#what can i say beyond i love writing and exploring identity

[chocobothis]

Perrine Kryze Profile

Name: Perrine Kryze

Nickname(s): Perry, Quiet

Pronouns: She/Her (Questioning)

Species: Human, Echani, and Keshian (Percentages Unknown)

Birth Year: 39 BBY

Gender: AFAB (Questioning)

Sexuality: Queer (Questioning)

Romantic Status: Single

Love Interest(s): Who has time for that?

Enemy: New Mandalorians, Satine Kryze/Her Brother (for tarnishing their Clan, House, and her father’s name)

Hobbies: Photography, Radio Dramas, Admiring Leatheris Work (she wants to actually make own one day), Mythology

General Likes: Strills, Maintaining her gear/helping others inspect theirs, Camp Fires, Space Pirate Stories

General Dislikes: Large gatherings where she’s expected to socialize with everyone, How alarms only sound when she’s comfortable in bed, People who pirate radio dramas and leave in the commercials, Nobility because there’s so many rules

One Word To Sum Them Up: Exacting

Noun to Describe Them: Introspective

Temperament: Compared to Kloe’s sweetness she’s a little sour and definitely in her own head. She’s not the best at trying to socialize or expressing her feelings. So, it’s really common for her to show her feelings through actions i.e. helping people maintain their gear.

Other’s First Impression of Them: Physically, she’s tall (5’10”) with nearly white eyes, a muscled physique, and a facial scar making her come across as imposing and severe. With her job as an assassin and loner personality people assume she’s a hardass bitch. It’s not wrong entirely but there’s a lot more nuance there.

How did they get here: She’s not exactly a bastard cousin to Clan Kryze but she’s not not a bastard cousin? It’s a super complicated situation where the thing they are sure of is that she’s blood related to Clan Kryze. Growing up she heard a lot of the stories from her part of the family about Clan Kryze’s former greatness and the accomplishments of Adonai Kryze the Warlord. Seeing what became of Clan Kryze and House Kryze with Satine in charge pissed her off even as a young child pissed her off. That fire was discreetly stoked in her, culminating with her falling into Hudu Shiv’s tutelage at 13. She’s a skilled member of Death Watch with a multitude of missions under her belt. Her goal is to help Bo-Katan make up for the stain of her sister and brother; maybe even get Bo-Katan instated as the rightful leader.

Fun Fact: Because she mostly works alone, and at a high volume, she has two strill to help. Their names are Ordo and Cadera. Privately, she also thinks of them as some of her best friends.

Free Space/Ramble: She was actually sent with the group of assassins to Coruscant to assassinate Satine. Because it was with a group she didn’t have her strills. The others in the group died at the hands of a monumentally pissed off little padawan that was thriving on the hunt. Pre recalled her before she could make another go at Satine and Obi-Wan. Dutifully she returned but expected to be executed for her failures. Which she wasn’t but she did get some shit jobs as punishment.

Armor Notes: Perrine's willing to adapt almost everything to fit the Death Watch/Nite Owl Standards. However, she's keeping the Kryze Blue. It's very much her digging her nails into something that's Hers. Satine and the New Mandalorians don't get to poison that blue. It's her Clan's.

[callahanisms]

general ash headcanons

because the show didn't want ash to be an actual character. so here are some headcanons including some backstory elements because it actually pisses me off that they never developed her beyond a love interest.

i've been letting this stew and simmer for some time now.

♡ ash is short for ashley. she prefers ash because it's shorter. her name on canvas appears as "ashley de la cruz" and it took people a while to figure out it was her because on zoom it says "ash" and she has a meme profile picture.

♡ dad is mexican, mom is white. spent a lot of time with her dad's side of the family growing up. fluent in spanish. definitely has a younger brother that's way more spoiled than she is. as mentioned here, she peeled fruit with her grandparents a lot.

♡ raised catholic. baptized, communion, and confirmation. she deconstructed her faith while in high school. she doesn't go to mass unless she's forced to. but she still keeps her lady of guadalupe medal and her crucifix necklace.

♡ has a sourdough starter that she likes to feed.

♡ volunteers at the women's center on her own time. would probably end up taking over after ginger graduates.

♡ wears denim. lots of denim. her favorite denim jacket has embroidered flowers and a butterfly patch sewn onto it.

♡ freshman year she had long hair that reached her chest. and then she cut it while she was exploring her masc identity.

♡ knows how to use conditioner. i don't care what the show says. this girl knows how to use conditioner. does have minimal knowledge on makeup and skin care, but she's also fortunate enough not to have too many breakouts. she has definitely poked her eye once while doing eyeliner.

♡ big headphone person. when she's walking to class by herself she has them over her head.

♡ big big romantic. big into gift giving. big into getting you flowers. also big into acts of service. did you like the very pretty sourdough loaf she made for you?

♡ she pebbles. the people she cares about will always get something from her. "it made me think of you!"

♡ she can cook. but her specialty while at college is definitely tomato soup and sourdough grilled cheese using her homemade sourdough bread.

♡ big fan of wwe. she loves watching the straights' version of drag brunch. and also because her family were also big fans and they would watch the matches together.

♡ every two weeks, she goes on a day trip to the nearest ethnic grocery store. she gets homesick often and misses her family's food.

♡ part of the latine students union at essex college.

♡ had an intense homoerotic friendship with her best friend in high school and then they drifted apart. that's why she got really emotional when she watched y tu mamá también (2001) for a film class.

♡ unironically thinks showgirls (1995) is a masterpiece. first halloween at essex she was dressing up as nomi. her friend did her makeup for her.

♡ dressed as corky from bound (1996) for halloween.

♡ ash is very proud of her botanical lego collection.

♡ majoring in philosophy. which she does get a lot of flack for in her family. has enough credits for a minor in gender and sexuality studies though.

♡ does not need an outline for her papers. she can just write and she only does an outline if she's required to.

♡ did color guard for marching band when she was in high school. also was part of her high school's gay straight alliance.

[pastabaguette]

hi!! i just wanted to try and clear something up with you bc i really need to know? what are your thoughts on eridan as a whole? bc i love your art and i love all your equius stuff (youve made me rethink him as a character that i initially wrote off, a lot like how i used to do with eridan before i re-read the comic) but the hitler joke in one of your humanstuck doodles really rubbed me the wrong way and i couldnt decipher if it was just supposed to be taken as a write off joke or if it was supposed to be exaggerated. theres a really massive misconception within the fandom that eridan is/would be a neonazi and tbh i cant keep following you if you believe that. he's my favorite character and it just makes me upset to see popular artists in the fandom still not reading further into him beyond the surface level and perpetuating fanon that makes volotile people in the fandom harass ampora fans. nothing against you personally, as i dont know you personally. i just would really like to know your full thoughts on him as a character.

hello! no, i don’t think humanstuck eridan (edison) would genuinely be a neo-nazi. i do think he’s definitely falling down that alt-right pipeline, but he’s not too far gone.

i do think he might actually say things like this, but a lot of what he says he doesn’t really understand or mean. he’s trying to sound smart, or cool, or edgy or whatever, but it’s not really working, and it only makes him look like an asshole. he’s mainly echoing things he’s picked up from his environment, namely the spaces he hangs out in online. in homestuck, every troll is based off of a specific type of internet archetype. (angry screaming guy, leetspeaker, roleplayer, etc.) each of them, at the beginning of act 5, is a parody of different annoying or strange types of people you meet online. this is his.

as for my thoughts on eridan’s character as a whole, as a troll in homestuck, i still don’t think he’s a genuine nazi. i think he’s similar to equius in that, again, he says a lot of things that he doesn’t really fully mean. they’re just ingrained in him due to his highblood upbringing.

i think that something that bears repeating is that all of these characters are 13 years old. i think that hussie did a pretty good job of writing them based on this fact. when you’re 13, you’re pretty much at the peak of insecurity and self-consciousness and desire to seem cool and interesting to others and society as a whole. you’re really just starting to try and explore your identity and establish yourself as your own person. all this considered, you still really don’t know what you’re doing at all when you’re 13. you’re desperate to prove yourself, to seem capable and strong.

i think a lot of the highbloods’ (vriska, equius, gamzee to an extent, eridan) behaviors make sense when you consider their environments and upbringing. they don’t think the awful things they do are actually awful, in fact, this is the behavior that’s expected of them. society’s told them their whole lives that this is the way they’re supposed to act, so they act accordingly. i’m not saying it makes their actions excusable, but i think it makes them make sense, given their circumstances.

sorry if my point started getting away from me at the end there. in conclusion, no, eridan is not a nazi. i think to say so would be a little silly. even the people eridan kills, he doesn’t do so because of their blood color (to my remembrance). he kills them because he perceives them as a direct threat, and because they’re in his way. (and i believe feferi technically attacked him first, right?) the solution he jumps to is violence, because that’s what he’s been accustomed to. it’s the first and easiest thing he can think of.

again, of course this doesn’t excuse his actions; it doesn’t excuse any of their actions, but it does explain them.

