#and obv a lot of them can be/are explicitly made to be but also like

[lord-squiggletits]

Between TF and my other fandoms like BG3 and TES, I keep finding myself making OCs that have some element of "battle hardened hero who is actually good and righteous, but so traumatized by the toll of war that even after the war ends they feel empty/wrecked and can't enjoy the fruits of victory" and I'm not sure if it's bc I gravitate to a certain type of media where such OCs fit in best, or bc I have a specific character archetype I like and gravitate towards media that contains those things.

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

Fixing MHA's Ending So It Follows Through With Its Core Themes (And It Basically Fixes Itself)

I don't like retconning at the best of times, but turning what started as essentially a Hope focused narrative into a "realistic" tragedy at the very last second is some wild work.

So I'm gonna do what I do best as a fic writer and fix it!!!!!

The Summary

So, I'm pretty sure all of us were on mostly the same page up until the very last panels of the Shigaraki fight (Having AFO being just "born evil" was probably the start of things not being great, but I'm willing to let that slide because it doesn't really effect the overall function of the story that much). Once that and the epilogue started is where I mostly saw people being like ????????? to a lot of choices, so I'm going to focus on those two sections only.

We're gonna be rewriting:

-The deaths of the Villains + Kurogiri (obvs)

-The overall post-War actions and reactions

-The continued existence of the Commission and the Hero Rankings

-Hawk's fate

-Spinner's fate

-A liiiiitle tweak to Chisaki's fate

-Slight tweaks to the Todorokis

-and finally What to DO with the Villains + Kurogiri now that they're alive

And we'll be starting with...

Toga

Now for a battle that was so beautiful, this really did end up completely falling apart.

I'm not gonna justify every single Villain Rescue I do, but Toga's really comes down to one simple reason for me:

Her bullies literally wanted her to die as atonement.

You don't...typically make your character's fate agree with their bullies or abusers (otherwise???? why are you explicitly portraying them as bullies and abusers to the audience if you want us to ultimately agree with them?????)

Throughout most of the story prior to this, Hori made it a staple in the show that dying for the cause, hurting yourself for the cause, martyring yourself or otherwise telling someone to kill themselves for the cause is a vile thing to do. So, it makes ZERO sense why he would suddenly retcon this at such a critical moment, especially since he already set the stage for it to be wrong in the first place.

(also does anyone also think it was weird/creepy that Hori LITERALLY has her do this with Twice and she very explicitly says "Don't be stupid I don't have to give all of my blood away"? No? Just me?)

Everything happens the same, she still thinks she's sacrificing herself, "If only, if only", blah blah blah

AND THEN...

Hawks

This is such low-hanging fruit plot-wise it actually feels offensive that it went nowhere

Nothing happens with Hawks. We all say it, fans and non-fans alike. He is wasted potential incarnate. His story is a circle and it so easily did not have to be that way because of one simple writing decision:

Hawks and Toga share a blood type.

Up until now, it really did seem like Hawks learned nothing from Jin's death. The first thing he says when he sees the clones is, "We have to kill them now!" But then, picture him still battered and broken from his fight with AFO, wingless, but there is still SOMETHING he can do to save someone's life.

And he puts the needle in his arm instead, and before she can question it, he tells her Jin would want her to live. He's not gonna make the same mistake twice.

(I also think it'd be nice if he said something like how lucky she is, to really go full circle with the Jin story, but I'm not trying dialogue here lol)

And that leads us to...

Shigaraki (and Kurogiri!)

This is a double feature because with the way I'm doing it, I can't save one without the other.

So, something that happens during this and is super anti-climactic and seemingly pointless is Midoriya losing his hands. He gets em back in like 2 seconds, because Eri gives him a surprise rewind almost immediately after. The actual point of it was just to show the brand new rule that physical damage that happens in the vestige world also happens in the real world, so that killing Shigaraki a few chapters later would still make sense.

We're gonna get rid of that rule entirely and just say that Midoriya does not lose his actual arms in the fight, and psychological damage in a ghost world does not reflect physically in reality (or idk. If you DO want that to happen, then just say the embers of the vestiges protected him one last time or something).

And because he doesn't lose his arms, Eri still has a surprise rewind to use.

But before we get to that, we actually have to save Shigaraki. So, here's the super complicated rescue rewrite I came up with. Ready?

Kicking AFO out of his brain and giving him back full control over his body simply does not kill him.

