#there are plenty of examples of this trope but i thought it would be funny to throw derelict favourite on there T-T

[worstloki]

entering the story and deciding it's your mission to save your favourite depressed, lowkey suicidal, losing-hope blorbo

[love-takes-work]

I've seen a fair number of people interpret Rebecca Sugar's (and the Crew's) decision to put Ruby in a dress as subversive, and I want to discuss why that feels like a clear miss to me.

Every time--every single time--I've heard Rebecca Sugar talk about the queer relationships on this show, it comes with this expression of wholesomeness, and often glazed with a sheen of wistfulness, flavored something like "I needed this as a child and young person, and I didn't have it." Much of Rebecca Sugar's work to bring this wedding (and other unapologetic queer relationships) to the screen was framed as an emergency--as in, we HAVE to get this out there for those kids we used to be, because we know they're drowning.

Yes, it's funny sometimes when people make jokes about Sugar deliberately "adding more gay" or "making it gayer" as a big eff-you to the people who spoke against it, but that doesn't sit right from where I'm standing. It took so much strength (and resulted in so much battle damage) to fight that fight, yes. But from everything I can see from the interviews and conversations I've seen and read, this wasn't served up in a "ha-HA, take THAT!" kind of way. These characters having these kinds of relationships should have been a non-issue, and the fact that their very wholesome kids'-show wedding and very sweet kiss and very adorable love for each other was seen as Political when it should have been just two characters in love is so sad to me.

I've seen dozens of people suggest that Ruby is in a dress and Sapphire is in a suit "to fuck with the bigoted censors in other countries" or "to give the finger to gender roles," but again, I think it is simpler and sweeter than that. Rebecca's said that Ruby in a dress is how she feels in a dress. Celebration and exploration of feminine-coded stuff felt wrong to Rebecca for a long time, like it wasn't hers, because she wasn't really a woman and didn't want it forced on her. As a result she was robbed of all the beauty that should have been a non-issue, from what TV shows and toys she was supposed to enjoy as a kid to what kind of person she was supposed to marry and what she should wear as an adult.

Ruby never got a choice about how she looked really. Once she got to choose her presentation for a significant event, this is what she chose. It means so much more to see that than to construct it primarily as a reactionary measure, as if it would somehow foil the sinister censors in more homophobic countries (who, incidentally, are not therefore forced to show Ruby in a dress even though they tried to hide that Ruby was a "she" or that she was in a romantic relationship with another "she"; y'all, they just don't show the episode).

We see plenty of other examples of gender-role-related expectations being casually stepped on and squashed, like when they took the trouble to give traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine "clothes" to some watermelons to make the audience think there was a husband and wife watermelon only to have the wife be the warrior and the husband stay home with the child. With stuff like that, yeah, sure, maybe it's designed to make you think "oh isn't that very feminist of them!" Or maybe it's more "well why do I see this as a 'reversal' when it's just a thing that happened?" This show is full of ladyish beings who fight and have power. And as for Steven. . . .

Nobody has negative reactions onscreen (or even particularly confused reactions) when Steven wears traditionally feminine clothes, and it is (of course) also not presented as a "boy in a dress gag"--it's not supposed to be funny. When they go all in slathering Steven in literal princess tropes throughout the final act of Season 5, we understand that it's because the powerful Diamonds expect him to be Pink Diamond, not because the show is trying to girlify him or embarrass him or even make the audience think positive thoughts about boys in girls' clothes. It's more neutral than that in my interpretation: "these are literally just pieces of cloth, and while some of them have meaning, they don't inherently have a gender." I don't see this as transgressive. It's just in a world where putting on what you want to wear doesn't HAVE to be a political statement. (Though obviously it CAN be, and plenty of people wear a variety of clothes as a fuck-you to whoever they want to give the finger to. I just don't see that as happening here.)

Don't get me wrong; Rebecca Sugar certainly knew about the politics (intimately) and has lived at many of their intersections. She was not ignorant of how queer people are seen in this world. She was silenced as a bisexual person because her identity supposedly didn't matter if she was with a man and planned to be with that same man forever. She was shunted into "omg a woman did this!" categories over and over again, which she wore uneasily as a nonbinary person while accepting that part of who we are is how the world sees us. But what is it like if everything someone like her embraces is seen as a statement synonymous with "fuck you" to someone else?

She is married to a person who happens to be a man and happens to be Black. Her relationship isn't a "statement" about either of those aspects of his existence; her love is simply something that is. She is Jewish working in a society that's largely Christian. Her cultural perspective to NOT center her cartoon around Christian holidays and Christian morals; her choices to make an alternate world in this specific way is simply something that is. Her queer perspective as a nonbinary bisexual person has helped inform the Gems' radical philosophy of "what if we learned to explore and define ourselves instead of doing the 'jobs' we're assigned and being told it's our nature?" Her decision to include queer people in a broadly queer cartoon isn't designed PRIMARILY as a battle against baddies, or to drown out all the relentless straightness, or to deliciously get our queer little paws all over their kids' TV. It's an act of love.

So this is just to say that though I DO understand that sometimes subversion and intentional transgression are very necessary, I do not think that's the HEART of what's going on at this Gem wedding. We got a wholesome marriage scene between two of the most lovely little flawed-but-still-somehow-perfect characters, and I very much want to see their choices as being about them. About how Ruby feels in a dress. About how Sapphire feels about not having to always wear a dress. About them incorporating a symbol of their union into their separate lives so they can have some independence in their togetherness. About them celebrating their love by letting Steven wipe his schmaltz all over them.

There are many choices in the show that ARE carefully constructed to counter existing narratives, you know, giving the Crystal Gems' only boy all the healing, pink, flower imagery; having a single-sex species that's ladyish with all the members going by "she"; featuring many nurturing male characters who cry and cook and raise kids without mothers; pairing multiple fighty ladies with gentler guys; and importantly, intentionally loading up the show with stories, characters, and imagery any gender will find appealing despite being tasked with expectations to pander to the preteen boy demographic.

But it's very important to me that the inclusion of queer characters and the featuring of their choices be seen primarily as a loving act, and way way less of a "lol screw the bigots." I want our stories to be about us. Yes, I know it's a necessary evil that sometimes our stories are also about fighting Them. But every time I see someone say they put Ruby in the dress to "piss off the homophobes" or "stump the censors" I feel a little gross. Like the time I picked out an outfit I loved and my mom said I only dressed in such an obnoxious way to upset her, and I was baffled because my aesthetic choices, my opinions, my choices had nothing to do with her. Yet they were framed like I chose these clothes primarily to cause some kind of petty harm to her, when not only was it not true but I was not even that kind of person who would gloat over intentionally irritating someone.

The queerness of this show isn't a sneaky, underhanded act trying above all to upset a bigot or celebrate someone's homophobic fury. It lives for itself. Its existence is about itself. It's so we can see ourselves in a show, and it's so people who aren't queer or don't have those experiences can see that we exist, we participate, we want very similar things, and definitely are focusing way more about celebrating our love at our own weddings rather than relishing the thought of bigots tearing their hair out and hating us.

It's dangerous to turn every act of our love into a deliberate movement in a battle strategy when their weddings just get to be weddings.

I think there’s this idea that that [queer characters] is something that applies or should be only discussed with adults that is completely wrong. And I think when you realize that talking to kids about heteronormativity is just like air that you breathe all the time, it’s kind of amazing that that is not true in any other capacity. I think if you wait to tell kids, to tell queer youth that it matters how they feel or that they are even a person, then it’s going to be too late! You have to talk about it—you have to let it be what it gets to be for everyone. I mean, like, I think about, a lot of times I think about sort of fairy tales and Disney movies and the way that love is something that is ALWAYS discussed with children. And I think also there’s this idea that’s like, oh, we should represent, you know, queer characters that are adults, because there are adults that are queer, and you should know that’s something that is happening in the adult world, but that’s not how those films or those stories are told to children. You’re told that YOU should dream about love, about this fulfilling love that YOU’RE going to have. […] The Prince and Snow White are not like someone’s PARENTS. They’re something you want to be, that you are sort of dreaming of a future where you will find happiness. Why shouldn’t everyone have that? It’s really absurd to think that everyone shouldn’t get to have that! --Rebecca Sugar

[thegreymoon]

i'm not an anti 😭😭😭 it's funny that you're absolutely missing my point. there are plenty of works about noncon fantasies. it's rare to see an author single out her shou's sexuaI abuse and depict it as erotic while in the SAME story speak about the horrors of sexuaI abuse/sIavery when it comes to other characters. i dont think this is an unfair criticism and definitely not anti nonsense. just because you disagree with me doesn't make me an anti but i digress. my point wasn't call out noncon fantasies in fiction.

