#not because I think people should read “adult” books because they're adult themselves

[romanticatheartt]

The fun is over

People can read whatever they want even if it's for the younger audiences. And funny enough most of YA books I've seen and read are in 3rd person...

If people stop telling other what to read and what not to read would be perfect. You can enjoy any form of literacy without shaming others or feel ashamed.

[frownyalfred]

Can I get clarification on your pro shipping post? The example you gave was a 20 year old with a 40 year old, and that's "problematic" (not really), but not really what I think of when I hear "pro shipping". Usually it's the shipping of minor/adult or incestuous relationships that I see getting defended. Does being against fictional works/ships that depict pedophilic or incestuous relationships as normal/romantic count as puritanism to you? Do you see the ship of Bruce Wayne/Damian Wayne as a personal preference with no moral implications?

I think there's a huge difference between being personally against something, and wanting to shame others or ban others from reading or writing something. The Puritanism comes from wanting to limit and ostracize others who don't share your beliefs. It comes from believing that your perspective is the only morally right one.

I think there will always be people who want to write or read about ships like that, yeah -- incest, pseudo-incest, everything in between. By moral implications, do you mean for the person interested in the ship? Or do you mean for others? Because I see that concern a lot on here -- this idea that somehow, by wanting to read/write about something, people are either 1) harming others by spreading this morally wrong ship or 2) harming themselves by normalizing the ship, and therefore making it more likely that they'll pursue similar relationships in their real lives.

We don't have much evidence for either of those claims. People have been clutching their pearls and wringing their hands over "morally wrong" books for ages -- and yet, Game of Thrones is still available in every bookstore. Am I a bad or woefully misguided person for having read Lolita in high school? Is a 16 year old reading a Bruce/Damian fic likely to turn around, shrug, and say "guess fucking my Dad is okay now"? Did an entire generation of fans shipping Wincest somehow have lasting, moral effects? I really don't think so. Not at the scale anti-shippers online seem to think, at least.

I think we need to separate how we moralize people from the content that they consume. And acknowledge that shaming and excluding people for wanting to read something doesn't exactly do much to prevent "moral implications." There's also a huge difference between reading a book, and endorsing the ideas/events inside of it. Same things with fics.

Anti-shipping is very appealing to people because it purports to protect people from harm. Until you look a little closer, and you realize that that protection comes at the expense of free expression, creative license, and agency to choose what we personally do and do not consume. And that that protection isn't really airtight out of your anti-shipping discord or tumblr community.

I think the best we can do is let people write and read what they want -- whatever they want, with limited warnings/etc like ao3 employs -- and ensure that those pieces of content are tagged, warned, and displayed accurately. We need to understand that the only control we have is over ourselves, and what we choose personally to consume or not consume.

I don't generally read those fics you mentioned, but I'm not saying they should be banned from ao3. Just because I might possibly think they're wrong or gross doesn't mean I think the person who wrote them is wrong or gross, either. The more we go down that moral slip and slide, like I said in my previous post, the worse off we will all become.

[olderthannetfic]

Why is there now apparently discourse about how listening to audiobooks isn't REAL reading, of course with maximum condescension?

I guess the assumption is that people listen to audiobooks because they don't have the attention span to sit down and focus on reading a book? And that by not forcing themselves to read they're further rotting their brains?

In my experience, choosing audiobooks over written books has everything to do with time and place and very little to do with attention span and preference. Most people listen to audiobooks while driving, doing chores or hobbies, exercising, etc. because they're adults with busy lives who still want to experience books.

Or, they have impaired vision and physically cannot read, in which case this whole argument is especially mean-spirited.

--

I definitely can have a different experience of a book that way. A good reader can add a lot or things can be harder to follow without seeing how some made-up word is spelled or whatever. But yes, it's a silly form of gatekeeping.

Reading reading is superior because it's one of the fastest ways to input a shitton of information, and it's more likely to teach you spelling and punctuation. But that's it. It won't make you more of an intellectual. It won't mean you're more or less capable of experiencing a book that also has an audio version.

This is the kind of thing we should care about for school kids because, no matter how we go on about different learning styles, the kid who has to use documentary/audio/etc. is going to input half the info of the kid who is good at reading words on a page. Vocabularies suffer, among other obvious signs and issues. (Yes, even if you listen at 2x speed. It's only comparable if you're a slow reader of text, the very thing school wants to address.)

But for an adult trying to do a handsfree activity? For someone savoring a fiction book for entertainment where speed is not a priority and may even be a minus? For someone who actually is a bad reader of text but likes books?

I'm perfectly willing to entertain the semantic argument about what constitutes "reading", but people aren't making a semantic argument: they're saying "You're dumb if you listen instead of using words on a page".

--

Honestly, aside from pure snobbery, I think a lot of this comes from people whose attention wanders when they listen but who are voracious and unusually capable readers of text. It never occurs to them that other people are more skilled at listening.

[okerum]

people who put all their energy into hating teresa annoy me a lot, tbh. of course, people can have their own opinions, but its when people go out of their way to rip on her at EVERY CHANCE they get without spending even a SECOND to try to understand her or put themselves in her shoes.

i highkey hate the way the movies portrayed her, but in them, she placed the wellbeing of the entire world above her own. she explicitly asked that her friends NOT be harmed-- and i think blaming HER for the harm that minho faced even more than janson or ava (the fully grown adults who hold the power) is silly and extremely misplaced. there wasn't really ANY good option in her shoes-- choose herself and her friends and let the world die around her, BECAUSE of her, or choose the world around her while letting her friends continue to suffer, also because of her. there is no winning for her. she wanted to help people-- she thought that if she made a deal with ava, she could help people while minimizing the harm to her friends. and once more to emphasize-- she is 16. she is a child, and i dont believe in the movies she even HAS 16 years of memories to help her make good decisions. she was told by WCKD that she could help people, and that is ultimately what she cared about the most. WCKD, and more specifically ava and janson, were the ones who lied to her, manipulated her, and misled her. and since the cure WAS possible in the movies, her actions were even more justified! it's so weird to me how people act like she was so heartless and like she purposely hurt people when we see time and time again that she cares DEEPLY for everyone. you'd have to watch the films with your eyes closed not to see it.

and in the books, (i only read half of tfc so bear with me if i'm missing info) she only betrayed thomas, she warned him beforehand, and she spent the entire rest of the series trying to make up for it to the point where she sacrificed herself to save him. thomas was her EVERYTHING. she betrayed him because she thought he'd die otherwise. she would do ANYTHING to avoid that-- she'd decieve him, she'd hit him, she'd sacrifice herself for him. not to mention, since her memories weren't swiped, she was still entirely under WICKED's thumb-- the YEARS, the DECADE they spent grooming her and manipulating her into trusting them, doing their bidding, the lies they told her, are still affecting her. she's still 16. she's still a child. once again, to blame her for her actions that she was specifically groomed into by WICKED, instead of WICKED itself, is extremely misguided and a little gross to me, honestly.