That's it!!!! That's really all that needed to happen!! It was a very conscious choice to make that kill him! It's actually more work and details to kill Shigaraki than it is to save him!! Hori already went out of his way to say that Nana's vestige protected him so that he wasn't completely swallowed by AFO, just so he could say goodbye before fading away anyway. What if, considering the fact that hatred of Nana is what damned him, love FROM Nana actually just plain ol saves him? Full stop? We come full circle. It would make it a fantastic mirror to the Todoroki fight and solidify the theme that love from your/a family, even a broken one, will save you!!

And then further in the background, Bakugou doesn't randomly kill (?????? Even after reading it again I'm still really confused about how Kurogiri dies. I think this is what happens?????) Kurogiri, and instead starts to lose control like they feared. But then, refusing to give up on him, Aizawa hits him with the now-available Rewind Juice and it finally, finally stabilizes his mind for good.

The day is saved.

And that just leaves...

Touya

Unfortunately my stupid husband can't stop trying to kill himself for 2 seconds despite my best efforts to convince him otherwise, so there's really nothing I can do about the extent of his injuries

However, there's LOTS I can do about the way we're treating said injuries! =D

First of all, because Touya is my favorite, I do wanna allow myself the space to briefly rant about how his entire situation was handled because brother. first of all. It's so incredibly obvious that he was supposed to die on the battlefield with his comrades. That man had no fuckin eyeballs by the end of that fight, bffr. And then it was like Hori remembered the thing about the noodles and was like 'oh shit I better at least wrap that up lol' so he brought him back--eyeballs and TEARDUCTS magically intact btw so naturally the audience with reading comprehension was like 'oh he's healing somehow I guess'--just to get that specific moment on the books (and maybe just to draw Touya in his Batman Who Laughs era because I mean he does look pretty sick in the tank) and then turned around and killed him again. With no explanation what the random functioning tearducts and magical regrowth of eyeballs was about.

Like...my guy, you ain't gotta do all that. Again, it's so much harder and more complicated to kill him than it is to keep him alive. Not to mention he was killed OFF-SCREEN. WE DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE ANY--IF ANY--CONVERSATIONS HE HAS WITH SHOUTO OR HIS FAMILY, WHICH WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF NOT KILLING HIM ON THE BATTLEFIELD. INSTEAD OF THE SEXY SHIRTLESS SERVING-FACE-AT-A-FUNERAL IMAGE OF TOUYA WE COULD'VE SEEN A FLASHBACK OF THEM TALKING AND HIM SMILING AND BEING HAPPY WITH THEM FOR WHATEVER TIME THEY HAD AND THAT STILL WOULD'VE BEEN MORE SATISFYING. Y'KNOW. BECAUSE THAT WAS THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT OF THE TODOROKI PLOTLINE?????????????VSSSBBNM,.;;PUSAAXXGHIIRWDFGG

But anyway.

Fixing Touya's death is really simple. We can do two things, actually.

Work with the deus-ex Ice Quirk a little bit, make the Phoenix Theory canon. Ice heals him, the tank is a giant fridge. Lo and behold, it would explain why he magically healed eyeballs and tearducts. It's an incredibly slow process, but eventually he'd heal enough to be out of the tank and in a normal hospital setting for the rest of his recovery. It also gives him a goal to pursue for the future, I.E learning how to control the new side of his powers and mayybeeee getting interested in studying Quirk Biology in the process 👀

He simply!!!!!! Doesn't die!!!!!!!!! Out of ALLLLLLL the MHA characters, I would 100% believe you if you told me that Touya Todoroki nevertheless persisted. That's like...his entire character. You don't even need to give me a reason. His entire character up until now has been 'the one that's somehow still alive' to the point that the fucking Dr. Eggman lookin ass mad scientist that brought him back to life in the first place (in WORSE condition) was like 'yeah no idea how he's still here that's scary'. I'm sorry, the entire fucking show I've had to see A. An old man without a face with a back alley ventilator system shoved directly into his stoma that's somehow fine and talking perfectly, and B. Another old man missing his ENTIRE digestive tract for years and is still up and walking around somehow with no G-tube or colostomy bag to be seen, so I think by the power of God and Anime, Touya could probably survive his injuries and it would be within the realm of believability for the show. In fact, it's LESS believable that he stayed alive through all that by spite alone and then when he finally gets offered love and acceptance, that determination and tenacity to stay alive suddenly goes out the window. If anything, it should've made him MORE determined to live.