[ceilidho]

oohhh my good fig2 was dizzying. what a fic. what a fic. i've gone back to it thrice over already.

you have /such/ a grasp on the characters, especially when they're separated from their canon setting - i've read some fics where i tend to struggle to understand the characterisation beyond the military, but you just have it perfected; they're so startlingly human and it's gorgeous. the way little everyday things get mentioned (taxes, old trips together, school days) just make the scene so much more grounded and it's a credit to you as a writer

and the concept ahghhhh. people don't really look at gaz's youth and even though you do so so briefly in the fic, it's tantalising - the brief exploration of coming into his identity and the way it's hinted at that the reader is having the same struggle before that gets explicitly said later on is so so good; "both too old and too young for the torrent of emotion" gripped me by the neck and really set the grounds for the longing and (off-screen) slowburn that developed and i adoooore it

love the way you portray gaz and simon's friendship too - it's so underutilised by the fandom and, even though we'll get simon's entry when it's ready, you can already tell he's a fleshed out character. that's the charm in your writing, i can read and just Know there's a whole life behind each character, even if they're only there for a few paragraphs or to push the narrative along. you're so caring in the portrayal, of the comradery between two and the importance of their relationship, and it's so fantastic to read.

and uhghhhh the way every scene has its purpose. the slow buildup for the reader even though they're both (gaz & reader) yearning to get to the smut - the denial gaz goes through and how you write it, the whole section of the supply run and the park is just... wow. wow wow wow wow. i adore it. there's genuinely no way i can verbalise how much that section just gripped me in. the way reader reacts to gaz leaving, the way gaz rationalises not staying there until the heat is so intoxicating.

the smut itself toooooo oh lord. i really really am interested by the way you write omegaverse; it aligns with the most popular beliefs but you add your own spin too - the reader slowly succumbing to their heat was so well-written; "It happens gradually, your sentences slowly degenerating and fragmenting, and your eyes glazing over." dear god. chefs kiss. what a moment to imagine.

the smut. god. you always write it fantastically. i adore your voice when writing - how gaz 'snaps' and finally takes initiative with the reader but doesn't lose any of his charm or character, and sure the alpha part of him takes over but god. i don't know. i just adore the way you write gaz and everytime i get to read about him from you, i feel as though you've truly understood garrick down to his very being.

then the end, and reader can smell better after everything and it just shoots back to her earlier saying she can't properly smell - augh. chefs kiss. honestly.

loved loved loved it. loved fig1 but we'd be here even longer - your grasp of johnny not only as what is arguably a shameless pervert but as his own standing character around that is so refreshing but a treat to read. your johnny is one of my favourite johnnys, too.

this is long. i love your writing, whether it be for cod or original or some fandom i haven't the time to sink into, i read it and love it. you just embody the fiction in a way i cannot help but fall in love with. fantastic work as always, eagerly awaiting whatever else you put out xx

contemplated never even answering this so i could keep it in my inbox forever but wow this means so much to me. ily. thank you so much for taking the time to read my gaz fic and send this to me. makes all the hours i spent agonizing over word choices and sentences soooo worth it. i can't tell you how much i appreciate this, but just know i read this ask like forty times and it still warms my heart so much to reread it.

[st-hedge]

I said a while ago that for totk’s one anniversary I would write a weird little review of the game in which I throw roses at it while simultaneously slandering it. So I made an attempt which is very abbreviated

Disclaimer: I’m not telling u how u should feel about totk or what’s the right way to feel about it, I’m just trying to make sense of why the game frustrates me and putting it into words. It’s completely fine if u disagree with me, I’m not pitching an argument but just putting words on paper

Totk is one of the best games I’ve ever had the opportunity to play. The mechanics, the music, the designs, the revised world of hyrule, makes me want to curl up on the floor and cry. It is stunning and done with so much love. Where botw had lacked, totk has improved and gone above and beyond. It had frustrated me that botw only allowed us to explore the ground surface, but botw was an exploration into open world games which allowed for totk to happen. The caves, the boats, the islands, and the depths add so much to already such a vast world. I only wish there was also diving but beggars can’t be choosers beh

Although it still doesn’t make too much sense to me why all weapons are suddenly corrupted, I do love the new weapons system. I love how it gives more variety to explore. Materials which previously sat unused in the inventory are now key and nothing feels like a waste to collect. Even rupees have found another use. I’m not the biggest fan of the zonai devices but the addition feels like a love letter to the creativity of the fan base and it feels at place. They help to traverse an otherwise huge and intimidating world. But at times I feel like they give too much leverage and break down too many boundaries and leave little to solve and explore. What im basically saying is fuck the rockets.

I feel that totk doesn’t have enough progress boundaries that make u pause and explore what u have at hand. I found myself just pushing and pushing, forgetting and leaving behind areas I barely touched. It felt too easy getting into the sky and returning to the islands and they lost some of their mystery to me. I think this would have been a great opportunity to reintroduce the loftwings from skyward sword. I’ve talked before about how much this would make sense for totk. The loftwings could be a means to cross boundaries and explore new territories, but it takes time to catch and tame one as a companion. But like horses they should have their limits, presenting new boundaries u need to overcome again

Where the totk’s hyrule begins to confuse and disappoint me goes hand in hand with my main issue (confusion?) with the game. Although botw felt incomplete (the world was a little sparse and one dimensional), the story was comprehensive and clear. Meanwhile, totk has a complete and lively world but it doesn’t have a story to carry

Totk’s story doesn’t have an identity I can grasp and understand. It’s like it doesn’t know what it wants to tell the player, what story it wants to direct them to. On one hand, it seems to want us to know about the origins of hyrule and the mysterious landmarks and characters that are permanent fixtures in this world (castle, ruins, dragons) but at the same time it suddenly wants to do a retelling of OoT and about the sages and these secret stones. But the game never completes any of these stories. Maybe it wants to tell us these stories through the environment, but there is just not enough embedded into the world to grasp and tie together into a narrative. Which is ironic considering how big the world is

We begin to be told the story of the dragons, we suddenly understand how they came to be (the secret stones). But we are never told about the events of their creation (an act of desperation, like Zelda’s) and we are never close to understanding them. Then we are told about the sages, but meeting them tells us nothing new. No new cutscenes, no new items or lore directly related to them. The new sages are found, but didn’t we just discover the divine beasts with them? Suddenly another layer of importance is added to them which makes the ties between legacy and the current sages muddier. I wish there had been focus on them creating their own legacy instead

I think totk could’ve had a very interesting story to tell if it chose what it wants to focus on. Maybe the secret stones were introduced just as a way for Zelda to become a dragon? I dunno

There are so many new places that feel like fantastic opportunities for moments of pause and to uncover lore, unearth memories. But instead they’re brisk puzzles or empty sites. Like the graveyard underneath the desert, the forge islands, the factories, and the fucking poe statues. Tell me as much as u want that I can’t read environmental story telling, but I’ll just keep saying there’s nothing to read into cuz the game doesn’t know what it wants to say. There’s no thread to follow in the way there was with, for example, the graveyard at the spirit temple in OoT. We could’ve been just left with a strange well and a graveyard and told to figure it out, but a thread is laid down that these are the skeletons in the royal family’s closet.

Totk does have amazing moments, like Zelda meeting her ancestors and giving up her identity to become a living legend to revive the master sword, the discovery of the ancient temples, the story of the zonai and their origins. But these are just pieces with many loose ends around them that go nowhere. Even Ganon is left as a loose end where there was so much opportunity to say something worth saying. He seems comically evil with bogstandard bah I want to rule the world lines. If u want to make a case for evil for the sake of evil, u can at least show me a character repeatedly making horrible choices which lead them to the current predicament. Just like totk’s hyrule, he is lovingly designed but he tells absolutely no story

If the reason behind the lack of story is that the devs/writers wanted us to make our own story out of this, then I think this is a case where it was a poor choice. The fans can make theories, hcs, pick up pieces and make AUs, but we also love the stories told by the games and it’s what inspires us to uncover more stories (hey wanna talk about tp and why we hear Malon’s song at night, or what’s up with the empty desert)

I’d love to see totk from the perspective of someone who had never played or known botw. Did it really help to remove any traces of sheikah tech besides the labs and the guardian limbs in the towers. Although the zonai devices and the sheikah tech are from different time periods, totk was a perfect opportunity to marry the two elements together. The shrines and the divine beasts could’ve collapsed into the depths, but instead they have just vanished like erased history

Totk’s story doesn’t have an identity in the same way botw’s does. Even though botw’s hyrule was much smaller and emptier, we found stories there cuz we knew what that game was trying to tell us. If totk is about making sacrifices, then this message feels obsolete by the end. U should make sacrifices, but u will only be happy again if it all goes back to exactly how it was before

As happy and sweet the ending is, it made all the worry and sadness I felt seem pointless cuz of course everything would reset back to the norm cuz how else would this game have a happy ending. What was there to worry about. Yeah so what that Zelda became a dragon losing herself, she was just asleep the entire time and effortlessly she becomes her normal self. So what that link lost his sword arm, of course he would miraculously get it back even though it took him 100 years to recover from a mortal wound. No trace of the things they withstood and lost, no mark, nothing.

