#she just does not show things like kindness traditionally if that any of that even makes sense

[tellie-vision-art]

I’m gonna be honest I lowkey want to draw Axel or maybe her with Priya but I don’t normally draw fanart and I am scared 😭

And also I would hate if people followed me explicitly for that BC I don’t normally draw fanart and I know it would be disappointing to see my OCs all the time. Like would any attention I receive from it be worth it if no one’s interested in my actual art rather than just the characters in it. Like there’s no demand for my art would anyone who follows me even care if I drew fanart 😭 it’s a double-edged sword

And like interacting with fandoms always ends poorly for me (Scream Queens bc harassment, Squid Game bc lots of gross people) what if I draw it and post it and the TD fandom gets ruined for me too somehow, I would die 😩 I fear interaction outside my target audience (followers and my friends) I suppose

[melonsharks]

MORE TRANSFEM DIPPER!!! SHE IS MY LIFEBLOOD 😭😭😭😭😭

(ur art style is so nice btw)

dipper pines and the art of repression

notes below the cut for funsies haha.

its kind of interesting to me to watch gravity falls with the lens of transfem dipper because when you watch it like that, its like. shes trying SO hard to push it down. it kind of reads like shes trying to convince not just everybody else, but HERSELF that shes a boy. like the idea that anybody could even think shes a girl is terrifying to her (this kid really does read as trans in any direction LMFAO i love dipper) but like. why transfem? right… full hc territory here, please be nice to me.

-she doesn’t like her deadname (its traditionally a masculine name, as far as i know 😭) so she goes by the nickname that as given to her because of her birthmark…

-she gets made fun of OFTEN for not being manly enough even throughout the show and so she associates femininity with Bad Thing To Be. so she CANT be a girl because being a girl would be a BAD THING FOR HER TO BE. shes 12 years old yk so like. this deep, deeeep repression sets in.

and so:

-she overcompensates. shes not just going to be manly, but shes going to be SO manly that nobody is going to make fun of her for it again. sometimes to the point where she feels like she cant even really be herself.

i feel like she doesn’t even really realize it in canon,,, its probably post-canon. but the realization would hit her SO hard. like a truck. and it would be so scary at first but then its not, then she feels Right and it feels GOOD and shes so happy and her family would love her and accept her so much and whatever WHATEVERRRR.

anyways, i was just rewatching gf and this was really making the rounds in my head the more i watched, because its kind of how i experienced being trans myself (and im transmasc so LOL) like. just repressing the thing i thought was bad and overcompensating like crazy, until i realized… that its not a bad thing to be. other people making you feel bad about it doesnt MEAN its bad. and then that realization that your identity not being what you thought it was doesn’t mean you change as a person. you’ve always just been you. but it feels better. it feels real.

[pumpkinpaix]

You have questions! We might have answers.

What is this collection?

As Maria puts it: this collection is a critical look at some of the things that we, the editors, think have made CQL such a hit around the world. Of course, part of that success comes from the webnovel MDZS and the show CQL themselves—we love the characters, the mystery, and the drama, who doesn’t?! However, the authors in our book also look at topics like translating danmei (both officially and unofficially), adapting danmei for new audiences, and interacting with fandoms and fanworks. The larger argument of the book is that all of these things played a huge role in CQL’s visibility and success, and we wanted to start making those moving pieces visible, especially for audiences who mainly watched CQL in translation.

You keep using the word “academic”—what does that mean, exactly? 

Maria: Ok, not to get pedantic here, but this actually touches on some things that I’m really excited about for the book. Traditionally, academic work is written by people who have a deep expertise in the subject (signified by having a PhD and doing specific kinds of research), and then the work itself is peer-reviewed (i.e., sent to other experts in the field for them to evaluate whether it’s sound, original, and interesting enough to publish, without knowing who wrote it). And both of these things are true about our book—our authors have deep knowledge and the book was peer reviewed—but also. We specifically asked for chapters from younger scholars and from fans who also have deep knowledge about topics that academia doesn’t always know or value enough, and we include an interview from the fan-translator K. who did the Exiled Rebels translation. So the hope is that: this book is academic, and also—more!

Who are you? 

Yue studies adaptation, fantasy, and popular culture texts using a feminist lens. She wrote an early, influential article about danmei adaptations and also has a book about feminist adaptations of Chinese fantasy.

Maria studies fanworks, contemporary fantasy, and genre literature. She’s scrambling to finish her dissertation right now.

How were the chapter spotlights chosen?

Voluntarily! The concept of a small social media promo was kicked around by some of the contributors and those interested in the idea filled out a short interview with what they wanted to share. We'll be posting about 2 introductions and 2 spotlights a day for the next week or so!

Who's running this social media campaign anyway?

Not the publishers! A few enthusiastic collection contributors got together and, with the assistance of the editors, have put this promotion together. We do not in any way represent Peter Lang in an official capacity! We just worked hard and wanted to share. :)

Are you making any money off of royalties from this book? 

LOL not even remotely

What about this promotion?

also no. alas

Where can I find this book? 

You can find our listing on Peter Lang’s website here. As for other retailers, a quick search should turn us up!  

How can I access this book if I cannot buy it from Peter Lang / [book retailer of choice]?

As collection editors and contributors who signed a legal agreement with Peter Lang, we have granted Peter Lang exclusive right and license to edit, adapt, publish, reproduce, distribute, display, and store our contributions, and we must cooperate fully with the Publisher if the Publisher believes a third party is infringing or is likely to infringe copyright in the contribution. 

That being said, these are academic papers, which means that contributors may make copies of the contribution for classroom teaching use! (These copies may not be included in course pack material for onward sale by libraries and institutions). Of course, any linking, collection or aggregation of chapters from the same volume is strictly prohibited.

(FAQ may be updated periodically!) (all posts on Catching Chen Qing Ling)

[amourrs]

Some sick!reader + Ellie headcanons I've been thinking about for you Ani <3

• You aren't too sure if it's a coincidence or Ellie is really just That girlfriend, but when you're feeling unwell, all her plans get cancelled out of the blue for her to lay on the bed next to you on her phone quietly glancing towards you from time to time to make sure you're happily enjoying the drink she fixed for you.

• She also goes above and beyond to distract you from the pain,- physical or mental; and probably talks to you to a point where you have to attack her with kisses all over her face for her to stop infodumping for a second and just enjoy the show y'all are watching

• Back rubs.. belly rubs.. arm caresses.. temple kisses.. small pecks.. knuckle kisses.. and boob holding for comfort??? Ellie-

• If you start to feel better by the evening, she tells you not to frown about the missed date and hand crafts a blanket fort "Girls night" as she likes to ironically call it and laugh about it(I'm a sucker for Ellie being traditionally girly dont look at me) She basically makes you watch old movies, does your hair and lets you paint her nails.

you don’t understand how happy this ask made me like omg. 18+ only due to suggestive content under the cut! expansion below (also featuring a couple of sneaky ai audios right at the end…) cw for vomit.

this is so cute i’m gonna cry you just understand all my daydreams!!! she’s so gf i love her… btw it’s canon that cups of watery, kind of awful tea ABOUND in your household when you’re sick and you don’t have the heart to tell ellie they’re bad. she’s looking at you and prompting you with her eyes to take a sip and you have to conceal your wince as you do it. “it’s good tea, right? dunno if i left the teabag in for long enough… google said two minutes. was that right? it’s good, right???” you wait for her to stop but she just keeps rambling and you feel so bad for her that you just have to nod along and swallow down the tea 😭😭

the infodumping… god, the infodumping. you’re just trying to focus on a show through your thumping headache as ellie drones “honestly, i think taissa did do it to allie on purpose, even if she doesn’t realise it-” until it gets to the point where you thwack her with a pillow and she pouts at you before pecking your forehead with her lips and snuggling down next to you.

also i see your boob holding and raise you tit sucking… because yes you’re sick but, well, ellie’s still ellie, and so of course she still wants to do horny things. she’d spring it on you right as you’re waking up from your mid morning nap, eyes all soft as she looks down at you all curled up in the little cosy nest of blankets she meticulously arranged for you.