in the movies, teresa wanted to help as many people as she could even at the cost of her friends. in the books, teresa wanted nothing more than to keep her lover as safe as possible, even at the cost of his trust and any possibility of love between them. she's simulataneously selfish and selfless, kind and cruel. she's all too willing to give up her own wants in order to reach her ultimate end goal, all too willing to put people in harm's way to prevent any further pain. once you look at her for just a few seconds, if you try even an ounce to see her character for what it is, you'll see a child who was put in a position where she had to make a decision no child should ever have to make. no child should have to choose between their friends or the world. no child should have to choose between their lover and themself. and no child should be blamed for their actions that are a result of grooming enacted by a number of fully grown adults who understand fully what they're doing.

if you don't like her, again, that's okay!! she made bad decisions and she hurt people in the process. but before u start talking down on her, before u proclaim your hate at any chance you get, think for a second about how she could've ended up there. and dont insult people for liking her. because on tiktok, at least, people are really bad about that Dx

[the--queen-of--hell]

Days ago I saw an antiproshipper post saying proshippers arguments and criticizing us, so now it's time to make a similar post but from proshippers' point of view criticizing antishippers' mentality. This would be long so prepare yourselves.

"Proshippers are pedophiles"

Of all the things antishippers say, this is the one that annoys me more. Because no. Proshippers aren't pedophiles. Proshippers are people who believe in not harassing people for a ship, people who believe that liking some fictional content doesn't determine your irl morals. That's what proship means. Not whatever definition antishippers invented to pretend they're the good ones.

"You can consume media with murder and cannibalism because they aren't romanticized"

In what world you live in?? There are a lot of media that romanticize murder or at least make it seem less problematic than it is irl. And people who watch that media suddenly starts killing everyone around them? NO. So why liking incest ships/age gap ships would make you an incestuous person or a pedophile??

"If you aren't a pedophile or like incest, then why do you write about it? Why do you write about two siblings having sex if you don't want to fuck your sibling?"

If George Lucas doesn't support genocide, then why he made a movie with the Empire blowing up a planet? If [X] famous writer doesn't support [X] then why did he write about it? Seriously, man, you need help if you think that writing about [X] thing makes you like it irl or makes you want to do it irl. There are a lot of writers that included some "problematic" things in fiction, and no matter how they portrayed those things in their book/show/movie it isn't a reflection of their morals.

"Proshippers always criticize antishippers for not liking their incest/age gap/pedo fic"

Actually, no. We don't criticize antishippers for not liking some fics or some fanarts. We criticize you because you tell us we are groomers/pedophiles without knowing us irl. We criticize you because you're asuming something about us that isn't true. You don't like an incest/age gap/minor x adult ship? Then block the content and go on with your life. No one is forcing you to like it. No one is forcing you to read fics about that ship, to watch fanart of that ship, or to like that ship. The only thing we want is for you to be anti-harassment and stop calling us things we aren't.

"Stop normalizing/romanticizing child x adult/incest ships"

Then stop normalizing toxic yaoi ships. Then stop normalizing toxic yuri ships. Then stop normalizing murder. Then stop normalizing cannibalism. Then stop normalizing loving villains. If you don't want something that is bad in real life romanticized in fiction then you don't want anything that is bad in real life romanticized in fiction. And if you accept some things being romanticized and some things not being romanticized, then you're an hypocrite, because a bad action is a bad action, no matter what it is. You don't want some ships being """normalized"""? Then don't normalize characters being tortured / murder / cannibalism / some toxic ships.

"You should be raped/tortured and die/kill yourself for liking this ship"

Yeah, because liking a fictional ship with fictional characters obviously makes you deserve being tortured. Because obviously what proshippers do with FICTIONAL characters is more important than what happens to REAL people. You are telling a REAL person to die/kill themselves for a fucking FICTIONAL SHIP and you are the good one in this story?

"You need therapy for liking this ship"

Proshippers would need therapy if they were pedophiles. But I have news for you. Proshippers. doesn't. mean. pedophiles. They just like certain ships you find disgusting. I repeat it: Ships. S-H-I-P-S. Of fictional characters. So unless they're REAL pedophiles, they don't need therapy. Besides, having in mind that you harass proshippers and tell them to kill themselves for a fictional SHIP, I think you are the only one who needs therapy.

"Children could see this ship and think it's okay"

There are a LOT of media children can't see because they are not old enough to see it. And this works exactly the same way. If they aren't old enough to difference reality from fiction, if they aren't old enough to think "this is bad irl and I'm not gonna do it" then WHY are they seeing content NOT made for them??? "Children could see [X] and think it's okay" Then why someone isn't controlling what they see on the internet or telling them that whatever they saw they can't do i irl???

"Victims of pedophilia/abuse don't deserve someone romanticizing their trauma".

First, who says proshippers are romanticizing their trauma? It's just a ship, they're not romanticizing anyone's trauma (if anything, they would be romanticizing whatever happens to the character, not what happened to a real person). And second, you're seriously telling me that some victims don't deserve people romanticizing their trauma but some victims deserve to be told "you deserved your trauma, you deserve to be raped, you deserved to be abused"? Don't pretend you care about victims. You only care about victims who cope the way you want them to.

"If you don't want to be harrassed then stop posting your weird fics/fanarts"

I said it once, but you know that's the same argument homophobes/transphobes use? "If you don't want to be hated or bullied for being gay/trans, don't be gay/trans" "If you don't want to be bullied then don't be a freak". You will probably say "but it's not the same because I'm not homophobe/transphobe", and yet, you have the same purity mentality they have but with another topic.

"Groomers could use some proships to groom children"

Groomers can (and will) use ANYTHING to groom children if they want to groom them. Don't act as if proshipping was the only way children can be groomed. There are a lot of things groomers could use to groom children and proshipping isn't the only one.

"Proshippers don't care about the pedophiles in their fandom"

A LOT of us have Pedos DNI in our bios (or said in other posts/comments that we don't support real pedophilia) so your argument is stupid. And you're acting as if pedophiles could only be in the proship fandom. PEDOPHILES CAN BE EVERYWHERE. In the proship fandom, in the antiship fandom, in WHATEVER fandom you think about. For the last time, Proship Fandom DOESN'T mean Pedophile Fandom. You can find good and bad people everywhere, and "proshipper" isn't "bad and pedophile" while "antishipper" is "good and non-pedophile".

"Proshippers are just porn addicts"

As I said it before: there are ASEXUAL proshippers. And not everyone is THAT interested in fics with sex, you know? There are proshippers who don't like fics with sex, and I'M MYSELF AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. I always search for General or Teen and Up Audiences, not Mature or Explicit fics in AO3, you big idiot. So stop asuming all proshippers want to """sexualize""" minor characters or want them to have sex with adults.

