#we need more badass women in loving relationships with each other in this damn fandom damn it

[epickiya722]

I don't know what it is exactly about these two...

... that I like them together as romantic partners so much that I continously think of fic ideas for them back to back...

[tategaminu]

I love how my silly meme made to vent brought this, it means a lot :,) I honestly don't have much to add because all the points made here are so great and so right!!

At the end of the day all of this is rooted on misogyny. I don't want to be the kind of person who throws these kind of words so easily or anything but after being over 7 years on tumblr I have seen a lot of fandom stuff and it always goes the same way.

Callum prioritizes Rayla, like a lot, I feel his whole s5 is just him making goo goo eyes at her, he literally learns a new arcanum for HER yet nobody says a damn thing. Yes I have seen some poor comments about Callum but it wasn't related to this or reducing his whole character to a love interest.

They are both equally important to each other and their development but Rayla is the one who gets the insults because aparently a girl developing to become more lovable and vulnerable or anything on the matter and having a guy as her most important person or getting saved by him is wrong. Now imagine if Callum was the girl in the relationship, people would be bashing her(Callum) about how she only exists for Raylo or stuff like that. And people would go "uwu my soft boi Raylo is such a cutie now". This might seem like an stretch but I have seen it and I'm honestly tired.

Rayla might get saved by Callum but it's because she puts herself in danger out of her good heart, in no way she gets saved because she's useless or anything, that would be a different thing and people need to put them apart. At which point we started to see female characters as tokens who can only be badass and not act like actual human beigns with EMOTIONS?

"Emotional vulnerability should be celebrated in media and in the real world" is such a good phrase. As someone who has trouble crying in front of other people, seeing characters (boy or girl, Rayla or Callum, doesn't matter) just be vulnerable feels so important to me. There's nothing wrong with vulneralibity, everyone has it. Crying or showing it won't make you weaker and it's really sad that being vulnerable has been considering as a shameful thing for a while, it used to be shameful for men, now it's shameful for women. It's literally one of Rayla's development points. The Silvergroove sucks and she's growing out of their ways and that's beautiful, being a badass was part of her sure, but it never was her character core.

Someday I will make a post defending Rayla without getting these kind of comments

[halfpint55]

So today we’re swinging fists about fandom’s treatment of Katara...

That’s right it’s time to drink your respect Katara juice. And to be quite honest this is probably going to be a part 1 because there’s too much to unpack here.

In writing my essay-length post about Kataang I “researched” by reading the comments of kataang and zutara posts (yes I did this to myself I know) but something I read in the comments of a post made me so angry I’m gonna deal with it by writing (although I realise this is not necessarily a new take, I’m just mad).

Today’s particular rant is about, and I cannot believe this is something I need to write about, but it’s the RECURRING comment that by having Katara end up with Aang she was “reduced to JUST a love interest FOR him”, and this has me ready to throw hands, because it wasn’t just one person I saw say this. Whether or not you ship Kataang I don’t fucking care - but the claim that it was sexist for the two of them to end up together is just so wrong I can’t even begin to tell you... 

oh wait yeah I can... and I will.

In general I am so angry at how a large portion of this goddamn fandom views, and treats Katara. It shows that you have a baby brain and just do not get her and the depth and complexity of her character, or it shows that you’re a misogynist, and either way, I don’t like you.

As a side note: Every single character in that show is so fucking complex that there is not a single character (with the exception of Ozai the Asshole and his asshole forefathers) on that show who does not possess SOME redeemable qualities, even if just for the majority of them it’s because they’re fucking KIDS (looking specifically at Azula and Jet).

But excuse me. “Just” a love interest? “Just”??! How dare you. How fucking dare you.

First of all - simply because a woman, any woman, is shown to have an on screen relationship that does not relegate her to be “just” anything, and you pigeonholing any female character and viewing them as “just” a romantic interest for that reason alone shows what you think of women and you gross me out. Tell me why you chose to view the female counterpart of the relationship as “just the love interest” FOR(??!) the male character and not the reverse. Why is Aang not “just the love interest” for Katara? What’s that? Nothing to say? Okay. Just say you’re sexist and go.

Now, does a lot of media introduce female characters as clearly intended love interests FOR someone? Sure. 

However, you can have female characters in media be intended to end up romantically involved another specific character. AND IT NOT BE SEXIST. It’s called fucking story planning moron. you think writers of massive productions just wing it like that, and don’t know where the relationships are headed? fuck no.

What’s wrong with a lot of media is the framing of it. And some of it is in language. It’s this business of “for”. Like what the fuck? “for”? No human is created “for” anyone else. And the same goes for these characters. They’re two sweethearts with massive crushes on each other. They each come to the romantic relationship as equal humans with love and respect for each other like what the fuck is this “for” busniess - no one is “for” anyone they’re cuties in love u fuckin arsehole. Once again, you saying that you view female characters in relationships as being there “for” the male counterpart and UR GROSS. STOP IT.

Overall the sexism of female characters being love interests comes in only when that is the ONLY role of the female character. And Avatar is not one of those pieces of media.To say that it is, is you placing your own real life sexist views on the characters, ya GRONK.

Here’s why:

Katara is an emotionally complex, three dimensional, character with fears, hopes, goals and ambitions, meaningful friend and familial relationships. She has arcs, and character development. She has flaws, and troubles. Only a mere fraction of her story has to do with her romantic feelings for Aang (do the math on the screentime spent talking about, or dealing with, their romantic relationship - i bet you it’ll come up with 0-point-something %. bitch). 

To ignore all of that and STILL look at Katara and label her as “just” a love interest says more about what YOU think of her...

you misogynistic fuck trumpet.

Just look at her: 

What the hell is wrong in your sexist pea brain that you think that this girl:

This PRODIGIOUS waterbending master:

..Is anything less than an incredibly powerful, talented, BADASS FIGHTER in her own right? What part of your monkey brain- actually that’s not fair to monkeys smooth ass brain watches these moments and still decides to reduce her worth as a character and a person in such a sexist way??? I want to know

Aang is not the Avatar when he looks at this legend, he is simply Aang in Love. 

Aang is humbled by her, Aang respects and defers to her (she’s his motherfucking waterbending master and he knows it), Aang is so often awed by Katara. 

Why don’t you try viewing Katara the way Aang does for a bit and maybe your sexism will calm down:

I’m going to pause the rant here but honestly, I’m so tired of people ignoring what a fantastic character Katara is, and that’s because it’s rooted in something insidious. BUT THAT’S FOR PART TWO! (Oh yeah no... I’m not done but for now I must quote my favourite John; “we don’t have time to upack all that”).

So for now just know that no, you don’t need to suddenly make her your favourite character, but if you thought less of Katara as a character because she ended up with Aang because that - to you - reduced her to “just a love interest for Aang”, that is sexist. So I want u to read this, and then read it again. Then I want you to carefully- I said CAREFULLY damn it - examine the way you perceive female characters, and how you perceive the very real women in your life.

I cannot Suki-style asswhoop the sexism out of you physically but believe me when I say I will try to do it with words. Learn something. 

(look I know it got a little heated there, but if this is an opinion you hold I do actually want for you to learn something from this and if this opens the door for u to shift your thinking then u are my new favourite person okay? okay??? ok).

[neeterloveschenford]

Thoughts on RNM 2x13

Howdy partners! Well here we are at the end of the season. Even though I didn’t have to work today and was able to watch last night, I needed time to process what happened. I also was very interested in all the diverging opinions last night and today over everything that happened with Malex. I am still smiling when I think about all that went down. (And I know I keep harping on this, but I am NOT a positive person outside of this show. Every time I talk about how hopeful I am to my two friends at work who are are fandom junkies, they are like Damn Dawnita, when’d you get so positive! But I digress.) All in all I was very pleased with this episode. And it sure as heck was loads better than last year’s finale. So without further ado, let’s dive in shall we!

Things I Liked:

 -Badass science goddess Liz saving the day! She’s amazing. I love her. And Isobel also being a badass containing the fire! That’s my girls!

 -Glad Charlie was rescued! At least Helena did something right.

 - Gregory Manes is bestest brother to ever brother and I would take a bullet for him. And even thought I really love Trevor St John and thought Jesse was a very compelling villain, I am glad Jesse’s dead. It was time for him to go. He was getting too comic book villain. 

 - Even though I have some issues with Max, I am glad he’s ok. I did not want to revisit the save Max at all costs storyline. 

 - Liz getting recognition for her brilliance is nice, But we know Diego shady, so.......

 - “Witch serum” made me snort. Also, Maria knows what’s what. I still maintain she’s feeling Michael’s leftover emotions from Alex’s kidnapping now that she’s not wearing the bracelet.

 - Well, it took several episodes, but Max finally was supportive of Isobel without making it all about himself. She is pretty amazing and it’s about time he told her.

 - Isobel acts all hard and tough, but she wants to find real love so badly!

 - They FINALLY faced their trauma from the tool shed! Michael handing Alex that hammer was so symbolic. Alex angry screams. God baby I wanna give you all the hugs!

 - Of course there was a dead body! Poor Tripp!

 - I am totally loving the brotp of Max and Cam. She gets so much joy dragging him. They make me laugh every time they are together.

 - I think the M!luca I love you’s were handled well. I’m not upset that she got an I love you before Alex. I mean haven’t we gotten these epic declarations from Malex over the last two seasons? I’ll take and I never look away, not really over a simple I love you any day of the week. And what’s so wrong with them actually loving each other? Maria KNOWS she’s not Michael’s cosmic love. She realizes that, yes, Michael would have risked his life to save her. But I think he would have gone to the others first and not just dropped everything to save her. And it’s not a bad thing to love someone but know that in the long run they are not the one you’re supposed to spend your life with. I have an ex-boyfriend that I still think is one of the finest people I’ve ever met and I love him dearly. But we just weren’t meant for the long haul. I think this is what Michael and Maria will be to each other.  (Ok, enough of that.)

 - Tripp and Nora (sigh!) I just love their romance. The fact that Tripp used the word cosmic just melted my heart. And the Malex look when Alex read that. I just died a little. Such a beautiful parallel. 

- Drunk acting Jenna is perfection. And she’s right! Women should tell other women when they’re beautiful!

 - So what’s wrong with Max’s heart? I want to see that x-ray Kyle. 

 - I like that Isobel ships Tripp and Nora. Same girl. Tell me more boys.

 -”Can we all cowboy up and focus please?” I love it when Isobel sasses. She’s the best. And can we have more bro moments between Max and Michael please? It’s some of the few times Max doesn’t get on my nerves.

 -How many times are the Manes/Truman couples going to break my heart? Tripp had to leave her. (SOB) He doesn’t a family without her! 

 -I really want to know about the date June 14, 1997. Why will they be safer 50 years from then? 

 -Loved the Jenna/Charlie reunion. Glad Charlie decided to stick around. 

 - This Echo fight has been too long coming. They have held things back from each other every single time they had any kind of conflict. It was bound to boil over. And they are both right. Liz was taking things too far. Max makes decisions without consulting anyone else. They both needed to be called out on their behaviors.

 - I adore the sisters Ortecho. I would watch a whole show just about Liz and Rosa. (With plenty of Arturo moments.)

 - Finally some Kylex! It was flawless. It gave us hope for Flint’s redemption and acknowledged how Alex has forgiven Kyle. In Alex’s mind, if Kyle can change, then anyone can. Give me more of them in season 3 please and thank you.

- Alex’s song! It just gutted me. Tyler is so incredibly talented. And the look on Michael’s face when he realized it was Alex singing. Then when Alex saw Michael. These two goobers! Ugh! (Ok I’m going to delve into more of this at the end.  I have a lot to say.)

 - Rosa telling Helena loves her but she needs to leave them alone was beautiful. This is Rosa growing up. She’s not the angry teenager anymore.

 - “We are sick of being pissed at you for being obnoxiously yourself.” Same Michael, same.

 - I’m not sure if I like or don’t like Max 1.0. Although I will be obnoxiously saying Howdy partner from now on. And I want to know about him being the stowaway. (Hey, we got an answer to something!)

Things I Didn’t Like:

 - Gotta say I didn’t enjoy Crash Con. Glad it was over and done with quick.

 - So did anyone wonder what was actually wrong with Maria at the hospital? Michael said she had surgery, but for what? I’m assuming it was for internal bleeding, but most people don’t just spontaneously start bleeding internally. 

 - Of course Jesse gets to die a hero. But who covered it up? Was it Alex? Is there someone else involved int PS that we don’t know about yet?

 - Diego, you are just shady and I don’t like you. I was rooting for you too. Shame.

- Is it bad that I really don’t care about Steph? It is? Guess I’m resigned to just being bad. Cause I just don’t care. Congratulations you didn’t die. 

 - Max! You couldn’t have just taken everything, or called Liz or even Alex? Wrong move dude. Seriously dude.

 - That’s the building you blew up? I am not impressed. That was a waste of f/x.

 - No romantic gesture from Max to try to get Liz to stay. Just goes to show how off the deep end Max really is at this point. 

 - The stowaway’s beard upsets me. 

