#survivor fans vs favorites

[bonelessenthusiast]

Natalie Micronesia: i love girl power and feminism. anyways Parvati how do you fuck and Amanda why are you a bimbo

[yanderes-galore]

My second. I wish I could be chattier, but there's so many.

Trickster and Shape rivalry (DBD) (Both romantic)

The dynamics of these two is literally that one Barbie mugshot meme.... These two are difficult together so I hope this is fine? This is a fan made version of the DBD 2v8 mode.

Yandere! The Trickster vs The Shape

Pairing: Romantic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Possessive behavior, Violence, Blood, Murder, Stalking, Manipulation, Sadism, Dubious relationship(s).

First of all, these two are like the polar opposites of one another.

Trickster is flashy, makes his hunts and kills all a show.

He loves the attention, loves the fear...!

Yet, Myers?

Michael Myers has always preferred to stalk from the shadows, to silently observe.

Then pounces when the time is right.

The two have vastly different approaches when it comes to their obsessions.

Before having them both in one match, you've no doubt had encounters with both killers.

You've evaded the flying knives coming from Trickster, along with his deranged giggles and sadistic chases.

You've dealt with a hidden from Michael's persistent stalking.

You've died by their hands, you've escaped their grasp...

Although you slowly begin to notice both killers easing up on you.

Other killers aren't as merciful, often hunting you as usual.

Yet you've noticed Trickster being more playful with his chases... Still making you bleed, yet usually allowing you to escape more often.

Even Michael just observes you from afar, picking off other survivors around you while allowing you to leave.

You wonder if they're toying with you.

Especially when Trickster starts pinning you against ruined walls and Michael keeps trying to corner you in matches.

Trickster is more... on the nose.

He's flirtatious, leaning in close with a chuckle to see you squirm.

Meanwhile Michael is always on who likes to stare, lightly touching your skin and hair... His intentions are unknown.

Both killers clearly seem to have an attachment to you.

Although, they are completely unaware of the other killer being obsessed with the same survivor.

That is until The Entity introduces a new game...

Eight survivors... and two killers.

It's only a matter of time before you encounter Trickster and Michael in the same match.

Eight new prey to hunt... yet they're both only interested in one.

I imagine this rivalry would have to start with the two having separate obsessions with you.

Both killers, for one reason or another, have you as their favorite prey to hunt.

So, when placed in a situation where both killers have access to you, at first they aren't aware of one another's obsession.

Until they see the other interact with you.

The moment Trickster sees you're in his match, he forgoes pursuing any other survivor and hunts you.

Trickster thinks nothing of it when he corners you like usual.

He's being playful, complimenting you and grinning.

Although it feels like he's being stalked.

Michael, being one to carefully observe, no doubt sees how Trickster reacts with you.

Which results in him stalking closer, pushing Trickster off you, and blocking you from the other killer.

This 2v8 match quickly becomes both killers competing on who can get you first.

They get rid of other survivors, yes, but there's so much infighting between them.

You have never seen two killers fight one another.

Yet there's several times the two hit each other, blood spilling onto the grass.

They don't seem all that hurt... but there's definitely tension.

You spend the entire match working on generators, watching your fellow survivors get picked off one by one.

You know their end goal.

You've seen how they act alone with you.

You're currently seeing them fighting one another in this trial.

You know what they want.

Michael is silent the whole time, but he's only getting more irritated with Trickster.

Trickster, however, is much more vocal with his curses.

The two are like territorial animals trying to secure prey.

As you near being the last survivor, you begin to try figuring out ways to flee.

You may not die in this match... but it's hard to tell.

The two can't kill another, making it a large game of keep away.

Even if you escape their grasp... It's not like you can leave for long.

How long until you have normal matches with either killer?

Will they be more intense?

Actually, how long until you're put in another 2v8 match with them?

Does the outcome of the rivalry even matter at this point?

You're in what's essentially a cage with two predators fighting over prey...

Death is not an escape, those doors or that hatch isn't either, you can't escape your bloody fate.

[leighlew3]

What were the aspects of Supergirl (show in general or character) that resonated with you personally?

First and foremost, Kara herself... as someone with a ton of trauma, who would have every reason to do not so great things or wield her power for evil, yet does good things and channels her energy into trying to help people -- she's amazing. She is someone who feels isolated a lot of the time and struggles with anger issues but ultimately is such a light and a good person and somebody that just wants to do good for the world, even when it's not always appreciated or understood. Even if it means constant self sacrifice.

I relate to pretty much all of that.

I also loved the idea of Supercorp obviously, because it was such an epic tale in how they were so similar but so different and so inherently fated to be side by side. It could've been so successful if canon romantic on the show instead of just baited. Taking the decades-old lore of Super vs Luthor and instead turning into Super & Luthor -- a story of hate turned into a love story -- that's an incredible concept, and so rich and full of so much storytelling potential. Them just being friends is the 'lite' version of turning that lore on its head. But to go even deeper would've been nothing short of revolutionary.

Alas, instead they chose to tarnish the show's legacy and taint the good it DID do elsewhere in LGBTQ representation (because YES a show can have ancillary rep but still queerbait a lead dynamic -- especially when it's bait that existed before any other rep was even introduced on the show) ...by choosing to be one of the worst examples of queerbait in TV history (due to all of the romanic tropes and parallels and teases and lack of denials by TPTB who very clearly wanted people to stay tuned in based on hope for canon endgame since that very first Clois parallel in 2x01). It was also just an absolute waste of creative potential and true travesty that ultimately only hurt the show and cast and fans and everyone involved, whether everyone is ready to admit it or not.

Anyway, I enjoyed the fact that so many of the characters -- from Kara and Lena (these two especially), to Alex, Nia, and Kelly... so many of them came loaded with one form of trauma or another, but they still were ultimately inherently good people, a great example of 'found family', and heroic as heck in the end, no matter how dark it got at times for some. In large part because they had each other. I mean, I wish they all weren't LITERAL superheroes or supernatural by the end because I think the show (amongst numerous other issues) lost sight of their own messaging that "anyone can be a hero even without powers" but -- they really were inherently such good / ripe characters, the women especially (plus Brainy and J'onn).

Sure, they all (again, the women especially) often were sadly let down by superficial or just plain poor writing and overall creative direction a lot of the time, especially in the end -- but at the core, everyone could find something to relate to in at least one character, if not multiple characters, and that's great.

I know much like fans of Dana Scully in the 90s, a LOT of girls/women were inspired to get into STEM over this last decade now because of Katie McGrath's portrayal of Lena Luthor. And even more people related to Lena's trauma as a survivor of lifelong abuse at the hands of her family and especially her unhinged brother. Seeing that someone can slip into darkness as the result of years of sadistic mind games and abuse of all kinds but still come out the other side a hero, empowered, and a good person who helps others and is capable of loving and deserving of being loved? That's beautiful, and Lena offered that to SO many viewers, so it's no wonder she was a top fan favorite second only to the lead herself. And seeing how that impacted people, was so very moving.

