#out of the entire list there are only 3 cishets

[senorabond]

What's another word for 'engorged'?

...and other smut writing resources.

Tired of using the same descriptors over and over?

Or, if you're like me, perhaps you're anxious that somebody is going to read your smut only to roll their eyes and say, "Ugh, can we please find another way to describe [body part and/or sex act]."

Well, say "Huzzah!" because here are some helpful (free) resources I found specifically for writing erotica and romance. I hope these help you write the smutty fanfic of your dreams!

The Sexy Thesaurus by Laurel Clarke specifically addresses alternate names for genitalia.

Laurel also has The Sexy Thesaurus 2 (action words) and The Sexy Thesaurus 3 (descriptors).

Here's an alphabetized list of Useful Words for Writers of Romance and Erotica.

Here is a blog that has various posts called Physical Feature Entry that focus on specific body parts - not just genitalia.

Representation Matters!!!

Most erotica I've read, especially published fiction, features white cishet characters. I wanted to try to find other resources that address writing for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC characters.

This isn't a resource on descriptors, but it's about writing queer erotica and I just really liked it: Erotica, But Like, Queer...: An Insider Perspective. I love how they mention how many authors got their start writing fanfiction.

Here's 5 Things I Wish I'd Known About Writing Lesbian Erotica, which I feel can also extend to scenes with two males/people with penises.

Writing BIPOC Characters: A Conversation with JT Moore - fantastic interview with published author JT Moore. This is for writing any BIPOC character, not just in the erotica/romance genres.

In terms of how things age on the internet, this next resource is pretty old. Originally written in 2013, it was updated in 2017. And yes...it is on fanfiction.net. I haven't read the entire thing, but hey, it's called The Ultimate Guide to Writing Smut Fic.

Now - go out there and write that smut!

[booksandpaperss]

How Stranger Things (poorly) handles racism as a topic compared other heavy topics it successfully tackles

before we get started, I would to direct you all to some other accounts who have already discussed this that you should check out either before or after reading this post: @wewebaggit @googoogagaeyes @elekinetic and anyone else please feel free to tag yourself or another account that’s discussed this and I’ll happily boost it

Content Warning for in show examples of racism and discussions of racism, as well as mentions of homophobia and the AIDES epidemic

.

. While we're discussing historical accuracy in stranger things and homophobia + ignorance being present even in well meaning characters, I want to point out that if the writers of the show weren't so squeamish about addressing racism in any in depth way, than this type of historical accuracy would be for racism too.

what I mean by this: in this sense, the show is not consistent. It's clear that the writers have done their research on 80s homophobia and how openly prevalent it was, if the AIDES allegory in season 2 and the way homophobia was very clearly present in seasons 1 and 2 (it still is in seasons 3 and 4 but the first 2 seasons showed it in the scope of the entire town), but racism was just as overtly prevalent, and yet the writers have neglected to address it in the same thoughtful and coded way. if the show was just as consistent about racism as it is about homophobia, than the white characters would be at the very least shown as ignorant just like the straight characters are.

and I'm not going to say that it's completely ignored, because that's not true:

-in season 2; mike makes an ignorant comment that implies Lucas should have been Winston because he's black, and Lucas calls him on it. There's also the very racist undertones (that are practically overtones) of Billy's treatment of Lucas. -There is almost nothing in season 3 except for a jokey joke when Nancy says the whole party is her family and the receptionist, who is a black woman, gives Lucas a skeptical look.

-Season 4 is a little better, with the implications (key word: implications, I'll come back to that in a moment) of Lucas's season 4 arc being that he was trying to fit in because he didn't want to be racially targeted and bullied for being a nerd at the same time anymore, that he felt like even more of an outsider compared to the rest of his otherwise all white friend group who, as far as he knows, are all cishet and giving him shit for wanting to lessen how much he's perceived as an outsider because he's automatically seen as even more of a "freak", and his friends just weren't getting it because they were white and ignorant. So the writers aren't blind to race and racism.

However. None of the examples that I've just listed are addressed later in any in depth way; not like the homophobia is. The only one that's even remotely delved into instead of simply being glossed over is Lucas's s4 arc, and even that is still very flitted around and left up to interpretation of the audience.

The writers seem to have a very "hit and run" sort of policy with addressing racism. They clearly know they should, and they at least seem to know that having a black character in an 80s setting with a cast of mostly white characters inherently creates a lot of racial subtext-

-for example, the very loud subtext of Jason (a white boy much older than Lucas) seeing Max (a white girl) in a trance alone with Lucas (a black boy) and immediately assuming the worst + Jason's white friends tackling an 11 year old black girl to the ground: subtext that I'm still not sure if the writers and directors were even aware of bc they never addressed it and their track record isn't great-

-but they hardly do anything about it.

I'm not surprised, considering this show is headed by two white men, but what really gets me is that they all truly could have tried harder. Like I said earlier, it's clear they've done research and put thought into addressing homophobia (it still could've been handled better but that's an entirely different conversation), and it's evident from Max's s4 arc that they also did research on Depression, PTSD, and the impacts on someone of their abusive family member dying. So the lack of care and thought put into addressing racism in the same way is clearly more than ignorance (which would still be bad, when you're writing a show this big in 2023 with topics like this you're actually, shocker, responsible for making sure they're addressed properly, ignorance is a choice at that point), its just fucking lazy. they don't care. And this not caring is inherently harmful on a show this big and frankly, I'm tired of so many viewers and people in this fandom straight up ignoring this fact, just like the show runners.

And I haven't even covered the complete lack of effort put into Patrick's backstory, or the fact that Erica is very much the sassy, mature for her age black girl stereotype (she deserves so much better). Oh, And we can’t forget the copaganda.

I'm glad that season 4 started to explore the dynamic between Lucas and Erica and expand on both their characters, and from the looks of things that will continue in season 5, so the writers have a chance to do their research, actually put effort more effort into the sinclair sibling’s characters, and improve, and I'm hoping they will but as of right now I don't trust them to, and won't unless they prove me wrong.

TDLR; the main issue is that Stranger Things is clearly a show that addresses topics like depression, abuse, homophobia, and racism, but the racism part is neglected compared to the others, just like how Lucas and Erica's characters are handled poorly compared to the white characters,. it's lazy, horribly insensitive, and racist in and of itself. There's a clear bias, and even if it improves in season 5 we still should be talking about it, and more white people (yes white queer people included, we are not exempt from this discussion, if anything we should care just as much about it as when we’re talking about homophobia) in this fandom need to start listening when black and brown people do talk about it instead of just waltzing through and ignoring it for your own peace of mind.

also I should clarify that I myself am white, I made sure I did research before making this post in order to talk about this accurately and consciously, but if I made any mistakes or said something insensitive or used an incorrect term or anything else, feel free to correct me and I will readily fix it

as a final note: please check my rebligs of this for links to more posts that talk abt this issue

[radioactive-earthshine]

Random but, any hcs about Kon and his life in Smallville with the Kents?

I'm just going to make a list and babble :) Here's some HCs including bits with Bart bc they did live only 4 hours away.

1.) Not closeting, not in the way people use the term anyway - it was a necessary time that Kon so desperately needed. He needed a place to be someone OTHER than Superboy because he could no longer function without that off-switch.

2.) Kon always had shown interest in his comics of living a life without the Superboy question and being "normal" but it was very rocky for him so I feel like his early transition with the Kents were likely no different. Ma and Pa likely had to endure his dramatics, mood swings and outbursts of anger as he adjusted to being Conner Kent and living in a space that had consistent RULES. This is not to say he was just suddenly dropped off with strangers, because he wasn't, he knew Ma and Pa beforehand having spent a little time on the farm.

3.) If you guys thought Bart was bad at first, Kon was probably worse as Kon had years of baggage to unpack.

4.) We didn't get to see anything substantial of those early days with him with Ma and Pa but we saw small glimpses of him just not appreciating Smallville and thought it was "boring" and outright claimed to have hated it. It's a big adjustment.

5.) Suddenly coming to the realization that he was SAFE where he was and could just BE without suddenly having a fist in his face was one hell of a day...

6.) Yes we all should mock the cishet jeans and t-shirt look but he really was trying to figure out who he was without Superboy as a factor. I don't think Kon ever really does solidly figure it out as Superboy will always BE a part of him and part of his core identity and it's a balance he needed to try to find out - even if it meant going to one extreme side of the spectrum.

7.) To tie into #6 Kon found out he really does have an All or Nothing personality when living with the Kents.

8.) He's allergic to goat products - boy of steel he may be but even he is not immune to goat intolerance. There is no evidence of this, this is a true HC. He found out because Ma had goat milk and he decided to try it with... bad results.

9.) I am obsessed with Kon in his 2011 solo taking the time to WALK to school instead of flying or running or taking the bus - Smallville really brought him down to Earth even though he already was a child of Earth. It grounded him and put a lot of thinks for him into perspective.

10.) Going back to those early days - he reached out to Bart a lot to vent and ask for advice of how Bart coped with Max. They BOTH went from never having to worry about hiding their secret ID and doing WHATEVER they wanted to suddenly having to worry about preserving their identity and operating in an environment with rules that were the antithesis of what they were used to.

11.) Kon's entire first few months with the Kents were literal immersive therapy and I am furious we did not get to see this - this would have made an incredible comic.

12.) Adhering to comic canon I feel like it was during this deconstruction of who he is he realized he was queer. To the surprise of no one.

13.) His first gift to Ma and Pa was a quilt he made himself - you can take artistic-Kon from my cold dead hands. He made it at school in secret.

14.) Clark was a cryptid in Smallville when he was a teenager and Kon really was no different as his deeds throughout town resurface those old rural myths that began 30-ish years prior.

15.) I ignore any and all parallels that Simon was set up to be Kon's Lex Luthor and instead he becomes his BEST civilian friend. We do however find out that Simon's parents were scientists that helped make Kon - Kon has mixed feeling about this at first but he knows he can't blame Simon.

16.) Even Kon cannot help going back to old shenanigans with Bart and they make crop-circles - well they DID before Clark told them to stop - the killjoy.

17.) Cows make him nervous - look - he knew they existed but he wasn't aware of how BIG they were and he knows he is strong enough to pulverize them into instant bouillon but that still did not prepare him for the fact that they are megafauna that you have no control over.

18.) Kon will always take out a tornado - no he doesn't care if it's a small one - he's not going to sit back and watch someone's house be subjected to damage the tenants may or may not be able to afford. If there are TWO tornadoes at the same time he gets into a contest with Bart over who can neutralize them first.

19.) Going back to his acclimation - there was a lot Kon had to sort of unlearn when he started living with the Kents. Stuff he learned from being with Rex Leech, and during his time at Cadmus under Jim. He finally learned what it was like to be a normal person instead of a parody of what a normal person was.

20.) During October, Kon got really.... really.... into making the BEST corn maze. No, seriously, stupidly competitive. Like, not only did he want it to be complicated but he also for an added flavor made Bart chase people around with a de-bladed chainsaw. People think Kon hired like 7 dudes to do this but it's literally just Bart. He also made sure to decorate it with fake blood, webbing, and busted out fog machines just for an added flavor of spookiness.

[the-ghost-king]

I spent about two hours on this over the past couple of days in total, and I'm sure I've missed a few things and I guarantee that some of my opinions will not be shared by others and that's okay. I'm comfortable with people adding on their own thoughts and feelings and continuing on a conversation if they wish to.

Before I truly begin: this book isn't bad, that doesn't mean it's good it just means it's not bad. I think this book is both wonderful and awful, this book is both exactly what I expected and unlike anything I could have come up with. I will also clarify before you read this that I have never personally enjoyed any of Oshiro's work I've read, if you're someone who enjoys Oshiro's body of work there may be many places you disagree with me and I would like to note that ahead of time. I would also like to note that these are simply my initial thoughts, I finished TSATS two days ago and I have done some thinking and pondering over it since and these are the conclusions I have reached in that time. I cannot say how much of this I will agree with in a week, or a month, let alone three, or a year. I considered writing an essay and then decided a bullet point list would be sufficient, there is no order to these bullet points and some conversation points move in a circular way, I did not proofread this either. Also be aware there will be spoilers. Without further ado, my thoughts:

- Hades is weirdly ooc plus having him be responsible for this and him knowingly harming Nico and Nico just being like "oh ok i understand" undoes so much of the relationship progression from Pjo to BoO to ToA to here!!! Hades is still a god yes but he was becoming something of a father figure to Nico as well again and he just throws that all away because Nyx and Bob were "being annoying" and Nico is just… fine with that??? And they just jokingly brush the whole Hades loved more Bianca thing under the rug WITH MARIA RIGHT THERE

- Why are we reintroduced to Persephone like she's a new character? Sure it's from Will's pov and they've never met but the readers have met Persephone multiple times before!! It was weird to reintroduce her!!

- Worst editor ever, a few typos and apparently some copies have Nico saying his mother is Bianca? He also calls his mom Maria instead of mom or mamma? And we've only ever heard nico call maria mamma before this point so him calling her mom is less weird than him calling her Maria but still off

- Will… still doesn't have a personality entirely and what personality he was given does not match the personality he has in ToA OR in BoO??

- Once again, I don't like Oshiro's pacing and you can tell how hands off Rick was with the whole thing - I've never personally been a fan of Oshiro's work and one of my top reasons has always been their terrible pacing. I will read a phenomenal paragraph and then spend the rest of the chapter struggling to find anything that feels worth my time, and while i felt within chapter there was a fair bit of consistency between different chapters there was not- i would read one chapter that read well and felt amazing and then the next 3 chapters would feel like useless side plot that served no purpose. Oshiro also really struggles to maintain tempo in their work imo.