Sorry I got carried away with that one. But there. Everyone is saved and the core themes are intact.

Now we just have...

The Overall Actions and Reactions Post-War

Gonna sum this up really quickly:

-The cameras never turned off. They're built for Quirk resistance because they're a fucking newscast in a Hero society if their technology broke every time there were heavy Quirk exchanges there would never be any fucking news. Making them conveniently lose footage so none of the civs can see the Villains humanity is just rubbing salt in the wound and serves no narrative purpose in line with pre-established themes. Everyone saw what was recorded, and it helped the Villains' cases for rehabilitation.

-We do not censor out this battle in future history books. Everyone is very familiar with the final fight and the events and circumstances leading up to it. It is not erased from public memory as soon as possible. In fact, it's frequently studied and referenced when making new policies to avoid making the same mistakes. Hori. Wtf.

-We do not reinstate the Hero Rankings in any way shape or form, and Shouto is the biggest voice in dismantling this system. Voila, this is now actually the story of how they all became the greatest Heroes, because they aren't ranked. They're all literally the greatest Heroes, and so will everyone after them.

-This IS actually portrayed in the epilogue, but yes, let's be LESS reliant on Heroes and police and MORE invested in the community!!!!!!! Even more so than what's portrayed!!!!! Take another bit from Spider-Man: Anyone can wear the mask!!!!!! Let's make a world where Heroes have too much time on their hands and not just make more of them, right????????? Remember that????????

-WE DO NOT REINSTATE THE COMMISSION. WE GOT RID OF THEM CORRUPT HOES FOR A REASON!!!!!! NO A CHANGE OF THE GUARD IS NOT ENOUGH TO FIX IT WE'RE NOT 7YRS OLD!!!!! HORI. WTF. The only thing I want them to be in charge of is licensing Heroes. I want these fuckers to be the DMV of the Hero world and that's IT!!!!!!!

Which brings us to...

Hawks' Fate

I don't even fuck with this man like that, but he did not deserve to become CEO of the organization that groomed and abused him since he was a child when all he wanted to do was chase tail and fuck off to a beach somewhere. Considering the fact that he also, like, killed people he shouldn't have, let him retire like Endeavor, please. We're done giving the old guard power and privilege, especially when they explicitly did not and do not want it (and when they did have it, they misused it). The only thing I want this man involved with is Toga's recovery alongside Uraraka. Specifically, I want him paying for it and anything else she might need. Fuck it, you know what, make HIM Endeavor's personal aide instead of Rei!!!! He gets to be a little simp and Endeavor gets a replacement son to fill Natsu's spot. Everyone wins.

(He does deserve that hairline tho. I ain't fixin that.)

So that leaves...

Spinner's Fate

I'm not changing much here, besides the fact that now Shiggy is alive and I think they should be ✨Roommates✨ eventually (and obviously he's gonna be much less riddled with survivor's guilt). I still think he should write that book, but I also think that with his multiple Quirks, he should team up with scientists to understand how Quirks work in the body (and maybe get some of them removed from his).

And next...

Chisaki's Fate

I just think this guy needs to be in the same place as the other Villains, at least for a fraction of the time. Why is he just...out. He was also in that daycare and could definitely use some help before we just let him loose in the streets because he said sorry (Can the League just say sorry then??????????).

I do think afterwards he should get involved with something chemistry related tho, cause those bullets of his came in clutch.

And on that note...

The Todorokis' Fates

And by Todorokis I mean two of them, specifically Rei lol

Yeah, she's not gonna be Endeavor's nurse for the rest of her life lol. That man has more money than God, he can hire an aide like everybody else. In fact, they're not even living together. Do you remember how earlier in the series, he gave them a new house? So they could live away from him and he would be in the old house by himself? I liked that plan. Let's go back to that plan. I'm not gonna go as far as to make them divorce, if they're together they're together, but I think separation is a necessary must at this point because if they MUST stay together, they should at least try dating for once???????? Girl was actually bought like maybe they figure out if they even still like each other at all, or ever did.

(Also, I have to laugh as a motorized wheelchair user that Hori drew her pushing Endeavor all happy and blissfully. Motorized wheelchairs are not meant to be pushed like that lol. They have push features for emergencies and small around-the-house distances of course, but uh, mine's 350 pounds without me in it. It's not usually anyone's first choice.)

But there is one more Todoroki I have a lot to talk about, so that finally brings us to...

