#real romance in comic book movies is back baby

[henleyxjacobs]

He said, "I'm just curious, is this for real or just an act? Can't tell if you love or hate me, never met someone like that... Drive me so (so, so) crazy, did you know you got that effect?"

⌜  madison beer  ,  24  ,  cis woman  ,  she/her ⌟  ╱    is  that  GREEDY  by  TATE MCRAE,  i  hear  playing?  oh  that  has  to  mean  HENLEY JACOBS  ,  is  about  to  clock  in. i  hear  they're  a  SENIOR  who's  been  away  studying  MUSIC PRODUCTION  at   NYU. it  sure  is  a  shame  they've  grown  up  to  be  rather  COMPASSIONATE  and  DETACHED. word  on  the  strip  is  that  they're  back  home  for  the  summer  and  working  as  a  MUSIC INSTRUCTOR  at  SOUNDSCAPE,  to  earn  some  extra  cash,  in  order  to  buy  a Chanel necklace  but  don't  tell  them  i  told  you  that  !  

►GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Henley Noa Jacobs NICKNAME(S): Hen, HJ LABEL: The Girl Next Door AGE: 24 DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1999 ZODIAC: Libra Sun, Virgo Rising, Scorpio Moon GENDER & PRONOUNS: Female; She/Her NATIONALITY: American HERITAGE: Russian, Moroccan, Ashkenazi Jewish SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English, Russian (very little) OCCUPATION: Aspiring Singer/Songwriter/Influencer || Music Instructor @ Soundscape RELIGION: Agnostic (spiritually influenced, though) SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual; Biromantic

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Madison Beer HEIGHT: 5'4" WEIGHT: 116 lbs. DOMINANT HAND: Left HAIR COLOR: Brown EYE COLOR: Hazel SCARS: Fingertips from playing guitar for so long (barely noticeable) TATTOOS: Tiny honey bee on right ankle, dainty bow on right wrist with cursive 'lovebug' written right above, 'eventually' in dainty cursive script on side of left ring finger.

►PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: Adroit, Romantic, Loyal, Brave, Compassionate, Passionate, Ambitious, Benevolent, Comical. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, Guarded, Sensitive, Stubborn, Easily Bored, Enigmatic, Detached. LIKES: The beach, surfing, drawing/sketching, going to coffee shops, the sound of records playing, observing others, the smell of a new book and the smell of rain, astronomy, nature, cable-knit sweaters, the smell of rain, the city lights, large bows with curled hair, old drive-ins, traveling, art museums, Shakespeare, Van Gogh, deep conversations, road trips, poetry, midnight dances in the rain. DISLIKES: Being told what to do, confrontation, being the first to show up, being the last to show up, not being taken seriously, someone underestimating her, the cold, feeling rushed, the sensation of being crowded, being called ‘selfish’ or 'ungrateful', restriction of freedom, close-minded people, being talked over, fake friends, when people only compliment her looks.

►MENTALITY

PHOBIAS: Nyctophobia DISORDERS: Anxiety ALLERGIES: Seasonal (Pollen)

►BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Denver, CO CURRENT RESIDENCE: Manhattan, NY / Denver, CO EDUCATION LEVEL: BA in Music Production & Business from NYU - working on her MA FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: - Emilia Jacobs - Mother, Deceased - Alexander Jacobs - 49, Father, Not in Contact

►FAVORITES

FOOD: Sushi DRINK: Water MOVIE: Romeo & Juliet (1968), Serendipity TV SHOW: New Girl, Rick & Morty BAND: The 1975, The Killers, The Beatles, Lana Del Rey SONG: Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles

► EXTRA INFORMATION

JUNG TYPE: INFJ ENNEAGRAM: The Expert (3w4) TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine MORAL ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good SIN: Lust VIRTUE: Humility ELEMENT: Air CHARACTER PLAYLIST

"I'll put you through hell just to know me."

► BIOGRAPHY

Henley was born in Los Angeles, CA to Emilia and Alexander Jacobs. The beautiful sight of the baby girl was expected, what took everyone off guard was that Henley was collateral beauty to her mother's passing whilst in childbirth. The trauma enough that it sent the business tycoon running with his new bundle of joy to Denver. The girl knew the basics of her parents' story; Emilia moved to LA with a dream and $20 dollars in her back pocket. She had a face that belonged in the movies, and she was sure she was going to make it happen. Alexander came from a long line of old wealth - the industrialists that paved the way for the new business magnates of today. He saw her sing at an open mic night and he was a sucker. She saw him from the stage and sung to him - the rest was history. It was why he took the loss so hard, turning to alcohol so quickly like his father before him. Meanwhile, little Henley was trying everything to have any sort of connection. When she couldn't, she found herself boarding herself up. To a degree, she blamed herself. It only made sense that he wanted nothing to do with her when she killed mom. Though her father's choice of escape was alcohol, the brunette would easily slip away into fantasy worlds thanks to books when things got hard. She promised herself that no matter how dark life got, she was to be her own beacon of light; if she couldn't do that for herself, then she would be that for others. She was the quiet girl in school that everyone wanted to know, and she hated it. The reasoning being that she knew she had more to offer than her looks, but that was all anyone really saw in her. Even her own father told her to utilize her looks to get ahead. Instead of anger, it only fueled her to prove everyone wrong. She was in honor society, the president of the physics club in high school, took AP courses in art history and government policy. There was only one person who truly saw her, and that was her first love in high school. Though she had friends, none of them were every as close nor as understanding as Astrid. It was pure - they just wanted to know one another and be around one another. Her father actually liked Astrid, so did all her friends - though no one but their closest circle knew what they genuinely were behind closed doors. What was most important was that she let her walls down around Astrid; she truly felt free enough to be herself shamelessly. When the first semester of college hit, Astrid claimed she wasn't ready to come out and that was the end of what Henley felt was her once in 20 lifetimes. Maybe the fact her father liked Astrid was a red flag. Maybe she did something wrong - didn't love her the way she needed. Either way, her walls came back up and they were stronger than ever. It was that break-up that became the foundation of her inspiration for her first couple EPs. When the second EP came out, Henley didn't expect the attention it got. Now as she works on her first studio album, Henley is cementing her walls in place and attempting to navigate this chaos of the entertainment industry; where no one cares who you are, but cares who you know and the number of followers you attain.

► PERSONALITY

Henley is bright and sunny, but facades as a black cat. She is hellbent on keeping people at an arm's distance, seeing that she opened herself up fully only to get hurt. Her new motto is to leave before getting left. It's funny though, because she does have a big heart and she's prone to loving hard once a crush is formulated. She's a supportive and loyal friend once you have her in your court. Henley is prone to boredom and goes through these bursts of needing to go out, or needing to stay in - there's no in between. Henley knows she's sought after, so she likes to make people jump through hoops only to then walk away and throw their number away. She's into literature, art history and poetry. She actually writes poetry, herself, and her favorite thing to do is get lost in an art museum. Most don't know this about her, but Henley likes to game. She utilizes gaming to alleviate anxiety. She is just a huge ball of sunshine squished into a protective prison she built for herself, okay?

► PLOTS

The Best Friend: This person was most likely there when the Astrid situation went down and is Henley's shoulder to cry on as well as her go-to friend when she needs to get out of the house. They've been friends since middle school, possibly before! There's so many ways to play them - the best friend could be tired of Henley's self-recklessness or they could be the enabler. - OPEN

Childhood Friends: Same as above, these people were there during the Astrid scenario. They could meet at any point in their growing up - but these people would be close to Henley and they're almost joined at the hip. - OPEN (x3)

The PR Friend: Someone in the music industry who is utilizing Henley for clout. Henley wouldn't be aware of this, or maybe she is and is just stringing this person along - but I think it would be interesting to have a fake friend who Henley thinks is genuine. - OPEN

Ride or Die: Was a hook-up in the process but they wound up getting high and just talking all night. This is someone that Henley could sit in absolute silence with and be content, or when she's flying off the handlebars, this person can bring her back. Smoke sessions, deep conversations in the AMs. - OPEN

But, Do I Suck?: The music testers. This person is someone Henley runs her music by before putting it out into the world. They could be her genuine friends in the music industry, or maybe they went to NYU together and they met that way. - OPEN (x2)

Once You Have Me, Will You Want Me Still?: Blind date that turned into a hookup and Henley left before they woke up because she got scared. Ya know, she just doesn't want history to repeat itself. - OPEN

[fushiguro]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

ohhh thank you for this question! mmm let's try this, im trying to mix fandoms and not repeat them:

kamala khan from marvel comics: she's the first character i found that i could relate to somehow in mainstream media and i love how complex and brave she is. she's so inspiring to me and growing up with her has been a unique experience, i hold her dear to my heart.

yuuji itadori from jujutsu kaisen: THAT'S MY SON!!!!! i love him so much, he's like that type of character that it's just THE SUN !!!!! i want to keep him safe in my pocket so nothing bad ever happens to him!!! he''s so brave, the fact he decided to enroll jujutsu high only because he wanted to save people, he wanted to do good things askdsjfnj my baby for real <3

sydney adamu from the bear: i love how determined she is. like. she still faces struggles and downs but she is determined to reach her goal and that is so inspiring. plus she's funny and she's played by god herself (ayo edebiri). girlboss of the century.

kate sharma from bridgerton: i fell in love with her reading the book but seeing her played by simone ashley was lifechanging. i am obsessed with her, her dynamic with anthony is one of my fav ships ever (and im usually not into period dramas or period romances), and i can't wait to see more of her. watching bridgerton for kate and kanthony ONLY

bigby wolf from the wolf among us: dude. DUDE. CHARACTER OF ALL TIME. he is a werewolf (i have an insane obsession with werewolves), he is a himbo, he is out there protecting women, he is everything!!!! i love that he is viewed as a dangerous individual yet he is always seeking to do good. idk i love him telltale pls release twau 2 so i can see him

velma dinkley from scooby doo: she is me. i once saw a scooby doo film when i was like 6 and never looked back. she is me. she is bisexual she is a virgo she is a nerd she is obsessed with mysteries she cant see without her glasses she IS ME

spirit from spirit: stallion of the cimarron: one of my fav movies ever, lead by my fav horse ever. he means the world to me and both him and the movie kind of dictated everything i believe in nowadays since i first watched the movie if that makes sense

dinah lance from dc comics: WIFEYYYY even though i have to say i have a complicated relationship with her comics, this was love at first sight. dinah was one of the first dc characters i came across with and i instantly knew she was going to be a fav. i love her powers, her design, her dynamics with other characters and i love her. wish there were more comics that featured a depiction of her that i liked

louis de pointe du lac from interview with the vampire: i am so intrigued by him as a character and i cant wait to see s2 and read the book(s). im referring only to jacob anderson's depiction of the character, btw. im usually not into main characters but there's just something about him that makes me love him. he is so haunted and has gone through so much, it's so interesting to see his journey regarding being a vampire and having this new life.

katniss everdeen from the hunger games: there will never be a leading lady of a young adult saga like her. like. there will NEVER be. she is so complex and so human and so brave and so reserved and all her choices and dlskjmfknfjd. i dont know what else to say dfkjngj.

[selkymaiden]

so sorry again for the double ask but i feel inclined to ask for my other wife, mina.

how would mina’s relationship with each of the 🧩❓s that exist be like? who do you think she’d get on with like a house on fire 😏

Don't ever be sorry!!! Tbh they're good exercises to really think about these little idiots. Naomi you really be hittin' the good good 👌👨‍🍳 *chef's kiss*

Alright but let me say this is very hard because 🧩❓ is so... Ofc very vastly intelligent and I am not. LMAO. So it's like the author (me) is creating a character (Mina) who is very smart, or brilliant in her own way so I have to do my best in not making her look bad. Like fuck. All because I'm committed to the bit. Aka romancing fucking uhhhh puzzle face.

Because I have actually thought about the different iterations of him!