- Characters defining their sexuality in explicit terminology or labeling isn't inherently wrong but its also not in line with what we've seen so far and while this could be a sign of progress it could also be a step back so instead it's best to consider how this effects or determines characterization

- Nico's coming out party…. God… why?

- There's also this weird thing with so much of the sexuality/gender stuff that it feels more like a lecture than an authentic experience, for me personally based on the flow of these conversations and the events and things i feel like it was done to make this more palatable for a cishet audience rather than to maintain and authentic experience??

- Anyhow the thing where Nico kind of makes Will come out in front of camp is giving me love simon flashbacks and i just have to say making someone come out to a large group or in public just to be with you is so so gross… there was no reason for this to be a plot point whatsoever imo, it feels really ooc and it does that really upsetting thing lots of ya books do where it tries to depict that in order to be authentically and "properly" queer one must be public in their grsm orientation which i think is a pretty harmful/hurtful idea overall but especially in media designed for preteens and teens who are more likely to be living in environments where coming out is unsafe

- None of the jokes land

- Literally they have the worst nicknames for everything. I liked the cringe otherwise, it did have young teen relationship vibes… but that was unforgivable to me personally but i guess other people liked this? To each their own!

- On that note! I've talked a lot about Solangelo being two sides of the same coin in terms of how their relationship works and while symbolism would have been nice straight up seeing Nico given a coin by will was also cringe and too far? Nico gave Will his ring, this thing that we've built up over the series to view as a representation of his grief and loss and his family and love and home and a culmination of Nico and Will gets nico… this coin he just seemingly had made that has almost no symbolic meaning beyond that? Nico's ring is basically a character unto itself, not only does giving a physical object and having Nico outright state the symbolism of it ruin the "show don't tell" logic of authoring it also feels hollow as the reader has no connection to this object like Nico's ring. There was no reason for this other than to make an equivalent exchange which is kind of a sucky way to weigh a relationship… it could have been better for Will to give nico something from his past as well and to have the piece come up in a memory or something OR for will and nico to have exchanged these gifts at some point on or just before their journey so the reader got to experience this connection as well

- Will's pov was kind of trash actually

- Why doesn't Will ever talk about finding Nico attractive?

- We never have it explained what exactly makes Nico a "star" ..? Like its constantly alluded to or even stated he is a star but we never actually get to see why

- Will never really "goes dark" the sniffles are not dark, dark would be like straight up plaguing them or having some sort of ability to radiate heat and blast things or craft his own weapons out of light or just something beyond singing and having the heart blast effect thingy…

- Their relationship is stated they've been together a year and trauma can definitely change things but for whatever reason their relationship feels more new and raw and tender than it did in ToA??? Why??? They do not feel like two fifteen/sixteen year olds who have been in a relationship for a year, they feel like two thirteen year olds who've been in a relationship for three months?

- I also personally feel conflicted about them not having a major kiss scene? Like on one hand it's nice to see queer couples treated like any other couple and kisses to be fairly casual mundane interactions! But on the other hand being a queer couple especially an mlm couple in a children's/ya series and being able to show physical affection is really quite uncommon tbh and I would have liked to see maybe a little emphasis at least on the first kiss that the audience gets to experience on paper just to sort of acknowledge that groundbreaking act? But maybe that's just me?

- Additionally speaking all of their prior banter is just.. gone..? They literally don't joke around except for 2 or 3 lines in the book despite previously being a very banter heavy couple? There is no reason they can't be both soft and comedic or have banter yet be tender to one another? It's like all the joy that was previously in their relationship was traded for arguing and bickering and this weird pettiness that feels ooc in general but especially from them?

- What was the plot point of going to Sally's house to send the iris message? Why was Sally brought into this? She's cool and we love her but there was no plot reason to add her? Even the percabeth iris message only minimally added to the plot

- Why is Will so bothered by death? Like I'm cool with him feeling weak in the underworld. I can respect that from a tension building pov and also being in the dark does go against his nature but like death is not something against his nature? He is well acquainted with death? People die in medical settings all the time i guarantee he has lost many patients and brushed shoulders with thanatos more than most people at camp + he lost A TON of siblings in the war he would have to be familiar with grief AT THE VERY LEAST but yet he seems to lamblike to all these things the whole novel I feel it weakens his character, the story, the plot, previous books, and his relationship with Nico- if they wanted him to have some reserved hesitations about death they could have done it much more tactfully but they didn't?

- I also hate every time some sort of discussion about him being a healer comes up because yes he is a magical exception that makes him a "natural born healer" but they take that too far imo, yes he is a magical exception but the way this stuff is worded gives this like "Will is such a good healer he never fails or breaks down or fatigues from it" and i just feel like it becomes an unrealistic and unhealthy example after a certain point and I would have loved to see that exploration that so many fanfic authors have done wonderfully about how Will is overworked and needs to learn to take care of himself before his patients just to add that depth to his character but Oshiro and Riordan just skip past this and again it feels like a massively missed plot point to give Will a deeper character

- It's also weird everytime Nico is like "Will always takes care of me now I have to take care of him" because again it just feels like such an unhealthy way to view a relationship… like if a partner gets sick 3x a year and the other partner is sick 5x a year partner A shouldn't be like "well now you owe me two sickness helpings" or something you know? Thats so petty and immature and unhealthy for a relationship and it's something that can be unlearned but also like if they've been together a year and they're supposed to be like a perfect fit according to what i think the symbolism was trying to get at (so much of this book feels like a rough draft not a final cut istg) then why is this even included anyhow?

- Also Nico is ooc at points, he seeks to heal others a lot of the time as well- Hades even mentions this, how even when Nico is offered something for himself he uses the gift to help someone else- this is a quality Nico and Percy (and Jason) all really consistently display throughout pjoverse EXCEPT Nico doesn't do this early on in the text?? He is unfazed by the nature of some things in the underworld (Will is right the fields of asphodel are perhaps more horrific in some way than the variations of hell provided in the underworld) and Nico is just like "yeah that's just how it is here" which kind of goes against that character trait + (though i may be confusing fanfic and canon here) didn't Nico and Hazel have a whole convo about how upsetting or painful asphodel is?? It goes on kind of even more so in this regard though where his regard for humanity seems significantly less so than in previous texts, there's something else as well i can't exactly put my finger on yet that also feels ooc … I'll keep thinking lol

- Once again to the "why is Nico a star thing" we have Nico constantly talking about how live exists even in the underworld and it's obviously intended to be a metaphor for hope and finding light in the dark and therefore a whole solangelo metaphor too but Nico brings it up and Will doesnt understand and then they argue (?) And then the metaphor falls flat because we never get to see this explored; we just have it Stated out loud a few times? Like there are many good explanations as to why this keeps getting brought up especially because we can also tie in how Will and Nico are alive down there or how Nico is seperate from the rest of the underworld because despite being part god he is also part mortal

- Once again Tartarus isn't actually scary and there's only so much "it's for kids" I'm willing to accept there, give it more Coraline please!!

- Again an issue with the Nyx thing, Nico doesn't agree with Nyx about who he is because Nyx cannot understand life and Nico can because he is mortal- Nico's mortality is a hugely defining aspect of his character because it sets him apart from the gods and the dead that make up so much of his life- in order to truly appreciate death and the afterlife you have to actually live and know life and change and things and the gods in their consistency are more like ghosts than anything

- It's also very irritating that this was never explored !!! So much of what makes demigods special in the rest of the series is their godhood and their connection to godhood, they are powerful because they are beyond human. However in Nico's fight with Nyx and some other aspects of Nico's behavior but most notably Nyx vs Nico is the culmination of this situation is that Nico's greatest strength throughout tsats is that he is mortal. He is powerful because he is human. He does all the things he does the way he does them because he is human. He is something beyond the gods' understanding because he is mortal- and that's all just swept under the rug for…? Honestly i have no idea why it makes no sense how that is a constant theme in this book yet it feels like the book falls constantly short of actually grasping that concept.

- And if you're wondering what the plot symbolism of Will being involved in all this is? I dont fucking know he doesnt have one he was kind of just dead weight the entire story!!! He was basically there just to help Nico pick some fruit and have dialogue with. I feel like Will was potentially supposed to represent how the "average person" would feel on this adventure but personally I feel if that is the case that I may be one of the worst people to understand that perspective as I have a peculiar and poetic love for death and dying.

- Plus when they're wandering through Tartarus's digestive tract (if you're reading this and you haven't read the novel yet or you didn't yet finish it, yes this is a thing that actually happens) and Will starts struggling with his memory, I would have loved to see the effects of that situation on Nico explored more as I would assume amnesia and people forgetting about him/leaving him would be a very difficult thing for him to deal with yet instead we're just told they passed stories back and forth and that made everything all right + not sharing much of those stories with the audience was again a missed character building moment for Will and a missed relationship building moment between them!!

- Them cuddling in the hut together and Nico wanting to wake Will up to share his nightmare was kind of cute though I will admit to that much

- I also hate how they put all this time and work into saving Bob and then Bob just fucks off into the sunset like everything is normal?? He just fucking dips like nothing even happened??

- Also people have been saying Will kissing Nico when he found out Jason was dead was wrong, and look idk if I'm personally going to go that far but I do think as a first kiss it's definitely weird than cute?

- I think Will's background and childhood could have been expanded on a lot more to make him an interesting character- we learn some about his life with Naomi before camp (and its nice to see her as a complete person and I think she has cool mom vibes for real) but I feel like the only adventure we get to hear about is him and his mom being in New York for concerts… what about other places around the country? what about the life he had with her when she wasn't touring?

- Along this same vein I feel like Will's behavior in the story not only doesn't match his behavior from the previous appearances he's made, but that for someone who seems to have spent a lot of time on the road getting to experience lots of different places (even if it was just the US, that's still pretty significant) I once again truly cannot understand his weird behavior about dead people and the underworld- its not only inconsistent with previous behaviors and beliefs he's exhibited but if he's been show so much diversity from a very young age he's probably naturally curious and inquisitive as well as naturally adventurous and outgoing- yet instead he basically just sticks his nose up at everything underworld-ish?? It not only weakens the plot, his character, and his relationship it also makes no sense with previous set ups AND it has no true culmination by the end of the story because we never truly see him accept or enjoy the underworld and what it has to offer he merely endures it.. so again, what was the point of him acting like that?

- Unpopular one: coco puffs are very cute but i find them unnecessary and completely over the top even for pjo and i can see them becoming annoying later on but that's just me personally.

Okay, I'm going to call it quits here. There's probably more I'll think to say later on but I feel this is a good summary of my initial thoughts. Weirdly enough, despite the negativity here, I would still recommend people read this book? I feel conflicted about whether or not the book belongs among my favorites, and it would certainly be the worst book among my favorites and/or recommendations for novels if I do end up feeling it belongs there. I have to say even despite as much as this book fails, I admire what it was attempting and I think like so many works in pjo before it there was a level of unrealized potential here amongst the text that will always be mildly infuriating. I feel very strongly that this book is a whole new era in Riordan's pjo verse, despite some aspects being "cringe" or some things being literary flops and emotional failures in my opinion, i do think this novel may be one of the most "mature" pieces in Riordan's collection- even in his and Oshiro's failure to bring MOST of their narrative full circle or to tie up their loose ends I can see what they're going for and I think having a taste of that potential really did something for me. I have read lots of books that leave me staring at the ceiling for hours in wonder and awe with a feeling i cannot describe as anything other than a "readers hangover" a desire to hold onto that book and to keep it beside me for a long time just to remember reading it, and I would pick it up many times through the following week or two just to rediscover certain parts, i have to say this book has definitely not been that. However I did spend a long time looking at the ceiling pondering it, and I do think I will reread it in the next week or so- but I have less a desire to return to the events of the novel and more a desire to simply upturn more stones in the landscape and find what I am missing. I want to say I hate the book, that it has no redeeming qualities, that everyone should simply leave it behind because of how awful and excruciating I found this novel- that wouldn't be accurate. I think this is the greatest book I have ever had the misfortune to read, I have never cared so deeply for a book I cannot stand. I absolutely adore this awful thing. I feel comfortable saying that for me, personally, percy jackson will never be the same again and that this book has completely changed the field and depth of my experience. I am literally failing to put into words how this book makes me feel. I suppose this book is my most wretched child and I shall cherish it dearly.