Malex:

 Ok here’s where I’m going to dive into the deep end of my Malex feels. First of all, I did not take Alex performing as his big love declaration. He didn’t tell most people that he was going to sing. Even Kyle didn’t know. He had no idea that Michael was going to walk in at that moment. And since it’s been at least a week, maybe more, since Crash Con, I think Alex and Forrest were already seeing each other casually. Obviously, since Forrest at least knew he was singing, they have had some kind of contact. And Michael’s reaction was probably the most Michael thing he’s done all season. Michael sacrifices himself for other people’s happiness. When he looked over and saw the besotted look on Forrest’s face, he knew that Forrest could give Alex something in that moment that Michael couldn’t. Stability. Michael is just now realizing that he can’t blame all of their problems on Alex walking away or the despicable acts of the Manes family. He knows that if he’s going to good for the one person in this world that he wants to be good for, then he’s going to have to work to get there. He can’t hide in his relationship with Maria anymore. He has no choice but to face his problems head on and change for the better. I’ve seen so many people upset that they didn’t have a conversation after the song, but did they need to? They have hashed this out over and over again almost every episode this season. Despite talking in past tense, they know how much they love each other. Michael built a bomb that would kill himself and every alien on the planet just to save Alex. Alex wrote and performed a freaking love song about Michael. Michael knows that he has to deal with his traumas before he can be with Alex. But for the first time in forever he’s confident that they will find their way back to each other. And he would be a complete hypocrite if he asked Alex to wait for him and not get involved with Forrest. Michael wasn’t exactly celibate during the lost years. Also, I don’t think we’re going to get the big love triangle that we got this season. I don’t think Forrest and Alex are going to be a super heavy romance. As far as we know Forrest isn’t looking to lose himself in a relationship like Michael and frankly Maria were. So I’m not worried about them at all. And with a big time jump to deal with Covid-19, they can even have the relationship end organically. Alex could get deployed somewhere and they realize that they are better off as friend. Then Alex can come back and Michael will have worked on being a better person and they can start over again. And it will be glorious, because once those two work it out, that’s it. They are going straight into domestic bliss. They might even start a little dad band!

So that’s all I’ve got for now. I have many more thoughts, but this is probably the longest review yet, so I will be back with more theories and such at a later date. I am planning on a little project for the lengthy hiatus where I write my thoughts on each individual character. Some will be short because they are minor characters without much backstory. Some will be huge and no one will finish it because Dawnita says way too much about certain things! But until then, I hope you all stay safe and healthy. Till later my lovlies!

[ajora]

I never played ff5 but ngl I kind of want you to answer ALL the questions on that meme because I like hearing your thoughts about it. (and faris for the character part, because hm. yes. butch lesbian pirate. I can dig this. and your otp for the ship part, obviously.)

Oh boy, settle in because this’ll be looong.

So, for everyone else: warning: this talks about being nb/butch, a taboo ship, and spoilers for FF5.

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: Toss-up between Faris and Lenna.

Least Favorite character: I don’t actually hate him because his recurring crossover character status is hilarious and he’s got great theme music, but, Gilgamesh. His final words to Faris ( 恋でもして　ちったあ　女らしくな��な | essentially: go fall in love, then you’ll become more feminine) always rubbed me wrong. The love that defines her is the love she has for Lenna, even if you don’t interpret it as romantic love, and her love should never force her to become what she’s not. 

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Honestly, just Faris/Lenna. I’m chill with other people shipping other ships, but farilenna is my forever ship.

Character I find most attractive: I overrelate to Faris and Lenna is exactly my type. Gosh, but her squeak in DFFOO is adorable.

Character I would marry: I mean, I have a girlfriend I intend to marry, but Lenna would be a nice second option.

Character I would be best friends with: I’d probably get along with all of them, but realistically Butz is just the kind of no-commitment, independent friend I get along best with

a random thought: After the DFFOO event with Butz giving everything that makes him him to his dark world clone, I unironically want to redraw a SUF screenshot with someone taking Connie’s place to say that the only one who hasn’t had Steven Butz is Steven Butz. Largely because Butz shunts his personal feelings to the side to be the supportive friend and teen girl escort everyone needs.

An unpopular opinion: The GBA localization is great, but it’s not an accurate translation and sacrifices accuracy for the lulz. Which is fine!

My Canon OTP: I’mma reach and say Amano drew my otp holding each other on official art that got plastered everywhere in Japanese GBA-release media, so that totes counts as official, right? It’s the same argument the Butz/Lenna shippers used back in the day. (I even have this art in poster form)

My Non-canon OTP: Because FF5 has no actual endgame ships, obviously my otp. 

Most Badass Character: Look, Faris dove into a dragon-generated whirlpool that could have killed her to save her crew when she was 15. She fell off a cliff and crawled back up for Lenna. Faris, hands down.

Most Epic Villain: tbh the most epic villain was one who wasn’t in the game until he became an optional boss added in the GBA revamp: Enuo. He might not have been in the game’s present, but his shadow loomed large 1000 years after his death/sealing away.

Pairing I am not a fan of: Not personally a fan of shipping Butz with any of the girls, largely because he’s shaped like a friend and has been a fantastic friend to all of them, and FF5 really isn’t a romance. I’m absolutely happy to ship him with Squall in the Dissidias though. Butz/Squall is my otp for him. 

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Eh, I feel like the ending sequence for Faris could have focused less on her being a woman and more on her actual acts of courage. Courage being her whole damn thing and defining trait and all.

Favourite Friendship: Faris and Syldra. Gosh, but all the Japanese texts on them makes me mourn Syldra’s death even harder.

Character I most identify with: Faris bc butch/nonbinary reasons and huge issues with being shoehorned into one gender (male) but not really feeling it (Faris does, in Japanese at least, identify as a woman; direct translation by me: “don’t treat me like a fool because I’m a woman”) and also not wanting to 100% be compliant with femininity.

Character I wish I could be: Look, who doesn’t want to be a pirate.

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you:

When I started shipping them: 1997 baby. It’s been years and while I flitted out of FF5 fandom in the 2000s up til I returned now, I never stopped loving my ship

My thoughts: Yeah, the sibling incest complicates things, but also? They were separated very young, didn’t grow up together, and didn’t meet again until adulthood. There’s no actual power imbalance there. Even with respect to social status. Like, yes Lenna’s in line to be queen, but does anyone really think she’d abuse her position for anything? She adores Faris. Faris will destroy everyone in this room and then herself if anything happened to Lenna. 

What makes me happy about them: Oh, gosh, they are so good together. Also? I adore how muddled up they are together. Lenna is the Light Warrior of Water, her defining trait being conscientious kindness. Faris is the Light Warrior of Fire, her defining trait being courage. But Lenna will absolutely kill that dragon if she has to. She’ll hare off into the unknown with only a knife to find her father. She’ll trudge through poison to save that dragon she was gonna kill. Her sky dragon turns into a phoenix. She’s the spirit of Water, but everything about her screams Fire. Conversely, Faris is bonded to a sea dragon, nearly drowned twice that we know of, and over the course of the game she does become a kinder person than she was. She’s the spirit of Fire, and yeah she does have courage aplenty, but she’s so inextricably bound to water that her skills in DFFOO are water-related. 

What makes me sad about them: That they could never be together openly. Also? That modern/post-GBA fandom will absolutely shit on the ship’s fans. You’ve seen me talk in Discord about the hate I run across often enough. And it’s absolutely wild to me because I’ve been here since 1997, I’ve heard all the jokes about Faris/Lenna back then, and no one threw a fit about it like they do now. Nevar 4get the off-color FWAKs that were common back in the day. 

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Mostly just... treating the girls as Butz’s personal harem. And this is a small thing, at least. 

Things I look for in fanfic: Anything with my ship. Alternatively, anything where at least Faris isn’t straight. 

My wishlist: God I just want to talk to fellow Faris/Lenna shippers! And if I have to improve my translating-to-Japanese skills for it, I will. Also, I wanna get involved in a Faris/Lenna doujinshi someday. Or an anthology!

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: their dragons

My happily ever after for them: A cottage by the sea, all regal responsibilities forgotten, with new dragon companions because theirs died over the course of the game and Highwinds must have dragons.

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

How I feel about this character: Superb. Fantastic. When I was a young butch in the closet with only Oscar to look up to, Faris stormed onto the scene with all her flaws and character development and a dragon friend! and yes, I dig this. Still favorite, though Lenna unseats her ever so often. 

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Lenna. That’s it, really. World of Final Fantasy floated the idea of Quistis/Faris, but didn’t provide a lot to go on. 

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Syldra! Although I have been known to ship her with Syldra too, back in the day. 

My unpopular opinion about this character: Faris is a very, very Asian trope character, her roots being in Oscar of Rose of Versailles, Takarazuka, and East Asian legends and histories of crossdressing women. I just feel really uncomfortable when white people, especially white cis people, ignore that, ignore that she herself says that she’s a woman, and insist that she’s a trans man. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I do wish the epilogue slideshow focused more on her deeds than on her feeling uncomfortable complying with traditional femininity.

Favorite friendship for this character: Syldra!

My crossover ship: Faris and Quistis becoming friends in WoFF after Quistis challenged her to a fistfight is just so Faris that I’d love to see fics exploring that. 

[howlandreads]

I Really Hate This Show, Which I Love More Than Life Itself

Hey guys!! I know I haven’t posted any metas in months, (I’ve been super busy between work and school) but Game of Thrones is back and I’m really going to try and make Tumblr a priority for at least the next six weeks!  As you can probably tell from my previous posts I’m pretty anti D&D and have significant issues with their adaptation of ASOIAF, but I’m also pretty excited that one of the biggest events in fandom history is taking place every Sunday for the next month and a half, so I’m pretty conflicted about my feelings for the show right now -- That being said, here’s my general thoughts on Season 8 Episode 1 – “Winterfell”:

I don’t have too much to say about the “previously on” section of the episode, but I did find two things particularly interesting.  The first is something @theusurpersdog mentioned to me; Cersei says “The monsters are real,” and then we get a smash cut to D*ny riding Drogon. Most people have assumed the audience is meant to see the dragons as monsters, but it could also be foreshadowing some oncoming Dark!Dany content.  The second thing I found interesting was how the clip of Bran’s Warg eyes is shown right before we see Viserion’s Wight eyes, which might be some foreshadowing for the popular theory that Bran’s going to Warg a dragon this season.

Next is the opening scene where we see Jon and D*ny arriving to the North, which is the first of this episode’s 1,000 callbacks to the first episode. It’s a scene that’s clearly meant to mirror Robert’s arrival to Winterfell from “Winter Is Coming”, which mostly works except for the fact that the Baratheon theme is playing in the background despite the fact that there’s not a Baratheon in sight, except for Gendry, who’s not even a true Baratheon.  

I adore Maisie Williams in this scene.  Last season’s Arya was such a mess, and though I still feel show Arya is nothing compared to the complexity of ASOIAF’s Arya, she seems to be much more herself this episode.  The look on her face when she sees Jon is perfect, as is her subtle heartbreak when he doesn’t notice her.  I continue to be tired of the amount of The Hound content D&D continue to subject us to, but I do like that we see Arya’s joy at seeing that Gendry is alive.

Though I love Arya in this scene, the most important part is D*enarys.  In a crowd of dark fur coats, she stands out clothed in pure white, and the Northerners take notice. This scene also sets her up as a liability to Jon, both with the North and his own family.  When he’s with D*ny he misses Arya in the crowd, setting up the recurring theme of the episode that the more he’s with her the less he’s a Stark. I also appreciate that her first appearance of the season shows that the fear of the subjugated is what she’s after, not their love or respect.  Her delight at the terror her dragons instill seems to bode well for Dark!Dany theories. Overall, I enjoyed how the dragons were portrayed.  I love that Arya is awestruck, and that Sansa is in wonder for a moment, but immediately sees the danger in their presence in the North.  Sophie plays this brilliantly, and the look of resolve Sansa has shows that she won’t be intimidated by grand displays of superiority from D*ny.

I have a lot of thoughts on the courtyard reunion scene, but I’ll only mention the really important things since I don���t want this post to be too long.  The reunion of Jon and Bran was good, but not nearly as good as their relationship deserved. Jon and Sansa’s reunion left a lot to be desired.  Why is Sansa only glad to see him for less than a second before she’s side-eying D*ny? So many of my issues with D&D come from their inability to write women who aren’t reduced to pure pettiness, and this episode was a classic example of their failure to provide complex female characters.  Sansa is so justified in her concerns about D*ny and I wish the writing portrayed her as a an incredibly intelligent Lady of Winterfell, who has every right to bitterness towards the woman who’s demanded the fealty of her people, instead of just another small-minded and petty female character who’s more concerned with glaring at D*ny than she is with fighting the fast approaching White Walkers. D*ny stans also have a right to be offended by this episode as D*ny is fairly one dimensional as well.  

Sexist writing aside, my biggest issue with this scene is that somehow nobody cares that a freaking undead dragon is coming their way.  Not even D*ny, the Mother of Dragons, is given more than a two second reaction shot.  This should be devastating for her, and her plotline for the episode should have been her processing her grief.

There’s a lot of issues with this scene, but I will say that Bran is amazing throughout this scene and the whole episode.  Is he the ASOIAF Bran that I love? No, but he is spectacularly dramatic and I’m here for it.

Next is the Great Hall scene.  Again, the Northerners are treated as small-minded and petty over their concern for titles and independence, and I fail to see why.  Westeros is a feudal society, which means of course titles mean everything.  And beyond titles, of course Northerners are justified in their want for independence.  Each Kingdom has its own argument for independence, but the North’s is by far the strongest. They’re larger than the other kingdoms combined, and have a completely different climate and a completely different set of needs than the southern kingdoms.  Not to mention the fact they’ve been the most consistently victimized by the tyrants of King’s Landing.  

