#to deconstruct canon you have to study canon

[orangeteaenthusiast]

"this is what I studied english for!"

[wolfythewitch]

Hey i dont know if this makes sense but i love your bibleposting because it actually humanizes the bible and the people in it? I was raised in a fundamentalist christian church where everything was untouchable and there was no room for interpretation and ive been trying to deconstruct and idk after being told youre nothing because youre just human its so nice to see interpretations of the bible that are about people as much as they are about god

I guess im trying to say thank you for doing that and thank you for being cool lol also your art fucking rocks

Ahh thank you <3 I'm about to go on a slight rant, but I think that's where me and my parents fundamentally disagree about it haha. While it is a sacred text, it's also a historical/ancient book that's been cowritten by many different authors in a language I -- and I can probably guarantee my pastor-- don't speak. It's been translated and rewritten several different times, and has been cherrypicked through by men who are now probably dead to determine what's canon and not. It's fine to regard it as a holy text, but it isn't above discernment or interpretation. The pastor tells us his interpretation of it, and suddenly every other reading is wrong? That isn't a discussion at all. It's a Bible study not a Bible lecture. The bible and its scripture should not be untouchable, to claim it so is to speak for god

Okay rant over. I love humanizing characters! If the authors of the bible were so touched by their encounter with god that they wrote down pages and pages of it, then I find it fascinating to explore their experience. Not to bring up good omens but I just finished watching it so I will, but when they bring up that job loved his children, they were right. Did Job not love his former children? Did Isaac want to die? Didn't Moses feel anxious having to return to Egypt? Elijah was afraid. Jesus didn't want to die. Jesus was afraid. Exploring the humanity in these stuff is so interesting because in reducing a man to a myth, you make it so they are no longer a man. We can't live up to myths. We're human

[damianbugs]

dc might not like to address how they've unofficially retconned a lot of jasons original robin run to end up being absolutely classist, but i most certainly will bring it up whenever i can. while this is definitely narrative criticism, it is more of a study, as i am not expecting anyone, readers or dc, to really change how they view the todds.

jason goes from being a rather reserved, kind and genuinely friendly child to an angry and cruel boy who was contemplating murder at some point (batman: urban legends). not to mention willis going from an absent but well meaning man who turned to crime to support his family to now being an abusive father and husband. catherine todd was originally stated to have died from overdose, but was later confirmed in death in the family to pass away from cancer, so while the 'poor addict mother' stereotype still applies, it is more complicated in her case.

it is no surprise that in modern tellings, all three of them represent very realistic forms of poverty. willis the abusive criminal, catherine the addict (her battle with cancer is always noticeably left out) and jason the violent child left to repeat the cycle.

dc simply couldn't allow the todd family to remain poor but an all in all good family (though i am careful to say they were perfect, past or present, since depending how you read him, willis can still be seen as a bad father and horrible husband), and instead had to dramatise negative stereotypes of poor people in order to really perpetuate the existence of jason being the "angry" robin. this mostly comes down to dc perhaps wanting to bury older comics featuring the original characterisation (since the only way to read them is through piracy), and there is no better way to do that than make his current characterisation nothing like his old one, at all.

after all, how else can we ensure readers are aware of how angry, evil and emotionally unstable jason todd is, if not making his life the pinnacle of why poor people are terrible and should not have kids? dc is not trying to hide it at all, it's almost laughable.

while the blatant classism is very clearly the biggest issue, from a storytelling perspective it is also really disappointing. deconstructing catherine and willis todd to their morally reprehensible, abusive and neglectful 2d personalities in modern telling leaves a massive gap is what made jason so personable as robin. personally, i also think it takes away how homelessness and his own poverty seperate from his family might have affected jason's morals and opinions on certain topics — another aspect of his character that is very important but often undeveloped.

especially with jason; making him having always been this quick to rage and violent child/robin takes away the true devastation of his death and subsequent revival. he died an innocent, damaged and complicated but caring boy, and came back vengeful and spiteful. he is a boy who has suffered a lot in life, with a sick mother he had to provide for due to his absent father, who also died due to a life of crime — and yet jason broke free from the cycle and became something more.

he loved to learn, to go to school, to play sports and to help people. he loved being a hero, even when it got tough, and though sometimes it was hard to remember, he always tried to stay on the bright side of things.

it's one of the main reasons bruce is so unable to process and accept his son's return, because to him, the person who came back is not the son he lost. though, that is another conversation entirely.

on the one hand however, i can see why jason's current life story might be more appealing to certain readers (and depending on the work, fanon or canon, it can makes more sense). since now that he's broken out of the cycle of abuse, he can use his strength to protect other vulnerable people. the true 'people's hero' in a way batman and other adjacent vigilantes can not be.

it is just a little regrettable that to fulfill this, he and his family must adhere to classist stereotypes to make it more believable. after all, jason was very much the 'people's robin' even without all the retcons to his character. he has always stood up for people who couldn't do it themselves.

[rewrittenmha]

Hero Killer Stain Arc

As far as arcs in MHA go, this is the only one I would call almost perfect.

This was the arc that (should have) set the tone for the rest of the series. It was dark enough to show us the severity of being a hero, laid out the flaws of hero society, and tells us why Izuku (our main character) is different and has the power to change things.

I hesitate to change much about it.

I think there's something to be said about Izuku's reaction to Stain. As far as people who call out society, Stain is the only one who gets through Izuku's ideals if only a little bit. No one else- not even Lady Nagant, who had the most valid argument- made him stop and think.

I do have to wonder if this was because of Stain's admiration for All Might. And that... isn't a great look for Izuku in all honesty.

So instead, I want Stain's words to really affect Izuku. I want him- as someone who's studied heroes all his life- to really think on the things he's seen. Thing he might have justified in his head at the time. I want him to reflect on what Todoroki told him about Endeavor and Quirk Marriages. I want his idealization of heroes and the societies heroes protect to be challenged.

This will be the start in deconstructing not only Izuku's blind hero worship, but also the circumstances in which he grew up in. What allowed Bakugou to torment him all those years? What was it that decided that he wasn't equal to his peers?

I mentioned this before on my main, but the one thing I always thought would benefit the Stain arc was also breaking Tenya's idolization of Tensei.

Stain brings up great points in canon, but they're undercut by the fact that Tensei- as far as we know- is a good hero. So Stain targeting him really undermines his actions and goals. Sure, you can make the argument that it's all heroes other than All Might that he sees as the problem, but it just makes Stain look like a hypocrite because we have no proof of that either.

So, Tensei won't be as innocent here.

It happened when he was just starting out as a hero. Tensei Iida had just graduated from UA and became the hero Ingenium. He was dedicated to upholding his family's ideals: noble, honest, and good.

But as a rookie, he came across something he wasn't supposed to see. He was investigating an underground drug ring where he witnessed Lady Nagant- one of the top 10 heroes at the time- kill another hero, albeit one a lot less known.

Tensei panicked and demanded to know what she was doing. But her eyes were so haunted and empty that he couldn't bring himself to move. When she answered him, her voice was hollow. She told him that this was the society they were tasked with upholding as heroes. And that if he had a problem with it, he could take it up with the HPSC. And then she left, like nothing had happened.

She was arrested just a few months later.

Tensei never said a word about it. And the guilt has been haunting him ever since.

He confesses all of this to Tenya after Tenya's confrontation with Stain. Tenya is confused and upset; all his life he has been taught that standing up for what's right is the foundation of the Iida family. He doesn't know how to feel about this information...

But then he remembers how Izuku had rushed in to help him without hesitation. How he always stood up for others, no matter what. How he never gave up.

Izuku... inspired him. Izuku made him want to be a better hero. A hero who always did the right thing, regardless of if it followed all the rules or not.

Shoto has never had friends before. He was never allowed to. He was told he was better than everyone else, including his brothers and sister. But being there for Izuku and Tenya felt... good. Like others relied on him, and he could rely on them too.

He's been sheltered all his life so outside of Endeavor he doesn't really understand what Stain is talking about. Heroes are usually good, like All Might, right?

But what if... more of them were like his father than he had previously believed?

Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu- upon learning that Uraraka is interning with Gunhead- decides to take the invitation from him that was also offered to her. She wants to know how Uraraka held off so well against Tokoyami when she couldn't. Uraraka thrives under Gunhead's tutelage, but Yaoyorozu struggles. She, no matter how hard she tries, can't seem to learn how to think on her feet.

Yaoyorozu comes off as cold at first which intimidates Uraraka, but then she realizes "Oh, this rich kid has never had a normal social interaction in her life." She makes the effort to be kind to Yaoyorozu, who has never had a real friend in her life and doesn't know how to respond to this compassion.