"Proshipper with trauma shouldn't post their fics in the Internet"

If you don't want proshippers to post the fics they want, then no one should be allowed to post the fics they want. I myself don't like age regression ships, so stop posting fics about it. I myself don't like main characters being tortured, so stop posting fics about it. I myself don't like fics with killing on them, so stop posting fics about it. You don't like that idea, huh? Then shut the fuck up and understand already that it's possible to find in Internet fictional content you find disgusting. And unless there's a REAL child getting hurt, just block the content as I do with the tropes I hate.

"Proshipppers shouldn't write about [X] ship because fiction affects reality"

It can affect reality, but only if you let it affect reality. You see incest in some shows? You see murder in some shows? You see cannibalism in some shows? Then what you do after seeing those shows it's up to YOU, because YOU are the one who needs to think "no matter how this is portrayed, this is disgusting in reality and I will never do this to anyone". If you decide to do what you saw in a show... Then it's a YOU problem, not the media's problem. You think Game of Thrones fans suddenly started to have sex with their family members because of Game of Thrones' representation of incest? Fucking no, because they know Game of Thrones is fiction AND real life is real life and they're NOT the same thing.

"Proshippers support real pedophilia and incest"

People who see murder shows support murder. And people who see cannibalism in shows support cannibalism. And people who like toxic yaoi/yuri ships are toxic. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were saying stupid things. Because that's what this argument is. Liking something happening in F-I-C-T-I-O-N doesn't mean you like it happening in R-E-A-L L-I-F-E.

[ingravinoveritas]

Hello, lovely followers. I was traveling for work again in the second half of this past week, but I'm now home and looking forward to answering all of your Asks that I've been seeing in my inbox. I first wanted to reflect a little bit, however, because this trip was also a personal one for me.

This week's travels took me to Anaheim, California, which is where Disneyland is (I think I actually must've not been far from where David and Georgia just were, funnily enough, as my hotel was right by the park). It wasn't my first trip to Anaheim, though. The last time I was there was when I was 11 years old, on summer vacation with my dad in California while my mom was on a tour in Italy at the same time. As you'd expect, my dad wanted to take me to Disneyland...but I was too scared and overwhelmed, and we only ever got as far as the parking lot. The gates were visible, and I remember how they loomed, that feeling of something foreboding washing over me...but rather than excitement, my tiny body was filled with dread. I mentioned this while in conversation with one of the hotel employees during my stay, and he said, "What kind of kid doesn't want to go to Disney?"

What kind of a kid. Well, an autistic kid. A kid who was constantly anxious, emotional, and terrified of sensory overload. A kid who hated crowds and noise and rides. A kid who didn't travel well to begin with, because she was afraid of new places, anything unfamiliar, anything that wasn't safe and home.

A kid who was me.

Even before this, there were so many ways that the world had said "This is not for you." But still, there was something different about it happening there, in the bright California sunshine. My favorite Disney princess as a kid was always Belle, because she also loved to read and didn't fit in with the people around her. Belle connected more with books and animals than people, and that made me connect with her. But Belle was also beautiful (as Disney princesses tend to be), and thanks to the bullying from my peers, I was very aware that was something I was not. So no matter how much I wanted to be Belle, there was no way I could ever be a Disney princess.

This is not for you.

Thinking about all of this during my trip made me feel so many things, but I was most surprised to find myself feeling a sense of nostalgia in particular, a longing for the child I was, who I wish I could comfort. It also made me feel such sadness for that child and anyone else who finds themselves in a situation or a place where the world thinks they should be happy, but they're not. And there are few things more difficult than feeling that way in (of all places) "the happiest place on Earth."

I didn't end up going to Disney on this trip, even though I had a little bit of time to do so. It's still not for me, but the difference now is that I am okay with that. That need to be the kid who wants to visit Disney--the "good" child, the child who isn't "broken"--has gone away, and I'm more than happy being adult me, and finding a place that fits me, instead of the other way around.

And that was my nostalgia trip, in quite the literal sense of the phrase. I have a picture or two to share in another post, so stay tuned for that as well...

[proshippers-against-censorship]

omg there's so many antis in the bungou stray dogs fandom it pisses me off. specifically because i had a mutual realise i was proship and was like but writing about incest and pedophilia makes you all those things.

however, in bungou stray dogs there's two canonical siblings (there's theories they aren't actually related and are lovers pretending so people don't think they're dating bcz of a big age gap bcz bungou stray dogs characters are based off of novel characters and authors and thats a book plot with characters with the same names as these siblings, however it's just a theory) and it is HEAVILYYY implied they are fucking, even the characters themeselves aknowledge they act like lovers and are weird and tell the protaganists to just ignore them. and idk if it's my translation of one of the light novels but there's a line in one where it legit says "naomi(16 yr old sister) tried to force herself onto tanizaki(18 yr old brother)" probably not word for word but i havent read it in a while and its basically played for laughs bcz its mentioned as a one off line for when the brother goes into a kitchenette alone and never mentioned after, literally gave me whiplash i was like u can just drop that line and noT MENTION IT AGAIN??? and these antis are reading the manga and watching the show and aknowledge therae siblings are fucking and then harrass anyone who ships siblings.

Also, there's an anthology (although tbh i'm not sure if the anthologies are considered canon but otherwise it's also implied that this character is a pedo for his magical superpower that manifiests as a prepubescent girl) where this just calls his superpower that's sort of a prepubescent girl his "wife" and everyone in the fandom hates him for that (and never the fact that he controls the whole damn mafia and has canonically mentally messed with kids so bad one got put in a mental hospital and didn't even want to leave anymore) also like they harrass and call anyone who likes his character(or even finds him well written) a pedo. but the author, who wrote this probably a pedo guy and these siblings fucking, no one hates him (hell, there's even people saying it's all the 16 yr old girls fault bcz tanizaki is too pure, honestly like 1, seems kinda sexist how ur blaming the girl who's a child 2, THEY AREN'T REALLL, IT'S NEITHERS FAULT THAT THEIR FUCKING, ITS THE AUTHORSSS.

there's antishippers who will say anyone who ships a ship where one character met the other as a teen and adult should kill themselves bcz it's gross. however the teen canonically grew up after the guy died and said that if the guy was a woman he would've comitted double suicide with him (please note this is said by a character who makes it very clear they want to commit double suicide with a woman they find attractive and are in love with bcz it would be sooo "romantic").

like the author has written all these icky ships and given them some sort of material, if you're gonna tell the people who ship those ships to kill themselves and that you'll shit in their food (real things these antis have said btw) then at least denounce the author too? like not even sent hate but at least understand this fandom isn't for you and its for people can handle icky fictional stuff.

The BSD and BB fandoms are terrifying.

[greenerteacups]

I think I've seen you mention in previous asks that you didn't really like aspects (or possibly the whole thing) of DH. I'm curious if you could expound more on that? Was it the horcrux hunting? The hallows themselves? Did you think the final battle came too quickly? What did you want to see when you read it the first time? And looking back as an adult what ways do you think DH should have been altered?