What Do We Do With The Villains + Kurogiri Now That They're Alive???????????

We take everything from comic books except what would actually makes sense with the story lol

Surprise!!!!!! We're doing Arkham!!!!!! This is another low-hanging fruit thing that I'm almost a little offended that it wasn't implemented. Obviously Arkham has its problems in the Batman canon that we're gonna try to avoid, but I honestly think Batman villains and the core MHA Villains are pretty similar in their execution in that they are primarily mentally ill victims of society who have done very terrible things, but the audience (and Batman himself) is actively rooting for them to get better over just rotting in jail or being killed. Two-Faced has killed sooooo many people and has relapsed a ton, but I ultimately still want to see him get better because he was Batman's best friend once and a good man, and what happened to him was a tragedy. I think all the Villains deserve a space where they can humanely heal from their issues and gain support, while also being safely separated from society while they're still dangerous to themselves and others.

Oh, but Batman and his endless money bought Arkham. Who do we know who has access to trust fund money, an investment in the mentally ill, and the bonus of a medical background that could fund such a thing?

Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for...

Natsuo Todoroki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mans graduates from college and immediately uses his money as a doctor and his inheritance to open up Rindou Sanctuary, in honor of his mother Rei and named after her favorite flower (I don't think he'd want to give Enji the satisfaction of his last name attached to his greatest achievement). He's head doctor on site and the board, and visits Touya every shift once he's healed enough to be transferred to the facility. He is very invested in his brother's treatment and refuses to lose him again--at least not until they're proper old men.

It is publicly funded by donors and taxes alike, and Enji, naturally, is always the highest donor. Call it reparations.

And there you have it! That's how to fix the epilogue. It took longer to type than think about. I could care less about canon shipping, so y'all can keep that (or not). I'm just here to fix the structural problems that have no reason to be here at this point. As I said, once I redrew lines Hori already set up and just abandoned, it pretty much fixed itself.

Hope you enjoyed it and I hope it eases the grief a little!!!!! They're alive look I fixed it!!!!!! <3

(also feel free to use anything I said in here in your own fix-it fics!!!! Just tag me so I can read them 👀)

[peanutheaddd]

hi! Would Petey possess dm again? Even though he can just possess him when ever bc of their (gay as hell lmao /pos) soul bond I get the vibes that he would still ask him first bc of the physical toll it has on dm

anon im smiling so huge bc i was literally thinkign abt this Haha.. Hahaha…

i think petey would actually offer to get rid of the soul bond once dm wakes up. and dm is like nah its ok i dont rlly mind . which is all just indicative of both a) peteys development compared to the beginning of the story bc if exposition petey had a soul bond w dm u bet ur ass he would rather die than let go of it and he would also abuse the hell out of it and b) dm lwk highkey trusts petey w his life now and he Knows petey would never possess him if he doesnt explicitly ask him to .

petey also would never be the one to ask dm abt possession . in their post climax relationship if theyre Ever talking abt possession then its bc dm brought it up first . the aftermath of the first possession event made it such that petey doesnt rlly wanna think abt possessing him again bc he gets scared

theres also kinda no reason for petey to possess dm after the first posession bc like i said both heaven and hell dont rlly fuck around w them anymore so theyre never in enough danger to warrant possession .

but ☝️ i reckon sometimes dm asks petey if he can possess him js for the hell of it LMFAAAAOOOOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭 especialy during their healing arc he probs eventually gets petey to agree to possess him and they kinda js walk around outside . and petey hauls ass once he can feel dms soul getting weaker (idt his heart could handle seeing dm in a comatose state again) and once he leaves yes dm is a bit tired but hes otherwise safe and fine . and hes happy . so peteys like Huh. bc up until this point his only experience with possessing dm has been Terrible . but this time it was fine. it was good even . so its like hes being subconsciously trained to remember tbat hes not inherently dangerous (all part of dms plan)

and also usually possession isnt . Supposed to be pleasant for the vessel . thats why it leaves the vessel weak . the whole Point of possession is that its supposed to eat away at the vessel until theyre js a husk of a human being . which is why peteys so against it .