“hey baby. you just wake up? i can make you another cup of tea if you want,” ellie offers happily. she must see the slightly apprehensive look on your face because her eyebrow crooks up as she continues: “or, well… i was thinking… what if i, like, sucked your tits? just a little? think it might help ease some of the aching… after all, my mouth is kinda magical, if i do say so myself.” you’re unable to contain your splutter at the terrible joke. ellie grins and keeps pushing it. “in fact, this might be a miracle cure!” she says with all the drama of someone announcing they discovered a new planet in the solar system. “you might never get sick again!” comes her next line, hands gesticulating wildly in the air as your chest begins shaking with unbridled giggles.

a fake depressive look turns your girlfriend’s lips down as she dramatically sweeps a hand across her forehead. “okay, maybe that’s a bit far… stop laughing at me. you’re gonna make yourself throw up again,” she teases, except you both seem to realise at the same moment that her last statement was probably true. your eyes lock as ellie dives for the sick bucket and you do in fact puke, her calloused hands holding back your hair from your face <3

as for girl’s night- i feel like she would probably make you a little mocktail because even though you’re not well enough to be drinking, cranberry juice is really good for you and lemonade is almost one of your five a day if you really think about it… and “mint’s basically a vegetable. like, it’s green enough, right?” when you’re forced to take the opposing side on the is-mint-really-a-vegetable debate she acts like you’ve just hit her with a hammer and insists on calling jesse to settle the matter.

“ok, i need your help with a super important decision,” ellie says, a stern expression on her face. the way her eyebrows are wrinkled in the middle looks extra cute, you think, and lean forward to kiss her. instead you’re met with a hand to the sternum and an angry glare. “damn. okay, important decision,” you agree, eyes lifting to hers in curiosity. your girlfriend sucks in a deep breath and you brace yourself… “should i paint my toenails green or pink?” ellie asks innocently. you feel like thumping her- why do i ever take her seriously?? you think, heart slowing back to its normal pace as you throw her a dirty side eye.

“wait, actually… that yellow looks kind of cool-” you cut her off with a thump to the head with your pillow. “OW!” comes her pained response, your lips tilting up into a smug smile as ellie shoots you a look of pure betrayal. “ok… OK!” THUMP! “i get it! no yellow…” the pillow lifts again as if to drive your point home for a final time and… THUMP! “ow! fuck! wait, why is your pillow so fucking solid?”

+ as promised, the ai audios… as i mentioned on my blog before, my bot isn’t anywhere near perfect yet so please excuse if these happen to sound a little funky!

[stelladess]

So I was writing a thing comparing Ch´en´s character arc in the anime and in the game, and how various changes alter things. Problem is I got writer´s block on it and cannot figure out how to make it written in a way that is interesting to read. So not sure if ill ever get that one done but for now there is an aspect to her relationship with Amiya that I wish to highlight that I have not seen pointed out much really.

I originally wrote several paragraphs going over Ch´en´s relationship to her uncle and her unnamed father and also on Wei Yenwu´s personality and background. But it was kind of getting away from the point. So the important thing here is that Ch´en´s father would be aggressive, yelling and demeaning towards her or ignore her. While Wei Yenwu was very emotionally distant on purpose and would generally not acknowledge any of her successes, just point out her shortcomings or try to make her see how naive she was and to become more of a ruthless pragmatist. Just know that Wei Yenwu is a deeper character and was until they suddenly dropped him as a villain one of the most interesting villains in the game to me.

So the interesting thing here is, pre character development Ch´en treats Amiya like her father figures treated her. Which I find interesting for multiple reasons, one is that after we find out from Hoshiguma that Ch´en actually likes Amiya and keeps praising her in private, it makes a lot of sense. Ch´en is clearly trying to teach Amiya, so she defaults to (especially Wei Yenwu´s) teaching methods. Which to Amiya just comes across as Ch´en being a massive jerk for no good reason. And when Ch´en´s patience runs thin she lashes out in anger.

The second reason is that she defaults to her male parental figures methods. Not her significantly nicer aunt for example. I think one could read that in multiple ways, maybe she just thinks of Wei Yenwu as more of a "teacher" type, maybe she just has been influenced more by his thinking, maybe she identifies more with traditionally male roles or behaviours (whether you see this in a trans reading or not both are valid readings imo, I am planning to write something about gender on Terra because I disagree with the "Terra is fully egalitarian" takes that come up sometimes). Either way it is interesting that she specifically emulates her uncle especially, and on a more subconscious level her father.

That said, Ch´en does start growing out of this fairly early on, as early as chapter 3. Where she actually tries to comfort Amiya somewhat after Misha´s death. She gives her advice that while harsh, still expresses support for Amiya´s ideals and she clearly hopes Amiya will be able to succeed. She is just unsure it is possible. I think this is also an interesting layer to their dynamic, that Ch´en believes Amiya is like her own younger more naive self and needs to see the cold harsh reality. Both failing to realize she herself has grown overly cynical and that Amiya already *knows* life sucks, something Ch´en seems to only really fully grasp in chapter 5, around when Hoshiguma points out to her it is unlikely Amiya, as an infected child soldier, has done something so simple as gone shopping around town. This is why Ch´en inviting Amiya to just... go out to eat somewhere nice after things have settled down matters a lot. It shows how Ch´en is becoming a more considerate person. She is growing out of her uncle´s abusive teaching methods.

She is not only trying to teach Amiya knowledge she needs, but also caring about her mental wellbeing.

What I am saying is that Wei Yenwu and Ch´en (no personal name given) are examples of toxic masculinity and Ch´en Hui-Chieh grows into an example of positive masculinity. /s

No but in all seriousness, she is trying to work her own issues out while helping the people around her and figure out what justice even is while also making an active effort to be a kinder, more considerate person who does not try to force her own ideas about how a leader should behave on anyone anymore.

Also to be clear I am not saying "add Ch´en to the ever growing list of mom´s for Amiya", I think Ch´en has a dynamic more comparable to Blaze or Wis´adel with Amiya. I am saying her attempts at teaching someone something has her defaulting to the teaching methods of her uncle, who is a terrible teacher. And how this is important because we very directly see Ch´en growing to be better then her uncle. Since Wei Yenwu when accounting for his backstory is also kind of a fallen hero it is nice to see Ch´en climb her way out of the hole her cynicism had dug her and work to improve herself, and I think her relationship with Amiya is a surprisingly underrated part of that.

[cobalt-canary]

A Dissection of Episode 6's Shared Bed Scene

Generally how this trope plays out:

The lesbian character with a seemingly unreciprocated crush actively tries to cuddle at best and do actual sexual things at worst with said crush before bed

When they wake up, the lesbian character has touched their crush in their sleep, resulting in very sexual and compromising positions ranging from very close cuddling where their bodies have no distance between them to full on groping

The lesbian character is depicted as very perverted, depraved, and forceful in the entire trope & they're only thinking about sexual advances

The crush slaps or physically retaliates in some kind of way

How the trope plays out in episode 6 of I'm in Love with the Villainess:

Rae jokes about them cuddling, but doesn't try to physically act upon it. She even tries to keep Raelaire on her side of the bed, further supporting the idea Rae is not serious about her advancement.

When they wake up, Rae has touched Claire, but their bodies are still at a respectful distance and she's just holding Claire's hand. Said hand holding most likely occurred after Rae woke up and saw Claire crying and was trying to comfort Claire in a respectful way after drying Claire's tears.

Rae is actually very respectful with her actions, despite what she said initially.

Claire still slaps Rae as a result because she's still surprised by this action and doesn't have the context of what she was doing in her sleep so she doesn't know what Rae's intentions actually were

I think this scene really sums up a facet of Rae's character: her facade vs her true character.

In almost any other anime with that 1 lesbian character with a seemingly unreciprocated crush, the lesbian character would be depicted as a depraved pervert trying to constantly physically force herself on the target of her affection.

And yes Rae does appear to be that on the surface with her constant flirting and teasing, but her actions show that she very much doesn't fall into that stereotype. It's a facade of hers, she's genre aware enough to know what role she's expected to play, but can't actually go through with it because she loves and respects Claire too much to do so.

The set up and the punchline remains very similar which helps create the facade of following the tropes traditionally, but the actual execution of said trope shows the true characterizations.

It's just very interesting to me that the writer of this series is very aware of certain tropes in the Yuri genre + how the LGBTQIA+ is depicted in Japan, gives a very similar set up to some of the more problematic tropes, and then subverts them in a much more respectful and realistic manner creating much deeper and complex characters.

And yes a light novel reader I know there's more stuff like this coming too :) .

