal are certainly miserable at neither of their faults, I do think Clem is determined to keep that company rather than let Crystal heal (not that either of them believe that healing will happen). I don’t think it’s malicious at all, I just think all he cares about at the moment is Crystal and he would literally rather kill both of them than lose her. A need not to be abandoned I fear.

Hm…I’m sensing a theme among the characters I like…

…Suppose it’s a bit morbid on my part, maybe I’m taking Clem in too much bad faith. I always tend to go for darker headcanons. He did used to be my favorite though so I have put a lot of thought into this.

[theheirofthesharingan]

Have you ever noticed how people will always judge you because you don't like the same thing as them? If you like ships A, B and C and they like K, L and M and don't agree or like the same things as you, you will be treated like the most disgusting human being in the world (I'm talking about canon ships and headships (I don't even know if I can call it that), not including incest and things like that)... People make it seem super difficult to respect other people's tastes.

I mean, you may not accept what someone likes and that's okay, no one is forcing you to do anything. But before anything comes respect, for both sides. And also, does someone saying bad things about something you like change your feelings about it? If the answer is "no", why would you care if someone likes it or not?

An example: I don't like a specific couple, but there are people who do. Is this my problem? No. Just like the fact that I don't like it is nobody's problem. If you don't like a specific couple, you are a horrible human being. The same goes for if you don't like a specific character. I mean, are you really so complexed that you don't accept opinions other than your own? Your truth is yours alone and maybe you can even find someone who agrees 100% with your truth, but normally people agree 90, 80, 70, 60% with your truth and that's okay.

If you don't agree with a homosexual ship that isn't canon, you're homophobic... Like, guys, really... Some people just don't think it looks good or fits. If you think so, I respect it, whether you like it or not is not my problem and vice versa. Of course there are exceptions, maybe some people who don't like it are actually homophobic... But saying that everyone who doesn't like or agree is homophobic is a bit extreme, isn't it? Sometimes it just doesn't look good aesthetically, the characters may not match aesthetically... It's not about there being two men and two women, it's just because it doesn't look good. And to other people it will look good and that's okay, that's not my problem.

And many people like this want (and sometimes even demand) respect for their own tastes/characters/books/series/animes/whatever but they don't know how to respect other people's tastes. I mean, what world are you living in??

I have a friend who makes a big deal out of someone talking about her favorite character in a game, like, so what if the person is saying that? Will this change what you think or feel about the character?

There is a guy in my country who is very famous and he read a book and posted that he didn't like it very much and everything, most of the people who read it judged him, as if he didn't have the right to dislike something (He always posts book recommendations and such, to encourage his community to read).

It's as if people no longer have the right to disagree and everything has to be cute and perfect and no one can ever disagree with anyone about anything. It's so boring.

⚠️This question has no intention of judging, belittling or offending anyone who likes the subjects mentioned. I brought up situations that happen daily⚠️

Absolutely. People are just weird with so much time and energy that they can't focus on the things in their lives, doing something about the things they like. Instead they want others to adhere to the rules they made in their heads.

If, and only if, people stopped taking fiction so seriously, and actually did something productive, that would great. And it's not about not doing anything fun in the fandom, but that when something upsets you so much that you can't take different opinions from your own it's better to leave. Even if people do take fiction seriously, media literacy is still dead in probably all the fandoms. It's just the cacophony of loud screeching noises where "moderate" fans lose their interest.

The world won't abide by their rules and it's not meant to. Liking and not liking something are two different things and people can accept it and move on. Disagreeing with someone doesn't mean you have to hate them and put them down every time. One can disagree on some things and agree on the others. It's not that deep.

It's more prevent on the internet because people can say shitty things and not face any consequences.

I so agree on the homophobic part because I've been told the same when I said Tolkien didn't mean Frodo and Sam's relationship to be romantic/sexual since he was writing from his own experiences in war and how men interacted with each other. I read accounts of men who said Tolkien's depiction of Frodo and Sam's relationship resonated with their own struggles during their time in Vietnam.

It's just so easy to put labels on the strangers on the internet because they don't agree with you. It's okay you like a ship and you love the content and the fan arts and all. Good for you. I don't have to agree with it.

It would be so much better if people just realized the world doesn't revolve around them and their opinions. The entitled ones make everything look bad. Everything just seems too polarised. It's either excessive positive opinions even on the mediocre content or just negative opinions on the good ones.