Seeing people impacted by Alex's coming out arc in Season 2 was amazing. Having the first trans superhero on TV was amazing. And so on...

Look, there's a lot the show did wrong. In fact, possibly more was done poorly or wrong than well or good, overall, unfortunately. Alas, there were some little sparks of light to be truly appreciated.

But again, for me, I connected most to Kara's story, her strength, her dichotomy, and her indelible sense of HOPE... despite every reason at times to give up. And to the Kara/Lena love story, in all its infinite, incredible, and still mostly untapped potential.

[virginstoner666]

if they were on survivor-

Scout 

would probably get screwed over by the edit and get portrayed as a moron who annoys everyone and is only ok at challenges. but in reality he'd be pretty tight with the rest of his tribe. 

totally hogs confessionals (on purpose) and talks over people a lot at tribal council (on accident) 

might not make it all the way to merge, but would absolutely be invited back for an All Stars season.

Soldier

 medically evacuated. 

he’ll get brought back for another season to redeem himself and get medically evacuated a second time.

Pyro 

no social game, no game plan, just came to have a good time. 

better than people would think at challenges, but wouldn’t do well at tribal council and could easily be one of the first voted out. 

but if by some chance they made it to the merge, in theory, they would dominate endurance challenges by just entering their happy place and vibing out until everyone else breaks concentration.

Heavy 

challenge beast, no question. 

great at catching food for the tribe, and will take the greatest share of the food every meal. (no one would dare try to stop him.) 

great at challenges, and is liked by the rest of his tribe, but not the best social game. (not too talkative and wouldn’t really understand when he’s being manipulated and by extension, can’t manipulate others) 

would likely be blindsided before he could make it far past the merge. 

would get pretty teary-eyed if he made it to the message from home/family visit episode.

Demo 

fan favorite, no question

a total wild card when it comes to challenges, and wins a lot of individual immunities

mostly here for comic relief, but would have tons of people rooting for him to make it to the end. just like scout, he would for sure be wanted back for an all stars season. 

can be a little lazy about helping out around camp, but people don’t really care since he’s so fun to have around.

loves to fight dirty during physical challenges and probably will return home with a bunch of parasites.

engineer 

he is the greatest at solving challenge puzzles, but can’t keep up in water challenges for the life of him. 

very likeable to audience and other players. unfortunately would have a major target on his back during the late-merge on account of having many friends on the jury.

other than heavy, he’s one of the best hunters and a great provider for the rest of the team.

would look like a completely different person by the end of the game vs when he started on account of losing like 25 pounds, borderline sun-poisoning, bug bites, and growing an entire beard.

medic

agent of chaos and constantly getting in fights with the other members of the tribe (for funsies). 

can make allies just as easily as he can backstab them (also for funsies). 

gets on people’s nerves a lot at camp, but his smooth-talking give him a HELL of a social game. 

the most insane confessionals, no one knows what he’s on about, but he’s got spirit

on the better side of average for challenges, stronger than most in water and at solving puzzles, even if he’s not great at obstacle courses or other pure brute strength challenges. 

i feel like he’d also be pretty good at finding immunity idols. would have a huge fan cult-following.

sniper 

remember that one guy unnerved the rest of the tribe by spending an uncomfortable amount of time sharpening his machete while staring at the other people on his tribe eerily? that be him. 

alright at challenges, but very weak in the water. would do well trying to keep a low-profile and keep a target off his back. 

also would probably have a considerable cult-following.

spy

just here to blindside people and betray his allies, he doesn’t care about the money. 

does not help out at ALL around camp. really annoying and smug monologs during his confessionals.

he could get pretty far in the game, but even if he were to make it all the way to the final 3, no one would vote for him after playing such a cheap, backstab-y game. 

he would be very good at challenge puzzles, and deciphering messages. also great at finding immunity idols, and uses them just right. ( which is to say, right away because everyone wants him gone so fucking bad)

miss pauling

 hot take, but i think she’d be most likely to win. 

she can read people so well, is underestimated by others and would also be great at pitting people against each other without them finding out she was behind it all.

a decent fisher and could be counted on to bring food home for the rest of the tribe and wouldn’t require as much food as others. 

would get and underdog storyline

saxton hale

can’t really see him as a player, more likely he’d be jeff probst.

administrator

originally part of the game-designers, but got banned after her “challenges” kept killing people

[ashen-sky]

Personal highlights from...

Red vs Blue The Ultimate Fan Guide

In honor of s19 and the continuation of where s13 left off, here are some highlights from the ultimate fan guide published back in 2015. I've been re-watching the show and it made me want to flip back through the guide. (Everything is sort of in the order it appears in the book, with a few exceptions)

Delta appears as a guide of sorts with fun facts

Caboose's position is listed as "Team Rookie/Occasional Captain/ Church's Best Friend" (it is actually struck out in the book)

He is also the only one listed with the title Captain, appearing as "Private/Captain Michael J. Caboose" (due to Wash "promoting" him, in the canyon on chorus)

Tucker is "Private First Class", Church, Donut, and Simmons are "Private"s, Sarge is listed as a "Colonel" under rank (the other Red's and Blue's ranks appears with their name while his is under "position"), and Grif is "Minor Junior Private, Negative First Class"

Wash used to be a chronic bed wetter (thanks D)

There's also a six page transcript of his psych eval prior to PF where we find out he injured a commanding officer because he wanted to "send everyone to their deaths", he also put a former bully through a mirror in fifth-grade

Grif is stated to have been assigned to Blood Gulch because he was the only survivor of an alien attack on a colony during the great war, he fell asleep at his post and everyone assumed he was KIA

Donut's position is listed as "On all fours... cleaning Red bade"

Doc's profile is "Doc/ O'Malley" and the whole thing lists both their interests, i.e "Position: Canyon Medic, Galactic Overlord"

Andy's (the bomb) name is "Andrew D. Kaboom"

Sheila and Filss share a page

Tex's notable attributes are "Kicking ass (and nuts), being a mean lady, and resurrection"

The password to unlock the file on Beta that CT left behind was "Allison" (Thanks again D)

York's page comments "Several reports were filed against Agent York claiming he and Agent Carolina had something of a "personal" relationship [...] Freelancer Command was unable to find any proof to support these accusations."

One of his notable attributes is "watching his right side" and his position is "team scoundrel"

Eta and iota (Carolina's AIs) were "fear and happiness"

According to the official time line, Carolina was around 6 when Allison died (Allison died 23 years before Blood Gulch and Carolina was born 29 years before)

Wyoming's real name is Reginald

South Dakota's Status is listed as "Extra Crispy"

Smith once spent two days contemplating in silence what Caboose meant when he said his favorite color was "Happy"

Dr. Grey's position is "(Mad) Doctor", she was considered a prodigy at age 11 when she diagnosed every patient in House M.D. within five minutes of their introduction, and she thinks Grey's Anatomy is "far too trite"

Felix and Locus' names are listed as Unknown in the book, but I do believe their names were revealed in a s14 episode

The counselor advised the director to tell Tex that Alpha was in Blood Gulch to protect him and stop her from investigating the project

Notable Features of Blood Gulch include "Avoid Tucker's Rock at all costs, as it has not been properly sterilized"

BTS from D: The opening shot of Season 6 was created by shooting players moving in different quadrants and combining the shots"

Important events at High Ground, "Washington killed Agent south in cold blood- with a much less cold flamethrower."