I've always found DH has too many plot holes.... Almost like it tried to wrap itself up too quickly. When I was reading the books as a kid I actually thought there'd be more than 7 books. Like there'd be a least one more since the war began and ended rather quickly when the first wizarding war seemed to go on for years.

To make a long story short, I don't like DH because it's not a war story, and Books 5 and 6 read like the setups for a war story. They are books packed with espionage and spycraft, flareups of violence, and are simmering with tension. In contrast, most of DH is spent camping in a forest, far away from anywhere that the Death Eaters or the main battle could have been. The Order has vanishingly little to do and the friends that we spent the last 6 books making and learning to care about vanish until the last act, where half of them die in a big battle that only happens because Harry needs to find the last horcrux.

And the thing is, horcruxes are a great plot mechanic for the final book, because they give you discrete milestones that count down to the final battle. They also clearly establish why you can't just rock up and fight Voldemort the old-fashioned way, i.e., why the Order needs to run defense for most of the book. What they don't explain is why the Order isn't then a much bigger part of the horcrux hunt, because by all accounts, Harry's first move should be to tell them what's up with Voldemort and how they can help, including — especially!— if Harry and the Trio happen to die, in which case the only knowledge of how to kill Voldemort would die with him. This is the nightmare scenario, and I cannot think of a counterfactual risk attached to telling the Order that would outweigh the danger of this happening. But I could honestly tolerate plot holes if it weren't for the thematic problem — if the story is about love and familial sacrifice, why do we spend 75% of the last book completely disconnected from the found-family that Harry built? Why are the Weasleys gone? Where is Ginny? Where is Molly? Where is Lupin?

The book really should have been called "Harry Potter and the Last Horcrux," in my opinion. The Hallows are red herrings, and they're used more as excuses to set up nice scenes/moments than they ever are as mechanics that fully integrate into the world. The ring gives Harry the ability to talk to his parents before the final sacrifice, which is a nice touch, and it explains why his Invisibility Cloak is so OP, but (and I've complainted about this before, but TLDR) the Elder Wand stuff makes no sense except as a buff for Harry in the final battle to explain how he beats Voldemort in a 1v1. Which, fine, but it opens up more questions than it ties off: how does it work? What does this mean for wand ownership? Is it actually possible for a wand to be "unbeatable"? Also, why do wands respond to fucking monkey-in-the-middle rules? If you hand your wand to someone, does that count as disarming? Etc., etc. And it also weakens the final battle of the series, which should be about Harry as a person triumphing over Voldemort because he was capable of doing something Voldemort never could, i.e., fully and willingly sacrificing himself for another person (or people). You have a soft magic system! You don't need to invent these weird rules of wand ownership to give Harry the W here! There's so much more that could have been done with this!

So. To leave a long story long, I was disappointed with Deathly Hallows. It wasn't bad, in that there were no decisions I thought were galling or egregious breaks with someone's character, and nothing happened that ruined what came before; but there was a ton of missed potential, and that's why I still kvetch about it all these years later.

[hylialeia]

thoughts on the Daevabad Trilogy, short version: holy shit that was good

longer version:

holy shit that was good.

I adored the writing style, the imagery, the worldbuilding, the characters, the character dynamics, and the pacing all the way through. I first picked up this series because of how Global Medievalism talked about it as a stepping stone away from Eurocentric medieval fantasy and it definitely delivered. this is tied with Spinning Silver for my favorite recent reads--which is even more impressive since SS was a standalone, meanwhile this series kept up a consistently high quality across three separate books.

after Fourth Wing masquerading as a rich, complex adult fantasy and then being What It Actually Was, this was an immensely satisfying series to pick up. it skirts the fantasy staple of the Inherently Evil Race/Species that so many works fall into (even asoiaf with the Others) and instead opts to explore in-depth religious and racial prejudices, revolutions, bigotry, power, and privilege in ways that can be frightening for a lot of authors (and readers). I can see why this series would frustrated a large swath of fantasy fans and not just because it steps completely away from the Europe-but-slightly-to-the-left settings that they're so familiar with; people looking for escapism and a palatable black-and-white conflict definitely wouldn't find it here.

that said, I also think the narrative did a fantastic job of showcasing the brutality of oppression, as well as cycles of revenge and violence, without turning into a sermon about how anyone who fights back is Just As Bad as the oppressor. you can sympathize with any faction within the trilogy while still seeing that there's a clear hierarchy. this is a series that asks the reader to be open minded and to sympathize with a variety of people's suffering while still condemning heinous actions, crimes, and ways of thinking. portrayals of violence, swearing, and sex aside, this is where I believe the adult label is earned. the Daevabad Trilogy outshines Fourth Wing in its entirety, actually following through on promises of depth, complexity, and exploration.

I don't think the series reaches into absolutely flawless territory; on reflection, there are a lot of scenes I wish we'd seen happening in the moment rather than summarized or briefly flashed back to. this goes especially for the end of the last book, Empire of Gold, which would have enhanced the pacing quite a bit. there's a bit of rushing through the final battle, and though it's still quite fantastic and follows through on a deal of foreshadowing and character build-up, it definitely feels over too soon. there are also a few loose ends and potential conflicts when it comes to the characters themselves that the series felt too tired to actually flesh out by the end. I can forgive that chiefly because of just how well-rounded and consistent the characters themselves are, even despite those instances.

and holy shit did I adore these characters. I've only seen the barest tip of the iceberg of discourse this series caused (which I'm sure was insane when it first came out), but thankfully the 10 million+ Way More Problematic Characters (that I also love) in asoiaf has made me immune to whatever the hell was going on over there. I also couldn't get involved in a ship war if you paid me.

I think the first book made a good call only having Nahri and Ali's POVs not just from a technical standpoint (Dara's POV wouldn't have added much, and may have even spoiled some meaningful twists) but also in priming the reader for what is the heart of the entire trilogy: their dynamic. Nahri and Ali carry the series whether they're young, platonic best friends who should be enemies, awkward ex-friends who still get a long way too well, or best friends who are deeply in love which each other but too traumatized to admit it. they both stand incredibly well as individuals (evidenced by the fact that they don't even meet until over the halfway mark in the first book), with Ali being a particular favorite of mine from the very beginning. their opposite upbringings yet similar interests made them a fantastic duo, one where it made sense the impact each one would have on the other's journey. there's something so incredibly endearing about their inability to legitimately dislike each other despite their circumstances, one that makes sense based on their already established personalities; they propel the series' most meaningful moments.

for the elephant in the room: as frustrating as Dara's POV could be I found it a worthy and fascinating addition in the later books, one that I think a lot of people missed the weight of if they were too busy excusing him/hating him. his perspective, biased and misguided as it often was, provided so much rich exploration of the trilogy's overall themes: militarism, religious fanaticism, prejudice, free will, just war, revolution, cycles of violence, conditioning and abuse, etc. that so much of this seemed to fall to the wayside in a strive to decide if he was excusable or not (and thus a viable love interest or not) is a huge shame. his ending was, to me, profoundly satisfying; not redeemed but finally allowed to act of his own free will, no longer bound by outside magic or internalized religious obligation. I never violently disliked Dara and Nahri's romantic entanglement so much as I knew it was doomed from the moment Ali had a POV chapter.

the secondary characters were no less engaging for me, especially as their prominence grew throughout the books, antagonists or otherwise. it was refreshing to see Muntadhir and Jamshid's individual characters (and thus their relationship) become a more prominent aspect of the story--again, especially after the tokenism in Fourth Wing. side characters always seemed to have deeper personalities and roles to play, with even early character deaths like Anas having lasting impacts for our main POVs. their presence was as vital to the immersion and depth of the world as much as the setting and imagery--which are also aspects that completely blew me away. from character, technical, to thematic standpoints, the Daevabad Trilogy absolutely amazed me.

final thoughts and rating: if you give me a book where two married characters are in love with the other's brother and expect me not to give it a high rating you're insane. 8/10. maybe even 9/10. go read these books.