dm is js kind of a freak tho bc he lwk likes possession LMFAO i think during the initial stage of possession before his soul goes dormant theres a level of like. spiritual closeness ? w him and pt that is Not possible if hes not possessing him . its like a level of connection . completely merging with another being . becoming One individual . and dms like this is actually kinda awesome

petey avtually does also like possession for the same reason its js that his fear of hurting him outweighs any of that positive feeling Easily LOL

i think the stronger a soul bond is the more a demon is able to feel what the vessel feels . i mentioned before that theres usually a level of disconnect between the vessel and the demon like a mecha and its pilot . but i reckon a stronger soul bond changes that level of connection . like a stronger soul bond = stronger feeling of becoming a single individual during possession .

most soul bonds are formed contractually so they arent very strong . demons also prefer this bc they dint care what the vessel feels and its actually better for them if they Dont feel what the vesel feels .

obvs dm and peteys sich is diff and over time as their souls get more time to exist within the same space amicably the soul bond gets stronger 🤔🤔🤔 so theres that

i reckon dm actually asks petey if he can possess him a Lot and peteys like STOP ASKING ME IDIOT bc like i said the soul degrades the longer possession lasts . since its not like a single long lasting posession but instead a bunch of little possessions the degradation of the soul is Basically negligible but petey is Nawt taking any chances . so hes reluctant to possess him if theyre not in a dire situation .

[strwbrychffoncke]

my baby, my baby 5.8k words

synopsis: glimpses into the life of jonathan joestar & his beloved child

content: alt. timeline (obv)... femchild! reader & dad!jonathan (platonic if that wasn't obvious), pure wholesome fluffy family, dio appearance (dio hates kids but not really LOL) ,lovesick!jonathan & erina ,dio has a job in law + jonathan in archeology like in canon (but they're not explicitly mentioned lol?) ,use manor + estate interchangeably.. jonathan ,erina + dio live in said estate ,dio v ooc (LOL) ,looooooots of petnames ,angst in the last part if you squint but its mostly resolved ,age between each section isn't stated but implied (kinda goes from infant to maybe 4+ yrs old?) ,i didnt do much research for the time period so if anything is out of place no it isnt.... i think that's it disclaimer: this is fiction so dunno if things mentioned are 100% as i have never cared for children myself ,but my mom works w kids/babies & i asked her a lot to try to incorporate it into my writing... for that reason i ask for your understanding if anything is "off" ; regardless ,i hope its still enjoyable <3

-

jonathan can't think of any particular moment throughout his life that made his heart swell with quite as much joy as it was at this moment.

"watch her head... there you go. isn't she the cutest?"

jonathan can find no words to respond as he gazes down at his child, eyes shining as a pair of curious e/c ones stare right back.

even though he's held you many times the past couple of days, he doesn't think he'll ever get used it.

erina giggles at his awestruck expression, already seeing a clear resemblance between you both.

you must also be amused at your father's expression, as your tiny nose scrunches and you let out a giggle of your own, eyes bright and playful.

jonathan thinks it's one of the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard.

his eyes grow glossy, shifting his gaze to his wife.

"she's perfect."

he's beaming, as if he himself were radiating light.

erina can only spare a kiss for him before they both lock their loving gazes onto you.

-

erina thinks she finds a little too much amusement in seeing her 189 cm hunk of a husband cradling his little baby with so much care, as if she were made of glass.

when your cries rang out in the middle of the night and reached their shared bedroom, he was the first one up, telling erina to keep resting, he'd take care of it as he quickly made his way to your nursery just down the hallway from them.

as he swiftly entered, despite the maid's assurances that she could handle it, he was insistent that he wished to, instead requesting she fetch one of your milk bottles from the kitchen.

as she made her way out, jonathan was quick to lift you from your crib, rocking you in his arms to calm you.

"now, now, papa's here. shhh, you're alright."

your cries slowly begin to seize just as erina (having followed her husband out of curiosity) arrives, standing by the door.

she watches as jonathan brings you towards his chest, resting your tiny head on his shoulder as he softly pats your back, humming softly to you, your expression becoming serene.

in no time at all, the maid returns with a bottle of warm milk, bowing at erina standing by the door before stepping back inside.

"here's the bottle as requested, master joestar. i will leave it here," she leaves it on the nearby dresser before bowing, making her way towards the door again.

"thank you, delia" he whispers at her as she makes her leave once more.

she stops at the door, gesturing at erina to enter, but she only shakes her head.

"that's okay," she whispers. "i have a lovely view here" she muses.

the maid nods in understanding, returning to her quarters grinning to herself at how lovesick the couple are with one another.

jonathan adjusts you so you're cradled in his arms once again, seeing you still awake, staring back at him.