Fact from D: "Once a year, Reds and Blues stationed at Rat's Nest still pay tribute to Agent Alabama by sending a flaming mongoose soaring through the night sky."

Donut likes to spend his leisure time in Federal Army Outpost 37, in the jail cells in handcuffs

The statistics pages, 9 pages of stats from number of robots murdered (112) to Church's sniper rifle accuracy (9.3%)

Bow Chicka Bow Wow was first said in season 4, and Simmons never sucked up in season 12, season one had the most "son of a bitch"s at 14 Donut made 32 accidental innuendos, and the odd number of pedals in vehicles was called out on five occasions Tucker has the highest kill count of all reds and blues (counting wash and Tex), at 24 followed by donut at 22 and Tex at 21, Caboose is the lowest at 2 raised by Lopez and 3 and Church at 8 Sarge has threatened/wished death on Grif 56 times, and Donut has nearly died five times Seasons 2 and 9 had the lowest kill counts Carolina had the highest flash back kills at 68 in season ten, and the twins are tied at 23 kills in season nine

Tex's attack to free Alpha was 2 years before Blood Gulch, the great war ended 1 year after Alpha arrived in Blood Gulch and after the Wyoming incident in Blood Gulch (where they tried to kidnap junior), Chorus takes place 5 years after Alpha initially arrived in Blood Gulch

The mission books has adorable illustrations (they look like Caboose's guides from s14)

There's a mindmap for all the Leonard and Allison iterations and they they connect

Sarge has a guide on how to build a robot, scented lube is preferred, along with mad scientist goggles, a cup of baking soda, and seventeen tablespoons of sugar

More silly plans with fun diagrams

Donut's diary, D tells us that Donut washes his underwear on tuesday's

Caboose's Wisdom section on: feelings, relationships, army etiquette (including gems like crayons don't work as bullets. Use markers.), life, and the reds and blues

Simmons made a text based adventure games

BTS from D, the story of Simmons refusing to go to the Vegas Quadrant is a reference to Gus Sorola (Simmons' VA) refusing to go to Las Vegas with the rest of the rvb creators

You can find the case against Sergeant Grif from the reds at rat's Nest (he was selling red team's ammo to Caboose before he was locked up in the brig, Private Jones wore a wire tap to help the red's catch Grif's under the table dealings)

Leonard met Allison in the mess hall during basic training where he pissed off another recruit and Allison had to save his ass (Church was right, Carolina get's her temper from her mom)

I'm Church. private Church. Leonard. Leonard Church." the only thing I cared about in that moment was that she knew my name. She smiled. Her smile could light up solar systems. "Kind of a funny name. Church." "It's Jewish."

I spent the rest of basic chasing after her. In some ways, I never stopped.

Here's hoping non of our beloved idiots die in season 19! I mean, I know Church will be gone, but the others... they deserve a happy ending.

Also I miss the freelancers and AI...

[heavencasteel420]

Okay. I’m gonna be a hater.

I’m not against St4ncy because of the association between their first time and Barb dying. If they were good together and she really wanted to be with him, then I wouldn’t be rooting for her survivor’s guilt to keep that from happening.

I’m also not against St4ncy because of the S1 graffiti, per se. From a writing perspective, I think the show over-egged the pudding by making both Jonathan and Steve do such shitty things to Nancy in S1. I believe the creators were mainly trying to make certain things happen plot-wise (there needs to be a photo of the demogorgon, the teen confrontation needs to be immediate and public so Jonathan and Nancy can end up at the police station) and trying to foreshadow Steve’s heel-face turn by making his objections to the photos more reasonable, and they did a clumsy job of it. And I think it’s basically fine for the creators, having realized that this was all too much, to quietly drop it. Such is the nature of multi-season TV. Realistically, it’s wild that Steve and Nancy would get back together a mere month after all of that, but, unless a shipper actually says stuff like “it’s not that bad that he would do that, because he was understandably upset” or “it was just vandalism,” I’m not going to assume that they’re chill with the graffiti.

That being said, the whole “Steve’s feelings were hurt because he thought he was being cheated on and he’s young and it was all Tommy’s fault anyway and he apologized” vs. “Jonathan had no motivations other than intrinsic badness and his youth is not a factor and his apology doesn’t count and his terrible home life is not only not an excuse but a justification for Steve’s tenuously connected shitty actions” thing has soured me on large swathes of Steve fans across the board. I’ve seen too much of the so-called real-life justice system to find this attitude anything other than disturbing. But this isn’t exclusively a St4ncy shipper problem. If anything, they at least usually like Nancy enough not to act like she’s somehow at fault for the photos because she forgave Jonathan later (???) or put her “cheating” on Steve on the same level as the guys’ worst S1 behavior.

My main reasons for disliking the ship (in an exclusive endgame kind of way; I’m cool with Stoncy most of the time and I think they canonically had some good times together) are way more subjective. The first reason is that Jonathan is my favorite and St4ncy shippers invariably don’t like or get him. This is predictable, although not inevitable; Jancy shippers don’t dislike Steve so uniformly, for example. So obviously that’s not gonna work out.

The second reason is that I just don’t find the things people like about their relationship very romantic or desirable. He’s protective of her, but that mainly seems to involve trying to keep her from doing things she believes she has to do or retaliating against others in ways she finds distasteful. There’s not a lot of awareness of her perspective. He wants to be with her “no matter what,” with no consideration for the obstacles, but those obstacles seem to include “what she wants” and “what they are both like as people.” I’d get it more if he was like “I don’t know what the future will bring, but I’d like to give this a chance in the short term” or “listen, I can figure out what to do with my life in Boston as well as anywhere else,” but instead he just does not seem to know her at all or be thinking about what they would do as a couple in the immediate future. After a point, that’s just being in love with the idea of being in love.

Also—and I am not trying to be catty here—I think it’s kind of silly to compare his romantic dreams with Jonathan having reservations due to trauma, poverty, and family obligations. That’s not so much a testament to Steve loving her more as it is an indication that he is relatively unburdened by material concerns. He may be broke, but he’s not dealing with entrenched multi-generational poverty. I’m not saying these things to suggest that Nancy would be wrong to break up with Jonathan—sometimes love isn’t enough—or that Steve is less deserving of love because his life is easier, but I am saying that Steve was kinda born on third base here.

I am not convinced that Steve would do “anything” for Nancy! Nor do I think that he should! That is not a good or sexy dynamic in an equal romantic partnership to me! They should both have other principles and goals of their own! (Also. Is the guy who wouldn’t revise his college essay in S2 really gonna move to Boston for her? I think he’s changed, sure, but not in that particular way.)