But oh my god It's so hard with comic book characters though, since theirs so many different ones. And in no way am I a 🧩❓ expert flakjwer same with 🐧 so I'm always worried what if someone see's this and they're all 🤬 but then I tell myself I'm old and I simply should not care and do what I want. Because all the rest of the old people do 😂😂😂😂

I'll start with BTAS though, as always, since I grew up with it! Oh! And I will say each Mina in each universe is for that universe, or she'd be changed a little to fit that 'Earth' as DC likes to call it. But BTAS 🧩❓ is a lot more tame, at least I think he is, compared to some of the others out there. I mean did he try to murder his old boss? Yes. But his old boss did fire him and not give him credit for everything he created so... You know... And if I pull in some of the uhhh New Animated Series and comics that go with this version of him. I think it could work. There's actually a great piece in the comics where 🧩❓ he admits he has a problem and states he needs to go back to Arkham himself. Here is an audio someone made of it, the post also has a link to the comic if you wanna read it! But it's just the self awareness and you know stop setting deathtraps Mina is obv going to be all 👀😊 Like you did it, baby! You're breaking the cycle! Because she wants to root for him and care for him and be partners! I'm so sorry I will just also say she is so cheesy! She'd love to be partners or rivals with another detective- As much as she sees the good she's doing in finding you know a missing person or helping someone out with a cheating scandal (for money) she wants to be better than anyone else that might be doing the case. So she kind of sees her job as a game and would love to have someone else to play the game with, and that to her is 🧩❓

Okay, let me just get Batman: Zero Year or Capullo 🧩❓ out of the way. It would never work. LMAO. Not in probably a million years. I myself like this version of him! But what he did is the most whack-ass shit and Mina would NOT be okay with it like ever. If he ever got out of Arkham Asylum she'd probably narc on him point blank, like lock that MF back up. I don't know if you've read Zero Year (is it part of N52? I don't know the new stuff sorry flkajwer) but he basically turned all of Gotham into an entire fucking jungle, like he destroyed everything and fucking ruined millions of lives. All for what? For what? Because only the smart should survive and shit like that??? Now if they met before he did all that when he was just a 'consultant' or strategist at Wayne Enterprises, she'd probably bang him! But it would not be a relationship and after he does what he does she'd just be... Kill this mf even if he's sexy in some insane manner. She'd probably be an antagonist to him on this Earth.

Batman 2022 ehhhhhhhhhh Imma be real, I almost barely remember him when I watched that movie. It's like my brain blocked him cuz I thought he was... I don't know. It was too realistic and I see 🧩❓more camp. But Mina in that universe again would just be 'Let's swat this man.' She'd probably be the person on his forums just heckling him and when he tries to find her IP or ANYTHING on this user (her) he can't. So it pisses him off. Basically, it would not work because she does not care for incel men. That's probably what she'd see him as. Or those people that worship or are fascinated and collect serial killer items. The only saving grace is if he had, again, self-awareness of what he was doing or acting. Because Mina in that universe would understand to change things... A lot of people in power would need to be taken out. Whether by assassination or some other means like spilling the truth. But the way he goes about it, it's just not it for her. Again she'd probably be an antagonist to him actually in that Earth.

THIS IS SO LONG ALREADY I'M SO SORRY!

UMMMMMMM SPEED RUN OTHERS!?

Young Justice - I think it would work because he's so... That version of him is so soft and goofy! Mina would probably, not be okay, but would defiantly harp on him to change professions but she wouldn't impede in what he does. Even if it's bad. Like super bad where the young justice league has taken him in before. She'd be a bystander and just the one that says: "I told you so." She's waiting for him to learn his lesson cuz how he's written is much lighter and she'd be smitten by his gappy teeth and lisp.

OH and Gotham!🧩❓ That would be interesting bc she'd probably have to watch out since 🐧 literally killed one of Ed's girlfriends. But if birb is occupied with snake then... Maybe? Again she'd be like 'lol you gotta stop killing people dude uhhhh' and would more likely want to be a rival or just outsmart him than be romantic. At first. I'm sure she'd get a crush but how Ed has been written after (accidentally) killing his first GF he's uhhhh a lil unhinged. As that whole show is but lakfjwerkl

There's like telltale!🧩❓, unburied, and uhhh omg just a lot of others and I'll be honest in most of those Earths she'd be an antagonist. She's not GCPD or a cop, but she is someone who's defiantly done cases and probably found out they were victims of his death traps. And she's just like 'wtf no!' and not be okay with it. Even if she's a bit of a hypocrite and is okay with other... murders... (her friend Sophie turning people to stone lfkajwer) But there's a line!

I saved the best for last because I love Akrham! 🧩❓ I have the most ideas for them. Well, several. Like there's a good ending and a bad ending just like a game, cuz it's fun! I will just say bad ending is probably the most likely that would happen, but bad ending is just them killing each other. And in the most mundane way, or annoying way he'd see it as. Because it would not be some elaborate death trap or puzzle that does him in, or just something complex. She shoots him. They might even shoot each other. And bleed out next to each other, very possession 1981 is how I picture it. tw blood and gore if you click links alfkjwelrk (I'm sorry I'm unwell 😔) It would be in a cool setting though! Probably in one of his lairs, or he's constructing a new death trap for Batman or even Wonder City! But good ending is always him eventually becoming a Detective, like other versions of him, so in a way, he does become redeemable. I mean originally this version of him started off working at the GCPD and wanting to expose the corruption in Gotham, he just went about it all... Bad. LMAO. Also, I love how the progression through the games you see how he goes from clean-cut to just total ratification. When Mina begins talking to him she's only seen photos of him, so when he worked GCPD and when he's in his nice green suits! but when they do get to meet in person PHEW she takes one look at his pathetic, skin and bones, wet little dumbass and is just 'I need to care for him' but also be mad bc you know he's annoying AF.

[spookyprime]

I genuinely really, REALLY love your hometown au concept- the fact it's a no powers/no capes au, but also NOT, is really cool? Like exploring what it'd look like if these kids tried to be heroes/vigilantes, but in a realistic way where they're regular people, instead of a "this takes place in a comic book world" way, is something I'm so fond of because it's like combining the things we already love but in a way that makes it all so much more real? Idk, it's nice! Also your comments about Jason needing walking aids make so much sense because now looking back I can see that in that snippet of Jason catching Tim sneaking in, he's sitting in what I presume is actually a wheelchair. Anyways, I wanted to ask what's Kon's deal in the hometown AU, parental figure wise- without the whole Superman v Lex thing, how exactly are both of them connected to him?

Thank you!!! Yes Jason is in a wheelchair in that comic I didn't want to make it super apparent since I wasn't sure what I was doing with hometown quite yet and I have definitely changed a few things since then. (Like- tim is no longer in high school I've aged them all up to their early twenties) but that's stayed.

Kon. Conner. Is uhhh OK. Ok. Clark is an investigative journalist known for exposing corporate injustice and helping workers rights whether it be proving unfair hiring practices or exposing like actual literal crimes against nature. He and Lois are a team and they are very, very good at what they do.

Lex luthor is still lex fucking luthor. But superman doesn't exist. Instead of trying to clone Kal, he's going the Smallville route and trying to clone himself. But he wants a eufenically perfect version of himself. So he starts experimenting. Clark is in the middle of a very big expose about lexcorps workers rights violations and he won't stop hounding them and is sooo determined to make them know theyre doing something wrong. And lex, freak that he is, thinks that determination and strong sense of will is very admirable, if not misplaced.

So he wants to like- breed that in. To the clone. Because he's a fucking eugenicist. Except I am very adamant that the combination of two people is not a clone that's a baby.

Anyway- conner is a test tube baby clone amalgation but he ISNT aged up- since they're not trying to fast track a superman weapon they let him age normally. Because again- lex is trying to make himself. Clark has been digging into the shit at lexcorp for YEARS and he keeps finding new horrors and new crimes against man. And like it's worse every time. And the worst one of all? This guy he's obsessed with taking down? He *made a baby* with him and Clark is so fucking freaked out when he finds out.

Like of course he takes conner. But he also doesn't want conner. Conner is like 3 at this point. Clark drops him off at his parents farm and conner is basically raised there by his grand parents. Clark.....visits. (Lex doesn't give a shit but WILL start hounding conner to come stay with him and learn business/evil stuff when he turns 18. It's actually part of the main PLOT of hometown so I'm not gonna get into it)

Conner meets tim as kids because he gives him horse riding lessons because I'm very adamant that since tim is a rich boy from New England he KNOWS how to ride a horse. It's a given. I just want conner to be the one to teach him and maybe stable his horse for him. You know. They can have their horse girl romance movie.

(Not related to anything else but bruce is So Fucking Mad at Clark when he finds out he has a kid he's been neglecting. Like surprise idiot you have to take care of your kid it doesnt matter that you never asked for him conner didn't exactly ask to be made either.)

[bukojuiice]

— when they read self-insert fanfictions of themselves

ೃ pairings: (izuku midoriya, katsuki bakugo, and shoto todoroki, x gn! reader)

ೃ  tags: headcanons, tooth rotting fluff and a lot of fanfic cliches

ೃ warnings: none

ೃ  my nav  →  my mha masterlist  → my katsuki bakugo x reader smau

ೃ if you want to be a part of my taglist, answer this form! ♡

ೃ inspired by the wonderful @leafydraws self-aware bakugo and todoroki art that gave me the serotonin boost to make this! 🥺​

KATSUKI BAKUGO: 

- katsuki knows. he's read it all. mutual pining, enemies to lovers, amnesia fics, fairytale aus, soulmate aus... name it and he's read them at least once. behind your back of course. simply because he’d be too embarrassed to even admit it anyway.

- he’s secretly a hopeless romantic. it's a cute quirk of his that he doesn't want anyone else to know and has become one of the qualities that you absolutely adore about him. his mother's fascination for rom-coms and romance novels (which, according to him, he had to "suffer" through when he was a kid) fueled his hidden interest in shoujo mangas.

- he reads them because of the beautiful art and the "cool and bad-ass" male love interests that he wants to portray in real life to impress you. but alas, your man just outright exposes himself when you catch him reading Ouran High School Host Club and My Little Monster, two manga series that feature adorkable and care-free male protagonists whom are the exact opposite of everything your boyfriend stands for.

- and so, romance fics are not a foreign concept to him. he's especially interested in mafia aus because he is absolutely enthralled over the fact that people headcanon him as a sexy mafia boss or in royal aus, where he’s this hot and bad-ass king of a prosperous kingdom. you bet he reads them at 3 in the morning on AO3 with his phone's brightness on the low. sometimes, he tries to sniff away his tears because how are these writers able to write him damn good? it’s the ✨characterization and hurt/comfort for bakugo ✨

SHOTO TODOROKI:

- your icy-hot cutie has absolutely no idea what fanfictions are. in fact, he doesn’t even know how (y/n)/reader-insert fics even work or how you’re supposed to read them.

- fanfiction is a very foreign concept to him. well, it isn’t necessarily your traditional book or novel that you can find on your shelf or in the bookstore like harry potter or percy jackson, so you understood his naivete on this particular subject very well. when you introduced shoto to the concept of fanfiction and it’s online community however, it was as if he had opened the doors to a new world.

- “what does (y/n) mean?” he innocently asks one time. (oh god he’s truly a pure and sweet cinnamon roll who could do nothing wrong in this world.) “it means your name.” you reply promptly, quietly giggling at your boyfriend’s curiosity.

“oh... so should i read it like this? shoto gazed into shoto’s heterochromatic eyes..?”

“shoto babe, t-that’s... not how you read it love.”

- shoto is a fluff connoisseur through and through. baby fics, friends to lovers, sharing a bed, and coffee shop aus are some of his all-time faves. he likes to read fics that are easier to understand and read ones that can bring a quick smile to his face. but, there are times when he gets too invested. one of those times was when he became a little too immersed into a 50k word angst fic (a genre he barely reads by the way) and his pretty eyes are so glued to the screen that when he finished it, he spent half of the entire day being consoled by you because of how emotionally hurt and affected he was. that fic truly made an impact on him and it was going to take a long time before he could gain the courage to read another one soon.