I loved the final battle and spectacle of the dragons struggling against each other in the sky. The battle went from the deepest depths to the highest reaches of the sky and I thought it was perfect. But once again how the story concluded and the logic behind it me made me feel like I was chewing on sand and the idyllic ending just made me look about in confusion

TLDR; totk is an amazing game with a stunning world that lacks a comprehensive story to tell

I hoped that I would get a better understanding why I’m so frustrated by totk, but instead I just feel even more confused by it and I think that’s just how I’ll have to leave it

[pankielovesfan]

II SPOILERS!!! (Ramble about fan again)

I randomly started writing paragraphs about how fan's character arc was very much super-centric on how he was made by mephone but it was hidden SO well because it could be really easily played off as fan having an extreme attachment to the show. which he does. but I'll see if i can explain it better.

There's so many instances of Fan being "just a fan" and that's quite literally what his entire character is centered around, and his development is all about him becoming more than just a fan and exploring more about himself.

All of this??? SO clearly ties together with him being generated by mephone. And its not noticeable even if its in your face! IT ADDS A WHOLE NEW LAYER BEHIND EVERYTHING that still amuses me.

The scene where the prime shimmer says, "but beyond that, who are YOU?" with Fan saying he didn't know- IS SO PERFECTLY PLAYED OFF! Because of course it perfectly ties together with Fan not being able to see himself outside of his identity. You read it as fan being so dedicated to the show that he doesn't have an identity outside of it. But then it turns out he quite literally HAS nothing else. He's NEVER had anything besides being a fan. It makes everything so much more.... LAYERED AND IT'S SOMETHING I KEEP THINKING ABOUT!!! BEcause before this it's like. He was so obviously making his entire identity about what he loves in a very much neurodivergent way I will mention that, so it's not even a subtle thing that he quite literally WAS made to be a fan of the show!!! BUT YOU DONT EVEN NOTICE IT. GOSH

And WHY this works while still hiding the reveal is how persistent Fan is about still BEING a fan of the show and not seeing himself outside of it. Fan is smart. He seemed to KNOW there was more than just the show. He had already figured this out long ago but was in denial because it threatened his comfort. I'm sure the new episode tells you just how intelligent Fan is in reaching for conclusions and speculating about everything along with several other episodes where he could predict future episode plots. Yet when knowing there is more to the show, he refuses to accept it, he states he didn't want to believe Paintbrush because they Knew the game was "more", right? This means he Did know something else was going on. But he's avoiding it. Why? (Already very much seen in episode 13 and explained but I'm re-saying it all)

Fan obviously loves the show and is very attached to the show. He wants to stay in the comfort of playing the role he was meant to! He wants to keep being ii's biggest fan! He's so tied to his identity as a fan of the show and he doesn't want to let that go and embraces it so much that it's easy to think this was a conscious choice in his story. That he chose to indulge as much as he does in ii and he has no urge to escape the role he was meant to play. His whole story just makes sense writing wise- but the reveal twists this entirely. Contrary to a lot of people who feel they want distance from the show due to experiences and feeling trapped, Fan is still latching onto it! BECAUSE HE LIKES BEING TRAPPED IN THE ROLE HE WAS MADE TO PLAY!!!!

thanks for reading. goodbye

[sapphicscholar]

CW discussion of racism, kink, transphobia, and sexual violence in fan works

Look, I wish this wasn’t something I had to say in 2024 in a space (fandom) that touts itself as queer and feminist and progressive but:

1) Kink is not a cover for forsaking sexual ethics. Just because a character is into something doesn’t mean that consent falls away as a concern or that their desires and pleasures outweigh their partner(s)’ needs and wants. Fic can be a space to explore desires that you’ve never actually lived—yes!—but that means it’s also a space for listening and learning from those who may chime in to say “this kind of behavior isn’t okay.” It’s okay not to know in advance, but redress needs to involve proper tagging and/or changing tracks with the way you write these kinds of dynamics

2) If you show a character saying “no,” “stop,” and “I don’t want this” on the page, particularly without any discussions (shown or implied) beforehand that would turn this sexual encounter into a carefully negotiated sexual scene with its own safe words or escape plan, the sex that follows is not consensual. That is rape. Even if you believe your characters love and desire each other, one person’s willfully ignoring another’s demand that they stop is rape. Full stop. And choosing to passive aggressively respond to a comment requesting proper tagging by noting that the chapter contains “very trace elements of dub-con” is actually far more disconcerting and harmful than not tagging it at all. I am decidedly not saying these works can’t exist, but proper tagging and acknowledgment of what is on the page (even when it’s your OTP) is necessary.

3) While reiterating that I am not opposed to the existence of works that don’t mesh with my personal politics or sexual interests, I want fans to sit with the question of why it is almost always women of color (and often woc who are conventionally feminine in canon) who are made in fic to occupy particularly violent and misogynistic butch/masc identities, transmasculinity, and/or gender fuck/play and who are written as enacting forms of sexual violence or other forms of harm on their white cis femme partners. Ask yourself why these characters are so often cast in these roles even when they are so far from anything like it in canon. (And tbc these are critical self reflections that should include but also extend well beyond baseline facts like the fact that trans and gender nonconforming people, esp trans and gnc folks of color, are far more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators of intimate partner violence.)

A wide variety of stories can and should exist in and outside of fan spaces. I’m not saying they shouldn’t! But nothing exists outside of its social contexts, and failing to be attentive to these larger questions is actively harmful to so many people for whom spaces of imaginative creativity should be a liberating and welcoming venue.

[master-of-unlocking-things]

Ok my last post was to be funny but also genuinely, I would love to see a standalone Trish spinoff game. Because she is such an interesting character that has yet to be explored to her full potential. Dmc1 was her genesis so we aren’t gonna get her full character from there. She wasn’t relevant in dmc2. She was present in dmc4 but we only got to see her in another “descendent of Sparda” story. We got to see more of her personality of course, but we didn’t get to see her. And it feels disingenuous to even say she was in dmc5. We’ve gotten glimpses if her personality but like, I wanna see TRISH. She’s only ever been a side character and never had her own real story. Even in her anime episode

Does she have to grapple with her demonic nature like Dante did? She’s surrounded by people who are at least some form of human, like Dante is half, Nero is a quarter, and Lady is full. But she’s 100% demon. Does that talk about humanity and stuff affect her? Does she feel subhuman? Does she feel like a ticking time bomb that can switch up and kill her loved ones at any time like Lucia did? I know we got the “devils never cry thing” but I know damn well she didn’t just go “nvm dante you’re so right” and then never introspect again.

If you absolutely can’t tell one dmc related story without Dante- how does she feel about resembling Eva? Does she struggle with her own identity? Does she feel like she’ll never escape Eva’s shadow in Dante’s eyes? (we know Dante’s feelings on that, but does she?) Does she work harder to try and prove herself to him? Does she feel like a lesser version of Dante? We know she left Devil May Cry (or Devil Never Cry at that point in time, dogshit name btw) to go do her own thing, so what was she doing while exploring the human world out on her own for the first time? Prior to that, all of her experiences included Dante or Dante related activities. How did she feel being left to her own devices? Who is Trish? Does she even know the answer to that? Was that what she tried to find? Her entire existence upon her inception was centered around Dante. How does she feel about that?

Her case is unique to Dante and Vergil and Nero’s because they’re already partially human. Dante only accepted his humanity, Nero didn’t even know he was part demon until later in his life, and Vergil HAD to accept his humanity that was already there.

This isn’t the same as Lucia either. She came prepackaged with humanity, was discarded by Arius for it, and raised by Matier. Her arc was REALIZING that she was a demon and coping with that. She was already her own person with her own life BEFORE meeting Dante. She was always a “good guy.”