[danmei-confessions]

Adding my two cents as a survivor of multiple forms of abuse (including CSA): I *really hate* how this fandom acts about abuse narratives-- demonizing one abuse survivor vs another, when in reality both of them have done fucked up things as a result of their trauma (it's what makes both LBG and SJ so compelling to me personally!!). I *especially* hate how people seem to basically "tier" abuse, with SA being the "worst trauma" over any other kind and acting as though SJ is more worthy of... pity? idk because of implied CSA (which... that in itself is fanon and up for interpretation... I personally think so, but in a somewhat different way than the usual interpretation but that isn't important) than LBG is... that might not be peoples' intent, but physical vs sexual abuse shouldn't be a "this is worse than that" sort of thing since different traumas affect different people differently, and it's really really uncomfortable to see people make that kind of assumption and talk about very real traumas that very real people face the way they do.

Anyway, I feel like a lot of the debates are due to piss-poor reading comprehension across the fandom. People point out that SJ abused LBH because *a lot of times people will actually act like he didn't.* Things like saying there was medicine in the tea, or that he didn't know/approve of the fake manual... even claims that "that was just the way things were and corporal punishment was normal." Which... is pretty gross tbh.

I like SJ's character as a person who was hurt who then turned around and took that out on others. He's one of my favorite characters because he shows that less inspiration-porn, poor-meow-meow side of a trauma survivor. It's realistic in a very gritty, bitter sort of way. That shit can fuck people up! I relate to him for so many reasons, but that doesn't mean I'm going to deny what he ended up doing by his own agency later. The cycle of abuse is a real danger, and SVSSS actually portrays that really well, which is why I like the book so much!

Idk. SJ stans claim they "don't excuse his abuse" but that's absolutely not true bc I've had people come on my posts and fics doing just that. It's like they miss the point of the character-- not completely scum, but both scum and pitiful... Some people seem to go too far in the defense.

Also, if you're someone who doesn't deny that SJ abused LBH, then *this isn't about you.* It's about the people who do. People in this fandom need to realize that both SJ and LBG are abusers, and that that's the POINT OF THE WHOLE THING, and that neither of them should be excused for it!! But the source of it should still be recognized in both cases!! And I feel that a lot of people don't like to admit that SJ, despite his trauma, *was* the cause of a lot of LBH's trauma. And me saying this ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT ERASE HIS OWN TRAUMA OMG but like... those SJ fans are already well aware of SJ's trauma and LBH's crimes so it doesn't really need to be mentioned??

LBG and SJ were BOTH TRAUMA SURVIVORS. Neither "Worse" than the other because uhhh clearly they were both incredibly traumatized because of the way they ended up turning out. Stop ranking trauma, that's disgusting.

But BOTH OF THEM WERE ALSO ABUSERS.

That. Is. The. POINT. OF. THEIR. STORY!!!!

This is at ANYONE who denies either the victim or the abuser status of either of these characters: fucking stop it. You might not like to hear it, but no matter how traumatized SJ was, the way he treated LBH was still abusive and if you excuse him for it then you're participating in abuse apologism. The same goes for LBG (and any other character whose actions are abusive).

I know we get attached to our favorite characters for various reasons, but when it actually starts veering into abuse apologism IN ANY FORM, that makes me feel really sick and uncomfortable with the way people talk about things that *actually happen to people irl.*

SVSSS fandom, you need to fucking stop.

.

[witheredoffherwitch]

if aemond rape alys, do you agree with her sending him to his death?

what's so special about her that you people ship it so much... when aemond can get someone better.

Hi nonnie,

Based on my reading of F&B, one could come to either of two conclusions: one, Alys is an obvious victim; or two, they were in a mutually advantageous relationship which eventually dissolved into both obsession and love. The second interpretation stems from Alys having autonomy in that partnership... and being someone whose opinion carries significant weight for Aemond. She isn't portrayed as a helpless damsel; rather, she is powerful and influential. If you need a more detailed answer as to why I find this duo intriguing, here is another link.

Now, coming to why I like them? They are captivating! As a gothic fan, I can't help but be drawn to them. Some of my favorites are Bynden/Sheira, Duncan/Jenny, and Night's King/corpse bride.. but if I have to pick one favorite, it's definitely Alysmond. It is fine if you don't like this ship - I have stated this shit 100 times over! BUT what I can't comprehend is why people like you are so full of hatred when it comes to her? Words I've heard y'all say about her reveal such misogynistic attitudes.. most of you are beginning to sound more and more like these femcels. Even others who don't like this ship have noticed that there seems to be animosity against Alys, no matter the context. I apologize, but some of you sound like 4chan members who often resort to labelling every male whom they don't favour as either a 'beta male' or a 'cuck'. A noticeable disparity is shown when you look through the Reddit threads and observe how men perceive her character vs how y'all do.

When you ask "What is so interesting about her?", the answer is the same as what makes any other gothic heroine interesting. She is a witch, the lone survivor of her family with questionable motives. She becomes the prince's paramour during his stay in one of the most gargantuan and obnoxious castles out there. They carry out some dubious deeds and cause chaos together. She watches him battle one last time, then gives birth to his son. She declares herself the 'witch queen of Harrenhal' and starts practicing dark magic. When compared to the other dull, uninteresting contenders for potential partners, Alys is far more interesting. It's amusing how much you have to invent or modify character arcs in order to create a believable ship with Aemond — whether it's with an existing canon member or an OC —but still, Alys somehow manages to remain boring for y'all! 🙄

If anyone needs more perspective on why people find this ship appealing, I have two additional links: link 1 and link 2.

That's all!

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: 1995 THE YEAR IN WRESTLING. March 1996

MATCH OF THE YEAR: DIESEL VS. SHAWN MICHAELS 16,710 votes

For four months, fans waited for this one–and a worthwhile wait it was.

Until Survivor Series 1994, Diesel and Shawn Michaels were he best of friends. Going into that pay-per-view, they  were also the WWF World tag team champions. But a disagreement in an eight-man tag team match made them the bitterest of enemies. Shawn remained a rulebreaker, while Diesel went the fan favorite route. And three days later, “Big Daddy Cool” became the WWF World champion.

Everyone wondered when these two former friends would finally meet, one-on-one, with the World title at stake.

Everyone found out when it would be on January 22, when Michaels won the Royal Rumble and earned a World title shot against Diesel at WrestleMania XI.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania was good, but Shawn vs. Diesel was better. It lived up to all the prematch hype, and for the third consecutive year, Michaels was involved in our Match of the Year. 

Diesel pounded his old buddy early on in the bout. “The Heartbreak Kid,” as everyone expected, showed tremendous resiliency. He clotheslined the World champion over the top rope, executed an over-the-top-rope flying bodypress, then spent a few minutes trying to wear Diesel down. He used a flying elbowsmash from the top rope and a sleeperhold. 