[ro-rogue]

can i just talk about unordinary and feminism for a sec?

many fantasy works attempt to position themselves as feminist; they show female characters who can fight better than the guys, who are rough around the edges and not like other girls. they often have a male character who is misogynistic, and who gets his ass handed to him by the female character. uno takes another direction: it does not even address sexism at all, in any way, shape or form, and that makes it much more feminist than these kind of works. (that is not to say that there are no other fantasy works that are highly and effectively feminist, of course; this is simply a generalization based on a frequent observation.)

the world of uno is so unique because even now, over three hundred episodes later, we have yet to see a character be in any way sexist. john calls a few girls a bitch, but he seems to use it only as the female version of 'fucker' or 'asshole'. never does he look down on girls simply for being girls. (he looks down on them for existing as a participating member of their society, though.)

on top of that, the way in which the female characters are written is really really great. many authors struggle with writing characters of the opposite gender, but uru-chan clearly does not suffer from that ailment. she writes her female characters like she writes her male characters: that is to say, diverse and different, with distinct personalities, and more or less feminine or masculine without it taking away from the depth of their personalities. their gender is simply another aspect of their character, that does not take away but instead adds to it. at no point are characters stereotyped, and any lack of character depth is due to them not having enough screentime. (the notable exception to this is, of course, zeke.) sera likes shopping and boba and pig-themed games. remi is kind and wears a bow in her hair and her naivety is unique to her and no other female character. elaine had a crush on arlo but got over it after he treated her badly one time too often. cecile is scheming and cunning and she plays the game of the hierarchy well. there are female characters with traditionally 'bad' feminine traits, whose flaws are discussed not in the context of them being women but them being people with unique and distinctive experiences. remi, for example, is naive not because she's a girl but because of the way she was raised, the people she's interacted with, and the experiences she's had. her brother was just as much of an idealist and also believed in the good of the people around him, until he saw proof of the opposite. and furthermore, women never put down other women for being 'too feminine' or anything like that.

moreover, uno does not attempt to position women as either better or worse than men. girls fight just like guys; the male characters have no problem fighting a girl just because she is a girl, and they don't hesitate to hurt them the way they would hurt a guy. to be honest, i really struggled with this when i first started reading uno: i felt as if it was morally wrong for john and arlo to fight girls like that. i have since come to the realization that that view is inherently misogynistic, as i did not have such problems with them fighting guys. uno really portrays women in the most feminist way possible: as truly, fully equal to men, with no caveats, no exceptions, no special treatment.

the casualness with which uno depicts men and women being completely equal in society is quite possibly the most feminist thing it could've done, as a webcomic about superpowered teenagers fighting against terrorists and the evil government.

[princesssarisa]

Snow White and domestic work

I have plenty of misgivings about Snow White (2025), but I do think some of the venom being hurled at it is slightly over the top.

For example, the way some people on the Internet have lost their minds over the trailer's one-second clip that shows Snow White dancing and singing "Whistle While You Work" while the dwarfs clean the house around her.

Suddenly everyone has decided that the new Snow White is nasty, lazy spoiled brat who forces the dwarfs to do the cleaning. And maybe she will be, for all I know. But maybe some people are jumping to conclusions: the clip in the trailer is barely a second long. I'm sure that in the full scene, Snow White will pitch in and do her share of the cleaning too. Secondly, it's nothing new for the dwarfs and Snow White to clean the house together. The 1955 West German film version has a long sequence where they do just that.

Obviously the Disney remake has made this change in the name of "feminism," and I can imagine it being handled in an annoying, ham-fisted way, which makes Snow White seem like an entitled brat who's unwilling to repay the dwarfs' kindness by working. But at the same time... isn't it slightly valid? Countless women are burdened by the fact that their husbands, boyfriends, or other male housemates view housework as "woman's work" and don't do their share. Statistics show that even women with full-time jobs still do most of the housework at home too. Is it really so bad for a family movie to speak out against this tradition and show male and female housemates doing their housework together?

Of course the backlash is all part of the current postmodern trend of defending traditionally feminine characters from all the detractors who label them "anti-feminist," and arguing that they really are positive, empowering role models. That's all well and good, but sometimes I think the defenses go too far – they sometimes seem to deny that there's anything outdated about these characters' portrayals, and cry "Internalized Misogyny," "Girlboss," "Not Like Other Girls," etc. any time a heroine rebels even slightly against gender conformity. Sometimes it feels as if postmodern feminism wants all women back in the kitchen.

I've written about this issue in Snow White before, but I'll do it again. Both of the above statements can be true:

(1) A heroine who cooks and cleans isn't "anti-feminist" in the least. These are essential chores, regardless of gender, and demeaning them does no good to anyone. In the case of Snow White, she doesn't just do domestic work because she's female. The dwarfs do her an immense kindness by letting her live with them, not only because she's another mouth to feed, but because she's a fugitive whom the country's evil and powerful Queen wants dead; as Grumpy points out in the Disney version, the dwarfs are risking their own safety by hiding her. It's only natural and right that she should repay them in some way, and since she has no money, the best thing she can give them is work. They dig in the mine all day, with little time to clean or cook too, so it makes sense that she should do those chores for them; it's a fair and reasonable division of labor, with the dwarfs as the breadwinners while Snow White takes care of the house, even if it is traditionally gendered. The fact that she's willing to work shows her good character, especially since she's a princess, yet humble enough to keep house for seven peasant dwarfs. And in the Disney version, cleaning and cooking are the chief skills she knows, because her stepmother has denied her a traditional royal upbringing and forced her to work as a scullery maid. Yet not only does she not let this oppression break her spirit, she turns it to her advantage by offering her domestic skills in exchange for a new home.

(2) Snow White's cleaning and cooking don't exist in a vacuum. By putting so much emphasis on the domestic work she does for the dwarfs, both the Brothers Grimm and Disney were portraying her as an ideal female by the patriarchal standards of their day. And those standards are outdated. Heroines of today shouldn't have to cook and clean to be considered role models. Nor should children be taught that cooking and cleaning are "woman's work," or that a girl who lives in a house full of men should automatically be the one who does all the housework. In a modern reimagining of Snow White, it's valid to want to downplay her domestic work, or to portray the dwarfs as helping her around the house – which they've already done in versions from as early as 1955.

[serichan]

So, I have another fanart for you and some thoughts about the show. I stumbled upon some recs and comments, and I’m fascinated by how many different reactions it tends to bring out. It’s incredible. From love to hate and everything in between, it’s amazing. For me, it’s love. It’s really, really love—though maybe as a guilty pleasure, I think. But honestly, I don’t feel very conflicted about it.

What’s good?

• Visuals: Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

• Music: I’m addicted. It’s been on repeat for weeks now. A good thing my partner is used to my obsessions with music, or I swear they’d have killed me by now.

• Pretty boys: God, they’re pretty. They’re very young, but they’re so pretty.

• Shipping potential: Everyone is shippable. This is a ship fest, and I love it.

• Emotional turmoil: I loved how much it made me want to cry. That’s amazing.

• Characters: I mostly loved the characters here, with a few exceptions (we’ll get to that).

• Non-heteronormative ideas: I like this new approach to pushing these themes through censorship. Yeah, of course, it’s baiting, but it always was, even before the ban. And this new idea is fun—I hope it sticks.

• Polycule dramas: Yes, please. I love it.

• Zhu Yan: I love him.

• Zuo Yichen: I love him.

• Found family: I love it.

• Addictiveness: It’s so compelling.

This show has my heart, flaws and all. It’s such a ride. What do you think?

Two things I didn’t like:

1. Sexism:

Oh my god. The damsel-in-distress trope was unbearable. Wen Xiao started so strong, and then they just threw it all away. It was so frustrating! PJ was lovely, but the “big sister” trope is so overused. It feels like they push strong female characters into these traditionally “female” roles, and it’s tiresome. At least Beijing had her sapphic romance with Wen Xiao, which was cute, I guess. But still, I wanted so much more.

2. Timeline:

The timeline is nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Like, the stuff with Li Lan—when exactly did that happen? Eight years ago? How do they go from teenagers to older demons in eight years? It’s ridiculous. It breaks immersion because it makes no sense. I’d honestly rather they just didn’t give us any specific dates.