Uraraka helps her to stop overthinking. Tells her to stop thinking about what her opponent will do so much and look at what they're actually doing. It improves Yaoyorozu's already decent combat ability, which she's grateful for. She sincerely thanks Uraraka and confides in how she felt like she failed at the Sports Festival. Uraraka sympathizes; it's hard to be overlooked and cast aside when you know you're capable of doing so much more. For the first time in her life, Yaoyorozu feels understood

(They're besties, your honor)

Notes:

This one's more of a summary because there really aren't many changes to this arc other than Tensei's flashback. I was thinking of making him an HPSC assassin too, but a) I thought it would be more meaningful if he just happened to be in a place where he made the wrong choice and b) I like to think that the Iida family is descended from some of the first heroes. I feel like the HPSC couldn't sink their claws in them

The "main trio" as of the moment will be Izuku, Tenya, and Shoto as was (presumably) intended. I loved their chemistry in this arc and I feel like the three of them balance each other out really well

I almost forgot to take Momo out of that terrible internship. Having her work with Gunhead along with Uraraka was a great opportunity for Momo to actually connect with another girl. I feel like Horikoshi had all the girls like each other and get along for no other reason than they're all girls. Even MomoJirou and TsuChako are like that to an extent

To add to that, I also felt like Horikoshi focused way too much on Momo becoming an even better planner instead of being able to think on her feet. Her and Izuku are kind of opposites that way and it would have made for some great parallels between them

Do you guys think Best Jeanist would still take an interest in Bakugou? He lost pretty early and didn't have the chance to throw his tantrum at the awards ceremony. He definitely wouldn't get nearly as many offers in canon. I feel like him being mentored by Jeanist or not is an indication of whether or not he'll be redeemed idk it just feels that way

[idkaguyorsomething]

The Problem of Susan Fic Recs

For many reasons, The Last Battle is probably the most contentious addition to the Narnia canon. The standout, though, has to be the infamous Problem of Susan, wherein the Pevensie children are all killed in a train crash and brought to Narnia 2 Electric Boogaloo aka heaven, then declare that Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia because of her interest in “lipsticks and nylons”. Hardly any time is spent on this, but the implications have been the ground for a lot of argument and discussion. What exactly would happen to Susan, and should it have happened? Over the years, dozens of fic writers have thrown their hats in the ring and weighed in on the subject, making the Problem of Susan almost a prism for the fandom: everyone shines through it a bit differently, resulting in a wide spectrum. Here’s some of the highlights under the cut.

http://shedletsky.com/blog/the-god-who-loves-you

Starting with the fic that coined the term, written by Neil Gaiman himself, this fic is a reflection and deconstruction of the idea that Susan would be able to find Narnia again by delving into the trauma that the experience of losing all her family at once as well as the social injustices that a young woman of her time would’ve faced, something that the narrative of The Last Battle never really addresses. It took off for a reason, as it presents a lot of good food for thought, but it’s also got some pretty weird shit that can feel like it’s conflating adulthood with edginess. Well worth a read for all the points it raises, but if you’re fond of canon you probably won’t like the way it takes a hammer to it.

Now this one is exactly what you’d want to read if you wanted some feel-good time. This story is probably the closest to how C S Lewis would’ve written Susan’s return to Narnia, detailing her rediscovering all the things she put away as well as what led up to her rejecting Narnia in the first place. It falls more to the end of being almost uncritical of canon, with the focus on Susan basically having the same sort of religious rediscovery that C S Lewis himself had in his life. Because of how she was treated in canon, that can be pretty frustrating, but the ending feels nothing short of joyous.

Swinging back to the other end of the spectrum, this fic is very critical of the idea of The Last Battle being a pretty happy ending for everyone, unambiguously stating that life is always worth living for all the Pevensie kids. It explores what their lives could’ve been like if they didn’t die, being a rebuttal of C S Lewis’ themes rather than a continuation of them while feeling equally as happy as the fic directly above.

And this story feels like a midway point between the above two. It dives really deep into the emotional damage that Susan would’ve suffered before and after the train crash in some absolutely gorgeous prose, showing both her and Aslan with great sympathy while maintaining that what happened to her is not a punishment in any way. Bittersweet and very, very good.

Heading back towards the more critical end of the spectrum, this fic presents a Susan who is not interested in finding Narnia again, only her family. She is very much a character straight out of an ancient myth rather than a teen trying to make sense of a senseless situation here, filled with determination as much as desperation. It’s probably the closest fic on here to having something close to a plot as well as a character study, with the exception of The Queen’s Return and one other:

Being a crossover with what’s pretty much the antithesis of the Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Materials, it’s probably easy for you to guess which side of the spectrum this story falls on. It’s more of a HDM story than a Narnia one, but the two worlds blend together surprisingly well, and it gives us a rare look into a Susan who’s lived decades of her life when the story picks up. She’s pretty much the Professor and it is fascinating, as is everything left to interpretation by this gem of a fic that is ambiguous yet deeply satisfying.

¡And here’s Susan as a Doctor Who companion! This isn’t directly a Narnia story so much as it is one about two people much older than they look mourning the loss of their worlds, with a Susan who is a queen wise beyond her years. Reading it is like taking an ice shower. It doesn’t hold back on the grief, and as a result it manages to feel honest as it reaches a warm ending.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/24311

Despite also being a crossover, this is in some ways the opposite of touch the sky with two arms. Susan is more of an everyday young woman than a queen, and [SLIGHT SPOILERS] Narnia itself does feature directly. But y’know, that’s part of what makes fandom so interesting. Not everyone is going to have the same take on everything, and the ending of this leans more happy than melancholy.

¿A shipping fic that’s also a crossover with Peter Pan that features neither Neverland or Narnia? Yes, this one probably has the least to do with Narnia or Aslan, but it tells a very compelling story about living life and growing up, something that isn’t perfect but can be good if you find someone you want to spend your life with. Susan Pevensie and Wendy Darling are a really good couple, pinky promise.

Technically more a series of ensemble oneshots, but Susan features very prominently in a lot of them, and they will make you feel every feeling that everything else on this list might’ve given you. Satisfaction, devastation, simple joy, just go give it a shot.

[aurae-rori]

children of the city ; a dr. ratio analysis

Dedicated to all the people in my inbox going, "WHAT IS A CHILDREN OF THE CITY AND WHY IS IT DR. RATIOCORE?!" I will now be pointing all of you to this post, because it's easier to access and find.

If you are finding this out in the wild, greetings. I am Aurae, one of the many Dr. Ratio Analyzers (shoutout to my other homies who are doing the work of the aeons and clearing the misinfo and slander to my boy's name). I am here to tell you why the song "Children of the City" by Mili is Dr. Ratiocore.

It's time to deconstruct my boy like the puppets that you see on tv, who find comfort in the strings. (if you know, you know.)

"Sleep for a total of 800 hours per day And then drink a liter of milk Warm-up before you go play Only eat, or write Or pull the trigger with your right hand Only thing that's left Is to work on following commands"

I'm totally not projecting my gifted child trauma here, nuh uh... Anyway, my personal HC for Ratio is that his child might have felt monotonous being in classes that he was already too "intelligent" for. Learning things at a quicker pace than other children, absorbing knowledge up like a sponge - sure, the praise is nice, but after awhile, especially when you get to higher levels, intelligence isn't enough to carry you. You have to put diligence, effort, blood sweat and tears into what you're studying for, especially if you want to make a change, like how Dr. Ratio wanted to. It. must have gotten lonely, getting up only to do more researcher, eating only to go back to work. Following a schedule is wonderful, and he would have enjoyed the routine, but after being isolated from other people along with that, it might have made him feel subhuman or less than human for only being there for the studying of more knowledge. Eat, study, work, repeat. This is more of a personal HC rather than something canon, though. :)

"By the time you realize You'll be restrained to a desk And with your dreams on the floor, you comply Eyes chained to the test In 30 minutes, find a groom or bride Bonus if brunette In 90 hours, spill their insides Paint your room picturesque"

I feel like the prospect of romance is pushed onto children at a very young age - and that can be applied to Dr. Ratio. Who knows what romantic beliefs that he grew with? However, I believe this is less of him observing himself, but more of him seeing what the education system does to others, and how society molds others into the person that they "should" be, rather than what they want to be. Also, it could be a reference to academic trauma and placing all your self worth in your grades.