Then came the turning point. While Michaels and Diesel were brawling outside the ring, referee Earl Hebner, in an attempt to keep Sid Vicious, Michael’ Bodyguard, from getting involved, twisted an ankle. That prevented him from getting back into the ring quickly. It may have also prevented Michaels from becoming the World champ, because Shawn superkicked Diesel and had him pinned for at least 10 seconds before Hebner crawled back to make a count.

Diesel recovered, caught Michaels with two boots to the face, and “jackknifed” him for the win at 20:40.

“Incredible!” wrote Ken Wallace of Topeka, Kansas. “I didn't think Diesel could stay with Shawn for a match that lasted 15 minutes or more. And even in defeat, Michaels was terrific.” Everyone knows what happened the next night. These two rivals became friends again. We may never see a Shawn-Diesel rematch, but even if we don’t we’ll always have memories of this thrilling bout. 

RUNNERS-UP

JEFF JARRETT vs. SHAWN MICAHELS: 15,831 votes

First runner-up:  “The Heartbreak Kid” strikes again! A 20-minute thriller between two terrific athletes is the simplest way to describe the July 23 In Your House II match in which Michaels won his third Intercontinental title. A powerful superkick to the jaw was all it took for Michaels to finish off “Double-J” after The Roadie accidentally tripped his employer.

HARLEM HEAT vs. THE NASTY BOYS: 13,798 votes

Second runner-up: The Nastys won the WCW World tag belts from Booker T and Stevie Ray in this Slamboree slugfest. The result was noteworthy because Jerry Sags fought half the match on his own after Brian Knobs was injured before the bout. It was the Heat’s legdrops vs. the Nastys’ piledrivers, and it ended when Sags pinned Booker after a top-rope elbowsmash.

PSICOSIS vs. REY MISTERIO JR.: 6,620 votes

Third runner-up: These two masked superstars, rivals in Mexico's AAA, brought their feud to ECW on September 16 and contested a bout that featured stunning aerial moves. Misterio at 5’3” and 140 pounds, beat his 5’10”, 200-pound rival in a match that was highlighted by Misterio diving from the ring apron onto Psicosis , who was lying in the third row of the audience!

VOTES FOR OTHERS (15,187)

Some of the top vote-getters who did not capture a runner-up spot include: January 22: Diesel vs. Bret Hart; April 2: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor; June 18: Brian Pillman vs. Alex Wright; August 4: Tony Anthony & Tracey Smothers vs. The Heavenly Bodies; August 26: Eddy Gurrero vs. Dean Malenko; August 27: Shawn Micahels vs Razor Ramon.

[sixcostumerefs]

Unrelated to Six, but curious on your thoughts of Survivor, new era vs. old school era, and any thoughts you have on the crossover/overlap of theatre fans and reality/competition tv fans, etc!

Oh hello!!

I don’t have particularly strong opinions on new vs old. Of course I have some preferences from each, but in practice I understand the reason for the changes well enough that I tend to feel like it is what it is and I try to not spend more mental energy on it than that. I don't want to get too into some of fandom cesspool 😅 I will say that I’m freaking thrilled that the show has diversified as much as it has in the last few seasons, in terms of ethnic and racial diversity yes but also in other forms of diversity, like queerness and diversity of experiences more broadly. It’s been really lovely to see a broader swath of North America* represented, and several of my favorite players in personality are from the last few seasons for that reason.

As far as crossover….oh boy you have stumbled on a question that I could write a dissertation about. But, fundamentally, reality television has quite a lot of overlap with spectacle-style theatre - it’s the personalities, the drama, the rivalries, the stories that make you want to cheer for people. Every reality show prioritizes different nuances and narratives, and so does every theatre show, and so of course some reality shows will have more fandom overlap with different stage shows and vise versa.

In the case of Six and Survivor specifically, I think the shows lend themselves particularly well to fandom overlap. Six may have a small cast, but at heart it is ultimately a spectacle-style musical (and more specifically a very British style of it), and as such it has those same qualities. Both Six and Survivor give you well-defined, charismatic personalities to root for in a competition setting.** You can cheer at the competition (and the roasts), and over time both shows feature the personal narratives of the people (or queens) involved. And while Survivor is real and Six is fiction, the casting and/or writing and editing of both intends to present people with stories that can be broadly understood and related to, representing some element of the human condition and/or (in Six's case) womanhood.

*the US version specifically requires Canadian or US citizenship and does not include Mexican players :/ **and while maaany other competition reality shows exist, I'd argue that Survivor's casting has more overlap with Six than most others

[jils-things]

sometimes i wonder about the age old debate about which game is better; dead by da.ylight or iden.tity v. when id.v came out, it was quick to be compared with DB.D and even i thought of that too. but then again, few people who made D.BD helped create ID.V too

but i can't help but notice, or feel that id.v has a more stronger fanbase and overall passion for the game unlike D.BD - like the devs listen to their fans and let them indulge in community activites that can affect the game (i.e: the deduction stars and nymph awards) and i think that's really awesome. id.v even has their own e-sports genre thats mostly popular in asia and they're rocking it there. the peak content i'd see for dbd is just my favorite youtubers playing it. while i barely see any youtubers for id.v (i watch zeez) (used to watch perswayable and grizzly) (this is a very small count vs the amount of ppl i watch that plays d.bd)

maybe its because it has a more (not so) cohesive lore than db.d? (it seems so casual to me. like they just throw popular killers and original killers alike. and including bill from l4d.2 for survivors very epic) <- nothing wrong but it pales in comparison to id.v

but also then again id.v gets so much merchandise from collabs too and crossovers with many franchises. ig what I'm getting at is just how different these games are in terms of reception even if they're games with the same mechanic and horror themes

or maybe im just stuck in a time machine and im thinking of old i.dv and just didnt notice that it got even more popular or smth idk WKWKEJE because i do notice it's being more recognized

[deadbydangit]

Hi! I hope you’re doing good :)

I wanted to ask if I could get headcanons for some killers (ghost face and maybe amanda and trapper?) with a reader who doesn’t mind trials? like they don’t love them or getting hurt but they see them as more of a game than torture yknow. just sort of carefree. if that doesn’t make sense i apologize, haha

thank you!!

It makes sense. I am unsure if you wanted this as a relationship post or just a general reader vs. killer. So I assumed the second. I hope you enjoy this.

With a Reader who doesn't mind trials

Ghostface, Pig, Trapper

Ghostface

Finally someone who gets him!

Trials aren't all that bad, right?

Tell the other survivors that.

Jeez. It's not like they REALLY die.

But that doesn't mean you're going to get off Scott free.

If anything, Danny's going to want to go after you more.

Since you get this is just a game you're so much more fun to play with.

He figures if you aren't screaming and begging like the others, you find it fun.

The trials you're in with him usually end up with you getting hardcore tunneled.

On the rare occasion he doesn't tunnel you, he likes to see you scramble to help the others.

Only to realize it's futile.

His favorite thing is to leave you for last.

That way he can take his time with you.

Occasionally, he'll just chill with you before the trial ends.