[writingquestionsanswered]

I have a question about publishing, especially in the YA or New Adult genre. Friends and I read a book series recently where the books after the 1st were kinda sloppily written, and I saw that each book was published a year after the other. It happened again on this other book series I'm reading. And it made me wonder if the problem behind this is that some authors HAVE to publish once a year and can't devote time to editing as they otherwise would. (I'm really not saying this to be mean btw)

Subsequent Books in Series Seem Sloppy

I would be curious to know whether these books are self-published or traditionally published. It matters, so I'll answer for both.

In the Case of Self-Published Books - When you self-publish, the only publishing timeline you have to meet is your own, so you wouldn't have a situation where the author "has" to publish once every year and can't devote time to editing. There are a lot of opinions as to how often self-published authors should publish, and since it's common for traditionally published authors to publish every year or so, it's common for self-published authors to aspire to a similar timeline. However, that shouldn't preclude a self-published author from doing the necessary self-editing and/or hiring a professional editor. The truth is, many self-published authors publish two or three books per year or more, and their books are still well-edited.

Having said that... the harsh reality of self-publishing is a lot of people go into it hoping they're going to have the next big TikTok sensation, so they invest thousands of dollars into their book for editing, cover design, interior design, formatting, promotional materials, and more. Then, the book doesn't sell as well as they'd hoped and they don't make back the money they invested. They may find themselves in a situation where they simply can't afford to hire a professional editor for the second and third book, but they put them out to complete the series and in hopes of making back some of the money they lost on book one.

In the Case of Traditionally Published Books - When you traditionally publish, you do have a timeline set by the publisher, but it's unlikely a publisher would put out an unedited or poorly edited book just to stick with a publishing timeline. Also, traditional publishing houses have in-house editors, so it's not like the author is editing completely on their own. Obviously they do self-edits, and they make the necessary edits suggested by the editor, but it's not like the author would come up against their deadline, turn in the unedited draft, and that goes straight to print.

Having said that... I do think it's worth noting that many readers and industry experts feel there has been a substantial decline in the editing quality of traditionally published books over the years. I'm definitely in the camp of people who've noticed this trend, and I subscribe to the theory that it's just another sad check mark in the column of unbridled capitalism. Publishers aren't putting out books because they love the written word or because they want to encourage literacy... they publish books because they want to make a profit, and like any business, they want to make the biggest profit possible. In today's constantly shifting landscape--where self-publishers are putting out million-dollar best sellers, and where TikTok can launch a book so far into the stratosphere that books two and three could be moldy copies of a 1970s phone book and they'd still sell a million copies--traditional publishers are cutting corners where they feasibly can in order to maximize profit, and those cut corners usually impact product quality.

Fortunately, there are still loads and loads of well-edited, high quality traditionally and self-published books hitting the market every year, so while you may find sloppy subsequent books in a series more often now than you used to, hopefully you'll still find more well-edited books than not. :)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[goodluckclove]

How I Critique Writing (A Loose Collection of Tips)

Someone asked me for insights into my methodology when it comes to giving feedback on writing and I realized I had way more than I could say in a reasonable amount of private messages. Are you someone who I've spoken to about their writing? Did someone send you their work and you don't know how to respond? Maybe this will help? Based on how people react I feel like it might be controversial but it seems to work.

When someone sends me their writing, no matter the size, subject or genre, I:

Take it seriously. It's a generational epic about the Vietnam war and its effects. It's a cute, young adult romance. It's Zim and Dib from Invader Zim realizing they've always been in love with each other. All of these things can be written with earnestness, strength, honesty and skill. It's fucking hard to write and if someone writes a single sentence that wouldn't otherwise exist its worth holding in your hands and examining with the same eye as if you were taking an interesting book off the shelf.

Respond with curiosity. It's common for critiques to follow a theme of ambiguous disdain. This doesn't work. Delete this. Bad. No. Gross. Guess what? That's not helpful. If you got that feedback, even if you followed it, you wouldn't be thrilled about it. Oftentimes you can take a line that makes you want to say Bad and ask something else. What is this supposed to express? What were you trying to do here? Am I supposed to feel happy/sad/uncertain when I read this? Curiosity can reframe something that you don't think works as a reader and turn it into an opportunity for the writer to look inward and solve their own problem. They might explain what they were trying to do, and if you were to say that it didn't pan out for you they're way more likely to tweak things themselves and feel like they still have control over their project.

Give comments. I've started giving more in-depth comments on the writing people give me depending on how anxious they are about it. If you're a pretty confident writer I'll give a summary of what I gained and what I was left wondering, what I thought and what I felt, what associations it made me think of in terms of tone and other forms of media - stuff like that. For newer writers, especially those who are far more doubting of their own abilities, I go buck wild. And in my opinion notes should be less like Good! I like this! Wow! Nice! (What are you, grading my book report? No thanks), and more like what you think when you're reading a book you're truly invested in. Make jokes about the characters (Not mean ones. I will send bugs to you in the mail.), chart exact lines that provoke physical reactions, even a small one. Can you imagine reading someone treat your work like it has its own fandom on Tumblr? You can do that for someone else.

Fucking have some fucking awareness of the fact that it might not be for you and that doesn't mean it's bad. I'm angry about this one considering the novel a friend sent me last night that they've been too terrified to try and post online, despite it being fucking brilliant. I'll try and calm down. Listen - you read what you like. I mainly read literary and experimental fiction, some poetry, horror and some sci-fi. Not a lot of genre fiction. But I will always be down to read someone's high fantasy story, because even though I don't really like fantasy I know what the good ones sound like. I've forced myself to gain a sense of what someone else would like, even if I don't like it. And I can still critique it. If I'm a builder and I see a house that's painted a shade of green I find sinful for a home (i.e. mint), I can look past that and focus on the state of the walls and the stability of the foundation. You aren't a reviewer, man. You are neither Siskel, nor Ebert. They write for readers, you write for writers. So you don't like historical fiction? Cool, man. Congrats. If someone trusts you enough to give you some to read and critique, you should still do so objectively. If you give it an automatic F because you wouldn't buy it, then you are legally a stinky little trash man. That's just the law.