"Now it's time for another vendetta Going through the shelves Picking out my pre-written persona (ha-ah-ah) Children of the city sees only the neon stars Reflected upon the murky gutter sky Don't ask me why I desperately wish to be included in the city's night"

This is how I see Dr. Ratio holding a grudge against the Aeons and other figures of authority. We are all expected to be "good" and "well-behaved", and yet, we all look to the "city's night" - the approval of those who are in a higher position of us. We want to gain the approval and the praise of our parents, of our teachers - it's natural, after. We want to be included in the "city's night" - in Dr. Ratio's case, the gaze of Nous. He wants to be acknowledged by Nous and let into the Genius Society because his beliefs that were instilled into him as a child dictate that since he is hailed as a genius, he should be seen as one by the Aeons, right? However, I'd like to point out the usage of the words "neon stars" - stars are not neon. This implies that the stars are fake - I can also see this as a pointer to the idea of there system itself being fake, or societal "norms" being fake, as we are all unique.

"In four hundred thousand meters, turn right

Pick up a knife and stab a familiar warm body Learned to fight before I knew love or bitterness of coffee Snippy scissors cut down the strings I set myself free Only to figure out everything I chose was by proxy"

Dr. Ratio following orders until he doesn't. Fitting in until he gives up on it. Setting himself free from the chains of what is expected from him of other people, but not by the Aeons - no, that's something that still stays with him. However, I like to interpret the idea of a "familiar warm body" being his own childhood - killing the child that you used to be in favour of facing the future. Coffee is also something commonly regarded as students or workers using it to keep awake during long periods of work and study - it talks about how he has known to fight for himself, or fight for what he wants, before he was told to suck it up and just work for the sake of others, for the sake of the authority. However, this might feel scripted to him as well, with the mention of a "proxy" - it was a decision someone else made for him, maybe? Who knows? Maybe his selflessness was originally chosen by someone else, and drilled into him?

"As we suckled upon the nine millimeter pacifier Swallowing the fact that other than to expand We had no purpose As my ever-burning will to stay afloat backfires I now know I must be comfortable being Who I considered worthless"

This is definitely expanding on the idea of being raised to just be used by the authorities. Also, this can also be a representation of the way that he calls himself "mundane" - he was called a genius and raised as one, and now that Nous has not seen him, he must be "mundane" and he must come to terms that he is exactly what he wasn't called growing up. None of their words of praise have any meaning any more, because in the all seeing gaze of an Aeon, he is nothing.

"Follow the city's ribbon To a heart nobody seems to listen It takes my heart being broken and broken again (broken and broken again) To know that I am the reason why (the reason why) The sufferings never end"

As Dr. Ratio uncovers the truth of his childhood and the truth of why he was raised this way, the empathy that he has suppressed comes back up. And this is it - because he feels for others, because he is so incredibly human, that is the reason why his suffering does not end. He cannot detach himself like other people, like other geniuses, and treat life with little to no care. He cannot, because he loves, and that is his fatal flaw. He listens to his heart, as well as his mind, and that does not make him a genius in the eyes of an Aeon.

"Do not go home until you finish reading the value of E. 2.71 8281 8284 5904 5235 3602 8747 1352 6624 9775 7247 0936 9995 9574 9669 6762"

"E" is a mathematical constant, and therefore is logical. It's called the base of a natural logarithm, and while my knowledge in that area is limited, the fact that it is called a "constant" means that it cannot change, just like all numbers cannot. It might be a representation of the idea of Dr. Ratio trying again to fit in with others, only to fail once more, even though he knows all the rules. He was simply born in a different way, doomed from the start. It wasn't his fault.

He was just human.

You can also see this as Dr. Ratio observing the world as he grows up in an "apathetic" and "detached" way - as he pushes down his own emotions in favour of staring at his own success to help others, knowing that his empathy will not get him anywhere in terms of a cruel world. However, he cannot help it.

Ultimately, "Children of the City" is about how we are raised in a society that forces the idea of work on us ever since we are young. We do not get to cherish our childhoods nor our youth, and are immediately turned to the prospect of how we can provide value to society. We are raised in a never ending cycle like machines, to be puppets to corporations, to be slaves by the desire of the majority, to never have free will of our own.

[aaronsrpgs]

"Ancient World Fantasy" Reading List

(A little context to start. If you just want book recs, scroll on down to the first image.)

As I’ve been getting into RuneQuest (Wikipedia link), one striking component of the culture and community surrounding the game is that they’re very into the lore of its fictional world, Glorantha. I’m saying this as a comparison to a game like D&D, where the game is spread across tons of settings with no real sense of obligation to keep things in line with earlier editions.

Glorantha’s canon and worldbuilding has been going on since it was published in 1978 without, as far as I can tell, any big reboots. Which means that, unlike D&D, where people are bringing in all kinds of influences and doing direct adaptions of Jane Austen books and whatever, the RuneQuest game remains pretty tightly tied to the original setting. (There have been some exceptions. But not many!)

But since I run games for people who have ADHD or aren’t interested in studying up, I’ve been looking at all kinds of inspiration to drop into the game. Here are 20 novels that are roughly “ancient world” or “Bronze Age” like RuneQuest and deal with people interacting with strange gods, tight communities, and a world without fast overland travel or transferal of information.

I’m presenting them alphabetically by author’s last name.

The Brazen Gambit, Cinnabar Shadows, The Rise and Fall of a Dragon King by Lynn Abbey

I'm sorry for starting this post off with licensed RPG novels, but these are good! And I don't mean "good for licensed RPG novels." I've read tons of them, and most are so bad! But these are actually fun. Good character development in a sword-and-sorcery world. It's also an ecological apocalypse world, with godlike beings oppressing common folks, leading to a lack of technological advancement and knowledge of the past.

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bentsson

Written in the 1940s as a series of novellas, these stories take you on a tour of the Viking-era world, from Europe to the Middle East and beyond. Like a bunch of books on this list, this places them post-Bronze Age, so they're not officially "ancient world." But it gives a big spread of cultures, from the more clan-based Vikings to the bustling metropolises of Turkey. And it doesn't place any of them on any kind of linear advancement scale or whatever other gross way people "rate" cultures.

Tales of Nevèrÿon and Neveryóna by Samuel R. Delany

The master of weird sci-fi and gay historical novels, Chip Delany also wrote a fantasy epic. And it rules! Set on pre-historical(ish) Earth, these books describe the stories that maybe inform the myths we tell today? Dragons and slave revolts! A sort of "What if Game of Thrones was good?" series. Lots of good stuff about how people learn and how understanding expands.

I'm not listing the third book only because it's also a historical look at New York during the AIDS epidemic. It's an amazing book! But it strays from the "ancient world" aesthetic.

Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Another novel expressly set after the Bronze Age (this one starts in the 12th century). BUT it's about Medieval people's interaction with the knowledge they inherited from the past, specifically the myth of Prester John and the works of Herodotus.

I think I keep putting books like this on the list because roleplaying in a fantastical ancient world is not too far off from how Medieval people might have worshipped and referenced works from ancient Rome and non-European places.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf and Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

One of our best living writers! These are fantasy novels expressly set in a fantastical version of ancient/Medieval Africa. The books explore the same events from multiple points of view and are full of cool magic, awesome spirit combat, and a vast number of places and cultures that actively deconstructs most games's portrayal of fantasy Africa as a homogeneous place.

The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

I think Kingsnorth has been outted as a sort of eco-fascist? I totally believe it, so feel free to skip this one. It's a historical novel set in England in 1066, as the Normans invade from France. It's written in a faux Middle English language and focuses on the lower classes and how they try to resist the invasion. A good reminder that "Medieval culture" (and especially the Renaissance as a time that "culture advanced") is often based on certain classes of society, such as rich people and/or men.

Iceland's Bell by Halldór Laxness

Speaking of how class intersects with technological advancement, this book is set in the 18th century, but it focuses on Iceland at a time when it was ruled by Denmark, and the lower classes there were under an enforced poverty. It's a book about how a rich Icelander was trying to recover the stories of his people in order to create a sense of national identity and resistance. But it's also a story about how a destitute man acts like a total weirdo when he's not allowed to fish in his own waters and is cut off from understanding his place in history.

The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie

A big part of RuneQuest is people interacting with and enacting their gods. That's what this book is about! And it's about the strange vertigo that comes to people when they try to interact with the impossible timelines that gods exist on. Very good stuff.

Night's Master and Death's Master by Tanith Lee

Ostensibly set on Earth back when it was flat and demons roamed the world, which is basically RuneQuest. Sort of like a series of hornier, gay bibles? With lots of gender fuckery, fun sex, and cool monsters.

Circe by Madeline Miller

The story of the witch from The Odyssey, told from her point of view. Beautiful prose, tragic and beautiful characters, and a great share of mythical strangeness. Perfect if you want to learn how to run NPCs that are adversaries without being shallowly evil.

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren

Semi-Medieval again, but low class and vague enough that it could exist throughout ancient history. The daughter of a robber grows up in a tower full of robbers and generally has a wonderful time. Lots of weird monsters live in the woods, and there's a great starcrossed romance with someone from a rival robber gang. Perfect inspiration if you're running some cattle-raiding runs in RuneQuest; this is how to make robbers fun and sympathetic.

