#the fact I have and enjoy ships that contradict canon is something so unique to the keeper fandom for me

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hi i have some shipping questions just for fun! What're your favorite kotlc ships? which ship do you think has the most creative potential when in your hands? Are there ships you like to read about but wouldn't write about?

(yes this includes fanon interpretations of characters/ships and the canon ones, you always have cool commentary so i'm ok if you talk about either side!)

hope you have a good day!

I also hope you have a good day! I'll preface this by saying I'm the kind of queer where romance doesn't interest me/I don't often notice it, so I'm not super involved or opinionated. I can still answer the questions, just letting you know where I'm coming from :)

I think my favorite ship is keefitz, there's something compelling about them. It's something to do with how long they've known each other, what they've been through together, the "perfect" boy and the trouble maker finding out they aren't as many worlds apart as they thought. From Keefe's pov its about being loved and cared for by someone he always saw as untouchable and so far above him and realizing he has worth, for Fitz it's about embracing imperfection and realizing he can be loved and cared for for his imperfections, not in spite of him. And for both of them, that there are people who can and will weather their rough patches by their side without having to ask. with all they've gone through and the ups and downs, it also adds a sort of ambiguity at times as to who/what they are to each other that I very much appreciate--I love undefined but incredibly meaningful connections

(addition: i'm also fond of tiertice because of the fandom, and have a soft spot for sokeefitz because of lucas, but right now keefitz is my favorite)

As for creative potential in my hands, I'm not sure! I think ships/characters I enjoy more have more potential because I'm more motivated to create and try new things with them. I will say I've been increasingly thinking about titz recently (because fitz and tam are my favorite characters), so I'm curious what I could do with them. There's also more potential not just for characters I like, but for ones I know better. I know Sophie and Keefe much better than say, Marella and Stina, so it's easy to play around with them even though they're not my favorite because I can keep them in character in different situations better. So I wouldn't say there's one with the most creative potential, just that I can do more with dynamics/characters I'm familiar with because I'm comfortable writing them. Which includes Sophie, Keefe, Fitz at the top, since they've gotten more focus in the series

And I don't think there's any ship I really read but wouldn't write for--I have to admit, for being a fic writer I don't actually read a lot of fics just in general. And since I'm not a romance person and a healthy portion of fics are ship focused, I end up reading fic even less. I'll do it for fun from time to time if an interesting sounding one crosses my dash or to support a friend (I say, still not having finished Summer's keefitz fic), but reading fic isn't a big thing for me. I prefer writing it. But back to the point, for keeper nothing immediately comes to mind that I'd read but wouldn't write. I'm pretty open to writing a variety of ships :)

I hope those answers are satisfactory, but I'm always down to talk more! And thank you for the comment about my cool commentary, nice to know I have interesting things to say sometimes!

[kadoodles-on-ao3]

So uh... How do you feel about Nikol's existence?

I technically shouldn't know who that is yet but... I do. And. Well. You can probably guess by how you worded this ask hahaha.

Not surprised at all, if you like them as a couple then good for you and hope you're enjoying the DLC, you don't need me on your side because they're canon so that can satisfy you content-wise plus my opinions are silly and don't matter, etc etc, all I've said before applies here.

Honestly, if anything, the only unique thing I have to add here* is how his design really demonstrates how much Shulk and Fiora look like siblings lmao. There's even a (really cool!) fan mod to alter Fiora's hair and skin color to look more like her (actual) brother, so I'm not alone in seeing this haha.

So, Nikol. He sure does exist. Dude looks just like Shulk because his dad and mom both look like Shulk so what else could he look like. That's about all the thoughts I have haha (at least until I actually play more of 3 and see what he's like).

Non-ask-related ramblings under the cut because it's me, of course I rambled haha.

As I really don't like to nor want to rain on anyone's parade, as well as enjoy talking about the ship I like (because of course), I've made an effort to mentally retrack my train of thought (? idk how else to describe it lol) whenever my NOTP comes up by converting it into an opportunity to talk about my OTP instead of complaining. (See also my comment on What If We Kissed In The Weapons Development Lab where I mentioned going back into my fic and adding more details of Shulk being enamored by Melia whenever I came across Shiora while writing it lol.)

So, Shulkelia kids! I'm personally not one for creating OCs, in general or for media I like. Not that I dislike them or even the thought/process of making them! It just doesn't come to me as easily or interest me as much as digging into canon details and playing around with them. But I did come up with a couple rough concepts for what they might look like and how their parents might decide on their names... if they even would want to have kids in the first place, that is, I'm still unsure about that haha. But fanfiction can be whatever you want it to be and that's the fun of it, so maybe sometime I'll try developing those small ideas into something more (especially if it's something people are interested in reading)! If anything I'm most attached to my little blurbs I wrote about how they and their kids would interact with Reyn and Sharla and their kids, lots of cute potential there :)

(*Well, I can add something more, and I originally was going to do it! Not to contradict my whole don't-like-raining-on-anyone's-parade point, but again I want to stress, my intention with this is I just really enjoy analyzing details and understanding why I react to things in the way that I do. But I did mention to a previous ask that I have in-game writing reasons for why I dislike Shiora, it's not just personal experience from my life outside of the fandom or in observing it. In fact on my first playthrough of the game I was all for it and even saved a bunch of fanart of the two together on my phone, I see it when scrolling through my gallery all the time! It really fascinates me how drastically my perspective shifted after just one small moment at the very end of the game, and then on replaying it everything fell apart like a house of cards to me, wild stuff I can't compare the experience to anything else haha. Anyway if anyone's interested in seeing my take on that aspect of their writing, once again, feel free to send me an ask about it!)