IZUKU MIDORIYA:

- you’ve always known how bookish izuku is from the very beginning. how observant he is, how he tends to ramble and talk about things passionately and in detail are truly some of the traits of someone who reads a lot. it’s no surprise though. izuku is quite a nerd and a fanboy, so him reading stories online about All Might or of superheroes he sees on movies and comic books were not far off.

- in fact, he reads the fics with you. it’s like having a little ol’ book club but only you and your seaweed-haired boyfriend were the only members. magic aus, cross-overs, canon divergence, historical aus, or just anything story-heavy and detailed are his most read. slow burn fics is also where it's ar for him! what’s even better is that you read some of these long ones with him sometimes and its cute to see him so immersed and you just want to pinch his cheeks.

- izu’s really into reading multi-chapter fics. one that can rival actual existing books and novellas. 50k words? that wasn’t a challenge for him. he’d read through everything and he’d ponder over them right after. discussing them with you and just a lot of cute little rambles coming from him that make you fall for him even more.

- when izuku finally gathered the courage to read self-insert fics of him, his flustered expression and shy composure had no end. he was blushing all through out when he read his first drabble (which was only composed of 300 words by the way) because he’s so in awe and so grateful over the fact that people write stories about him and now, it feels like he's part of those same famous people and characters he used to read stories of.

ೃ taglist: @chibishae34 ​  @lovelytarou ​ @ramunegoddess ​, @serossimpy​ @laudthingcat @f0leysgurl

[tehcoop]

I am an old. I'm an old, old fandom lurker wandering from one fandom to the other for the past (oh God) two decades. I've read in everything from Gundam Wing in my (not that) delinquent high school years to Due South to Stargate Atlantis, Harry Potter, Star Wars, yadda yadda yadda, on and on up to The Witcher, most recently. 

And then The Old Guard.

Guys... Guys.

This movie smacked me in the face and shook me to my core. It was everything I've never known I wanted in an action movie because it just never occurred to me that it might exist. Two female leads! One of them is black! Eighty. Five. Percent female representation behind the scenes. 85%! Amazing character beats. Everyone has their own arc and motivations. No stereotyping. It's just beautiful.

And then there's Joe and Nicky. 

I have never related so hard to characters or to a relationship in my life. I love my badass immortal husbands so much. It's ridiculous. I could gush for hours. I'm nothing like them, of course. I identify as a mostly straight, mostly cis, so white I reflect sunlight (though I hope I'm at least an ally to BIPOC) woman. There's nothing particularly badass about me. But I still relate like hell to these characters. 

I love to laugh like Joe, and completely understand his protective instincts. And then there's Nicky. I relate to him more than any character I can think of currently. I'm introverted and can be kind of intense, but I'm also patient, kind, and nurturing. And if anyone does anything to hurt my family, especially my kids, I can rip you apart with just my words. (Seriously, I think my mother in law is afraid of me now after she got a talking to when I called her out for being shitty to my spouse. Our relationship is Much Better now). 

Most importantly, I am deeply in love with my wonderful spouse who happens to be a trans woman. 

And guys, I'm angry.

Remember, I'm an old. I've been searching for scraps hinting at any kind of queer love story in all kinds of media for decades. And I'm angry because I shouldn't have had to. 

I shouldn't have to read into a maybe not on purpose significant glance. I shouldn't have gotten excited when two characters grabbed each other in anger because clearly they're so in love. I shouldn't have been delighted when an actor bit his lip to hint at a love story in film, or that a writer said that a character was gay years after the books were written. I made myself believe that those little bits of subtext were enough and somehow better than getting it outright because then we can tell our own stories, right guys? I preferred reading fan fiction because I could think of the hot guys I wanted to pair up in the way I wanted. I even stopped watching a lot of gay movies because they were always so sad and full of strife, and I just couldn't relate to them. I just wanted my fluffy romantic comedies. Fan fiction was literally the only place that I could see any kind of healthy queer relationship.

Which is how I got to be almost forty and still identifying as mostly straight even though I'm in a queer as hell relationship. In each of these canon stories, the character's sexuality was part of the conflict, and I was never particularly conflicted about mine. I just liked who I liked and craved a healthy, stable relationship. Or when I did see characters like Klaus in Umbrella Academy (who I love) who is comfortable with their sexuality, he's also so fantastically ridiculous that I can only laugh or cringe at him. I enjoyed many of these stories, but still related more to the Jane Austen heroines I saw in straight stories even while I preferred to chill by reading about say... John and Rodney accidentally making a baby or something.

And then Joe and Nicky come along. And they're beautiful. They're a goddamn interracial, interfaith, committed, happy, unkillable gay couple. In canon. They are the most married. They're 900 plus years of married. Their sexuality and relationship are incredibly important to who they are and to the story without being the conflict of the story. Or without being a walking stereotype of one thing or other. Instead, you have two men casually stating their love for each other, blatantly declaring it, cuddling, and kissing all while they each have their own stories, skills, and motivations. 

I have literally never seen that before. Except at home, in my own house, where my spouse and I get to be our own people, but then support each other, tease each other, and cuddle at the end of the day. It was beautiful to see something that reflected the kind of love I always wanted and now get to have. In canon, on screen. Seeing Joe and Nicky's love makes me so deliriously happy that I'm incredibly angry I've never seen anything like that on screen before. Just imagine what it would have been like seeing that kiss in a crowded theater.

So why am I writing this? Because this movie is important. It's so goddamn important. I'm so happy it exists. And I want you all to know the actual weight of all the years of going without characters like this. What it means to say that I'm furious that I've never seen this before after decades of searching. How ridiculous it is that I still identify as mostly straight possibly because I've never really seen nuanced, flawed, real queer characters before. Instead, I've imagined and created evidence of gay relationships from nothing while ignoring the awful canon hetero relationships my favorite shows have forced on us. All while still unironically sighing over Mr Darcy and Clueless. I'm tired, y'all.

I want to see all the stories with all the people in various configurations. Romances, action, sci fi, fantasy, everything. The Old Guard did it. And they did it well. I'm done with the queer baiting. I don't think I can look at many of the fandoms I have loved throughout the years the same way again. I'm incredibly grateful to Gina Prince-Bythewood, Greg Rucka, Marwan Kanzari, Luca Marinelli, and the rest of the cast and crew for bringing me these already beloved characters. It's so refreshing to finally get what I've really wanted all these years. Representation absolutely fucking matters. 

And now? I'm gonna go back to being a lurker. I'll read all the Old Guard fanfiction I can. I'll watch all the movies, read all the comics because I want more stories like this, dammit. I'll probably go back to giggling over and overanalyzing little character moments in all kinds of fandoms again. Mostly, I'll just go back to quietly taking care of my little family. And I might post something again in another couple of decades when my kids are off to college. And God, do I hope it doesn't take another couple decades to get more characters like this. I hope that my kids get all kinds of stories I never did growing up so that they can figure out who they are and who they relate to before they're almost forty frigging years old. It's about goddamn time.

Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

[does-it-really-matter]

Romance is Overrated

C8H11NO2 + C10H12N2O + C43H66N12O12S2

This is what is widely considered to be the chemical formula for love. Dopamine. Serotonin. Oxytocin. Add these three together, and you get love. But what is love?

(What is love? Baby don’t hurt me)

When we talk about love, the first thing that comes to mind is generally a man and a woman facing hardships and persevering, getting married and riding off into the sunset. But that’s not all there is to love.

The ancient Greeks had 7 types of love - Eros, romantic love; Philia, platonic love or friendship; Ludus, playful love; Storge, familial love; Philautia, self-love; Pragma, committed love; and Agape, which is unconditional love for everyone.

The thing about love is that they are all equally important. None of them are ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than the others. But a lot of the media generally tends to focus only on romantic love, and makes it out to be the one that is worth striving for the most.

In India especially, marriage was made out to be of utmost importance for centuries. We're constantly told that marriage is the end goal. Getting married is considered both the greatest hurdle to cross and the biggest boon one can receive, and it’s widely believed to be the only path to a fulfilling life. However, the concept of being in a monogamous marriage, settling down with them and having children with them is pretty common across the world. In fact, there’s even a term for it - amatonormativity.

Amatonormativity, according to Professor Elizabeth Blake who coined the tem, is the assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relationship is normal for humans as a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship should be preferred to other relationship types. But this is a societal standard that has been shaped over hundreds of years. It’s definitely not wrong to pursue a monogamous relationship, get married and have kids, but it’s not wrong to not do that as well.

So what is the problem, exactly?

Romance definitely makes for an interesting genre. It shows (generally) two people who, against all odds, choose each other over and over again, and live happily ever after. It gives the audience a feeling of satisfaction and hope, that somebody out there would love you unconditionally and fight tooth and nail for you, and that despite all odds, you would get the cake and eat it too. It shows that you can still get happy endings no matter how difficult the road is. But how realistic is this?

Over the years, society has made finding a romantic partner as a teen into a norm in the Western world, and this influence has slowly seeped into India as well. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this as long as the relationship is a healthy one, but unfortunately, the concept of being in a relationship has evolved into something that is a requirement to be happy. A person who doesn’t have a romantic partner is seen as lonely and miserable, with no other solid reason to back it up. Even the way we say that we aren’t in a relationship, aka the word ‘single’, perpetuates the concept that you’re not ‘complete’ without a significant other.

This is also further propagated by the media in almost any form. Romance seems to rear its head in pretty much every movie, regardless of the genre. It’s commonly said that we’re all the main characters of our respective lives. But this just isn’t true. There’s a world of difference between fictional main characters and us. In the media, whether it be movies or books, there are designated side-kicks, antagonists, and a love interest. The first two are rare enough to be found in real life, so why do we put so much effort to find the third?

Before we continue, a differentiation must be made between media of the romance genre and every other genre. Movies that are mainly romance obviously have to portray romance as the main plot, but when movies of other genres always have a love-interest, it gets over-glorified. The main character always ends up with a romantic partner at the end of the story, or it is alluded to, directly or indirectly.

Where this gets even more problematic is when the main character's entire life revolves around romance. This may work for some people, but it is not only an extremely unhealthy way to live, it’s also portraying a flawed message. We see many pre-teen and teenager coming of age films where the high school children are always focussed only on the romantic aspect of their lives, and devote all their time and effort into that. They are desperate for a significant other, and are more often than not, portrayed as lonely outcasts with no friends. But once they get a ‘glow up’ of some sort, they land a perfect romantic partner and all their problems are solved.

When we consume media that delivers this message over and over again, it gets ingrained in us, consciously or subconsciously. But life doesn’t work that way. A healthy romantic relationship will give you support, of course, but it isn’t going to magic away your problems. On the other end of the spectrum, you can be perfectly happy without a relationship. Love is necessary to be happy, but that love needn’t always be romantic.

This mindset backfires a lot, as being in a relationship is also key to social status in some circles, especially in high school. Thus, people get into relationships for popularity points, or to show off on social media, despite not having an actual emotional bond with the other person. Being in a relationship just to be in a relationship is a surefire way of not achieving happiness. This immediately leads to abusive or toxic relationships, which leaves you worse off than where you started.

The concept of romance, unfortunately, is even pushed onto children. Clothing brands print out ‘ladies’ man’ on toddler’s clothes. Parents either tease their children with their friends of the opposite gender, or flat out refuse to let their children have friends of the opposite gender. Even a lot of cartoons and TV shows portray the opposite gender as only a love interest. When this bias is thrown onto children day in and out, they tend to see the opposite gender as potential romantic partners first, and as people second.

This is also extremely heteronormative, as parents assume that their child is straight, and also make it clear that any potential love interest will be one of the opposite gender. This affects queer children more adversely, as it’s hard to come out of that mentality enough to accept themselves for who they are. Being told repeatedly that a love interest must be of the opposite gender will lead to the conclusion that having a romantic partner of the same gender is wrong, and thus leads to internalised homophobia as well. The media does nothing to remove this stereotype, as gay characters are mainly comic reliefs or the signature ‘gay best friend’, and lesbians are typically viewed through the male gaze and never get a happy ending. Other non-het queer characters are more or less non-existant in the media.