You literally said, and I quote:

lmfao?? erotic novels can be written without ertoticizing sexuaI abuse. she couldve done the same with consensual scenes.

This is typical anti nonsense. Sure, we can write erotic novels without eroticizing sexual abuse, but how is that relevant? You cannot write non-con kink into it without it and Meatbun is not being shy at all about what kinks she's into. This is a book she wrote, first and foremost, for herself, and then for the rest of us who share her proclivities. People who would like to read something else - for example, vampire fic, a comedy of manners or a zombie apocalypse - are free to go and find such a book because, in theory, Meatbun could have written any of these things instead of erotic fiction of the non-con variety, but she didn't because she didn't want to, and if she had, non-con enjoyers probably wouldn't be reading it to begin with.

If you don't want to be mistaken for an anti, you should not come into someone's inbox with their rhetoric and expect them not to see you as one.

I sat on this ask for a couple of days and decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and answer in good faith. I did not miss your point, I just thought you were an anti, and in my opinion, dead wrong, so I didn't feel like typing out a proper reply. There is nothing contradictory about the way Meatbun treats non-con vs. rape within the context of this particular subgenre. It is, in fact, a very common trope, where whatever is happening between the main couple is not seen as something that cannot be overcome (or even enjoyed) because the fantasy itself is about relinquishing responsibility for your own sexuality with someone you want all this to happen with. The point is that Chu Wanning enjoyed it because it was Mo Ran, and Mo Ran did it because he loved Chu Wanning. It is the foundation of this kink.

Now, I don't know if you don't typically read fics like these, but contrasting it with actual rape that is not a part of the fantasy is actually extremely common because it reaffirms that the main relationship is an exception, therefore special and safe in spite of the fundamental violation. With actual rape, nobody wants that to happen, not the characters and not the readers, and it is treated as horrific (which is why in fic, we typically use non-con and dub-con warnings for the erotic variety and the rape warning for actual unwanted rape, even though non-con and dub-con don't exist IRL, where it is ALL rape). Yes, there is a contradiction here, but it is something that is super common within this subgenre and something that the readers definitely want to see, in part to validate that what happened between the main couple is the exception to the rule.

Chu Wanning is not going to enjoy being raped just by anyone (though there certainly are books/erotica out there that play with this idea too and 2ha is actually on the very mild end of the spectrum here, which is why I find it hilarious that so many antis get their panties in a twist over it), which we see when he is assaulted by Shi Mei. Just like Chu Wanning, we are supposed to feel visceral disgust (though I do not deny that there are people out there who are into this too, which is totally cool, you do you) because it is happening outside the main pairing, which is treated as special. Mo Ran is supposed to rescue him from the bigger villain because the readers find his possessiveness reassuring and the fact that his relationship with Chu Wanning (consensual or not) is the exception. The encounter ends with Chu Wanning's chastity preserved and Shi Mei defeated and humiliated, which makes the readers feel good.

The rape of the girl that led to Mo Ran burning down the brothel is supposed to be horrific, and it is supposed to give us insight into Mo Ran's actual personality, where we see that when he is not under the influence of mind-altering magic, he finds the act horrifying. He is not a habitual rapist and if it had not been for the extraordinary circumstances (i.e. the mind-bending magic and the fact that he actually loved and wanted Chu Wanning more than he needed to breathe), the violation would never have happened. It is the exception because he loved, just like Chu Wanning wanting and even eventually enjoying it is the exception because he also loved him in return. It is not narratively contradictory, because, within this subgenre, it is actually very consistent, again, because this is an erotic non-con novel and not an actual commentary on the evils of rape.

Anyway, I apologise for calling you an anti if you really aren't one and I hope that me answering your question seriously this time around makes up for it.

All the best! :)

[spinnysocks]

For that Choose Violence ask game: 9, 10, 16, 17, 19, and 23 for the Lion Guard

hey!! okie!! :D

9. worst part of canon

oof that is definitely one to start with! personally, i would say ushari's death and how the outlanders were handled in Battle For The Pridelands and after. ushari's death is a common talking point in the fandom, but i also think the waving off of scar's army who literally were the main villains for a whole season should've had something more, to end with at least...

also, how the whole circle of life ideology in tlg Does Not Work and is inherently speciesist in how they handle it, but i will spare you my rambling as there's plenty of good posts and videos about it

10. worst part of fanon

damn this one's even harder, i don't actually know i'm sorry 😭 i'll come back and edit this if i think of something

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

hmmmm!! as i said here, i'm pretty open to a lot of different ideas. but i have thought of another one: i've seen a few people shipping Simba x Kovu (IN AUs WHERE KIARA DOESN'T EXIST DW) and it's like... yeah, okay, we want mlm representation and there isn't that many non-related canon tlk characters - i get that - but the age gap... no thank you. (from my understanding, if it's an AU then maybe they would be the same age, but it rubs me the wrong way naturally) it's not like a massively popular ship but i've seen it a good few times, enough for me to talk about it

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

i've said it before and i'll say it again, the crocodiles!!! the outlanders!!! i would sell my soul for a comic or fic about the outlanders reforming and that is a promise.

but yeah. my happiness, excitement, pure joy when i find a fic with the crocodiles is unbridled. i get so (positively) freaked out i have to put my phone down to collect myself 💀💀

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

erm. my crackships....... yeah. except i'm not actually that mad, ashamed, or horrified i'm having a jolly good time laughing about my stupid ideas 😭 hint: the crackships are all for kiburi HFGHDG

this prompt didn't specify anything so i will also say i am unreasonably obsessed with poacher aus, purely because it is PERFECT for angst and hurt/comfort ideas >:3 i'm sorry to all my faves you have been Captured!! for the purpose of me studying your character </3

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

hmmm! usually, i decide pretty quickly whether or not i like a ship from first glance, for example i immediately clicked with your Hodari x Njano crackship because it's so funny 😭 but i would say your ideas about Shupavu x Njano have altered my brain chemistry in a good way lol! i would also say Makuu x Ucheshi really grew on me :)

others include Makuu x Akina from The Crocodile's Journey and Kiburi x Zula from The Northern Crocodile. when i tell you i am so strict about what i personally ship, and they aren't what i'd normally be interested in at all, but they started growing on me and i was just aAAA. they're not my main ships at all, as in i only think about them in the fics that they're in, but i do think about them

(the choose violence ask game)

thanks for your ask!!! loved doing this! now i want a "choose peace" ask game 😭

[emopirates]

I’ve been looking for other media that will resonate like ofmd does for me

I was thinking about what other media has hit me in such personal specific ways as ofmd. So maybe I can crack the code and find even more???

Predictably I’m not having a lot of luck but I DID come up with 1 example: Severance on apple tv.

If you haven’t watched both shows, it may seem like an odd pairing, because OFMD is (mostly) a comedy (wth dramatic bits) and Severance is (mostly) a drama/thriller (with comedic bits). But what can I say my brain sparked to them both in a similar way! And I think there are reasons.

~ the mildest spoilers for seasons 1 of severance and ofmd ~

Both shows have:

10/10 ensemble comedy gold. Original, weird, character-based, funny joke-ass jokes and flawless comedic performances and amazing riffing. (OK so OFMD is a comedy and has much more of this? But even though Severance is NOT a comedy, its comic relief pops up in every ep and is extremely well done.)

a similar … editorial lushness? That thing of, every frame has something juicy to notice, fun little details, little nuances in facial expressions, inside jokes, meaningful uses of color or light or whatever. Also maybe: that thing where every scene is tightly edited to be ~just the good parts~ so by the end of the ep you’re like, that was v satisfying but also I need to apply another coat of it to my consciousness immediately because I’m sure I missed something.

awakenings. ok this is going to be a nebulous half-baked description but. There is this similar theme of characters unmasking / awakening / discovering and trusting themselves / going for things that society doesn’t expect for them. This thing of realizing the truth is within. IMO this is such a healing and important trope and I want to see so much more of it. You could argue this is more blatant in the pirate show? but I think it’s an important part of severance too.

By the way! Those first two bullets just make these things “good,” and plenty of things are good. I think it’s the third one that really makes the difference.

A few more thoughts:

If you are a pirates fan but haven’t seen Severance:

You would like these goofballs riffing in their cubicles for sure.

If you love Black Pete, you will love Dylan.

A character writes a self-help book you will like a lot.

There’s a tooth-achingly sweet gentle delicate romance tucked away within this fairly dark show and it is SO GOOD.

Severance is a lot darker than ofmd but idk, there’s enough sunshine streaming in. it’s joyful too.

If you are a severance fan but haven’t seen Our Flag Means Death:

Underdogs. Underdogs who are pirates. Because lawful society does not welcome them. And they find their chosen family and. Sorry I need to cry I’ll brb.