[pumpkinpaix]

*waves* Hi! New(ish) follower, I followed for your posts about translation which are beautiful (especially the one about the imagery of "Zewu-jun") and thought-provoking; I don't have a good segue so here are some Salty Asks I'd like to know your answers to concerning MDZS: 5, 9, 10, 12, 23

oh, that’s so sweet of you!! thank you I’m really happy you enjoyed them 💛

okay salt incoming let’s see--all opinions are my own, no one has to agree with me, etc! and in true cyan fashion, this ask meme response actually needs a readmore  l m a o

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

fandom has not ruined any ships in mdzs for me, but it has made me way more critical of both wangxian and xicheng interpretations. not in the sense that like, I think they are bad! i love wangxian and xicheng, but I have very very specific feelings about them that I rarely see reflected in popular fandom interpretations. (because i am a picky bitch lol) 

wangxian tends to get the “they did no wrong and their love is righteous” treatment which I find disingenuous and believe directly contradicts the point of mdzs. i think that wangxian is fundamentally a very selfish relationship, and that that is, in fact, a good thing. i love that about them. i care so much about the assertion that your desires do not have to be perfect and righteous to still matter and be worthwhile. i don’t understand the impulse to make wangxian into a pure ship that triumphs and “deserves” a happy ending because they were right all along. I always felt like the entire point of mdzs was that--you can be the most terrible person, you can do unspeakable harm, and still be loved and deserving of that love. i think wangxian is compelling and moving specifically for that reason, and I often have to back out of interpretations that don’t acknowledge it in the way that i want them to. a lot of interpretations tend to idealize wwx and lwj in ways that I disagree with, and I’ve seen a lot of vitriolic pushback over anything that’s seen as even vaguely critical of either of them, when the point isn’t that “wwx/lwj is a bad person because he is selfish” the point is that “wwx/lwj’s choices are selfishly motivated” -- that’s not meant to be a value judgment, at least for me.

(i understand that a lot of this has to do with CQL’s influence, in which wangxian IS narratively rewarded for their righteousness, but as I’ve discussed at length, I think that positioning undermines what makes mdzs so powerful to me in the first place. not that i don’t love CQL!! i do love CQL--they have made a beautiful thing within the constraints that they had. but I think the novel is much stronger thematically.)

as for xicheng: i think that their relationship could be extraordinarily interesting if done in specific ways--I do not think they are well-suited to each other at any point in the canon timeline, but that they could be something really good maybe 10 years post-canon. I used to really like the idea of xicheng romantically, but as time goes on, I’m leaning harder into friendship. I think they have a lot of uniquely shared life experiences, and that it would be really good for both of them to have a person that they knew understood those experiences intimately: the pressures of leading a sect before adulthood, the grief of losing your family in a massacre and being unable to save them, the betrayal of someone who was once so close to you--that’s a lot. and i think there are very few people in their generation who could truly understand that. (for this reason, I also think lxc and xxc would be a very interesting relationship to see many many years post-canon, if xxc were ever revived) but during canon? no, absolutely not. i don’t think lxc has the slightest interest in jc, and i don’t think jc is particularly moved by lxc either, beyond a distant “yeah i mean, he’s the first jade everyone loves him sure moving on” kind of way. they both have their own shit to deal with, and before lxc’s seclusion and also before the core reveal, i think jc is too angry and vicious for lxc and lxc is too soft and toothless for jc. for someone to really convince me on xicheng, jc has to move towards some kind of self-forgiveness and peace and lxc has to move towards self-assertion. then I think they can meet somewhere in the middle of all that.

and like, it’s not that i won’t read silly fluffy aus or like canonverse stuff with them in a ship, but i admit that because it’s grown so popular but not at all in the ways that i personally want, I’m frustrated with and have retreated from reading it. unless it’s done in the specific way i like, it has too much of a pair the spares vibe for me to get behind it anymore.

9. Most disliked character(s)? Why?

jin guangshan, obvious reasons, next

ok well, i guess to elaborate even slightly: jin guangshan, to me, is the embodiment of the systems within mdzs that cause tragedy. he and chang ci’an are similar in that respect? like, the callousness with which they treat people they consider beneath them. what is nothing to them is ruinous for another, but why should they care? but jgs really had every advantage handed to him and chose to use that advantage to hurt others in really insidious ways and i can’t forgive that. jin zixun is also on this list, but like, still ahead of jgs bc he’s younger. -_- i suppose in that respect, i also very much dislike chang ci’an, but that’s a bit harder to quantify, given that we know almost nothing about him.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

huh. uhhhh. i think i actually really like all of them? in the novel anyways. if we’re talking CQL, yin iron plot ugh.

12. Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

I think for similar reasons to 10, not really! I don’t see a lot of hate for any specific plot arc. Oh, maybe the incense burners? I completely unironically love those. people rag a lot on mxtx’s smut, but it’s very important to me for a number of like, personal mental health reasons lol.

23. Unpopular character you love?

xue yang! i think xue yang’s character raises a very interesting point about equivalent justice that kinda gets swept away in all the uhhhh murder. and it’s a point that has really big thematic repercussions, I think? but the way it’s worded makes it very easy to dismiss.

very briefly: xue yang is right when he says that 50 lives cannot pay back his finger, because there is nothing that can pay back that finger. no vengeance or sentence visited upon chang ci’an will ever be equal to the injustice that he visited upon xue yang. i think there’s a bit of naivety in the way xxc says “why didn’t you cut off his finger then? or his whole arm, if that wasn’t enough?” and the answer I think is very obvious--xy cutting off cca’s finger would not in any way be the same kind of trauma that xy losing his finger was, esp if chang ci’an knew who xue yang was. there would be an understanding in that: i am losing my finger because this man blames me for the loss of his finger. but to xue yang, a 7 year old? the pain he experienced was completely senseless and cruel and terrifying.

does that mean xue yang was justified? no jesus christ, but i do think it ties very neatly into the general themes of what it means to get vengeance, what it means to get justice, and how cycles of trauma eventually end. so i love him for that.

on a lesser note, but a similar one: i rather like su she, I think. there is something about like, jgy’s “all i had to do was remember his name and he was willing to die for me” that gets to me. there’s a huge tragedy in that somewhere.

wow i have no idea if any of that was coherent im very sleepy

salt asks

[softlywithhissong]

I’m calling bullshit on your hate.

STOP STEREOTYPING SANGWOO FANS!