Trish never got that luxury. She wasn’t created by some business man, she was created by the prince of darkness himself- the literal ruler of hell. The incarnate of evil and hatred. She spawned in as an expendable force of destruction. She was supposed to be a cold blooded killing machine, and until Dante changed her heart she was. She was considered pure evil. How does she feel about that? Does she have nightmares about her time with Mundus? Does she still feel capable of evil? Does she channel that into her mischievous nature? How did she further develop her personality? How did she begin to interact with the world around her? What’s her romantic life look like?

I wanna get to know Trish as a person. Like, we already know her, we have an established character for her, but I wanna get to know her beyond the surface level and outside of a Dante-centric story. I feel like a game or comic or little miniseries about Trish discovering her identity would be very cool and neat! Like I do love Dante dearly but can he please take a back seat for a second and let the other characters breathe? (I say like he’s real and this is his fault lmfao)

Also if this ever does happen for the love of god do not let Hideki Kamiya write it. We need to stop glazing him and realize that he wanted Trish and Dante to fuck and that alone should make us say “hey don’t let this man near devil may cry anymore” idgaf if he created it he can’t be trusted with it.

[starpains]

Hi! I just finished your fic Inappropriate! which was AMAZING!! thank you! I love how you chose Liora’s name and i would looove to hear more about her if you are feeling inspired and have time:)

Thank you so much for this ask! I'll just be honest and say I'll always be inspired to write about her because I love her.

So much so, that I ended up writing a 2k long ficlet about how she came to be. I hope it's to your liking! Spoilers for my obikin wing fic Inappropriate below the cut. This can be treated as an additional scene that happens between the main timeline ending and the epilogue.

Two years had passed on Lothal.

The temple was no longer a ruin but a sanctuary—rebuilt stone by stone, hall by hall. The creche thrived. The gardens bore fruit. The schedule of training, meditation, and reflection had rooted itself into the quiet rhythms of daily life. Peace had become, if not constant, at least possible. And in the hush that followed structure, Anakin and Obi-Wan finally had room to breathe.

That was when the dreams began.

At first, they were nothing more than impressions—an emotional warmth that clung to sleep’s edge. A sense of comfort. Of belonging. Neither of them mentioned it aloud. It was easy to dismiss as a lingering trace of the bond, of love returned in kind.

But the feeling grew persistent. Every night, it came again—gathering detail, solidifying shape. The warmth became a space. The space became a corridor. The corridor ended in a door.

It wasn’t until one morning over tea that Anakin said, with a slight frown, “I keep having the same dream. Every night. Always the same corridor, the same door. But it’s getting clearer, like the dream adds a new detail each time.”

Obi-Wan looked up from his cup. "Stone walls? Worn wood beneath your feet?"

Anakin’s head snapped up. "You see it too?"

A quiet pause fell between them. The Force pulsed in recognition, whatever it was they just discovered, was clearly important.

“I thought it was just me,” Obi-Wan said. “A metaphor. Or some symbolic manifestation of the Force. But if we’re both—”

“Then it’s not just a dream,” Anakin finished, brow furrowing. “It’s something the Force wants us to see. Or the Dyad is… doing something.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t find a fault in this reasoning.

From then on, they paid attention. They compared notes. Mapped what they remembered. The corridor was always the same—long, dimly lit, framed in stone, and at its end, the same smooth door, sealed tight. They never met in the dream. Never sensed the other’s presence. The journeys were parallel but separate, like mirrored paths with identical steps.

At first, they advanced in tandem. Every night, the corridor grew a little shorter, the air a little warmer, the door a little nearer. But then, the dreams began to diverge.

Anakin began to edge closer. One step, then another. Each night, he advanced. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, could not move forward. The distance between him and the door remained fixed, no matter how many times he dreamt it.

He didn’t mind at first—was glad, even, that Anakin could explore it further. But the gap became a wedge. Obi-Wan began to sense he was being left behind, that something was unfolding just out of reach. That he was going to miss out on something.

One morning, Anakin said quietly, “I heard something. Last night. Behind the door. A laugh.”

“A laugh?” Obi-Wan asked, breath catching.

“Just for a second. I didn’t get to see anything. I woke up before the door opened.”

Obi-Wan reached for his hand. "Why can’t I get any closer?"

“I don’t know,” Anakin said, gently curling their fingers together. “Maybe the Force is waiting for something.”

The next night, Anakin reached the door again. This time, when he pressed his hand to it, it slid open. The room beyond was indistinct, a haze of light and breath without shape or anchor—just a blur of pale air.

It barely registered, because she was there—a girl, small and still, standing in the center as though she had always been waiting. When the door opened, she turned. Slowly. As if the moment were caught in some soft dilation of time. Anakin saw her face, and the world fell away.

She smiled, radiant, reckless, impossibly wide, and before he could even breathe, she was running. Unsteady legs. Bare feet. A tiny blur of motion barreling toward him.

She crashed into his knees with a joyful sound and clung tightly, laughing into his thigh. She barely reached his hip.

Anakin stood frozen, disarmed in every sense.

Then, reverently, he touched her head. Fingers threading gently through her hair.

And in that instant, he knew.

She was his.

His and Obi-Wan’s.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Why Obi-Wan had stopped advancing. Why Anakin had been allowed to see her first. Obi-Wan wasn’t ready—hadn’t yet unlocked whatever place within himself the Force required. Anakin didn’t resent it. He understood. Readiness couldn’t be given or taught—it had to be grown, and only from within. Obi-Wan had not yet reached that quiet turning point the Force demanded. And Anakin knew, with sudden clarity, that no matter how much he loved him, no matter how fiercely he wished to share what he’d found, Obi-Wan would have to arrive there on his own. That kind of readiness couldn’t be rushed. It had to ripen.

He couldn’t explain it. He wouldn’t try.

He only knew that Obi-Wan would get there one day. And when he did, it would be right.

The next morning, Anakin moved like he was still half-dreaming. He couldn’t stop smiling, even at the smallest things—the weight of the caf cup in his hand, the warmth of the sun slanting in through the window. There was a lightness to him, as though something inside had lifted.

Obi-Wan studied him with growing curiosity. “Why are you smiling like that?”

Anakin only smiled wider, radiant and glowing with something newly settled in his chest.

“I opened the door,” he said at last, his voice hushed, despite brimming with excitement.

Obi-Wan’s breath caught. “What was beyond it?”

Anakin set down his cup, pushed his chair back, and crossed the space between them. He touched Obi-Wan’s face with quiet affection, thumb brushing the curve of his cheek, and leaned in to kiss him—soft, sure, and full of love.

When he pulled back, his gaze lingered.

“You’ll have to open it yourself,” he murmured and then let the silence say the rest.

It took another month.

Each night, Anakin returned to the room. The girl was always there—waiting. In the dream they had no shared language, but they didn’t need one. She climbed into his lap, curled into his chest. They played. They rested. He held her while she slept. He didn’t need answers. He only needed her.

Obi-Wan watched him change.

He saw how Anakin had shifted—grown fuller, steadier, filled with a kind of joy Obi-Wan could only glimpse from the outside. It made something stir in him, aching and full of longing all at once.

He wanted that too.

Not just to see what lay beyond the door, but to feel what Anakin felt. To share in whatever had brought him this radiance.

It took time for him to see the truth of it. That he had stopped moving not because he couldn’t, but because, deep down, he had feared what might be waiting. Feared that the door, once opened, would change everything.

But as the weeks passed, and Anakin’s joy only deepened—so open, so natural, so right—Obi-Wan began to wonder if change might not be a loss, but a becoming.

And so, gently, without forcing, he began again.

A step. Then another. No longer driven by frustration, but by hope.

He wanted to be ready.

And slowly—quietly—he was.

And then, one night, as Anakin moved inside him with unbearable tenderness, whispering how much he loved him, how much more they could still build, how he wanted a future, how he wanted everything with him, something in Obi-Wan cracked open.

That night, the door finally gave.

He woke before dawn, disoriented by a sensation he couldn't place. The room was still dark, the covers warm, Anakin's arm draped across his waist in familiar weight. But something tugged at the edge of consciousness—something small, insistent, piercing.

It was the sound that brought him fully awake. Not imagined. Not part of the dream.

Crying. Thin and high and frantic.

He blinked against the half-light, sat up slowly, and looked down.

There—nestled between their bodies, impossibly real—was a baby.

Tiny. Pink-cheeked. Wailing with its whole body, as if the world itself had startled it into being.

Anakin stirred and opened his eyes, then immediately grinned, eyes shining with moisture. “You finally opened the door, didn’t you?”

Obi-Wan stared. “Yes,” he breathed. “I did.”