Ask them what they liked to write and what was the hardest. There's apparently a weird trend on online writer communities that say there are specific rules that all writers need to follow. This is not true. It just isn't. If the dialogue in a story you read is weak, and the writer says they hate writing dialogue and really struggle with it, maybe tell them they don't have to use it. You might change their entire life.

RESPOND WITH CURIOSITY. You see the Ask games where people try and get more detail on the WIP of certain authors. If you have a WIP and I ask you a worldbuilding question that doesn't relate to the direct plot of the story as it exists now, I bet you'd like to talk about it. If I ask if you were inspired by a certain tone or movie, you might know the work I was talking about and feel happy. Or you might not know it, look it up, and feel inspired. I don't think people realize that a critique of new/unfinished writing is not a one-and-done exchange. You are taking part in an isolated process in a way few other people on the planet will. It's not homework. It's. Not. Homework. We spend so much of our time alone just fiddling our hands and making our magic, and in instances like these we share something in one of the ultimate forms of artistic trust. They're taking you into a world that hasn't fully formed yet. Is it cool? Can you tell me about it? Can they?

Be nice. Storytime, friends. In the way early 2010s, there was something on the internet called sporking. It was pretty much a line by line roast of someone's writing - typically fanfic. And I hate to say this, but I read a lot of it. I was 13, somehow untreated and overmedicated, and I was miserable constantly. Just cold in my chest. At one point I had the chance to critique a stranger's story - probably another child - and I essentially mocked the whole thing. They ended up deleting the story off the website. I cannot begin to describe to you the shame I feel about doing this, even ten years later. It burns in my heart and makes me sick to my stomach. If you are a serious writer, especially a young writer, and you insult another writer's craft to their face just as they're getting started - you will regret it. I promise you that. You will think about holding something alive and full of potential in your hands and squeezing your fists until it is just flecks of meat and crushed bone. It will haunt you. Maybe only a little, but constantly and for the rest of your life. So don't do it.

Wow what a grim note to leave on! That's essentially my philosophy on writing critique, do with it what you will. Want to send me some writing to receive this kind of excessive treatment? Cool! I have an email in my pinned post and I'll do that! I'm also down to chat if anyone wants to send me asks or DMs on writing/writing struggles/publishing tips.

[visiblenostalgia]

small decently sized download came through mentally about what I see going forward with Pluto now firmly going into Aquarius for good.

Concerning the entertainment industry, if Hollywood is not going to be the center of the entertainment hub anymore (with celeb culture having an slow but egregious ego death, and then there being all the rages from lawsuits to workers rights being violated), then there will come from it a de-centralization of things. What I see going forth is more access to different ways of creating media. Centralized hubs will always exist in each state in some way shape or form. There will be studios designated to film and media, heavily relied upon by their peers in their hometowns. "World Class" will become just a "Standard" for many o' folk to be inspired by but build off of so there can be a "State Class" or something akin to a "People's Class" level education in film due to how decentralized it will become.

On another note, remember how TV channels used to be all about at least five big channels? Hybrid cable (digital signal with an antenna of some kind) will be a big proprietor. Think after the news wraps up at ten o' clock at night and the adult cartoons come on to entertain the peeps that come back from work that don't wish to use any other service other than their cheapest and most affordable network. The funds from that episode going on air coming from ad revenue like usual. Filling the pockets of the local show creators in a direct way (all local talent and local work going into such a project like that). Streaming is still available, but it'll be up to the creator's choice unless they're ready.

Social Media is also one of those things that will be bound to decentralize. It's become too global. And with many people clashing due to different viewpoints that it gets straight up murderous/psychopathic - it doesn't matter what side, all sides aren't immune to being delulu af (get real) - the quiet reserved, honest ones will become the people to start something anew. Squeaky wheels will not get the grease because said wheels have become defunct and unusable. So to speak. Algorithms have started to prove themselves to be hardwired addicting to people. And yet the same people who have shown us that research are probably still on their phones.

Read up on Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism if you're looking to use tech still, but don't want those crazy algorithms to reign over your life. Highly recommend.

Not to mention maybe a greater emphasis on personal websites like SpaceHey or even NeoCities will be greatly beneficial due to their individualistic design. NeoCities of course letting people create their own websites for free or if you want more to the website due to how much coding it takes, an easy fixed and affordable flat rate monthly.

Also on point with Aquarius. It's a deeply detached sign. Often methodical. If one is to win out through this transit, then fighting for a cause is great and all. Yet, one has to be stoic and realistic about its consequences. If the cost benefit outweighs the cost negative then obviously go for it. Just prepare for repercussions in case there is any. If it's a cost negative outweighing cost positive, leave that idea be. Don't even come back to it. Save it, but don't come back to it. It will appear when it must. Those won't know under this transit, but they'll be prepared without thinking about it much.

So it stands reason to say congrats to those that watch their thoughts and pay attention to what they think. Unless someone has only thought about what people say they should think, then it's a deeply disturbing transit for those that don't think for themselves. It's a time where one learns HOW to think, NOT WHAT to think.

Also if there's any nerds out there, y'all are about to shine. It's for geeks, radicals, ostracized, unconventional peeps, weirdos and the small guys. Yes. Even the crude ones. Remember that talk about honesty? If you're a bit sensitive to the elements, just make sure to steer clear of a lot of mature stuff. Cause with Aquarius being as open to thought as a sign, it can take mature stuff with ease. No rage, emotion or anything. If someone likes the weird stuff, hell yea man! Enjoy it. But gatekeeping it because of morality superiority is gonna leave one dead in the water.

Smollest but most straightforward download: Pluto in Aqua hates the status quo. Trying to keep it (no matter perspective) will only further exhaust you.

All in all, people gonna be peepin'. That's what's up for Pluto in Aqua and that's what I see coming forth.

[ravenkinnie]

Youre right about jinx and silco being emotionally incestuous and u should say it louder. I hated jilco fics sm when i was fresh to arcane because it's not fun to run into a gross what-if for my own childhood. But it's real. even if jinx and silco would rather eat lead than fuck each other, they're still incesty; I wouldnt have wanted to have sex w my parent, but we were close in a way we should not have been. It's just a fact of parent+child codependency that your relationship gets weirdly, almost romantically enmeshed. being codependent & a teenager at the same time genuinely screws up ur head. Thats why therapy exists