If you love Ricken (and even if you don’t) (but who doesn’t?????), you will also love Stede.

If you love The You You Are, you will love talking it through as a crew.

If you love the plant room, you will love this one little well cared for plant?

If you love queer romance watch this show.

In summary my brain liked these things a similar amount thank you for coming to my seminar. 

[agentnico]

Boy Kills World (2024) review

Voice of Archer inside Pennywise’s ripped body… I was surprised he at no point screamed “LANAAAAA!!”

Plot: Boy is a mayhem machine who's been training to assassinate the bloodthirsty Hilda Van Der Koy and avenge his family's murder; guided by his sister's mischievous spirit, Boy uncovers one stunning revelation after another as he barrels toward Hilda.

Let’s get real - a cheese grater in a horror or gore film is simply the worst. Just the thought of it scraping away a hefty chunk of flesh is nothing short of skin crawling. Evil Dead Rise and now Boy Kills World - you guys are messed up. Nevertheless, we have another funky revenge action flick, a genre of which has seen a real resurgence since the success of the John Wick franchise. And it stars in the lead one of the eight Skarsgard siblings, though when you think action star you usually would pick Alexander. Bill up until now has carved out a niche as the best one to hire if you’re seeking a creepy vibe, be it the mysterious stranger in Barbarian or a killer clown in the IT films. However that changes with Boy Kills World, as Bill Skarsgard, rippling with muscles, plays the typical I-am-an-instrument-shaped-for-a-single-purpose; essentially a killing machine who disposes of his enemies in a variety of bloody styles (like a damn cheese grater!!).

This would have been a generic example of the revenge tropes, however the movie has an interesting stylistic choice in that Skarsgard’s character of Boy is a mute, so we get to hear his thoughts through a voice in his head, who happens to be the same voice as Archer from the FX cartoon series. I admire that the writers were trying out something new, but I must say as much as I enjoy H.J. Benjamin’s candescent voice, it did become over indulgent. It’s as if they were trying to imitate Deadpool’s fourth wall breaks and profanities, but without it being that funny. I also found it difficult to reconcile them as being the same person, as the mismatch of Bill Skarsgard’s physical performance with Benjamin’s voice was so stark that it became a distraction. Again though, I admire the creative effort.

The action sequences are hyper stylised and fun, with plenty of CGI blood splattering about and the camera zooming in and out of the action like it’s high on cocaine. The cast all seem to be having lots of fun, with the likes of Sharlto Copley, Michelle Dockery and Brett Gelman giving energetic cartoony performances, and overall I enjoyed it. The story is as by the numbers as you can expect, and 99% of what you see on-screen has been done thousands of times before. I liked the plot twist at the end though it was no M. Night Shyamalan, and in the end, it was a decent way to disengage the brain. Will I remember it though? No chance! Minus a point also for boy not actually killing a whole world. Like I get that they didn’t have the biggest budget, but don’t give false promises in your title.

Overall score: 5/10

[protagonistheavy]

Dungeon Menshi is in that fandom-culture position where there's very few people with outwardly bad takes about the show to shit on, so folks from the fandom go around picking apart people who praise the show, but don't praise it in the "right way."

Dungeon Menshi gets a lot of praise for "not being like other anime" and I get how to someone who maybe spends every day watching every new anime that comes out for the past 20 years, that can seem like a harsh/annoying criticisms against an entire category of animation, but like... lets be real, Dungeon Menshi clearly stands out from the pack, especially for a fantasy anime. No, it isn't "subverting" expectations -- I do think people use "subversion" incorrectly to describe any media they happen to like within a genre they otherwise don't like -- but its themes, pacing, characters, plot, and world building are all very unique when you look at what the other most popular fantasy anime tend to be.

Like, why are people trying to pretend we aren't currently in a vast ocean of derivative isekai fantasy stories lol? It's funny how anime fans will laugh and joke about isekai being such an overused trope nowadays, but then lock the fuck in whenever that point is presented as a genuine criticism lol. So many fantasy series are isekai or isekai-adjacent; I even had a friend who thought Dungeon Menshi was an isekai because they just assumed a popular fantasy anime would involve that.

And when presented with this criticism, anime fans will quickly tell you, "oh there's PLENTY of other anime out there! you just need to expand your view and find the good ones! you're just choosing to watch all the bad trashy anime!" And then what anime do they point you to? Well more often than not, they DON'T point you anywhere -- they're just speaking out of their ass -- but when they do drop a few titles to look into, those titles end up being objectively obscure -- series that no fair person would use as some example of standard conventional modern anime. Like yeah dude, I get it, anime like Kids on the Slope exists, there's tons of titles out there about all tons of different topics and that don't involve overwhelming fanservice or cliche tropes, but for each of these obscure titles from five-to-twenty years ago you can find, there's like five Konosubas actively being produced with active fandoms because these shows actually have market and fan appeal lol. It's just so annoying that we're all supposed to not criticize anime at any point because, well, there's one series within the haystack that isn't sick with fanservice and objectification and pedo appeal, so it's wrong to judge the industry/fan culture. Lol.

Dungeon Menshi doesn't just stand out for avoiding these types of tropes, it stands out for doing that and also being an exciting plot that's popular and has audience appeal. So few series within the fantasy genre of anime have accomplished this sort of story, where worldbuilding goes beyond why elves have huge tits or why the loli is actually 1000 years old, but also manages to not be a downright boring story, that still captivates a wide array of people with genuine fun and fantasy. It shouldn't be so startling to people that Dungeon Menshi would get this praise when the climate for fantasy anime has become so stale and repetitive; it isn't a problem that some folks "have only watched just one anime," and trying to frame it like that just... really reeks of trying to deflect the very real and justified criticisms anime at large deserves, criticisms that both the fan culture and the industry have had against them for decades.

in other words, it's impressive that some Dungeon Menshi fans have so little to be upset about that they have to go and find other people thoroughly enjoying the series to designate as the "bad fans" to get upset about.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (07/24/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (10/10)

This book is pretty much perfect. The plot is engaging, the characters are all amazing, the writing style hits hard, and there’s really good social commentary that touches on, honestly, almost every issue out there. Rin has got to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time; she’s the underdog, she’s easy to root for, and our desire for her to succeed almost makes us overlook her glaring flaws. Kuang establishes Rin’s overwhelming need to succeed, to win, to be the last one standing from the very beginning, and it leads to her slow but steady downfall as she must decide how far she is willing to go for the sake of her nation. Rin’s time in Sinegard is an interesting and unique twist on the fantasy school setting, and the tone switch between the time at Sinegard and the time at war is done masterfully. Even the war takes an incredibly dark turn, goes farther than the reader would ever expect, as Kuang draws from real history to write horrors that should’ve been beyond anyone’s imagination. Perhaps the most technically amazing part of this book is that even when she has fallen so far, part of us agrees with Rin; which is the danger of it all, isn’t it?

Neverseen by Shannon Messenger (8/10)

I have now officially reread all of the KotLC books I got through previously. Going into Lodestar will be uncharted territory for me, and wow am I glad I refreshed my memory. I forgot a lot of stuff, so it was almost like I was reading it for the first time. Like I predicted, this was a slower one, mostly filled with finding out more about the Black Swan and the Council, and there was a lot of Sophie and her friends wanting to do things that were "too dangerous." I won't lie, it dragged a bit, but it really picked up once Sophie started attending Exilium. I think the twins are a much-needed addition to the main cast to help shake things up and keep the dynamic from getting too worn out. Also, Calla is a particularly strong side character. While I could predict the broad strokes of the story, the actual method of getting there took me by surprise, and there's a huge twist at the end that totally restructures how the rest of the series is going to look. I'm very excited to start Lodestar!

Half Upon a Time by James Riley (8/10)

I loved this series as a kid, and rereading it was like returning home. It's actually so funny that this book has tons of tropes I love today just in a middle grade format. There's a pretty good level of intricacy to the plot, and the fairy tale elements are tons of fun. There are plenty of familiar characters that each have a unique twist to their story, often intertwining their stories with each other. For example, the Huntsman from Snow White is also the woodcutter/hunter from Little Red Riding Hood. This book also has a fun twist by being from the perspective of the character who guides someone who has fallen into another world. In most other books, May would be the main character, so having Jack tell the story subverts some expectations. The way Jack, May, and Philip interact is a little typical for the genre and time period, though I appreciate that it is heavily implied that Philip has no romantic interest in May. Finally, Jack's mysterious involvement with the Eye and his sword is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it's a pretty fresh concept.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (CR, 20%)

I've barely progressed on this one, but I did make it to the end of the first trial, and I like how it was executed. Despite being a physically-based trial, there's a twist that allows Oraya to succeed through her wits, which makes infinitely more sense when she's up against vampires and demons. It also helps that Raihn is obviously gunning for an alliance with her, so he's more inclined to help her out. About the alliance, why Raihn specifically wants to team with Oraya is a pretty good one and honestly a more logical decision than I expected. However, Oraya turning him down made no sense to me. She's gonna have to team up with someone eventually, and Raihn seems like the lesser evil by far.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (CR, 3%)

I've only just barely started this book, but I'm excited! I'm reading it with some friends, and the beginning seems quite interesting. I'll have some more in-depth thoughts next week once I've progressed more.