Romance isn’t wrong. It’s a wonderful way of connecting with a person, and building something that’s special among the people involved in the relationship. However, it’s not necessary to live a fulfilling life. If romance wasn’t made out to be such a prevailing idea in all the media that we consume, how much would we actually desire it? Would romance still be just as important to us? Or would it be something that happens to some and not others, but everybody accepts it with no hard feelings?

[thehanwen]

Quarantine Netflix Recs

Since were all at home watching Netflix I thought I would give my fav show/movie for every letter so everyone has something new to watch. Please send me your own recommendations or make your own alphabet list and tag me! Here goes:

A: Anne with an E- This modern take on Ann of Green Gables is quirky, fun, and dramatic. It has good music, writing and is all around a good watch. It deviates from the books a bit, but keeps the spirit.

B: Broadchurch- If you like crime dramas, this is for you. With one crime spanning the complete first season it delves deep into motive and emotions. David Tennet stars in this tense British mystery. 

C: Cargo- A dystopian zombie apocalypse film set in Australia with a focus on human connection, and sacrifice. This is honestly so different than any other zombie movie I have seen in the best way. 

D: Daybreak- Sticking with the apocalypse theme, daybreak is a humorous view on what happens when a nuke kills all the adults and leaves all the teenagers. Its like if high school was the whole world, but the world had also ended. Strong characters and ‘Ferris Bueller’ esc fourth wall breaks give this show something special. 

E: The Worlds Most Extrodiary Homes- For a change of pace this mindlessly beautiful home reality show shows off architecture that could be classified as art and makes me wonder how anyone can actually live here. If you just want something with no stakes what so ever, this is the eye candy for you.

F: Frontier- A gritty, and dark period piece starring Jason Momoa as the badass outlaw working against the British in the Canadian wilderness. Half political, half survival drama this show focus on the fur trade during the 1700s as well as themes like revenge, family history and love.

I have to do two for F: Feel Good- This emotional comedy is about Mae, a gay, ex-addict comic and her previously straight girlfriend. It is real and emotional and hilarious. It’s filled with amazing characters and amazing writing and explores hard to talk about subjects, including addiction, love, coming out, and family and romanitc relationships. 

G: Godless- A refreshing addition to the western genre. An injuryed outlaw, a headstrong widow, the whole of the wild west. Gritty and dramatic, this mini series is a must watch

H: How it Ends- Another apocalypse film, can you guys see a pattern? This one is less about the event however and more about family. A young man and his future father-in-law travel across the desolate wasteland of the USA to save his fiance. 

I: I am Not Okay with This- A sci-fi coming of age story, based on a comic book, about a young girl who develops mysterious superpowers and is not okay with it. Also shes gay and in love with her best friend, its great.

J: John Mulaney- I assume everyone has already seen all of his specials, but if you haven’t go check them out! They are hilarious and relatable on a deep level. 

K: Klaus- This is my new favorite Christmas movie. Its got wit, charm, great character development and beautiful animation. It’s the first original Christmas movie that I've liked. It gives a new spin to all your favorite Christmas traditions while holding on to the essence of the Christmas spirit.

L: Let it Snow- Based of the book co-written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle this film is a feel good romance with quicky characters that have thier lives changed forever by a snowstorm in their small hometown. Friendships and romances are formed and tested as these teens figure out how to deal with what life throws at them. 

M: Maniac: In an unlikely pair Emma Stone and Jonah Hill work amazingly well together in a drug trial that is supposed to cure all mental illness, of course not everything goes as planned. Our heroes go through multiple stages of the trial and discover their brains are miraculously linked. This series merges multiple genres into something surprisingly cohesive. 

N: National Treasure- “I’m gonna steal the declaration of Independence”

O: The OA- A psychological sci-fi thiller about a blind girl who gets kidnapped and held prisoner by a mad scientist looking for other dimensions. The friends she makes along the way mean everything, but when she gets found not only are they missing, but she can see again.

P: Princess and the Frog- A cute Disney twist of the classic fairy tale. A young woman working hard to buy her own restaurant meets a prince that has been turned into a frog by a shady magic man. But when she kisses him he doesn’t turn human, she turns frog. Together they have to figure out how to get back to being human and along the way they learn what they really need.

Q: apparently I have never watched a single thing on Netflix that starts with Q. So Queer Eye I guess. I’ve never watched it, but I've heard good things.

R: The Rain- After a deadly virus is discovered in the rain, sister and brother, Simone and Rasmus are separted from thier family and hide in a bunker for 6 years. Once they are forced to emerge they discover the world is much different than how they left it and their family wasnt all they thought it was.

S: Sense 8- This sci-fi drama focuses on 8 people from all over the world connected by some kind of psychic link. As they discover the extent of thier new abilities they also find out they aren’t the only ones and some others aren’t so friendly. This series was made with so much love and divotion and it shows throughout. The character development and backstories are rich, the writing is witty and thoughtful and the representation and focus on love above all else is so refreshing. 

T: Tallulah- This drama is dark and witty, while simultaneously being bright and uplifting. When a young drifter kidnaps a baby from a neglectful mother and pretends the baby is hers, her boyfriends mother takes them in. The story is about family and doing the right thing, even when you can’t find the right choice in the grey area.

U: The Umbrella Academy- This series based on a comic book written by Gerard Way is about superheroes with out being about superheroes. They don’t save the day. They can barely save themselves, oh and also the world. Numbered 1-7 these siblings all have their own issues and getting them to work together was the dying wish of their asshole of a father.

V: None? Anyone have any ideas?

W: The Witcher- This series, based on a video game based on a book, is about a mysterious monster hunter and the bard he meets a long the way. Somehow full of action and also full of humor this series delves deep into the history and culture of this fantasy world. 

X, Y, Z: I got nothing guys, but thanks for reading all the way down here. I hope you watch some of these shows and that you send some of your own recs to me! 

Also None of these photos or shows or anything are mine and all belong to their rightful owners

[loverboypercy]

From the meta self ship questions- 1, 3, 6, 7, & 10 for Crow ~ rebeccaselfships

thankk youuuu <3

meta self ship questions

1. how did you discover your f/o’s content?

i saw his design and thought huh cool robot dude. fun fact i thought i was gonna lose feelings once i found out he was actually A Guy but, nah! he's managed to stick around in my heart <3

im actually having a kinda hard time remembering whether i found the comics or game first (oh god i started foing him in 2019 where has the time gone) but i do remember that i fully watched thru a lets play of the game first !

3. describe the first time you watched/played/read your f/o’s source content.

oh god it was actually like, super fun and cute and well written. like the gameplay looked jank but there was clearly so much love in it.

i moved over to the webcomic and God. so much respect to the creator for both allowing his characters to be incredibly silly and goofy but also respect the depth there.

6. if your f/o is from a series, which episode/movie/game/book of their source content is your favorite?

i have a real soft spot for lineage of tyranny, seeing his incredibly fucked up family but how he still cares for them (i mean except for his baby brother. but he learns to be better). the scorpion was also really good, but its very much Not A Crow centered story so i feel kjggkjgf abt mentioning it here, love the funny nb scorpion robot tho. i gotta catch up tho im a little behind, so this is kinda subject to change.

7. are there any specific scenes/chapters/moments of your f/o that you find yourself going back to revisit more often than any other?

tbh since its a weekly updating comic i havent really,, had to go back yet. i suppose prism, and the previous mentioned comics if i was really craving some of that good bird boy content. also any comic where he wears his cute jacket. itsa good look.

10. if you could change one thing about your f/o’s source content, would you? what would you change?

the romance between him and becky was. weird. either go all in or drop it. i also dont care for the romance between foxglove and mack but like it doesnt actively effect my enjoyment at all its just not my thing.

also more mayapple content, she's so good and deserves so much more screentime !!!

[deliciousscaloppine]

Hot takes galore 2: A brief overview of fandom backlashes that influenced fanfiction writing traditions as I have personally experienced them.

In this segment we examine...THE INDOMITABLE MARY SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, as I was entering fandom in 2008 (Bleach, a manga by Kubo Tite), the hottest, sweattiest discourse pertained perhaps to Mary Sues. I thought the hatred of Mary Sues had completed its cycle and it was dead and gone in our days, BUT I happened upon a post that said that we are all stanning Moxiang Tongxiu’s OCs (original characters), in a sort of admonishing tone, and I couldn’t help but smile.

For back in the day, OCs, were termed self-inserts at best, and if they were a female protagonist that would sideline the canonical cast of characters then they were Mary Sues. And there were as many people hating original characters, and Mary Sues in particular that I remember sitting up all night thinking on whether I should post or not this fic that had some OCs in it that were there to just deliver some messages.

And of course this bled into accusations of writing canonical characters as basically “original characters” or “self-inserts”, by use of the term “ooc” (out of character). Personally, I thought this was over, but recently Riri accused me of disregarding the existing characterization and turning the CQL characters into my own original characters...for KINKY HAVOC IN VOLCANO PALACE!

An unjust accusation, I feel, Riri, because I do my damnedest to maintain characterization even under the wildest circumstances. 

People were looking to extend their enjoyment of the existing characters and story, and for some reason fanfic authors could come under fire for not catering to that, and writing for their personal self-fulfillment. 

And there were as many people writing oc’s and Mary Sues as there were people hating them, and the writers for it. It was chaos, there were journals (i was in livejournal) devoted to roasting mary sues, laughing at authors etc. If you came in fandom after me, you live in much much gentler times, and perhaps you have the Mary Sue to thank for that, because the Mary Sue kickstarted a lot of fandom feminist discourse.

Back in the day they usually determined “Mary Sue” as an overpowered, female character, whom everyone loved even though she might not be particularly charming (by whose standards?), who was adept at everything, knew everything, felt everything etc. 

The thing is that Mary Sues did not seem to exist only in fanfiction, but everywhere around us, whenever there would be a project film/show/comic/book that had a strong female protagonist.

And that was because fandom and male nerd culture were intertwined. Anime, games, comic books were heavily “invaded” by swaths of girls who were not quite fulfilled by corny pop stars, or saccharine rom coms, and seeing that there were no female power fantasies available in these media, they created their own.

It was a very interesting time because if you remember, Marvel Movies started getting made around that time, riding on that convention power, which was dominated by male nerd culture - and that is why they gave so little screen time to female characters, because the demographic was pretty thoroughly examined and they were found to dislike any and every female character that was not there to validate the male character’s cishetero sexuality (YEAH BABY)

I mean women, actresses, female characters had a good portion in media, and the marvel cinematic universe and its imitators pretty much sidelined all these people very aggressively. Male stories started exploding and taking over during this time, exploiting that very vocal male nerd demographic. 

But where is the backlash you ask, because so far we’ve only seen the oppression. 

I saw a lot of writers struggle with the validity of the female character, and then the validity of female writing. They conflated writing female characters, as writing without examining themselves, or attaining a neutral voice and a role of representing accurately reality (lol). Writing Mary Sues was bad writing, and at some point all women were Mary Sues.

...So can you guess what happened?

A lot of these people turned to male slash in order to cope. Before the Mary Sue hate, male slash was a considerable but not dominant piece on the fanfic pie, which was mostly dominated by main het ships. Male slash was already enjoyed by female heterosexual audiences, but it started gaining more and more traction until a term was coined (shipping goggles), and accusations were once more flung: that fangirls will ship any two white dudes - not untrue. 

This audience was not very friendly to actual gay people. There were all sorts of strange views passing before my bespectacled eyes at the time. People proclaiming that they loved yaoi (i was in manga, so this was the term used), but would not watch gay porn, and thought gay people were gross. And in the case where gay people were in fandom these people often complained of not being included/invited in fandom activities, or having minimal readership from groups that promoted male slash, but not gay writers.

This is why I often say fandom is not a friendly place for lgbtq people, because this type of audience still exists, even if it had to suppress their discomfort and assimilate the rhetoric of allyship at some point. And sadly a lot of people who dominated these early discussions about fandom becoming more lgbtq friendly since it consumed such relationships in media, managed to set this climate of dishonesty where everyone is pro-lgbtq in theory, but not in action.