I am a Sangwoo fan. I am also a Bum fan. A strange dichotomy, I know.

Both of these characters exhibit problematic behavior, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a fan of them, either individually or simultaneously. Does being a fan of either of these characters mean that you support these damaging behaviors in real life? NO. Calling out people who support REAL LIFE crimes is fine, but calling out people who are trying to enjoy being a fan of a FICTIONAL character IS NOT OKAY. You are clearly not helping real life people by doing so. You are being judgemental and self-righteous, shaming people to feel superior and patting yourself on the back for it. You not only contradict yourself several times, but you also act entitled to hate real people for liking something you personally don’t, have the arrogance to proclaim what the author “better not” do, and wish ill on real people. The hypocrisy is appalling. Do you not see the irony? You are not protecting people from real life abuse BY HATING ON REAL LIFE FANS of a fictional character. You are in fact engaging in verbally abusing real life people. It doesn’t matter what the character does; it’s fiction. Are there real people existing out in the big wide world who do crimes or support criminals? Yes, but to generalize, stereotype, and basically accuse FANS of being as bad as the people who do this or to conflate us and lump us together is disgusting, illogical, and highly offensive.

How can we “still stan his ass / this ship”? We can because the beauty of fandom is that you get to pick and choose what you like. You get to twist it up, turn it inside out, and make it into an AU parody of itself. ART IS SUBJECTIVE. It’s about what individual thing each and every one of us found gut wrenching or what pulled at our heartstrings. Don’t invalidate what other people found or resonated with just because it’s not the same thing you did. People fear different things. People emphasize, magnify, and conversely minimize different things based on what concerns each of us individually. That’s okay and people shouldn’t be shamed for having a different opinion. After all, being a fan is a form of opinion. And opinions are not facts. Don’t confuse the two; you holding an opinion does not make your opinion a fact.

Fiction is about emotional catharsis. It doesn’t matter that stealing a car or killing a dog are not crimes worthy of the death penalty in real life - I wanted to see John Wick kill all those fuckers for killing that little puppy.

And NOT ALL MEDIA should have a healthy or happy ending. Was Romeo and Juliet’s double suicide a healthy ending? NO. It was a tragedy! Tragedies have an important place in media. They often serve as cautionary tales. If you want another cliched boring “bad guy dies/goes to jail” ending, WHY ARE YOU SHAMING FANS WHO WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT? You have an endless supply of your preferred ending. Go watch one of the thousand CSI/detective/cop procedural shows. They are everywhere. While I enjoy psychological thrillers (AS RARE AS THEY ARE), I am also a fan of some great detective shows and murder mysteries. I could recommend so many fantastic ones. But some of us want a unique ending for Killing Stalking, even if that means something “unhealthy” by real life moral standards. It was labeled a psychological thriller, after all. Not a mystery. Not a detective story. It was also labeled BL, and even if it gets a twisted/unhealthy ending because of the psychological thriller genre, it still qualifies because twisted BL is still BL.

I do not excuse Sangwoo’s abusive treatment of Bum. I’m often disappointed and angry on Bum’s behalf. And while I find it difficult to believe canon Bum would be in a healthy relationship with anyone (and I would love to make a post about how I see his fondness for frogs as symbolism for his relationships), I still have the ability to enjoy the possibilities of a healthy fanon-based relationship or even appreciate the grim take of a tragic and/or twisted unhealthy ending. This is how I still ship Sangbum in certain contexts, but not always, because context matters and it depends. I know that sentence sounds ridiculous, but that’s how it works! Because it’s OKAY TO SHIP FICTIONAL UNHEALTHY SHIPS. Because it’s fiction. And if people can vent their issues through the written word in order to not do so in real life, good. Many people find reading/writing therapeutic. Some authors write a lot of problematic behavior as angst. Do they deserve hate? NO. There are plenty of instances when I have shipped a healthy ship but not shipped it (and in fact wanted them not to end up together) in certain fics because I felt the fic had portrayed an unhealthy relationship. But did I send hate to the author of that fic when that ship ended up together anyway? NO. Just because it ended in a way I didn’t like didn’t give me or anyone else the right to spread hate or shame over a fictional story.

Also, as a Bum fan, I do not appreciate seeing any victim blaming of Bum. There’s some out there (including your despicable “Bum better not” comment), but at least this hate is not anywhere near the amount of Sangwoo hate. As a fan of both characters, I can see that there is clearly so much more Sangwoo hate out there. And it’s fine to criticize, dislike, or even hate Sangwoo as a character, but it’s NOT OKAY to hate on his fans. He is a fictional character, but his fans are real people.

I am a fan of Sangwoo because he is an intriguing, complex, and well-written character. He’s got flaws. All characters do. And I understand his flaws are pretty damn big. But I understand that he’s a fictional character. I would never support a real person committing such crimes or abuse. So, frankly, while you may find my being a fan “annoying” - I will not be shamed or hated upon.

To quote my sister, “In the safety of fiction, we can deconstruct the complexities of what’s morally gray.”

In other words, exploration through FICTION, discussion, and debate are welcome. Hateful posts are not.

This is a long post, so I’ll put my further calling bullshit on arguments made by haters behind a “Keep Reading” link:

Also, the criticisms for being a fan because of “fetishizing gay men” are bullshit. Firstly, anything anyone finds hot could be labeled “fetishizing” which is ridiculous. Secondly, some fans are gay men who are not “fetishizing” - they are simply enjoying the story even if it is twisted. (It’s okay to be a fan of a story that portrays an unhealthy relationship; not every story is meant to be a moral standard.) But also, this bullshit argument is just reducing people down to a ridiculous stereotype used to stifle women in fandom. This has been used through the ages and it is wrong. Are there possibly straight women out there objectifying gay men the way straight men would objectify gay women? Yeah, there’s probably some. But I’ve been in fandom a LONG time and this is not representative of fans in general, let alone all female fans. How about you let women consume all forms of media they find identifiable, cathartic, containing unique storyline with complex flawed characters, or even (gasp) entertaining? Stop shaming people. And maybe especially - don’t resort to misogynistic tropes to do so. I think it’s safe to say that fans (including female fans) generally tend to be a fan for more than just a character’s appearance and body parts. There’s usually character traits, personality quirks, things that draw you to go beyond casual reading/watching into becoming a fan.