[vtori73]

Hmm, people are making a big deal about interpretations/interpreting that one scene in Dunm3shi with the succubus and La0is and doing deep dives and shit but honestly?

I think it was just mostly a funny gag scene mixed with the author turning the tables on common troupes & readers desires & thoughts when it comes to things like this. In this example, the main characters if the opposite gender will be pushed together either by the story narrative or the readers assuming they have a thing for each other so the author wanted to not only reject that kind of troupe/thinking but also do it in a comedic way.

Most people would assume there are some romantic feelings at least coming from La0is because he is a man and while I can acknowledge her looks probably are closer to his type that doesn't necessarily mean all that much considering people can have types but not be interested in a person who fits that criteria, plenty of people end up with people who aren't technically their "ideal/fav" type physically doesn't mean they find the person less attractive because of it or would want to be with someone more who does fit their "ideal" type because in the end looks really aren't everything. BUT, this is specifically a personal opinion, even more specifically it's what I WANT the scene to mean, I don't really want it to be some big deal that means something deeper and would rather it just be some funny way the author went about spitting on common tropes.

---------------

Since I'm here anyway I want to mention something I've been wanting to write down but haven't yet... While I like Dunm3shi I also have some "eh" feelings about it and I think I finally (mostly) understand why that is after reading someone's long analysis of the above scene I was talking about (that I didnt even agree with 100% but in one section it did help me understand my feeling/thoughts more on La0is/the series in general). My main thing is that while a lot of people like the series because of its more realistic look on race/racism between various races & creatures and having it actually addressed and spelled out and while I do think it does help enhance the story and build the world up more and make it more realistic I ALSO think it doesn't really at the end of the day say or do much... which I guess it doesn't HAVE to but well... let me explain my thoughts below.

But, real quick I want to add that I also find it interesting how people dont differentiate between racism & fantasy race/creature prejudice/bigotry because racism is specifically about RACE, as in skin color and something that deals with HUMANS and not different creatures/species and to conflate the two is never really a good thing because you can't really and often can lead to messy narratives that we especially find often in fantasy like settings.

Anyway, moving back to my thoughts on this, which aren't too deep but basically while I do like that aspect and that it gets addressed and pointed out moreso than regular fantasy (which I think is why I've never been a big fan of fantasy the old timey-ness mixed with that and real world racism/bigotry coming from the people who make this stuff just never sits well with me it's kind of like the phenomena of white people who wish to live in the 50s or something without thinking for one second how they would be the only ones who could/would be able to live safely in that sort of time) I also have a hard time liking what it actually does do/say with it which isn't much. Sure EVERYONE is bigoted in the world, most people in real life are too but is this REALLY ever stopped & questioned all that much? It is really challenged all that much, does anyone stop to think maybe we should be better? Sure at the end of the story things are changed due to what happens (trying to keep this spoiler free) but like... bigotry in general seems more like an aside thing, not really important and more so the whole idea of desires and how they corrupt and such and humanity or something.

This paired with a protagonist who is not just white, but a little close to what white supremacists hold up as the ideal with having blonde hair (but no blue eyes, gold color instead) who has a BIG prejudice against ALL humans due to personal experiences because he isn't like other humans and always seems like it kind of justified due to how EVERYONE, especially human, even friends, seem to react to him with the added aspect that he himself is not free of being racist/prejudiced either and doesn't seem to ever see or acknowledge it or is confronted by it really (racism/bigotry against Shiro & the mountain people specifically). With the added aspect that even different races (races aka the meaning of race in OUR world) are all the same and treated the same it seems and while we can say MAYBE racism like in our world isn't really a thing in this world or as big of a thing in this world it still is weird considering how race actually IS a big factor in the real world and how just... weird this comes off, the white boy feeling the MOST ostracized and out of place in a world of monsters and different race humans & creatures & such to the point of wanting to BE A MONSTER because monsters kill humans (okay so I failed in being spoiler free my bad)... I mean hell, one of his traveling companions is one of the most oppressed races but he doesn't desire things like La0is does.

Now I do feel like I have to add so people don't get the wrong idea tha, no, I don't hate his character or think he is evil or horrible or the worst thing ever I just acknowledge that it comes off odd is all when you analyze all of his character. Sure, he is heavily implied as not being neurotypical and is mistreated for that and can count as something he is oppressed for but plenty of others in the story are oppressed and don't end up wishing for the kinds of things he does, sure he does care about others at the end of the day but im not going to pretend he's a perfect character just because he has faced hardships due to being different. It just reminds me of all the white people in real life who go on about the one or two area of oppression they face while ignoring they still hold a lot of power in the world for being white and use that oppression they face as a shield and sword against anyone who dares criticize them. Instead of acknowledging they gain to benefit from continually perpetuating bigoted rhetoric & ideas that have long been said and done against other oppressed groups they go on the offense and stick their head in the sand wanting to desperately believe that because they are oppressed in x way means they can't possibly still be oppressors/privileged.

It's all just a little weird to me, I can't even say anything past that it just comes off a bit weird to me when I take a step back to analyze it all.

I mean, technically speaking we could say it's sort of realistic with how at least in America and similar places white men tend to be the demographic that commits the most violent acts (shootings for example) but I don't think that was exactly the authors intentions especially considering it all works out in the end and he ends up saving people and the world due to his desire to want to be a monster/his hatred against humans which is kind of funny because it wasn't even INTENTIONAL on his part it just sort of worked out which is... something. Kind of funny but still.

I really liked dunm3shi when I started it, I thought it was hilarious and was why I picked up the manga because the anime made me laugh but once I got to the end I felt meh about it and didnt really understand why and honestly at first thought it was because everything worked out in the end and i interpreted that as meaning i wasn't thrilled about a happy ending but it was actually something a bit more than that. Pair this ALSO with the fact of how white fandom is reacting to La0is and relating to him and even saying how they find all the characters to be racist in some way "realistic"... (Yeah I know I said the same thing but it wasn't the ONLY thing I said, and you'll see more of what I mean when you continue to read) really REALLY leaves a gross taste in my mouth and makes me feel like the story and La0is as a character is making these people feel more emboldened to excuse their own prejudice/racism for x reason whether it be because "uwu no one gets me because im not neurotypical," to "everyone is just like that so it's fine that I am, I don't need to improve or change at all."

Now, no, I'm not saying the story is LITERALLY doing this or even the author I'm saying that's how people are interpreting/reading it which makes me uncomfortable as not only a non-white person but also someone who ISN'T neurotypical and also isn't cis or hetero that I don't feel the way La0is feels and kind of abhor that kind of thinking and really often tends to come from rather privileged people (yes, especially white people). Sure maybe at most I feel that way against white people, MAYBE, and while some will say to me "that makes you no better," that only shows to me that you don't know enough about racism & power dynamics to have a say on this discussion because at the end of the day people hating and maybe even wanting their oppressors dead is not the same as being an actual oppressor who has the power to not only do what some may wish/fantasize about with little to no consequence but probably already has or done so in the past and actively benefits from it. I know oppression works a TAD bit differently in this world with the long lived races having more power and say in the but... I don't really think it detracts from my overall thoughts much if at all tbh.

Alright... I think that's it, I may have missed something and probably didn't explain as well as I could have but this was kind of an ADHD rant so... YEAH, it is not going to be the most organized/well explained thing, deal with it, lol.