This scene is much better about treating Sansa as an intelligent leader who’s aware of the North’s situation.  Again, there’s a lot more I have to say but this post is already getting pretty long, so I’ll move on to Sansa and Tyrion’s reunion.

I’m so torn on how to feel about this particular reunion.  It’s deeply upsetting because it’s a wretched reminder of so many of D&D’s past sins, in particular the whitewashing of Tyrion’s character, and how Sansa’s development was completely undercut in the process.  This scene also shows a stark contrast between show Sansa and book Sansa.  It’s impossible to imagine book Sansa fondly remembering Joffrey clawing at his own throat, unable to breathe – it’s actually essential to her character that she wouldn’t. What leaves me torn is that I still really love show Sansa.  Though D&D’s adaptation will never compare to the beautiful and brilliant character GRRM created in Sansa, I can still root for a badass Sophie Turner fondly remembering the day her serial abuser died.

Now onto my favorite scene of the whole episode, Jon and Arya’s reunion. Both Kit and Maisie were so good in this scene.  I love their genuine happiness and comfort at seeing each other again after all these years apart.  I love the silent mourning of their youth when Arya confesses to Jon that she’s used Needle once or twice.  It was also really nice to see Arya defending Sansa after the absolute tragedy that was Arya and Sansa’s plotline last season.  It was also good to see how clearly hurt Jon is by what he perceives as Sansa’s lack of faith in him.

I don’t have all that much to say when it comes to the section of this episode that takes place outside Winterfell, since there’s not a whole lot of substance in it.  All I really need to say is that I continue to adore Lena Heady, I love the reference to elephants, I’m continually upset by the writers seeming lack of understanding when it comes to consent, and the Theon and Yara plotline is mostly a waste of time, which is incredibly disappointing because it has so much potential.

The next scene is by far the worst of the episode.  I still can’t get over how unbelievably disrespectful to the source material it is to have Jon’s first time riding a dragon be written as comedy.  The only thing worth noting from this sequence is the ominous way Jon keeps his eyes open while making out with Dany, and how foreboding his eye contact with Drogon was.

Though I loved every second of Arya and Gendry’s reunion, it was a mostly superficial scene so I’ll skip passed it.  

Jon and Sansa’s candlelit and tense conversion was content™, but I’m hoping to make a Jonsa focused post about this week’s episode in the next couple of days so all I’ll say is that I loved this scene.

Next, we have Sam’s discovery that his family has been executed, the reveal of R+L=J, and the beginning of the emotional and political fallout these revelations will cause.  I’m so unbelievably disappointed by this sequence.  Jon discovering the truth of his parentage should have easily been the most important scene in the series to date, and the whole thing just fell flat. The main problem with this scene is that it focuses on the political ramifications instead Jon’s emotional response.

In the second to last scene Tormund discovers the dead body of the child Lord Umber surrounded by some pretty horrific centipede arms.  The White Walkers haven’t really been all that threatening since Hardhome, but damn was that shriek unsettling.

The episode closes with Jaime’s arrival at Winterfell, and I couldn’t be happier. Hopefully confronting the man who crippled him will be enough for Bran to not be a robot, at least for one episode.  That combined with the fact that Sansa and Jaime will finally be meeting is more than I can handle.  As much as I was excited for this week’s episode, I can’t begin to express how ready I am for next week.

Overall, I had some issues with D&D’s execution, but I’m mostly excited for where it seems this season is going.

[retrauxpunk]

when I started shipping it if I did: like literally four days ago when I watched a jarrich fanvid on youtube out of amusement/curiosity more than anything else ... but it was late at night and I was feeling tender and just got straight-up punched in the face with feelings so now I’m a SHIPPER OF THIS

my thoughts: it’s just... really pure? like. jared is so wonderfully kind and supportive but also really damn competent and a badass. and richard is wonderfully brilliant and (despite spiteful fits) is a kind person usually i think, and would treat the people he cares about well. their canon professional relationship is really strong and that makes our fan shipping nicer/easier/more emotionally strong. I just. based solely on the canon I can realistically see them getting together, and sure ships that have no canon basis are fun too, but it’s just really nice that this one does have something of a canon basis! i think they do really care about each other in canon. and their personalities are just so great for fanon -- jared the extremely protective devoted mother hen who sometimes slips into ‘terrifying right hand man’ mode (can’t remember where i read that quote but i love it) and has a tragic past but has prevailed to become (probably?) happy and successful ... and richard the awkward nervous genius who is usually meek and goofy but slips into vengeful bastard/badass mode every now and then .... god I LOVE THEM

What makes me happy about them: how pure and kind and respectful and diplomatic jared is, and how richard is such a wonderfully flawed protagonist but, despite his flaws, is still a good person (feels remorse, tries not to fuck people over for no reason) and a total fucking badass

What makes me sad about them: jared’s past :/// and richard being awkward/unresponsive to jared’s affections hahaha which, in canon, he totally has the right to do and i’m not annoyed or anything, i’d probably feel uncomfortable about jared if i were richard because he is a little overbearing/unsettling at times? but in FANON then it’s like ... oh no the ship ... :’( but! it’s okay we can always write our own stuff ;)

things done in fanfic that annoys me: I haven’t read any fanfic that truly annoys me but I have heard that some fics have richard being pretty homophobic which is 1) sad and 2) not really supported by canon either?? so why???? I’m just not a fan of gratuitous homophobia-based pain... also, this might just be me but I’m a little bit put off by fics where jared and richard are portrayed as gay men who don’t realise they’re gay and whenever they’re with women it feels wrong -- not because I have anything against the concept of them being gay, but because it feels a BIT like bisexual erasure to me. HOWEVER i know this isn’t necessarily the writer’s intention so I don’t think it’s wrong to write that trope, and I do definitely see the appeal in it! but I guess it’s just ... I wouldn’t mind it nearly as much if I KNEW it was not due to bi erasure, but the possibility that it is makes me a little bit iffy. 

things I look for in fanfic: HAHAH like literally anything jarrich because this is a small fandom. though that said, I don’t like fics where richard treats jared badly. i’m also not usually a fan of the really kinky smuts -- just a personal preference. and i don’t like fic that’s set in canon universe but it’s REALLY DARK because oh... oh man. yeah, none of these are things i have a moral issue with or anything lmao it’s just not what i enjoy. and i think i enjoy basically everything else hahah

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: literally anyone who makes them happy and with whom they have a convincing on-screen relationship with; as long as it feels believable and well-written, i don’t mind ... as long as it’s not with any of the villains HAHAH (eg gavin)

My happily ever after for them: Pied Piper becomes really successful in a way that still means they can live relatively happy/normal lives. Richard proposes to Jared and they get married. I can’t really see Richard wanting kids but I feel Jared might? So let’s compromise and say they get pets (birds!) (or a dog?) and Jared is welcomed into Richard’s extended family and becomes the best uncle ever, while volunteering to help out kids in need etc. 

who is the big spoon/little spoon: usually Jared’s the big spoon but it changes

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: ...cuddling? hahahah. maybe stargazing, lying side by side beneath the night sky... or maybe really competitive chess tournaments against each other HAHAHA //made up that headcanon literally just then

[andy-clutterbuck]

"No one who loves Rick put him with Jessie" What do you mean by that? I know that Jessie is not the most likable character on the TWD, but everyone especially Rick fans should give her a credit, because she was the one that helped him to finally let go of Lori and move on. She was kind of the stage to Rick to love again (the bridge to Michonne), and probably I'm the only one who still thinks that Lori is his love.And maybe that anon read only the comics that's why he asked you about that three.

I meant that I don’t believe anyone who truly wants what’s BEST for Rick would choose Jessie above all other people as his partner in life. The only context we have for them being together was when Rick was PTSD-ing all over the place. 97% of the interactions included Rick acting eerily unlike himself or acting as if the lights were on but nobody was home mentally. I’m not out here playing the AU game, “Well what if they met-” because that’s full of “What If”s that aren’t concrete. Which also brings me to the fact that she mocked one child’s abuse and left the other to hang out with a bunch of ants while he looked like he was having a near mental breakdown. Not the kind of person I want anywhere near Rick’s children. I can’t even fathom how she’d help him with Carl’s death.... They tried to force the badass angle with her killing the Wolf but it was a hard sell. I can not imagine her becoming someone who could be by Rick’s side in all things. I can’t imagine her laughing with him on a couch AND kicking ass by his side on the battlefield. That’s the kind of person he needs, especially in this world, someone who is with him every step of the way and understands him without things having to be verbalized, and someone who can 1000% hold their own.

I don’t need to give her credit for anything. She died and was never mentioned again. She died and the show jumped ahead weeks and Rick finally looked like the dude I knew. There’s a scene in the comics where he talks about her after her death and visits her grave iirc and they didn’t even include that. Carol did visit Sam’s grave though. That tells me everything I need to know in regards to her “importance.” She was a poorly acted, poorly written plot device. Forced doesn’t even begin to cover it, like we were supposed to believe that the guy who clocked Aaron, tied him up, and was convinced that Aaron was trying to poison his child with applesauce would then let some random stranger into his home while he was alone and let them stand behind him with a pair of scissors? Lol okay, Gimple. She existed because Gimple had an erection for the comics that has lasted way longer than 4 hours but he refused to see medical attention for it.

Sorry, no, I don’t buy that that was a comic related ask. I have never been known as a comics related blog thus anyone asking me about the comics would specify and always has. If that was a genuine question there would have been a hell of a lot more context to it, and for the record I don’t hate Lori nor do I warp canon and act like she and Rick didn’t love each other. That person took Rick’s late wife, a chick he kissed once in a dank garage, and a woman who was barely even his friend ??? but his character was with in the comics and asked me which I thought was the ideal partner for him. All of said women also happen to be very dead and very white. BUT they oh so ~*conveniently*~ ignored MIchonne, the black woman who is ALIVE and actually currently in a relationship with him, a woman whom he just verbally professed his love for. It 1000% looks like erasure and racist fuckery. I know because I’ve been heavily involved in this fandom since before S3 and thus have witnessed every ounce of bullshit in this arena. Throwing every damn woman at Rick as long as she isn’t Michonne regardless of whether is makes any sense. Bonus points if she’s white!!! Lilly, Paula, Random White Lady From A Random Casting Call, Any White Woman Vaguely In His Age Bracket Who Was Cast Regardless Of What Her Role Is. “OMG SHE’S GOING TO BE THE NEW ANDREA.” I’ve seen this song and dance 85 million times.

[officialthiamlibrary]

Welcome to another profile on Behind the Screens, giving you personal insight on who your favorite creators are and what they do when they aren’t wowing you with their creative ability.

Happy Tuesday friends! Today, we have the delightful pleasure in getting to know one of your most requested authors, @formerprincess. Rena, our aforementioned guest, is the writer of numerous works, most notably A Tale of Claws and Fangs, Overslept, and Finding My Way To You. As you’ll come to find out, she’s also so much more, so let’s not wait a second more to dive in.

Rena! To get us started, share something about yourself! And for the twist: the word could should be around the number of letters of the characters in you’re favorite TW rarepair ship.

Erica Reyes + Stiles Stilinski = 25

Shy but it you know me I can be pretty weird. Huge book lover. Disney Fangirl. Big heart. Need writing like air. Wrestling fan.

Woah, really?! A wrestling fan? What got you into it?

I get this question so often haha. Because I appear so shy and innocent, people are always like: What? Wrestling? You? It’s fun.

My dad watched it for a while and sometimes I watched it with him, nothing too invested. But then I learned about Nikki and Brie Bella over tumblr rp and I got really curious about them so I researched online. I love them both, especially Brie, love that they stand for strong women and through them I started to actively watch Wrestling and over time gathered some other wrestlers, male and female, I love to see in the ring. It’s fun to watch them and what they do in the ring is impressive.

From wrestling to Teen Wolf, I dig it! And, how you find your way to the Thiam fandom? What about the two grabbed a hold on you?

That’s kind of a long story. I started watching Teen Wolf because I saw gifs and pictures of it on tumblr. I got curious and wanted to see this show but it wasn’t broadcasted on TV in my country, so I kind of searched online for a way and I watched until the point where Liam was introduced in the series  but then stopped because I lost interest and with work I was too busy to even think of Teen Wolf. And then I was on tumblr and I saw a gifset of the scene where Liam and Theo almost fistbumped and I was like ‘Oh hey, these two are cute together.��� I don’t even know why, I just liked the chemistry they had in the scene, Theo’s soft smile, and all. I grew curious who they were because I recognized Liam but I had no idea who Theo was. Quick online search. Aha, those two are Theo and Liam, Thiam for short. Interesting. The Thiam fandom was so very small at this point, there like five fanfics or whatever, so I didn’t really get much from my little expedition into the Thiam fandom.

I kind of forgot about them again because life and other stuff and all and then I saw something about Theo being evil months after my little encounter with the Thiam fandom and I was all ‘Wait a minute! What? But he and Liam…What the hell is going on?’. I was totally confused and stayed confused until was finally able to watch Teen Wolf again (I watched because I heard about the series ending and felt nostalgic so I gave it another shot). I watched season 4, 5, and season 6A and I was hooked!! And so ready for more screen time of Theo and Liam together, so ready to see what would happen to my boys.Tumblr came in handy again and damn had the fandom grown. I saw what everybody had to offer and the ship itself gave me so much inspiration that I wanted to contribute and put in my own two cents on them. The fandom was so welcoming and friendly, it felt like a family from the start and thus I decided to stay. I met many great people because of Thiam already, it’s really awesome.