Read the book, watch the 1984 Swedish movie (which includes a great comedic scene of full-frontal dudity), and then watch the Studio Ghibli series.

A Stranger in Olondria and The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar

Set in a world of pepper farmers and religious fanatics who worship a mysterious inscribed stone, these books do a great job of showing how people might interact with religion, rival cults, and mystery rites. It also portrays literacy and learning to read in places where it's gated behind social gatekeeping. And once again, the prose is beautiful.

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola

The first African novel published in English outside of Africa, The Palm-Wine Drinkard is a funny, hallucinogenic story about getting drunk, stumbling through weird landscapes, and encountering fantastical spirits and people.

Tutuola also wrote My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, the inspiration for the famous(?) David Byrne/Brian Eno album. I haven't read it yet, but I'm keeping an eye out!

The Green Pearl by Jack Vance

This is a sequel to Lyonesse, which I haven't read because I love staring in the middle of things. Set around a mythical British Isles when Atlantis was still above the sea and part of the group of islands. Some great wizard shit, warring clans, romance, and a wizard whose name is fucking Shimrod (in case you need more convincing).

Those are my 20 novel recommendations! I'm gonna come back to add some nonfiction, comics, and myth resources for running games in fantastical ancient worlds. You can read SpeedRune, my ancient fantasy game, here.

[charcubed]

I'm curious, what are the main reasons why Dean is your favorite canon bisexual in media? Love your meta and that video btw

Ooooo, anon, thank you for the kind words and for giving me an excuse to talk about my love for bisexual icon Dean Winchester <3

I'm going to be really annoying (sorry) and quote part of my meta first. It summarizes and articulates many of my thoughts on this. And then to further answer your question I'll add a bit under it!

From the very beginning, Dean Winchester has been a character tied to classic elements of American masculinity. He was introduced with a superficial veneer involving those elements, but almost immediately the early episodes provide a look at the complexity of his character underneath it. Over the years, that complexity was further explored, and he came to embody a study in things society would often have us think should be incompatible contrasts: the gruffness and grit of hunting life and its associated masculine iconography, paired with his open and deep emotional care for the world; unabashed love for classic rock, superheroes, and horror movies, as well as unabashed joy connected to TV dramas, chick flicks, and childhood favorites like Scooby-Doo; life on the road with a muscle car, but the desire for a home base with creature comforts he can make his own; motivation to always help people, but the clear longing for balance with personal domesticity and relaxation so he could save not only others but also himself.

As a whole, his character functions as an effective deconstruction of toxic masculinity and stereotypical American heroism. And while much of Dean’s most masculine traits and interests are said to come from his father’s influence, part of his journey is loving those parts of himself on their own merit not because he ever had to but because he wants to. He is not his father, and he redefines those valued parts of his identity so they are his and his alone. He also crucially learns to recognize and joyfully embody that those masculine traits were never all that he had to be, working through and overcoming shame and hesitancy along the way. The result? He’s “good with who he is.”

He and the audience are encouraged to see that there are no rules his identity and interests must subscribe to, on a micro or a macro level. The message is to disregard predetermined destiny or duty. Free will means his life is his to determine, his family can be what he makes of it and how he defines it, and what he needs and wants do not ever have to be mutually exclusive. Dean’s journey is about freedom from outwardly-imposed limitations–whether those limitations come from his father’s example and the God altering his story, or from the pervasive societal ideals and network/executive interference outside of it. Dean can and should contain multitudes, all at once.

In this way, Dean’s story is a powerfully queer narrative that acts as metacommentary. In the fullness of its execution, it is also specifically a deeply bisexual narrative.

The not-so-hidden truth is that Dean is canonically a bisexual man. His story was afforded something that’s rare for most characters and almost nonexistent for queer ones: fifteen years of lengthy, nuanced development.

[...]

Again: Dean’s identity journey is about how he can and does contain the capacity for multitudes, and it’s part of what makes him such a compelling character. He can like “this” and “that.” He can be attracted to women and men. Or, as writer Ben Edlund and director Phil Sgriccia said in a DVD commentary, Dean has “the potential for love in all places.”

I wanted to include the above verbatim because it spells out something specific: Dean's narrative is bisexual in its bones. Supernatural evolved to become a queer text, but the specific ways the show and Dean as a character evolved are very intertwined with and informed by the fact that Dean is a masculine bisexual man. SPN is a story that was not meant to be about being queer, but as it became about freedom through free will, those themes were then leveraged and emphasized in connection to queerness because of Destiel. And by the end, the free will narrative and Dean's journey as a bi man are utterly inseparable, because Dean's fight for true freedom is tied to his love for a man and their untraditional family in a way that higher forces are trying to hinder.

You cannot cut out or edit or remove Dean's bisexuality from the story, or several narratives and plot lines (not just Destiel) would at minimum be misunderstood or at maximum fall apart. And yet, simultaneously? Dean's bisexuality is also far from being the sole important thing about his character because he is written with such nuanced complexities and across so many years of material.

Of course, add onto this the overall unique situation that surrounds Supernatural as a piece of media. People talk at length about how there will never be anything like it again, including me; that's obviously true from multiple different angles and for multiple different reasons, with Destiel being prime amongst them. But a related yet distinctly significant branch of that topic is there will never be another bisexual character who is written and evolves quite like Dean.

Was Dean supposed to be bisexual from the very start, out of the mind of Kripke? Who can know for sure, but probably not. Were certain writers and members of production deliberately putting more queercoding and subtext into Dean's character/story from the very start? Who can know for sure, but potentially yes, and certainly the answer becomes unarguably definitely yes the farther you get into the show. That's part of my love and passion for him too, because all of that is deeply unique and incredibly cool.

Dean's bisexuality evolved in a way that (against all odds) actually feels organic, seamless, and like it's simply a part of his character that's been there all along. The effect when you look at Supernatural as a whole body of work is that Dean's always been bi, and his expressions of and acknowledgements of that part of him ebb and flow depending on situation–which is a very relatable notion for many queer people. And as those writing the show became more committed and certain about that piece of who Dean is, so did he, in nuanced and subtle ways skillfully embedded into his story by design. It's bafflingly, impressively cohesive; gives him an incredibly realistic feel; matches his overall character growth; and rings true to his demographic, age, personality, and experiences.

Dean and his story and the situation(s) surrounding both are simply incomparable, and that will be true forever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

...also. Well. I simply love him, y'know? For even more reasons unconnected to this. How can you not, right? :')

Thank you for asking, and thanks for reading this bi Dean manifesto!

Putting my video that you mentioned here for anyone who's not watched it:

My new magnum opus, please stream, etc.

(or watch on Tumblr here)

[willow-lark]

lark's recently-read byler fic recs

thought people could use some uplifting 💕🫶 please remember to hype up your favorite fics and art and other creative work & remember there's always something new to enjoy!! browse the tag or ao3 page & give someone's work a some love!! xoxo

If Time Runs Out by @rainypebble07 (T, ongoing, 14k+) - BYLER PIRATE AU!!! 🏴‍☠️ i literally just discovered this one today and i'm actually obsessed. i have never seen any other pirate aus (🤨) n i just wanna say u guys are missing out on the concept and on this fic bc i'm so invested. i'm so excited to see where this fic goes. royal mike x pirate mike is SO GOOD.

how to get your crush to believe you love him: a guide by mike wheeler by @newlesbianprideflag (T, 3/4, 11k+) - mike goes across the country to visit will at college in an attempt to confess his feelings to him. will, who has a boyfriend already and would like to think himself very over mike, thank you, is not impressed. this one deconstructs a lot of popular/fanon tropes and is really great so far!!

california show your teeth by @fireflywitch (T, 8/19, 63k+) - ok this one mayyybe only has background byler but i'm reccing it anyway bc it's one of my FAVORITE regularly updating fics maybe EVER. in early 1985, chief hopper and his average, normal family move from lenora hills, california to hawkins, indiana--the latter of which has had multiple tragedies over the past few years, to which the new chief's family may or may not be linked. LIKE WHATTTT 👀 go read it RN. masterpiece

All Good Dogs by @hellfiremike (T, 1/1, 3.8k) - this one actually made me cry. featuring: an EXCELLENT character study of will byers, a heartfelt examination of canon and what comes after, and chester the dog getting the attention he deserves and never got in canon 😭

kiss me (try to fix it) by birthofv3nus (T, 1/1, 4k) - will has kissed every member of the party except for mike, who is, understandably, taking this news *SO* well and is not jealous about it at *ALL.* but maybe his situation is not quite as dire as he believes it to be....ugh this one was such a fun read, and you know i loveee party dynamics!!

drank my poison all alone by silverluminoqity (T, 1/1, 4k) - mike is going through it, and, though vecna seems to have been vanquished, maybe he's not so completely gone as everyone thinks.... this is an excellent exploration of both mike's guilt as well as his evolution as a character, and how he views himself. super in-character and super good!!

high tide came and brought you in (and i could go on and on) by silverluminoqity (T, 1/1, 8k) - MOTEL FIC MOTEL FIC MOTEL FIC 🥳 or, mike and will have yet another heart to heart, and some things are revealed. this fic is just so completely heartfelt and UGH i was MELTING the ENTIRE TIME, holy SHIT. probably in my top 3 motel fics EVER tbh.