Anakin sat up slowly, the duvet slipping down his bare chest. The early light skimmed the hard lines of his shoulders, the gentler curve of his arm as he reached for the child with a care that didn’t need thinking. He held her close, kissing the soft crown of her head like he’d done it every day of his life. Obi-Wan could only stare at Anakin cradling a baby with instinctive grace. Something tightened in his chest, sharp and tender, a breathless kind of ache.

The baby's wailing eased the moment her cheek touched Anakin’s skin, as though she’d recognized him in a way deeper than memory.

Behind Obi-Wan, his wings responded before he could think. They flared—sharp and sudden—and then began to fold forward, curving slowly toward the bed. Though he had spent years learning to master their movement, to guide and restrain their impulses, in this moment there was no space for discipline. The instinct to protect surged through him too swiftly. His wings moved on their own, driven by something primal and tender, arching around Anakin and the child without hesitation—an unconscious barrier woven from love and awe and the staggering weight of what had just begun.

“Meet Liora,” Anakin said, barely noticing the wings' antics. “It means my light. I think it’s quite fitting, don’t you?”

“Liora?” Obi-Wan echoed, his voice rough and low, almost unrecognizable to his own ears. There was wonder in it, but also something hoarse and unraveling, like disbelief trying to steady itself. “How do you know her name? And more importantly—how do you know her?”

“I’ve spent the last month with an older version of her,” Anakin said simply. “It seemed important to name her. Meet our daughter, Obi-Wan.”

The words hit him with the weight of a seismic shift—he understood them, each syllable clear and unmistakable, and yet they made no sense at all. The phrase echoed in his mind, sharp with truth and still utterly impossible. Daughter. Our daughter.

His mouth opened before he could stop it. “Our what? That’s impossible.”

“We’re a Dyad.” Anakin looked at him as if that was an explanation for anything that ever happened to them. “Everything is possible," he continued. "Just open yourself to her in the Force. Don’t you feel it? She’s a perfect mix of us.”

Obi-Wan shook his head, dazed. “But darling, it makes no sense.”

“Did you forget how I came to be?”

“You still had a mother." Obi-Wan couldn't help but counter.

“Put your logic away for a moment,” Anakin said, shifting the baby carefully in his arms and offering her out. "Hold her."

She blinked up at Obi-Wan, cheeks flushed, one tiny fist tucked under her chin. Her eyes were wide and curious, and she sucked solemnly on her thumb as though assessing him.

Obi-Wan hesitated. The moment stretched around them like held breath. Something in him trembled.

Then he reached.

The moment she settled into his arms, everything changed.

The Force swelled around them. The truth poured through him like sunlight, warm and absolute. This was their daughter. Theirs. Not born of blood, but of bond. Of love. Dreamed into being by the Dyad and delivered into their hands.

Or perhaps it had been the Force all along, nudging their dreams, shaping their thoughts and desires.

It didn’t matter.

His heart expanded around her. It felt as if it physically doubled in size to hold twice the love it once had. Which should have been inconceivable—because how could you double something already infinite?

And yet he knew. He loved her just as deeply, just as fiercely, as he loved Anakin.

Their family—however strange, however wondrous—was whole.

[vasito-de-leche]

hi! i love your work! i live for your forget me not stuff. i was wondering if you could write relationship hcs for diggers? if it's not too much trouble.

;R1999 DIGGERS - Relationship Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons about Diggers in a romantic relationship.

cracks knuckles. I'm a bit rusty so bear with me while I get the braincell juice going. as a disclaimer, we dont have the transcript of his anecdote and 1.1 was sooo long ago so my memory is blurry and I'm mostly going by his info as a playable character

Whereas some characters may struggle exploring their identity, let alone deviate from a conventional and traditional relationship, Diggers is absolutely not one of them.

Because of the countercultures he's related to and his overall character, he strikes me as the type of person who has a close relationship with the concept of love--in all of its forms, regardless of any labels. His artistic eye allows him to find beauty anywhere he looks, no matter how hidden it may be, and thus has an easier time bonding with people even if those interactions may be one-sided. With his open mind, I think he would also have a lot of experience with relationships and dating overall, contrary to popular belief; polycules, unlabeled relationships, open relationships, QPRs, you name it.

If his enthusiasm when advocating for a better world that focuses on the arts and connecting with each other is anything to go by, then one can also expect Diggers to give his all when it comes to much more personal matters, such as his potential partners. I wouldn't say he's actively looking for a relationship, more so that these just tend to naturally happen and he simply goes with the flow.

Of course, there's another layer of Diggers that is often overlooked in favour of his role as comedic relief within 1.1 Theft of the Rimet Cup--he is very insistent and enthusiastic with his beliefs of utopia, but he isn't oblivious to reality by any means. When inspecting his character, it becomes clear that this passion is an active choice he makes despite the futility of his actions, or rather, the lack of support his ideas receive and the lack of impact he makes on the world. I feel like this perseverance works as a double-edged sword, being a strength of his as well as a weakness.

On one hand, Diggers would be a great partner who gives his all and beyond to make things work, able to adapt to those around him and notice the little details. On the other hand this can result in him becoming blindsided, stubbornly delusional in his pursuit of a happy ending for everyone. It's certainly a tricky balance, a quirk that certainly doesn't appeal to everyone.

On the subject of Diggers and long-time committment.

As stated before, it's easy for Diggers to be attracted to the beauty within people around him. This, along with his open mind, experience and his passion as an artist might lead people to think he's the type to rush head first into a relationship, and dream about staying with his partner forever, but I like to think it's just the opposite!

With how much thought he gives to community and connection, Diggers understands that love takes time and active effort, a solid foundation with mutual understanding from all parties involved. He's always down to meet new people and see what happens, and even has a romantic streak--meet cutes, soulmates, the idea of fate bringing people together, or even defying fate itself to be together, you name it--but he never expects nor demands a relationship, let alone one that should last forever.

Part of me likes to attribute this to Diggers being so used to losing, the subtle sense of loneliness that seems to follow him as a character who can never earn the spotlight, let alone be remembered. So when he does get noticed, when he does find someone who is willing to commit to a relationship with him, or who brings out the best in him, he's aware of the efforts, the risks and the fact that things are meant to change; he'd rather let go, ending things amicably and part ways than hinder his or his partner's growth.

I feel it works for his character, to have this oddly mature and solid grasp on life and its twists, especially when it comes to people. He's definitely someone who priotizes the journey rather the destination!

If you want to fly, then go and fly! Who is he to keep you trapped in the same spot? Who says you two can't meet again in the future and pick up the relationship where you left it off?

This isn't to say that he can go through a break-up unscathed; Diggers will cry, either on the spot or in the privacy of his van, he's so full of emotion it's impossible for him to not whimper. It's always a memorable sight whenever Diggers starts crying and wailing while encouraging you to live your life and thanking you for the good memories.

On the subject of Diggers and how he acts in a relationship.

I feel like not a lot would change, since his relationships are born from friendship and honest commitment--he's already close friends with whoever he's dating!

Things that come to mind are perhaps the fact that Diggers trusts you wholeheartedly, and thus you're privy to all of his stunts and plans to vandalize the town as a way to protest and spread his message of utopia. You're his partner in crime, literally, the one he seeks out to make sure his plans are sound and doable. And he might whine and pout and argue his case whenever you point out how ridiculous his ideas might be, but most of the time, he listens to your advice. Most of the time. Diggers is still reckless daredevil, but you can bet that you will be the first person he goes to should he get injured or caught.

You will also hear a lot of his more melacholic and contemplative thoughts; it's no secret that Diggers feels very strongly about peace and the consequences of war, thinking about the philosophy of a simpler life and what not. But at times, the world does get to him, and he'd enjoy hearing your thoughts on the matter, regardless of your stance and own opinions, as a way to ground himself.

If you opt to comfort him, then get ready for his more clingy and needy side. This is when he will show absolutely ZERO shame, asking you to hold him for hours on end while he cries or complains about the state of the world and how unappreciated he feels.

I like to think that this doesn't happen on reverse, though; Diggers is proactive when it comes to the affairs of others, especially those he cares about, so he might come across as insensitive or a bit dense when you go to him for comfort and his first instinct is to take you outside to revolutionize the world and find solutions to whatever is bothering you.

But it's as easy as being clear and vocal about what you want! Just like him!

If it's difficult for you, he would encourage you to write instead, or find any other way to communicate your thoughts, no matter what they are. I feel like Diggers is the type of boyfriend who can never make his partner feel unseen or unheard, it might be overwhelming at times with his impulsiveness (especially if the Muse calls for it), but he definitely doesn't want you to end up like him, struggling for attention.

Round of cute things I can't fit in a cohesive bullet point.