[rosetyler42]

@junjiitosam As I explained to them in a seperate reblog chain, I did not realize it was about MCR or Gerard Way when I reblogged this. If I had, I probably wouldn't have shared this. It came across my dash and I thought it was a meme about vampire castles in GENERAL referencing the old "Consensual workplace relationship" meme and it happened to be similar to the HT meme I had made in the past about the same bit, which I had actually been meaning to make my own post for eventually anyway. I thought it was a funny coincidence and reblogged it with the meme more in the spirit of "Hey, I made something similar to this, too!" Than trying to make the post about HT. When OP corrected me about the post meaning, I admitted my mistake and explained what had happened, thinking that would pretty much be the end of it. My issue was not with them correcting ME, which they had every right to do. I was a dumbass and didn't even notice the tags on the post I reblogged, and If I had known this was an MCR post, I would not have shared it with this on it. My problem was them yelling at the friend I had tagged who reblogged it commenting on my meme. They weren't the ones who'd mis-interpreted the post, that was me. Which I've already admitted. Being upset with ME for making that mistake is understandable. But there was no need to yell at an innocent 3rd party over what I myself did. No matter WHAT the mistake was, but especially not over what is ultimately a misunderstanding over a post and a silly fandom meme that isn't nearly as bad as other post derailments I've seen. THAT was why I was telling them they needed to calm down about this. Though I admit I was also a bit confused and frustrated myself as to what their "One Question" reply with nothing but MCR gifs had to do with that issue. Or what they were expecting of me here.

As for my content itself, that is your opinion. Trust me, I fully understand that my HT hyperfixation is considered cringe and weird. However, seeing as this is the weird meme + cringe hyperfixation website, I generally don't let being cringe or weird stop me. Now, I originally meant this in a fun lighthearted "Hey, I made a meme like this too!" Sort of way. But since we're on the topic of post derailment, it's funny you say it's weird to do that on the same site that has fandom speech bubble joke posts (often on originally non-fandom tropes), Supernatural gifs for every occasion, PLENTY of reblog chains that take much weirder left turns than my mistake, color theory, and many other examples.

In summary: I screwed up. I admit it. I'm sorry for it. And I don't mind them correcting me on it. But that's no reason to yell at someone else for MY mis-interpretation, whether it involved a HT meme or not.

lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship at the vampire mansion

[loserlovexstay]

A list that no one asked for:

My Top 10 Anime:

(I’ve only really watched romance anime so that’s all that’s on the list)

‼️ Spoilers Ahead ‼️ (I tried not to put too many)

Also just want to say before I start that I love the animation style of all of these shows, they’re all so beautifully done! (Didn’t want to say that for each review lol)

(Also I cried after I finished 5/10 of these shows 😂)

10. Maid Sama

Up first we have Maid Sama. This anime is a good enemies to lovers (for one side at least) story that has lots of humor as well as good characters. The ending did remind me of a typical rom com where it felt kind of abrupt but overall the show was very good. Usui and Misaki’s relationship is 👌🏽. I’d give it a 7/10.

9. Yuri on Ice

This was the first anime I ever watched. I had just started watching figure skating after the 2018 olympics (if you know you know) so I thought this show would also be a good one to watch. The end credit choreo is also based on a routine done by my fave ice dancers (Virtue/Moir pls come back)! I don’t remember much about this anime since it’s been a while since I watched it, but the storyline was really good and progressed well and the characters were also cool. Viktor and Yuri were also very soft 🥺. I’d give it a 9/10!

8. Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun

This anime is so cute! All of the characters are super cool and the show pushes the boundaries of gender stereotypes. ⚠️ Spoiler ⚠️ while the main couple don’t actually end up together, the overall story is very cute, humorous and definitely worth watching. The only downside of this show is that it’s so short! (12 episodes) I’d give it a 9/10!

7. Cells at Work

This show is such an interesting concept! It basically teaches you about the different processes your body goes through by telling a story. It mainly focuses on red and white blood cell and features many other different organisms in your body that help fight off various diseases or illnesses throughout the series. The platelets in particular are so adorable! The show has 2 seasons (as well as a spinoff with different characters that I haven’t watched yet) so there’s plenty of learning to be had! I’d give it an 8/10.

6. Orange

This fucking show omg! This show made me bawl during the finale! This show features 5 friends who meet Kakeru and befriend him. Throughout the series, Kakeru and Naho develop their relationship and secrets are revealed. The show does feature a dark theme, but it’s so good! At times Naho did annoy me with some of the things she did, but otherwise I thought the show was great! Suwa must be protected at all costs and Hagita is the MVP. I’d give the show a 9/10!

5. Given

This show is such a good example of LGBT love! It tells the story of Mafuyu who wants to learn guitar and three bandmates who invite him into their band. All of the characters in this show are great and the story is so good! I also like that it has a movie and an ova (that takes place at the same time as the movie) so there’s plenty of content to watch! I’d give it a 10/10!

4. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

This show is so cute! This one is different from a lot of the typical anime romances, it actually features adults with jobs! The four main characters have a super cute dynamic and their interactions are very funny. The two main ships are very cute, but I do prefer Kabakura and Hanako over Narumi and Hirotaka. They have an rivals to lovers story and it’s one of my favorite tropes so of course I prefer them! Narumi and Hirotaka are still adorable in their own way as well as Kou and Naoya (the other couple). This show also has 3 ovas (one of which came out a few months ago) that are super cute and definitely worth watching when you finish the main show! I’d give it a 10/10 with the only downside being that it’s too short (13 episodes)!

3. Kamisama Kiss

This is the most recent anime that I watched. It tells the story of Nanami Momozono and how she became a land god. It also features her familiar Tomoe as the main love interest. This show had a really good pace and was very funny at times. I also liked all of the side characters and the fact that show has 2 seasons. I would definitely recommend watching all of the ovas. There’s 2 after the first season and 5 after the second. The ones in the first season provide context for the beginning of the second, and the last 5 ovas complete the story of these wonderful characters! I’d rate this show a 10/10

2. Toradora

This was the second anime I watched after Yuri on Ice. It’s such a good show! I love the characters and the way that Taiga and Ryuji’s relationship develops throughout the series. Since enemies/rivals to lovers is my fave trope, those two characters are one of my fave ships period. This show made me laugh and cry and is definitely one of my comfort shows! The ending was good but I wish there had been more after it, but I was still satisfied! If you do watch the show don’t forget to watch past the credits on the final episode! I’d give it a 9/10!

1. Horimiya

This show omg! This show gave me all of the feels! I can’t describe how much I love this show. The characters are so well done and I love that they don’t beat around the bush and tell it like it is. The relationship between Hori and Miyamura is so special. I relate to Miyamura so much and definitely need someone like Hori in my life. Also that one episode is extremely funny (if you know you know). The rest of the characters are also loveable and the whole cast together is amazing! This show made me laugh, cry and feel about every emotion there is! I’d definitely give it a 10/10

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Space Invader

Debut: Space Invaders

Can you believe it? We have covered so many iconic enemies on this blog, but perhaps not the most iconic video-game enemy of them all! Sure, the Pac-Man Ghosts, the Minecraft Creeper, Plugg, they’re all pretty high up there, but when you think about it the Space Invader has to take the cake! How many video-game enemies have their own emoji? 👾

Heck, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this creature is synonymous with the very concept of Video-Games! This is the kind of little guy who would flash on your television screen as you play a computer game with a little joystick with one big red button on it. This is the kind of little guy who I would print on a T-Shirt and Beanie to prove to the world that, yes I game! I can press buttons! I know that Super Mario Bros. 2 was originally called Doki Doki Panic because the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 was deemed too difficult for America!

The Space Invader’s sprites are so ingrained in our memories that we don’t often think about the aliens on the actual arcade game’s art, huh? Well this is a perfectly good Alien Monster! A furry man like the Wookiees from Star Trek, but dark and ominous with harsh red lighting! This guy definitely looks like he’s got some invading to do! 

I say this design isn’t too well-known, but apparently it is iconic enough to get its own figma! Wow! You can really see the fur in this one- without a doubt, this is a mammal! I bet it has six teats under there. 

But if you ask me, there is just no beating the look of the sprite! It’s vague enough to leave a lot to the imagination, but there’s plenty here to love! The little dot eyes and the insectoid antennae! the little arms/mandibles/alien tentacles (if you’re feeling spicy)- a mammal this certainly is not! This is an absolutely ideal Little Guy, a computer creature to blow up on your screen. We’re so accustomed to seeing it that I think we all forget how Awesome this is! And look at how it jumps for joy! 

Do you know what we aren’t accustomed enough to, in my opinion? It’s the other aliens from Space Invaders! The middle alien is quintessential of course, but they can’t Space Invade alone! They need the help of their friends! The Squid invader hangs out at the top of the screen, perhaps because they are the smallest and most vulnerable of the three. How thoughtful!

And the Octopus invader! This image is smaller than the last one but trust me when I say they are wider! And they have two, count ‘em, two, pixels for their eyes, so I interpret them as having closed eyes and being dozy or a little sleepy because that is cute. They hang out at the bottom because they are the best defense! 