Personally, I identify with stories portraying gay relationships equally as much if not more than with stories portraying heterosexual relationships. Maybe that’s because I’m bisexual, but I don’t think so. I believe that straight people can also find themselves identifying with the story and the struggles portrayed - no matter what the sexual orientation of the pairing portrayed.

You think I only like portrayals of gay men rather than women? No, I like both. Killing Eve is a fantastic example of a fandom that I would love to see grow! I despair at how small the fandom is compared to my usual fandoms, but it’s new! It can grow and I can’t wait for season 2. The harsh reality, though, is that f/f ships tend to be smaller fandoms. This may be due to so few well-written female characters in general throughout media - though, this is improving and having more female writers in media helps. Killing Eve has great characters and really great writing, so hopefully they can buck this trend and grow a decently large fandom featuring f/f ships. Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe from Legends of Tomorrow are a pretty big ship, which is heartening, and Xena/Gabrielle from Xena Warrior Princess were an absolute juggernaut back in the day (kudos to anyone who recognized Xena from my main tumblr’s icon).

You think I only like hot men? Or that I excuse the actions of killers who are hot men? NO. I watched The Fall with Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, where Jamie Dornan played the serial killer and NO - I was not a fan of his character, let alone attempted to excuse any actions by his character whatsoever, even after they explained his tragic backstory. And You on Netflix is just too obnoxious in my personal opinion for me to even watch. But I’d never take time out of my day to hate on any fan who enjoys it.

Calling out problematic stuff in media is fine, but don’t use it as an excuse to spit vitriol and hate at fans who you disagree with.

P.S. Seriously, ask me for recs of good detective shows/murder mysteries. I’ve got so many I could recommend that are way better written than most. Want a female detective? I’ve got plenty. Want a gay male detective? Got it. Want a murder mystery twist where the murderer wins? Got that.

[avaantares]

So uh, I’m really really disappointed with the Torchwood fandom right now (over what you addresses in your post about being respectful/a normal human being online), and I’m just not quite sure how to deal with that. Sorry to barge in with this, but you seem like a really understanding, level-headed person 😅

I feel you, Anon, and you are certainly not the only one I’ve heard from! A number of people have told me they’ve been growing more uncomfortable with the fandom’s atmosphere lately, and have been actively avoiding posting about certain topics for fear of dogpiling. (This actually came up in a few private conversations before I made the post you referenced, and helped cement my decision to speak up.)

This post is long, so here’s a dash-saver. Below the jump I talk about the state of the Torchwood fandom, how people can avoid and resolve drama on their own posts, and some things everyone can do to make the internet a nicer place.

While my recent post was not targeted solely at the Torchwood fandom (the “how dare you differ in opinion from me” trend is disturbingly widespread; see also: politics), it is true that there has been a lot of sectionalism and polarization in that fandom lately. Fandom niches have always existed, but as the Torchwood fandom shrinks – whether due to natural attrition, lack of interest in the new content, or whatever reason – the Venn circles for each area of interest also shrink, making each group appear more segregated, and resulting in less crossover and less generalized Torchwood fandom.

Now, specific interest groups within the fandom are not a bad thing! They occur naturally, since not everyone engages with fandom the same way. Some people listen to the new Big Finish releases, while others have only seen the original series. Some people enjoy trading headcanons, while others aren’t interested. Some people create fanart or fanfiction, while others just reblog gifsets. Some people are only in the fandom for one specific character, and that’s okay! We’re all fans of the same source material; we can all share and respect each other’s unique interests!

The problems arise when we stop doing that, when interest groups become isolationist (i.e. ”we’re the only real fans”), or when one group decides their focus/interest is more important than another group’s or individual’s. If any group begins policing or calling out other fans who don’t share their views, that’s a problem. If fans are afraid to share their opinion on a topic because of the threat of harassment or name-calling from other fans, that’s a problem. If we can no longer politely discuss our respective viewpoints or agree to disagree, that’s a problem. If we all start blocking each other because we can’t get over the fact that Person A loves Gwen Cooper and Person B doesn’t, or Person C ships Person D’s NoTP, or Person E headcanons a character as a particular sexuality/alignment/whatever and Person F has a different headcanon, there will be no fandom left because everyone who loves Torchwood will be on another fan’s block list.

“But wait!” Person A cries. “[Opinion I hold] is really important to me, and is relevant to my personal identity! By disagreeing with me, Person B is being disrespectful to my identity!”

Sorry, but no. Certainly, Person A is allowed their opinion, and that opinion may well be informed by their personal identity or beliefs. But Person B is also allowed an opinion, which may also be informed by their identity or beliefs. Person A’s personal opinion is no more or less valid than Person B’s. It’s not about B being disrespectful to A by voicing an alternate opinion; it’s about both A and B showing mutual respect by acknowledging that the other person has an opinion.

Of course, just because you’re fully entitled to state an opinion doesn’t mean you are correct, or that you have license to say anything you want free of consequence. Any time you put your opinion out there, you are opening yourself up to disagreement or rebuttal.

“So how can I avoid people aggressively disagreeing with me?” Person A asks. “I hate reading dissenting viewpoints, especially on my own posts.”

Well, you have two options. Option 1 is for those who honestly can’t handle any level of conflict or disagreement, and that’s not to post your opinion at all.

“That’s no fun!” says Person A. “I like to share my opinions.”

Well, that brings us to Option 2: Set the tone of your posts. See, here’s the thing: If you post your opinion in an agonistic manner, you’re more likely to elicit agonistic response. Here’s an example of two different post tones:

A’s Post: I went outside today and looked up, and the sky looked blue to me, so I think the actual color of the sky must be blue.