Meaning a lot of stereotyping that is not endemic to actual lgbtq communities. Like top-bottom (most people are verses), whiny bottom, subby bottom, violent top, aggressive sex, hypersexual gay characters, almost complete erasure of bisexuality, lesbians what are they?, a complete and absolute fear in portraying trans characters, suppression of genderfluidity, accusing people of writing male gay characters as female characters as a form of wish-fulfillment or supposed homophobia.

A while ago I saw this article asking why lgbtq people are so mean to each other that confused me thoroughly, until I remembered this call out phase that happened a while ago and still goes on, where everyone blames everyone else of abusing and gaslighting them, friendships falling out etc, which is not at all the reality of older lgbtq scenes, because these were not formed online under this climate. 

And because fandom is a vehicle for self-exploration a lot of people to this day conflate consuming lgbtq relationships through media as being lgbtq themselves, or these “actual” relationships being set as these other fictional “idealized” relationships. Whereas in older lgbtq scenes a lot of people come into them by realizing their attraction to actual, real, live people and not characters, or hot celebrities.

I am not saying that current lgbtq people who discovered that about themselves online are lying, or lying to themselves, but they definitely came out in an environment of fake acceptance, and have a hard time reconciling reality with that lie of acceptance through no fault of their own, of course, because they never developed the language and the understanding that language brings in order to communicate amongst them. The characteristics were set by a group outside of them that might be pro gay marriage, and having a cool gay friend, and the inherent tragedy of homosexuality or something, but are not really for it - as a very wise queer eye contestant once said. 

And so every trespass by their own people, becomes a proof of this generalized rejection with tremendous consequences for young people’s mental health. YOU ARE BEING GASLIT IT’S TRUE - but not by your own people, it’s just a miscommunication going on there.    

BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MARY SUE. She changed. She stopped seeking love, sex, and power, or at least pretended that she did not want any of these things, or did not understand them, she stopped speaking, and became more stoic so people wouldn’t judge her opinions, and finally one day she went on to accomplish great things, because women seeking representation was also a pretty set demographic, and somebody could and would exploit that!

The Twilight Saga, Fifty Shades of Grey, even Hunger Games, are the media progeny of the Mary Sue powering through the entirely of male nerd culture. In a whole decade where people wanted Marvel to release a Black Widow movie, there have been three major spy/action girl movies that did very well in the box office, and since producing and releasing a movie usually takes three years, i’d say the audience was heard loud and clear - even though not by Marvel. 

And the side girls in these Marvel movies, or other action movies, became more and more badass - they all went from damsel in distress, to saving the hero, and of course the male characters were subsequently “queer-ified” until everyone was finally happy, and nerd culture was exposed as having been infiltrated by neonazis and that’s why it was making those unreasonable demands for no women ever in the first place.

And everything was right in the world, except that it was not. Because...girls had also been infiltrated by “neonazis”. A lot of these media, and a lot of these “white” Mary Sues, fall under many conservative criteria. Conservatism being a nice word for fascism. 

A few examples is the person of color always dies, or is brutalized, or is admonished constantly even as they shadow the protagonist in order to reinforce their inherent radiance. Characters who might be poc in books or in the anime (hur hur), are whitewashed in the visual media. The women are almost never comfortable with sex or romance, always thinking about the future and amassing power, not for themselves, but for the benefit of the resistance, or the family, or any other entity they belong to. And of course they are forever incredibly flawed - as opposed to idealized versions of male heroes always on the side of good for the right reasons! Also a minimal cast of women, with one woman being the protagonist, and the rest functioning as side characters or mostly antagonists.

So every time you feel a slight trepidation for not being the right type of lgbtq for writing something that is not strictly anal, or fear to include feminine characters, every time you erase yourself from the narrative it is it, the spectre of the Mary Sue coming to haunt you with a “We won, what more do you want?”  

[duhragonball]

Bulma

Give me a character and I will answer:

Why I like them: Somewhere around 1998, Kurt Busiek took over as the writer for the Iron Man comic.   This was back when Iron Man wasn’t particularly popular and the last two attempts to reboot the guy had failed.   I read an interview in Wizard Magazine where Kurt promoted his upcoming run, and he explained the character this way: Tony Stark is a superhero, an inventor, a ladies’ man, and a billionaire.    You could have a blast writing a comic book about any one of those four things, but he’s all four.    I may have gotten those four items wrong, partly because it’s been 22 years, and partly because it was more famous when Robert Downey Junior echoed that pitch in 2012.    Take away the armor, and what is he?   A billionaire genius philanthropist.   

My point is that this is the appeal to Bulma as well.    When we first meet her, she’s an adventurer, but then we find out she invented the device that lets her locate the Dragon Balls.  And her mission is a romantic quest, so she’s like the heroine in a romance story.    Then we meet her parents, and it turns out she’s a wealthy heiress.    Well, I’m assuming Dr. Brief doesn’t plan on leaving his fortune to all of his pets, but you get the idea.  

There’s a lot of versatility to the character.   Some arcs barely make use of her, but others take full advantage.    You can plop her in almost any scenario and it works.    You want to write her at a fancy charity dinner?   She’d fit right in.   You want her teaching shop class in your high school AU?   No problem at all.   You want her to seduce a bad guy?     You want her to shoot a bad guy?    You want her to be the bad guy?   It all works.  

The main thing people dislike about Bulma is the way she treated Yamcha when they were together, and she’s kind of a jerk a lot of the time.    Fair point, but I think this adds to the character.   If she were sweet as could be and a rich, attractive polymath, she’d be downright insufferable.    Also, her attitude plays off of the compassion she shows through the series.   I can’t explain her behavior around Yamcha, but she did offer free room and board to the entire population of Namek, so I feel like that needs to be taken into consideration.

Why I don’t: In the first... hundred or so episodes of DBZ, Bulma doesn’t get a lot of chances to shine, despite all the screentime they gave her.   Early into my DBZ-watching experience, I found her to be something like a shriller version of TMNT’s April O’Neil, a sidekick whose job was to look cute and get into danger so the good guys could save her.   She really doesn’t get back into her groove until she returns to Earth, and once I saw those episodes, and her time in the original Dragon Ball, the character began to make a lot more sense.   Really, the Bulma in DBZ #1 through 108 was probably intended to demonstrate how out-of-hand the situation was.   She fixed the scouter and then it exploded.   She fixed Nappa’s spaceship and it exploded.   She fixed Kami’s spaceship and then Namek exploded.    She just couldn’t keep up with the crisis. 

Favorite episode (scene if movie):

Not exactly any one episode, but one of my favorite bits in the Red Ribbon Army Sagas is that the RRA has their own Dragon Radar, but it’s not portable, or anywhere near as precise as the one Bulma invented.    It’s Goku’s biggest advantage during that conflict, and when it breaks, there’s literally no one else who can fix it.    Those magic babies from Arale could make a new one, but I’m pretty sure they only did that by copying the design or something.   And the RRA assumes that Goku must have an entire team of scientists providing him with logistical support, and that Master Roshi must be their leader, since he’s so old.  

Also, near the end of the arc, Bulma needs to call Yamcha on the phone, but Roshi doesn’t have one, and then Turtle suggests that Bulma should just build one from scratch, since she had just finished building a robot drone a few episodes earlier.    And she’s like “Oh, yeah, I forgot I knew how to do that.”

Favorite season/movie: The Androids/Cell arc is a big deal because it has two Bulmas, and her son is in it too.   

And this is what I mean when I talk about versatility.    That Super Dragon Ball Heroes series has two Gokus and two Vegetas, and I have no idea why, because they’re exactly the same, except one pair does SSJ4 and the other does Super Saiyan Blue.   Bulma’s got more layers, so in a story like this, you can have 30-something Bulma care for an infant son and tackle logistical problems while she figures out her relationship with Vegeta, while the 50-something Bulma in the future can be this strong-yet-gentle post-apocalyptic survivalist, who hopes for a better tomorrow as she longs for her fallen friends.  

Favorite line: I’m gonna stray from the canon for a minute, because I’m having trouble coming up with something, but in DBZ Abridged, when she’s arguing with Vegeta during his training session, they just start shouting “Fuck you!” at each other.    Then she stops and says: “My room.    Ten minutes.” 

And holy shit, the delivery on that line was incredible. I knew they’d try to do something to set up their relationship, but there’s no footage to do that with, so they did it all with one line and some killer VA work.

Favorite outfit: This is a big, big wardrobe to choose from, but I’m partial to the one she wore in the Imperfect Cell Saga.

I can’t really explain the appeal, but I like this hairstyle and the clothing looks like authentic stuff you could actually buy at a store, which just makes it feel more real, even though it’s not any more detailed than her other outfits.    I’m not sure that makes any sense.    The trucker hat looks cute on her, let’s leave it there.

OTP: You know, there’s a lot of chemistry between Bulma and Yajirobe, and even though it’s kind of a rarepair, I can’t help but-- Okay, it’s her and Vegeta.   I’ll stop messing around.   

Brotp: Definitely her and Goku.  I’m imagining the set up to the DBS Broly movie going like this.

“Hey, I’m gonna invite Goku along on our trip.    That way you can fight him when you get bored.”

“Why do you keep asking him to tag along I can’t stand him.” 

“Yeah, but I like him and I paid for the resort, so I guess you gotta deal with it.” 

“...”  

Then he shows up and she sends him on some ridiculous mission to search the ocean floor for sunken treasure or something.   

Head Canon: Future Bulma does tech support in Toki Toki/Conton City, because Xenoverse is canon and the Goku Black Saga can just bugger right off because it never happened.   

She shows up from time to time to check on all the Capsule Corp tech in the city, and she drops by just to say hi to her boy, and also she has coffee with my Mary Sue OC, because Future Bulma appreciates how tough and cool my writing is.

Unpopular opinion: The Vegebul ship probably gets way too much attention.  Not that it’s a bad ship or that it doesn’t deserve the attention, but it feels like a buffet where all anyone gets is ranch dressing.    They just ignore the rest of the spread and fill an entire bowl with ranch and head back to the table to drink it.   Then they come right back and line up for another helping.  

I’m not knocking it.   I have a Vegebul calendar in my kitchen.   But it reminds me of how the “comics fandom” in the late 90′s was really just an X-Men fandom that acknowledged that other comic books hypothetically existed.

They’re gonna come after me now, aren’t they?

A wish: A lifetime supply of strawberries does sound kind of nice...

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I hope we’re done with Bulma’s Resurrection F outfit for good.   The cowboy boots, no, we’re done with that. 

5 words to best describe them: Five would never be enough.

My nickname for them: Don’t have one.   Vegeta calls her “woman”, but I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t go over well if I started doing that.

[langdxn]

Ok so breeding kinks assemble and how Michael, Jim, Richard and The Traveling Salesman react to pregnancy? I don't know if you write about Cody's character David Madsen from Versace? If you do how would he react to this kink as well?

Ooft have I ever told you how much I goddamn love you, breeding kink anon? ❤️

I know we’ve talked about Michael Langdon’s breeding kink a lot here (here, here, here and in a whole goddamn series here!) but I genuinely believe every stage of Michael has a serious desire for babies. The dominance, the virility, claiming you, continuing his bloodline, undoing the disastrous upbringing he suffered, pursuing his father’s plan — Michael wants and needs children in his life. He’s a fiercely protective dad, a father that teaches his child everything he knows, nurtures them into successful human beings, supports them as they explore their powers (and uses his to benefit them even if they don’t inherit any). Pregnancy is just the beginning of a beautiful, defining journey in the Antichrist’s life… just don’t suggest calling your firstborn Damian.