Now hold on! If the big and little invaders are confirmed to be Squids and Octopuses, what the heck is the medium invader? The answer is: Crab! It was a crab hiding under our noses all along! This was all apparently confirmed through a 40th anniversary interview revealing original concept art, but do you know what? I’m not a fan! And you know we love any and all crabs here, but I think the sprite is quite fun in its mystery, plus it is very un-crablike! Only four limbs, without distinct claws? And don’t get me even get me started on the lack of eyestalks! This isn’t amateur hour! So I continue to headcanon the medium invader as something not-crab. You can’t control my life, Toshihiro Nishikado!

Also, this concept art for Octopus really looks like a jellyfish, which got me thinking: there are a lot of Japanese aliens that are just vague jellyfish/cephalapod monsters huh? 

It’s almost the default there compared to the typical gray alien, and if you ask me it is way better! Meeting another sentient race and finding out they are like humans but grey and with big eyes? Snore! Meeting another sentient race and finding out they are talking jellyfish people? Awooga! This is also the second time we have used Pretty Cure and Rhythm Heaven as examples in the same paragraph, but probably not the last? There’s definitely more examples of this trope I can’t think of, so Please send us any funny jellyfish aliens you have. I’m begging you.

Er... anyway! The last member of the Invader Crew is the UFO, and I wasn’t sure to count them but why the heck not? They are presumably just a flying saucer, which don’t get me wrong is always fun, but what if they are also a creature with many eyes? You can’t say for sure!

Actually, when I said they were the last member two sentences ago, I lied! This is Shapeshifting Cuttlefish, from Space Invaders Part II! First of all, what a name! Second of all, this doesn’t look like a cuttlefish in the slightest! But it is very funny and looks like an emoji with feet, so I forgive it. Plus, they have the special property of splitting into a smaller guy when you shoot them! Cool! 

The Cuttlefish’s concept art is even weirder! This DEFINITELY isn’t a cuttlefish! It is more like... a little man with hair. I mean, I love it! But what the heck? 

While Space Invaders (1978), was definitely “groundbreaking” or “influential” or whatever, let’s not kid ourselves- their most important role was in Pixels (2015), also known as The Movie Where Josh Gad Breeds With Q*Bert! What do they do in this movie? I assume they invade! I will no longer discuss Pixels (2015).

In conclusion: all the Invaders are great friends, and they love to hang out in rows of eleven and move slowly downwards and sideways, while doing their little dances. Don’t interrupt them! They’re having a good time! 

[cozyenigma]

A Single Word

Soulmate AU? Soulmate AU 😌

Pairing- Reader/Yancy

Word Count- 1239

Request?- Nope!

Summary- There was always a lot of build up and curiosity over what words your soulmate would say to you. You got just the one but that was all you really needed.

Tag List- @cookielover0001010 , @swag-droid

For most people, obviously their words meant a lot to them. With all the talk of soulmates and different tropes in movies and books, it was hard not to pay attention really. The first words some special person would say to you were stamped somewhere on your body. There was endless romantic potential obviously. You’d seen dozens of social media posts, often complete with professional photo shoots, of loving couples with their words front and center.

Some were funny in retrospect. Plenty held deeper meaning later on in a relationship. Even countless more were just a simple hello. Some people even had entire rambling paragraphs that’d take up huge swathes of skin. Regardless, they seemed to bond people together in some way and as a kid you couldn’t help but be excited as you waited to see what yours would be. You and your friends took endless little personality quizzes predicting what you’d get. Back then you used to write on the back of your hand with a marker, just to imagine the shape of the words.

So, when your words finally did show up, you were more than a little disappointed. Because it wasn’t words, plural. In a quick scrawl, small and unassuming on the inside of your left arm, was just one word.

Oh.

When it first showed up, you'd spent so long just looking at it. It wasn't even a hello. What were you supposed to make of it? What was the context? Was it a disappointed "oh" or a surprised one? When your friends had gone around showing off their brand new words, you stayed in your seat and held your arm close to you.

Nowadays your word didn't bother you as much. When someone's words came up in conversation you didn't mention yours. Some of the anxiety was still there but you figured it could've been worse. You could find plenty of examples of people having swear words somewhere obvious on their body. Most days you didn't think of your word at all.

Like almost every other case though, the day when it did was one you'd remember.

You sighed, happy for the cup of hot chocolate in your hands. It was just warm enough you wouldn't freeze out here during a short walk but not warm enough that you could skip the winter wear. Hot cup between your hands, you decided to cut through the park on your way home. You'd seen a few people around but the park was mostly empty still. It was peaceful and quiet. Snow and slush crunched beneath your shoes as you walked.

Taking the time to enjoy the scenery, you spotted someone walking their dog coming your way. You moved to the side without much thought. As you neared, you could see it was a man with a big, happy looking dog with him. You sipped at your hot chocolate.

Just as you went to pass him though, your foot slipped against a patch of ice. One weightless instant later you were on the ground. You wince at the stinging in your hands, seeing that you'd crushed your cup as you fell. Lamenting the loss of your hot chocolate was the least of your worries though.

Your eyes widened as you looked up at the man in front of you. His coat was well and truly soaked. Hot chocolate dripped off him and his dog sniffed at the puddle around his feet. Luckily you missed the pooch completely.

His owner was less fortunate and blinked down at the mess he suddenly found himself in. You realized you should be apologizing right now. Preferably before the both of you froze out here.

"Oh my god," you were scrambling to your feet as best you could, trying not to fall again, "I'm so sorry!"

Now that you looked closer, that looked like a pricey coat. One that might need to be dry cleaned and preferably not, y'know, covered in hot chocolate.

"I can pay for that?” You offered lamely. You desperately hoped it wasn't that expensive.

The guy glanced down at himself and back at you, eyes wide. You grimaced at the wet feeling in your shoes, unsure if it was just water or more hot chocolate.

"It didn't burn you, did it?" You eyed the wet splotch on him. A shuffling at your feet drew your attention downwards and you saw his dog sniffing your shoes. "I'm glad I didn't get any on your dog at least."

Still the man just looked at you. He didn't even seem upset about the coat. In that moment, he stared at you like you'd appeared out of thin air. Like the world had stopped with you standing here in front of him. The sort of look that you weren't at all used to getting.

Then, and only then, did he speak.

"Oh."

The cup dropped from your hand. Now that you were on the other end of it, you think you might know how he felt. You thought over what you'd just said to him. There was heat rushing to your cheeks but it wasn't from the cold.

"I think I should probably apologize again," you said scratching the back of your head, "considering you uh- have all that somewhere on you?"

He huffed a laugh. This whole time he hadn't taken his eyes off you. "Better than what I gave youse. I had somethin' to go off of at least."

"Go off of?" You asked.

Nodding quickly, he unbuttoned the wet coat and yanked up the hem of his shirt. Written across the right side of his stomach was what you'd said to him in your handwriting. It took up a good chunk of real estate.

"See, I was always a dog person but figured I would actually need to have a dog at some point," he stooped down and scratched the dog between the ears. "Plus he's a good walkin buddy, so, thanks for that.”

"You got him because of your words?" As if he knew you were talking about him the dog wagged his tail, expecting pets. "What's his name?"

"Ah, well," he rubbed the back of his neck, "his friends call him Wheels."

"His friends?" You asked, giving Wheels a good scratch.

The man let out a little laugh. "Well that's how ya get the best nicknames."

He held out a hand, a dopey little grin on his face. "Name's Yancy."

You introduced yourself, returning the handshake. Yancy didn't bother buttoning his coat back up, instead taking it off and tying it around his waist. You grimaced.

"Still feel bad about the coat though."

"What, this?" He picked at the sodden fabric. "Ain't mine. Friend I borrowed it from won't miss it neither."

"If you say so," you scooped up the cup you dropped before chucking it into a nearby trash can.

"But if ya really wanna make it up to me," Yancy smirked as he pointed towards the park exit, "youse could let me buy ya a new drink sometime?"

You couldn't help it. The tension broke then and you laughed. "How's that supposed to make it up to you?"

"I've been waitin' years for this," Yancy was already walking ahead you, Wheels trotting happily by his side. His words were easy like you’d already known each other for years. Bubbly, he turned as he walked so he could face you. "I got lotsa questions, doll."

[lgwilt]

Unconventional writer ask game: answers

It took me a while to get around to this, but here we go! Thanks @knuckleslove for the fun questions and @dewdropreader for the tag! 

How long have you been writing fanfiction? 

I’ve been writing fic on-and-off for quite a while now (since 2016-ish!), but I only started posting earlier this year. 

Do you have a favorite word? (One that you love. Doesn’t necessarily have to be one you use all the time.)

Mellifluous (although I can’t say I’ve used it in a fic yet)

Share a favorite run-on sentence that you’ve written?

I’d never really thought about it before, but I actually don’t think I have any examples of run-on sentences! Not even when writing about characters spiralling into panic or on the verge of a breakdown - which is a bit surprising, since my internal monologue is essentially one giant over-excited and/or meandering run-on sentence. 