This is a clear statement of opinion, phrased with supporting rationale, but it’s focused on the person who holds that opinion, rather than targeting or disparaging someone who subscribes to a different one. A dissenter might counter with this:

B’s Response: I’ve always thought the sky looked white. Those puffy spots up there are definitely white, so I think that’s the real color of the sky.

It’s relatively polite, with no offensive personal remarks, and (again) it’s focused on why they personally believe what they do. It is likely that this sort of rational discussion could continue for many exchanges without becoming heated or aggressive. Maybe one will convince the other, or maybe they’ll stick to their own beliefs and agree to disagree, but nobody’s getting hurt and nobody’s getting blocked.

Now, compare that to this type of post:

A’s Post: OMG I hate when those white-sky idiots say the sky is white, they must all be MORONS because it’s clearly BLUE and if you don’t agree you’d best unfollow me NOW because i don’t want you anywhere near my posts. This is a BLUE SKY ONLY BLOG.

This person has already personally attacked anyone with a different view, drawn a line in the sand, and declared that this is the hill they will die on – all without supporting their opinion with a shred of evidence or reason. Naturally, this will only serve to inflame the other side:

B’s Response: HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A MORON, I’ll have you know I have a Master’s Degree in Cloud Watching and I wrote my thesis on why the sky is white. Only uneducated idiots think the sky is blue. BLOCKED.

Yeah, this exchange is never going to result in any kind of rational discussion. It is already 100% emotional, and there is no actual discussing going on, just name-calling. Getting involved in this kind of argument is a waste of time and energy, will not change anyone’s mind, and will only succeed in stressing out all parties.

“But the sky really IS blue!” Person A protests. “It doesn’t matter what tone I take, I’m still right!”

Nah, in this case both sides are wrong. The sky’s apparent color depends on the angle of the sun’s rays, humidity, and the way light in the visible spectrum is scattered by air molecules. It looks blue when the sun is high, and red or orange when the sun is near the horizon, but the sky itself is colorless. (There’s your science fact for the day). Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how right OP thinks they are; chances are the other person is just as convinced that they’re right, and it’s entirely possible that you’re fighting over something completely arbitrary or fundamentally unimportant.

And that brings me back to the Torchwood fandom and the hill-I-will-die-on arguments that have been plaguing it more and more in recent months. There is one thing I think we can ALL agree on, no matter our individual interests, and that is that Torchwood’s canon is a hot buttered mess. The original TV series is internally inconsistent; the novels contradict both the TV series and other novels; the comics contradict themselves, the novels, and the TV series; Miracle Day contradicts EVERYTHING that came before, including parent series Doctor Who; and the Big Finish dramas try really hard to respect all the prior releases, and mostly just end up creating their own canon, because it’s utterly impossible to reconcile everything. If canon can’t even agree on relatively simple things like

whether or not Jack can get drunk (no: BBC novels / yes: also BBC novels)

whether or not Jack can sleep/dream (no: TV and BBC novels / yes: also TV and BBC novels, plus BBC audio dramas)

if Jack and Ianto went on a date after KKBB (yes: BBC novels / no: also BBC novels)

what year Owen was born (1980: TV and Torchwood Magazine / 1981: TV and BBC novels)

what Ianto’s sister’s last name is (Evans: The Torchwood Archives / Davies: CoE)

…there are bound to be contradictory fan views on more complex issues, and there may not be a clear “correct” or “incorrect” position. It is possible to find canon support for nearly any Torchwood headcanon, because Torchwood canon is consistently inconsistent. Don’t make every issue a hard line in the sand. Accept that people are different, and based on their own unique backgrounds and experiences, people can legitimately come to different conclusions when presented with the same canon evidence (or lack thereof).

(Hmm… it’s almost like this principle could also apply to real-life sources of conflict like politics, religion, and social and cultural norms. Maybe keeping an open mind is a good idea in general…?)

“Well, it’s MY blog, and I can say what I want,” says Person A. “If people don’t like it that’s their problem.”

That is absolutely true. But remember, whatever you put out there is likely going to come right back at you. If you go with a rude or aggressive stance, or if you make personal attacks, you should expect your replies/reblogs to be just as nasty. If you escalate, so will they.

“Okay, so what if I post something polite and someone STILL comes back with a nasty response?” Person A asks. “I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now, and it isn’t even my fault!”

There are a couple of solutions to this that don’t involve breaking out the napalm:

Check for a misunderstanding. It’s hard to interpret tone in plain text sometimes. If you think the person may have honestly misinterpreted your post, maintain the polite tone and either clarify your post, or ask them (nicely) to explain why they are so upset about what you posted. Look for resolution, rather than merely refuting their post.

Don’t respond. “Be the bigger person” may sound cliche, but believe it or not, the world will not end if you choose not to engage someone on the internet. There is great power in putting down the phone or stepping away from the keyboard, and it’s much better for your blood pressure and stress level. Plus, if that person keeps raging on posts and not getting any responses, it may make them wonder why nobody pays attention to their opinions. Speaking of which…

“YOO-HOO!” hollers Person Z from waaaaaaay over in the corner. “Hi there! I just came for the fanart, and I’d like to participate more, but I’m really stressed out by the way this fandom is arguing all around me. I’m worried that if I post anything, someone will yell at me and tell me I’m wrong. That would really upset me.”

So let’s talk positive reinforcement for a second! This is where the casual observers and innocent bystanders can have a lot of power to steer the direction that fandom grows. Ultimately, the goal of all social media is to elicit interaction, whether that’s in the form of Likes, Reblogs, Replies, Retweets, Shares, Follows, or what have you. Giving posts this kind of interaction is like praising the writer. Reblogging also makes that post visible to more people, potentially attracting them to your fandom circle. Posts with more notes get seen more, read more, and can set the tone for other fandom interactions. The more rational, polite posts get spread around and accumulate notes, the more rational, polite people will be likely to get involved, and the more likely a new post on that topic will be worded in a rational, polite way. Whereas interacting with argumentative, nasty, stressful posts will tend to make new people avoid your fandom, and will encourage more people to turn things into a drama-fest because that’s what gets the notes, and notes are currency.