What drew me in about them? The unspoken chemistry between them, not only romantically but also platonically. Even when I saw gifsets from them without any context, the looks they shared showed such a connection for me, I was astonished and delighted. And when I saw the whole scenes with them, every episode, I liked how different they acted around each other. I always felt like they got each other to a point no other was possible. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the relationship they have with other characters but I always felt they had this special level of a connection. As if they found their ideal counterpart with each other because they both have this fire inside them and don’t shy away from unleashing it.

Oooh, that last bit is so poetic!

Thank you. It came to my mind while I laid in bed and couldn’t fall asleep. When I thought of this, I sat up and almost yelled “That it! That’s Thiam!” Thank god I didn’t or I would have scared the neighbours probably haha.

Haha, most definitely. What’s another thing you’re passionate about beside Thiam and wrestling?

Being creative in general, not only writing.  I mean, yes, writing is the biggest thing I am passionate about. I view writing as a way to deal with the stress of daily life and I would go crazy if I couldn’t write. I also write poetry sometimes.

But not only writing, sometimes I like to create some picture collage or maybe an outfit on Polyvore. Or I simply create things in my head, characters, storylines, worlds, whatever I can think of at those moments. Sometimes I take my thoughts and try to realize them in my Sims game, it’s fun.

LOL, fellow Sims lover! This is one of my fav things to do! What’s been your favorite characters/scenario to conceptualize in the game? How did the game turn out? Any entertaining stories?

Hey, that’s great haha! I love to do this and I’m currently building some houses I could use as inspiration for my stories. I usually play with original Sims, see them starting a family and see how many generations I can have until it starts to get old or until I’m running out of ideas but I once created Stiles, Lydia, Erica and Derek in the game and the Stiles Sims immediately took a shining to the Derek Sims. It was hilarious to watch because even when I was not telling him to, he was interacting with Derek, followed him around. It was adorable. He tried to make Derek laugh^^. It ended with them falling in love and Lydia and Erica being the bridesmaids.

Aww, natural shipping, sigh. That’s the best. Let’s say you could put Thiam in a similar situation, but with characters of another show. Which would you choose? How’d you think the interaction would go?

I’d chose Shadowhunters tv series and to me, this would be hilarious and awesome at the same time. Theo and Jace would so have this little competition who’s better at basically everything; Izzy would be like an older sister to Liam but without actually treating him like a baby. She would admire his determination and will to protect those he loves, they have this in common. I imagine Liam and Jace siding when it comes to fighting because they are all like: Act first and think later but really just want to protect their family and friends. Alec would roll his eyes and ask himself what he has done to deserve this but come around in the end because is actually someone able to not like Theo and Liam? 

Magnus would be totally amused by the whole thing, especially if Liam and Theo are not a thing yet but he has eyes and he can basically taste the sexual tension okay? And Luke, Liam would not stop asking Luke questions about how he leads his pack and everything because another Alpha, how cool is that??? Also Maia and Liam? Dreamteam! Both struggle with control sometimes and they so would get each other. Imagine Luke and Scott running after their Betas to save them from trouble XD. Theo and Clary, because I love the headcanon about Theo being an artist, would bond over that and probably have a tentative friendship going on.

Before we chat about your works, one more silly question. If you could build the ultimate paintball/laser tag team from any five characters AND one villain on Teen Wolf, who would they be and why?

Liam, Kira, Allison, Theo, Erica, and Kate Argent

Liam because he is very athletic and competitive.

Kira because it surely would fun to have her around and she is just an awesome badass cutie. Also, she has fast reflexes.

Allison because she has an amazing aim and also girl power!

Theo because he is like a mastermind and can come up with the best strategy.

Erica because she is my queen and she would lure the other team out so we can shoot them. She and Theo would be great at making a cunning plan.

And Kate because she is ruthless and would destroy the other team.

Perfect. I still say Theo and Allison would’ve been a sight to behold together–for better or worse. Alright, so we have wrestling, sims, shadowhunters, outfit planning. And on top of all those, writing! If your creative process was a person, what type would they be? What would they do? Wear? Listen to? How do they handle conflict?  

They would be a very chaotic type, all over the place. Somebody you see and wonder how they get any work done because they seem to not be organized at all. They would be that type of person that oversleeps and then bolds into work with their bag hanging off one shoulder, their jacket almost slipping down the other shoulder, travel mug filled with coffee clutched in their grip, and clutching a notepad with lots of notes hanging out from it to their chest. They would not be the one that steps into the spotlight at all but rather satisfies with the result of their work.

Their clothing would be a mix from different styles, Boho but also athletic, sometimes chic. Everything they want to wear, they wear it.

Their taste in music is mixed. They mostly listen to Pop but they also have some rocks songs they are addicted to, some Hip Hop. Whenever they hear something with a good beat, good lyrics, that’s what they like and listen to. Their favorite band would probably be Little Mix.

Handle conflict? That’s a tough one. Hm. They would try to see it from the other’s perspective while at the same time telling themselves they should not explode and yell. They are mostly quiet but if they are peeved, they can lash out. If somebody yells at them they would shy away and close themselves off.

Does your creative process also extend to other fandoms? Pairings? Novels or stories with original characters?

I started to lay down the basics for my own original novel and I can’t wait to start. I wanted to write it for years and now I finally got the right motivation and the right mindset.

Aside from Thiam, I have written some fanfictions for Charmed since that’s one of my favorite tv shows. And I have some Stucky fanfictions started as well as the base for a Malec fanfiction that lingers in the back of my mind.  But Thiam is definitively the ship that inspires me the most and I wrote the most about.

An original novel, that’s awesome! What genre are you setting it in? Also supernatural?

It is a novel playing in this day and age but it’s all about the supernatural world mixed with the normal world of the humans. Think Charmed or Shadowhunters. You have the innocent humans living without actually knowing that demon witches, vampires and such live among them. The supernatural society is still in the focus of the novel.

That sounds awesome. Would you say there’s one trope or situation that somehow always wrangles itself in your stories?

I try my best to use different tropes and situations to challenge myself as a writer but one thing that happens for sure is character A watching character B and marveling around how gorgeous they look and how stunning they are. Just some good old-fashioned swooning. I just like to imagine one person being so completely enamored by another person that they have to stop and stare for a while because they sight is breathtaking. And the other person is either completely oblivious and continues with what they do, or knows exactly what they are doing, smirk at person A and preen at the attention.

And yes, friends to lovers, I’m a sucker for this.

Who isn’t really?! What’s the best friends to lovers story you’ve ever read, either fanfiction or novel? (Or one of the best, since they’re probably so many to choose from)

I guess it’s one of the greatest tropes out there haha. Puh, I read so many great stories and novels about that trope, it’s hard to tell. I remember a novel I once read (I can’t remember the title  or the character names though) where this was one of the main story lines but it really took the whole novel for them to finally become a couple and yet while reading you saw their relationship growing and evolving. That’s what I always try to achieve with my stories. 

I also read a Malec fanfic once where both were human but Magnus was a tattoo artist and Alec a florist. They got to know each other and it was simply perfect, Magnus helped Alec with some things and it was just adorable and awesome and amazing. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the title of this one either. I will search for it and maybe give it a shout out later when I found it again because it was really good

Oh, I’ve read that Malec fic, so good! There’s a fantastic MM novel called Switched—I think—by N.R. Walker that’s friends to lovers and I read it in one night. It’s just something about two people, who know one another in and out, coming together, more sighs.

I’d love to jump into your Thiam works. First, the Raeken Twins and your story, Finding My Way To You. Do you have any twins headcanons/imagines which helped you bring Mike Raeken to life?

I got this awesome ask one day about Theo and Mike from PPL being twins and my mind began to rattle. I thought about Theo, his personality, and began to develop someone who would be Theo’s complete opposite. Pretty Little Liars helped a lot because Mike was a sweetheart there, at least until the point where I stopped watching the show. I absolutely loved the idea of Theo having someone to take care of and protect, being a big brother.

I had a vague scene in my mind where Theo berates Mike for being too trusting and Mike just rolls his eyes and tells his big brother to relax. That was the base on where I developed the Raeken Twins. I wanted somebody who was the opposite of Theo but I didn’t want to go completely black and white and so I carved out Mike’s character more, gave him some rough edges as well.

It is fun to play around with the aspect of Theo having his counterpart who at the same time gets him to a T and has someone he always aimed to protect. He may act like he doesn’t care but it had always been my headcanon that he would do anything for Mike and Mike is that one person who knows everything about Theo and who also knows Theo does in fact care

So, if Mike Raeken was part of the Pack and the TW universe, how would he handle these few scenarios:

a: Who would be his pack allies, the pack members he’d bond with? Who would be his pack friend-enemies?

Mike, just like his brother, would become a member of the puppy pack because Mike’s a puppy too. He’d probably bond the most with Nolan and Corey because they share the most character traits with them being kind of cute and sometimes awkward. Brett would be his crush for sure. But he would also be good friends with Liam and totally root for Thiam.

Friendenemies? Good question.  He’s not as harsh as Theo so he probably would not really have problems with the people around. Unless you come for his brother, then he will end you.

b: In a Supernatural crisis, how would he respond?

That clearly depends on the situation. When it comes to facing an enemy and taking them down, Mike’s a fighter and goes into the full experience. He is fast, he is agile, he is ruthless. But if it comes to protecting the people he cares about, he gets very defensive and worries more about them and bringing them to safety than taking part in the fight itself. He’s not even afraid to charge in and drag the person out of the fight (especially his brother). Mike is pretty level-headed and can stay calm even if times get rough. He checks a situation, makes his own theories about it, but he mostly stays in the background, lets the others talk and discuss, and only interferes when he feels like it’s not going anywhere. But most of the times he is fine with just watching and striking when it’s the right time.

c: One hilarious scenario you think would occur between him, Theo, and other member of the pack?

They would pull a Switch-A-Raeken so often to confuse the pack and get their laughs out of this. Liam is probably the only one who can tell them apart because he pays so close attention to them (mostly Theo though) but the others always get totally confused and the twins love to switch even during a conversation to completely confuse everyone.

One situation I find absolutely hilarious and I will write one day would involve the Sheriff, probably to introduce them as twins. One twin gets arrested, the other shows up to bail him out. Stilinski is in his office when suddenly one of the deputies knocks at the door. He calls them in and they open the door, slightly nervous. “We…uhm…have a situation here with the boy we arrested. You might want to check? He said you surely would love that.” The sheriff narrows his eyes and gets up from his chair. He walks out of his office and there they are. Two identical smirks on their faces and casually leaned against the backrest of the bench in front of his office. “Hey, Sheriff!” One of them says. Stilinski is baffled, moments pass by. He finally finds his voice again. “There are two of them? Because one Raeken wasn’t enough???” He yells, voice cracking at the end. He scratches his neck and grimaces. The twins’ smirks intensify. The deputy ducks away and hides behind the computer screen.

Rofl, I hope you do write it! Are you planning to continue Finding My Way To You too? Any spoilers you can slip us?

I am definitely planning to but I have more prominent ideas for A tale written with fangs and claws and other stories at the moment. I do have written some part of the next chapter still. I love this story and the feedback I received was wonderful. Raeken Twins are a fun thing to write about, so expect more to come.

For a spoiler, I will tell you we will have some drama, much love and yes also smut. There will be a slightly different take on the Dread Doctors spin because I am dissecting the storyline a bit to make it more fitting for Finding My Way To You. There will be a shift in the relationship between the twins as well. For everything else, you need to stay tuned ;D

Well, I suppose we must now haha. Until then, we have all of a Tale of Fangs and Claws to keep ourselves busy. Speaking of….a Tale of Fangs and Claws Time!! (I held out for this long; I’m proud of myself.) For anyone unfamiliar, could you give us a quick synopsis? What inspired the idea? 

Whooo!!  The story is about Liam becoming an Alpha when he least expects it. He and Theo are living in Seattle, are roommates in college, and totally in love with each other but they both feel the other might not return their feelings in the beginning. Theo still joins Liam’s pack and together they return to Seattle. The story follows Liam’s journey in his new role, especially when other werewolves appear and Liam and Theo soon have a pack of their own to take care of. They become a family, face many battles and they all learn more about each other and their strengths and weaknesses, help to find their place in the world.

My inspiration for this came from the sole wish to see Liam as Alpha. I think he would be a great Alpha and would have loved to see it happen at the end of the show as some kind of next-generation thing with the older pack members leaving Beacon Hills and him taking over from Scott. The more I thought about this, the bigger the need for Alpha!Liam became and I started to imagine his pack, created their characters a little bit and searched for faceclaims. It took me a while until I finally started to write the story; until I had a decent enough base to actually imagine turning this into a multi-chapter fic and upload it.  Add me playing around with my basic photoshop program and create some Liam as Alpha manips and the inspiration was there. It came to the point where I could no longer hold back and thus I uploaded the prologue. I never imagined the success it would have and I am still amazed by this.

Wow, and it’s almost 300,000 words long! First, huge congrats on being the longest Thiam fic thus far! Is this the longest story you’ve ever written? Did you originally plan all the chapters or has it reshaped itself? Would you say you have a secret to writing longer fics while also keeping your personal interest high?

It’s crazy! Thank you so much!! I have to say I never expected this to turn out so huge, I still can’t believe it. Every time I check the chapter numbers, it still feels so unreal. When I started, I had no idea how long this would be. I had basic elements and certain points I wanted to have happen but everything else was non-existent in the beginning. It still is nowadays because that’s how I write. I don’t have everything planned out and so my own story keeps surprising me but I love this.  I’m writing a chapter and some things are coming to my mind while I’m writing and I take a break to consider, bring this in a vague timeline, and then continue writing.