[magentagalaxies]

Writing an Essay on Brooklyn 99 So Maybe I Can Stop Thinking About It Every Day:

i can't wait for like 20 years from now when we'll be able to have thoroughly researched academic articles about what the fuck happened with brooklyn 99 and its place in the culture bc even tho i haven't cared to rewatch a single episode since it ended i still think about the show at least once a day because of how fucking surreal that situation was. and ik we already have some (very good!) video essays about the copaganda aspect of it but i feel like we're not gonna be able to understand the full scope of what this sitcom means until decades from now

like it's just so bizarre when you think about it, bc while police and the broader "justice" system have always been viewed as inherently cruel and biased to target minorities and uphold the rich white cishet status quo by many people, this view wasn't quite as mainstream when the show started. the show being set at a police department likely carried none of this baggage to the people working on it when it was first pitched. the thought process was (likely) more like well, we already have sitcoms that take place at all these generic jobs, so "cop" is a natural continuation of that list, as well as well, police dramas have been huge for the past twenty years, so having a sitcom set at a police department allows us to spoof that and get some cool action sequences, and let's be real andy samberg needs something to do after snl. like not excusing the glorification of cops by any means, but imagine if you were the creator of "the office" and then around season 6 it became impossible to ignore that paper companies were inherently racist and killing people and there was a movement to defund them??? again, it's not a perfect analogy bc there are just inherent parts of being a cop that should have tipped people off that maybe this isn't the best for a goofy comedy, but i don't think this show was made with any malicious intent, it was just very bad luck

but the "goofy sitcom about cops comes out when cops are still seen (by the mainstream) as normal guys and stays on the air long enough to have an existential crisis in 2020" thing honestly isn't the only reason this show fascinates me. i think this aspect has been covered by other people a fair amount, and honestly it's not even unique to brooklyn 99 (there are still a TON of cop shows on the air rn, even cop comedies! none of them have reached the same heights as brooklyn 99 but yeah unfortunately the "defund the police" movement did not kill cop shows). the real reason brooklyn 99 has retained such a bizarre place in sitcom history, and why it even had this identity crisis to begin with, is in its tone.

if i had to guess the three things brooklyn 99 is most remembered for are:

being a copaganda sitcom that tried not to be and imploded on itself

the cold open bits that were such widespread memes that even if you've never watched the show you can probably quote at least two

the diversity of its characters

we're going to focus on number three. brooklyn 99 was a groundbreakingly diverse show from the very beginning. the number of people of color in its cast was beyond most sitcoms at the time, and captain holt being openly gay was a plot point from the pilot episode. however, i don't think the show really embraced its status as "the woke sitcom" until around season 2 or 3 (i don't remember exactly when the shift happened and i don't want to rewatch it to find out) in the earliest episodes, the tone is more focused on typical sitcom tropes combined with parodies of police drama tropes. this is also a very egregious era for people to look back on like "hm the behavior of these cops isn't entirely ethical even tho they're the supposed good guys," but again other people have covered this topic way better than i can

however, in seasons 3-5 brooklyn 99 started to take off in liberal circles because of its "progressive" politics. the show's female characters were badass and had actual personalities! the show had characters who were people of color and acknowledged racism existed! the show even started having episodes that acknowledged these issues, and its cast pushed for advocacy as well. as someone who was deep in the "brooklyn 99 is out unproblematic fave" culture of that era, i specifically remember rosa's coming out episode as a huge moment for queer representation, and i remember how much people applauded the episode where terry is racially profiled by another officer for shedding light on the issue. the characters on brooklyn 99 weren't just seen as "the good guys," they were seen as an ideal diverse friend group. the retort whenever someone pointed out the copaganda was to point out the depiction of other cops on the show being "the bad guys," and explain "brooklyn 99 isn't saying all cops are good, it's saying that our main characters are an example of what police should be like, and we can work together to make the system better!" i'll dissect this take more later, but for not this is just a snapshot of what the culture was like.

the main thing i remember from being on tumblr during the heyday of brooklyn 99 was this phrase being repeated over. and over. and over. again:

"this is proof that you can be funny without being offensive!"

sure, brooklyn 99 wasn't the only show to be given this tag line by its fan base, but i associate this take with brooklyn 99 more than any other show that was popular during that time. especially when it comes to the cold open bits, like "now number five", or "the full bullpen!" or "hot damn!" it would also be applied to bits about queerness like "bye rosa!" or "BONE???" which is understandable, since most sitcom audiences were used to queerness constantly being the butt of the joke and it was nice to just hear bisexuality used as a non-judgmental pun for once.

this was also during an era where "offensive comedy" was very heavily taken over by the right wing, especially trump supporters. in the minds of many, "offensive comedy" just meant a conservative saying slurs and getting butthurt when people stopped laughing. the right was offensive and grotesque, so the left would take the high road and be tolerant of everything. we don't want to offend people, but we still want comedy, so brooklyn 99 is a nice way to reassure ourselves that we can still laugh while being as inoffensive as possible. the ironic thing is i'm sure someone can find a reason to find any one of these brooklyn 99 cold opens offensive. i'm not going to make a callout post for every single potentially offensive thing in these bits bc that just feels like making up a guy to get mad at, but my point is "offensiveness" is subjective and not the deadly sin we thought it was.

(to detour slightly, this idea of "proof that you can be funny without being offensive" was so internalized in me that i ended up self-censoring my own works so much. it actually wasn't until i discovered scott thompson's comedy that i realized being "offensive" in the overt queerness of your work is actually so much more powerful than trying to look unproblematic. homophobes are gonna find you disgusting no matter what you do, so don't censor yourself to seem better than them because at best they won't care and at worst they'll see you as the death of comedy)

season five was the peak of brooklyn 99 imo. the show was diverse. the fandom was everywhere. the comedy was iconic. then it was cancelled. not the social-media-version of cancelled, that will come much later. fox, the network brooklyn 99 aired on, pulled the plug on the show after season five, leading to a massive uproar on twitter in defense of the show. major celebrities were tweeting about how they watched it every week, people were petitioning other networks to pick it up, and eventually someone did!! brooklyn 99 was brought back on nbc through season 8 and we all lived happily ever after

just kidding but can you imagine?

whenever brooklyn 99 pops into my brain these days, i keep coming back to the same theory, which is that the show would be remembered much more fondly if it was just cancelled after season five. i would've been sad, sure, but think about it. it's 2018. this show is still viewed as the pinnacle of positive representation by so many people. its fan base is vast and passionate, and it even ended on the classic wedding episode for the will-they/won't-they couple. yeah it's a shame to let all that momentum go to waste and not have a proper sendoff for everyone, but we move on and fans fill in the gaps themselves through their own creativity. a few years down the line, our nation finally experiences a reckoning with police brutality and the defund the police movement gains traction. this of course taints the legacy of our beloved cop sitcom, but we didn't know back then (even though we really should've), and since the show is done we can just enjoy it as escapism while also being firm in our beliefs irl. this system isn't perfect, but the question of how do we remember brooklyn 99? is a lot easier when brooklyn 99 is not currently airing

but brooklyn 99 was airing, and seasons 6-8 were a mess. even beyond the copaganda conversation, things just felt a bit off. the shorter seasons definitely didn't help, since they took away a fan favorite aspect of the show (the halloween heist episodes, which honestly are the only things i'm ever tempted to rewatch anymore) and gave us less and less time in the world of our characters. jake and amy had a kid, because that's what sitcom couples are supposed to do. we saw rosa's girlfriend. and rosa's girlfriend. and rosa's girlfriend. the show dealt with mass shootings, the #metoo movement, and other topical issues.

then the world shut down, and middle class white people finally had to reckon with the realities of police brutality since they couldn't look away. brooklyn 99 of course was swept up in this conversation, and since they were always known as the most progressive sitcom on television, they had to do something. but it was looking more and more like despite all their efforts "progressive cop show" was an oxymoron, and all they could do was try and minimize the damage while making a swift exit.

there have already been several essays on how brooklyn 99 handled its identity as a "cop show" in its final season, and this essay is already long enough so I won't get into the weeds even more here. some aspects were a good step towards important conversations (rosa quitting, jake's realization that everyone sees themselves as one of the good ones, etc.). some were... trying their best? but also vague enough that there was no substance beyond just saying "this is a thing" (amy's arc about submitting a proposal defunding some police programs? i don't even remember if that's what it was about since it was so vague). and others were just kind of baffling??? like. the show ends with jake quitting being a cop, which is good. and his decision is framed as entirely about wanting to spend more time with his son... but also the whole reason he got to spend more time with his son was because he got suspended for intimidating a suspect and being super unethical??? and that's never brought up again or cited as a reason for jake quitting. like, they already had rosa quit because she realized being a cop was just contributing to a corrupt system, and jake has just had the dark realization that no matter how golden-retriever-husband he is, he's still a corrupt cop??? but they fully ignore that and make the finale about family??? idk it just feels like they wrote the finale before everything went down and never bothered to rewrite it.

but the important thing is that brooklyn 99 finally ended, and rather than being met with the standing ovation of its almost-finale in season five, it was met with... still a moderate amount of applause, but mostly people looking away and awkwardly asking what to do with it now. in the years since, i have barely seen anything about brooklyn 99 on the internet. idk if it's just because of who i surround myself with, but to contrast, i still see things about the office, parks and rec, community, scrubs, 30 rock, etc. years after they ended. i didn't even like the office! and these shows certainly had problematic elements as well (even my favorites on this list, community and scrubs, have some jokes that really don't hold up), but even tho i couldn't scroll past 5 posts on tumblr in 2015 without seeing a fandom redraw of "and i know that if i run at terry he will catch me" "JAKE I'M HOLDING COFFEE!", brooklyn 99 has kind of... vanished?

the only times i'm forced to think about brooklyn 99 now (outside of this essay bouncing around my brain every 24 hours) are when i see a post where it is the butt of the joke or a piece of discourse that we all know the right side of. a netflix synopsis of the show prioritizes saying it's "full of memeable moments" but never uses the word "cop." that's obviously bad, but also, that's accurate to how we thought of the show back in 2015. the cop thing was easily ignorable by its fans. or, more potently, on a post about how cops shouldn't be allowed at pride, some clueless steven universe blog pipes up "what about captain holt?" and is treated to a barrage of "HE'S A FICTIONAL CHARACTER STOP BEING A BOOTLICKER." and maybe that's evidence of the more damning legacy of brooklyn 99, that for all its progressive storytelling, it's still a cop show. and even if you're a fan who knows most cops aren't like our main characters and they're just an example of how the system should be, that still makes you idolize the idea that there could be people like these characters who made you feel seen, and that they're working in the police force. that if you say "ACAB" you could make captain holt sad, because even though the show and fandom tried so hard to make the police identity secondary to their mission of diversity, the police identity has to come first in order for any real change to be made.

that's all i have for now. i'm sure i didn't explain things entirely perfectly and that there's major aspects to this conversation that i missed, but that's why i'm excited to read someone else's analysis in 20 years. i'm very curious to see what brooklyn 99's legacy will be like then.

[musicoftheheart]

4-8 for pride asks?

hiya! thank you <3

4. Are you "out" to your family and friends?

this is a... complicated question. ill start with gender, because thats nice and easy: no. i was out as genderfluid to one person, a couple years ago, but we lost contact a long time ago so we arent in each others lives and i dont count it. other than her, i havent told anyone-

actually, technically i told my university? but only for accomodation purposes, and im not at uni yet so im not counting it either (ha ha im totally not avoiding reality)

as for my sexuality... kind of? im out to my friend(s? thats up in the air atm) as queer, because thats the simplest way i can put it. my closest friend is cishet and isnt a huge ally (i will be making better friends when i go to uni, dw) so i try not to talk too much about lgbtq+ stuff in depth because he just wont care enough to listen. if i was still close with the girl who knew i was genderfluid then id explain abrosexuality to her, but im not so...

im not out to my sister at all and will be cutting contact entirely when i move out. i came out to my parents as bisexual (now an outdated label for me) years ago, and they conveniently "forgot" less than a month later, so i just... dont bother

i was outed to my brothers by my now ex gf though but theyre both super supportive!! one of them keeps trying to set me up w his coworker which is really funny (and its not even in the 'oh youre both gay you should date' kind of way, he actually thinks we'd be nice together so its really sweet)

5. Are you "out" publicly?

i never explicitly came out as anything to most people i know, but i dont hide it either. ive got they/she pronouns listed in my personal instagram (because thats the closest thing to reality i feel comfortable sharing atm) and openly discuss queer parts of my life to people like coworkers (which was scary af the first time) and ex-teachers, such as when i had a girlfriend, going to pride, writing queer love songs/changing existing songs to be queer, etc.

6. (If you're out) do you wish you came out sooner? Later? Or was it the right time?

i wish id never said anything to my parents at least, because we never had a good relationship to begin with and after i came out it just... got worse. i wish id managed to avoid being outed to my brothers so that i could tell them myself, too, because theyre two of my favourite people in my life even though i rarely see them since they both moved out and my relationship with them both is such a big deal for me, so the fact i had that moment ripped away from me hurts. otherwise, im okay with how the rest of my coming out has gone

7. Are you the "token" queer person in your family?

actually, no! my eldest brother - when he spoke to me about the fact someone had outed me to him - confided that he was bisexual, so he understood some of what i was feeling, and assured me it was okay. growing up in the household that we did, having him say things like that - having him show me that if someone like him (who i really look up to, though it makes me icky to admit because ew emotions) can be queer and still be the strong, loveable, kind person he is - it meant a lot to me, as someone who sometimes thought of themselves as broken and monsterous because i wasnt hetero

8. Describe your gender without using any words traditionally related to gender:

spin the wheel!! watch where it goes!! where will it stop? who the fuck knows!!

[allsassnoclass]

hiii hazel it's been a while i hope you're good! for the asks i'm picking these emojis 💜💚💙 and i'm also asking for your top 5 narnia characters and also top 5 songs at the moment -monse <3

@lukemichaelcalumashton hi monse <3 hope all is well with you!!!

💜 - What Label(s) Have You Identified With for the Longest? asexual! that's my longest label and my main one. the one that feels like home. if i ever shift and realize that i don't fit the technical definition for whatever reason it'd make me incredibly sad to leave behind so i probably won't leave it anyway and i'll just still call myself ace lol

💚 - How many queer people do you know irl? well! my entire high school friend group is queer. i have a picture from my 9th grade birthday party and literally everyone except for 1 person in it later came out as queer in some form. however, i don't talk to most of them anymore because we naturally drifted away, and a lot of my college friends were cishet. however, i do work in theater, so i know a lot of queer people! many many!