So when you see a post that just looks like a slap-fight or upsets you in some way, just ignore it and keep right on scrolling. You don’t need to attract drama to yourself or your blog, and you don’t need to feed that machine. But if you see someone doing it right, or if there’s an ongoing polite discussion, consider getting involved in the conversation! You can comment, reblog, reply or just like if you don’t have anything to add. Pay the polite, thoughtful interactions in notes and let the harsh posts die an unreblogged death.

So, dear Anon, that’s a very long-winded expansion on my previous post, and one you didn’t exactly ask for. :) But you’re not alone; many of us want to initiate change for the better. I hope we can help the fandom return to the happier, more collaborative place it was not so long ago.

Be kind to each other, be respectful, let go of whatever is driving you to have the last word, and we’ll all have more fun and significantly lower blood pressure.

[esperanzacboronial]

Aging and Luchino for the askmeme?

I’m putting this under the cut because it’s a long one. I got carried away a little bit because I,, love them.

Aging: 

A: Where did Luchino find this woman? I’ve thought a lot about it, and I feel like given Narita’s track record, since she’s not a career assassin and she’s good at fighting, she was probably either a) in the army or b) in the circus. In the Naritaverse those seem to be the main options. I’m leaning towards former army because 1) I could absolutely see her being discharged due to insubordination I mean oh my g-d, 2) seems very very very comfortable with guns, 3) would be a nice parallel to Huey picking up his followers from army defects. 

B: When Death was alive the two of them were big on contests of strength. Got a few spare minutes before a mission? Push up contest. How many pullups can you do while hanging from the side of this building? I can do 30. When Death is referred to as the strongest among them Illness fumes, but Aging chortles, “I beat him at standing arm wrestling just five minutes ago, c’mon.” Empathy isn’t her thing, so she doesn’t feel anything when she finds out he’s dead, but she’s pretty bummed out because neither Life nor Illness will have these absurd competitions with her in his place.

C: Not even headcanon, but the Mask Makers are, uh… they seem to be really sexist, on the whole. Two of their strongest fighters are women, and these two get constantly put down and underestimated — and the effect that has on Illness, who doesn’t want to be good at killing people, is a lot different than the effect it has on Aging, who legitiamtely enjoys it, who sees it as her skill, her trade. She has to deal 24/7 with people ignoring and dismissing work that she’s actually proud of, but she takes it all in stride and good humour because she knows that reacting to it would only make them think less of her.

D: I can’t… really think of any headcanons that are definitely never going to happen in canon? she’s only really just gotten her start in canon. anything could happen.

Luchino:

A: Luchino being tiny as he is is a laugh when it comes to, you know, Aging deadlifting him, but when you put it into context with the fact that he’s consistently doing something causes him to be physically sick, and has been doing that thing since childhood, and does so regularly enough that he’s able to just calmly count how many times he’s thrown up in each instance — when you put that together with him being that small (smaller than Sylvie at, what, 17ish?), it seems to suggest malnourishment. I know men can reach full maturity a lot later, but given that his lifestyle is so unhealthy, mentally and emotionally and, as a result of that mental and emotional strain, physically, it seems pretty likely that he’s stunted his growth. 

B: Luchino performs alone in spite of having a literal organisation full of potential magician’s assistant candidates, and that’s because he’s been there, done that and they’re all terrible at it in their own unique ways. Aging is too tall for most of the tricks (can’t fit in the box to be sawn in half, can’t fit in the box to be disappeared, can’t fit in so many boxes oh my g-d why don’t they make these in bigger sizes) and kept catching the knives during knife throwing. Illness also does that one (”you’re throwing them at me!!! what was I supposed to do??”), and the one time they tried the sawing in half trick she, uh, definitely went to a pretty bad place mentally and ended up being sick (that part isn’t funny at all, though, so moving on). Death was way too intimidating and freaked the audience out, and Life was just (sigh) in between every trick and it made for a really disheartening performance. In the end he just decides that the only way to have a decent show is to do it by himself. 

C: There are a lot of criminal heirs and heiresses in the naritaverse, and they mostly fall into either a) sheltered, good-hearted, ethical, one day finds out about the truth of their family’s business and turns against it, or b) pretty aware of what their family does and throw themselves into it with vigour because they’re made of the same stuff, but the thing about Luchino is he doesn’t have the luxury of fitting into either category. Here’s a boy with a worse tolerance for death and violence than Eve Genoard who throws himself into it anyway thanks to duty (avenge Monica), expectations (points @ my post about his hyper empathy), and, honestly, a lack of options (what else is a young teenager going to do without parents, close family, or friends? he keeps his allies. he does what he has to do to keep his allies); he hates what he does, thinks it’s disgusting and impure, is painfully aware of how much it ruins him, but he never had a shot at purity. I mean, to get into the headcanon bit, to be functionally prepared to take over the Mask Makers as a young teenager (not emotionally or mentally, g-d no, but functionally), Luchino probably killed someone or something for the first time before the age of ten, or at the very least he was helping with his father’s business before the age of ten, learning the trade, learning what it takes to kill, to injure, to get information, to get what they need out of people. He seems to be intimately acquainted with some advanced levels of torture by 17 — he’s probably had blood on his hands his whole life, since he was a literal child, this kid who can’t even stomach the sight of it. He understates how much it affects him and acts professionally about it, and along with that being out of pride, I think that’s really the only way he knows how to approach thinking about it, because Luchino B. Campanella never even had a shred of childhood, even though he would be a lot more content if he was one of those good old sheltered-from-the-bad-stuff family heirs. 

D: Again, I can’t actually think of anything that contradicts canon, because he’s been in canon so little, but in terms of one that wasn’t expanded upon much: I really do feel like Luchino trusted Life beyond just ‘(shrug) another mask maker’. He was stated to consider the four agonies his closest subordinates — he let all of them lead in his place when necessary, and he left Life to handle most things on the other ship while he didn’t even. tell Illness the plan. The very serious, sigh-I’m-so-professional-sigh attitude would have appealed to him a lot in a mentor figure, unfortunately, and especially when he was younger I could see him relying on his guidance heavily, unfortunately. I hope the betrayal in 2003 when he finds out the full situation is hearty. 