Anyway, fandom hates to hear it, but yea, it's incesty. There is nothing less comfortable than watching jinx and silco touch each other. discomfort is its own sort of thrill, yk? that toxicity draws ppl in, but they dont want to label it bc incest is actually really bad & u cant shrug off 'my faves are incestuous' like u can 'my faves murder on the daily'

here is my only take on darkfic or proship or whatever discourse people wanna call it: yes, the majority of those tags are not lolita, they are just bad porn. truth is, the mythical ao3 fic that's so good it should be published is just very rare because if you could write lolita or beloved, you wouldn't be on ao3 you would be winning Nike awards. majority of ao3 tags are just bad porn in general because that's very easy to write and most of humanity are just not good writers, that's statistics. as someone who checks both noncon and rape recovery tags, I can tell you they are both very bad and can perpetuate horrible stereotypes and ideas in their own ways because they are written by people and people don't have themselves as examined as we like to imagine. I have an extreme issue with people acting like only these highest tier level books or fics or whatever are allowed to touch on those topics because it goes unacknowledged that this IS the highest tier level in both quality and literacy. majority of people are not reading beloved because an average reading level is very low and those people are more likely to interact with things we dont consider well written and produce things that are not very good. but things happen to people who aren't that educated too and those people interact with the world around them too and they are also adults. I never once want to come off like I expect people to present trauma credentials at the door to be allowed to be interested in or produce different content and that means I'm accepting that refusing this survivors vs freaks discourse dichotomy means here be freaks and I'm okay with that. rape existed before we had language and it will exist long after elon musk puts microchips in our heads that make us communicate in binary code only - and then of course those things we make influence us further too, reality is just a snake eating its tail like this

sorry this was a tangent because I always fear when I start these topics online people will pull me into their discourse so I want to say I rdject the discourse the way it exists from the start shsjjs and I say this all as someone who does have triggers and who does check sexual assault warnings for movies and such, ao3 is honestly where i will always pledge my allegiance as a fic site just because of the tag system making it so easy to control content you see

I think the fact that I always feel like I should make those disclaimers is why it's so hard to have these conversations in fandom or just social spaces, because people don't actually want to talk, they want you to establish that you are the right moral agent to align with. I was gonna say this feels like a very western culture thing but I think you see it across so many cultures actually, that discomfort becomes inherent harm and breaking social parameters is considered violence so if you bring up something that is uncomfortable, that is complicated, you're the problem because you said it. there are parts of this fandom that don't even want to acknowledge that silco is not a very good person and he's an emotionally abusive parent because if piltover are the bad guys then we obviously have good guys in zaun but people, and by extension fictional people, are more complex than that. on smaller scale you see it in families often, this type of playing pretend and not talking about things and then if you're the one who talks they will say it's you who is toxic because you ruined the vibes, you should just shut up and accept it like everybody else does

but the thing is that a culture of silence has never once benefitted victims, and refusing to accept that depictions of abuse and the conversations around them exist in different ways and shades is exactly that, it's a culture of silence that refuses to accept that the world is so complicated and so the violence in it is so complicated. and families can get SO complex, when you grow up into an independent - emotionally, sexually, physically, whatever - human being around people who are fucking insane and they are so wrapped up in your core development across everything, things get messy

also I wanna say. people who say it's not uncommon for grown women to sit in their dads lap live lives I can't imagine - IM NOT saying that physical affection in your family as an adult isn't normal, it's very healthy actually, I just forget there are people who have like. good fathers out there, I don't even like when my dad stands too close to me like what is he planning...... why am I in the attack range.......

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

Writing anon #1 here with a few questions! As usual please don’t reply if you don’t want to. :)

What kind of character would you suggest writing for? Characters I’m currently interested in or characters I know more about? Perhaps a mix? I’m a little afraid that if I write for the characters I’m currently fixated on I’ll lose interest in them for awhile. For example, I’m currently interested in Daredevil but I know more about the Avengers because I hyperfixated on them in high school.

Where/how do you find inspiration and motivation to write? 

Do you think someone could write a relationship without having experienced it themselves? (Like a romantic relationship) I would assume it would just take a lot of research and editing to make sure it’s fairly realistic. Just like when you writing something else you don’t have experience in (like writing a character being a doctor or barista if you don’t have experience with that.)

Like the second anon I have a lot of trouble with outlining and plots. I usually get an idea I would love to write but have no idea what to do with it. Like how to get to the idea/scene or where to go from it. I really should try actually outlining and taking my time. I also really need to get my brain to understand that drafts are okay and normal. (I struggle with perfectionism, but I’m working on it.)

I realize now how number three might come across. I am an adult not a minor. I just had an extremely sheltered life growing up and have spent the few years I’ve been an adult dealing with a few things that are out of my control. So I haven’t had a romantic relationship of my own, I have read a ton of x reader fanfics and watched a lot of romcoms. And number four isn’t a question. :) Thank you so much in advance!

I'd say write for someone you like, someone you're comfortable with, and if you don't feel like you know enough about them to begin writing then that's easily fixed! rewatch/reread/re-whatever the thing that they're from and pay extra close attention, do it however many times you'd like, take notes. wiki's about the characters can also be super helpful for a ton of those little facts. but at the end of the day, write for whoever you like, whoever will be super fun to write for, whoever will make you excited to write. also you don't have to just choose one or even be stuck if you ever wanna move on, you make up the rules.

inspiration? i find that everywhere. sure, a movie is an easy thing to get my mind hooked on a fantasy, but most of my stories have just come to me in very mundane things. I've leaned into my own life experiences for a lot of sad stories (also used it as a therapeutic tool). there is literally inspiration everywhere, you just gotta open your eyes and see it. that weird tree right outside your window? that could be enough inspiration to begin a whole book. and as for motivation? well, first of all I really enjoy the whole process, so that helps a ton. I'm also autistic and have very good concentration, so I can easily just disappear completely into my wip. I'm also really good at just having it in my routine, sitting down and writing when I have the most energy for it. when I'm working on something very long, that's when it can become harder to keep that flame alive, but I think I've worked out a good rhythm to keep it going and not loose the drive to work on it: first of all, a detailed outline and notes. making a proper routine with it, though also not beating yourself up if it's a bad day and you only reread the last page 50 times, but don't actually write anything new. I also try my best to stay in the world while I work on it. like for when i'm not sitting and actively writing it, then I listen to music that fits the theme or watch movies or shows that have the vibe.

I think that truly depends on the person. some people can and some people can't. I personally don't write about too many subjects I don't have experience in (though still some like for example murder and some of the jobs the characters have, but my imagination can get me far enough to make me comfortable tackling those subjects). so yeah, that's so individual whether someone can do that well or not.

from my understanding of you from the very limited interactions we've had, I'd say that it'll probably continue to be difficult while you're not getting enough sleep for your brain to function properly as well as some other stressful things I could imagine is also going on and perhaps is the cause of the sleep issues. a few things that helps my perfectionism is to say that this draft will only be read by me and no one else, to say that this is only a silly little fanfiction just for the lols and not a fancy leather-bound novel, and also to aim for it simply to be finished and not for it to be perfect. and sometimes when it comes to beginning, you'll just have to jump straight in with the attitude of an imaginative and playful child. also sitting down and being like "okay, I'm not allowed to do anything other then come up with a story. I'm allowed to sit here, look around at my surroundings, and push through the boredom till my brain comes up with a story to entertain me". don't be afraid of slowing down and embracing the stillness, that's always where my best stuff comes from. and plot stuff? that is a huge subject and I'm not sure what advice could be beneficial for you. it's one of those things where learning about it on a technical level can be helpful, but only to get the sense into your bones and then throwing those rules and patterns out of the window like they never existed to begin with and just letting the flow of the story lead you.