3. The Big Bad:

Oh, don’t even get me started. The villains were so bad. Every dramatic fight scene had the bad guy just standing there, letting them monologue for hours. Why? Who does that? Though, I will admit, I kind of enjoy this trope for the campy drama, but it still drove me crazy.

4. Over-the-top Torture Scenes:

The unnecessary torture of Zhu Yan was too much. He was already a deeply sad character, and we didn’t need the lightning scene or all the extra suffering. It felt cheap and overdone, like they were trying too hard to milk the angst.

5. Zhu Yan/Wen Xiao Romance:

This could’ve been good, but the idea that he knew her as a child? No, no, no. That’s creepy, and I hate it. Either lean into the idea of him being a parental figure, or scrap the “I knew you as a child” angle entirely. It’s unnecessary and off-putting.

6. Too Much Crying:

Wen Xiao spent way too much time crying on the floor. Can we please let her be a strong female lead? Why does she have to default to being a damsel in distress? She was so promising in the first episode, and then they just threw that potential away. It was infuriating.

7. The Wings:

I'm sorry, but I hated the wings. They looked cheap and... just stupid. I really couldn’t take them seriously.

Overall Love for the Drama:

That said, it might seem like there are more things I didn’t like than liked, but that’s not true. I freaking loved this drama. I’d give it a 9 out of 10. A strong 9. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t be spending all my free time writing fics for it! And believe me, I’m not usually a big fic writer. Though, to be fair, I mostly blame the fact that the cast is so bloody pretty.

Music Video Aesthetic:

Oh, one more thing I really loved—it looks like a big freaking music video, and I loved it! It was so aesthetically pleasing, such a visual feast.

Costumes:

Most of the costumes were stunning, though sometimes a bit over the top. I couldn’t stop laughing about all the dangly chain-knee things in the hair. I have long hair, and trust me—that’s a stupid idea if you want to move a lot. It’d get caught in everything. You’d need to be a magical being to deal with that nonsense. But, hey, it looked pretty and gave me lots of ideas!

Boys Crying:

The boys looked absolutely stunning while crying, and I had so much fun torturing them in my fics. Truly, they are too pretty, and I’m here for it.

Demon Costumes:

There weren’t too many over-the-top costumes in the demon sphere, which I appreciated. I don’t like all the plastic prosthetics and weird visual cues you see in dramas like Love and Game. It looks cheap. I much preferred the red glowy effects and face tattoos—they looked cool and suited the aesthetic.

Moral Greyness:

Maybe they leaned a little too much into the “white lotus” trope for the characters. I would’ve liked more moral greyness, especially for the Great Demon. He started off strong and morally ambiguous, but then he became too virtuous, and it got annoying.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, yeah, I loved it. These are just nitpicks. The visuals were gorgeous, the music was addictive, and the characters gave me so much inspiration. So, yeah, these are my very long, very jumbled thoughts about the drama. Please enjoy the fanart!

For my fics find me at

[hislittleraincloud]

Fandom fic thoughts no one asked for:

I am highly, highly against Wednesday having any dialogue in which she speaks like her parents to her loved ones, i.e. all of that "Mon cher!" garbage towards Enid. It's cringey:

1. It's traditionally romantic and excessively cheesy, and [Ortega's] Wednesday is not. She just isn't, and y'all should know better. ETA: In regards to love, her parents are like Pepe Le Pew and a willing/enamored skunk (I forget if Pepe ever found his equal, but I do remember the girl cat got 🧠 'ed into behaving like Pepe usually does, which gave him a taste of his own psycho stalker medicine...ah, we had some fkd up cartoons back in the day). Wednesday would be like Michigan J. Frog...animated with only one person, in private...and that's still not a guarantee that she would ever want to emulate her mother, with whom we know that there are severe issues between them. Ridiculous, exaggerated displays of affection define Gomez and Morticia. To have Wednesday behave like that would be sacrificing the one thing that keeps her from turning into a total clone of them.

She can end up wanting to have love and a partner, and even a family, but that does not change the public mask [of a narcissist], and the notion that she would be perceived exactly like her mother upsets her. Direct reasons aren't given by the show, but by how they interact, we can see that Wednesday believes that 'everything is a competition'...but it's not [Morticia's] accomplishments that she rattles off that are the problem; it's somewhere, Wednesday picked up some terrible, terrible "I'm not good enough, I will never be as good as she is" blows to her psyche. From Wednesday's POV, she believes her mother is a narcissist (her self-awareness of her own narcissism is for its own post); only a narcissist would purposefully break someone else's chances of either being equal to or surpassing their greatness, and they get envious (and ego hurt) when it happens.

(...God, now I wanna program Ortega's voice to sing the fkn frog's song 🤣💀)

2. She doesn't want to be like her parents, and that would just...make her be more like her parents. This is the most major personal growth theme in the whole of the show, and it can't be ignored, otherwise it just turns Ortega's Wednesday into a generic iteration of a 'Wednesday character'. If it were one drabble or fic, alright, that's AU, but I see it in nine out of ten Wenclair 'drabbles' (if you can call straight-on dialogue shorts drabbles...we did not, back in the day) that clog up my fyp.

3. Her parents are extremely cultured and speak those love languages/romance languages as a whole together, to each other. Enid is not that kind of cultured at all (she can't spell, has bad grammar, and is just not interested in the same things Wednesday is). Enid would think it was cute, too, and Wednesday doesn't do cute, either (ever! EVER.**).

4. Again, Wednesday doesn't want to be like her parents, and it would be unfunnily mortifying to her to speak like that in public and in front of other people, even if she were fucking Enid. In private? See #1 and 2.

5. In Afterburn: It pained me to have her let slip the Spanish to Donovan on her birthday, but I did it because it was an unintentional slip, it was in private, and it wasn't a pet name, it was a command. She is very much like her mother in bed, but she also knows that Donovan isn't as cultured as her parents, and thus, she will refrain from that "mon cher/mon amour/whatever non-English pet names" crap.

6. There are so many other things Wednesday could call Enid (or Tyler, or Xavier, or whoever the Hell's she's paired with) without becoming a clone of her mother. Resorting to Gomez and Morticia's horribly cloying phrases is not charming, it's laziness. *channeling my inner Bianca here*

7. Now this goes back to #2 and #4, but on that note: There are obvious issues between Wednesday and her mother, and sounding like her disturbs the Hell out of her (or behaving like her, which is why Wednesday's eyes just about shit themselves in different directions when Fester said that her "death stare of disapproval reminded him of her mother").

It's almost like she has a glass eye.👀 It's there bc the AI picked it up hard I guess & it affected my outputs.

There is no way in Hell, no matter how juicy-tasty Enid's furry twat is, that Wednesday would suddenly decide that she should mimic Morticia.

I know all of this is gonna piss off a whole lot of people, but I don't care. It's not Wednesdaying right to have her call anyone by the same pet names her parents use, no matter how fluffy the relationship is. She just doesn't do relationships the same way her parents do. It's far more OOC to do that than even my pairing her up with Donovan is (which needs its own reasoning, probably in a different rant).

Rant over, and y'all can keep goin', but that's not gonna make the dialogue sound any less terrible and embarrassing.

**Afterburn Wednesday does do 'cute' with Donovan in private, but it's because of the fundamental differences from N/Canon attached to her core personality, i.e. she's hypersexual and has some regression issues here and there. Even still, she has a very hard time calling him any pet names because once again for those in the back: She does not want to be like her parents or associate her love with her parents' love, even as she recognizes that she is a lot like her mother. 🤷🏽‍♂️

(Also, I just read an incorrect assumption. Morgues have blood samples. They don't keep whole ass blood bags like blood banks/hospitals do. Get that right before you write me some Yoko & Wednesday.)

[natasha-in-space]

how would the RFA + minor trio react to a punk MC?

Yoosung

Will be impressed. Yoosung is among those who won't be that surprised to learn about your love for all that is punk. He's the youngest in the group and attends university: he's definitely no stranger to alternative fashion. It is quite different from how he presents himself since he tends to stick to a more casual, soft style of clothing, partially influenced by his parents, who would often remind him of just how important it is to maintain a 'respectable' image of yourself. His parents are pretty traditional in that sense. But, he holds no ill feelings towards those who choose to express themselves differently. He actually finds it kind of admirable! He thinks it is so cool how you found your own unique sense of style and stick to it, regardless of what people think. You inspire him to try out different styles for himself every once in a while. Will go out of his way to buy you some new accessories, or a certain CD you rambled to him about the day before. It'll take him some time to figure out what actually fits your aesthetic, but once he does, prepare to be spoiled rotten.