 I admire people whohave every little detail plannedout but I’m so not like this and I had it happen to me that I wrote a chapter completely different than I intended to. Because my thoughts didn’t work as good as the thing I had been actually writing, if that makes sense. Sure, I have some scenes I have in mind for a long time and while I have not every word planned out, I have a pretty solid image of the scenes. Theo’s development for example. I knew how I want to have the big moments to happen and I am even more excited than usual when it is time to write it.

The story is indeed the longest I have ever written until now.  Who knows what the future has in store? :D

I wouldn’t exactly call it a secret. Thiam itself inspires me so much and receiving so much feedback from so many people is also a very good source of motivation, not gonna lie. This story, the reactions I got from people, has made me feel better about my talent as a writer and that fueled my passion. I associate so many great things with this story and I got attached to every single character that writing a new chapter feels like coming home. I see them as part of my family, my babies if you want, and I am curious to see how they develop further. That’s what keeps me inspired to make this story longer and longer. I’d say the secret, in general, is creating something you truly love, no matter how cliche this sounds. Create this word that is truly you that brings yourself joy and I’m sure you won’t lose interest.

Yes, I so agree! When I was writing my main Stacksonstory, I fell so in love with the characters and the progress of the story! And then to be able to talk about them with so many people, it definitely kept the thoughts coming, even long after I finished it!

Exactly what happened to me with A tale written with fangs and claws! It is wonderful to have such great response and it’s a great source of motivation. I get so many ideas for this story just by reading comments or talking with people. That’s the beauty of fanfiction I think.

Most definitely! Would you then say any of your original characters are based on people you know personally?

Actually no.  I was more inspired by fictional characters, took some things from them, and created my own individual character. If there are any resemblances I haven’t noticed them yet but hey, maybe I will someday^^

Maybe, who knows what might happen. Not us, certainly. Thinking forward, is there one thing you’re dying to add in the story but you have to write a few more chapter before it comes up?

Liam’s and Theo’s wedding! I am dying to write this since a few chapters and everyone who read the last chapter knows I’m toying around with this thing a bit but I really, really can’t wait to write their wedding. It will happen one day and I am excited about it but it will take some more (a lot more) chapters until we can get there.

Yessssss, we’ll be patiently waiting until then! Before we wind down, I’d love to give you a time to impart some wisdom onto us. Any life hacks or creative wisdom on your mind lately?

It is important to figure out what works best for you and never let anybody butt in, writing-wise and in life too. I had to learn this myself but there will be people telling you how you should do a certain thing and then you need to figure out if this is really the best for you. I’m not saying you should not take advice, you definitely should, but it is okay to change this advice, maybe combine it with the advice you got from someone else and create your own special way to get things done. There might be people who are very critical of how you work, how you handle things, and sometimes it can really get to you and be a bummer but it is important to remember that as long as it good for you, as long as it helps you get something done the way you want it to, it’s the right way for you. Your own opinion and your own wellbeing are more important than what some might think are the right thing for you. Your way is the right thing and great things will come from this, just stay true to yourself even when it’s hard sometimes

Also: Allow yourself to change. What was on your mind a year ago, what you wrote a year ago, doesn’t become less valid just because you changed your perspective. You are ever-changing and there will be moments where you realize that your old mindset doesn’t apply to the situation anymore, not to the person you became anymore. That’s okay. It doesn’t take anything away from the progress you made before, doesn’t take anything away from what you created back then. It simply shows your development as a writer, as a person, and that’s a fascinating progress.

Thank you so much for your honesty and depth. Aww, well, we reached the end of our time, Rena! Luckily, we’ve learned so much about you in our short time together. To end us out, what’s next for you? Any big plans?

I have several projects planned. In terms of fanfiction, I’m planning a sequel to A tale written with fangs and claws if I finish the story, I’m planning on continuing my Mated series, Finding My Way To You will be continued as well, and there are several other fanfictions on the line. I’m also planning on finally writing my first original novel, something I’m very excited about.  Those are the things I have planned, who knows what else is gonna happen? Life is full of surprises.

Good luck with your novel! And all the other bundles of surprises and happiness that are whirling your way. Is there anything else you’d like to share? The mic’s in your hands.

It’s okay to struggle. I sometimes feel like the standards expect everyone to be perfect at anything they do and it can be really frustrating when you feel like you’re not reaching these standards. You feel like a failure and it’s a horrible thing to feel. I had so many moments where I felt like I would never reach the standard for that thing to be considered good or even great and it took me a long time to learn not to always compare myself to others and be proud of who I am, my talents, what I create. I still feel like I’m not good enough sometimes but every time I struggle, I learn new things about myself and that’s what made me realize it is okay to struggle. You learn next to nothing when you don’t struggle and ease everything perfectly on the first try.

Sure, it’s great to have a lift first time you do something, it’s even important to be a natural in some things, but I also know that struggling causes doubts and insecurities because you feel like anybody else doesn’t seem to struggle at all. What I’m trying to say is embrace your struggles as part of your development process on becoming the best version of yourself that you can be. And remember: Nobody has the same story to tell as you. The world needs to hear yours, don’t let the doubts take this away from you. It’s a long and difficult way to go but it’s worth it in the end.

Thanks so much Rena! It was a freaking blast getting to know you and your life, inspirations, and quirky interests haha! 

Thankfully, the conversation doesn’t have to end here. To chat with her about her works, Thiam, Teen Wolf, even Wrestling, you can find Rena at these three places:  

AO3: Former_Princess

Tumblr: formerprincess

Ask Box: formerprincessask

In her words, “It’s more than okay! I love getting asks, messages. I’d even love to get a carrier pigeon. I am a shy noodle myself but I absolutely love to interact with people and have them interact with me. Ask as many questions as you want, send in as many things as you want, you will never bother me and in fact make me very happy. Also - on a non fandom related note - myaskbox is always open for anybody who needs somebody to listen to them.”

She’s also currently accepting prompts, though it might take her a while to get to them–you know busy lives and what not. So, feel free to “send in things, share your thoughts, headcanons, and everything else,” with her. (Also, her words!)

Thanks so much for reading. We will see you next week as we get to know about fandomtrashwhore, aka Marie, our resident Thiam Social Media expert. Until then!

Have a Thiam Creator you fan over? Send us their names. Likewise, if you as the creator, would like to be a part of the Behind the Screens series, give us a shout too! We’d love to get to know you, as well.

[sprnklersplashes]

Hullo, saw your views on Rose, and I do agree a lot. I was wondering what you thought of the other companions, like Martha, Donna, the Ponds, River, etc?

I am glad you liked my thoughts. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, but this ask prompted, wait for it, 2.5 thousand words on my love and appreciation for each of these darlings, because I do love them all.

Under the cut we go!!!!

Martha- Martha Jones walked away from all of time and spacebecause she wouldn’t do it with someone who did not respect her (no offense to10 but she deserved better than you) and that ladies and gentlemen is thedefinition of a strong female character. Even from her first episode I lovedMartha balancing doctor training with her incredibly dysfunctional family andinstead of taking a moment to break down and scream (which is what many of uswould do) she just gets on with it, a little sarcasm and eye rolling sure but she doesn’t let it put her down and doesn’t get bogged down in her stressful life. There’s also how she is a badass withoutneeding to be physically violent or use weapons. In fact I don’t remember a lotof scenes where she does use weapons (thought it’s been a while). She walksacross the Earth using nothing but her bravery and wits, she finishedShakespeare’s spell to the witches on the spot even when the Doctor couldn’t doit (also, Expelliamus, you babe, Martha), ended Joan Redfern with her knowledgeof the bones of the hand (which is some pretty complex information she whippedout off the top of her pretty little head), and talked down to the Daleks(which yes used a weapon but it was a weapon given to her). Whether she wasbluffing or not in that instance, that took some serious guts and homegirl didnot break a sweat while doing it. A small but beautiful moment for her is inher first episode where she says “How many people want to go to the moon? Andhere we are!”. She knows how scary the whole thing is but at the same time shesees the absolute beauty and knows how unique an opportunity it is, and that’sa beautiful thing for her.

Donna- Oh Donna Donna Donna. If there was ever a characterwho was more fitting of the ‘deserved better’ label, it’s her! I don’t think itis physically possible for someone to dislike Donna. Let’s get the obviouspoint out of the way first; best lines ever. I mean between “oi watch itspaceman” and “don’t get clever in Latin” she had some of the funniest lines onthis show. Now that that is out of the way, can we appreciate the hope she has?She sticks out with the belief she will see the Doctor again after the Runaway Bride, and I feel likeher changing her mind humanised her a lot. She said she didn’t want to butthen, things changed, because people change. I liked her taking matters intoher own hands re: Adipose and investigating thinking she could run into theDoctor there. Even from there, she is on equal footing with him. Now we move onto her compassion which is so lovely, especially towards other women, like MissEvangelista (and I love their relationship because I feel like Donna was comingfrom a place of understanding with her, knowing how it feels to beunderestimated, and making sure she thanked her and noticed her even if no oneelse did), Evelina, Jenny whom she immediately bonds with even when 10 isprickly towards her. She just wants to make friends with all the people shemeets and I think that’s an amazing character trait. Not to mention how she demands to be treated as an equal, no matter if it’s a UNIT soldier (”I’ll have a salute”) or an alien ( “Every bit as important as Time Lord, thank you very much”). Her growth was amazing.She didn’t acquire a lot of new skills, just the confidence to utilise the onesshe had! I am still so bitter and upset about her ending because she did notdeserve to have all her amazing adventures and development that came with thatstripped away from her.

Amy- Amy is “my first bb girl” in that s6 of Doctor Who wasthe first one I watched, and the first fandom I was in and Amy was my firstfavourite female character, so I am very protective of her. When we first meether adult self, Amy is desperate to shed the “Amelia” part of her, kick out thechildhood dreams, but even in season 5 we still see a sort of childlikeexcitement because she has not suppressed her inner child and that isbeautiful. She also has a lot of insecurities in her arc, shown in herrelationship with Rory-not in a “I worry that he’s too good for me” way but ina “I don’t know if I am ready for this level of commitment” way-which 1. imomade for a very relateable character and 2. Gave way for a whole level ofcharacter development, because by around the end of series 5/start of series 6she was wholly comfortable in that relationship. But even then she can’t sitstill as it were, she says to the Doctor that she can’t keep a job and, while Ido acknowledge is in part to the fact she is waiting for him to come back, sheis also finding herself, which right now, I relate to massively as a youngwoman. She doesn’t keep a job because she doesn’t know what she wants. Shemodels, she writes, she makes perfumes, she can’t sit still. Amy’s story islargely about growing up and learning to stand on her own two feet, and that iswhy it culminates in her choosing to go back in time with Rory. Now this is abit of my own personal thinking here, but to me Rory represents “normality”, anadventure free, dull life while the Doctor represented everything else. Thiswas her growing up and saying she was choosing normality, her “not a littlegirl anymore” moment. She doesn’t outgrow her flaws, she’s still very impulsivein season 7 but she learns to deal with them maturely. I imagine a lot of hertroubles come from the neglect she endured as a child and I curse Moffat fornot allowing her to deal with her trauma in a healthier way. But anyways, Ithought her growing into her own and maturing was lovely to watch.

River Song- Ah River, or as I like to call her “who my 13-year-oldself aspired to be”. She’s just, so beautifully complex. I think what I lovemost about her is she lives her life on her own terms. She takes a lot of risksbut she…. well I wouldn’t say doesn’t care but she certainly seems to thinkthey’re worth it. And she lived her life totally on her terms, even when shewas in jail! She just casually breaks out and in as she pleases, just waltzingaround like a babe! She also has so much confidence it’s inspiring. She’sclever and she knows it. She has most people wrapped around her finger, evenfrom her first expedition in the library we can see she is the (unofficial)leader. I don’t know if I would call her fearless, but she rarely showed fear.Vashta Nerada? Weeping Angels? She has got this. Plus, homegirl graffitied theoldest cliff face in universe like can you get any more iconic? She is alsogorgeous and she knows it. She has a great body and flaunts it because it makesher feel good and that’s a good lesson we ca all take away from her. I thinkthere is also a hugely tragic side to River. Every character on this show hadfamily issues; Rose lost her dad, Martha’s parents split, Amy was neglectedetc. and then there is River, who was kidnapped, tortured and brainwashed. Andyet she kept on fighting and as a child managed to fight her way out of anastronaut suit and braved the streets of 1960s New York as a child. And that’sjust the tip of it. I saw a post once that in the s6 premiere, when she isalone talking to Rory, in that moment, she isn’t just someone talking to a guyshe just met, she is a little girl running to her daddy and telling her she’s scaredand wants her parents, and it hurts god damn it, it hurts. Underneath thebravado, the flirting, the teasing, she’s scared. I am not amazed that she cameout of it a good person, I am amazed she came out of it sane. But she is such agood person. She managed to overcome her brainwashing and kill the person sheloves most, and then sacrifices herself in the library. One of my favouriteRiver moments is her moment with Donna when Donna asks “How come I’m not in thefuture” and River’s face (huge props to Alex here) just falls so much and thereis so much empathy in that scene. I also think her determination to rebuild herrelationship with her parents is so beautifully inspiring and we were cheatedout of scenes. I also think her past adds to her relationship with the Doctorsince he was likely the only person outside of her parents to care for herwhich is why she latched on to him (not saying that avoiding killing him was atall right, it was definitely wrong sorry bby girl, but it is kind ofunderstandable).