Jim Mason may be young and free but his family means everything to him, so his breeding kink is as strong as anything. His hands wander purposefully down to your flat abdomen more often than he cares to admit, glancing up to gaze into your eyes with a knowing smile sneaking across his lips. You could mistake it for accidental hand placement, that is, until you slide under the covers that night and Jim’s already eagerly wrapping your thighs around his waist. “What’s the hurry, beach boy?” You mutter as he continues on his mission, lining himself up with your entrance. “I’m getting you pregnant, babe, I haven’t stopped thinking about it all day. You cool with that?” Jim’s the most protective father-to-be, needing to have a constant eye on you resting on the beach holding your bump while he’s out surfing; he makes a point of coming back to the shore to kiss your bump whenever he needs a smoke break. He sweetly jumps in to do everything for you, even reaching into kitchen cupboards and dutifully bringing you all the craving supplies you could ever need — after all, you’re giving him a child and bringing his life a new purpose, it’s the least he can do to repay you.

Richard may not feel completely ready for fatherhood just yet, but the nine months of utter ecstasy seeing you grow with his child will prepare him for anything. He adores sketching nursery ideas with an arm gently draped over your shoulder as you sleep off any exhaustion from the day carrying your baby. Bringing his child into the world gives him the impetus to pursue a career in illustration, children’s storybooks, maybe even comic books, the sky’s the limit. He’s (almost excessively) sympathetic throughout your pregnancy, helping you up from the clinic’s armchairs when you’re way too heavy, offering to rub cream into your belly stretch marks every morning, holding his earphones to your bump when baby doesn’t seem to stop kicking. If he’s not catering to your every need and reading books on fatherhood in front of the TV, he’s making slow, passionate love to you with a lovelorn glaze washing over his eyes — “You look so beautiful like this.”

Out of the 1 min 30 I’ve seen of the Travelling Salesman (if anybody knows where to find the full movie, please let me know), he seems like a loving, dedicated family man that would do anything for his clan. He’s the one with all the answers, the man who knows your needs before you do, the lover who guides you through the most turbulent nine months of your lives together, all with a protective palm practically fixed to your bump. I’m safely assuming he’s a sinister kind of kinky when the bedroom curtains close so that means… intense breeding kink. Knocking you up is a carefully planned strategy featuring pillows beneath your hips, nothing but missionary. And boy, when he succeeds, he’s enamoured by your newfound curves and sensitivities. “Fuck, I’m so in love with you,” he purrs as he’s ghosting delicate, featherlight fingertips over your belly. “Screw it, I’m staying at home this week. I need to have a word with baby here about how painful they’ve made their mama’s boobs lately.”

(A/N: For the sake of this post, I’m taking David Madson as a fictional character with no reflection on the real David whatsoever. We all know the importance of distinguishing between Cody’s portrayal and the man himself, I don’t want/intend to offend anybody with this. Consider this an adorable American architect alternative Mr Fern! Also this is my second favourite Cody performance ever and I watch Gianni Versace over again every single day so if you have any more David requests, please fire them my way! ❤️)

David Madson’s basically the ultimate softboi and your romance has been as perfect as a daydream since you met. At first, you’re tentatively treading into the room with the positive pregnancy test, fully expecting a calm, adult conversation about how he can’t hold back his career for a family of his own just yet. But David’s receptive and his hands clasp his mouth before you’ve even said a word. “You are? Seriously? We’re having a baby?!” He careers over to you and kisses you deeply, bumping foreheads as he beams from ear to ear. “Thank you so much baby girl,” he mutters in a blissful haze, palm pressed flat to your abdomen. While pregnancy sex with David is an overwhelmingly romantic experience with goosebumps, soft whispered declarations of love and sensual rocking hips, he’s terrified he’ll harm your little one with anything more intense. That’s where experience comes in - the more beautifully smart babies you have together, the more comfortable he feels showing you his gratitude between the sheets.

[haledamage]

OC Questionnaire

I was tagged by @actualanxiousswampwitch and not so much tagged as challenged by @queen-scribbles​ :P 

I am tagging/challenging you both back if you have more OCs you want to talk about, plus anyone else who has an OC you want to talk about! really, I want to know about your muses, please share them with me <3

I decided to go with Lexi from Mind Blind because she’s currently my most vocal muse, as well as Ari because I realized I’ve never done one of these for her? not sure how that happened

Lexi Wiseman

GENERAL

name: Alexandria Jane Wiseman

alias(es): Lexi, Lex, Button, Cadet Wiseman

gender: cis female

age: 20

place of birth: Chicago, Illinois

spoken languages: English, sarcasm, probably some coding language? took Spanish and German in high school, but really only remembers how to count to ten and ask where the library is

sexual orientation: bi bi bi

occupation: student at Unity’s Aeon Academy

APPEARANCE

eye colour: hazel

hair colour: brown

height: 5′8”

scars: not any major ones? She scars really easy, so even little things like paper cuts leave a scar, but except for things like that and old scars from scraped knees and elbows as a kid, Lexi doesn’t really have any scars worth mentioning. (or as Lex would say, “my scars are all mental ;)”)

burns: not really many burn scars either. a small and perfectly circular one on the inside of her right ring finger (accidentally bumped into the lit end of a cigarette), a faded line on her right calf from grazing the exhaust pipe of a motorcycle, but that’s really it

overweight: No

underweight: No

FAVOURITE

colour: green, especially darker ones like hunter green or forest green

music genre: loves music, all kinds. most of the covers she does are older pop songs, the songs that have made it into the collective consciousness, but she will listen to or sing anything :)

movie genre: action. loves a superhero movie and not afraid to admit it.

tv show: don’t think she’s much of a tv person. more likely listens to podcasts or watches twitch streams/youtube shows. I feel like she’d be a big Buzzfeed Unsolved fan. occasionally enjoys a cooking competition show like Chopped or Iron Chef, something you can enjoy without having to commit to it. Watches them with Nick because his commentary is the best part.

pastime: music (plays guitar and piano/keyboard, and knows her way around a sampler/MIDI controller), video games (especially fps, co-op or team-based online games preferred)

food: anything Nick cooks, but especially cinnamon pumpkin cookies

drink: cherry coke, sweet iced tea, iced white mocha

book: she’s not a really big reader (not that she doesn’t enjoy it, she just has other ways she’d rather spend her time), but she’ll read just about anything on the occasion she has time to. adventure, romance, mystery, poetry, whatever. really enjoys sci-fi especially, and comic books!

HAVE THEY

passed university: she didn’t go to college per se, since Aeon isn’t technically a college so much as a very particular and multi-year job training course, but she took a few courses at the local community college. Computer programming, music theory, whatever struck her fancy. Probably found something weird that she’ll never need in real life just for the hell of it.

had sex: no

had sex in public: no

gotten pregnant: no

kissed a boy: yes

kissed a girl: yes

gotten tattoos: no, but she wants one. eventually. once she settles on a design

had a broken heart: sure, in lots of different ways. the situation with her mom could certainly be considered heart-breaking...

been in love: she would deny it if you asked her, but yes. Very yes.

stayed up for longer than 24 hours: sure, yeah, why not? sleep is overrated anyway

ARE THEY

a virgin: yes. look, when you live with your brother who is a mind-reader and you have literally no way to stop loudly projecting your thoughts, sex is a tricky and awkward situation. better to just avoid it until someone comes along that’s worth it.

a cuddler: yes, very much so. Maybe a little touch-starved, despite Nick and Sally’s efforts. Someone please give her a hug.

a kisser: sometimes

scared easily: startles easily, but doesn’t actually frighten easily

jealous easily: not really. envy, on the other hand...

trustworthy: yes, but she’ll be the first to tell you not to tell her any secrets. She can’t promise what people can hear from her thoughts

dominant: not really. Can be assertive, but prefers to kind of go with the flow

submissive: not really submissive either, though maybe leans more toward it than toward dominant

in love: with her brother’s best friend. Has been for years now, expects she will be for the foreseeable future. She accepts that she will spend her life pining from afar. It’s not like Gray could ever feel the same, right?

single: yep

RANDOM QUESTIONS

have they harmed themselves: nope

thought of suicide: I don’t think so

attempted suicide: no

Wanted to kill someone: no

rode a horse: nope

have / had a job: her situation makes it a little difficult to work normal jobs. I would imagine she makes money through patreon with her music, and she will eventually have a job at Unity as a MIV, once she finishes at Aeon

have any fears: loss of control (again), not being good enough, abandonment, rejection (specifically being rejected for things she can’t change; she’s fine if people don’t like her for her personality, some people just have bad taste)

FAMILY

sibling(s): older brother Nick, relationship status: besties against all odds

Parents: John and Hope Wiseman, relationship status: fucking complicated

children: none, she is baby

pets: none

---

Aurienne the Sparrow

GENERAL

name: Aurienne the Sparrow. She had a last name once, but she doesn’t remember it.

alias(es): Ari, Little Bird, The Sparrow Queen

gender: nonbinary female/demigirl

age: 23

place of birth: Andoran, she assumes. It’s the first place she remembers living, at the very least.

spoken languages: Common, Elvish, a little Celestial thanks to her sister

sexual orientation: bisexual

occupation: Queen of the Stolen Lands, somehow

APPEARANCE

eye colour: light gray

hair colour: black

height: 5′10”

scars: a thin but deep and ragged scar across her throat that she normally keeps covered by a scarf or choker or high collar; arrow puncture in her left shoulder; long line on her inner right thigh from a greatsword that almost cut her leg off entirely; a few other minor ones

burns: a few on her fingertips from accidents with her flaming crossbow

overweight: No

underweight: No

FAVOURITE

colour: gold

music genre: punk and all its subgenres :)

movie genre: she loves a musical, all musicals

tv show: dramas and monster of the week shows. wants a tv show that’ll make her cry

pastime: music (when she’s feeling confident enough to give it a try again, which is… a work in progress), reading, silly but harmless pranks. Loves to meditate a surprising amount, just sit in silent contemplation.

food: samosas, lemon macarons

drink: matcha latte with white chocolate syrup

book: has a deep and unending love of poetry

HAVE THEY

passed university: nope, didn’t go to school

had sex: yes

had sex in public: …...perhaps

gotten pregnant: nope

kissed a boy: yes

kissed a girl: yes

gotten tattoos: yes, seven sparrows down her spine. recently, the one on the back of her neck got a tiny little crown over its head :)

had a broken heart: yes

been in love: yes

stayed up for longer than 24 hours: yes, but rarely

ARE THEY

a virgin: nope

a cuddler: sort of? I think she wants to be, but is scared to let herself be vulnerable like that. Will happily cuddle with anyone who initiates, though

a kisser: not really, unless she’s in a mood

scared easily: yes, but hides it well

jealous easily: nope

trustworthy: very

dominant: not really. Prefers to let others take the reins (probably not the best trait for a queen, but as she is quick to tell people, being in charge was never her idea)

submissive: most of the time. Probably a big part of why she and Tristian took so long to get together...

in love: yes, with a literal angel

single: she’s not sure??? like, they haven’t really made anything official yet, but no one would ever look at the two of them together and not think they’re a couple. they should probably have a talk about that soon

RANDOM QUESTIONS

have they harmed themselves: no

thought of suicide: yes

attempted suicide: no

Wanted to kill someone: yes

rode a horse: yes

have / had a job: former mercenary/adventurer, former baroness, currently queen of the Stolen Lands? She’s still not entirely sure how that happened

have any fears: helplessness, losing those she loves, being silenced (again)

FAMILY

sibling(s): twin sister, Auriel the Dove

parents: both deceased (I should probably name them at some point…)

children: none. Maybe someday...

pets: an owlcat named Headchomper, a red panda named Ember, an orange tabby cat named Tiger, a giant black wolf named Baron who is technically her sister’s animal companion and also technically her nephew

[teaespensonawards]

Official 2020 TEA Nominations

Once more, CONGRATULATIONS to all of our nominees!!

If you want to have a look at any of the works on the list (highly encouraged, because our nominees are amazing), the RumbelleTEAs site has compiled links to everything.

And since the list is... long... very, very long, it’s below the read-more.

Voting will begin on January 24th.