Speaking of arts and the muses, you will inevitably end up becoming the subject of his many, many works of art. And you will get an endless stream of sculptures, paintings, poems and other gifts in whatever art medium from him. And you better smile and nod, because the second Diggers notices the slightest bit of hesitation, he will assume he's fucked up somewhere along the way and he needs to create something bigger and better, something more meaningful for you.

Considering how spontaneous Diggers is, I think he would be the type to take you on a roadtrip unprompted, just you and him against the world to sightsee and free yourselves from the big city. Be warned: a lot of things WILL go wrong.

Oh, he would love to have you play with his hair and teach you how to braid flowers into it, he thinks it's super relaxing and will mope around if it gets ruined by the wind or the rain. You can probably tell Diggers is around just by the flower petals he keeps shedding around the house.

His favorite thing to do on a date is to lay by the grass on a summer day and look at the clouds together, simple and easy. Hell, even if it rains, he will insist that you to soak together for a while and enjoy a little splash--Diggers will get sick, and he will be insufferable when he does, but if he got you to laugh and forget about the horrors of capitalism for a moment, then it was worth it.

I really love the headcanon that Diggers has a very low pain tolerance threshold, so getting his current tattoos were a huge pain and he won't get any others, not even something meaningful related to you. BUT! He can have something better, he can have you doodle on his arm with a marker or a pen--that way it's much more intimate, because it's a direct gift from you that can always change. It brightens his day whenever he catches a glimpse of these doodles, even if all you do is write silly things for him.

[emicczyk]

I think my favorite anime representing freedom is Gintama. (Before someone says something about AOT, in my opinion, Eren will never truly represent real freedom. Just false freedom he imagined for himself and his loved ones).

(Regarding One Piece that is amazing represention, i would love to write about it next time and show how beautiful it is in showing it)

When it comes to anime that represents the concept of freedom, Gintama stands out as a profound yet often overlooked masterpiece, it captures the nuanced, multifaceted essence of freedom in a way that is both unique and deeply human.

Freedom is subjective; its meaning varies from person to person. It’s not always about breaking physical chains or overthrowing oppressive regimes. It’s about finding the strength to live as you wish, embracing what makes you happy, and forging connections with those who make life worth living. Few characters embody this ideal as beautifully as Sakamoto Tatsuma.

Sakamoto’s story is a testament to resilience and the power of self-determination. Once a pacifist who chose to fight in the war against the Amanto, Sakamoto did so not out of obligation but from a deeply personal conviction. Even when his hand was permanently injured, rendering him incapable of wielding a sword; the very symbol of a samurai, he didn’t falter. Instead, he found another path. His dreams of freedom, not just for himself but for Earth and its people, became his guiding light.

Though he couldn’t fight conventionally, Sakamoto redefined what it meant to be a warrior. He took to the stars, becoming a diplomat and a merchant, using his charisma and ideals to build alliances and bring people together. His dream extended beyond borders, beyond Earth itself; his vision of freedom was boundless. To him, freedom was the ability to pursue his dreams without constraint, and he never let go of that.

Gintoki was his motivation, he found a reason, when Gintoki stayed on earth he could catch the stars, he wasn't alone.

What makes Sakamoto’s journey even more inspiring is his unwavering compassion. He didn’t just seek his own freedom; he made it his mission to liberate others. Whether it was freeing slaves and offering them a place in his crew or helping Mutsu break free from her past, Sakamoto consistently showed that freedom isn’t just an individual pursuit; it’s something we share with others. His relationship with Mutsu, in particular, is a beautiful example of how freedom can be transformative when extended to others.

Even after Earth was liberated from the Amanto, Sakamoto didn’t stop. For him, the stars represented endless possibilities. Earth, with its newfound peace, had become too small for his boundless dreams. Yet, he never forgot his friends or his roots, always ready to return and lend a hand when they needed him. His actions show that freedom isn’t about abandoning responsibilities or severing ties; it’s about staying true to your ideals while cherishing the bonds that matter.

Sakamoto isn't bound by a single nation allegiance, or cause, which exemplifies personal freedom that he reached, like he reached to the stars.

Gintama as a whole explores the interconnectedness of freedom and love. Gintoki, at the heart of the series, is a character who embodies this theme. He helps others find their freedom; whether it’s Kagura discovering a new life on Earth, Tsukuyo reclaiming her identity from the confines of Yoshiwara, or Kondo freeing Hijikata from his haunted past. In turn, these bonds give them, their own sense of belonging. Without his friends; Kagura, Shinpachi, the Shinsengumi, Tsukuyo, Sakamoto, Katsura, and so many others - he wouldn’t have a home to return to. Gintama shows that freedom isn’t isolation; it’s the love and connection we find in the people who accept us for who we are.

At its core, freedom is about being true to yourself and pursuing the dreams that set your soul on fire. It’s about having people who support you and a place you can call home; a place you can return to when you need strength. Sakamoto, Gintoki, and the rest of the cast demonstrate that freedom isn’t a destination; it’s a journey, one enriched by love, laughter, and the bonds we form along the way.

It's about doing what makes u happy,

freedom of begin yourself,

freedom of having people you love,

freedom of having dreams and pursuing them.

True freedom is the courage to live authentically, surrounded by those who inspire and uplift you.

[imminent-danger-came]

Why do you think s4 lmk is sometimes seen as a drop-off in writing quality compared to earlier seasons?

IS IT REALLY. That's so funny, I personally think s4 elevated lmk's writing to unbelievably high levels. It recontextualized previous seasons in ways that cemented my faith in lmk's writing team, and proved to me that this wasn't just going to be good, it was going to be GREAT, an honest to god masterpiece.

I find that the more complex the writing, when things like love and devotion aren't put into "good" or "bad" boxes, when characters are hypocrites and things develop in a way people don't like (it doesn't make them "feel good" but the writing itself is solid), that's when people start to say things like "the writing's gotten worse". I've seen plenty of takes for characters like Wukong and Viren (from The Dragon Prince), where folks want to boil down the mess and the complexity into "the writers don't know how to write this character," when the truth is the opposite. Sometimes, characters say one thing and do another and that's on purpose, thank you. Sometimes, characters mean well and have good intentions, but they still suck. Writing like that is fucking awesome.

(Big Owl House rant incoming, turn back now if you're not interested in that)

It's not really a surprise to me that something like The Owl House, where the characters are fairly one note and everything is said out loud and the themes are much more simplistic, is/was far more popular. Obviously, I don't want to shame anyone or make people feel bad for loving toh—like it's great if you love it, keep doing that—but I do think that objectively, toh has pretty weak writing (which honestly doesn't/doesn't have to determine how much you love it).

I was discussing this with a few friends last night, how with toh, the implications are hardly thought through, and characters aren't viewed beyond the role they can serve in the episode or the arc. Like, I think of the beginning of Hollow Mind, where King says "No one wants to believe they've spent their life following the wrong person", which is fine, it's something that could be interesting given the proper execution, but when you analyze it deeper, try to find the consistent character thread...it doesn't make any actual sense for King or the development he went through at the beginning of s2. Had he said something along the lines of "No one wants to believe they've spent their life following a lie", now THAT ties directly into the lie he believed for his whole life, and to King as a character. But that's not what happened, and that's never what happened in toh.

Even with Belos, the main villain, it's clear the writers wanted Grim Walker angst for Hunter, but they didn't want to explore the implications of Belos recreating his brother over and over again. So at that point, it's like...why not just have Hunter be adopted? Why have him be a grimmwalker at all if it's not something we're going to explore deeper on Belos' end?

Needless to say, lmk isn't like that. If a character has dialogue or a scene, it's going to contribute to our perception of them and their internal motivations. If Pigsy is worried about his relation to his ancestors in s4, and what that says about him, we can actually trace that back to 2x04: tradition matters to Pigsy, and it's a huge part of his heart, identity, and life. Of COURSE Pigsy is affected when he learns his ancestor was someone he doesn't like, someone who tried to eat the love of his life. He even tries to comfort MK with what he thinks is a shared experience, and it's AGH. It's so good

If something is established in lmk, it's expanded upon. Hell, even the Mayor of all characters was given his own spotlight outside of LBD. He even has a direct parallel to Azure—following and giving service to an Emperor before becoming disillusioned and changing loyalty to the person that will bring about real change: their Lady and their King.

Anyways,

I went on a super long tangent. I can't truly know why some people think of lmk s4 as a drop-off in writing quality, but those are some thoughts from me to you!

[thelostgirl21]

A celebration of Joey Batey offering TV show writers a pure masterclass on how to write a queer character with a queer audience in mind.

Can I just say how much respect and appreciation I have for Joey, that he went above and beyond in term of queer representation, by bringing some much needed attention towards people on the aromantic spectrum, and making gender a complete romantic/sexual (and even queerplatonic) non-issue?