💙 - When you first learned about the Queer community, did you immediately realize ‘That’s me!’ Or did you consider yourself a ‘really good ally’ for some time? nope! i didn't realize, and i didn't really consider myself an ally for a long time either (raised catholic, and catholics as a whole have not been as nice towards queer people as we are called to be). it wasn't until i found the label of asexual that i had a lightbulb moment, and it took a while after that before i realized i like girls

Top 5 Narnia Characters

Prince Caspian-is this just because I loved the movie as a kid and he's so so so so cool and also i now associate him with a very close family friend who i love dearly? quite possibly! but that doesn't mean i'm wrong!

Lucy Pevensie-my projection character <3 as the youngest sibling in a group of 4 who looked a lot like georgie henley when lion witch and wardrobe movie first came out, she's always been my character

Reepicheep-he's so cool. he's a mouse with a sword! what more could you want in a character

Jill Pole-yeah this is because silver chair is really the only book that i've technically read (we listened to the focus on the family radio program versions when i was little, but i don't have clear memories of it). i liked her!!! shout out to her!!!

Edmund-character development <3

Top 5 Songs at the Moment

"Curses" by the Crane Wives-bro there's a clarinet. there's harmonies. "ashes to ashes, dust to dust/the devil's after both of us" and the way that it switches to "ashes to ashes, dust to dust/tell me i am good enough" for the last verse???? yes! there's so much character to this song and i love it

"Grudges" by Caroline Kole-I like songs about women getting revenge and this song is perfect for my current blorbo nie huaisang like the lyrics are extremely accurate plus he would definitely exclusively listen to girl pop if he was a modern character

"Sinner" by Andy Grammer-should this song actually be on the list? idk i'm just vibing right now but i like when songs sound slightly western. this song sounds like one that the band train would make

"The Weather" by Lawrence-i remembered recently that this song exists. i love it. it makes me feel things, it's beautiful in it's simplicity, and i just really like lawrence as a band in general

"Sugar Cloud" from Ride the Cyclone-my favorite song from this musical <3 in a show about teenagers who violently died competing to be brought back to life, to have a song so unashamedly joyful and celebrating a completely ordinary life is wonderful, especially taken in context following Constance's monologue

[drjdorr]

Next up we are having a youtuber heavy batch.

All are metal

Kurzgesagt

Science, cool concept, cool art, limited edition (I may be vulnerable to FOMO)

Link(no longer available though) wait it glows in the dark?!

Three back(2 on the ring and 1 on the sun) metal, nice

Cute mischievous looking black hole? Yes please

Link

This thing is small but is double metal backed. It's backs basically touch there is so little room

Overly sarcastic productions

Pins are currently out of stock but when there is a sale link

Red does a good Thor

Double rubber

Thor was because it's a good Thor, Odin is because red does a good Odin plus he's my favorite norse god(plus Munin and Hugin). The design behind him is a pair of ravens (wild guess what ravens)

Double rubber

Misc youtubers

I don't have any other packages that actually repeat a youtuber so they get lumped together. I'll say who they are with their pin(s) of course

Oxventure pin for their extinction arc. Interesting 3-d design. They have good campaigns but I'll admit this may have been a FOMO purchase while I was buying other things too

Link

Double rubber

Welcome to Nightvale logo. It's nice, simple, those who know know

Link

Metal back

Let Me Explain Studios. They are nice I legitimately don't know why I don't wear them more. Fun fact not only is this the first multi pack(the Dyson sphere is 1 pin with 2 pieces it doesn't count) on the list it was also the first multi pack I owned

I thought it wouldn't be there(limited edition and I got it awhile ago) but I was wrong. Link

Two each rubber

As it says, Chipflake. It's cute, does there need to be anything else?

Link

Double rubber

I'm pretty sure this little pin is what kicked off the entire collection. From Neytirix. I wanted to support them cause their art was neat and they had just announced they had a merch store. Unfortunately they still only have this pin and an eyeball dango(looks nice and eyes are my thing but this looked more reasonable/identifiable). Fair warning if you decide to check out the artist, it's a coin flip between absolutely adorable and terror and sometimes the coin lands on the edge(such as these characters story). Would recommend just four warning

Link

Round rubber

Misc misc

This didn't fit anywhere in particular and and the youtubers only gave me 9

Another button. It was only after owning it that I realized, I got it because I'm queer, trans ace, clearly I'm the family unicorn... except both my mom and sister are queer too so if anyone is the family unicorn it would probably be my little brother, and who knows I was graduated from high-school before I realized I was ace and in my mid 20s for trans, he has plenty of time to possibly be not cishet

I got this one from comic con too but, I got a bookmark from the same author that had a name, however they don't seem to be selling this button but their etsy story has other buttons. Link

Standard pin button back

One last batch and it's a small one which is good because this took longer than expected and I should be sleeping.

So apparently I have more pins than can all fit in a Tumblr post so we are going to have to do multiple posts for my pins. Ah well.

My trans pins

Good pin, neat design. Even has the trans gender symbol thing as the earing.

As the packaging says, got it from thestarfishface.com lots of cool stuff

Round rubber back

Also good, each stripe being a tube give some rare three dimensionality which is neat

Got it from a local comic con. I maybe should have tried to remember the artist. Oops

Round rubber back

Look a cool anatomical heart is a cool anatomical heart. It also being trans pride is nice icing on the cake. It's also the first metal pin we have

I got it, as the packaging shows, from witchvamp.com (also where I got my skirts save one) however they no longer do pins so that's unfortunate

Our first metal pin back

Technically this is a button but I count it among my pins. I like corvids, I support trans rights(I am one, I'd hope I did). Also it's just a nice design in general of course. It's also the largest pin I actually wear.

Note to self, try to remember comic con artists better

Standard pin button back

My ace pins

Same stuff with the trans heart but with ace though the metal outlines seem shinier to me.

Again same as trans heart not available anymore. Real shame, they make good stuff pins being no exception

Now here is a way it differs from its trans sibling, it's the first pin with two back points, meaning when pined it doesn't move or rotate. It is round rubbers though.

Another pride tiefling so most of the same positives apply. Different earing though this time a spade, a common symbol associated with asexuality which nice touch

Same link as trans tiefling

Again the the back is different from its sibling as well as it is the one with the rubber star

Only two ace pins. That doesn't seem right. Huh, may want to fix that at some point

Helluva Boss

All of these ones are metal

First up, the reason I stipulated "that I actually wear" earlier. Lovely sweet moment with Stolas and Octavia. The background and book are one of those tilt and the image changes where the pages turn and the comets move

Got it from the show's shark robot store.

It is triple backed(that thing isn't going to wiggle on its own) round rubbers

She looks cool. I may have not considered the fact she looks demony demony so I may have some hesitation to wear her pin around others(there is a reason most of my Hellava shirts are non-demon mode Stolas)

Link

Round rubber

Millie in the backpack is cute. Plus unlike Barbie Wire, Loona reduces the demony demoness of the pin where I could be comfortable wearing it around others

Link

Round rubber

Last but not least. I don't know, I like her dress and her looking annoyed by someone interrupting her reading is mood.

Seems to no longer be sold. Though I may have to get some more of her stuff in the future

Double backed round rubber. I assume she got double because of her more vertical shape maybe?

Any way that makes 10 pictures so that is the max so see you in the reblog

[moonlightcookie]

ok so heres a big ol post of my voca (mostly) lgbt headcanons. i ripped this straight from my old blog so anything thats crossed out means i no longer hc that ofc. there will also be some other synths like utau and fanloids. anyone without a specific gender hc means i could see them as either cis or trans, or that my hc changes often enough to not specify

also includes some cancelled/private vbs

jpn vocaloids:

meiko- bi (no preference)

kaito- bi (preference for women)

miku hatsune- lesbian

rin kagamine- trans lesbian

len kagamine- trans het ace

gakupo kamui- have u seen this bitch?? he Gay. he trans 2

luka megurine- lesbian

gumi- lesbian

sf-a2 miki- nb lesbian

kiyoteru hiyama- bi (no preference)

yuki kaai- ig when she’s older she’ll realize shes bi??

lily- lesbian

vy1-  aroace  nb bi (no pref)

gachapoid/ryuto- when he’s older he’ll realize he’s bi ace

iroha nekomura- lesbian

piko utatane-  trans aroace

vy2- aroace    nb bi (no pref) 

mew- trans bi ace (preference for women)

tone rion- lesbian

cul- trans lesbian

yuzuki yukari- lesbian

ia- nb ace lesbian

aoki lapis- lesbian

galaco- nb lesbian

mayu- cis lesbian

kyo- bi (preference for men)

yuu- gay

wil- aroace

merli- lesbian

macne nana- bi (no preference)

kokone- lesbian

anon- lesbian

kanon- lesbian

vflower- aroace  nb ace lesbian

tohoku zunko- bi (preference for men)

rana- trans lesbian

chika- lesbian

sachiko- bi (no preference)

arsloid- cis gay

unity chan- bi ace (no preference)   jk both akaza and otori kohaku r both nb lesbians

fukase- bi ace (preference for women)    jk he trans gay

otomachi una- lesbian

yumemi nemu- lesbian

lumi- lesbian

zing- lesbian

azuki masaoka- lesbian

matcha kobayashi- lesbian

kizuna akari- lesbian

mirai komachi- lesbian

kaori- bi (pref 4 women)

ken- bi (pref 4 men)

haruno sora- trans lesbian

meika hime- nb lesbian

meika mikoto- nb lesbian

cocorobo- lesbian

ring suzune- nb lesbian

lui hibiki- cishet (sorry lui 😔)

akikoloid- bi ace (no pref)

meaw- both r trans lesbians

eng vocaloids:

lola- bi (preference for women)

leon- bi (preference for men)

miriam- lesbian

sweet ann- bi (preference for men)

prima- bi (preference for men)

sonika- lesbian

big al- cishet

tonio- bi (preference for women)

oliver- bi ace (preference for women)

avanna- nb lesbian

yohioloid- bi (preference for men)

cyber diva- lesbian   bi (no pref)

ruby- lesbian

dex- bi (no preference)

daina- bi (no preference)

cyber songman- gay  bi (no pref)

amy- lesbian

chris- gay

kor vocaloids:

SeeU- lesbian

uni- trans lesbian

chn vocaloids:

tianyi luo- lesbian

yan he- nb ace lesbian

xin hua- lesbian

yuezheng ling- lesbian

yuezheng longya- bi (preference for men)

stardust- lesbian

zhiyu moke- cishet

mo qingxian- lesbian

yao luniang- bi

spn vocaloids:

clara- bi (preference for women)

bruno- bi (preference for women)

maika- trans lesbian

other synths + fanloids:

eleanor forte- lesbian

yamine renri- nb lesbian

haiyi- trans lesbian

alys- lesbian

defoko- nb ace lesbian

teto kasane- nb lesbian

momo momone- cis lesbian

ritsu namine- nb aroace

tei sukone- lesbian

ruko yokune- intersex bi (no pref)

haku yowane- lesbian

neru akita- lesbian

TLDR; the only cishets are lui hibiki, big al, and zhiyu moke 😔 still love em tho

[undertale-data]

[Image Description: An Undertale chat box that has “WHY FANS LOVE UNDERTALE” at its center. Next to it are a line chart and an Egg from the Dating Hub on its left, and a CRIME measurer (also from the Dating Hub) on its right. End I.D.]

[Image Description: a pie chart titled, “LEVEL OF LOVE FOR UNDERTALE.” The textbox on the top right reads, “On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least and 10 being the highest, how much do fans enjoy Undertale?” From the top going clockwise, 12 or 0% chose 5 and below; 23 or 1% chose 6; 98, or 4%, chose 7; 325, or 12%, chose 8; 529, or 20%, chose 9; and 1664, or 63%, chose 10. End I.D.]

It’s clear from all of the data analyzed so far that fans who took the time to answer our survey love Undertale. It is unlikely that they would have taken the time to answer so many questions if they had not, and even less likely that they would have come across our survey in the first place. Naturally, it comes as no surprise that 63% of our responders gave their love for Undertale a score of ten out of ten. 95% gave their love for Undertale a score of eight or higher, and only 12 responders responded with five or below, a number so small that their responses had to be lumped together to be visible on the pie chart. Of those, only 3 responders gave their love for Undertale a score of 1, and based on those responders’ other answers, it is likely that they were only intending to troll. We are very fortunate that the vast majority of responders took the survey seriously, enough so that responses like this are barely a blip in the data.

Now, for our final analysis post of the event, we will delve into the reasons that fans love Undertale so dearly.

(Essay and highlights under the cut.)

There have been countless essays on the impact that Undertale has had on people’s lives. I can hardly add more on the subject than what has already been said, but I hope this summary can provide a brief overview of what stood out among the over two thousand answers given in response to this survey. That said, due to the sheer volume of answers, I could not read every single one in depth—however, I did skim all of them, and some that stood out or were representative of several responses have been highlighted below. If you would like to see what every fan who consented to share their response had to say, you may view the full list of responses here. Note that these responses have not been edited in any way. This document may take a long time to load, as it is over 100 pages long.

(Warnings for mentions of suicidal thoughts in the following essay.)

Several responders loved the theme of choices mattering in Undertale. Whether people played the pacifist, merciless, or neutral routes, they enjoyed how the game reacted to their actions. For some, it even made them consider their own morality. One touching response explained the impact that the theme of mercy made on them. “I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.” Many fans left similar comments about how the themes of Undertale made them better people.

Undertale changed how its fans treat others, and it also changed how fans treat themselves. The theme of staying determined and the messages of hope in the game were a light to a very large portion of fans. I cannot list all of the fans who said that Undertale helped them out of a dark place, or that they would not be alive if not for Undertale. “DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.”