Zen

Will be surprised. Not so much because of your punk look itself, but because it is so different from the way he pictured you in his own head. Even if you told him about your punk tastes before you first met him face to face, his eyes will still widen and his mouth will fall open a little bit once he sees you. Zen is a huge romantic, so he is a bit guilty of projecting a certain image onto you at times. He wants to be your perfect knight in shining armor, and he wants you to be his prince or princess. It's not a bad thing, though: in fact, Zen will be quick to form a huge soft spot for your edgy look. He can and will dress up to match you. It's not at all a surprise that he can rock a punk look like it's his second nature, and it is also a very fun way for him to recontextualize his teenage years in a more healthy and positive environment. If you're someone who doesn't mind being in the public eye, you two will definitely have a few fancy photoshoots, with his motorcycle in tow. With Zen at your hip, you'll hardly get any weird looks.

Jaehee

Will be puzzled. In her case, it heavily depends on when she'll first learn about you being punk. Telling her about this early on will cause her to be a bit taken aback by it. Jaehee is someone who grew up without many opportunities to express herself, and she struggles with inner shame whenever she does try to do something that is not considered traditionally 'acceptable' in her social circle. The way she presents herself visually is hardly the way she actually feels on the inside. It's partially why she admires Zen as much as she does. He is not afraid to be himself, and she lives vicariously through him. So, she'll be a bit awkward around you at first, as she doesn't want to come off as disrespectful, but, at the same time, it's hard for her to understand why you would choose to present yourself in such a bold way. If you tell her somewhere in between the events of her route, though? She'll be very curious. Jaehee's way of showing her affection for you is by engaging in the things you love, so she'll be very interested in learning all about your choice in how you present yourself to the world, and what it means to you. She's also the type to be very mindful of the tiniest of details, so be prepared to be asked about or complimented whenever you see her with a new accessory or a small change in makeup. Out of everything, I think she will appreciate punk cinema the most. You two will arrange cozy movie dates, during which you will watch your favorite films.

Jumin

Will be intrigued. It might seem like Jumin would be a bit put off by your passion for punk culture, but that's not the case at all! He finds it so interesting and compelling how differently people can present themselves to the world and what communities can arise from it. Furthermore, he's not one to make any judgments upon a person on their looks alone. He'll be looking at you as a person, your clothes and your tastes come way after that. So, he honestly wouldn't react much initially. But, he will be curious, so be prepared for many questions on his part. Some of them are thought-provoking while others are a bit silly. Jumin is someone who loves to learn, and he sees no shame in being open about his own lack of knowledge on the matter. It's rather sweet. You will never feel judged next to him, and he will find it rather foolish how other people can judge you based on your looks alone. If you're someone who's not only into punk aesthetic but punk music as well - congratulations, you have created a monster. I don't know why, but I always thought Jumin would appreciate punk music on a deeper level than others in the RFA. So, Driver Kim will have to get used to him now playing a carefully curated punk playlist whenever Mr. Han needs to get somewhere.

Saeyoung

Will be giddy. It's clear that Saeyoung is well-versed in different subcultures, both for his job and his own interests. His love for expressing himself through clothes, makeup, and accessories makes him very open to experimentation and trying out new looks every once in a while. The possibility of him actually having a few punk-themed outfits in his extensive and clattered wardrobe is not that low. Of course, he'll know about you being punk from his initial research on you, but he won't bring it up until you do so yourself. There won't be much time to discuss this during your stay in the apartment, but once he opens up to you, be ready to get doted on. Saeyoung will gush about your sense of style extensively, and he will ask you for tips concerning his own looks. You two will definitely match from time to time, and he will ask to style you every so often. He just thinks it's so admirable how you found your way of expressing yourself that makes you feel validated. It makes him smile to see you strut your punk outfits. Will do your makeup for you as well! Oh, and how can I not mention punk music and media? Saeyoung will become a huge nerd on those, if he's not one already. You'll never feel bored or invalidated with him.

Jihyun

Will be fascinated. Jihyun is an artist at heart. He adores meeting all kinds of difficult people and finding inspiration in all the contrasting life experiences each individual person holds. If you think about it, you expressing yourself through your clothing and/or taste in media is similar to painting over a canvas. He finds it beautiful to think about. Much like Jumin, he is someone who loves to learn, but his questions can be... a bit strange at times. It's easy for him to get all philosophical and sentimental, so you may be a bit taken aback or overwhelmed by some of his questions at first. It's all in good faith, though. I can't see him getting into punk culture himself, except for the music, but he is certainly a very supportive partner. He will try to engage in your interests in his own 'Jihyun' way, and it may be a bit silly at times, but he's just too much of a sweetheart for you to pay any mind to that. What he is definitely not lacking in is compliments. Oh, boy, does he have a natural talent for turning you into a blushing mess with just a few words. Being an artistic soul certainly pays off when you need to woo your partner with a poetic remark about their new edgy boots.

Ray

Will be enamored. Ray has spent months researching all about you, so he will already know everything of your love for punk culture. He wants to make sure you feel at home in Magenta, so he needs to make sure you'll have everything you need. Is it creepy to see a closet filled with clothing that is suspiciously similar to the one you dress in, and that you probably won't find in your average wardrobe? Yeah, very much so. Not to mention your room, which looks very different from the one we see in the game. Ray worked very hard to make it all perfect for you and your tastes! Whatever you need, he is ready to provide. It can be a bit smothering and overwhelming, and it all will depend on the way you go about confronting him, if you choose to do so. As for the punk aesthetic itself, he won't comment on it much, except for sheepishly complimenting you every time he sees you. You look lovely to him no matter what, and he truly thinks it is so admirable how you have the freedom to express yourself in your own way. He may shyly ask you to let him borrow a jacket or an accessory. Both because it will remind him of you when he's away, and because you encourage him to seek out this freedom of expression through your clothes on his own. He did say that he would dress way more darkly if he was allowed to choose his own clothes. Who knows? Maybe, you will convert him into trying out punk fashion for himself!

Suit Saeran

Will be intimidated. Okay, here's the thing. Suit Saeran dresses the way he does to look powerful and intimidating. He wants to feel superior to you and to all the other believers. If he doesn't feel strong and invincible on the inside, he can at least make it seem like he does feel that way. He will inadvertently project that same mindset onto you, just like he does with everything else. He will think that you are challenging him, or trying to intimidate him. So, he will do all he can to prove you wrong, even if it's all in his head. Unfortunately, he will say quite a few nasty things about your interests, just to get under your skin. It's not justifiable by any means, and he will feel deep shame for his misguided and harmful actions in the long run. Because, truth is, you were nothing but patient and kind to him. You didn't let him bring you down, but you never expressed any hostility towards him either. During his apology, he will mention all of that. He will also quietly compliment you on your aesthetic, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. It won't take away his wrongdoings, but it's a step in the right direction.

GE Saeran

Will be smitten. Much like Ray, he already knows all about your love for punk culture, and he wants to learn everything about it. It's one thing to do research from behind the screen, and completely another to hear you out face to face, seeing your eyes light up and your lips curl up into a smile. And, golly, how he will listen. Saeran is a true listener: he loves to hear you speak, whatever it may be. And, he remembers a whole lot of small details even if you sometimes forget. Saeran wants to try out so many different things now that he's free to do so, as he gets such joy just from the notion of having the freedom to do so. Which is why he is eager to engage with your passions. He doesn't know whether it'll be his thing or not in the long run, but it is so valuable to just try. Fashion, music, film, art - he wants to try it all with you. Of course, he is also very supportive of you as well. Saeran understands the value of having the freedom to express yourself fully more than anyone. His heart swells with love and pride whenever he sees you engaging in something you find comfort in.