FLUFF

Family

Precious Moments, by @jackabelle73 Belle’s water breaks at a party, by @lotus0kid Family Portrait, by @emospritelet A Christmas Present for Mama, by @shadowedoracle Irish Twins, by @killingkueen The Golds’ Adventures in Parenting, by @ethereal-wishes

Comfort

Forgiveness by the Firelight, by @bellegolds/belleyonce A Life for a Life, by @paradigmparadoxical Belle notices she’s going gray, by @lotus0kid Ever After, by @boushh2187

Fix-It

Between Present and Past, by @jackabelle73 A Step Forward, by evelyn6 It All Ends Well, by @worryinglyinnocent

Reunion

The Awakening, by @joylee56 Marbled, by @worryinglyinnocent

Best Child Fic

Babysitting Debacle, by @ryik-the-writer The Mayor’s Chair, by @worryinglyinnocent A Christmas Present for Mama, by @shadowedoracle Put Me In, Coach, by @mariequitecontrarie Baby Steps, by @nothingeverlost Irish Twins, by @killingkueen

SMUT

Kink

In the Blood, by Megara_Bee Seeing Red, by @killingkueen Golden Cuffs, by @kelyon The Party, by @worryinglyinnocent

Romance

Neverland, by @emospritelet Come Together, by @thatravenclawbitch A Command Performance, by @prissyhalliwell

Comedy

One for the Road, by @mrs-stiltskin Eat Your Words, by @killingkueen

Threesome

Room for Three, by @worryinglyinnocent Sidereal Time, by @mrs-stiltskin

Best First Time

The Wedding Night, by Megara_Bee Behind the Mask, by @worryinglyinnocent The Rose and the Dagger, by @sarashouldbestudying

Best Afterlife Smut

The Heart of a Hero, by @mrs-stiltskin

PWP

Seeing Red, by @killingkueen One for the Road, by @mrs-stiltskin Parent Teacher Conference, by @timelordthirteen Last Man Standing, by @emospritelet

BDSM

The Golden Cage, by @gwenore The Spinner in Chains, by @mrs-stiltskin Golden Cuffs, by @kelyon The Dungeon, by @worryinglyinnocent

ANGST

Why?

The Long Road, by @thestraggletag Cogs, by @maplesyrupao3 The Unresolved, by @of-princes-and-savages

Death

We’ll Have to Muddle Through Somehow, by @thatravenclawbitch Cogs, by @maplesyrupao3 Sacrifice, by @wierdogal

Oops

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, by @justanoutlawfic In the Blood, by Megara_Bee All I Want for Christmas, by @timelordthirteen

Hurts so good

Twisted Fate, by @emospritelet

ROMANCE

Best Date (Overall)

Of Comic Books and Sushi, by @worryinglyinnocent The Attorneys Paralegal, by Wandering_Willow

Best Hamburger Date

The Alphabet Romance, by Zhanice Best Laid Plans, by @0ceanofdarkness

Best Courtship

Blind Faith, by @maplesyrupao3 Lava Java, by @betweenpaperpages More Precious Than Silver, by @bad-faery A Match Made in Heaven, by @worryinglyinnocent

Best First Meeting

Best Failed Date Ever, by @barpurplewrites A Match Made in Heaven, by @worryinglyinnocent The Quill, by @paradigmparadoxical Forward Post, by @worryinglyinnocent

Best Bathing Scene

Ceasefire, by @thatravenclawbitch The Golden Cage, by @gwenore

GENERAL AWARDS

Best One-Shot

Love Unsought, by @killingkueen Come Together, by @thatravenclawbitch A Tradition to Remember, by @prissyhalliwell Why Not?, by @betweenpaperpages

Best Drabble

Quoth the Dark One, by @barpurplewrites In Death, by @timelordthirteen I Won’t Be Home for Christmas, by @thatravenclawbitch

Best Post-Ep Fic

It All Ends Well, by @worryinglyinnocent Our Better Decisions, by @theoneandonlylittlebird

Best Comedy Fic

Quoth the Dark One, by @barpurplewrites The Whole Point of Magic..., by @worryinglyinnocent

Best Movie AU

Elevated Hearts, by @b-does-the-write-thing A New Life, by @djlouat I Gave You My Heart, by @ishtarelisheba The World is Not Enough, by @wierdogal

Best Book AU

The Library Beneath the Clocktower, by @eirian-houpe Around the World in 80 Days (More or Less), by Megara_Bee

Best TV Show AU

Penny for Your Thoughts, by @nothingeverlost Storybrooke Hyperion Teaching Hospital, by @wierdogal

Best AU Inspired By Other Media

I Must Be Warmer Now, by @ifishouldvanish Bellissima, by @standbyyourmantis Storybrooke Marblelympics, by @kelyon

Best Historical AU

Once Upon a Time in the West, by @joylee56 Fools Rush In, by @worryinglyinnocent Endless, by @mareyshelley The Demon Earl’s Deal, by @b-does-the-write-thing

Best AU

Little Miss, by @nothingeverlost A Face for Radio, by @b-does-the-write-thing In All Things, by @timelordthirteen The Champion, by @lotus0kid

Best AU!OUAT

A Sharp and Glorious Thorn, by @thatravenclawbitch Heartstrings, by Dragonbat

Best Series

The Gingerbread Verse, by @mrs-stiltskin The Floofy!verse, by @woodelf68 Ceasefire series, by @thatravenclawbitch

Best Novel Length Fic

How Do You Sleep?, by @ifishouldvanish Writing Our Own Stories, by @wierdogal

Best Holiday Fic

The Founder of the Feast, by @lotus0kid Alabama, Arkansas, by @timelordthirteen Murder at the Moonlight Inn, by @maplesyrupao3 I Gave You My Heart, by @ishtarelisheba Selective Santas, by @of-princes-and-savages A Visit From St. Nick, by @betweenpaperpages

Best Remix

Relative Earth, by @maplesyrupao3 In the Right Measure, by @bad-faery Twisted Fate, by @emospritelet

Best Crossover Fic

Through the Vortex, by @wierdogal Something Quite Wonderful, by @spottytonguedog

Best Dark Castle

The Sounding Sea, by @mareyshelley Are You All Right?, by jenigweve A Wanted Storm, by @maplesyrupao3​

Best Storybrooke

Flying High, by @ryik-the-writer Car Kicking Reduces Stress, by @wierdogal The Moment of Truth, by @leni-ba

Best Travel

The City That Never Sleeps, by @peacehopeandrats Going Back to the Great Wide Somewhere, by @wierdogal A Blind Love, by @lotus0kid

Best “Missing Years” Fic

True Love, by @djlouat Leaving Storybrooke, by @peacehopeandrats

Best Argument (Angst)

How Do You Sleep?, by @ifishouldvanish The Casualties of War, by @thatravenclawbitch Together Again, by @worryinglyinnocent

SPECIAL CATEGORIES

Best Golden Lace

Nighthawks, Morningbirds, by @ifishouldvanish Lipstick Kisses, by @mareyshelley I Must Be Warmer Now, by @ifishouldvanish

Best Woven Lace

Opening Lines, by @emospritelet In From the Cold, by @mrs-stiltskin Much Ado About Lacey, by @thatravenclawbitch

Best Woven Beauty

Killing Time, by @timelordthirteen The Awakening, by @joylee56 The World Didn’t End, by @timelordthirteen En Pointe, by @thatravenclawbitch

Best Background Swanfire

9 to 5, by @phoenixfeatherquill Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow, by @wierdogal

Best Afterlife Fic

The Heart of a Hero, by @mrs-stiltskin Partners Beyond the Grave, by @wierdogal

Best Crack!Fic

Everyone Needs a Hobby, by @woodelf68 Pop!, by @barpurplewrites Storybrooke Marblelympics, by @kelyon

Best Drama

Opening Lines, by @emospritelet Heartstrings, by Dragonbat

Best Supernatural

Lack of Reflection, by @barpurplewrites A Safe Place, by @lotus0kid How Soon Is Now?, by @nerdrumple Imp Mansion, by @gwenore Endless, by @mareyshelley

Best Sci-Fi

Relative Earth, by @maplesyrupao3 Hatched, by @maplesyrupao3

Best Horror

In Lovelier Colours, by @mareyshelley Promised, by @maplesyrupao3 The Wolves Were Always Lurking, by @ishtarelisheba In Dreams of Him, by @mareyshelley

Best Creature AU

The Deal, by @thestraggletag Nephila, by @kelyon The Deepest Roots, by @mareyshelley The Pharaoh and His Priestess, by @wierdogal In Dreams of Him, by @mareyshelley

Best Unexpected Twist

An Unknown Road, by @lotus0kid The Image of Her, by @mareyshelley A Real Hero, by @lotus0kid

Best Bobby Squared

Love in the Highlands, by @worryinglyinnocent Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow, by @wierdogal

Best Trope

Battles and Skirmishes, by @thatravenclawbitch The Golden Veil, by @maplesyrupao3 Wrong Room, Dr. Rush, by @theoneandonlylittlebird The Good Alpha, by @cannibalisticshadows

Best Meta

25 Fucking Stupid Writing Choices OUAT Made, by @celticheartedfangirl

EVENTS

Rumbelle Secret Santa

The Long Road, by @thestraggletag He Thought it Said “SATAN”, by @idesignedthefjords Eat Your Words, by @killingkueen Witness Protection, by @eirian-houpe Home for Christmas, by @boushh2187 This Rough Magic, by @0ceanofdarkness Year Walk, by @nerdrumple The Deepest Roots, by @mareyshelley

Rumbelle Christmas in July

Teach Us Something Please, by @b-does-the-write-thing The Runaway Ringmaster, by @lotus0kid The Deal, by @thestraggletag A Tradition to Remember, by @prissyhalliwell

Monthly Rumbelle (Non-smut)

Love in the Highlands, by @worryinglyinnocent Number Twenty-Six, by @worryinglyinnocent

Monthly Rumbelle (Smut)

Behind the Mask, by @worryinglyinnocent Real Life and Fantasy, by @worryinglyinnocent

Rumbelle Monsterfuckers Ball

Nephila, by @kelyon By the Fire of My Heart, by @cannibalisticshadows

Rumbelle Big Bang

In a Dreaming Place, by @sieben9 Much Ado About Lacey, by @thatravenclawbitch Fine Print, by @prissyhalliwell

CHARACTER AWARDS

Best Belle

Human Nature, by @thestraggletag Spin Me a Tale, by @ifishouldvanish

Best Dark One!Belle

The Plus One, by @joylee56 The Spinner in Chains, by @mrs-stiltskin

Best AU Belle

The Runaway Ringmaster, by @lotus0kid Honourable Members, by @emospritelet

Best Lacey

Command Me to Be Well, by @magnoliatattoo Lipstick Kisses, by @mareyshelley

Best Detective Weaver

Doppelgänger, by @celticheartedfangirl First, do no harm, by @iatethebiscuit En Pointe, by @thatravenclawbitch Killing Time, by @timelordthirteen

Best Dark One

Soul Deep, by @barpurplewrites Kiss, by @nerdrumple

Best Mr. Gold

Blind Faith, by @maplesyrupao3 The Champion, by @lotus0kid A Visit From St. Nick, by @betweenpaperpages

Best AU!Gold/Rumple

How Soon Is Now?, by @nerdrumple Neverland, by @emospritelet

Best Spinner!Rumple

The Plus One, by @joylee56 Finding Home, by @thecompletebookworm

Best Woobie!Rumple

Number Twenty-Six, by @worryinglyinnocent Human Nature, by @thestraggletag

Best Wish!Rumple

Under Dark Skies, by @mareyshelley

Best Baelfire/Neal

Flying High, by @ryik-the-writer Bae and the Bear and the Bow, by @wierdogal

Best Gideon

Best Beloveds, by @woodelf68 Put Me In, Coach, by @mariequitecontrarie

Best OC Rumbelle Child

Jenny, from Accidental Magic, by @woodelf68 Oliver, from The Unresolved, by @of-princes-and-savages

ART

Best Fan Art

Come back to me, by @virgidearie Belle with a bouquet of Rumples, by @staypee Rumbelle with Baby Gideon, by @cocoadrops The Library, by @virgidearie “don’t worry pop, I’ll take care of mom until you two meet again.” by @nropay​ Rumbelle Family Seasonal Doodle, by @cocoadrops