Undertale brought fans together in unexpected ways. Some said they met friends or significant others through the fandom. “I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale,” one fan said. A different fan who is non-native English speaking mentioned that the game and the fan community helped them to learn English.

It would be impossible to discuss Undertale without mentioning the fan community. Whether for good or bad, many responders mentioned the fandom in their responses. Overall the feelings towards the fandom seem positive, though many made references to “toxic” parts of the fandom without specifying which parts they consider toxic. Others rejected the idea of toxicity in fandom. One response said: “[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!”

One thing that makes the Undertale fandom unique is the way it embraces various AUs. Some fans are tired of AU content, but the majority of responses show a love for the creativity behind AUs. “Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.” The lack of a judgemental atmosphere seems present in the AU community, according to the responses we saw. There is an interesting balance between AU and canon (sometimes referred to as “classic”) content that another responder pointed out: “The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertale fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)”

Regardless of the many AUs the fandom has created over the years, the original game of Undertale still feels like home for many fans. They wished they could reclaim the feeling of playing the game again for the first time, but even though we can’t reset time in real life, there is still a special feeling for fans each time they play Undertale. One fan said, “Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.” This feeling is one that can be cherished time and time again. In the words of another responder: “It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it.” Others pointed out the strength of the found family trope in Undertale, which likely contributes to this feeling of “home” as well.

As mentioned briefly earlier, the music is part of what makes Undertale feel like home for fans. Even when responses focused on other aspects of the game, many would throw in a comment about the soundtrack at the end. One comment focused on the music said “IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.” Like with the game itself, the music has incredible replay value, an amazing feat considering most of the tracks use the same few motifs. “I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story,” another responder said. “They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.”

If the music sticks with fans in their hearts, then the game’s lore sticks with fans in their minds. Even six years after the release of Undertale, fans are still creating new theories and digging up new secrets. The way the game breaks the fourth wall in particular intrigued many fans and has stuck out through all these years. The awareness that the game shows for the RPG genre makes it memorable. The game plays with the player’s expectations and turns them on their heads, all while reminding the player that they’re in a game. There are few other games that do this on such a large scale, so it’s no surprise that fans cite this as one of their favorite things about Undertale.

Lastly, the LGBT+ representation in Undertale has been a huge draw for fans. Especially in 2015, the sheer volume of non-cishet characters was unprecedented, as one fan pointed out: “It's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. Hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. It's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.” The LGBT+ cast including Frisk, Chara, Napstablook, Monster Kid, Mettaton, Alphys, and Undyne each connected with fans in unique ways. It’s clear how important this is from responses such as: “There are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.” “It made me gay and trans so thanks for that.”

Once again I am overwhelmed with just how much there is to say about Undertale. One responder really understood when they compared Undertale to an iceberg, explaining that there are so many layers to the game that there is something for everyone: “everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans—from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers—is the mark of the coolest games!” I would have to agree with them.

It’s been six years, and despite everything, it’s still you. Thank you for reading, participating in this survey, and above all, staying determined.

Highlights:

DETERMINATION became a metaphor for not killing myself at a really rough time in my life and I’ll always cherish that. Undertale isn’t afraid to go to really dark places but at the same time holds on so tight to its hope.

I think the coolest thing was having the opportunity to watch the AU community grow from its bare roots. It's nearly insane how big and complex it's gotten, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Roll your eyes at the 50th AU Sans all you want, it's encouraging people to step outside the boundaries of fanart and pushing people to make their own ideas! I mean, hell, it was how I gained the confidence to start making my own original content.

i love how the lgbt rep is so naturalized... there are just gay people! and its nobodys business!

The music is my go to answer, but what I really really REALLY love is how the minor characters have so much personality to them when you talk to them. They aren't incredibly important to the overall story, but they're all so likeable and diverse that you just can't help but like them immediately!

I think it was the first videogame I have played that broke the fourth wall that much. Of course there has been other videogames that broke it but just for one or two tongue-in-cheek jokes. The guilt of killing mama goat was also something intense as well that I appreciated as an experience and that I didn't think a videogame could cause on someone.

I love how no character can be seen as completely bad! Everyone builds up Asgore as some horrible villain, but he turns out to be a 'fuzzy pushover' who's broken and just wants his family back by the time you meet him. Then you think Flowey's an irredeemable killer who engineered the suffering of the monsters across many timelines, and he is... but he also used to be the kind and beloved Prince Asriel Dreemurr, traumatized by his death and subsequent rebirth, projecting his best friend onto you.

The fact that choices matter in the game. Your first playthrough and getting the golden ending for the first time. I can never replicate those feelings again, wish I could erase my memories and replay the game from the start.

I wouldn't have met my now husband without Undertale.

(Toxic parts of the fandom aside) The community is possibly one of the kindest I've ever met. Cringe culture is completely dead, and I feel like I can be myself. I felt a very close connection to many of the characters, and I loved consuming content about them when I was in a rough patch in my life.

just everything, the whole game has just impacted my life so much. i know it sounds really lame, but when the game first came out, i would purposely put my hands in my pockets and sway slightly, like sans' idle animation. of course i dont do that anymore haha, but undertale still really impacts me to this day, and i wouldnt have it any other way :)

it made me gay and trans so thanks for that

I realized that Mercy isn't something that's given to those who deserve it. Flowey didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it myself. Shoot, we ALL need Mercy in our lives.

The thing I love most about Undertale is no matter how many times I play or watch a playthrough it always makes me genuinely happy. It always feels welcoming like home or like comfort food that I never grow tired of no matter how many times I go to it. Toriel still makes me feel all warm and cozy in her home, the Skelebros always make me laugh, and I still cry on the inside watching Frisk comforting Asriel. And on the flip side the No Mercy run still invokes the negative emotions in me as well. In short Undertale just feels like a second home to me and I always wish I could stay.

The reader inserts are my favorite way to decompress after a hard day

I think Undertale helped me discover my love for 8-bit games, and made me realize how IMPORTANT music is in video games.

the worldbuilding and character design are my favorite parts of the main game apart from the music! I’m also a huge fan of the random AU music- not for like underswap or underfell i like the stuff where someone makes a megalovania for a random au where gru from despicable me replaces sans as the character. i think its funny

Just... the vibe, honestly? Even the best fics I've read can't capture that feeling of nostalgia/almost-"coming home" that comes with hearing the music and talking to the characters.

there are canon nonbinary characters 🥺. i have never seen representation of myself before.

[SLAMS FIST ON DESK] I KNOW MOST PEOPLE SAY THE FANDOM IS TOXIC AND CRINGE OR WHATEVER BUT OH MY GOD. The Undertale fandom, both the UTMV and the actual UT fandom, has been so much fun to be a part of. I've met countless friends because of our shared interest in something related to the game! The art people create can be breathtaking and so inspirational, and the fanfics are so so good!! I've seen people write incredible things for this fandom and it's what made me continue writing!

There's a scene where Frisk (the player) is going towards what is presumably going to be their death. They will fight Asgore and he will use their human soul to break the barrier and free his people. The music, despite the player's impending doom, is... triumphant. You are not the triumphant one here, and yet, the score invites you to experience the monsters' joy and happiness as they tell you the tale of their subjugation. The monsters are going to be free. This is their victory, but they don't hate you or want you to die. They're just... happy. That scene has always struck me very deeply. I feel it represents the best parts of Undertale.

I loved how well thought out the Geno route was. It really made me feel like I was doing something horrible, and the characters were very obviously reacting to dire circumstances.

I dunno? I like Undertale for it's characters, story, music, secrets and many more. I am not good with Headcanons but I also like the neutral endings and how different they can depending on who you spare and kill

I was very bad at english before, i thought i couldn't progress because i was very shy and not confident. But my sibling and i wanted to have the best experience with this game so we wanted to play it in english. It's this game and the fandom which helped me to make huge progress in english !

THE SOUNDTRACK. IT'S SO GOOD like I will literally go through the entire thing over and over and not be bored with it. It makes my monkey brain so happy you have no idea.

to avoid writing an essay i will say one word. Mettaton

It is like Toby specifically made the games to fit the iceberg meme and it's awesome, everyone can find something to enjoy in the lore/game regardless of what kind of fan they are! Being able to appeal to various types of fans - from simple happy shipper people to deep dive lorediggers is the mark of the coolest games!

I love almost everything about Undertale as a game on its own. The music, the art and especially the characters and how they interact. They made me feel at home. Undertale means a huge amount to me. (I even got a tattoo of the castle when you and MK walk together!) The fandom helped keep the game alive all these years, with all of its AUs. Although personally, I always enjoyed AUs that kept characters as close to the classic material as possible (dancetale, outertale) I do appreciate the creativity of the fandom. They almost created entirely new stories with new characters of their own! If it weren't for those people, the Undertake fandom would have probably not been as active as it is now. I do feel like we're getting a resurgence of classic content now too! (In 2021)

the mystery. toby fox refused to give answers to anything and i think thats very sexy of him.

I just feel guilty for liking it so much when I'm in my 30's. But I recently got diagnosed with ASD, so I guess it explains things a bit. Many ppl consider Papyrus to be neurodivergent, and some adult fans are too, so seeing that makes me feel a bit better.

i think about "Despite everything, it's still you" everyday of my life.

I like how it's just as funny as it can be serious. All routes are this way. I laughed as much as I cried when I played the Pacifist route and then once I opened the game again and Flowey was telling me to let them be happy, I immediately turned off the game. I somehow felt bad.

The Found Family Trope

The True Pacifist Ending is just...man. And the fanworks about saving everyone even when the game doesn't let you? MANNNNNN

I think what I like the most about Undertale is how the music attaches you to the story. They're simple melodies that stick with you throughout the whole game, and they can remind you of both good and bad times.

there's honestly a LOT to love about this game, but i think one of my favorite things about it is just how many lgbt+ characters there are??? i can think of alphys, undyne, frisk, chara, mettaton, napstablook, monster kid, asgore, mad mew mew, the dress lion, the royal guards, and arguably even papyrus off of the top of my head, but im sure i'm forgetting a few from just undertale alone (there's even MORE in deltarune)!! it's practically unheard of to see so MANY from just one source, especially during its heyday in 2015-16. hell, you can't even GET the true pacifist ending without helping two gay couples hook up. it's really nice to see all of them being accepted for who they are and not judged for their sexuality or gender, at least in-canon.

[Image description: A wordcloud in the shape of the capitalized word UNDERTALE. The text is white on a black background, and uses the font found in the game. Some of the most visible words are: Game, Love, Music, Life, AU, Store, Friend, and Feel, which represent the most common words in the essays people wrote about their love for the game. End of ID]

[talkingbl]

Popular BL opinions

Here's a running list of popular bl opinions so y'all can stop saying they're unpopular just for clout. Also, gonna include my own perspective on some of them in red.

Thai BLs are quantity over quality (or, alternatively: Thai BL sucks). Most of the time when people say this, they're also kpop stans, hype up anything Korean, Japanese, or Chinese and reek of colorism. Either way, Thailand has some of the best BLs out there. And while there is a lot of trash, you can literally say that about any other industry.

Korean BLs are the best. I have not been impressed thus far.

Trapped is the best HIStory story. lmao no.

Stop ordering ship names by top/bottom or using those labels in general.

It's bad/annoying/harmful/etc. when a one guy in the pairing is referred to as the "wife" in the relationship. On the one hand I understand this take, but on the other it just seems like a lot of folks are performative activists who want to seem 'woke' and just say shit just because it sounds good. This point is very nuanced b/c while there is a problem w/misgendering, 1) that's not your place to say something if the character in the story doesn't care, and 2) most of the time y'all just hate it b/c you don't want men to be associated w/femininity.

BLs need more LGBTQ+ representation.

We need more GLs instead of BLs. We do need more GLs but I never understand why these takes come up in unpopular BL opinion threads...

BLs should stop catering to straight women (or, alternatively: straight women who watch BLs are gross/disgusting/etc.). This is a tough topic b/c 1) I don't think all BLs cater to straight women specifically, 2) it's okay for anyone to consume any media as long as it's not harmful (could you imagine telling people they can't watch Asian dramas b/c they're not Asian??), and 3) it again comes from either internalized misogyny of LGBTQ+ women or outright misogyny from MLMs (yes, gay men can be misogynistic). At the same time anyone who fetishizes any media should definitely be called out, I just don't necessarily think this is always the case.

Most BL actors can't act.

Taiwanese BLs are underrated.

Only Philippines has good LGBTQ+ representation.

BLs should stop using actual LGBTQ+ actors as comic relief.

Fanservice is cringey/is bad/should stop.

BL producers should stop pairing the same actors together time and again. I will watch OffGun in anything they make together. I also will watch Gun in anything he does without Off. In fact, one sign of a good actor is that they can act w/the same people in different roles and still convince me that they're a new character every time. Gun can be Third, he can be Rome, he can be Black/White--him acting alongside Off in those roles only amplifies his talent for me. It's cool to see him in other roles, but I don't think he has to stop acting alongside Off if he doesn't want to.

BL producers should stop casting homophobic actors.

Non MLM people shouldn't have opinions on/need to stop consuming BL b/c it's problematic for some reason or another. This is one of the most ridiculous takes to me. I understand if people are being problematic but to categorically deny entire groups of people from consuming a certain type of media b/c they don't represent those characters is idiotic at best. Imagine if we could only watch things where we identified with every aspect of the characters' identity? Not only would all industries besides ones that represent majorities (for example Cishet white couples in the west and Cishet Chinese or Indian couples in the east) die off, but it also denies the complexities of human experience and, ironically, others the very groups we're meant to be embracing into the larger culture. It doesn't help that a lot of MLMs deny their misogyny, racism, colorism, etc. which informs their opinions on these things.