Clara- Oh Clara my Clara. If you couldn’t tell by my bio, Iam a massive Clara Oswald fan, and she is currently in a three way tie forFavourite Fictional Character Out Of Anything Ever (tied with Emma Swan andKillian Jones from Once Upon A Time). Where do I even start with her? Even fromher first episodes, confidence oozes out of her every pore and it is earned.From Oswin (who I fell in love with in 2 seconds flat) and her “total screaminggenius” to modern day Clara and “Clara Oswald for the win” she just knows howamazing she is and I totally love it. It’s not conceited arrogance, not “I ambetter than you” but “I am awesome and I know I am”. Now let’s move on to asimilar topic, baby girl is very smart as heck, even without the computerknowledge uploaded into her via Great Intelligence. She noticed the littledetails “a chimney that doesn’t blow smoke”, she thought on her feet “I’m theDoctor”/ “Your daughter, Skaldak”, she keeps pushing Bonnie and manages to stayequal with her by using her wits (sidenote, can we give all the awards to Jennain that episode because good lord), her whole time in Flatline (which isprobably my favourite Clara episode ever), with the clockwork robots she keptthem talking, risking her own life in the process because she knew how to.Also, right from the word go she is making it clear with the Doctor that she ishis equal and that she is the one in charge here, right from “come backtomorrow” and “see you next Wednesday”. This continues later in her arc “you’reone of my hobbies”. One of my favourite lines of hers is “I’m not a bargainbased stand in for someone else, I’m not going to compete with a ghost” and itjust sticks with me because she is there asserting her authority on the TARDIS,prepared to walk away right now if he does not respect her for who she is, andit is marvellous to watch. And then this comes back in 12’s run where she goesoff on him for abandoning her and I feel like he needed her to ground him andmake him more human. She is not afraid to call the Doctor out on his shit,whether it’s something big like in Kill The Moon or something relating to herdirectly, “speak for me again and I’ll detatch something from you”. Now let’smove onto another, beautiful topic, Clara and kids! We see this in the Bells ofSaint John how she gave up her plans to travel to look after Angie and Artieand then again in the next episode she comforts and all but adopts Merry Gallel,and her with young!Doctor, soothing his fears. It’s a little topic but it’s sobeautiful. She is also, for a lack of a better word, beautifully badass! Shehas stared down Cybermen, Daleks, Missy, all the Doctor’s greatest enemies, andnot blinked. That is how badass she is. She is also incredibly brave, rightfrom the start she volunteers to go into the Ice Warrior, she jumps into theDoctor��s timestream, she sacrifices herself for Rigsy. She’s a beautiful exampleof how bravery and fearlessness are not the same thing. Her dying words are “letme be brave”, which is a beautiful moment for her. There is also something somagical about her, so fairytale, the excited traveller. Her first request is tosee “something awesome”. She doesn’t care, she just wants to be impressed. She practicallydances when she arrives somewhere new. Underneath her no-nonsense “bossy controlfreak” exterior, there’s an excited young woman getting to travel. She ishugely flawed but she is aware of it, which I find amazing. She says in HellBent “I’d say I’m sorry but I’d do it again”. She is reckless and a littleselfish, and she knows it. Ultimately, it is what kills her, but it still makesfor a wholly unique and beautiful character.

Bill Potts- Ah my precious Bill. I think the quote either Moffator Pearl gave “she’s got her feet on the ground and her heart in the stars” (orsomething) is so perfectly her. She is just so open and in my opinion, we needcharacters like that, who smile through rainstorms. I mean, she wanted to go tothe future because she wanted to see if it was happy, which is kind of tragicbut also pretty beautiful when you think about it. I think the fact that sheshowed up at lectures even though she wasn’t a student was so great. All shehad was a love of learning even if she wouldn’t do anything with it, and yes, anatural curiosity about the Doctor himself. The Doctor says that when she doesn’tknow something, she smiles, which is another lovely detail on her character andagain shows her curiosity and just how much of a sunshine she is. There’s nofrustration in not knowing, it’s a new chance for her to learn. Her reactionsto everything around her are so amazingly realistic, calling the Victorianorphans “cute as”. I think her question to the Doctor in her first episode, “Doyou know any sci-fi?”, shows a lot about how she is the dreamer, the one whothinks up impossible scenarios and answers, she dares to think outside the box.Bill has such a strong mind that even being a cyberman could not stop her fromcaring and fighting back. Her teasing the Doctor is absolutely adorable and isreally her way of establishing her own authority on the TARDIS, unlike Claraand Martha, she doesn’t do anything where she demands his respect, she gentlyeases it out of him with her quirky teasing (“Time Lord, sounds posh”), notsaying one way is better than the other, just that it’s a cute and unique wayof her building an equal relationship with him. I think Bill is definitely oneof those characters we so desperately need more of in TV, little rays ofsunshine who want to make everyone else’s days brighter, who want to pushforward and achieve and try because why not, even if it won’t lead them anywhere,who wants to see if the world will still be a happier place tomorrow. And Ilove her for it.

[itsclydebitches]

Preacher Review: “On the Road”

AKA: “We’re in Texas. They pretty much grow dumbass crazy here.”

Hello, beautiful Preacher fandom! I’m back and beyond excited. I did reviews/reactions/vague keyboard smashing last season, but I’m hoping to keep up with Season Two in a more organized manner. So enough talk. Let’s make like the trio and hit the road~

This premiere is a two-parter (so be sure to tune in tomorrow!) and all I can say so far is HOT FREAKING DAMN. But let’s start at the beginning.

Preacher is absolutely a show that needs a “previously on” and it was just enough pertinent info to work as a refresher for casual fans without making us wait too long for new material. Honestly though… I’d forgotten all about the leveled town. No lie. In retrospect I probably actively forgot that piece of horrifying info, but either way I was reminded of it full force. Yeesh. The tragedy gets two brief cameos throughout the episode: on the convenience store’s radio—“the blast that destroyed a small Texas town”—and at the strip club—“Whole town blew up.” “What town?” but we’re still waiting to see how the trio reacts to this news. Until then there’s plenty to keep us occupied.

It’s THE SEARCH FOR GOD: DAY ONE and I’m pretty damn stoked.

So what is Preacher? Preacher is a holy man, a criminal, and a vampire framed together in a car, all wearing sunglasses, accompanied by badass music… while Cass blathers on about how there are 17 million circumcisions done each year. Oh, and how the foreskins make it into face cream. Lovely. The biggest thing I take away from this though is that Cass watches Oprah and really, I don’t know why I didn’t realize that before.

We don’t have this calm for long though. Accompanied by Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come on Eileen” we get Tulip and Jesse arguing over whether they should just use Genesis to get a cop off their tail, or try to outrun him with almost no gas. Cass speaks for the viewer when he says, “I love a good car chase.”  

And as fun as it is, this scene also sets up an important theme for this season. Beyond Genesis’ violating aspects that Tulip obviously takes issue with (notable that the one woman in the group is the only one to raise concerns, even casually) she continually positions Genesis as the “lazy” way out of their troubles. It’s a smart move on the writers’ part as it does three things. It 1. Pushes to the forefront the moral ambiguity of Jesse using Genesis for anything, be it big or small, 2. Ensures that they don’t lack plot because he can pretty much solve anything and everything that comes his way (a common problem with ultra-powered characters), and 3. Creates plot by giving us this moral conflict between two of our main characters. So kudos there, Preacher team.  

After the length of our song Tulip finally runs out of gas and suddenly, inexplicably, there’s about ten cops all surrounding the vehicle and drawing their guns. At first my brain went WTF but then I remembered. This is America. Of course there area million cops with trigger happy fingers. 

That shit was the most realistic part of this episode.  

Anyway.

What follows is a fantastical mess of crazy, interlocked situations that never once disappoint in entertaining us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Preacher is a master of keeping the audience on its toes, blending horror with humor in a dynamic I’ve rarely seen elsewhere. We get a few moments of traditional creepy crawly feelings—like the store owner’s slow turn to regard the Saint of Killers, taking us with him; or Tulip and Cass going dead quiet as they hear something in the garage; or Mike’s whiskey rippling like the water glass in Jurassic Park, equating the Saint with a terrifying T-Rex—but for the most part this show won’t stay in one genre for more than a few minutes. It’s a series of endless juxtapositions:

The cringy humor of “mace your balls” alongside the tender way the two cops hold hands. 

A heartfelt reciting of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” right before the first cop gets blasted. 

Cass’ (horrifying) ingenuity of using the cop’s head to stop the car contrasted with his own stupidity of leaving his butt next to flowing gasoline. 

In the midst of the chaos Jesse bends over Cass with his umbrella, the perfect shot of a perfect gentleman. 

Tulip’s adorable heels and skirt coupled with smears of blood on her face from using a trail of intestines to siphon gas for the car she won’t leave in a bloody shootout.

It’s all, as the title card says, PREACHER.

As the trio runs off—with the Saint disappearing (for now) in the back window of their car—we’re given a little more info on the limits and consequences of Genesis. I like this scene where Jesse tells the store owner to “pretend” that he never saw them, because as we see soon after word choice (pretend vs. forget) has a serious impact. When standing before the Saint the owner can do nothing but repeat that the Preacher was never here, with tone and body language all screaming that it’s a lie. As punishment the Saint appropriately rips out his tongue.

In contrast we get a cute moment with Cass and Tulip in the store, with the former knowing the exact, disgusting recipe for washing the taste of gas + blood + intestine from your mouth. The emotional roller-coaster continues with Cass’ “Trust me” producing warm fuzzies, only for those to dissipate with Tulip’s cold demeanor, the horror of seeing shrapnel in Cass’ stomach, then oh no wait there’s a cute kitten, oh wait again he doesn’t like Cass he’s yowling a lot oH WAIT AGAIN CASS IS EATING THE KITTEN—

Goddammit, Preacher.

Pets do not fair well in this episode. RIP Mike’s dog.

Speaking of Mike, poor guy didn’t last long did he? No doubt this will be another common occurrence. We can’t forget that beyond Mike and Tammy and the slew of cops in this episode alone, the trio has already left a whole town of dead people behind them—to say nothing of Eugene getting sent to hell. Given the show’s willingness to engage with some questions of responsibility, I’ll be eager to see if the trio ever really deals with the body count they amass. For now though we have the big issue of Mike keeping women in cages in his garage. That’s horrible right? He can’t do that. Even if the women do (supposedly?) agree to his ministering. The line that seemed significant to me though was Mike threatening to call Ashley’s parents and her immediately calming down, saying no, when before she was begging Tulip for a phone—thus presenting that previous hysteria as just an act. Still, as always, it’s ambiguous. It’s not Preacher if you’re not fiercely uncomfortable and vaguely offended. One day I’ll need to try out a serious, feminist reading of this show and see where it stands.

Points in its favor though: nothing like fucking with the male gaze! Cass might look adoringly on Tulip with the appropriately sappy music playing, but it’ll happen while she’s picking something (probably body parts) out of her hair and it’s interrupted by her own frustrated expression. Hell yes.

The Cass/Tulip angle remains one of the biggest plot threads, alongside the trio dealing with the Saint and finding out about Annville. I’ll touch more on this as the show does, but for now let’s just say that my little bi, polyamorous supportive heart couldn’t take Cass begging to come clean to Jesse, or assuring them that they can TOTALLY still have sex with him in the bed (if only). Yes, a good argument can be made for queer baiting, I’ve certainly argued more ferociously on less, but there’s something about Preacher’s insanity that just makes me want to let (some) things slide.

Back on track though. Mike does seem like a psychopathic asshole—keeps women in cages, no clean house unless his dead wife is doing the work—but he did stab his own heart rather than rat out a friend, so kudos for that. Mike actually does a lot of work in a very short amount of time. Beyond giving our trio their lead he lets us know that supernatural forces are common beyond just Jesse and his friends, in that he was supposedly getting answers to his prayers before Genesis showed up.  He continues Preacher’s tradition of grappling with technology’s place among the religious and the mythical (what good are books when you can just call angels on your telephone?). He visually emphasizes what the whole show is about—choice vs. faith—by choosing his own death, in his own chair, with his own damn whiskey at his side. Most importantly though, Mike introduces us to another HUGE aspect of the Preacher universe: Jesse’s family. I loved this little scene. The show did well to incite curiosity by commenting on but not showing us the photographs, and Jesse’s reaction to the questioning was both realistic (focusing on a singular sound when traumatic memories surfaced) and helpful to the viewer (we know now that this will be important later). I also liked the little treasure chest bobbing open in the fish tank. What sort of secrets will the chest reveal?

I have little to say about the strip joint beyond the fascinating detail that God loves Jazz and the fact that I’m too gay to be watching hot women in cat ears. I’m sorry. Serious reviewing here. I mean someone did just die. Again. Tammy’s shooting was very minor while it was going down, but Cass seemed surprisingly shook up about it later. Or rather, he was scared that her death might harm his standing with Jesse—“Padre I’m sorry. I won’t let you down again.” Between sleeping with Tulip and tuning his moral compass to what will most easily get him in Jesse’s good graces, Cass is heading for one hell of a fallout. Comics foreshadowing, anyone?