[raptured-night]

Naruto for the Fandom ask meme? :D

Oh, that’s a good one! 

How I entered/learned about the said game/show/movie/etc of that fandom?:

I actually first discovered Naruto back in the early 2000s as a result of the Shonen Jump series. I randomly bought a copy from the grocery store after noticing that it had the Dragon Ball Z manga and then I convinced my mom to let me subscribe to Shonen Jump for a year as a Birthday gift. As a result, Shonen Jump introduced me to a few series that went on to air on Adult Swim/Toonami like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece and I found myself following Naruto through that at first. 

Then, of course, you (@raxceni) reeled me in further because you had become a fan of Orochimaru. I started writing Beyond Redemption because there were very few stories that featured his character at that point, and to be able to do that I had to do more research and familiarize myself with Naruto even more. So I began streaming subbed episodes of Naruto back in 2006 and reading the manga online more actively. Over the years I have drifted in and out of the fandom but Beyond Redemption has remained in the back of my mind, which is why I recently came back into the fandom since the series has ended and I’m playing catch up so that I can more seriously work on that bit of fan fiction. 

Fave character:

Orochimaru seems like the obvious answer, especially as he was the character that led to me entering the fandom more seriously and there is a lot of nostalgia chatting with you about him over AIM back in the day. Second to him, I would have to say I have a soft spot for Shino (a tragically under-appreciated character) and Hinata. 

Least fave character:

Sasuke, mainly due to the degree of hype that his character generated back in the day. It wasn’t so much the degree of fangirling that I encountered that led to my dislike of his character so much as it was the toxicity of some of the Sasuke stans and Sasuke/Sakura shippers that really put me off of his character. 

I was also not particularly fond of Ino. I found the fact that she was part of a team with a history of the clans working together (InoShikaCho) for several generations, yet still fat-shamed her teammate when she should have known it was a clan trait (part of their ninja style even) in poor taste. It just never did endear me to her. 

OTP(s):

NaruHina (Naruto/Hinata) were my main OTP and when I felt like a bit of dark shipping I liked Tsunade/Orochimaru because you could really explore the tragedy of that pairing and/or the dysfunction of the history they share. There was also Tsunade and Jiraiya and Jiraiya and Orochimaru for extra angst.  I also shipped Shikamaru and Temari, Neji and Tenten, and I alternated between shipping Lee with Sakura and Lee with Gaara. 

Pairing that everyone likes but I don’t get:

Sasuke and Sakura. I’m not bashing it or the (re: non-toxic) people who dedicated years to shipping it, but it was just never a ship that I could get into. I think it’s because I spent years watching Sakura (and Naruto, let’s be honest, mostly Naruto) chase after Sasuke to the point of desperation. There were points in the manga and anime where Sakura fell into the background of the story in the wake of Naruto’s pursuit of Sasuke and Sasuke’s pursuit of Itachi, which only further inclined me to dislike the idea of a pairing between her and him when what I really wanted to see was her continue to grow as her own person and not be rendered invisible or invalid by the story. 

Overall, I always felt that there were only indications that he cared for her as his team-mate which could mostly be squinted at as evidence of potential romantic feelings or foreshadowing of romantic feelings developing later, but overall I just wanted Sakura to become her own person and take agency over her life outside of her pursuit of Sasuke (her training with Tsunade and the first part of Shippuden gave me so much optimism that that would happen for her too). It’s not even that I object to the darker points of her relationship with Sasuke when he abandons Konoha and trains with Orochimaru because I can appreciate a good dark ship when done well, but I just felt the dysfunction was never fully addressed and this one fell short of its potential.  

Mostly, I found myself hoping that by the end she would come to find someone who always saw and appreciated her as a person and shinobi (as Hinata did with Naruto), while she and Sasuke ultimately just fell into a more easy friendship while he sorted through the years of trauma resulting from what happened with Itachi and the choices he made. Of course, that didn’t happen and I’m not outraged by the developments of Boruto, but it will always be that ship I just never got on board with personally. 

Fave thing about the fandom:

Mainly that it’s so diverse. Naruto is one of those series with a lot of unique characters and it has been going for quite a few years. You can find fans from all walks of life. New fans. Older fans. Fans who love your favorite characters for the exact same reason you do. Fans that love them for reasons you never even considered. Fans that teach you to love characters you perhaps didn’t before, or that lead you to see a character in an entirely different light. I’ve read some very interesting discussion and I really enjoy how the Naruto fandom can celebrate ships, characters, story arcs, and all the shinobi action. You’re never lacking for material to chat about, no matter what draws you into Naruto. 

The most despised thing:

Toxic shippers and stans. I believe this is par-for-the-course for most fandoms, however. In the very least, I’ve yet to find myself in a single fandom where there weren’t those individuals who veer towards the extreme and resort to harassment and bullying when faced with any divergence from their own vision of canon, fanon, headcanons, etc.. Sadly, group-think will always be an issue in fandoms for some people because the general idea is that the more validated your opinions are, the more correct. This is an obvious fallacy, of course, but that doesn’t prevent some people from going on the aggressive anytime someone withholds that validation they want and challenges their ideas/interpretations instead. 

If there is something I would change from said game/show/movie/etc., what would it be?:

Likely I would have liked to see more of the characters receive focus and development. The fact that Naruto is very involved for a manga and anime series can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, there are more characters and reasons to get into the series. On the other, because there are so many, quite a few very interesting characters with a lot of potential for further development never really received it. 

Shino Aburame is a good example, and even Sakura had the misfortune of being overshadowed by her male team-mates. So I would have liked to see more character development for some of the characters (especially the female ones) and more fleshed out backstories for those characters that had a lot of interesting potential that was just never properly explored. Even with Orochimaru, you’re left with more questions than answers, and while that does admittedly suit his character there are still a few things I’d like to know. 