We need more LGBTQ+ BL producers.

Tharntype is bad.

2gether is overrated.

Most BL pairs hate each other. I honestly feel like most of them don't care one way or the other and do it for a check. Speaking specifically on Tay and New, I truly don't believe they actually hate each other. People who hate each other are more subtle in their beef than Tay and New. But more on that another time.

There is a distinct difference between BL and LGBTQ shows.

There needs to be less heteronormativity in BL.

Cherry Magic/ITSAY/Trapped are the god-tier BLs and nothing else touches them. Also, no.

All GMMTV BLs are bad but somehow at the same time Bad Buddy was a subversive masterpiece. GMMTV is what I like to call a mixed bag. They have My Gear and Your Gown but also produced Theory of Love. They give us absolute garbage-tier material but then turn around and produce Not Me. Besides, what other studios have consistently produced bangers? The answer is none. None of them have. Folks act like GMMTV needs to be on the 2000-2010 Pixar type beat when that is a difficult bar to reach. Also, Not Me and Theory of Love are the best GMMTV BLs.

BL shows need to stop demonizing female characters.

BL fans are toxic.

"I can't wait until [INSERT ACTOR HERE] steps out with his wife of 10 years and four healthy children!!" (or, alternatively: "let BL actors have girlfriends!") This opinion is not unpopular and never has been and also reeks of insecurity to some extent (more on this another time). We get it, you support actors as people and don't care about their sexuality/ships. You're a subversive king/queen who wants to see all the delulus weep blah, blah, blah. I 100% agree that any human being should be able to live their life and shouldn't be afraid to lose their status b/c of their relationship. I just think the people who constantly complain about this are annoying. It's a weird double-edged sword where I want actors to feel comfortable living their lives and want the immature fans to stop harassing them for it but I also want the complainers to stop putting bl fans (especially straight women fans) into one group as if everyone is harassing these actors when it seems to be a very small but unfortunately loud group.

University-set BLs are boring (or, alternatively: we need more *mature* BLs).

Let actors leave BL.

If you watch BL and enjoy the sex scenes/physical intimacy, you're toxic/homophobic/fetishizing/etc. lmao do people watch romances for anything other than this? Now this opinion would be heeded if most BLs weren't explicitly romance-based in nature and had plots outside of the romance. But most BLs don't have plot outside of the romance. And while asexual homoromantic people exist, most BLs are explicitly about homosexual romances. Like, do you say the same shit to people who watch other types of romances for the sex? Because 90% of all romances have strong sexual themes. I can't name a single one that doesn't involve or heavily feature sex. That said, fetishism is a real issue in BL. But I don't think this is the right way to frame the issue. We need to find ways to tackle fetishism without assuming that anyone who enjoys any romance for sex is automatically a fetishizer.

Brightwin don't have chemistry. They do, it's just not the chemistry you want to see. See, this is where real fetishism comes into play IMO. People think BW don't have chemistry b/c you can't imagine them having sex (b/c in these people's eyes if 2 men don't look like they wanna bone, they can't be compatible which ruins their fantasy). That said, even Brightwin's bro-chemistry isn't as natural as, say, OffTayArm's chemistry.

No ships are real. Hot take but we'll never know anyway. People who say this typically fall into a few categories (to be discussed at another time)--all of which point to some insecurity they have internally. Either way I don't really care much. I watch dramas for the shows themselves, not necessarily the actors behind them.

You're delulu/cringey if you ship pairings. I honestly do not care if people ship actors as long as they are keeping it out of the actors' faces and not allowing the fantasy to blur reality.

BL is holding Gun/BkPP back. Likewise, GMMTV is holding Singto/Tay/Gun back. This is simultaneously homophobic and incorrect. If these actors could get roles outside of BLs and they wanted to take them, they would. Also, BL is not some lesser industry where actors should aspire to "greater heights" such as straight lakorns/dramas. That's such a fucked way of looking at BL and contributes to the lack of quality BLs w/esteemed actors. As for the GMM take, it's kind of 50/50. Gun and Tay have done some amazing work under the GMMTV brand. But at the same time, it would be interesting to see what they can do in international work or even with other Thai studios.

[a-dragons-journal]

Call me old and disliking of change but it's finally occurred to me why I dislike the term "alterhuman" - it's too broad, quite frankly. It lacks any sort of cohesion; if you are otherin/therian, hold on to those terms! I fear for the day when "alterhuman" takes over entirely, and it becomes far harder to educate people on what otherkin/therians are, since at that point we'd be lumped in with everyone who doesn't feel 100% human, for whatever reason.

I definitely take your point and see where you’re coming from, but I would argue that’s the point of the term “alterhuman.” Alterhuman is to otherkin as queer is to gay; the former of each pair is supposed to be an extremely broad umbrella term. The idea is to get across the point of “not quite fully “normal human”” without having to explain a million facets of identity for those whose identity is complicated. The alterhuman label isn’t and was never meant to replace the otherkin label.

For example - I don’t use “alterhuman” to label myself personally (though I’m not opposed to being included in it) because “otherkin” or “dragon” is very simple and easy to understand. But then, if the only aspect of my queerness was “asexual,” I probably also wouldn’t actively use the “queer” label even though I’m not opposed to being included in it. I use “queer” because it’s easier to say “queer” and get across the point of “not cishet” in one word than it is to say “asexual/gray-aromantic and nonbinary” or, even longer, “asexual/gray-aromantic and agenderflux” and have to give four to six vocabulary lessons every time I come out to someone. If I weren’t just a dragon, but were also, say, fictionhearted, had multiple kintypes, included my daemonism and furry fandom in my alterhumanity, and had copinglinks - yeah, it might be easier to just say “alterhuman” and get across the point in one word than to list all those things out every time.

All that being said - I definitely understand being worried that it’ll only get harder to educate people about otherkinity, but personally I think it’s wrong to blame the word “alterhuman” for that. Just because a broader umbrella term exists doesn’t mean people aren’t still familiar with the more common terms that fall under it. :P I’m more of the opinion that that’s caused by people purposely or accidentally misusing otherkin terminology (ie, “kinning to cope/for fun”) and spreading misinformation in the process.

And, of course, if you don’t like the term alterhuman for yourself, you’re not obligated to use it! That’s the nice thing about personal identifiers; you can use or not use them as you’re comfortable with. Like I said, I don’t either, because it doesn’t make my life easier. But that doesn’t mean it’s not extremely useful for some people. :3

[emilyofjane]

Why the Disney Princesses definitely need therapy: a Hot Take

Snow White

Losing her parents as a child and having to learn to take care of herself at a very young age (Snow White is 14 in the movie, and judging by her work ethic, she appears to at least have some experience with living independently before moving in with the 7 dwarves)

Lack of socialization due to isolation

Depression due to isolation and loneliness. This makes the whole “Someday My Prince Will Come” thing much more believable, because Snow White really isn’t in any sort of immediate danger and doesn’t need “saving” or whatever; she’s just tired of being alone and wants human companionship. (And tbh who can blame her? The poor girl’s literally talking to birds and moved in with the first group of humanoid creatures she could find ffs)

This one’s a bit of a stretch, but I’m pretty sure Snow White would also have an unhealthy fear of strangers and/or an irrational fear of being poisoned after the whole apple fiasco

Cinderella

Being raised in an abusive home environment for most (if not virtually all) of her life

The complete lack of positive social interaction throughout her life has probably led to problems with social withdrawal and isolation at some point, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has repressed symptoms of chronic depression due to loneliness.

Her closest emotional confidants are literally two talking mice, and that just screams “My only friends are animals because their love is unconditional I’ve been invalidated and unloved by every human being in my life” (aka extreme emotional neglect)

She probably has tons of questions about her biological parents that were never answerd because, again, her stepfamily hated her, which would obviously lead to some emotional baggage

If we consider Cinderella III: A Twist in Time to be the new canon, she definitely has some unresolved PTSD from her near-death experience (the “almost getting crushed to death in the carriage because it was transforming back into a pumpkin” scene)

Aurora

Existential crisis because the three fairy godmothers basically rewrote her entire identity as “Rose” and hid the fact that she was a princess

Never knowing who her real parents were as a child, leading to emotional baggage similar to that of Cinderella and Snow White mentioned above

Either the emotional burden of having to make up for 16+ years of lost time with her biological family, or the grief of losing her biological family without ever getting the chance to know them (idk whether Aurora actually got to meet her parents by the end of the movie or if they died before she woke up, because I don’t remember exactly how much time had passed while she was in the coma)

Speaking of the spindle prick-induced magical coma (which is a really long-winded and inefficient way to kill someone honestly, idk what Melificent was thinking), Aurora also has to deal with the emotional burden of how much time has passed while she was in a coma, which would only further feed into the existential crisis and emotional trauma in bullet points 1 and 3.

(Also, off the record, but Aurora’s entire life post-movie is just a hot fucking mess and she really deserves a second movie exploring that concept imo. I know that Sleeping Beauty has already gotten a live-action villain spinoff, but the story of Aurora herself really deserves to be reexamined under a modern lens also. Aurora is easily one of the most overlooked Disney princesses and tbh she deserves more love.)

Belle (feat. the expanded lore from the live-action movie)

Witnessing her mother die from the plague in their own home

Being forceed to move from the more culturally progressive city of Paris to the unnamed “poor provential town” in the movie, where she is clearly the odd one out and is subject to gender inequality on a daily basis (in the form of being publically shamed and socially ostacized for being an educated woman)

Being regularly sexually harassed by Gaston, which is further exacerbated by the villagers and their close-mindedness. Not only is Gaston’s behavior enabled and encouraged by the villagers, but they even go so far as to idolize Gaston — as shown during his namesake song — despite his obviously predatory actions, simply because he is a cishet white man that they find conventionally attractive

Watching her father get arrested despite being 100% innocent...TWICE

Also being arrested when her father is wrongly convicted a second time, by none other than her abuser

Watching her lover — who besides her parents was the first person in her life who truly loved her and respected her intellect despite being a woman — nearly die in her arms, as well as everyone else in the castle (who ALSO respected her regardless of her gender) nearly die at the same exact time.

...And you know, Stockholm Syndrome or whatever. (But tbh, given how everyone in the castle was very kind and respectful and how the Beast was a tsundere at best, Belle would probably suffer far more from PTSD brought upon by Gaston and her previous environment than from “Stockholm Syndrome” in a castle where everyone actually treated her like a normal fucking human being. Unpopular opinion I know but as a sexual assault survivor this is literally a hill I will die on.)

Jasmine

I’ve actually never watched Aladdin all the way through, so unfortunately I can’t give a full analysis of Jasmine’s conflicts...but I have seen that gif of her saying “I am not a prize to be won” and that just screams “I’ve suffered a lifetime of female objectification and gender inequality despite my social status, and not even in the highest position of authority possible am I allowed to have a voice” and idk about you but that is really fucked up man

Ariel

PTSD from being manipulated by Ursula to give up her voice and nearly losing everything (both her previous life in the ocean and the promise of a new life on land with her love interest) because of it

Near-death experience from *vague hand gesture to whatever the fuck that was at the end of the movie*

Inevitable depression from abandoning the only home she’s ever known (the ocean) and leaving her friends and family behind

She’ll probably also need some form of behavioral therapy to help her adjust to her new home on land, whose culture is still extremely foreign to her — and maybe even additional therapy for social anxiety, given how her first 3 days of human interaction were so mortifyingly embarrassing that she’ll probably be laying wide awake at 3 AM and thinking “oh my god I can’t believe I looked Eric’s parents dead in the eyes and brushed my hair with a dinner fork” for the next 10 years.

Tiana

PTSD from literally being turned into a frog

Overworking herself to the point of near burnout, and being unable to fully live out her prime adult years because of said burnout

Constantly dealing with shitty customers, bosses, and other white-collared people disrespecting her and treating her as subhuman because of her career choice, which is unfortunately a common shared experience among restaurant workers and those who work hourly wages

Since this movie takes place in the United States presumably before the 1960’s, it’s probably safe to assume that Tiana also probably had to deal with segregation, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of racism off-screen on a daily basis, which would obviously take a toll on her mental well-being and further exacerbate the issues mentioned in #3

Grief from losing her dad, which has likely been repressed due to her workaholic tendencies denying her the ability to properly take the time to mourn

I don’t even know what to categorize the whole witch doctor shenanigans as, I just know that she and Naveen are both going to need some SERIOUS therapy after going through all that shit

Rapunzel

Being raised in an emotionally abusive and controlling environment for her entire life

Being completely isolated for 18 years with no social interaction whatsoever with anyone except her own abuser

Existential/identity crisis from discovering that she’s actually a princess, that her “mom” was actually the one who kidnapped her as a baby and tried to cut her hair, and that everything she knew about herself and the world she lived in was essentially a lie to keep her obedient to Gothel

Near-death experience (the drowning scene)

Internalized fear and mistrust in strangers — and quite possibly in people in general — due to Gothel’s lifelong warnings that people in the outside world would only want to take advantage of her

Watching the woman who raised her MERCILESSLY STAB THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE EVER KNEW AND LOVED IN THE GODDAMN CHEST

Watching the woman who raised her LITERALLY CRUMBLE TO DUST IN FRONT OF HER VERY EYES

WATCHING FLYNN, THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE EVER KNEW AND LOVED BESIDES HER GODDAMN ABUSER, FUCKING DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER before she miraculously healed him

Because Flynn’s revival was such an uncanny revival that not even Rapunzel knew how she did it, she obviously thought he was gone for good...and since Gothel was gone also, there must’ve been at least a split second before she healed Flynn where, for the first time in her entire life, she was completely and utterly alone. That alone deserves to be a bullet point because holy shit

I’m not even going to get into Tangled: the Series man this list is getting too long as it is

Elsa

Losing her parents at a young age

Abandonment and isolation issues (mostly self-inflicted due to her own fear of hurting others, see #3)

Internalized fear and self-doubt of her powers — and, by extension, fear and self-doubt in herself

Guilt from nearly plunging Arendelle into an eternal winter

Guilt from almost losing her sister (twice!) due to her own direct actions

(Coinciding with #3) Guilt from isolating herself from her sister to protect her, only to nearly get her killed by the very thing she was trying to protect her from

Anxiety. Just lots and lots of general anxiety.