I’ll wrap this up with three other notes: 1. Cass listening to Tulip and Jesse going at it was equal parts sad and hilarious. 2. Having Jesse break down the door to get at Tulip was an amazingly creative way to showcase their relationship. That deserves more unpacking than I have the energy for at the moment. And 3. …. Wtf, Fiore. WTF?? I demand answers!

Thank god there’s another episode tomorrow.

Oh, last thing. We end the episode with the Saint menacingly coming down the street and Jesse desperately trying to force him to stop. It’s a good cliffhanger because, if you know the comics, the Saint should be just as affected by Genesis as everyone else. So he’s either got his ears plugged here, this is just an anxious dream of Jesse’s… or the show is going in some new, interesting directions. They’ve obviously changed a great deal already, but the mythology of the comics (who the characters are, what they do, what their limitations are) has remained mostly on point. So if this is indeed something the show is adding, I’ll be real interested to see where it leads.

Until tomorrow, friends! <3

Other Minor Things Worth Noting

I kind of love that Tulip was apparently driving 97mph but when you look out the windows they don’t seem to be driving very fast... like at all. Yes, shoddy editing, forgetful artistry, etc. but I like to view it as fairly reminiscent of their characters. With the lives they lead 97 is gonna feel very slow to the likes of the trio

The cop’s radio getting shot right when Jesse was going to use it was played for tension/humor, but it also goes a long way towards establishing the Saint’s abilities. He doesn’t miss and he always knows exactly where to shoot.

As always I enjoy Preacher’s distinct editing. In particular the time lapse of the Saint catching up added a wonderful, spooky element (almost as if he himself had sped up time), the title cards are always in unexpected places, and—new to the show—we had Cass’ final scene ending with a Loony Toons’ reminiscent circle, appropriate given the sheer what?-ness of seeing Fiore as a stage attraction. (And if anyone knows what that transition is called, do tell).

The “Do Not Trespass Against Us” sign was a fun, religious spin on the traditional trespassing sign.

I also liked Jesse delivering news of God’s absence like someone from the Army delivering news of a death. Both humorous and oddly touching. 

[bassfanimation]

‘I Love You’: a man’s perspective

I haven’t made the rounds yet this morning, but already last night I’ve seen multiple posts that seem to want to either downgrade or erase the meaning behind Sherlock’s words to Molly Hooper. I find it insanely amusing, because had those words been to John Watson, people would be wetting themselves, but because it was for Molly, people are climbing all over themselves to again deny this character her actual fair due.

My husband, who watches Sherlock with me, had some very interesting perspectives on The Final Problem. He tends to read the show textually, without shipping or all the other nonsense we as fandom people get into.  I tend to trust what he says only because he has no ulterior motives, like zero. Even my own ship doesn’t really mean a damn thing to him. He knows I love it, but he’s not swayed by my reading or my desires at all.  

His reading of The Final Problem was that this was Eurus effectively unlocking the original Sherlock Holmes.  This was Sherlock’s sister, bringing him home, just as he was bringing her home.  To do that, she had to undo what she did when she took Victor Trevor away from him at that young age.  She took a little boy who was filled with bright, wonderful, hot emotion, and she made him lock that away.  She made him like her, and to my husband, it seemed like that was never what Eurus wanted.  

The scenes inside Sherrinford were about systematically making Sherlock face each single, major emotion that he’s refused to feel all these years: anger, fear, sadness, and above all...love.  And no, I don’t mean love for your best friend, that’s already been addressed, and that was already the easiest thing for Sherlock to unlock in himself. He basically did that in S1.  Sherlock loves John, his best friend, just like he loved Victor.  The parallels are spelled out for you in the clearest of ways.  

Sherlock’s locking away of his ‘sexuality’ was already broken open in S2 with Belgravia.  Irene Adler represented a part of Sherlock that really, really wanted out.  It was confusing as hell for him, as we saw, but he still managed to deal with it.  Sex is sex is sex.  It’s meaningful, and at the same time, can also be meaningless.  I personally never saw Irene as meaningless, far from it.  But I do think her special place in Sherlock’s “unlocking” was more physical than emotional.  Hence, we were reminded of this by the moan of her text tone. I personally think Sherlock’s sexuality is firmly unlocked at this point, no need to revisit it again and again.  Something that remained hidden though, very deep down, was Sherlock’s ability, willingness and understanding of a deeper love, and what that means.  This is where Eurus comes in.

The scene with the coffin was very carefully done, both by the writers and on the part of Eurus’ planning.  In fact, if you listen carefully to Eurus’ words, she states exactly why she did it: you lost, look what you did to her, look what you did to yourself, all those complicated, complex emotions, emotional context.  All of those things are things people feel when they love someone (romantic love, since I’m sure I need to spell it out for some viewers).  You feel elated, but you also feel scared.  You may also hate yourself because you probably feel the person you love deserves BETTER than you.  Should you act on it or let them go find someone better.  Do you have the strength to give up parts of yourself for them?  Do they have the strength to give up parts of themselves for you?  It’s scary as hell, y’all!!

 My hub says, to him, the first time Sherlock says ‘I love you’ to Molly Hooper, he didn’t mean it...or at least Sherlock thinks he didn’t mean it. Then, the second time, he did mean it, and he knows it.  That is why he smashed the coffin...that was perhaps the biggest emotion he’d locked away, and he was consumed and confused by it.  For a man who has spent decades pushing love away, it came roaring in within 3 minutes, and he couldn’t push it away. Eurus wouldn’t let him push it away, and more importantly, Molly Hooper wouldn’t let him push it away. That’s why she turned the tables on him and made him say it first.  She inadvertently helped Eurus, which I’m sure was her plan all along (if you believe she’s as much of a supernatural badass as she’s shown to be).

My husband’s purely textual reading of Sherlock’s smashing the coffin with ‘I love you’ on it is that he DID mean it, but he wasn’t sure what that meant to him, and it scares him, greatly.  He said that looked like a man who was pissed that he LOVES.  He spent his entire life working at not loving, and here he is, loving this woman, but now he isn’t sure what to do about it, because he’s not even sure what that really means.  He doesn’t understand it...yet.  Love like that is incredibly strong, true love I mean, not “Hey let’s bone” love.  He said that wasn’t the actions of a man who doesn’t really care.  He said, as a man, if I had to get a woman to say that and I didn’t really love her, I wouldn’t care as much.  I surely wouldn’t care enough to smash an entire coffin to bits with my bear hands.

Lastly, my husband said something I thought was incredibly interesting about how he reads Sherlock.  He said he thinks the reason Sherlock hasn’t really pursued any other relationships with women, not seriously that is, is that on some level he really knew he loved Molly, but that he felt HE wasn’t good enough for HER.  He thinks Sherlock, for all of his arrogance, actually doesn’t think he’s a good man.  He knows Molly Hooper deserves a good man, someone to love her exactly how he thinks she should be loved, and he’s terrified he ISNT that man, or he CANT be that man.  His rage at smashing that coffin was basically anger at himself, anger at himself for loving this woman who really deserves more.

So, from a man who views this show with as much pure text as possible, he thinks that “I Love You” was real, but he thinks Sherlock simply doesn’t know what to do with it, doesn’t know what it means.  He said love is the scariest thing, especially to someone who’s lived closed off.  He’s had an upbringing that, without going into details, was a bit devoid of emotional support from people he needed it from. That means that learning how to show love was incredibly, incredibly difficult for him.  Trust me, I’ve been here for the entire thing.  It took years for him to learn how to show it.  It took me years too...in fact I still have massive trouble with it. People who’ve lived not understanding how to love since young childhood...it takes us a very long time to learn how to do it.  

My husband and I are not the kind of people who go on romantic ballroom dancing dates and snuggle on the Tunnel of Love ride.  We’re just not those kind of people...but we do love each other very much.  We have our way of showing it that works for us. There’s no one else I’d rather trust my mind, body and soul to.  That was first built on friendship, then trust, then love.  For us, I think that’s kind of where Sherlock is starting to head.  We may not ever see that adventure, as that’s not what Sherlock’s story was about.  But, finding how to love, that was his story, and Molly Hooper is an irreplaceable part of that.  No one can deny that, not ever.

[thisiswhatwereupagainst]

FIVE UNDERAPPRECIATED CHARACTERS (and five runners up)

A few caveats before we begin. Firstly, the difference between underused and underappreciated. An underused character is one that the writers haven't done much with at all. An underappreciated character is one that fandom doesn't pay much attention or give credit to despite what the writers have done with them already as is that should warrant more attention. Secondly is that this list is biased as fuck. The only person on it who isn't one of my special favorites is Moira MacTaggert. I tried for that not to be the case, but the fact is, the Marvel Universe is really, REALLY big, and there are soooo many characters that I can really only get to know a specific few. And so of course the ones I know best are the ones that I know have done stuff that should be more widely appreciated by fandom. So if your under-rated favorite isn't on here and you think they deserve to be, it's not that I looked at them and said "what a loser" and deliberately left them off, I just probably don't know who they are and what they accomplished to deserve to be on this list. I'm sure that the characters who deserve to be on it could fill a book. That's why I just put "five underappreciated characters" instead of "top five", because I don't think these are objectively the TOP underrated characters, they're just five of the ones that I know and like best. Thirdly, my definition of "underappreciated" is based solely on what *I* have seen of fandom in *my* experience with it...and I am not someone deeply involved in fandom. I largely stay out of it, only venturing in when looking for info on a preferred character, or just happening on stuff by chance. So I might be totally wrong in how I've gauged the popularity level, or lack thereof, of a character. Thus, one or more of these might actually not be "underappreciated" at all.  Which, hey, would be great! Anyway, on to the list...

FIVE UNDERAPPRECIATED CHARACTERS

- Moira MacTaggert: If you're imagining a sexy young American CIA agent, stop it right now. I'm talking about comics Moira. Comics Moira is around Charle's age, very Scottish, and she is actually DOCTOR MacTaggert, a world-renowned leading geneticist whose area of specialty is mutants. She's badass, she's smart, she calls Charles out on his shit when no one else does, she has dark issues of her own, and she goes after a kelpie with a giant gun. She's a longtime ally of the X-Men, she lives at the mansion and forms a relationship with each team member of the time, and even forms/leads her own team of X-Men on Muir Island (the site of her research center) when it appears the original team has been killed. Moira debuts at an early point in the comics, and is an important player in numerous stories for years to come up until her death at the hands of Mystique, but not before she discovered the cure to the Legacy Virus, saving the lives of countless mutants. If you remember no one else on this list, remember Moira MacTaggert. - The Hellions: During the 80s when Emma Frost was still a villain, she ran a school of her own and the Hellions were her teenage proteges. They were rivals to the New Mutants, but with the exception of Empath and maybe Roulette, not evil at all. They were just mutant kids that Emma had gotten to before Xavier did. Some of them formed friendships with the New Mutants, and their clashes were more like contests than real battles. They all had distinct personalities, most of which were quite likeable and interesting, but were never used to their full potential. They might have had big futures ahead of them, but when the 90s came along, they were all wiped out in a mass slaughter (except, ironically, Empath, the one character I don't think anyone WANTED to survive) which prompted Emma Frost to join the X-Men, as she felt her future students would have a better chance of surviving if she were with them. While the Hellions are still beloved and mourned to this day by a small but devoted number of comic fans, their fascinating and unique personalities make them worthy of so much more remembrance. - Destiny: I see more fanart of Mystique and Azazel than I do Mystique and Destiny, and I think that's a damn shame. Azazel was just a dude who knocked Mystique up. Destiny was a woman she had a lifelong relationship, never leaving her side even when she grew old while Mystique stayed young. Historically, same-sex relationships in comic books and other movies were used to show how evil and depraved a villain was to engage in such a thing, but Mystique's love for Destiny was used to humanize her instead. While they could never actually be called lovers on-panel, they pushed the envelope as much as possible for the time, living together and even raising an adopted child (Rogue) together. How is fandom not all over that? God knows there's a fuck ton of fanart of Charles and Erik raising the latter's kids together, and that didn't even happen! But she's more than just Mystique's wife or Rogue's mother. She's an enigmatic but influential force in the Marvel universe who affected all of the X-Men even long after her own death. She was far less malicious and malevolent than the rest of the Brotherhood, yet her predictions are what steered their actions. Did she really want to achieve their cause of mutant supremacy? Or was she manipulating them to shape the future in a larger way? And the diaries she left behind recording her visions both predicted and moved plots in the 2000s, making her a more important character post-mortem than she was alive. She's also neat in that not only in that she was one of the first LGBT mutants (and represented positively, no less, despite her villainy) but also in that she wasn't a hot sexy villainess, she was an elderly woman and neither she nor her relationship with another woman was sexualized at all. That's very rare. It's even more rare to see older gay people represented; the 'face' of the LGBT community is typically portrayed as people around 30 or less, seldom over 50. Therefore, I think she deserves more recognition both in terms of being a diversity milestone and for just who she was and what she did. - Fabian Cortez: Yes, there's a little personal bias here, but I really do think Fabian deserves more spotlight in fandom than he gets. This dude showed up at the beginning of the 90s, expertly manipulated the retired Magneto back into villainy for his own purposes, then orchestrated his death for the same reason, framing humanity for it. He then used Magneto's image as a martyr to gather a cult called the Acolytes that numbered far more than any incarnation of the Brotherhood ever had. They were vicious, they were bloodthirsty, and they did anything Fabian said. Fabian manipulated heroes and villains alike, attempted to sway Quicksilver to his side. When that failed, he became his nemesis of the era, and during Blood Ties he even kidnapped Quicksilver's daughter to hold hostage as he deliberately plunged the nation of Genosha into a bloody civil war. After the return of Magneto and addition of Exodus, Fabian loses his badass status and gets put more in a "Toad" role as the slimy subordinate who is abused by his superiors as he secretly schemes against him. But while he ceases to be important in the OVERALL story, he remains important in relation to Magneto and Quicksilver, as there's obviously still a lot of animosity between them. This animosity remains right up until Magneto kills him once his use for him runs out. So, what makes Fabian Cortez unappreciated? Well, when's the last time you met a fan who knew who he is? Did you even know who he was before you read this blog? He's a major player for the first half of the 90s, then attached to a major player through the next half (and one that is IMMENSELY popular in fandom), yet no one knows who he is. Even fans of Magneto and Quicksilver, whose stories he was very important in during the entire decade, don't know this guy. Then there's his personality. Fabian is the WORST and it's AMAZING. It's not just that he's a manipulative liar who will do anything for power, it's not just that he abuses and even sacrifices his followers for his own gain, it's not just that he's a major egomaniac, he's also a tremendous sexist and tremendously thirsty, with goals of forming a harem. He even causes a 15 year unexplained mystery because he was staring at a woman's butt! He's threatening and competent, yet at the same time, utterly hilarious in his sex-crazed misogynistic pompous cowardly assholery. He also has some fantastic lines, such as MY WILL BE DONE SO SAYETH ME in the animated series, and telling Quicksilver that he scream his name very well. He's also in some hilarious scenes, like vanishing even faster than QUICKSILVER can see when Quicksilver says he has explaining to do. Seriously, if you don't recognize him for his importance to plot as a villain or for his role as an enemy to Magneto and Quicksilver, recognize him for his epic doucheyness and epic hilarity. - Kwannon: If you love Psylocke, you need to love Kwannon, or at least know her, because everything Psylocke is today is due to Kwannon. In both the 90s cartoon and the X-Men movies, Psylocke has always been depicted as Asian, but in fact, she's not---Kwannon was. And in many regards, she was who Betsy has been since. You see, Psylocke originally was a well-mannered little lady from England. Her time with the X-Men made her want to be a fighter very much...and she got her wish when she was body-swapped with Kwannon, a Japanese ninja assassin, in order to save the latter's life. The swap was done by the Mojoworld villainess Spiral, but arranged by Japanese crimelords Mastu'o Tsurayaba and Lord Nyoirin. Once it was done, each of them attempted to manipulate the two mentally confused women into both their loves and personal weapons. The swap also resulted in their minds merging to a degree as well, so that they absorbed skills, memories, and personality traits from each other. For Psylocke, she gained Kwannon's ninja abilities, and a much more brutal personality. The latter was only exacerbated by her rage at how she had been used and victimized, how her agency had been taken from her to the point her body literally was not her own, of what these men had done to her. This was the beginning of the Psylocke as we know her now. As for Kwannon, she suffered an identity crisis. Thanks to absorbing some of Betsy's memories during the swap and the manipulating lies of Nyoirin, she believed herself to be the REAL Betsy Braddock, mentally as well as physically, and accused Psylocke of being an imposter. Due to their scrambled psyches, this could not be worked out for some time, and it was not until the time that Kwannon was on death's door with the Legacy Virus that she was finally able to realize the truth of who she was and what had been done to her. She perished in the white body of Betsy Braddock, while Betsy lived on in her Asian body, which is now the appearance most associated with her today. Kwannon deserves to be remembered both for what Betsy gained from her, and as a character in her own right.