Unknown

Will be indifferent. He doesn't care much about how you dress or what you do, as long as you don't slack off on him and don't get on his nerves too much. Unfortunately, you'll have to come to terms with wearing either his clothes or whatever spares some other believers have on them for a couple of weeks. You didn't really have a chance to pack before coming here, and, even then, only those of the higher ranks are allowed to spruce up their clothing choices in Mint Eye. You'll probably get a chance to start up a conversation about your involvement in punk subculture after a few weeks pass, and you two start to get to know one another on a deeper level than just boss/assistant. Believe it or not, he will be a tad bit interested in what you have to say, even if he doesn't show it very vividly, except for an occasional glance in your direction and a low hum rumbling in his throat as he continues his relentless typing. Unknown is someone who is very isolated, so he has no clue about what a subculture even is. Still, if we ignore the oppressive cult environment you two have to survive in for a brief moment, he is definitely someone who would vibe with a punk aesthetic. I can see him enjoying pretty much all about it: the fashion, the music, the art, even some of its ideology. It's a feeling of validation and self-expression he is very new to.

SE Saeran

Will be a little curious. Speaking of which, while you won't have much of a chance to fully include Unknown in the punk culture, the same can't be said for SE Saeran. He's a very cautious and skittish person, but if he trusts you, I can see him bringing up a few timid questions about your clothing choices or music on one day. It's all very new to him, so it's a testament to his trust in you if he's willing to come to you for answers. He's still figuring himself out... and, he's not sure if he'll ever feel fully at peace with who he is as a person, but there are some things he still wants to try. His interest is also rooted in his affection towards you: he wants to learn what you enjoy, and what you love, and he wants to engage in it, however clumsy. It's rather touching. But, I can easily see him genuinely getting into the punk subculture: clothes, music, and all the rest. Being able to express himself is something very new to him, but God, does it feel fulfilling when he puts on an outfit he likes to see on himself. It means a lot to him. You two will probably go out in matching outfits more often than not!

Rika

Will be neutral. Rika is someone who is very accepting of all kinds of lifestyles, as long as it's not harmful. She won't bat an eye at your edgy look, greeting you with the same warm smile she shows everyone else. That doesn't mean she won't address it at all, though. She loves interacting with people, and she loves learning about their passions. So, she will ask you a few questions, complimenting your outfit in the middle of her talk. She does recognize that putting together a cohesive outfit is something that is not as easy as it may look. I do think she is a little bit knowledgeable in the punk subculture, but only the basics of it. She interacted with all kinds of people, so it wouldn't be surprising. Still, she's always open to broadening her knowledge, and she is a very good listener. Out of everything, I think she will appreciate the punk ideology the most. There are several core ideas in the punk subculture that will resonate with her on a personal level. Overall, she will treat you with nothing but respect and curiosity, giggling a little bit at your new outfit and being quick to charm you with a smooth compliment. Will also offer to do your makeup for you!

Vanderwood

Will be nonchalant. Listen, as long as you're a decent person in their eyes, they don't care about your clothing or media consumption. I feel like in the case of Vanderwood, you'll have to be the one to start up the conversation on your involvement in the punk culture, as, otherwise, they won't really say anything about your overall aesthetic. It's more about actions rather than words with them. They will memorize what kind of accessories you tend to combine with a certain outfit: bringing them over to you in case you forget them at home, they will play a band you've gushed to them about while taking you out on a date, and they will watch any movie you recommend. They do genuinely care, and they make sure to show it to you with their actions. I do think they will appreciate punk cinema. You might get them interested in seeing more.

[lurkingshan]

La Pluie and the subversion of the faen fatale

Apparently me posting about La Pluie subverting major romance tropes is now a weekly occurrence, because this show just won’t quit! In this week’s episode, the show continued to give Nara a lot of time and care and generosity, and in doing so, came full circle on another major trope subversion: that of the faen fatale.

If you’ve read or watched any romance, you know the character type I am referring to: this is the ex-girlfriend who shows up to mess with our leads, insert herself into the love story as an obstacle, and generally cause drama and wreak havoc. In romance lit we generally refer to her as the femme fatale, and for the bl genre @absolutebl coined the term faen fatale, because they are endlessly clever. There are many many many examples of this character type in bl, but perhaps no better exemplar than Plern Pleng (my nemesis) from Together With Me. 

If you’ve seen Together With Me, you know how this is supposed to go. The faen fatale, traditionally, is not a nice person and does not have good intentions. She may be acting from a place of genuine hurt and dejection, but she is here to fuck shit up and cause chaos. She is cold and calculating and ruthless in her attempts to eliminate her competition and win her ex back. She is an archetype deeply steeped in misogyny, and part of the romance and bl genres’ long history of stories steeped in sexism, patriarchy, and heteronormative nonsense that they are only recently beginning to recover from. 

So La Pluie? This show that has been subverting romance tropes at every turn? Yeah, they had some things to say with their treatment of Nara, and boy did they deliver in this episode.

Even before this week, Nara has already been set up to be a sympathetic character. She and Patts had a very good relationship. They loved each other, and they were happy. She broke up with Patts after he formed a rain connection with another hearing loss sufferer, because even though Patts and Tai never actually spoke, and even though Patts told her he was committed to her, she just couldn’t handle him having that kind of connection with someone else, and felt it was inevitable that it would come between them. She ended things with Patts to protect herself. And ultimately, she regretted it. 

As she comes back into the story, she is quite straightforward with Patts (and with Tai before she realizes who he is) about her intentions: she regrets breaking up with Patts and wants to get back together. We also see that she had reason to hope, due to a night where Patts drunkenly kissed her shortly before he met Tai. There are no tricks or schemes here - she tells Patts and anyone else who asks straight out what she wants. In her conversation with Tai when they first meet in episode 7, it is established that Tai likes her and wishes her well, a clear signal to the audience that even as she is interfering, she is not meant to be read as a villain. When Patts finally tells her he has met his soulmate and can’t be with her anymore, he does it with gentleness and care, because Nara has done nothing wrong and deserves only kindness from him. And once she realizes who Tai is, Nara backs off from Patts immediately, apologizes and confirms that she is giving up on him, and helps them all find Tai.

That was already great stuff! I felt so warmly toward Nara at the end of episode 8, and I expected that was where the story would leave her.

But La Pluie had more to say! 

This week we get what is probably the best treatment of an ex-girlfriend character I have ever seen in any drama, not just in bl. Nara does not just conveniently disappear from the narrative now that she’s no longer an obstacle to the romance. She is still here, and her story still matters. So we get to see her go to Tai, apologize to him directly for the misunderstanding between them, and start gossiping and giggling with him about Patts (what did you whisper to him about, girl, inquiring minds want to know).

We get to see her receive care and sympathy from the rest of the group and have one final closure conversation with Patts, at Tai’s behest. We get to hear Patts say out loud that their relationship mattered to him, that he still loves and respects her, and that she doesn’t have to disappear from his life just because they can’t be together anymore, all while Tai looks on fondly. She is allowed to cry and express how hard this is for her even as she handles it with absolute grace, both with Patts and then again with Dream. We even get to see her bond with Dream and affirm that she is not going to lose the friends she made through her relationship with Patts (and that Dream in particular may become even more to her in the future, oh my).

I really just have to applaud La Pluie for dedicating story time to this. Every time we think they are about to go down a more traditional dramatic path they surprise us. I continue to be so pleased and impressed with how intentional they are in their dismantling of these classic tropes.

[drabblesfromthegraniteinn]

People looking at Alita getting an organic body and their first thought being “She can have sex and get pregnant now!” is “Tell me you missed the point of the whole series without telling me you missed the point of the whole series”.

Alita could already have sex in some of her previous bodies. I’d argue the Imaginos body would be much better sexually than any organic human body due to its ability to shapeshift. But the Imaginos body has so many more important and more impressive features that the sexual potential gets understandably overlooked. Not like Alita was in a relationship with anyone she could explore that potential with anyway. Most fans I’ve seen are repulsed by the idea of sexualising the Imaginos. She’s too godly and cool to sexualise. Why then are none of them repulsed by sexualisation of organic Alita?

Organic Alita has so much potential for interesting conflict and self-exploration related to being traditionally human for the first time, it’s honestly irritating how all that gets boiled down to hormones, sex and babies. I posted a short fanfic about Alita getting used to her new organic body and the only comment was from someone who wished I had gone more into the “dynamic of a new, adult, female body”. Is that all you guys see her for? She’s not a badass cyborg anymore, so she’s just a hot body?

And as for the ‘she can get pregnant now!” part…

Alita in canon never showed any real interest in having children. It’s alright if you give her kids in a post-canon fanfic, but don’t pretend she ever had some canon deep longing for motherhood. She did not. Maybe she would have gotten it if she had stayed in a romantic relationship with someone for longer. But from what we’ve seen in canon, she never felt the need to have kids. 