(Omitting Frozen 2 for Elsa because I haven’t seen it yet and this list is getting too long)

Anna

Also losing her parents at a young age

Abandonment and isolation issues, but hers are moreso due to Elsa “shutting her out” as a kid and having no one else her age in the castle to interact with

Lack of socialization in general for much of her childhood, as well as any social anxieties/lack of social knowledge and etiquette/etc. that would come with it

Abusive relationship with Hans (I know it was only one day, but holy fuck that was a trainwreck. What Hans did to Anna is a literal breeding ground for PTSD and trauma)

Coming to terms with the fact that the trolls fucking erased her memories of Elsa having ice powers and that Elsa isolated herself to protect her (and not, you know, because she hated her or something)

Leftover guilt from holding a grudge against Elsa for most of her childhood for shutting her out, because NO ONE BOTHERED TO TELL HER THAT IT WAS FOR HER OWN GOOD and she never knew why

Basically Anna and Elsa both need joint therapy or family counseling or something because holy shit their parents did NOT handle this situation properly AT ALL

(Also omitting Frozen 2 for Anna because I haven’t seen it and this list is also getting too long)

Moana

Surprisingly, Moana’s movie was relatively tame — in fact, because her tribe returned to voyaging and she is now exploring the seas/following her passion, these events were arguably beneficial to Moana’s mental health rather than detrimental. The only emotional baggage I can really imagine Moana having post-movie is leftover grief from her grandma dying and maybe the stress of having to put up with Maui’s shit

[ursie]

Since no one can feel safe because it’s privileged, isn’t it actually backing racism, homophobia, ableism…? I mean, since nobody deserves feeling safe why would we report and act against it? Safe space don’t exist, so… idk… let’s invade lgbt tags and subreddits with hate? Why shouldn’t they feel welcome anywhere. Let’s invade Black Lives Matter with hate, because why should they have their own supportive tag? Oh, people block anti tags to feel safe? Well, let’s spill hate in non anti tags, why would anyone deserve nice things?

Fyi, most of this “criticism” was just people putting “Solangelo toxic” in tag with no explanation whatsoever. That’s not criticism, that’s being awful. You had to scroll down through dozen of posts like this to find ONE explaining why the person thinks so. Yes, some shippers were nasty and awful attacking insightful posts. But some were trying to present their arguments in normal way and people like you just put them in the same category like the others. At this point you all don’t care about stating facts. You’re just trying to attack other people regardless, just to make them feel bad. That’s why you’re putting it all in Solangelo tag, since anti Solangelo tag can easily be blocked. Most of you present no arguments. You’re just running around screaming “toxic! ableist!” and having nothing else to offer. At the same time you’re shipping far more toxic ships pretending you’re oh-so-rightful.

This is legitimately the funniest anon ever way to not have critical thinking skills and present the most disingenuous counter argument humanly possible <3 good to know you can’t handle discussions in good faith.

Anyway .

Inherent context is key-fandom tags are about fandoms and the players there are members of said fandom whereas in the examples you’ve listed you’re talking about actual minorities and not a fandom? There’s a difference in power between two Pjo stans having a difference in opinion about Solangelo and a cishet man being homophobic in lgbt+ spaces my dude. For starters one affects real actual people irl-whilst the other is about fictional characters

Critical thinking isn’t hate? Fandom tags are for the discussion and community of said fandom-that includes critical thinking and yes even hate-it may not always be fun to see but that is what the block button is for-putting negative posts in main tags is not only not morally wrong it’s literally what a tag feature is designed for my dude

You shouldn’t compare real life bigotry to discourse about online etiquette my dude especially when in your argument your equating allegations of ableism to “ship discourse”

I have made countless posts explaining why and how Solangelo is ableist. I’ve never called it toxic to my memory as again these are fictional children. The vast majority of the crit posts were about the fandom at the moment and therefore not about presenting the entire argument from beginning to end. Also if you need minorities to explain the bigotry they’re facing in a polite or easily to digest manner you’re probably the person they’re complaining about. You’re not entitled to an explanation. You sent this ask you certainly could of done some research.

There is no “normal” way to justify ableism. It’s still upsetting when it’s in the defense of bigotry. “Non threatening” bigotry is still violence. Disabled people are always allowed to be upset about it no many how nice the bigots are.

There have been countless posts “stating facts” disabled people shouldn’t have to cite exact statistics everytime they point out ableism has happened. There is an entire rr crit tag and countless post’s elsewhere delving into people’s issues with his works. If you want the information you are free to get it. Again minorities shouldn’t have to do all the intellectual labor. I say as I explain this to you -_-

Again ship tags are for that and using keywords automatically puts it in the tag. Also again posts about bigotry are more important than personal comfort. Your safe space is not more important than all Disabled people in the fandom my dude

Critical thinking and posts holding bigots and their ideals accountable aren’t attacks and if you truly feels so defensive over them I’d self reflect on that.

Again the tags are present and frankly the words toxic and ableist are enough. They mean things. If a disabled person calls something ableist that is enough my dude.

I don’t speak for everyone’s ships-I’m personally not aware of shipping anything actively “problematic” however other people’s ships and interest does not take away from the arguments made and any attempt to add them to the conversation is just an attempt to change the subject from your own lack of accountability <3

Yes you’re still a bad person

[scatterpatter]

Corren - 1 through 100 - You did this to yourself.

FUCK YOU *UN-IRONICS YOUR ASK*

UNDER THE FUCKING CUT

1. What do they smell like?

Bad. Do you think their party is able to regularly take showers? I thinketh the fuck not. ... Pine and old books when he can self care tho.

2. What is their voice like?

Listen I know Corren, being taller, would be more likely to have a deeper register but you'll tear "tenor Corren" out of my cold dead hands

3. What is their biggest motivator?

Spite.

4. What is their most embarrassing memory?

When he first met his BFF Alondra, he was so antisocial and good at ignoring people that she actually got the impression he might have been hard of hearing. She never let him live that down. (one day I'll finish this fic i promise)

5. How do they deal with/react to pain?

"I will keep all of my pain in here, and one day I'll die." ... Okay but listen he's squishy so he takes like one hit and is bloodied up. Someone get him a healer. Pls.

6. What do they like to wear?

He likes his cloak. Its weighty and soft(well. WAS soft. got a bit of wear and tear these days.) and like. Who doesnt love cloaks.

7. Which of their relationships have impacted them most positively?

Ohhhhh fuuuccck this one's tough. I might have to go with Torvid honestly. While the entire party has had a positive impact on him(and trust me I was this close to picking Alistair), Torvid's been more of the one to call him out on his bullshit and to, oh I don't know, talk about your emotions? Ever??? Yknow BEFORE they become too much to handle and he absolutely breaks down???

8. What’s the weirdest thing they’ve ever eaten?

Alistair's cooking.

9. Describe the way that they sleep.

Good luck finding him NOT cuddled up with at least one dog. Tbh he just enjoys cuddles in general.

10. What is their favorite food/kind of food?

FUCKIN. GIVE HIM A GOOD STEAK. THIS BOY IS MOSTLY CARNIVORISTIC.

11. What do they feel most insecure about?

As tempted as I am to say "His cooking", it's actually his singing.

12. How do they like to dress?

"Comfort over flashiness tbh. I gotta go ADVENTURING in whatever I wear after all."

"... Also don't you DARE perceive me as cishet."

13. How do they react to feelings of guilt?

Call him a genie because he will BOTTLE THAT SHIT UP.

14. How do they react to/deal with betrayal?

Denial :D

15. What is their greatest achievement?

Shrike: Killing his dad

Me: NOOOOOO

EDIT: WAIT THIS WAS ANSWERED IN Q99 WHAT THE HECK

16. What are they like when they’ve gotten too little sleep?

Somehow more of a dick than usual. Snappy and cranky and just. Mrehhh.

17. What are they like when they’re drunk?

Doesn't get drunk often, but when he does I imagine he's actually giggly and a little clingy. It's cute :)

18. What kind of music do they enjoy?

*Opens my Corren playlist* Oh yeah. It's either full edgy alt rock or indie alt "depressed millenial" tracks.

19. Are they right or left handed?

FFFuuhhhhck uhhhh well

Looking over my old art I can't seem to pick a dominant hand(I've even drawn him handling his sniper with either hand???????????) so like oops guess he's ambidextrous.

20. Fears?

The dark, the ocean, dying alone and forgotten, his friends losing their trust of him

21. Favorite kind of weather?

Rain!!!! Especially cool rain like what people often get in fall months.

22. Favorite color?

Indigo!!!

23. Do they collect anything?

Books :3

24. Do they prefer either hot or cold weather more?

Cold weather by far.

25. What is their eye color?

Electric blue!

26. What is their race/ethnicity?

Well his race is a homebrew race known as Marelienth. Uhhh ethnicity? Idk he's from a mountain town way up north *shrugs*

In human aus I imagine him as half-Mongolian half-Norwegian so ayee

27. Hair color?

Black!

28. Are they happy where they are currently?

No :D He loves adventuring with his party don't get me wrong but he still has a lot of trauma to unpack. ... Also he was just possibly broken up with soooo. :/

29. Are they a morning person?

NOPE.

30. Sunrise or sunset?

*motions to above question* Sunset.

31. Are they more messy or more organized?

More organized, actually!

32. Pet peeves?

*unravels a list. It's all shit the party has done. Mostly Alistair.*

33. Do they own any objects of significant personal importance?

HOOUSIDSJFK- HE- Y-YEAH HE SURE DOES

His amethyst pendant used to belong to his brother, Julian, and he gave it to Corren right before they were separated so you BET it's sentimental as shit and he wears it daily.

34. Least favorite food?

Mecha's usually a great cook but one time trolled him with some absurdly spicy curry he couldn't handle and he's never forgiven them.

35. Least favorite color?

Hmmm. Maybe... yellow?

36. Least favorite smell?

He spent a year with his party in a damp cave and no showers, so uh. I'll give you a guess.

37. When was the last time they cried?

Literally last night in our game's timeline :D Full breakdown and everything!

38. Were they with anybody the last time they cried?

Torvid :D He was there to comfort

39. Tell us about one of the times they got injured?

One time they were in combat and Corren took a few hits and was down to about 2hp or so. He had a temporary level thanks to Kieran, which boosted his HP a little bit. When he teleported them to a safe town, though, well... Torvid was waiting for them so that's cool. But uh. Yeah that temporary level wore off then and there, dropping Corn Cob to exactly 0hp and he just- flopped down face first in the snow and started dying then and there KJNDKLFNSLKN

40. Do they have any scars?

:)

Do you want to talk about the scar over his eye from a fight he got in with his dad or like. The scars on his limbs from the time he was literally experimented on.

41. Do they struggle with any mental health issues?

:)

Undiagnosed+Untreated Anxiety, Depression, DPDR, PTSD, just to name a few

42. Do they have any bad habits?

Running away from his problems, definitely.

43. Why might someone dislike them?

He's a pretentious nerd. He can be a dick if he doesn't care about you.

44. Why might someone love them?

He's an adorable nerd! He's a hopeless romantic and oddly enough an optimist. He's passionate and driven too!

45. Do they believe in ghosts?

Well ghosts are like- a canon proven thing in his world sooo. Yeah.

46. Is there anyone they would trust with their lives?

His party. Well- most in his party.

47. Are they romantically interested in anyone?

Nethyl :)

48. Are they dating/married to anyone?

He's dating Nethyl and they're in a happy and healthy relationship :) *politely ignores canon*

49. Do they like surprises?

NO >:(

50. When is their birthday?

Heroya 5th! I think. I don't wanna check, assume it's this.

51. How do they usually celebrate their birthday?

"You guys celebrate your watchdays?"

Jokes aside, he mainly just treats himself to a nice dinner and a new book or something :)

52. Do they have any family?

Two older siblings: Julian and Mila. His parents are Andreas and Fanya!

53. Are they close to their family?

... *Coughs*. He was close with his siblings, but Mila died and he hasn't seen Julian in 30 years. Was close with his dad but last time they saw each other, they fought and Corren might have killed him so. ... Yeah. :/

54. What is their MBTI type?

FUCK uh. I... N... T... J? INTJ. Sure.

55. What is their zodiac sign?

In Sekrezia: The eagle

In our world: Uhhh. Idk. Capricorn????

56. What Hogwarts House would they be in?

Uhhh. Ravenclaw??? I know almost nothing about HP :/

57. What D&D alignment are they?

THIS ONE'S EASY- lawful neutral!

58. Do they ever have nightmares? If so, what about?

:)

Used to have typical nightmares, nothing special. Nowadays though he often dreams of being underwater. Not drowning, though. It's... weird. He doesn't like those.