FIVE RUNNERS UP

These are the characters that I think deserve more recognition for whatever reason, but also aren't truly what I would call underappreciated either . Sebastian Shaw: Sebastian Shaw has been a big name in the comics fandom since his first appearance, and for very good reason. He's a major baddie, and he's very good at it, though admittedly he's never managed to top his first story. Poor guy peaked too early. But he's still managed to be a pretty cool villain, and a fairly consistent one, though his role wanes more with every decade. Still, he's always been at least B-list in fandom. Maybe not everyone's favorite, but at least everyone knows who he is, what he does, and the basic reasons why he does it. The evil billionaire who just wants more money and power and will do anything to get it isn't new or original, but Shaw does it very well, and with a mindset that makes him more realistic than the stock stereotype and with a flair very distinct to him...also, he takes his shirt off every chance he gets and it's hilarious. He's great, and even fans who don't love him have generally still recognized his importance as a good villain. But with the rise of movie fandom, that's changed. The movies have far overtaken the comics in reach and popularity, and while I don't think that's a good or bad thing, it does mean that now most people think Nazi Kevin Bacon when they hear the name Sebastian Shaw, who has nothing in common with comics Shaw. The fact he hasn't done any proper villainy in the comics for like ten years doesn't help. And I think Shaw deserves better. He's not a sympathetic villain, he's not even a particularly complex one, but he's interesting in his own way, and he's both threatening and fun. Threatening because of his ruthlessness, how he uses political and economic power as much as punches, his willingness to throw all of mutantkind under the bus for his own gain, and his incorrigible perseverance. He's also got a pretty fleshed-out past which could easily have been used to make him tragic to the point of cliche, but isn't, which I find neat. He's not tragic in the SLIGHTEST at all, actually, he's so self-interested and awful it's kind of hilarious. And he has some great dynamics with other characters. So, why would I only make him a runner-up? Because I think that while he's not getting as much credit as he used to, and that he does deserve a little more spotlight, he's not totally deprived of it either. There are still plenty of comic fans out there who know he is, and who say, yeah, that dude was pretty cool. He's not as big a name as he used to be or as he could be, and he probably is never going to get out of Movie Shaw's shadow ever again, but he's hardly forgotten either. I think if the comics find cool new things to do with this fucker, he'll start gaining back some of his former glory from the classic days ASAP in fandom. He's a character in All New All Different right now, and they do seem to have SOMETHING planned with him, so here's hoping! Madelyne Pryor: As with Shaw, the rise of the movie fandom overtaking the comic fandom has made her name more obscure, but lots of comics fan still know her. But I think the underappreciation factor is that many only really know her as the Goblyn Queen, the insane villain, the evil ex-wife, the Jean Grey clone gone wrong. The fact that she was good guy character for six years, and even a member of the X-Men in addition to their friend, goes forgotten. Before she was the Goblyn Queen, she was just Maddy, and she had a lot of adventures with the X-Men where she was a hero, and a strong character in her own right for reasons that had nothing to do with being Jean's clone or Sinister's creation or the rest of that stuff. I think that the original Maddy, the real Maddy she was at heart before everything went so wrong, needs to be remembered too. But I've never seen so much as a single piece of fanart where she wasn't in her villain garb. That said, I can't call her underappreciated altogether just because one aspect of her is overlooked. Many fans still know who she is and recognize the tragedy of who she became, even if they don't really know who she used to be, and there's a lot of sympathy for her in comic fandom to this day...and skimpy fanart, of course. Haven: Haven is a big-time favorite of mine, that's no secret. Other villains, I love because they're nasty, but Haven, I love because she's good. She's really, really good. And while I've seen villains who are good people before, I've never seen a villain that was a pacifist, and who not only never harmed the heroes, and barely even threatened to, but even healed them and helped them and rescued them. It's a really unusual decision, and a risky one (TV Tropes says she was killed off because readers refused to root against her) and it can be interesting to the point of distressing to read her comics, because it gets really hard to tell who should be seen as the bad guy. Because in spite of all the bad things we're told that her cult is doing offscreen, all that's shown onscreen is the heroes attacking a gentle compassionate woman who doesn't want to fight and doesn't hurt them back even though she could. It's such a unique dynamic, and brings conflict not only to the story but the reader. Haven also brought other unique ideas to the scene as well. For one thing, she wasn't a mutant herself, but her unborn child was, and she could access its great powers (hence why the Adversary probably chose her) That's a really neat idea, and it also puts her in a unique position of not really being human or mutant but sort of both, and having lived half her life as one, half as the other. She brings up the perspective this gives her at one point, and I really would have liked to see that expanded on. Another thing I'd liked to have learned more about is her books and lectures; in addition to being a supervillain and a charity worker, she was a best-selling author and lecturer who promoted mutant/human peace. Even though she's little-known to fans, she was apparently pretty prominent in-universe, and I think having a voice in the mutant/human debate that for the first time wasn't white, male, and Western was neat. I would have liked to know more about her perspectives and arguments and how they compared and contrasted with those of others, from Graydon Creed to Professor X himself, and how the public viewed her. Also, she's just endearing. Again, TV Tropes says that fans of the day refused to root against her, and I can see why. She heals the sick, she feeds the hungry, she cares for orphans, and she tells X-Factor she loves them. How do you bring yourself to fight someone like that? It's easy to stand against bad guys who are mean and nasty, who doesn't wanna punch Fabian Cortez in his smug gross creeper face, but Haven creates the dilemma of making the heroes (at least some of them) very reticent to apprehend her or even believe the accusations against her. It's a much more complex setup than is typical, and as I said, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it anywhere else. The fact that the reader finds out she's not really doing this of her own free will (though the heroes never discover this) makes her all the more sympathetic. Ultimately, though, I don't think she counts as truly underappreciated because that word implies she deserves much more recognition than she gets, and I think she simply wasn't major enough to the story to warrant that (unlike, say, Fabian Cortez, who was VERY relevant). And unlike the Hellions, I don't think she had potential to go on to become a lasting character. Her story could only end one of two ways. Either she died tragically (as she did), or she was saved from possession and went on to live a normal life as a normal human. Either way, she would be removed from the scene. I guess they could have had her stay on as part of the team or something like that but...I can't see that happening at all. What would she even do? And would she want to? I mean, can you seriously see HAVEN as part of a government strike force? No way. Haven simply is not cut out to be a major character in an action comic, and once you take away the Adversary forcing her into conflict, she's out. And she just...didn't do much while she was in. Consequence of refusing to hurt anybody, I guess. I think she's definitely worth looking into for fans who are interested in seeing an unusual type of character like her, but she's far from being a "must-know" little-known. Zaladane: Magneto's family has been a point of interest in canon and fandom for a long time, and the rise of the movies has only increased that. There's fanart GALORE of the Magneto clan, most prominently him and the Maximoffs but also Polaris, Speed, Wiccan, and Luna (Magda and Anya tend to be forgotten...) And now there's a kid named Nina from XMA, apparently? And yet, there's nothing to be seen of poor Zaladane. Few people even know who she is, let alone that she is almost certainly a child of our favorite iron-controlling helmet-head as well, or at least was until recent continuity changes fucked up that possibility. So, who was she? She's a sorceress from the Savage Land that the X-Men faced as a foe more than once. On one occasion, she kidnapped Lorna Dane aka Polaris. She revealed that her real name wasn't Zaladane, it was Zala Dane, and Lorna was her long-list sister. She then proceeded to use a machine to transfer Lorna's magnetic powers to herself. Lorna had no memories of Zala and dismissed her claims of sisterhood as a crock, but Moira MacTaggert confirmed that the machine required that the two people in worked on be genetically related in order for the transfer to take place. In other words, Zala was indeed related to Lorna, either as her sister or some other connection. Not content to steal the powers of Lorna alone, Zala later went after Magneto, and successfully took his as well using the same machine. So, if the machine requires the people involved have similiar genes, to be family, to work...and she could use it on Magneto....it follows he and she are related as well. And if Zala is Lorna's sister...and Magneto, as we now know, is Lorna's father...well, the math does itself. Zala is Magneto's daughter too. Though Zala must surely have worked this out, she never mentioned it to him, and Magneto killed her without ever knowing their likely connection. Unlike many X-villains, she has yet to make a resurrection. This all went down during the 80s and 90s. During the 2000s, writers who had either forgotten Zaladane or simply didn't care made alterations to Lorna's history that make any relation between Zala and Magneto impossible. But me, I think that could be easily explained---just say she came from another universe! She sure wouldn't be the first alt-dimensional child of a character to come to 616, and it might help explain how the hell she got to the Savage Land, as well as why Lorna had no knowledge of her.I think Zaladane should get more attention because, well, Magneto's other kids get so much love. However, there's really nothing about her besides her potential pedigree that makes her stick out enough that I think she's truly "unappreciated" aside from this. Hence her only having a runner-up status. Shinobi Shaw: There's really nothing important about Shinobi. He wasn't in any big stories, he didn't do anything major, he barely did anything at all. Calling him "underappreciated" would in no way be justified. There is no reason he deserves appreciation and recognition. But you know what? He's funny. He's really, really funny. He's ridiculous, and that's my entire reason for reading him, and I think the outlandish shit he manages to get up in his 20something issues of existence is enough that he bears warrant as an honorable mention. There's no real reason you NEED to know who he is, but I think you'll be get a lot of laughs if you do look into him. He's basically the Emperor Kuzco of D-list X-villains, and I wouldn't have him any other way. Seriously, bless this vain selfish lazy wine-loving bisexual idiot, I love him so much.

[epickiya722]

I figured it out.

They're alike in personality. To me, I feel like they would be so comfortable around each other enough to be themselves without judgement, have someone who understands them through and through.

At the same time, because they're so alike, they can also reflect and learn to change what it is they need to. Of course, for the better.

Sometimes having someone like you is nice because it's like you get to see how you are as a person from an outside perspective.

I didn't realize it until now, but that's how they're written in my fics.

I don't know what it is exactly about these two...

... that I like them together as romantic partners so much that I continously think of fic ideas for them back to back...