[marblecakemix]

Welcome to my humble domain!! 🫧✨

Hi, you can call me Marble (this is my internet nickname), a lesbian in her early 20s from Poland. Just vibing here on Tumblr from time to time. If you want to look into my post/reblogs read my takes on #talk tag.

*I'm an adult and I post things for adults. I don't have time to block minors, feel warned!

You can ask me anything you want. I won't shy away, but remember that I'm not your therapist and all my opinions are biased forward women!

I also created a Harry Potter au blog, where I post art of myself and my close friends. Get me a follow there if you're interested to see my self insert au xd

More information about me under the cut! 💕

If the part has * in front of it that means I changed something in the text and/or my views are different than before.

I desisted in the middle of 2023. I used to be a non-binary/agender and asexual individual for around 3 to 4 years, but I understood all of that was because of internalized misogyny and homophobia and I actually wanted to have my boobs intact and I did like being a woman before I was introduced to the trans community. (For clarification, I didn't take hrt or have any surgeries done. I've only transitioned socially, thank goodness.)

I'm an ex-Christian, now I probably would call myself a spiritual person, researching my Slavic roots at the moment. I have a complicated relationship with faith, so nothing in this department is set in stone.

I believe in critical thinking and triple-checking facts. Everyone can have their opinions, but actions should have a base in grounded reality and unbiased scientific research. Read those books ladies!

I'm mostly talking about my experience as an ex-TRA, a lesbian, a woman, someone who lives in a misogynistic/conservative family and a country that has yet to legalize same-sex marriage, but you can safely transition here even as a minor.

*I'm a trans identified men hater. I don't care. Fuck all men, I don't care anymore. Gender dysphoria or perversion (autogynephilia) in males should have never been "solved" with a surgery and/or irreversible drugs/HRT. No other mental illness has permanent body modification as its treatment, same should be for gender dysphoria. The trans movement (men's rights movement in disguise) is the most harmful thing that happened to homosexual youth and I'm so tired of seeing more people being pushed into it just because they are themselves and aren't scared to dress unconventionally!

*I gave up on men. I don't believe it's a women's job to fix whatever they have going on. If they are so scared of women not wanting them anymore, they should adapt to the change.

*I don't block people, unless they're insufferable. We can have different opinions, different lifestyles, different views, but if you're annoying I draw the line there (because Tumblr dot com is my leisure time and I won't have the negativity of random people ruin my mood)

I make mistakes! I'm just a human being and, naturally, I will be in the wrong sometimes. May it be because of the language barrier or me just not thinking things through, doesn't matter. I will try to acknowledge my mistakes and say sorry. I'm still learning and there isn't a better way than through your own downfalls!

I also draw sometimes (I don't have much time for it right now, bc I'm in the middle of my academic years), you can find my work under #my art.

Nothing here is set in stone. As I grow as a person my views will probably change. If you have any questions, just ask them! I'm happy to answer all of them ❤️

Last update: 18th November 2024

[lilmissasap]

percy jackson brain-rot as i begin the books again

as someone whos hopelessly devoted to the workings of rick riordon i absolutely never understood percabeth

like,

they're literally 12, children, CANNOT LEGALLY DRIVE OR CONSENT TO SEX at the end of the og series (chalice of the gods) and niggas really out here shipping the fuck outta them

shit dig hard enough on a03 and there's prolly smut of the two of em

never understood it, like i get a cute lil mutual pining thing where they both like each other but a whole ass ship never made sense. like no, the two don't make babies. why? CUZ THEYRE BABIES THEMSELVES

edit:

okay to clear things up cs people are in the comments saying i don't know what a ship is (i'm literally a fanfic writer on here but okay)

i'm just saying that these are literally little kids in middle school. i'm not saying that middle school kids don't have relationships, but it's still weird. and from, i'm boutta geek out about this incredibly obscure topic i'm sorry, a developmental standpoint middle grade children are nowhere near psychologically ready to be in a relationship which is why it's extremely rare to see couples who have been together since middle school (that one episode of abbott elementary). if you go on tiktok and look for people who broke up with someone they were in a relationship with from middle school- high school, those breakups are traumatic

all breakups are traumatic in some way, but there have been several people who have developed traits of borderline personality disorder because they broke up with someone they had been romantically involved with since middle school.

also let's not forget how warped your view on intimate relationships go (fucking. imma say it the way you think about fucking is skewed). the people i've spoken to who broke up with their middle school partner in their older parts of high school have recounted just how awful their view on sex was, some have even pondered if they were asexual because they couldn't picture themselves up under anyone else.

like i get it, it's cute to see little kids who like each other, but most of this fandom are of age to drive, to study for the SATS/gsces, some are able to legally drink in the united states, or applying to college. these are little baby children that high school students and young adults should not be playing match maker for. ALSO WALKER SCOBELL IS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL/ HIS FIRST YEAR IN HS HE WAS BORN IN 2009.

anyway,

i get it, we all have head canons, but shipping two middle schoolers who a) may or may not have started puberty b) did not stay at one school for too long c) don't know trig formulas d) may or may not have had their first period/ voice dropped/ you get the picture.

SO

i don't understand percabeth as a whole romantic ship, but mostly as a fluffy little middle school flirty thing (prolonged eye contact, stealing hats, asking if they can hug/kiss at a certain time, etc.)

i love love love the concept of seaweed brain and wise girl, smartwater, percabeth, whatever, I THINK THEY'RE ADORABLE but i don't understand the draw of why people feel the incessant need to make it extremely romantic. like why why whyyyyyyy. can we js let them be kids, because lets be real a lot of the newer additions to this fandom only know about the show (and its okay we love you guys anyway its just that some of us have read the books too, its not required for you to love the show that you need to read the books) and are already talking about 'annabeth and percy need to just kiss already' no they don't. cs percy just lost his mom (i know something you dooonttttttt) and our cutie patootie annabeth is still lowkey a mystery (i'm guessing?? idk i haven't watched the show yet i think im gonna pirate it soon or smth, im js assuming because idk what point the show is at in relation to the first book), etc. can we maybe not make them a whole ass ship until the show is in relation to the last few books of the series. lets js let them be kids for now.

AND THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT I DIDN'T LIKE WHEN THEY WERE AN ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP IN THE LATER BOOKS OKAY ITS NOT TO SAY THAT im just saying that i didn't understand the concept of percabeth within the first few books because it was a little wonky to really really want two twelve year olds to be in a relationship. they're cute when its in the last few books but come on yall. lets not ship them yet. also report any smut you see of them that's not cool or rick riordon approved.

theyre still babies, even if some of the fandom has read all of the books and others didn't.

does this make sense?

xoxo,

rae <3