I mean, imagine that you are part of a show with a young and powerful canonically bisexual lead, Ciri, who is at an age where people might start exploring their own sexuality, slowly figuring out who and what they like, etc.

And suddenly, you're offered to also be playing another queer lead character, with a male love interest - while knowing it will be the very first time that the audience will be officially introduced to the idea of Jaskier being queer...

And, instead of going with the more familiar, and often expected:

"A man that's always been with women before, now finds himself romantically and sexually attracted to a man, and starts questioning his own sexual identity..." coming out story...

You find yourself with a unique opportunity to go a bit further, to explore more specific and lesser known LGBTQ+ themes, and to delightfully surprise your queer audience!

You can take a full dive into the wonderful world of Queerdom, by exploring a different - yet just as equally important and significant - coming out story!

i.e.

"A usually aromantic person, that has always experienced squishes, smushes, and possibly meshes before, finds himself experiencing a (sapio)romantic crush for the very first time, and starts questioning his romantic identity..."

Of course, a lot of people in the audience will probably miss this.

The monosexuals that have been conditioned to believe that gender must always play a role in how one experiences romantic and sexual human attraction - will likely be paying more attention to how Jaskier is showing an interest in a man.

People that are used to equating "falling in love" with "romantic attraction", might miss the significance and importance of Vespula specifically using the word crush to refer to Jaskier's current attraction towards Radovid.

People that typically see non-gender-related orientations as "mere preferences", or have simply never heard of them, might miss how Jaskier goes on and on about how "emotionally intelligent and insightful Radovid is" , with a look of vulnerability and wonder, putting emphasis on how different he feels about him.

People that were taught to see emotional relationships according to the "platonic vs romantic" binary - with a strict idea of what each means and implies - may not be familiar with what queerplatonic relationships are, and will interpret Jaskier saying that he loves Geralt "platonically" as meaning that he's not as deeply and strongly in love with him as one might usually expect a romantic partner to be.

They'll be unaware that there are committed life partners out there - that would go to the end of the world for each other and perhaps even share sexual intimacy together - that don't have any romantic feelings for each other whatsoever.

Romance does not mean "being in love", romance means "being in love in a romantic way".

And it is not the only way.

To aromantics and greyromantics - and even to romantic people that also have the capacity to fall in love in non-romantic ways, such as yours truly - queerplatonic and alterous relationships aren't "lesser than" romantic ones, they are different.

And Radovid... is different.

Radovid is no better, nor worse, than a hammer...

But he's a spoon.

He's a romantic connection that is completely new, exciting and intriguing to explore for Jaskier!

According to Joey Batey, as a sapioromantic panromantic pansexual, Jaskier finds himself developing a strong sapioromantic and sapiosexual connection with Radovid.

Jaskier is representing people that aren't romantically or sexually affected by a partner's gender in the way that they experience sexual atttraction, and people that experience a lot of tertiary attraction when falling in love, while very seldom ever being able to love others in a romantic way (sapioromantics / greyromantics... ).

Jaskier is a queer character that was truly created with a queer audience in mind!

He was created so that all of us that don't see or experience love according to the platonic vs romantic binary.

All of us that are hyperaware of those other forms of attraction (tertiary, aesthetic, sensual, etc.) that one can experience for another human being.

All of us that don't see or experience romance or sexuality as something that ties into their partner's gender.

Could finally see themselves in a character on screen.

Of course, you still need characters that experience their sexuality while feeling like the gender of their romantic and sexual partners matters - including those that love all genders... Desperately so!

First, because all members of the queer community matter and are equally as important and valuable. Rejoicing over Batey diving into lesser known and familiar representation doesn't mean that familiar and better known representation should not be encouraged and celebrated as well!

This is not a "there should be less gay character on TV to make room for more aromantics and asexuals instead" post.

This is a "we need queer identities people are less familiar with in addition to proper gay, lesbian and bisexual representation" post.

And second, because you still need characters that don't stray too much from the platonic v.s. romantic binary, too - and the usual social conventions tied to romance and sexuality - so that non-queer audiences can more easily connect, and empathize with, the queer community.

Because, when the existence of bisexuality already is something that monosexual people often have a hard time understanding, acknowledging, or even believing in...

Well, going:"By the way, I'll have you know that you can totally want to have sex with, live, and raise children with someone you've got platonic feelings for, too!"

You might accidentally lose them.

And if you try to explain that some people are unable to romantically connect with anyone, unless they get specifically attracted to their intellect (often combined with their aesthetic looks)!

That's likely going to be even worse!

And this is where Batey's pure genius comes to light.

Because he's just shown that you can find a beautiful and organic way to explore queerness more in depth - totally stepping away from the usual relationship conventions and specifically addressing your queer audience - simply by using a vocabulary that said queer audience will understand and connect with.

You can make it clear that the character is on the greyromantic spectrum, by having Vespula state that she's never ever seen him with a crush before!

You can put the emphasis on him being more specifically sapioromantic, by having him dreamily go on about how Jaskier perceives Radovid's intellect.

And, if Batey is to be believed - and he's been exploring the idea of Jaskier being queer since the very beginning of the show (without any clear response from the writers or producers regarding Jaskier's sexuality) - then, by making it clear that he loves Geralt platonically in Season 3, he's also allowing us to revisit all the scenes between Jaskier and Geralt from Season 1, while enjoying them through an aromantic lense.

Someone on the aromantic spectrum watching that scene might thus find themselves deeply connecting with the strong platonic squish (although it could also be a mesh) that Jaskier immediately experienced the very first time he saw Geralt...

You can see Jaskier as specifically believing himself to be Geralt's best friend in the whole wide world, and instinctively reading into Geralt allowing him to physically/sensually touch him (rubbing chamomile onto his lovely bottom) as him possibly desiring a queerplatonic connection with him also.

And, the scene where he's suggesting to Geralt that they could get away for a while, head to the coast together...

Where he mentions that life is too short not to do what pleases you, and admits that he's trying to work on what pleases him...

Look, the fact is that there's always been aromantic and greyromantic people experiencing tertiary forms of love and attractions for other people long before we had any words to put on those emotions, desires and needs.

So, it's rather easy to see Jaskier as someone that is experiencing a powerful alterous attraction for his best friend, and realizing that what pleases him the most, is the idea of them sharing a queerplatonic or alterous relationship together...

It makes sense to interpret what Jaskier is saying as him trying to express and articulate the love he feels for Geralt the best he can - implying that Geralt is what pleases him - while trying to ask Geralt if he also feels the same way...

Sadly, Geralt doesn't quite get it; likely because he's also romantically and sexually attracted to Yennefer and, when he loses her, instinctively throws all his own hurt and heartbreak at Jaskier - blaming him for everything that (he believes) lead to that loss!

And just because the break up Jaskier experienced wasn't a romantic one doesn't make it any less devastating.

Poor loving bard was making plans for them to continue to travel and enjoy their time together as the platonic boyfriends he believed them to be, and Geralt told him that all Jaskier had to offer him was a giant pile of shit that he kept shoveling his way!

There's been a lot of alterous and/or queeplatonic subtext since Season 1 (that could also read as romantic, but should never be used as evidence or proof of romance if we were talking about a real life partnership).

And, while I do acknowledge that queerbaiting has been messing with our ability to perceive and appreciate those relationships as such, I do think that, canonically establishing Jaskier as a sapioromantic, at the very least, clearly addresses the reasons why Jaskier was behaving in such an amorous way with Geralt without being romantically in love with him.

For once, instead of mocking the queer audience for "having mistakenly read two same-gender close friends as being romantically attracted to each other" (while doing as much as they can to suggest romance to keep them hooked!), they are canonically establishing Jaskier as a sapioromantic, with him experiencing his first romantic crush with Radovid.

The show's dialogue is telling people on the aromantic spectrum that "Yes, Jaskier is one of you. He gets squishes, meshes, lushes, and can desire a queerplatonic relationship with a best friend he's got strong platonic feelings for also."

You can speak to your queer audience, without fully risking alienating your non-queer audience, by simply using clues, and a language that your queer audience understands.

And I will forever be grateful to Joey Batey for having understood it, and having so skillfully managed it.

As someone who is ambiamorous, panalterous, panromantic, demisexual, and pansexual, all the nuances and details he brought to Jaskier's queerness was a pure delight, and spoke to me in a way that no TV show character has ever spoken to me before (except, perhaps, in "Sense8", but the whole show itself was about what it meant to love and be human, with main characters sharing a supernatural psychic bond making them more likely to open themselves to all the queer forms of love... whereas shows like "The Witcher" is of a more mainstream fantasy show).