Best Cover Art

Human Nature, by @paradigmparadoxical Take Me Away, by @nropay Golden Cuffs, by @paradigmparadoxical

Best Graphic Art (GIFs)

Have You Ever Been in Love?, by @timelordthirteen Telephone speech from 2x16, by @agentsphilinda Come Back to Me, by @virgidearie Fine Print gifset, by @bisexualbelle 365 Days of Rumbelle, by @timelordthirteen Much Ado About Lacey gifset, by @desperatemurph The Library, by @virgidearie

Best Graphic Art (Still Images)

Touch Him So Help Me, by @jenitosam Taking a break from building their home, by @staypee

Best AU in Art

2019 Goop!Rumple, by @dekujin RumMARBeLle Date, by @wayamy Power Game, by @virgidearie Mer!Rumple with a Mer!Belle, by @foxmurphy Much Ado About Lacey gifset, by @desperatemurph Fine Print gifset, by @bisexualbelle

Best Fluff Art

Breakfast for Two, by @virgidearie Rumbelle with Santa Hats, by @cocoadrops The Pretty Librarian, by @virgidearie Rumbelle with Baby Gideon, by @cocoadrops

Best Angsty Art

Hold Me, by @virgidearie Because of course he kept her bones, by @staypee I miss you -- We miss you, too, son, by @virgidearie

Best Smutty Art

Steamy, by @virgidearie Reflection, by @virgidearie

Best Comic/Graphic Novel

Because of course he kept her bones, by @staypee Touch Him So Help Me, by @jenitosam

Best Dark One Form

Real Inside Rumple holding Belle back, by @dekujin Glitch!Rumple, by @nropay

Best Use of Color

Take Me Away illustrations, by @nropay 2019 Goop!Rumple, by @dekujin Papafire Art (I’ll find you Bae), by @nropay

Best Video

Someone You Loved, by @desperatemurph Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow video, by @fangirlgeeksstuff

Best Artist

@cocoadrops @jenitosam @ripperblackstaff @virgidearie @rumpledspinster @staypee @timelordthirteen

Best New Artist

@paradigmparadoxical

BEST AUTHOR

@b-does-the-write-thing @barpurplewrites @mareyshelley @of-princes-and-savages @emospritelet @worryinglyinnocent @wierdogal @timelordthirteen​ @maplesyrupao3​

BEST NEW AUTHOR

@kelyon @shadowedoracle

BEST RUMBELLE FIC

Fine Print, by @prissyhalliwell More Precious Than Silver, by @bad-faery

BEST ANYELLE FIC

If Only for a Moment, by @ifishouldvanish Questions and Kisses, by @worryinglyinnocent Hatched, by @maplesyrupao3 Hamish is Sir Rum’s Storybrooke Persona, by @lotus0kid Need, by @worryinglyinnocent Honourable Members, by @emospritelet Belle meets Hamish at the Stag Bar, by @lotus0kid

BEST ANYEM FIC

Lacey has concerns about Danny’s suits, by @lotus0kid Bloody Lace, by @of-princes-and-savages I’m So Done With This, My Love, by @thatravenclawbitch

Rumbelle Fandom Lifetime Achievement Award

@ifishouldvanish @emospritelet​ @timelordthirteen @desperatemurph

[mamabearcat]

#3, #13, #14 and... #29

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

I know I’ve touched on non-con with The Ronin and it’s always been the plan to touch on it too in The Importance of Ramen, but I do my best to handle it delicately.

I detest movies, books and stories where female characters are ‘fridged’ - treated as merely a device to move a male character's story arc forward, rather than as a fully developed character in her own right. If you’re interested there’s a list on the website Women in Refrigerators of all the comic book heroines and female characters that have met an unfortunate demise or had their powers taken away so that the male protagonist could get angsty about it and take revenge (because it’s all about him of course).

I always try to make my female characters just as strong as the male ones. I never make them powerless, even when they’re in tough situations, they are not waiting to be saved, but looking for a way out. And they recover and come back stronger - they’re never broken victims of circumstance.

I’m also not keen on any situations where there is an older character in a position of emotional dominance over a younger character - lolicon and incest type fics give me the heebie jeebies.

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

“I wasn’t really prepared to say anything true about who I was. I didn’t want to be judged. I didn’t want people reading any of my stories to know who I was or what I thought or to get in too close. And I realized that if you’re going to write…you had to be willing to do the equivalent of walking down a street naked. You had to be able to show too much of yourself. You had to be just a little bit more honest than you were comfortable with.” -Neil Gaiman 

I put a lot of myself into my work. I am older than the majority of people on Tumblr and it probably shows. I have had the fairy tale romance and I’ve had to deal with what happens when that fairy tale does not have the happy ending, because sometimes real life sucks. But I try to convey all those feelings in my writing, all those experiences. And it’s cheaper than therapy.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

“Keep polishing, even in your draft format.”

I am never totally satisfied with what I write. I agonize over word placement, sentence structure, whether it’s too heavy on the detail, whether I’m giving my characters enough to do, whether they’re saying too much or not enough. Having characters do mundane things like walking from one room to another fills me with dread, because I will nitpick those linking sections to pieces to make sure they’re perfect. The thing is, if I kept polishing, I would never publish. I sometimes stop the flow of my writing because I go over and over a paragraph until it’s perfect. The sad truth is nobody is perfect. Sometimes you’ve got to stop polishing and put it out on display.

29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Any fic? Fanfic or just fiction in general?

This is pretty out there, but I had a thought the other day after watching  BBC Pride and Prejudice, that it would be funny to write something set when all the girls were younger.

Mrs Bennet wailing about all the daughters, and what would become of them and how all the babies crying played havoc on her poor nerves, but they must try again!

Mr Bennet gritting his teeth and thinking ‘for the good of the family’, and then out pops another daughter, until finally he says ‘no more, Mrs Bennet, no more!’

And the house would be full to the brim with all these little girls having tantrums and spoiling their muslins, and fighting over hair ribbons, while Jane tries to help the governess and play little mother to all of them (because of course it would be all too much for Mrs Bennet) and Lizzie helps a little, because she adores her big sister Jane, but can’t help making sarcastic comments that make things worse.

Lizzie finally escaping out into the garden for a bit of peace and quiet, only to be joined by Mr Bennet escaping the general chaos too. What a noisy house that would be!

[does-it-really-matter]

Romance is Overrated

C8H11NO2 + C10H12N2O + C43H66N12O12S2

This is what is widely considered to be the chemical formula for love. Dopamine. Serotonin. Oxytocin. Add these three together, and you get love. But what is love?

(What is love? Baby don’t hurt me)

When we talk about love, the first thing that comes to mind is generally a man and a woman facing hardships and persevering, getting married and riding off into the sunset. But that’s not all there is to love.

The ancient Greeks had 7 types of love - Eros, romantic love; Philia, platonic love or friendship; Ludus, playful love; Storge, familial love; Philautia, self-love; Pragma, committed love; and Agape, which is unconditional love for everyone.

The thing about love is that they are all equally important. None of them are ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than the others. But a lot of the media generally tends to focus only on romantic love, and makes it out to be the one that is worth striving for the most.

In India especially, marriage was made out to be of utmost importance for centuries. We're constantly told that marriage is the end goal. Getting married is considered both the greatest hurdle to cross and the biggest boon one can receive, and it’s widely believed to be the only path to a fulfilling life. However, the concept of being in a monogamous marriage, settling down with them and having children with them is pretty common across the world. In fact, there’s even a term for it - amatonormativity.

Amatonormativity, according to Professor Elizabeth Blake who coined the tem, is the assumption that a central, exclusive, amorous relationship is normal for humans as a universally shared goal, and that such a relationship should be preferred to other relationship types. But this is a societal standard that has been shaped over hundreds of years. It’s definitely not wrong to pursue a monogamous relationship, get married and have kids, but it’s not wrong to not do that as well.

So what is the problem, exactly?

Romance definitely makes for an interesting genre. It shows (generally) two people who, against all odds, choose each other over and over again, and live happily ever after. It gives the audience a feeling of satisfaction and hope, that somebody out there would love you unconditionally and fight tooth and nail for you, and that despite all odds, you would get the cake and eat it too. It shows that you can still get happy endings no matter how difficult the road is. But how realistic is this?

Over the years, society has made finding a romantic partner as a teen into a norm in the Western world, and this influence has slowly seeped into India as well. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this as long as the relationship is a healthy one, but unfortunately, the concept of being in a relationship has evolved into something that is a requirement to be happy. A person who doesn’t have a romantic partner is seen as lonely and miserable, with no other solid reason to back it up. Even the way we say that we aren’t in a relationship, aka the word ‘single’, perpetuates the concept that you’re not ‘complete’ without a significant other.

This is also further propagated by the media in almost any form. Romance seems to rear its head in pretty much every movie, regardless of the genre. It’s commonly said that we’re all the main characters of our respective lives. But this just isn’t true. There’s a world of difference between fictional main characters and us. In the media, whether it be movies or books, there are designated side-kicks, antagonists, and a love interest. The first two are rare enough to be found in real life, so why do we put so much effort to find the third?

Before we continue, a differentiation must be made between media of the romance genre and every other genre. Movies that are mainly romance obviously have to portray romance as the main plot, but when movies of other genres always have a love-interest, it gets over-glorified. The main character always ends up with a romantic partner at the end of the story, or it is alluded to, directly or indirectly.

Where this gets even more problematic is when the main character's entire life revolves around romance. This may work for some people, but it is not only an extremely unhealthy way to live, it’s also portraying a flawed message. We see many pre-teen and teenager coming of age films where the high school children are always focussed only on the romantic aspect of their lives, and devote all their time and effort into that. They are desperate for a significant other, and are more often than not, portrayed as lonely outcasts with no friends. But once they get a ‘glow up’ of some sort, they land a perfect romantic partner and all their problems are solved.

When we consume media that delivers this message over and over again, it gets ingrained in us, consciously or subconsciously. But life doesn’t work that way. A healthy romantic relationship will give you support, of course, but it isn’t going to magic away your problems. On the other end of the spectrum, you can be perfectly happy without a relationship. Love is necessary to be happy, but that love needn’t always be romantic.

This mindset backfires a lot, as being in a relationship is also key to social status in some circles, especially in high school. Thus, people get into relationships for popularity points, or to show off on social media, despite not having an actual emotional bond with the other person. Being in a relationship just to be in a relationship is a surefire way of not achieving happiness. This immediately leads to abusive or toxic relationships, which leaves you worse off than where you started.

The concept of romance, unfortunately, is even pushed onto children. Clothing brands print out ‘ladies’ man’ on toddler’s clothes. Parents either tease their children with their friends of the opposite gender, or flat out refuse to let their children have friends of the opposite gender. Even a lot of cartoons and TV shows portray the opposite gender as only a love interest. When this bias is thrown onto children day in and out, they tend to see the opposite gender as potential romantic partners first, and as people second.

This is also extremely heteronormative, as parents assume that their child is straight, and also make it clear that any potential love interest will be one of the opposite gender. This affects queer children more adversely, as it’s hard to come out of that mentality enough to accept themselves for who they are. Being told repeatedly that a love interest must be of the opposite gender will lead to the conclusion that having a romantic partner of the same gender is wrong, and thus leads to internalised homophobia as well. The media does nothing to remove this stereotype, as gay characters are mainly comic reliefs or the signature ‘gay best friend’, and lesbians are typically viewed through the male gaze and never get a happy ending. Other non-het queer characters are more or less non-existant in the media.

Romance isn’t wrong. It’s a wonderful way of connecting with a person, and building something that’s special among the people involved in the relationship. However, it’s not necessary to live a fulfilling life. If romance wasn’t made out to be such a prevailing idea in all the media that we consume, how much would we actually desire it? Would romance still be just as important to us? Or would it be something that happens to some and not others, but everybody accepts it with no hard feelings?