Chasing Heartlines by @cherryisgone (T, 1/2, 6k+) - i was so excited to read the first chapter of the sequel to maybe one of the best byler fantasy aus ever!! knight mike pining after prince will is something that can actually be so personal to me. i love a good mike-won't-shut-up-about-will fic. the attention to detail in this fic is actually INSANE.

[franollie]

Ghostpunk hcs if you can?Preferably with my Gwen(afrolatina)

to be perfectly honest i dont have a lot of spiderverse headcanons in general so i'm definitely not the person to go to for engaging with spiderverse stuff in a more fandom way? if that makes sense? idk with itsv and atsv i love dissecting and studying every little detail about the series instead of deconstructing or engaging in transformative fandom. i'm really really in love with the story that the writers and artists are telling, and i don't really have anything that i want to change (including the romantic relationships that have been implied in both movies i.e. ghostflower and petermj).

that being said, i feel bad just leaving this here so instead i'll use this as an opportunity to write about my thoughts on ghostpunk and share some old ghostpunk (and hobie) doodles and wips i'll probably never get around to finishing. this will probably be pretty lengthy!

overall, i don't see ghostpunk endgame at all, but thats mainly because i read them as exes. in the timeline that exists in my mind to fill in the gaps between itsv and atsv, gwen leaves her universe a little less than a year after the events of atsv (because we know that she was probably in the spider-society for about 6-8 months and we know that atsv takes place 1 year and 4 months after itsv). i like to think that one of the first people she met in the society was hobie. they were instant friends and started going on missions together pretty soon after their first meeting, BUT in my brain at this point Gwen isn't living with Hobie yet. they haven't known each other for very long and Gwen is definitely not the most trusting after everything she's experienced. realistically, Miguel has apartments/rooms where the spiders that can't go back to their dimensions for whatever reason can stay. but in my heart, Gwen spends her first few months living with Jess and learning from her. after about 3 months of joking around with Hobie and learning from Jess, Gwen starts to get more comfortable with the other spiders and she starts opening up.

AND THEN, she and Hobie go on a mission together. on this mission, Gwen is confronted with the "gwen stacy always dies" canon event, and she's not allowed to do anything about it but watch another version of herself die. that night is the first night she spends with Hobie in his dimension. Hobie gives her the couch and he sleeps on a futon next to her. Gwen has many panic attacks about her dimension and whether or not it's still intact because she truly believes she was supposed to die at her father's hands. she wakes up many times, but Hobie was there and patient with her the whole night to reassure her that her dimension is still in tact and her friends are all safe. they have much happier memories in that apartment of course, but that night is still the most important to them.

they start dating after about four months of knowing each other. they have a super sweet relationship that lasts a few months, but inevitably stay friends because they love each other more as friends. they're definitely the closest out of the spider-band, and their relationship doesn't change much after they break up anyways (they're still physically affectionate and spend the same amount of time together all that changed was the label).

Old Gwen and Hobies i'll never get around to finishing:

the first one is loosely based on a painting of a couple getting ready in the mirror together, the second one was a wip of hobie in clubkid drag (look into club kid if you haven't it's really interesting), the third was just me practicing lineless doodles, and the last one was a doodle of older more fem ghostpunk

sorry, I know this wasn't what you were hoping to get out of this ask, but i hope some of it was at least enjoyable to read through?

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

Writing Redemption in Your Fanfics

If you’ve followed either of my blogs, you’d know that I despise Katsuki’s “redemption story”. It’s poorly written and poorly paced.

Sadly, canon isn’t the only place where an attempt at a redemption story is botched. Fanfiction sometimes has equally worse takes on how his redemption story should go.

I wanna talk about one fic in particular. I’m not going to name it, but y’all can probably guess what fanfic I’m talking about because it’s a very famous one.

The fic has one of the most promising starts to a “Katsuki faces consequences” fic: Izuku decides to abandon Katsuki during the Final Exam, and after his teachers show disappointment in him, he snaps, tells them how they’ve failed him, and calls Katsuki a villain. Izuku mentions how he wants to leave U.A, Nezu asks for a second chance, and Izuku accepts.

Sadly, the ball’s immediately dropped upon reaching the second chapter. Katsuki received no consequences other than counseling (which again isn’t a consequence) and without any buildup they have him apologize to Izuku. Furthermore, they start shifting the blame away from Katsuki to his mother for “abusing him”. This I’m shaky about. On one hand, exploring why someone is the way they are can make for some great character writing. On the other hand, the way it’s done here is that it completely changes one character to make the other look better. I’m all for changing a character’s backstory but these fics try to be character studies and when you’re doing a character study you can’t suddenly change one character to make another look sympathetic. Finally, the fic villainizes any character who doesn’t immediately forgive Katsuki. The main example here is Ochako who refuses to let Katsuki anywhere near Izuku. This right here bothers me. Just because Katsuki’s reforming doesn’t mean anyone’s obligated to give him a chance, especially when they’re an abuser of Katsuki’s caliber. You can recognize someone is changing/has changed while also not forgiving them. Demonizing Ochako for not forgiving Katsuki and for protecting her friend sends a terrible message to readers. No one is obligated to forgive Katsuki.

Now I wanna turn my attention to a fic called Confession by Scandinavian Sensation over on Fanfiction.net. If there’s any fic that shows a good Katsuki redemption it’s this one. It starts off with some of 1-A witnessing Izuku having nightmares during a sleepover. Soon after, due to Izuku mumbling in his sleep, they learn Katsuki bullied Izuku. The consequences are swift with the entire class shunning him. Katsuki’s forced to go to counseling, but it’s not treated as a punishment. It is a requirement for him to stay in the Hero Course, but a requirement is different than a punishment. Izuku’s confused as to why no one’s hanging out with Katsuki and feels bad about it. He tries getting Ejiro to go back to being Katsuki’s friend, but Ejiro hits him with a fantastic question: “why did he do it?” As this is going on, Katsuki’s being forced to confront his ego, temper, and past actions while also asking himself the question “why did he do it?” The fic ends with a beautiful rewrite of Kacchan vs Deku 2, where Katsuki desperately tries grappling with the question, is consumed by guilt, and tries to apologize to Izuku. Unlike the first fic, this one doesn’t involve demonizing other characters to make Katsuki look sympathetic, especially since it treats 1-A shunning Katsuki as something they’re allowed to do. This fic dishes out great consequences for his behavior and treats therapy as a means of him coming to terms with his own actions. Finally, it deconstructs Katsuki’s and Izuku’s characters while offering comfort to Izuku and opening the way to a possible redemption arc for Katsuki that feels organic and earned. It’s a fic I can honestly say that both Katsuki fans and haters can enjoy and it’s imo the best case study of Katsuki out that that maintains a neutral tone. If you wanna read the fic, here it is:

In conclusion, if you’re going to write a Katsuki redemption arc, you have to have consequences, you can’t demonize other characters to make him look better (especially when they don’t wanna give him a second chance), and you can’t make excuses for Katsuki’s behavior.

[eff-plays]

I saw a good video about Astarion being a subversion/deconstruction of the seductive vampire, and it seems that Larian themselves just want nothing to do with the subversion part, and neither do most of his “fans”. It’s really disappointing because his original writer was very purposeful with how he wrote him, but at this point I guess it’s futile to expect Larian to stick to anyone’s artistic vision if they’re not part of a fringe group on a forum threatening to doxx their employees.

This probably won't come as a surprise but I've seen Astarion "fans" (they were mostly AA fans to be fair, but some Spawn fans aren't totally innocent either) trying to argue his writer (Rooney) never intended for the character to be a deconstruction of the seductive vampire trope, in fact, he apparently always intended for Astarion to be an power hungry evil vampire who is into hedonism and debauchery no matter what, with no chance for redemption. They fully blame Welch and their personal agenda for how his story turned out after launch and for making Astarion's sexual trauma and SA past such a central part of his character and for his seductive persona to be nothing more than a mask...one of the reasons given for this was wanting to make the character more palatable to the general audience, and the GA only wants someone they can "fix", and not a real vampire. It's just insane to be honest.