59. What are their views on death?

He's a necromancer lol.

Death is inevitable, though. It's a necessary part of life. Death is not an entire loss, though. One lives on in the memories others carry of them, in the love they hold in their hearts. Death is complicated, but that's okay.

60. What is something that they’re sure to laugh at?

Alistair :)

61. When bored, how do they pass time?

Dog time :)

62. Do they enjoy being outside?

... Ehhhhhh?

63. Do they have an accent?

Technically??? It's an accent from where he's from but like. I just barely tweak my own voice when I rp him so? Damn Corren I'm sorry you've been cursed with east coast dialect.

64. Upon seeing a slice of chocolate cake, what is their first reaction?

"Damn who's the rich bastard here?" (cake is kinda a delicacy in their world- not like elites only but not NEARLY as common as it is here)

65. If they knew they were going to die, what would they do/say?

Reassurance mode to whomever he's with. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Remember what I told you, death is a natural part of life, yeah? I don't have any regrets, I'm okay... Just. Thanks. For giving me a chance. Thank you. Thank you."

66. How do they feel about sex?

I SWEAR he's allosexual. I'm just bad at writing allosexuals.

67. What is their sexuality?

He doesn't really know how to pin it down, so he just calls himself "queer". Definitely not straight, that's all he knows.

68. Do they become squeamish at the sight of blood?

AHAHA no. He's hella desensitized

69. Is there anything that they find really gross?

Skulking cyst. Look it up at your own volition. It's. NO.

70. Which TV Trope(s) best describes them?

It's 12:21 in the morning and I'm NOT about to scroll through a bunch of tv tropes just. just. NERD stereotype.

71. Do they enjoy helping people?

Yyyyes? Only really if it's the people he cares about.

72. Are they allergic to anything?

Bullshit.

73. Do they have a pet?

WINGTHARA!! HIS SKELE-DOG!!!

74. Are they quick to anger? What are they like when they loose their temper?

Oh yeah he's all bark and no bite. He usually just throws a little fit and/or yells.

75. How patient are they?

More than he should be :/

76. Are they good at cooking?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

77. Favorite insult? Do they insult people often?

Oh yes he insults the others all the time. No particular favorite, he likes so spice it up.

78. How do they act when they’re particularly happy?

Stim. Stim. Stim. His eyes get all sparkly and he. He.

79. What do they do when they learn about other people’s fears?

He will do everything in his power to assure they won't ever have to deal with their fears alone- You afraid of spiders? It's his job to get the spiders from now on so you won't have to deal with them.

80. Are they trustworthy?

Oh yeah. He's like Rapunzel- doesn't break promises.

81. Do they try to hide their emotions? Are they good at it?

Oh yes he tries to hide it. And yes, he's awful at it.

82. Do they exercise regularly?

Yes and no? No like- exercise regimen, but the amount of travelling and fighting they do is just- a workout in and of itself

83. Are they comfortable with the way they look?

Yeah! He's cute and he knows it baybie!!!

84. What are some physical features that they find attractive on people?

He,,, he likes someone who's physically stong,,, Muscles are,,, aaaaa >///>

85. What kind of personalities do they find attractive?

Someone he can nerd out with :)

86. Do they like sweet foods?

Impartial to it. He won't turn sweets away but he's not crazy about them either.

87. What is their age?

43, the equivalent of- I think someone in their mid 30s?

88. Are they tall or short or somewhere in between?

He's 6'8" :) Which is actually normal for his race

89. Do they wear glasses or contacts?

Sometimes! I like to think he has reading glasses or something like that.

90. Do they consider themselves attractive?

HE'S CUTE AND HE KNOWS IT.

91. What is their sense of humor like?

Julian tainted his sense of humor and now he finds the most dumb shit hilarious. Think very millenial/GenZ humor like "I wish I was Jared, 19"

92. What mood are they most often in?

"I don't get paid enough for this" or Fear.jpg

93. What kinds of things anger them?

People who don't keep their FUCKING WORD. Oh and like. Yknow. Half the shit his party does.

94. Outlook on life?

Again he's??? Oddly an optimist? In the "Things will get better and that is a fucking THREAT" way, but still optimist!

95. What kind of things make them sad/depressed?

Talk about his family :) Or the fact that his boyfriend might want him dead :)

96. What is their greatest weakness?

He's squishy as fuck. He goes down easy.

97. What is their greatest strength?

He's extremely intelligent and great with magic and his sniper!

98. Something that they regret?

Not doing more to stop his brother when he tried to resurrect their sister

99. Biggest accomplishment?

Either convincing an entire town his name is Torren or accidentally convincing some very OP people that he's secretly a dragon.

100. Create your own!

FUCK YOU I SPENT LIKE 2 HOURS ON THIS. NO PROOFREAD. IVE ALREADY DESIGNED CORREN'S AND NETHYL'S HYPOTHETICAL KIDS. ANYWAYS THEY'RE TWIN IRINAGA AND I'VE NAMED THEM AFTER THE DNDADS TWINS: THEIR NAMES ARE LARK AND SPARROW.

[thedykeprincess]

So you were disappointed in Throne of Glass...

 (DISCLAIMER: This post does not intend to offend anyone who loves ToG. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and likes and dislikes and is allowed to express that. This post is meant to share books that have similar qualities to ToG for people who were disappointed in the series, like myself, but anyone who does like ToG can absolutely find great recs here! However, if you don’t want to hear anything ToG critical I recommend skipping over this post. Thank you!)

So last week I finally got rid of all my ToG books. I was mostly relieved that I now have more room on my bookshelf but I also felt a little sad. It was a series I really enjoyed when I first read it two years ago, and on some level it will always have a special place for me. It was one of the many books that got me back into reading after a five year slump, it’s the reason I became friends with the wonderful Nicole (@/rainbowbooktheif on Instagram) who was the first person irl to make me feel less alone as a bookish nerd, and it, unintentionally, helped me hone my critical reading skills. However, I slowly began to care less and less for the story and characters as the series progressed and ended up not reading the last two books because I just stopped caring. I wondered why a series that I loved so much in the beginning went down hill so fast for me, but in the process of falling out of love with ToG I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt this way about the series! The lack of diversity (and misrepresentation/mistreatment of diverse characters when they were there), sexism, lazy editing and lackluster world building, among other things, came up many times for me and other former ToG fans when discussing why we became disappointed in the series. But the pitch for the book (badass morally gray assassin taking down a tyrant king for her freedom, so cool!) and some of the elements (romance, female friendships, magic, trials) sounded so amazing even though in the end it was executed poorly. So, I decided to compile a list of books that I have read and loved that have some elements and themes of ToG. This list is by no means exhaustive and is limited by the books that I have read (which is not many when you look at how many books exist in the world) so I would love to see your recommendations! Please feel free to add onto this post any recs that you have! Now onto the list!

1) Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I read this book the summer before I started ToG and completely loved it. It was one of the early books that got me back into reading and it was honestly the perfect book for that. It was exciting and I couldn’t put it down. It follows an assassin for a tyrannical king who begins to realize her own gifts for killing are more then she ever thought they could be. Cashore does a fantastic job developing the lead character Katsa and the ways that she dolls out information to the readers slowly is impeccable. While this book is technically the first in a trilogy of books taking place in the Graceling world, it can be read as a standalone fantasy (which I feel like are very rare). Another part of this book that I really loved was the romance. I usually don’t read very many straight romances (due to the sexist/problematic aspects many of the ones that I’ve read have) but the relationship between Katsa and Po is honestly a breath of fresh air when you’re used to a lot of toxicity and sexism with cishet romances in books. The two take care of each other and their relationship is very balanced. There are no gender roles pushed on either of them and they truly grow to become a team throughout the story and it’s wonderful to see! I would consider Katsa and Po, while canonically cis (there isn’t any explicit queer rep in this book), both quite androgynous characters who often express themselves in a fluid manner which I really appreciate. Over all this is an amazing classic YA fantasy that everyone should check out!

Synopsis: “Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.”

2) Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

This book is the first in a five book series about three royal sisters raised to battle it out for the throne. I must admit the first book in the series is a little lackluster due to the fact that it’s setting up a lot but the second book just blows everything out of the water in a fantastic way. This series is dark and bloody and intriguing. I got completely hooked on this series and it brought out a lot of emotion to the point where I was gasping and shouting and throwing my book around as I was reading it (I got very invested)! I think that’s one of the things SJM can do well is get you hooked on her characters and Kendare can do the same (if not better). I love the dynamic between the sisters, this book does a great job at exploring the darker side of familial and female/female relationships (mostly platonic.. there isn’t very much queer rep unfortunately) that I really appreciate. The magic system and wolrdbuliding are also something that I enjoyed and I though was quite well done. Kendare does a good job at weaving in worldbuilding and magic system seamlessly into the story and I love that so much. Three Dark Crowns is just a fun and exciting series that I think anyone who loves fantasy YA should check out!

Synopsis: “ In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born���three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. “

3) The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

So a little disclaimer, this book is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. I read it over the span of a few months last summer (its a long one guys...800+ pages) and it was one of the greatest, most well thought out fantasy books I’d ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved the characters, the world, the plot, the magic system etc. I loved everything! There’s some great political intrigue, dragon riders, epic battles, prophecies, weddings, funerals, romance and just general badassery and kickassery happening. Shannon clearly put so much time and effort into this book and it shows. That kind of dedication that shows is something that I really appreciate in a book, especially a fantasy book. Another aspect that I loved so so much is the diversity in this book. It came so naturally and didn’t at all feel like tokenism. The characters, with their differing genders, ethnicities, sexualities, ages, and nationalities etc, and their relationships with each other are truly what made the story. This book also has one of the BEST f/f romances I’ve ever read (as a queer woman I really loved that representation so much and felt very connected to both of those characters). Priory is a long one but if you have the time I highly recommend it.

Synopsis: “ A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. “

4) Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

As a queer woman, I’m always a little on edge when someone mentions f/f friendship in a book. This is entirely because of the erasure many many f/f romances experience when they are just brushed off as friendships (we’ve all heard the term “gal pals”). It’s frustrating and even though I love a good f/f friendship when the f/f romances get erased and replaced by friendships it gets exhausting. However, Truthwitch is a true f/f friendship that I can fully get behind! Dennard is an author that I had been following for writing tips for a while before I finally picked up her book. I knew that she’s someone who is invested in making her series diverse, even if she herself doesn’t fit into those categories, and accepts criticism because she want’s to do her characters justice. That’s something I really appreciate seeing from white cishet authors and is one of the reasons I picked up Truthwitch. It’s so much fun and the heart of the story truly is the relationship between the two leads Safi and Iseult. Their friendship reminds me a lot of my relationship with my friends. Books about f/f relationships (romantic or otherwise) are few and far between so I really love that this book exists. Strong platonic relationships are so often pushed aside for cishet romantic ones so it’s SO refreshing to see a series where the book would not exist without Safi and Iseult’s bond. They are truly soulmates and their relationship with each other is the most important one in their lives and that is just beautiful. Not to mention this book has got an awesome magic system and is building up to an amazing fantasy series! There’s pirates, priestesses, princes and, of course, witches! It’s loads of fun all around!

Synopsis: “ Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch. “

5) Monstress by Marjorie Liu (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Illustrator) 

Another disclaimer! This book is my favorite graphic novel, period. There is really nothing like Monstress out there and I think that it’s criminally underrated. Liu and Takeda are the perfect combo of writer/artist to make this GN come together. I’m constantly in awe of the world, characters, and story Liu built and the frankly stunning art Takeda creates to go along with it. It’s steampunk and dark and dirty and beautiful. The lead character, Maika, is one of the few truly morally gray characters that I’ve read. Her decisions will make you question if you’re a good person because you still love her despite the fact that she just killed that guy... and that guy... and those other guys. This graphic novel series is very reflective of the dark animes (like Tokyo Ghoul and Castlevania) that we are seeing more recently and I personally believe Monstress would make a fantastic animated series if it were ever to get an adaption. This book has also some great representation of queer women (Maika herself is a queer, disabled, WoC). It’s totally the norm for the world and all of the lead female characters are queer, which I just love. This story has amazing woldbulding, magic, characters etc. It’ll give you everything from giant dead gods, to talking cats with multiple tails, to demonically possessed teenage girls who need to eat people. It’s honestly amazing. (I would give a major trigger warning for blood/gore so as long as you know you can handle that I think you should check it out!)

Synopsis: “ Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. “

6) The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

I never thought I would love a cishet romance as much as I love this one but here I am. The Bridge Kingdom is not really the kind of book I would normally pick up but it was on sale on kindle so I thought “why not!” And I was not disappointed. This story follows the assassin princess, Lara, who was raised to be married off to her fathers rival kingdom and kill the king. However, things get sticky when she begins to actually fall for the king and starts to realize that her father isn’t exactly who he says he is. Not only was this romance steamy as hell (this is an ADULT book folks so there are some explicit sex scenes, beware) but the world is super cool. The political intrigue was something I really enjoyed and I loved to see the world unfold from Lara’s eyes. I also totally loved Lara’s character. She’s complicated and cutthroat but ultimately want’s to do what’s right and is a character made to change and develop. I usually don’t go for that character trope that Lara fits into (beautiful and badass and despite being the MCs they somehow end up being very bland...) but Jensen managed to create a very mature and ever changing version of the YA trope that I ended up loving completely. If you love steamy fantasy romances with cool worlds and intriguing characters this is absolutely the book for you!

Synopsis: “ Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil - and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara's homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

But as she infiltrates her new home - a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas - and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people? “