And no, being nice to a child character or being good with children doesn’t equate to wanting to have kids. Did you even read this manga? Caerula taught martial arts courses for children, but explicitly stated she wouldn’t want to have a baby even if she could.

The only reasoning I’ve seen anyone give for why Alita would want children is “because it’s natural for women to want to start a family”. That’s just putting the character’s sex before their personality. And, again, see my point with Caerula.

Even if she wanted children, wouldn’t it thematically make more sense for her to adopt? Having spent her whole life without a body that would be determined by her genetics and with no contact with any genetic/biological family, she wouldn’t have the kind of attachment to her DNA that makes people feel an urge to pass it down. What she does have is compassion for children who lost everything, partially because they remind her of her own childhood. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if after settling down with Figure they took in some unfortunate child and Alita showed that child all the love Ido had shown her and all the guidance she wished she had been shown when she was younger?

(If she really wanted a child that would be genetically hers, the technology to create one exists in Gunnm’s world. She doesn’t need to be a body-abled fully organic woman to reproduce.)

I’m not mad that people are interested in Alita starting a family post-canon. I’m mad that that’s virtually the only thing some people can think of in the context of Alita getting an organic body.

So yea! This rant is making me want to write another short fic.

[angelofchaos001]

Wave to your local chaos idiot!

Hi, I'm Angel, artist, writer, and dumbass extraordinaire! I mainly stick to Fandoms for my works, since I'm not the best at coming up with strictly my own ideas (Ask some of my friends, I've been trying to make my own world not based in any fandom for two years now with almost no success). Just because I stick to Fandoms does not mean I don't enjoy seeing stuff outside of Fandoms, I love seeing fun ideas bloom into something the creator truly enjoys!

Like my profile says, here's some basic things about me! I go by She/Her, and I'm somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum (Still questioning it, it's just not straight I know). I'm a minor, and a furry as well, but some other neat things to know that aren't on my profile include that I'm American (Send help this country is burning down), and neurodivergent (Anxiety is amazing).

Also, wave to your other local chaos idiot, @doodlebug091 (My beloved)

I'm on ArtFight!

Wanna try your hand at my shipping bingo card?

I migrated from Fandom to Tumblr, though you can still find me on the former as Angel Of Madness 001. I've even spotted a few people I know from Fandom on here!

When Can I Talk to You?

You can send in asks whenever they're open! Here's a list of some stuff I do commonly.

-AU/OC Ramblings (I'll talk about my things for hours if you let me)

-Roleplays (I'm bored usually)

-Legitimate questions (Of course, I don't bite!)

-Talking about my interests (Fuck yeah, I'd love it)

-Art requests or trades (Yep! I don't do art for money yet, mainly due to lack of a proper online money service such as Venmo or Paypal)

Don't feel like you have to stick to the list, either!

Here's some other questions to get to know me better!

What do you do on Tumblr?

I write fanfiction, make OC's, draw/write comics, and make AU's for various pieces of media I enjoy. I also love to find others who make similar content, especially AU's, since others' ideas can be so cool at times.

Tumblr happens to be my catch-all for sharing new ideas, making jokes, and meeting others who share my interests.

What do you enjoy outside of the internet?

When I'm not online, I like to keep a busy life still! Usually I'm drawing-traditionally or digitally-, reading, cooking, or thinking up new ideas for my art, AU's, or other projects! Sometimes, I hang out with my friends, though we mostly keep in contact through the internet.

Obviously, I also like to game. Excluding my video games, I play Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons the most. Including them, however, I mostly play Rain World and Pokemon. The kinds of games I tend to like are ones with heavy lore, but from an actual gaming standpoint I tend to play 2D and 3D platformers, deckbuilders, and turn based RPG's.

What do you want to do in life?

My hope is to become an ecologist, since I've loved animals for my whole life and have been branching that out to loving anything nature related. Biology often finds a way to creep itself into my fictional works, and I tend to look at things through a very scientific eye.

Tell us some more hobbies!

Alright, okay. I love Dungeons and Dragons, even though I'm stuck as the forever DM. I sing, travel, play the violin, and love watching mildly educational YouTubers (Oversimplified and such). I'm also quite the animal lover, with two precious cats and five snakes!

What Fandoms are you part of?

Alright, here's the list, broken into sections! Note that these are just the media that I actively talk about/participate in chats about/make AU's or OC's with. I still watch, play, or read other things!

Italic text means that I have not finished the media and do not want spoilers.

Colored text means a current hyperfixation.

Shows/Movies

-Helluva Boss

-Hazbin Hotel

-Murder Drones

-The Amazing Digital Circus

-Arcane

Games

-Hollow Knight

-Rain World

-Slime Rancher

-Outer Wilds

-Pokemon

-A Hat in Time

-Inscyption

-Worldless

Books, Comics, and Other

-Bugtopia

-Wings of Fire

-Warriors

-Percy Jackson

Side Blogs

@monarchtonone (RW Iterator)

@nine-drops-of-iron (RW Iterator)

@ask-wings-of-rain (Ask, Chat, or RP with anyone from my Wings of Rain AU)

@the-rot-parasite (Ask, Chat, or RP with The Parasite)

@ask-the-splitmind-au (Ask, Chat, or RP with anyone from my Splitmind AU)

Unique Tags

#Wings of Rain (Wings of Rain content, WoF x RW AU)

#season of blood (Season of Blood content, Warriors AU of 'If Scourge Won')

#shared sparks (Shared Sparks content, a Firecracker fancomic)

#splitmind au / #rw splitmind au (The Splitmind AU for Rain World, where Iterators have shared bodies with the slugcats)

#fallen-angel-rambling (Vent posts; Very rare but do happen)

#art-of-chaos (Art by me!)

Links to all current comics (on Tumblr)

The Story of the Iterators

Within a local group of iterators, there are stories to tell and lives that unfold, hidden just beneath a layer of dust settled on old memories. Taking a glimpse into their lives, these purposed machines of flesh and iron to solve one goal, may reveal why they turned out the way they did.

Shared Sparks (A @firecracker-pup fancomic)

Blight was the lucky pup. The one who survived at the cost of her sister's life. Ever since, she tried to live up to what she thought her sister could have managed, but was stuck in her shadow. Timelines away, Firecracker had been left to the mercy of scavengers after stealing a pearl from them as a pup, only to end up adopted by them. A call inside of it, however, still wants to learn from slugcats the things it never got to.

When their paths cross, when timelines collide, both slugcats get a glimpse into a world they never knew existed, and find similarities buried in the vast differences of their lives.

Season of Blood

Scourge has won the Battle of Blood clan with the death of Firestar and all who oppose him. The Clans are united in the forest once more, but under the cruel rule of the small tom cat. He rules with an iron paw and has no sympathy for others. Every cat has been stripped of their warrior name and given a more fitting one, by Scourge's definition. Many have been killed for displeasing him, or for minor physical imperfections. Anyone with open ties to StarClan have also been killed.

Because of a Medicine's Cat's close ties to the spectral clan, only one remains. Racoon was only a Medicine Cat apprentice when Scourge took over, but now that she's grown, all duties of the job fall to her. Tending to a massive, bloodthirsty clan isn't a small task. It's demanding, exhausting, and the whole time, she has to hide every notion that StarClan still visits her in her dreams. A single meek kitten must find a way to grow up and face the challenges ahead, persist through times of hardship, and find it in herself to risk her life to save the forest-and all the cats in it.

Greenleaf is over. The Season of Blood has begun . . .

All Current AU's (On Tumblr)

Wings of Rain (Wings of Fire x Rain World crossover AU)

Splitmind AU (Rain World, Iterators live in the slugcats' heads as a last-ditch effort to ascend)

Season of Blood (Warrior Cats AU, 'What if Scourge won?')

Link to fanfics (Yep. I'm on Ao3)

Stranded in the Rain (Outer Wilds and Rain World crossover)

Quick doodles of some sonas:

-Angel (Worldless)

-Akoya (Rain World)

-Pastel (Fursona)

-Rose-Gold (Wings of Fire)

-Junebug (Fursona)

-Crowned Crystal (Rain World)

[talisidekick]

Do you really and genuinely believe that nazis and feminists agree and have the same ideology

I'm not sure where you got this from, but I've never expressed that idea. Ever.