These fans simply don't want an engaging or compelling story, especially if a hot looking character is involved. They just want something or someone to get off of to and that someone ain't the real Astarion you get after the confession, so they pretend the real him is not the real him, but the horny vampire he was in Act 1. I've honestly never seen a fandom so dead set onto ignoring the actual characterization of what they claim is their favorite character, and for what? Horniness, so they can keep pretending he's some sex obsessed dude? His fandom should be studied and I mean it, I'm sure any study will reach some very interesting conclusions.

And Larian are just hacks at this point, if they are so willing to constantly break their own canon for the sake of horny or loud fans on the internet, who don't care about the story, and some of which are STILL stalking their (former) employees and despite it, still have active accounts on their forums. I doubt I'll ever buy a game from them again, but if they do Early Access again for a future game, I'm seriously thinking of gathering other former disgruntled BG3 fans and demand they put some weird shit into that future game just for the sake of doing it. Again, given they're such hacks there is a high chance they'll be doing just that considering fan service is the most important thing for them. Who cares about artistic integrity, right?

By the way, thank you for posting that video!

Yeah I agree with everything you said, but it's hilarious to claim that Larian/Rooney made Astarion a pansexual male survivor of sexual abuse to make him more ... "palatable"? To a "general audience"?

Because what, their trying to make him into a hypermasc, hypersexual macho vampire is ... subversive? That's subversive? When they themselves indirectly basically admit they can't handle him not being what they want him to be? Lmao. Girlies. C'mon now.

Also Rooney literally said with his own mouth he wanted Astarion to be different from the vampire cliché. But they're saying he didn't want that? They're so unserious ldfdjghkdjfhd

[philaet0s]

a random, non exhaustive list of headcanons I have, that I don’t necessarily use in all my fics but that are very dear to me:

— TRANS NIALL I WILL NOT LET THAT HEADCANON GO ❤️❤️❤️❤️

—speaking of Niall, I just know he and Baz had a fling at some point. dated for a few weeks, maybe a few months, when they were 15

— Baz speaking Arabic ❤️

in canon compliant fics, I like to think that she taught him bc 1) it was important to Natasha 2) as a fuck you to Malcolm because he doesn’t understand it well so she and Baz can have full conversations in front of him without him knowing what they’re saying. in normal AUs, he knows it because his grandparent taught him. which leads me to another headcanon…

— …in normal AUs, Baz was raised by Natasha’s parents for a time, when Malcolm couldn’t do it. Also I hc Baz’s grandparents as people who both are from Egypt and moved to England as young adults. And they’re muslim too

—Baz having an eating disorder. works for both canon compliant and normal aus tbf but i include it more in normal aus as a “replacement” for his vampirism

—in Normal AUs, Baz being a vegetarian (vibes + something to mirror his “I don’t eat people” type of vampirism)

—Baz being disabled. should not be a headcanon but since he was magically healed in canon it is. also Baz using a cane. very very important to me

—i wish i’d include these in fics more: simon as a trans man (ftm) and baz as a nonbinary person. i’ve explored that in a few of my fics and it’s a lot of fun. it can add SO MUCH to simon’s character, and as for baz… idk, just vibes. but i’m a bit conflicted abt baz because i feel like he wouldn’t fuck with something that’s too far away from the “norm”. like he’s gay and that’s already not fun for him but gay is a generally accepted identity (in the sense that a majority of people are aware gay people exist, not that all they accept them) while nonbinary might be a bit Too queer for canon baz. i think that’s something he’d discover a bit later in life after some deconstructing (or if he evolved in a more queer environment)

—I also really like giving Baz addictions. idk he just seems prone to addiction. i am forever haunted by the scene of him drunk in the catacombs in 5th year. to me he definitely had issues with alcoholism then… so he could see signs of it in simon in ws. and they both stopped drinking altogether after that. woohoo

(alcohol’s not the only addiction i imagine baz has, i do also like giving him drug addictions. bc again. he seems prone to that. + he’s a depressed kid with more money than he knows how to use. he’d try drugs to make himself “feel good” and then become addicted)

—Baz studying English Literature in university (Oxford, unless he goes to UCL to stay in london with Simon) and working as a teacher and/or a writer. that’s the two jobs i can see baz doing the most

—Simon being a baker!!!! I do love writing Simon as a construction worker but baker Simon has a special place in my heart

(I also have entire backstories for Daphne and Niall but I’m not going to be annoying and detail them here bc I already did in the notes of one of my fics (I will TOTALLY detail them here if ANYONE asks lol))

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. Thank you for this wonderful blog!! It's such a fantastic resource and I really appreciate all the work you put into it <3

I'm in the mood for soulmate/arranged marriage/etc. fics where wangxian is paired up and LWJ is not happy about it (at first! happy endings only, please). Maybe he doesn't like that WWX is so boisterous. Maybe WWX marries into the Lan Sect and keeps breaking rules. Maybe LWJ rejects him on principle because he doesn't want a soulmate/arranged match. Anything in that vein! Thank you!! @kirk-spock-in-the-impala

Deconstruct by flowercity (FaoriE) (T, 11k, wangxian, soulmates au, fluff, light angst, pining)

Fated Series by LtLJ (G, 31k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Post-Apocalypse, Magical Apocalypse, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Canon Diverted via Volcano, YL WWX, Badass LWJ) but it's locked so you have to be logged in to AO3

Neatly Arranged by thunderwear (T, 45k, WangXian,Arranged Marriage, Angst with a Happy Ending, lwj’s mother is here but only briefly, RIP, Shenanigans, Fix-Itof sorts, Canonical Character Death, but not all, did i forget to tag pining, because this fic is like 90 percent pining, Hurt/Comfort)

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

Rebuttable Presumption by @/sarah-yyy

~*~

2. itmf fics where jc strangling wwx has consequences? i.e. seizures, loss of/impairment of voice, panic attacks, etc that kind of thing?

a star called sun by thelastdboy (E, 120k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Heavy Angst, Self-Worth issues, Amputation, Situational Mutism, Slow burn, Angst with a happy ending)

🧡 the river brought you here by chilianxianzi (Not Rated, 11k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, POV Outsider, Amnesia, Past abuse, Strangulation, Found Family)

Obscuring the Sun by Karmiya (E, 3k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, the sunshot campaign, Past Domestic Abuse) only 1 chapter so far

~*~

3. itmf jealous lan zhan pls!! he instantly hates anybody who flirts with wei ying or vice versa. thank you :)

A Heart Needs a Beat  by EmBlu (IcyDeath) (Not rated, 6k, wangxian, modern, misunderstandings, jealousy, ABO, alpha WWX, beta LWJ, oblivious WX,   fluff, omega LWJ)

Snow Burns and Fire Falls by Liebing (T, 12k, wangxian, fluff, fox wangxian, childhood friends, orphans, lan WWX, happy ending, sweet, soft, cute, time jump, jealous WWX, oblivious WWX) 

Bite and Bruise and Bind by ReformedTsundere (E, 4k, WangXian, Modern AU, Anal Sex, Rough Sex, Jealous LWJ, Biting, Friends With Benefits, Or Is it?, Idiots in Love, Pining, Like VERY Slightly Dubious Content, Begging, Blow Jobs, Marking, slight angst, Slight self-loathing, Happy Ending, little bit of crying, Barebacking)

Of Bunnies and Sleeves and All Happy Things by moonwaif (G, 3k, wangxian, mutual pining) 

4 times LWJ was Jealous and 1 time it was WWX by cylnire (T, 3k, WangXian, Jealousy, Jealous LWJ, Jealous WWX, Cute, Funny, Attempt at Humor, Fluff) 

nobody else but me by wqngji (E, 1k, wangxian, smut, jealous LWJ, bottom WWX, possessive LWJ, PWP, fluff & smut)

(there is a jealous lan zhan ao3 tag that the requestor can filter through! these are ones that I've read and liked)

~*~

4. Hello!! I'm in the mood for fics where the Lans are protective of WWX, and are equally dark when someone hurts him. Long fics (at least over 10k words) would be appreciated, but shorts are also fine. Thank you for your time.🐇 @utxqia

Hey this is #4 on the recent IITMF. I was wondering do you have any other recs than "Stunted, Starving Juvenility" for my req? Because it's an amazing fic and I've already read it several time and it's not even completed. I apologise for bothering you 🫣

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 548k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) I love being able to rec this fic, it's one of my favorites!

Truths Laid Bare For All by Preludian_Staves (T, 40k, wangxian, arranged marriage, not Jiang friendly, truth serum, love confessions, golden core reveal, implied referenced abuse, getting to know each other, genius WWX, falling in love, courting, WIP (hiatus)) these three doesn't have like the dark lans thing in them iirc but hopefully are a good read still!