"Did you see the picture I took while stabbing Dwight? His face is priceless!"

And he will show you every picture.

Pig

You... Don't care?

Aren't you scared?

She's really confused.

She's hunted people plenty of times before.

Every one of them would be begging for their lives!

And you. You just... Don't seem to care?

She's not a fan of trials.

She sees it as her job, not a hobby.

She does this to remind people to value their life.

To renounce their sins.

You aren't supposed to like it.

It makes her feel rather bad actually.

She doesn't like hurting people who haven't committed any vile acts.

For the most part, she ignores you.

But if she gets wind that you've done something deplorable?

So help you.

Trapper

Please stop.

His job is already frustrating and stressful enough as it is.

Now you want to play it like a game?

You're driving him insane.

He sees trials like a day job.

Get up, work, leave, sleep. Repeat.

He doesn't have time or the mental energy for games.

So if you could kindly stop screwing with his traps he'd appreciate that.

He doesn't see you as someone who should go first or last.

He just wants you out of the way.

So, you know, do so. Please.

Give the poor guy a break.

[clonedchaos]

Godzilla: Minus One Short Rant

AHHHHH I FINALLY WATCHED GODZILLA: MINUS ONE ON NETFLIX AND IT WAS GREAT!!!!! I’ve been wanting to watch it for a good while now. Some spoilers below btw, just gonna do a short rant so I can go back to my crochet practice—

The found family dynamic between Koichi, Noriko, and Aikiko was so wholesome and adorable. I love how Noriko just finds him on the streets, says “Here, take this kid” and runs off with the police after her. Then she comes back and crashes at Koichi’s place and he’s just like “What the heck, this is MY house??” And then they end up becoming an unlikely family throughout the film and it’s just ✨chef’s kiss.✨ Found family is my favorite dynamic, I loved it in this film. Well, it’s more of “these two end up falling for each other + an adopted daughter they both raised” but same thing kinda.

And Goji looks super spooky this movie. Like, he’s genuinely kinda creepy to me. Still find him adorable, but I find 99% of monsters cute in general, so that’s just a me problem and not a design problem. I do love the contrast between the Japanese Godzilla which focuses on him being a horrific force of nature that is supposed to show humans the results of tampering with what they shouldn’t, vs. Americas/Legendary’s Godzilla who is more of an action hero who helps protect the world.

And in my personal opinion:

I love both versions of Godzilla. Either it’s a heart-wrenching story centered around survivor’s guilt or “big lizard fights big monke” and I’m here for it.

Also, Koichi’s survivor’s guilt in general is such a big gut-punch. He carries that guilt with him for years and doesn’t believe he should ever be happy. I’m definitely glad he got a happy ending though, he’s been through a LOT. It’s also been a bit since I’ve watched a more serious film (I watch a lot of kid’s movies okay).

I feel like this movie was written well too, it’s got plenty of action points to break up the story to hold audience’s attention. It focuses more on the story and characters than the action or monsters, which is fine. It just takes some getting used to given I’m more used to faster paced action films. A slower pace doesn’t make it bad though, as I said.

And that opening scene was an AMAZING hook. It definitely pulls you into the horror aspect of the film. I really enjoyed the first shot of Zilla specifically from a cinematography and lighting standpoint. It just makes me happy for some reason. In fact, so many of the action scenes in this film are so goood. Specifically when flaming ships or trains are yeeted through the air and crash into buildings.

Goji’s design took some getting used to as well, mostly because I was introduced to the Godzilla franchise through Legendary’s Godzilla. I love how angry and somewhat grotesque he looks. I think he’s still the twisted result of radiation if I remember correctly? I don’t know if his backstory in this was different or not.

And for the fans who have seen the older Japanese films, has Godzilla always been able to regenerate? He literally takes a bomb to the face and goes:

And I love love LOVE the way Godzilla powers up his atomic breath. The way his spines slowly extend and begin to glow was eye candy.

So yeah, I really really enjoyed this movie. It’s a more serious, horror-esque film than what I’m used to in this franchise, but it was great. Now I should watch Shin Godzilla and Godzilla ‘54 because those are also a more serious take on it, and I’m working on seeing all of the films after all. :)

Also I was going to riot if Koichi or Noriko had died at the end… At least Goji isn’t dead though, he’s just taking a snooze at the bottom of the ocean. Wonder what he’ll do when he wakes up. 🤷‍♀️

Probably be cranky again.

[demonsfate]

Angry Depressed rant about Tekken fandom

It's now three more days until Tekken 8. One of the only things I want from this game is just to simply do damage control and retcon Tekken 6 already (just fucking say Azazel brainwashed Jin like how Ogre brainwashed Nina in T3 or Cammy was brainwashed by M.Bison) - I mean they can fucking retcon Jinpachi having the devil gene and Heihachi's motivations in Tekken 7 but not Jin starting a war??? Let's be real, Tekken 6's story mode and Harada's fucking favoritism for his precious creator's pet Heihachi Mishima ruined everything EVERYTHING. Harada and Murray keep basically villainzing and putting both Jin and Kazuya (aka the true tragic victims of the story) in a bad light to make Heihachi and Lars look good. Not even Masashi Kishimoto's favoritism for fucking Itachi Uchiha or Studio Pierrot's favoritism for Hinata Hyuga was this BAD. They fucked over Jin in Tekken 6 for the sake of Lars (that would be like if Dante from Devil May Cry was suddenly a genocidal war criminal for the sake of making Nero look good or if Mega Man X became a genocidal maverick for the sake of making Axl look badass - it's just cheap, lazy, and insulting). Kazuya is a victim of Harada's bullshit too, I mean in Tekken 7 they basically villainized a child abuse survivor who lost everything all because of his father while trying to make his abuser look sympathetic because Kazuya has the Devil Gene. Which makes seeing all the stupid Jin vs Kazuya debates bullshit on twitter and r/Tekken even more painful to look at because at the end of the day, the truth is that their characters got ruined for the sake of fucking Heihachi, Lars, and Reina.

Even worse, no one ever acknowledges this shit. NO ONE ever does. They just hate on Jin for ONE fucking game. They keep characterizing Jin like how he was in Tekken 6 - like that is how he always was since the beginning. Ignoring the existence of his personality and potrayal in Tekken 3-5. I remember having seen so many terrible Jin Kazama bashing fan fiction where Jin is potrayed as a ultra pure evil sociopathic r*pist monster who kills and r*pes both Hwoarang and Xiaoyu to make other characters like Kazuya and Lars look good. I have seen a god awful Naruto/Tekken crossover fanfic where Jin r*ped poor Sasuke Uchiha 50 times and pissed and pooped on Sasuke just to make Sasuke's lover Naruto and his brother Itachi look good and prove that Naruto and Itachi are the strongest anime characters of all time. Fortunately those god awful fan fictions are gone for good after the great fanfiction.net purge of 2012. But now there's still some fanfic on ao3 where Jin constantly gets r*ped by either Kazuya or Miguel as "punishment for his war crimes". Also don't even get me started on all the repetitive discourse about "Jin Kazama bad/evil because Tekken 6 so he should fucking die" on r/Tekken and the Youtube comments section that is still ongoing to this day. At this rate, if things don't get better I might actually take a break from Tekken and migrate straight back to the Berserk fandom and the Naruto fandom. Damn it...sorry if got too emotional there, I just wanted to let my thoughts out of here and I want things to go back to the way they used to be for us Jin Kazama fans.