Aside from that, I wish that we had an official time-line for the events that take place in Naruto, one that doesn’t contradict itself. History was my minor in college (meaning I worked with a lot of dates and obscure referencing points and events sometimes), yet sorting through the time-line of Naruto has been a Herculean challenge that has often left me with a headache while working on Beyond Redemption. It would be nice to have a more clear reference to turn to when constructing my story and figuring out my setting. 

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who: How Will the Audio Series Mine the Potential of the Eccleston Era?

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The fact that Christopher Eccleston is doing more Doctor Who for Big Finish productions, is exciting stuff. Considering Eccleston had a mixed time on Doctor Who – loving the character and the response of the younger audience especially, but playing the part while ill and disagreeing with the production team – it is also unexpected.

Having appeared at a few conventions and bumping into some of his successors recently, Eccleston seems more at peace with his legacy. It was a difficult time for him personally, but what an impact he has had on Doctor Who. As mentioned here, casting an actor of Eccleston’s reputation and stature immediately suggested this show was a serious proposition, disconnecting it from a variety of baggage.

As there was no guarantee Doctor Who would survive for more than one series, Eccleston’s departure meant that the Ninth Doctor had a complete character arc. His stories often led into one another, meaning few gaps to explore. Those that exist have been explored in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip and the BBC Books range.

The gap most commonly considered worth exploring is the one at the end of ‘Rose’, where the Doctor leaves in the TARDIS only to return seconds later from Rose’s perspective and tell her the ship also travels in time. Indeed, this gap is where Charlie Higson’s excellent 2013 novella The Beast of Babylon is set, and any further stories set in this gap would contradict this.

However, this is not new territory for Big Finish. Contradicting events in BBC Books has been done before, and will almost certainly be done again. This is an excellent opportunity to state: Canon is less important than simply enjoying stories.

Big Finish’s output has varied in approach over the years but nostalgic comfort through the replication of styles is very much part of their approach now. Consider their Tenth Doctor box sets, which evoke that part of Doctor Who in terms of music, tone and scope. They are usually three stories long and are simply about replicating the fun of watching a good arc-lite episode from Series Two or Four. This, so far, has been the approach of Ninth Doctor spin-offs: tell a good story set in a gap in the television series.

One assumes that, given twelve stories are involved, this will be more akin to the Eighth Doctor box sets – four sets of three stories, some or all connected. Given the screen time Paul McGann has had, the Eighth Doctor is easier to add to, as we’ve only seen his beginning and end. For the Ninth, it will be a challenge to add to what we already know while telling a good story, and to find relatively unexplored aspects of the character to develop.

The second challenge will be the companion role. There’s been no announcement on whether Billie Piper will be involved as Rose Tyler, but it can’t be ruled out as a possibility. Piper has worked with Big Finish before, reappearing as Tyler with David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and in a spin-off set on a parallel Earth. There’s a tension between nostalgia for hearing the pair reunited, and the possibilities of a new companion casting a new light on the Doctor.

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Also, given the inevitable demand for it, it’s likely that Eccleston will meet some returning monsters and characters that didn’t appear in his series. The next time he speaks to a Cyberman, it may actually speak back. The appearance of the Master is unlikely without judicious memory loss (though not impossible, as Big Finish have other Masters on the payroll who could work in this gap), and River Song has met all the other surviving Doctors in Big Finish stories.

Normally, the saying goes, you try to give the audience what they didn’t know they wanted. With Big Finish this is partly true, but you also get David Banks to reprise his role of the Eighties Cyberleader because fans of a certain mileage will form an instant mental image the second he says ‘Excellent’. Giving fans exactly what they want is a key part of Big Finish’s DNA. And part of what fans will want is just the sheer thrill of hearing an actor revisit their take on the Doctor, especially when you thought it wasn’t going to happen.

Let’s suppose, for a second, that Big Finish are being especially canny here. They know that we have assumptions about how they operate, about how any minor character who catches the attention will result in jokes about possible audio spin-offs (Binro the Early Years: Heresy, Morton Dill: Like the Nation Estate Would Give Up the Rights That Easily, or an Avant Garde, Web Planet style piece about the day in the life of a giant clam – that sort of thing). They’ve been evidently trying to widen the writing pool recently, and not just because Matt Fitton’s fingers must be worn through.

You can imagine a lot of people wanting to write a script for Christopher Eccleston. Consider how he lifted Rob Shearman’s already excellent script for ‘Dalek’, the way Eccleston made it and the Doctor scarier through his performance. The glee of “Everybody lives”, the sheer weight of “Everything has its time and everything dies”; the greatest performance against the Daleks in the show’s history. If you were a writer, you’d want a piece of that wouldn’t you?

Consider what else makes Eccleston’s Doctor and the 2005 series unique: his Doctor is distanced from many of the tropes that were associated with the character. He’s not naturally whimsical, his clothes are unremarkable, he doesn’t speak with a Received Pronunciation accent. We no longer have the trappings of a Victorian or Edwardian gent, or the eccentric professor vibe of many of his predecessors. After critique of these tropes in the last few series of the original run, Russell T. Davies elected to disconnect them more severely (if not permanently), before they begin shifting back with David Tennant and are then firmly back in place with Matt Smith.

I’d like to see this brief moment where the Doctor was ‘just some bloke’ looked at. I don’t mean ‘just some bloke’ disparagingly. Only Tom Baker can be Tom Baker, but only Christopher Eccleston managed to bridge the gap between ‘The Oncoming Storm’ and ‘Broken man in his forties who’s just trying to carry on’, and that’s a wonderful thing. If you’re slightly broken, or just trying to carry on, or someone in their forties who’s had a really bad day at work… there’s something more tangible to appreciate in Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor than there is any of the others.

It’d be interesting for Big Finish, who are very good at maintaining their audience for niche interest products that not everyone can afford, to see if they can use this reach and bring in new writers who can expand on Doctor Who’s possibilities, engaging with these conflicts within the character and turning them into stories.

Including – it goes without saying – one where he meets the angry guy in a nappy from ‘Vengeance on Varos’.

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