An Obsidian Among Jades by Blackbeads461 (T, 12k, wangxian, canon divergence, lan WWX, child abandonment, Self-Worth Issues, trauma, BAMF LQR, angst w happy ending, protective lans, found family, politics, not YZY friendly)

Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman!WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj))

A Righteous Facade by RenaFair (T, 5k, wangxian, protective lans, mildly dark, JL learns a lesson)

Cluster of Clouds by Nika_Raven_Celeste (T, 20k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, JC & WWX, time travel, post-canon lans time travel, cloud recesses study era, confused WWX, soft LQR, soft LWJ, not JC friendly, not YZY friendly, genius WWX, horny LWJ, oblivious WWX, WIP) again, not a dark one, but hopefully still to your taste

~*~

5. Hey mods! Wondering if you have

a) non-Jiang WWX

b) WWX is tired for being the punching bag for the Jiangs, so he either resent them or left them to go on his own rogue adventures/get adopted by other sects (bonus point if the Jiangs also needed his help in the future that he refused/reluctant to help)

c) although I am a wangxian-heavy reader, I'd also like to read some WWX and WRH moments, bonus points if both WWX and WRH are dominating the cultivation world (slashfic or gen is acceptable!)

d) always a demonic cultivator WWX

e) HuaLian + WWX family

5A)

every cloud has a silver lining by thelastdboy (G, 8k, WWX & Wen remnants, WQ & WWX & WN, wangxian, canon divergence, wen remnants live, WWX pov, wen WWX, friends to lovers, childhood friends wangxian, angst w happy ending, homelessness, volcanoes, earthquakes, natural disasters, genius WWX, healer WWX, pen pals, fluff)

tall as the mountains that sheltered us by thelastdboy (M, 4k, CSSR/WCZ, CSSR & WWX & WCZ, wangxian, canon divergence, CSSR & WCZ live, crack treated seriously, childhood friends to lovers, genius WWX, inventor WWX, bg character death, happy ending, WCZ pov)

Inkstone by PorcelainBlue (T, 7k, WangXian)

5B)

The Debts of a Child Series by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WWX & Jiangs, wangxian, not Jiang friendly, angst w/ happy ending, dark)

5D)

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

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6. Hi! This is my first time using this method, but do you know any fics where wangxian time travels and then leaves the sect to become rouge cultivators? It can just be one of them leaving the sect too.

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7. Is there any fics where Wei Wuxian is vegetarian? I know there's plenty of Lan Wangji ones but I want to read one where Wei Wuxian is 🥰 Thank you in advance!

my life's journey is far from over by lastdboy (E, 148k, wangxian, modern, canon divergence, everyone lives au, Madam Lan lives, post-sunshot, selectively mute LWJ, wen remnants live, LWJ saves the Wens, whipping, neurodevergent LWJ, stimming, hurt/comfort, angst, coming of age, slow burn, recovery, mental health issues, references to depression, single parent WWX, eventual smut)

star, sweet, treasures by handwritten (onefromanotherworld) (G, 2k, WangXian, Fluff, Family Fluff, Winter Solstice, Dongzhi Festival, Modern with Magic) it's very blink and you'll miss it but vegetarian wwx is there

Seen and not heard by eatmyass (E, 51k, WangXian, Case Fic, No Sunshot Campaign, AU in canon setting, Kid Fic, dadxian, Strangers to Lovers, Found Family, POV LWJ, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Time, Falling in love in metaphors) I believe it's more out of necessity than ideology but I think it counts

So You Accidentally Kidnapped A Qilin by Mikkeneko (T, 83k, WangXian, Juuni Kokki | Twelve Kingdoms Fusion, yzy's a+ parenting, Identity Issues, Cultivator Politics, Yin Iron Poisoning, Most people live, by 'most people' i mean xy lives, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Mutual Pining, Miscommunication, Getting Together, Temporary Character Death, Happy Ending, Pacifist WWX)

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8. Cuddle fics. I am on the hunt for the most emotionally fluffy and domestic and sweet cuddle fics that exist, please. It is a very Mighty Need. Please and thank you!! (also, tysm for keeping this blog going like you have!) @amynchan

Just You, Just Me (Just Us, Just We) by wincechesters (E, 19k, WangXian, Modern AU, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Pining, Misunderstandings, professional cuddling, now with added papapa, Anal Sex)

rain. you are here. by thelastdboy (G, <1k, wangxian, pov WWX, rain, insomnia, fluff)

Stargazing (and a bit of rain) by handwritten (onefromanotherworld) (G, 984, WangXian, Fluff, Family Fluff, Family Bonding, Modern with Magic, Slice of Life)

💖 hello my old heart, how have you been? by ravenditefairylights (M, 10k, wangxian, post-canon, temporary amnesia, hurt/comfort, fluff, trauma, pining, hair washing & brushing)

Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground (E, 39k, WangXian, Case Fic, Intimacy, Curses, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Cuddling & Snuggling, Getting Together, Romance, Sexual Tension, Scent Kink, m.. maybe??, its not as intense as a kink, wwx Loves To Teach, Fluff, Scars, Sharing a Bed, Nonverbal Communication)

💖 You, Asleep and Dreaming by etymologyplayground (M, 9k, wangxian, post-canon, 5+1. LWJ pov, sharing a bed, cuddling & snuggling, intimacy, getting together, fluff)

A-Zhan is Three by westiec (T, 1k, LXC & LWJ, wangxian, post-canon, twin jades of lan dynamics, LXC in seclusion, hair braiding, sleepy cuddles)

2:08AM, softly by astronicht (T, 1k, wangxian, modern, cuddling, pre-relationship)

do you mind if i stay by perfectlyrose (G, 2k, wangxian, modern, hurt/comfort, non-sexual intimacy, cuddling & snuggling, pre-relationship)

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9. Hi mods!! For the next itmf can I ask for fics where WWX isn't all that sane? Like, he comes out of Burial Mounds a little bit crazy? Or even after MXY makes the ritual. Not crazy as in YL-murdering-everyone crazy (but I'm fine with that too), more like he isn't completely aware of what he does or where he is (maybe hallucinations and hearing voices?) and his siblings and LWJ take care of him (or the juniors). I want some family fluff and angst with wei ying not being ok and being cared for, just no JC or LXC bashing, please. Thank you!!! @jiangclaritybell

Helping Yourself by nirejseki (Not Rated, 1k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Temporary Amnesia, Short-Term Memory Loss)

You are what you eat by deliciousblizzardshark (E, 17k, wangxian, graphic depictions of violence, major character death, canon divergence, eldritch WWX, horny LWJ, body horror, possession, cannibalism, teeth, gore, fluff and humor, eldritch horror, smut, dead WWX, implied/referenced torture)

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10. Hii, do you know any fics where A) wwx is adopted by hualian from tgcf? B) Or a fic where basically everyone is protective over wwx while he thought his wellbeing didn't matter? Thankss

10A)

Hua Xianle by Tiffany_Guinne (Not rated, 112k, hualian, wangxian, TGCF, canon divergence, not Jiang friendly, madam lan lives, WWX adopted by hualian, WWX with different name, overprotective hualian, hurt WWX, WIP)

Love Like You by HisRedEmpress (T, 88k, WIP, HuaLian, XuanXuan, WangXian, Families of Choice, Family Fluff, Hualian adopts WWX, Love at First Sight, Post-Canon TGCF, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Genderfluid SQX, HC and HX are bros, TGCF Spoilers, Not so accidental baby acquisition, Canon Divergence, POV Multiple, Angst and Feels, Pining LWJ, Is it slow burn if Wangxian technically didn't meet until chapter 12, Slow Burn)

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11. hi! i went through basically all the truth serum/curse/mirror/etc as well as telepathy, core reveal, body swap fics ahaha but i still feel like there are ones im missing!!! i just want ppl to shake wwx for his secrets (homelessness, treatment by mdm yu, burial mounds, core, anything!!) and then care for him about it. im sure people came up with a bunch of creative premises that i couldnt find.. thank you so much 💚💚

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12. Hi, I would like a wangxian fic where madam yu marries Wei wuxian to lans for alliance and think Wei wuxian won't be happy but is shocked and hates seeing him happily married

Alliance AU by Ilona22 (E, 17k, wangxian, ABO, arranged marriage, intersex omegas, canon Jiang family dynamics, not JC friendly, matchmaking, night hunts)

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13. im the mood for lbh hc and wy as siblings. wy is the youngest and lbh and hc are so protective of him @ooosamness04

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14. Are there any really good fics that has Jin Ling and WWX family bonding?

Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 63k, WangXian, WWX & JL, Post-Canon, Protective WWX, Protective JL, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Reluctant Matchmaker JL)

Linger by the Door (I’ve Always Been Yours) by piecrust (T, 78k, wangxian, slow burn, canon compliant) Wwx travels around and makes homes post Canon, including with Jin ling

An Evening Well Spent by Admiranda (G, 2k, WangXian, Post canon, Fluff, Canon Compliant, wwx and jl bonding, Drunk LWJ)

of past and present by Here_For_This (This_Rocks_My_Socks) (T, 6k, JL & WWX, wangxian, underage drinking, implied/referenced child abuse, implied/referenced torture, not JC friendly, implied/referenced character death, self-care, hopeful ending)

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15. hi! can i request some recs for fics of Nielan (exclusive) where it shows Nie Mingjue just being absolutely smitten with Lan Xichen 🥺 @makkachiin

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16. hii!!! for an iitmf, i’ve been wanting to read something lan jingyi centric; he’s just too under appreciated!! (i’ve already read “The One Body Problem” and “Lan Jingyi’s Sixth Sense” so they don’t need to be recommended). :D

Give Me A Reason by useless_slytherclaw (M, 251k, ZhuiYi, heavy angst w happy ending, post-canon, friends to lovers, pining, violence, night hunts, travel, death, PTSD, dreams & nightmares, rogue cultivator LJY, injury recovery, Love confessions)

Why Not Me? by Eleanor_Fenyx (G, 26k, LJY & LQR, LQR & LWJ, LJY & LSZ, LJY & LWJ, good uncle LQR, LJY pov, war orphan LJY, character study, LJY has ADHD, found family, rejection sensitivity dysphoria)

The Best I Can by Zephyr (ZephyrAndTheSilverfish) (T, 26k, LJY & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Light Angst, Drama, Recovery, Coming of Age, Secret Identity Fail, Friendship, Rogue Cultivator LWJ, Road Trips, Sort Of, POV Multiple, Happy Ending) has 2 jingyi pov chapters, and it's also lovely

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17. hi, do you know any fics where everyone is just mesmerised by how pretty Wei Ying is and I mean everyone, but Wei Ying only ever pays attention to Lan Zhan, making everyone else super jealous.

For the Sake of a Smile by Reikosama7716 (Not Rated, 94k, WIP, WangXian, Minor everyone/WWX, CSSR/WCZ, Older!WWX, Oblivious WWX, Top LWJ, Jealous LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Protective!JC, JZX's Attempt in Public Confession, WWX and his ducklings, Everyone is young and gay for WWX, WWX and Jiāng siblings are cousins, Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Character, Death Third wheeling of unfortunate sect disciples, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Disciples peeking at WWX, Cinnamon Roll WN, Shameless WWX, Implied "Everyday is everyday", Sect Leader WQ, JYL being dark and maybe a secret sadist?)

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[olderthannetfic]

I'm writing a deconstruction fic for a ship I don't like because I want to explore the individual characters and how bad the writing is in canon. While the fic isn't very kind to one of the partners, it's very much in character and not a bashing fic, just a character study one that extrapolates abusive behavior that was treated as romantic in canon. I want to tag the pairing but I know that most of its shippers will not like it, considering that they have actively bullied artists and writers out of their fandom for even glancing angst's way and implying they're not married happily ever after. Anything I can do to make clear to the readers that this demographic may not enjoy this fic without falling into "This sucks don't read it" territory? I'm adding angst tags, but I have been told that this community attacks regardless of clear tagging and warnings.

--

Tagging won't solve this. Insta-banning annoying people and giving no sign that you care about their opinions will.

[adarkrainbow]

I am so glad I happen to have access to one particular book - it isn't mine but it happens to be part of my mother's collection. "Les perversions du merveilleux", The perversions of the marvelous, by Jean de Palacio.

It's not a book you find in your usual libraries, as it isn't printed anymore and now you get it usually in rare bookshops, or quality second-hand bookstores. Just on the Internet a second hand copy - not even of good quality - is worth at least 30 euros. It is a study, based on roughly five hundred literary fairytales published between 1862 and 1922, on how the "marvelous genre", the "genre merveilleux" - aka the fairytale - mutated and evolved in literature during the second half of the 19th century and the fin-de-siècle.

I often talk of the "great century of fairytales", the "golden age of fairy literature" in France, going from Perrault and madame d'Aulnoy's texts in the early 1690s to the publication of Le Cabinet des Fées in the late 1780s. But it doesn't mean fairytales as a literary genre stopped existing in France. It went on throughout the 19th century - but simply as a minor, overlooked, undignified genre, crushed by the dual tendency towards realism-naturalism (rejecting anything magic and fantasy-like as childish) and towards the fantastical (the "fantastique", opposing itself to the "merveilleux" - fantastique was the "right" way to do supernatural). If the late 17th and full 18th century was the "golden age" of literary fairytales, the 19th century and early 20th was more of a "dark age" - but there was a new boom and resurgence of the literary fairytale, a "Renaissance" by the fin-de-siècle, the two last decades of the 19th century and the pre-World-War 20th century. Of course Palacio here goes a bit further and expands his study all the way to the 1860s and 1920s, but it is still a focus on the "fin-de-siècle fairytale" and its "perversion" of the "marvels" of the genre.

Because what was the fin-de-siècle all about? Finding back a magic, an occultism and an onirism lost by the wave of realistic, social and scientific works ; reconstructing magic and marvels in a modern world while also brutally deconstructing it in front of the recent changes in humanity. Digging up the lost past and confronting it to the present - in comparison, rejection, or embrace. But it was also taking the innocent, the beautiful, the good, the fabulous and wonderful, and making it cynical, bored, depressed, cruel, sadistic - and what better choice of material than these childhood tales and "naive fables" of good fairies and happy princes? Twisting fairytales, but also exacerbating them - because the fin-de-siècle was also focused on the beautiful, the richness, the poetry, and it found a kindly echo and friendly cousin within the abundance, the preciosity and the extravagant luxury of these old fairytales. As such it is no wonder that almost all the artistic movements around the turn of the century - symbolism, decadence, all the way up to surrealism - took a great interest in traditional fairytales.

Anyway - this book talks about what the fin-de-siècle did to fairytales, and it is deeply fascinating. The first chapter is "For a fin-de-siècle merveilleux" and establishes both the "marvelous genre" of this era, and the process of "perverting" said marvelous in three specific ways: sequel-tales (continuing the story after the canonic ending), expanded tales (focusing and expanding on a specific detail of the original tale) and "counterfeit tale" (changing the setting, the gender, the iconic item, the social class, the time era of the original story).

There are two chapters dedicated to iconic character-types of the fairytale. One is the Fairy - "La mort des fées", "The death of fairies" - it explores the whole wave of depicting the fairies as a dying race or an extinct species, as the last remnants and survivors of a long-gone world ; but also the presentation of the fairy reinvented as the "femme fatale", the deadly woman, the lethal seductress ; and the symbolism of the fairy as a "woman of letter" - either a muse for the artist, or a storyteller making fairytales, when she isn't the center of a set of "dangerous wordplays" using language itself against reality. The other chapter is about the Ogre - "L'ogrerie décadente", "The decadent ogrery". It explores how the fin-de-siècle uses the ogre as an allegory or a metaphor rather than an actual character, when the ogre doesn't rather become a good and benevolent character, or helpless victim - it also talks of the focus the era had on Little Thumbling, Petit Poucet, and the transformations of the seven-league boots in light of an era of "speed and progress". But most interestingly, it also focuses highly on the "ogress", who was much more explored than the male ogre, thanks to the era's obsession with monstrous women - it talks of the sexual ogresses more like succubuses, of the greedy ogress-like women focused on eating money rather than flesh, and there is an entire section about the short story by Paul Arène "Les Ogresses".

As for the other chapters, they are all centered around onf of Perrault's fairytales. "La belle au lit dormant", "The beauty in a sleeping bed" - how the identity and nature of the fairies was changed to make them dubious and unclear entities ; how the metaphor of the sleep of a hundred years explored the passing of time or the return to the long-gone past ; as well as how there was a tradition of fin-de-siècle authors openly contestating, criticizing or rejecting Perrault's words and affirmations to tell the "real" story of the Sleeping Beauty.

"Miss Blue-Beard, or from the rehabiliation to the decadence" - the way the authors tried to redeem the character of Bluebeard, while also making alternate versions of the tale with a "rise of the feminine power" - from a greater focus and importance on sister Anne to an exploration of Bluebeard's previous wives and his intimate problems with women, passing by the angle of how power goes from Bluebeard to his surviving wife that takes everything from him.

"The metamorphosis of Cinderella": the great focus and fascination the authors had for the famous glass slipper of Cinderella ; coupled with how it became recurrent to depict the "after-marriage" life of Cinderella, turned into a "house-wife".

And finally "The absence of Griselidis" - dealing with the most often ignored and forgotten part of Perrault's three "verse tales".