I'm at the point where I seriously believe they're not gonna retcon Jin's actions in Tek8 and they seriously are just going with the "I'm sowwy I'm good now tho fr fr :3 :3" bit. Which... YEAH, while I'm still glad that Jin is returning to his old characterization, I do find it extremely difficult to fully enjoy it when they're still treating Tekken 6 as completely canon. Just because if it's not gonna be retconned, there's just no real explanation why Jin would suddenly turn into the cruelest motherfucker in Tek6, only for him to... revert back to his caring self in Tekken 8???? Like it's so inconsistent, and VERY bad inconsistent. Especially when all the characters (HIS VICTIMS!!! SUCH AS LARS AND ALISA!!) are being so supportive of him. Which some ppl would try to say "oh, well it's either be nice to the war criminal or get killed by Kazuya!" And it's like... ok. True. But there is a difference between being nice to somebody you need, versus telling them how proud you are of them, being straight up buddies, y'know? Lars and Jin literally have a reference to Ken and Ryu lmao.

And I will just NEVER understand why they don't retcon 6. It's so bizarre. No, I don't think everything should just be retconned but like. If you're gonna retcon things that weren't even problems to begin with (as you said, Jinpachi having the devil gene) then why can't they retcon something that most people DID have a problem with? Something that REALLY IS an inconsistency with the plot? Brainwashing is an easy excuse because it happens so often in fighting games. If Azazel can telepathically speak to Jin, then who's to say he couldn't do anything else to Jin's head? They can also use that as to why Jin was wildly inconsistent in 6 itself. (Going from insulting Alisa while she died, to claiming he's doing everything for the better good. You can say he wasn't in his right mind because he was literally brainwashed, but trying to break free from it - which he successfully did right before defeating Azazel.) I've said this several times now, but even if it was retconned that Jin was brainwashed - you can still have the whole "guilt" plot with him. Because yeah... even if somebody wasn't in control of their actions, they might still feel guilty if somebody used their body to carry out atrocities. Or like I often state in my depiction, Jin also feels guilty for his weakness, for not being able to fight off Devil and keep control.

It DRIVES me wild too. Like people talk about how Kazuya is being villainized just to prop Heihachi up, but for some reason not as many people bring up how Jin is also a victim of this. Both Kazuya and Jin, who were literally abused by Heihachi as innocent minors, are being depicted as The Worst People. Yeah, Kazuya's a pretty scummy guy despite what he went through... but to act like he's worse than Heihachi by retconning Heihachi to look better all while making both Jin and Kazuya worse is just wild. What made me really, REALLY mad is when Harada noticed that fans were still INSISTING that Jin's a hero, and he had to actually say "UHM ACTUALLY JIN STARTED WARS JIN STILL MORALLY GRAY CUZ OF THAT" but then he had THE GALL to say that Heihachi just "looks like an evil character"

OKAY, so JIN IS EVIL, OR AT LEAST, QUESTIONABLE BUT HEIHACHI IS NOT EVIL. Because... he's honest with himself???? He sure as fuck wasn't honest with nobody else! HE LIED TO HIS GRANDSON FOR 4 YEARS AND THEN KILLED HIM ONCE HIS GRANDSON WAS OF NO USE TO HIM. This really just shows how Harada views the characters based on his favoritism. (Even if he claims that Jin is his second favorite. Sure.)

Even though I like Lars, I'm gonna be honest - like most things in Tek6, I don't really fully understand the point of his character (in that game). Jin was already supposed to be the "good Mishima" - that was the whole point. So... why make Jin actually Bad, only to introduce... another Mishima that's the "good Mishima"????? Why not... just keep Jin the way he is lol. My brother said the point was that Lars was supposed to go evil, too, because Heihachi said some stupid shit about Mishimas all betraying each other and being bad to him in 6. But I'm really not sure if that was their intention or not. Like if they were really gonna go with the "All Mishima Bad" story, then why not have the main character be somebody totally unrelated? And idc what anyone tries to say bc Harada lied about it, Jin was never intended to be a bad guy, he was just a tragic hero - that's it.

And REINA... my god, Reina. Like yeah, she looks cool - I understand the hype. My biggest problem with her (originally) was her connection with Heihachi. I didn't care for another Surprise! Mishima family member. But My God, it really does feel at times that... Jin and Kazuya are being overshadowed because of the Reina hype. It actually had some fans asking if she's gonna be the true main character. Which I find it very disappointing that the long awaited Jin vs Kazuya fight, as well as Jun's first appearance in a main game after 27 years is being overshadowed by a new Heihachi kid OC ffs. I mean, when the game was first announced - they were hyping up Jun. But then after Reina was discovered... it just seemed like Reina Reina Reina lol.

FANS DRIVE ME WILD TOO OMGGG. Like fans will ALWAYS refer to Jin as a Forever The Worst Character Ever because of Tekken 6. Which is really bizarre, because they can acknowledge when they believe Kazuya is being written worse just to make Characters Look Better, yet... they can't acknowledge that Jin suffered from Character Assassination in Tekken 6 and how it was literally the only game where he behaved like that. Yes, in 7 - his depiction wasn't great, either. But it was still an improvement from 6. And in 3, 4, 5, and 8 - Jin's character is still mostly consistent. He's a quiet man who wants to help save the world despite the circumstances he's placed. He's a caring person. Yet BECAUSE OF 6... now he's forever seen as a horrible edgelord who's a hypocrite. 🙄 Honestly, I think a retcon is the only way to salvage fans' perception of Jin, and even then... I still think 6 will forever be a stain on Jin's character. Which I'll never forgive it for that.

As for fanfiction... there's a reason why i don't really read fanfics and I'm glad I don't lol. Yes, I know there are good ones... but there are just sooo many bad ones and I just don't really care to read 'em to see if I'd like 'em or not. But when going through live journal for Classic Fandom Posts just to see people's thoughts on Jin back in the day, I did find this post...

and it did make me think there must be a lot of those fics floating around at the time. You've only confirmed that, unfortunately.

I wish things would go back to the way it was, too. (Even if I can't remember what that was like LOL) Because God, I'd LOVE to be able to love this character and go through his tags without seeing a barrage of hate and why the character should die. I'd LOVE to be able to even BRING UP how much I love the character in public spaces without people saying "BUT HE STARTED A WORLD WAR!!111!1 HE'S HORRIBLE AND DESERVES NO GOOD THINGS!11!!" It just gets so exhausting and I understand why it'll upset you. Obvs, it upsets me a lot too, hence why I often go on my own rants. But I think the best thing for you to do is... rather than just completely staying away from the fandom, it's probs best to create your own little space. Like me for example, I've basically stopped interacting with those on Reddit and even on the majority of Tumblr. But since this is a Jin focused blog only, luckily other like-minded Jin fans find my blog, and we can all enjoy the character and understand what he is and isn't without others trying to hate on him. While I don't have fun on other websites, I can at least have fun with the character here and that makes me super happy.