I wish I had a way to contact him to tell him thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for breaking gender boundaries, and "platonic vs romantic" boundaries with Jaskier, and offering us a character that is one of the purest, most beautiful, and most perfectly balanced love song to queerness that one could have written and sung about!

Jaskier is a queer representation groundbreaking masterpiece on a show such as this.

That representation is as intelligent, insightful, and sharp as Prince Radovid himself.

And Extraordinarily Things said more about Jaskier's feelings, issues, and vulnerabilities than any piece of dialogue ever could have, and had me weeping my eyes out by the time Jaskier sang about how he finally felt like he was enough...

Well done Joey, you absolutely brilliant and deeply empathetic real-life bard and poet, well done...

[celaenaeiln]

opinion on songs from Moana being used for dick? (Eg. How far I’ll go, Where you are and I am Moana)

Let's do this!

How Far I'll Go

How Far I'll Go is my guilty pleasure!

Listen, I'm so happy that Dick adores the stuffings out of family and friends and loves them with all his heart but please, I just need one self-indulgent piece of writing where he just abandons everything, takes a break, and goes on a long self-discovery journey via a roadtrip or something. Sometimes I feel like he's too busy being a part of everyone else's self-discovery journey that he doesn't get to enjoy what he wants to do. How Far I'll Go is a cumulation of Dick being the leader and taking on the leadership role while sacrificing his own needs. The lyrics express a longing for exploration and pushing boundaries, which also aligns with Dick's journey from Robin to Nightwing.

Furthermore, Dick Grayson's robin is characterized by a sense of adventure and exploration-

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

literally.

And this need for adventure is what Moana and this song is all about. It's a craving, a desperate urge to go beyond the known and explore. Dick's known for his willingness to explore new territories, both physically and emotionally, often venturing into the unknown to protect his city and his loved ones.

The song is also about his desire for independence because like Moana, Dick Grayson grapples with his desire for independence while also feeling a sense of duty to his family and community.

It's actually a cycle. In the song it goes-

Every turn I take, every trail I track Every path I make, every road leads back

-and this is just a reflection of Dick's internal conflict between his personal aspirations of happiness and living his life vs his responsibilities as a hero and his duties as a leader of his community and the pillar of his family.

Where You Are

Where You Are is literally what I think Bruce wishes he could do to Dick lol. Except he's acting as the village and the father, not the grandma.

Don't walk away Moana, stay on the ground now Our people will need a chief, and there you are

These lyrics in particular -

🤌

*takes a deep breath in*

Now why does this sound familiar? :/

oh right, Bruce tells Dick that he needs a Batman whenever he's gone and he also tells Dick that his place as Robin is by Batman's side. This is also practically word-for-word what Cass says to Dick about his responsibilities of Batman.

Mainly this song is about sacrificing personal ambitions and desires to fulfill your duties.

That's right, we stay We're safe, and we're well provided And when we look to the future, there you are You'll be okay In time you'll learn just as I did You must find happiness right where you are

I don't think this song really needs any more explanation about how it's related to Dick because Dick's life practically embodies this song. It's sacrifice upon sacrifice he's done in order do his duties as Dick Grayson and Nightwing. This is his Eldest Daughter Syndrome song.

(Also just realized that without the background music this song is creepy af. Imagine the batfam singing the lines to him in a dark room where he hallucinates them. It's like a gothic horror story.)

I am Moana

Ooof. "I am Moana" is Dick Grayson's contant identity crisis song. In like every comic he's like "I was robin, I was nightwing, I was amnesic, I was Agent 37, I was Batman. But now I know that I am Dick Grayson."

Look at the lyrics-

I know a girl from an island She stands apart from the crowd She loves the sea and her people She makes her whole family proud Sometimes the world seems against you The journey may leave a scar But scars can heal and reveal just Where you are

The people you love will change you The things you have learned will guide you And nothing on earth can silence The quiet voice still inside you And when that voice starts to whisper "Moana, you've come so far" Moana listen, do you know who you are?

Who am I? I am a girl who loves my island And the girl who loves the sea, it calls me I am the daughter of the village chief We are descended from voyagers Who found their way across the world They call me

I've delivered us to where we are I have journeyed farther I am everything I've learned and more Still it calls me

And the call isn't out there at all It's inside me It's like the tide Always falling and rising I will carry you here in my heart You'll remind me That come what may I know the way

I am Moana!

Just replace girl with boy, add correct context, change Moana to Dick Grayson and boom! There you have him. "I am Moana" is Dick's Agent 37 arc.

Grayson Issue #1

"Dick, you've come so far" Dick listen, do you know who you are?

Grayson Issue #20

[velmoura-if]

UPDATE + ADDRESSING ISSUES:

To those anons who wanted the game to be gender-customizable, I'm really sorry, but for now, I can’t give you what you wanted.

Originally, this book was meant to be gender-customizable, since the siblings’ genders were an important part of the plot. If you chose a male MC, you’d get a sister; if you chose a female MC, you’d get a brother. But I’ve decided to scrap that.

Mainly because... I just can’t write a male MC. This is my first IF game. I’ve written short stories before, but only in my native language—so writing in English is already a challenge. Adding gender customization would only make it harder.

That said, removing that option made the story’s outline a lot clearer to me. Everything flows more naturally now, and ideas come to me faster. Another reason is that I’ve always wanted to publish a yuri or queer romance IF game. I haven’t seen many games made just for girls—especially ones that center on wlw stories. I know there are gender-customizable ones out there, but it feels different to create something that’s dedicated to the wlw and queer community. 🩷

This story not only focuses on wlw love, but it also explores the MC’s journey of self-discovery—whether that means embracing her identity as a lesbian, questioning her gender, or figuring out who she is beyond labels. These realizations won’t happen instantly, and that’s okay. They’re part of her growth, and the answers will come naturally over time.

I also want to address something, since my inbox has been flooded with a lot of hate asks lately. While I expected some backlash, it’s still disheartening. I didn’t think it would be this intense. I had already prepared myself for the worst, knowing that this wouldn’t be what some of you wanted. I understand it’s an “interactive” story, so some of you expected full customization.

Still, some of those messages really discouraged me from continuing for a while. That’s why the blog’s been quiet—I needed time to reflect.

Also, English isn’t my first language, so I do struggle with complex words sometimes. But other than that, I’m doing okay!

I’ve been working on the character profiles too, especially important ones like the MC’s brother. (Shout-out to the anon who wanted more facts about him—I see you! 👀)

You’ll get them! I just need your patience. I’m also working during the day and renovating my house, so... yeah. I hope you understand. I’m getting there! As for the coding part—it’s going slow, as usual 😂

But I’ve already confirmed where I’ll upload the game! It’s going to be made with ChoiceScript. I know a lot of people say Twine is great because you can fully customize the UI and all that. But it also tends to have more bugs, especially if you’re not that confident with coding. ChoiceScript just feels less stressful when it comes to fixing things, so I’m sticking with that. 👀

That’s it for now. Have a good day, everyone! xx

[drdemonprince]

I just got your piece The Asexual Fetishist in my inbox and wanted to send you a quick thank you for breaking my brain open with that one. I've spent years trying to square my desire for novel sexual experiences/specific kink related interests with not actually being sexually attracted to other people. I've consumed a lot of content by asexuals about kink and the like but having someone actually explain their experience with their fetish and its impact on their sexual life has never popped up in my perusing. I've had a lot of hang ups about the asexual label so I haven't dug too deep. This has definitely inspired me do more than a cursory exploration and I will definitely be giving Ana Valens work a read. Thanks again!

yeahhhh!!!! I love to hear it, thank you. Ana Valens' writing is GREAT and seeing her, a very outspoken and proud perv and accused "degenerate" claim the asexual label made me feel better about revisiting it, too. Others land on a different way of describing themselves -- Cosima Bimbotheory for example says that while in contemporary parlance she qualifies as ace spectrum / demisexual, she instead identifies more with leathersex, because the leather community has always made space for boundary-breaking ways of achieving intimacy, and has always included people who have sex without "having sex." I don't think these views are incompatible, hence my inclusion of vintage leather exhibitionist porn That Boy in my essay as an example of what Valens calls Ace Erotics.

I got my start as a queer kid on the asexuality forums of the early 2000s -- before I had the language of being autistic or trans or unempathic, ace spaces were the only community where I could easily express feeling outside and beyond what normal human beings were expected to feel. And so I still find I have a home there.

I think asexuality gets clowned on far too much -- there is this annoying tendency to equate people having bad opinions or doing annoying shit with their identities, and so aces get written off as sex-shamey scolds and enbies get characterized as anti medical transition and all other kinds of dumb shit like that, often from people who should know better. im here to say you can be an asexual free use hole and that is actually not confusing at all if a person actually considers what asexual means.

heres the link to the essay, for the curious