I do write plenty of LONG sentences though (complete with flagrant overuse of parentheses).

Share a bit of a scene that you’ve written that still gives you FEELS.

Sad feels from On a Wing and a Prayer (there’s lots of comfort in this fic, but this scene was the first one that sprang to mind):

Loki’s voice was hard and unforgiving, but it was beautiful, just as rich and musical Mobius remembered.  If he just agreed to talk, maybe the nightmare projection would turn back into his Loki, use that silver tongue to murmur soothing lies until he finally drifted into an unbroken sleep… Maybe the illusion of comfort would be better after all.

What is your favorite kind of character interaction to write? 

*deep breath* where to start?

Interactions between characters who who mask/repress their emotions (often in very different ways). Stoic and self-controlled characters showing cracks of vulnerability or dramatically breaking down after being pushed to their emotional limits is my all-time favourite fictional trope! 

See also: mutual unspoken longing. I love writing dialogue where what’s left unsaid carries more emotional weight than the words themselves.

Drawing out parallels and shared experiences between characters who (at first glance) seem completely different from one another, or between characters on opposing sides (I love a compelling Best Enemies dynamic). I never get tired of exploring the moral ambiguity of “good” characters, or the potential for characters cast as villains to deviate from their assigned roles.

Self-doubt + reassurance ❤️

Friendship, devotion, loyalty 

Do you have a hyper-specific genre? 

Hmm I’m not sure about a hyper-specific genre, but I’ve yet to write a fic that doesn’t include hurt/comfort - or hurt + moments of mutual understanding and emotional connection, at the very least!

Any personal or frequently used tags?

The classics. Angst, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending.

Share a joke or funny moment that you’ve written that still makes you laugh.

I’m not sure I’d call these jokes as such, but here’s some dialogue I had fun writing:

From On a Wing and a Prayer (Lokius): 

“It was heroic,” Loki insisted heatedly. “Mobius, they were torturing you. And your body is weak and mortal.” He gestured at Mobius to make his point. Mobius chuckled fondly. “For a minute there I thought you were gonna compliment me.”

From The Man Who Wasn’t There (nostalgic Life on Mars/Doctor Who crossover):

“I’m sorry,” Sam interjected incredulously, cutting off the stranger mid-ramble. “Did you just say… my wife?” “I know. That was my reaction too,” the stranger confessed, as though he and Sam were on precisely the same wavelength. “Never thought of you as the marrying kind.”

Best editing tip?

I second @insert-witty-user-name-here and @dewdropreader's pro tips about coming to your own work as a reader. Anything that helps trick your brain into seeing what you’ve written like you’re reading it for the first time, e.g. taking a break for a few days, changing the font, reading on a different device, reading quickly to get a sense of how the narrative flows as a whole (not being able to see the wood for the trees is definitely a thing, at least for me!)

What drives you to write?

I’ve always loved writing, and I’ve always wanted to try my hand at writing fiction. For fanfiction specifically, I write because I’m continually falling heed-over-heels in love with fictional characters and worlds and I need an outlet for all those “what if?” scenarios that won’t stop crowding into my head!

Share something about your writing that you have wished someone would ask you about. 

“Is that semi-colon really necessary?”

Where do you draw inspiration?

All over the place! One consistent source of inspiration is that I almost always have favourite quotes to hand that help set the mood of a fic or resonate with the themes. Sometimes these quotes make it into the story itself, if I can figure out how to weave them in organically, e.g. my Gallifrey fic Silver Lining.

What is your immediate reaction when you receive a new comment on a fic?

Pure, unadulterated JOY! Smiling, dancing, throwing confetti!!! I’m always so touched when people take the time to leave comments, and I’ll never not be ridiculously excited to see a new comment pop up in my inbox.

What is your biggest challenge in writing?

My inner critic looking over my shoulder while I write

Falling into the trap of obsessing over sentence structure/individual paragraphs at the expense of the story as a whole (I’m trying really hard to train myself out of this – I’d love to be able to write FASTER and in a more relaxed, “stream of consciousness” way, at least for the first draft)

What story or scene are you most proud of?

I’m proud of completing my Lokius story On a Wing and a Prayer, the first fic I’ve posted chapter-by-chapter. While it isn’t all that long in terms of the overall word count, the real breakthrough for me was that I started posting before I’d completed the later chapters, which meant I didn’t have my usual “safety net” of obsessively editing the story as a whole before sharing it. My draft for Chapter 6 comprised “they escape - something bad happens”, so I was excited that I managed to work out the nature of the “something bad” and write that chapter from scratch over a fairly busy fortnight (which for me counts as record time!!) 

1-2 sentence preview from your current WIP?? (Only if you are willing.)

Saving this one for last. I’m cheating a bit with my answer as I’ve currently got three “active” WIPs on the go. My focus right now is my Lokius fic Variation On a Theme, but I definitely plan on finishing the others (eventually)! 

From Variation on a Theme, Chapter 3 – in which Director Mobius meets President Loki:

Loki smiled, sharp and sudden, white teeth gleaming. It was the same smile Mobius had seen in the reels from the Sacred Timeline (mischievous, beguiling, utterly irresistible), and yet it wasn’t the same. The spark of joy dancing in those mesmerising eyes had vanished, replaced by something steely and dangerous. Loki’s expression was cold, his smile slightly unhinged. Not for the first time, Mobius wondered how much of this “teetering on the edge of sanity” façade was a construct, a calculated intimidation tactic, and how much was genuine. Right now, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to find out. 

From The Man Who Wasn’t There, Chapter 3:

“Are you trying to tell me,” said Gene slowly, with an exaggerated patience that Sam knew from experience didn’t herald anything good, “that my DI is a Martian?”

And lastly… the conclusion to my little series of Good Omens fics (just two very short fics so far, but the next instalment will be longer). Title = A Twitch Upon the Thread:

“No, angel. Nothing like that.” Crowley sat up, tried to smile. “The fire and brimstone stuff is mostly for show. The worst thing about hell is that it’s got no style.” “Tell me truthfully, Crowley. Is that really the worst thing?” Crowley’s expression changed suddenly, like a mask had fallen away. “Not even close, angel.”

Please link your profile so we can admire your works!

AO3 profile: lydiagwilt

Also tagging @insert-witty-user-name-here @cha-melodius @blackbirdofasgard @mirilyawrites

[aro-comics]

Fashion Analysis (Part 2: Outside of Amatonormativity Alone)

[Note: This post is a part of a series analyzing self-expression, fashion, aromanticism, and how they interact with other parts of identity. For full context please read the whole thing!]

Outside of Amatonormativity Alone: Sexism, Homophobia (and/or Transphobia), Racism, Ableism, and Other Factors That can Impact Self Expression 

My comic was originally meant to be a light hearted joke. I’d always been told I’d want to dress up one day, be pretty and feminine once I fell in love with a boy (BLEGH). I was so certain that I would never do that, and now … here we are. I put lots of effort into my appearance, present feminine, all in the hopes I’ll impress a very special someone - a potential employer at a networking event. I think there’s a certain irony to all of this, and I do find it funny that I managed to both be wrong and completely subvert amatonormative stereotypes! 

But having the chance to think about the whole situation, I realize now that my changes in presentation reflect far more. The pressure I felt to dress differently are still influenced by fundamental forms of discrimination in society, and I would be remiss to not address these inherent factors that were tied with my experiences alongside my aromanticism. So in this section, I will briefly cover some of these factors and summarize how they can influence people’s self expression as a whole, before discussing my own experiences and how these factors all intersect. 

Sexism

The pressure on women In This Society to uphold arbitrary norms is ever present and often harmful, and while I wish I had the time to discuss the impacts of every influence the patriarchy has on personal expression, to even try to cover a fraction of it would be impractical at best for this essay. Instead, since the original comic focuses on professionalism and presentation, this is what I will talk about here. 

Beauty standards are a specific manifestation of sexism that have a deep impact on how people perceive women. It’s a complicated subject that’s also tied with factors like capitalism, white supremacy, classism, and more, but to summarize the main sentiment: Women are expected to be beautiful. Or at least, conform to the expectations of “feminine” “beauty” as ascribed by the culture at large. 

They also tend to be considered exclusively as this idea that "women need to be beautiful to secure their romantic prospects, which subsequently determines their worth as human beings. The problematic implications of this sentiment have been called out time and time again (and rightfully so), however there is an often overlooked second problematic element to beauty standards, as stated in the quote below: 

“Beauty standards are the individual qualifications women are expected to meet in order to embody the “feminine beauty ideal” and thus, succeed personally and professionally” 

- Jessica DeFino. (Source 1) 

… To succeed personally, and professionally. 