[margridarnauds]

Ngl I always thought the discourse surrounding Ascended!Astarion was pretty boring. It's really a choice between encouraging his worst or his best instincts. Maybe him not being my favorite companion doesn't help (he's like. 3rd or 4th depending on my mood lol) and it's clear having him ascend is the Evil Option(tm), but also, sometimes I look at the discourse and just go: "Yeah. That dude is made of pixels whether you ascend him or have him stay a spawn. He can't hurt you. He's not real."

That's where I am, like. I was intrigued by Astarion in EA because I am, first and foremost, a vampirefucker and a villainfucker, then got annoyed with him in the full game, decided he wasn't for me, got bored, and jumped onto Devil Daddy and never looked back. I don't really care about him -- his arc is probably the best handled of any of the companions', but I don't really *care*. I remember there being some speculation in EA that there *wouldn't* be a Good Option, so I was surprised and happy that happened, then I got weary of the discourse and one side trying to prove that you're the actual devil if you support one ending over another, not helped by the fact that his story obviously appeals to abuse survivors who have a very personal stake in him + his arc and therefore tend to feel strongly about one ending VS another. (I have killed Astarion off in no fewer than two playthroughs, had sex with him in one, and am romancing him in another.)

Like, yes, Ascended is evil, yes, he's intended to be toxic and abusive, no, I don't really care, yes, it's fine to headcanon your Tav is in some kind of genuinely loving relationship with him (I'm a *Raphael* fan, I have no ground to stand on as far as "unrealistically affectionate morally black characters"), it literally doesn't matter, no the game isn't REALLY as smart as it thinks it is for only really "subverting expectations" with romances that primarily appeal to straight women (when straight men have had the lion's share of video game romances designed for them for DECADES), but it isn't worth the degree of discourse it gets either and I hear more bitching about A!A fans than I do actual A!A content. You're not traumatizing real abuse survivors by ascending him, keeping him as a Spawn, having sex with him, or staking him at your earliest opportunity, he's pixels. He's a fun little Ken doll that you can dress up in shiny armor and take with you on fun adventures and then put him in clown makeup when he says something racist or that furthers the cycle of abuse. The discourse gets very repetitive very quickly, with both sides repeating the same points ad nauseam, especially a year post-release, and I'd rather spend time talking about Devil Daddy or Drow Mommy. I even get tired of talking about how tired I am of Astarion, because there are other parts of the game I'm much more interested in with characters I'm much more invested in, and talking about how tired I am of him is still talking about him (not @ you, of course, since I obviously answered this and have a bit to say, just at the general way that Astarion still dominates fandom conversations even when they're negative).

[bedlamsbard]

Reread the Hydra Cap AU and I really enjoyed it once more; it fucks supremely. I know that you are not a huge Tony Stark fan, and that’s legit, and if he wasn’t a major player in that hypothetical fic, it would make sense, BUT. I do really enjoy what you’ve set up for him in the concept writing. What’s he got going for him without his Vast Fortune, yknow? Obviously, the trope of the genius inventor working his way up from nothing is problematic and a bit silly, but. Well-executed it’s fun, yknow

Thank you! I really do think about this one daily, though there are a couple of reasons it hasn't gone beyond concept writing. Chief among which is that it doesn't have a plot, just set-up, and part of that set-up involves running out all the events of Phase 1. (The sticking point has actually been Thor, since so many of the events of that movie are driven by factors that wouldn't be affected by the HYDRA-SHIELD changeup, but have pretty drastic consequences further down the line; if Loki and the Chitauri are still invading in this AU, it completely changes the dynamics and plot of the story. If they're not, then SHIELDRA's response back in Thor has to explain why not.) (And the way my brain works I can't just ignore it because it's more convenient.)

Tony was always intended to be a main character in the story (or maybe a secondary character -- Yonder level of involvement, anyway, not Horizon level), since part of the conceit was setting up the Avengers in secret. The AU's divergence point is back in IM1, during the Tony-Obadiah fight at the end of the film, with Tony and Pepper believed killed when the building collapsed. (Possibly Obadiah did not get fried by the arc reactor overloading? Specifics aren't important.) SHIELD -- which was still run by Fury at this point -- pulled Tony and Pepper out of the rubble, but Obadiah had already rushed a funeral and completed his takeover of the company. While Tony and Pepper were recovering, Obadiah sold the prototype of his version of the suits -- the Chessmen suits -- to Alexander Pierce (a.k.a. to Hydra), which tipped Fury off and started him digging, tipping Pierce off and resulting in an attempted assassination and a successful hostile takeover of SHIELD. Basically the SHIELD on SHIELD violence from CATWS but the bad guys won.

Tony was out of the fight the whole time, since he was still recovering from having a building dropped on him, but was at Fury's secret base when he and the SHIELD loyalists limped back after the end of that fight. (The named ones are Clint Barton, Maria Hill, and Phil Coulson, but it was a pretty significant number of survivors; other loyalists, including Natasha and Sharon Carter, remained undercover at SHIELD/HYDRA.) Since then Tony's been with realSHIELD (and has upgraded the Iron Man suit); at some point he was able to get in touch with Rhodey, who's still with the USAF and is still technically the liaison to Stark/Stane Industries, now doing the spy thing. Tony built him the War Machine suit but I don't think he's had a chance to wear it yet. I don't know exactly what he would be doing in this hypothetical story, but he would be in it, especially for a rematch with Iron Monger and the Chessmen suits. He's with realSHIELD, so he's not exactly working himself up from nothing in this scenario. It would still be a Steve and Natasha focused story, but he's there.

As for whether or not I'm a Tony fan -- I actually am; he is not my favorite character in the MCU, but he is a character I do really like. It is just not super obvious in my writing because most of my fic has set been set post-CACW and because I mostly write with a Steve and Natasha focus, Tony does not come out well from their POVs at this point in time. I know that the fandom is really polarized on the team Iron Man vs. team Cap issue; it is one of the few times when I have been stopped IRL by a stranger over Marvel. (It is the one time I've seen Marvel fen act like SW fen in terms of taking sides in a fight I wasn't aware I was having.) Within the CACW to Endgame timeline there's not really any way to write any of the characters involved without having it come off as taking sides and that ends up reflecting back as "the author does not like either Steve or Tony," which is not true; I write the characters like I see them in the films and during this timeline they are portrayed by the PTB as being EXTREMELY polarized towards each other. I'm not a hack; if I'm writing him at a different point in time, I'm not going to write him the same way I do during the IW timeline. If/when I go back to Reaches he'll be a viewpoint character there and that'll be Avengers!Tony.