Feminists, the real ones, not the ones that brand themselves as "Gender Critical" or "TERF", believe that a womans' body, her biology, does not define her capabilities and position in society. There is nothing a man can do that a woman can't. Any restrictions placed on women by society about what they can and can't do are arbitrary and constructed. There are biological differences between all sexes, but none of these differences are the grounds or basis to build a social or class structure upon. A woman does not need to be married to a man to be successful.

Nazi's, like my great grandfather, believed in "Kinder, Küche, Kirche", which were the three responsibilities of women: Children, Kitchen, Church. This firmly put most women, save those the fascist regime couldn't easily or effectively replace, at home and out of the work force. It defined women broadly by their biology as child bearers and wives of straight men. This same regime also defined women by their biology, and tied their societal their capabilities to it not only to hold power over women but also to deny queer women, even transgender women, equal status or standing. This later helped form the many reasons for the pink triangle and the rounding up of queer individuals as the regime had criminalized what it deemed was 'sexual deviancy'.

If we take a look at the "Gender Critical" and "TERF" groups who like to try and associate themselves with feminism, their very reasoning for denying transgender women and transgender men their identity is based on the same ideals held by the Nazi regime. That a womans body, her biology, DOES define her as a woman. Furthermore those same two groups will additionally not only point out biology, but behaviours that aren't "traditionally feminine" as reasons why transgender women aren't women. Things like being loud, being gaudy, being outspoken, and even strongly opinionated and emotionally passionate, or dominant. As if to say women are supposed to be quiet, modest, reserved, and submissive. Yet when a transgender woman abides by these supposedly "traditionally feminine" behaviours, she's ridiculed for being stereotypical. Which is the same tactics used by oppressive governments and oppressive political movements, like the Nazi Party, to be contradictory to their own rhetoric for the expressed purpose of simply pressing down on those they don't see as equal.

So the short, is no. Feminism is in direct opposition to Nazi ideology.

However, "Gender Critical" and "TERF" groups that like to try and co-opt feminism to try and lend themselves an air of legitimacy (a similar tactic used by Nazis via the appropriation of symbolism and ideals, ie, Nazi's were grossly Capitalistic but painted themselves as Socialist) despite being closer to the ideals of the fascist Nazi regime. After all, why do you think Nazi's showed up in support of the "Gender Critical" and "TERF" rally held by Posie Parker in Melbourn Australia in 2023? Their ideals are remarkably similar if not identical in a lot of areas. Nazi's just take that rhetoric a half-step further and use it to justify the removal of rights from all women, not just transgender.

Glad we could have this talk. I love that we're still trying to paint me as some kind of conspiracy theorist or something. I've spent my whole life learning my families fucked up and aweful history of violence, abuse, and genocide with the expressed purpose of doing my best to make sure no one else becomes a victim of their bigotry and hatred. If you want a more modern example of what the hatred behind genocide looks like, go take a look at what the Israeli government is saying about Palestinians to justify bombing hospitals and murdering children. That is bigotry at it's climax. Mass extermination with a complete lack of empathy for the individual. And if the United States of America keeps going they way it is, you'll get to see the genocide against transgender people reach it's bloody stage too.

Feminism is an Egalitarian movement. Naziism, "Gender Critical" and "TERF" ideology, and Zionism is exclusionism.

[gengarghast]

Well, I recently watched episodes 1-3 of Madoka Magica so here are my thoughts on the series. From episodes 1-3 I mean.

There's gonna be spoilers, by the way.

My thoughts on Madoka Magica: Episodes 1-3!

Episode 1

So, right from the get-go, I am absolutely in love with the setting design of this series. Madoka, the protagonist, runs through checkerboard corridors and Escheresque halls in the dream sequence that kicks off the show, and it's absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, everything then gets kicked up to 11 when Madoka walks through a door and fucking

MEETS GOD.

Okay, that's not actually God, or even an Angel, but something called a Witch, which I'll get to later. (heheh, witch which)

Anyways, after that whole kerfuffle she wakes up and brushes her teeth, boring life stuff, we're introduced to her friends Sayaka and who the fuck cares, yada yada. And then, this bitch (named Homura) shows up.

Holy fuck I hate this bitch. She is so mean and rude and condescending and emotionless as she does it. She feels like a caricature of autistic people. She either needs to show some actual fucking humanity and stop being a cold-hearted cunt, or just fuck off and get killed. Mind you, I've only seen up to Episode 3. So, she might get better, and I have no idea if she does. Anyways, she lowkey threatens Madoka, time passes, and then kind of just straight up tries to kill a main character (Kyubey, this weird cat thing). Now, this is where the fun begins.

The four main characters at this point- Madoka, Sayaka, Kyubey, and Homura- Are all pulled into this thing called a "Labyrinth." Labyrinths are pocket-dimensions created by entities called "Witches" as a way to keep themselves safe and protected from the outside world while they do their... Witch things. Whatever those are. Sending people "kys" over Discord dms or something, I don't know. Either way, they look fantastic.

Putting these traditionally animated chatacters within this photorealistic hellscape just really conveys how completely alien the Witches are, so much so that they and their domains appear as if on a completely different level of reality.

This is the witch of what I'm calling the Butterfly Gardens Labyrinth, because... Those are the main motifs of the Labyrinth. Her name is Gertude, by the way.

Anyways, this girl named Mami shows up and shoots everything with her magic shotguns, the Witch escapes, and Mami asks Madoka and Sayaka to become Magical Girls like her. Well, Kyubey does the asking, but whatever.

Episode 2

Blah blah blah boring exposition. Shit barely happens. We find out that witches drop loot when they die, called "Grief Seeds". Which is pretty cool actually. It's explained that a girl becomes a Magical Girl when they make a contract with Kyubey and create a soul gem or whatever. Creating the aforementioned contract also means that you get a WISH. Like, ANY WISH. NO RULES. AT ALL. Which pisses me off because these idiots could wish for

1. The extinction of all Witches. 2. More wishes. 3. The power to warp reality in whatever way they want.

And Kyubey could theoretically grant them!!! What the fuck!!!!! They also say that "Witches are born from curses like Magical Girls are born from wishes", whatever the fuck that means. Are they implying that witches are just... Cursed humans? Like, they are the victims of a curse? And you're just killing them without mercy? Instead of trying to rehabilitate them?? What the fuck is wrong with these motherfuckers. Seriously.

Also, it feels like a good time to mention that I don't trust this fucker at all.

I see through you, Kyubey. You're a fucking parasite, aren't you.

Also, WHERE THE FUCK ARE ALL THE MAGICAL BOYS??? PUT SOME DUDES ON THE TEAM YOU WEIRD CAT. THIS JUST SEEMS FETISHY IF THERE ARE JUST LITTLE GIRLS WORKING FOR YOU. NOT A GOOD LOOK.

Side-Tangent: Intro

As if I wasn't already on a side-tangent complaining about the yet-unexplained holes in the worldbuilding and how much I despise Kyubey, I'm just gonna take a moment to talk really quick about the intro.

*Ahem.*

WHAT THE FUCK, PEOPLE.

That girl is an EIGHTH GRADER. SHE IS NOT ONLY A MINOR, BUT A VERY YOUNG ONE AS WELL.

AND HERE SHE FUCKING IS. IN A REVEALING, FETISHISTIC, SWIMSUIT. IF THAT'S WHAT THAT EVEN IS.

AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THIS WHOLE FUCKING SCENE. WHY DID THEY MAKE THEM SQUISH THEIR CHESTS TOGETHER??? WHAT THE FUCK!!! THESE ARE NAKED 13 YEAR OLDS WHAT THE FUCK WHY IS THIS IN MY INTRO SEQUENCE WHO THE FUCK SAID THIS WAS OKAY TO PUT ON TV???????????????

Anyways rant over. I hate pedophiles

Episode 3

Oooh, a hospital-based Labyrinth!! This looks so cool!

You know, now that I think about it, Mami is actually a pretty fun character, and I like her a lot! She has some depth to her that wasn't visible before, but now I'm able to really appreciate it!

Heck, even her vicious slaughter of innocent inhabitants of the Witches Labyrinths is kind of cool now!

Oh hey, look, the Witch is a funny doll!! lmao

...Hey, hol up, what's that

Hey wait what's it doing

oh no. oh no no no no no

What are you doing miss funny candy clown snake please don't do tha-

...

. . .

it hurts.