The “Ugly Duckling Transformation” by Mina Le (Source 2) is a great video essay that covers the topic of conforming to beauty standards through the common “glow up” trope present in many (female focused) films from the early 2000s. 

“In most of these movies, the [main character] is a nice person, but is bullied or ignored because of her looks.”

Mina Le, (timestamp 4:02-4:06)

Generally, by whatever plot device necessary, the ugly duckling will adopt a new “improved” presentation that includes makeup, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe. While it is not inherently problematic for a woman to be shown changing to embrace more feminine traits, there are a few problems with how the outcomes of these transformations are always depicted and what they imply. For starters, this transformation is shown to be the key that grants the protagonist her wishes and gives her confidence and better treatment by her peers. What this is essentially saying is that women are also expected to follow beauty standards to be treated well in general, not only in a romantic context, and deviation from these norms leads to the consequences of being ostracized. 

The other problematic element of how these transformations are portrayed are the fact that generally the ONLY kind of change that is depicted in popular media is one in the more feminine direction. Shanspeare, another video essayist on YouTube, investigates this phenomenon in more detail in “the tomboy figure, gender expression, and the media that portrays them” (Source 4). In this video, Shaniya explains that “tomboy” characters are only ever portrayed as children - which doesn’t make any sense at face value, considering that there ARE plenty of masculine adult women in real life. But through the course of the video (and I would highly recommend giving it a watch! It is very good), it becomes evident that the “maturity” aspect of coming of age movies inherently tie the idea of growth with “learning” to become more feminine. Because of the prevalence of these storylines (as few mainstream plots will celebrate a woman becoming more masculine and embracing gender nonconformity) it becomes clear that femininity is fundamentally associated with maturity. It also implies that masculinity in women is not only not preferred, it is unacceptable to be considered mature. Both of these sentiments are ones that should be questioned, too. 

Overall, I think it is clear that these physical presentation expectations, even if not as restrictive as historical dress codes for women have been, are still inherently sexist (not to mention harmful by also influencing people to have poor self image and subsequent mental health disorders). Nobody should have to dress in conformity with gender norms to be considered “acceptable”, not only desirable, which leads us to the second part of this section. 

Homophobia (and/or Transphobia)

So what happens when women don’t adhere to social expectations of femininity? (Or in general, someone chooses to present in a way that challenges the gender binary and their AGAB, but for the sake of simplicity I will discuss it from my particular lens as a cis woman who is pansexual). 

There are a lot of nuances, of course, to whether it’s right that straying from femininity as a woman (or someone assumed to be a woman) will automatically get read a certain way by society. But like it or not, right or not, if you look butch many people WILL see you as either gay, (or trans-masculine, which either way is not a cishet woman). This is tied to the fact that masculinity is something historically associated with being WLW (something we will discuss later). 

This association of breaking gender norms in methods of dress with being perceived as a member of the LGBTQ+ community has an influence on how people may choose to express themselves, because LGBTQ+ discrimination is very real, and it can be very dangerous in many parts of the world. 

I think it’s very easy to write off claims in particular that women are pressured into dressing femininely when it is safer to do so in your area; but I really want to remind everyone that not everyone has the luxury of presenting in a gender non-conforming way. This pressure to conform does exist in many parts of the world, and can be lethal when challenged.

And even if you’re not in an extremely anti-LGBTQ+ environment/places that are considered “progressive” (like Canada), there are still numerous microagressions/non-lethal forms of discrimination that are just as widespread. According to Statistics Canada in 2019: 

Close to half (47%) of students at Canadian postsecondary institutions witnessed or experienced discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity or sexual orientation (including actual or perceived gender, gender identity or sexual orientation).

(Source 3)

Fundamentally this additional pressure that exists when one chooses to deviate from gender norms is one that can not be ignored in the conversation when it comes to how people may choose to express themselves visually, and I believe the impacts that this factor has and how it interacts with the other factors discussed should be considered. 

Neurodivergence (In general): 

In general, beauty standards/expectations for how a “mature” adult should dress can often include clothing that creates sensory issues for many autistic people. A thread on the National Austistic Forum (Source 6) contains a discussion where different austistic people describe their struggles with formal dress codes and the discomfort of being forced to wear stiff/restrictive clothing, especially when these dress codes have no practical purpose for the work they perform. If you’re interested in learning more on this subject, the Autisticats also has a thread on how school dress codes specifically can be harmful to Autistic people (Source 7). 

In addition to potentially dressing differently (which as we have already covered can be a point of contention in one’s perception and reception by society as a whole), neurodivergence is another layer of identity that tends to be infantilized. Eden from the Autsticats has detailed their experiences with this in source 5. 

Both of these factors can provide a degree of influence on how people choose to express themselves and/or how they may be perceived by society, and are important facets of a diverse and thoughtful exploration of the ways self-expression can be impacted by identity. 

Also, while on this topic, I just want to take a chance to highlight the fact that we should question what is considered “appropriate”, especially “professionally appropriate”, because the “traditional” definitions of these have historically been used to discriminate against minorities. Much of what gets defined as “unprofessional” or otherwise “inappropriate” has racist implications - as an example, there is a history of black hairstyles being subjected to discriminatory regulation. Other sources I have provided at the end of this document (8 and 9) list examples of these instances.  

Racism (being Chinese, specifically in this case): 

For this section, I won’t be going into much depth at all, because I actually have a more detailed comic on this subject lined up. 

So basically, if you were not aware, East Asian (EA) people tend to be infantilized and viewed as more childish (Source 10). In particular, unless an EA woman is super outgoing and promiscuous (the “Asian Bad Girl” stereotype, see Source 10), IN MY OPINION AND EXPERIENCE it’s easy to be type casted as the other end of the spectrum: the quiet, boring nerd. On top of this too, I’ve had experiences with talking to other EA/SEA people - where they themselves would repeatedly tell me that “Asians are just less mature”,  something about it being a “cultural thing” (Yeah … I don’t know either. Maybe it’s internalized racism?). 

Either way, being so easily perceived as immature (considering everything discussed so far) is also tied to conformity to beauty standards and other factors such as sexism and homophobia, which I believe makes for a complex intersection of identity. 

[Note from Author: For Part 3, click here!]

[serpenteve]

The wildest thing about Leigh saying the Darkling is a cautionary tale about handsome men, to me, is that I’ve never really found a book character attractive, or if I did it was for personality. A throwaway line about their jawline means literally nothing to me, but maybe I’m a less visually inclined reader? It’s not like I’m picturing the Hottest Man Possible when I read, I’m picturing a guy who vaguely fits the description doing the actions described, and if that’s hot, that’s on the author for writing a character who does hot things.

Sorry, more thoughts — especially when, like you said, Mal is also described as attractive, so it’s a broken Aesop from the onset because she describes all the love interests as pretty. And from what I’ve seen of the text — I haven’t read the books and don’t think I will — it’s not like Alina is meditating on her attraction to the Darkling’s jawline either, so it’s not like you’re supposed to recognize that train of thought within yourself. It’s so mind-bogglingly stupid to think your readers are willfully inventing depraved fantasies instead of, y’know, reading the text. Ive seen plenty of fandoms where people were inventing characterization that wasn’t there RE: a characters attractiveness, but SAB doesn’t seem to be one of them since the Darkling is that trope to a T. And it’s not like she left much beyond tropes to read into any character.

I can certainly relate to this! I don't really have a specific face in mind for any of the characters, to be honest. I don't know how other readers visualize when they are reading, but I only have a rough sort of impression of a face, mostly informed by hair and eye color or any other distinguishing feature that gets called out by the text.

I think a big part of the Darkling's appeal is that he is powerful and mysterious. People are naturally drawn to powerful people and he seems like the kind of person who has all the answers, but isn't always forthcoming with them. We are intrigued by him and so are the other characters in the story. I think Ben Barnes mentioned that the Darkling as a very vampire-esque presence in the text in that the text talks about him more often than contains him on the page and that can be a very powerful way to give a character a larger than life presence. He lives rent free in all the character's heads ☠️

Another example of an attractive character would be Nikolai. He's a character that works perfectly fine in the original trilogy but when Leigh made him one of the main characters in the duology, he suddenly became insufferable to me. It didn't matter that he was handsome and a prince and funny and charming and basically a Gary Stu good at everything. His character was infuriating and self-righteous and annoying.

And don't even get me started on book!Mal. I literally wrote an embarrassing four-part essay on his toxic ass 😤

So this narrative that readers are willing to forgive anything just because a character is hot falls flat and is highly reductive of people's reading experiences. People just didn't connect with the heroes or find them as compelling as the main villain and that's on Leigh's questionable writing choices and blunders.