As cliché as it sounds, a better way to deal with all of this is to not interact with people who do this. If they drain you or put you down for the content you like or do not like, it's better to get rid of them. I've had to deal people like that in the past and I learned the lesson. That's one of the reasons Naruto fandom has been quite tolerable so far.

[gayboss-too-close-to-the-sun]

In defense of trashy ya dystopias

Okay, I’ll admit it: Hunger Games is an excellent book. It is powerful and well crafted, and deserves to be an eternal classic. I’m not sure any of the ya dystopias that followed it were quite so good, and I understand why they get mocked so often. Still, I think they deserve a better rep than they get.

Now, I understand that some ya dystopias are really, really bad. The only literary criticism that would call them good art would be a reader response based method that just says “well, some people like them so they must be good!” I don’t think that’s exactly how art works, but to an extent, that’s true. If a book inspired someone, encouraged them to read, and broadened their view of the world, who are we to say that it’s not worth reading? No matter how terrible a book is, it can at least make someone a bit more passionate about reading, and that’s value enough.*

First, I have to talk about Divergent. It makes me sad how many people hate that series. There are some valid criticisms, but most of it doesn’t make sense to me. People accuse Tris of being flat and basic, saying she’s an overpowered Mary Sue of a blank slate. That in particular confuses me. Tris isn’t dull and underdeveloped, she’s depressed. She’s reactive because she doesn’t care enough to be proactive. She’s numb, which comes across as her being unemotional. Now, we can debate whether that makes her a bad choice as a main character, but I won’t stand for her being painted as a bad character.

I was horribly depressed when I read Divergent. Watching Tris made all the difference in my life. I related to her when she threw a chair from the roof and watched it shatter on the concrete below, wishing she could follow it. I would have followed her to her death when she convinced herself that dying for her friends was noble sacrifice, not suicide, not the easy way out. I nearly cried when she realized at the last moment that she didn’t want to die, that she had to choose to keep going. I watched her build her life back up, even through the misery, pain and loss. I watched her find happiness, and I broke down when she gave it all up to protect someone else, someone who was trying to throw away his life out of guilt and grief. She sacrificed everything she had to give him a chance to fight through it and become someone better. She would have done the same for me. I needed to keep going, to honor that sacrifice and follow in her lead. Tris taught me to fight, and I am so grateful.

The Maze Runner was one of my favorite series. My longest completed story I’ve written was a trilogy of (unfortunately very straight) TMR fanfiction. I know it’s pretty garden variety dystopia, but it was very meaningful to me.

I think part of what made it special was having a male protagonist. Most ya dystopias are centered on teen girls, the intended audience, and while TMR could have used more diversity of gender in the cast, it was nice to see myself in the main character (although I like to believe I’m not that stupid). Thomas is also a very competent MC, which is always appreciated, and it feels earned more than Gary Stu-ed.

TMR has, despite not having any canonical evidence, a lot of gay ships in the fandom, probably because the boys all have a ton of chemistry and there are no girls (pretty much). I was deep in denial (see my straight fanfic), but TMR still gave my budding queerness a place to grow. While insisting that being gay was wrong and my homosexual crushes were Not Gay, I still managed to have very strong feelings on which Maze Runner ships are correct (Newt X Alby and Thomas X Minho, Newtmas shippers fight me). Being represented, even if I didn’t know it at the time, was so important to me.

Lastly, TMR taught me bravery. It taught me that even if things are just going to get worse, you have to try and make it out. I look at the world around me, and it’s not hard to imagine the Flare, or WICKED gaining power. Us kids have been handed the burden of fixing the world, and I need all the courage I can get. Like I say in my fanfic (the AWWWB series on Wattpad, first book called Good Grief), “Maybe the universe is just cruel. But… if we don’t know what’s outside of the Maze, then we’d better hold on to the fact that it’s just as likely to be a good place as a bad one.” We have to keep hoping that something better is coming eventually, even if it never does. We have to keep fighting.

I don’t have any others in mind right now, but I want to hear about other books (dystopian or not) that made more of a difference than they’re given credit for. Seriously, I want y’all to defend Twilight, to champion the Matched series. Tell me how they changed your life.

*note: books that spread harmful messages are different than poorly written books, but that’s a whole conversation by itself, so we’re going to be idealists in this post and pretend that’s not an element while acknowledging that in the real world it’s a true and harmful thing