"are you hungry, little one?" he asks, reaching for the bottle. "would you fancy a midnight snack?"

he shakes the bottle for emphasis before offering it to you.

you take some grateful sips, downing half the bottle in no time before jonathan decides thats enough. he then holds you vertically against his shoulder, secured by his arm and softly pats your back.

in no time at all, you burp, in which jonathan takes another look at you to see your sleepy eyes.

"ready for bed again, little one?" he whispers, booping your nose before carefully placing you back in your crib.

as you wriggle around, sinking into the plushness below you, jonathan takes a seat in the rocking chair next to you before grabbing ahold of one of the bars, and gently rocking your crib, resuming his humming from earlier.

in no time at all, your eyes shut, and you're fast asleep once again.

despite this, jonathan stays for another five or so minutes, admiring you once again, thanking the stars for blessing him with this lovely little treasure.

erina, having stayed for the entire exchange, feels her heart melting, overflowing with so much love for you, her sweet blessing and her darling husband.

overwhelmed with feelings, she walks into the room for the first time that night, making her way straight towards jonathan and wrapping her arms around his neck from beside him, engulfing him in an embrace.

jonathan looks up, realizing who has joined him.

"erina?! i thought you were still sleeping.." he whispers.

"i wanted to see you put the baby back to sleep, and she listens to you so easily. i wonder if you should be given this duty permanently," she teases.

jonathan huffs out a quiet laugh.

"she's too precious, isn't she?"

"she is," she nods, kissing his head.

jonathan yawns, and erina smiles down at him.

"you know" she begins. "she's been asleep for quite awhile now." she unwraps one arm from around his neck, reaching for his hand still rocking your crib.

"its time for you to get back to bed now, don't you think?"

"ah, but-"

"you'll hear her if she wakes again, but im sure that won't happen. come now," she muses, tugging at his hand, prompting him to stand from his spot on the chair.

"alright, alright. lead the way, love."

-

"ah- careful there, darling!"

a baby living in such a large estate might have been more dangerous than initially imagined. sure, jonathan promptly had the house baby-proofed from top to bottom almost as soon as you began exploring it yourself via crawling...

but you were of joestar blood, and as such, it seemed that trouble followed you wherever you went.

for one, jonathan would prefer not to have a repeat of the time when he left you unattended for what he swore was just a few moments when, while you were exploring the second story of the estate, you collided with dio in the hallway.

rather than crying, you only looked up in wonder, a pair of displeased eyes staring back at you.

jonathan emerged from his room following the sounds of your babbles as dio held you by the back of your onesie, your legs dangling in the air, demanding jonathan "keep a closer eye on his brat" before jonathan quickly snatched you up and began fussing over you.

he chastised dio, demanding he be more careful with you, but dio had already walked off before jonathan could finish.

that day, jonathan decided that he would only allow you to crawl around so long as you were in his sight, lest another instance like that were to happen again.

like right now, as he paused his reading of the morning paper to take a few quick strides, scooping you up before you could bump your head on the leg of the coffee table.

he lets out a sigh as you wriggle in his hold, turning you over to face him, a silly smile on your face.

"you really must be more careful, my dear. where does all of your energy spring from, hm? quite the reckless one, aren't you?"

almost in response to his light chastising, you only giggle, wriggling around more in his hands.

"and you only laugh? what am i going to do with you, hm?" jonathan shakes his head, a smile on his face.

you only reach out your hands towards him.

he promptly responds by pulling you into his embrace, securing you in one arm and resting your head on his shoulder as he makes his way back to his chair, picking the paper back up.

he straightens it out before shifting his attention towards you.

"lets read the news together, yes? you always like when papa reads to you, don't you?"

you push yourself up slightly, turning towards the paper in your father's hands, looking over the black and white ink.

jonathan takes this as the sign that you're ready, and begins reading the nicer stories to you, pointing towards the photographs so you can take a look at them for yourself.

some time passes before erina enters, notifying you both that breakfast is ready.

jonathan wraps up the news story he was on before putting the paper down, securing you before lifting you up with him as he rises from his armchair, striding towards the kitchen.

he shares a sweet kiss with erina at the door before handing you over to her after you reach out for your mother.

"well hello there, little one. did you have fun with papa? you must be hungry, yes?"

she follows jonathan to the kitchen table, seating you in your baby chair as her and jonathan begin their usual morning chatter.

you were mostly distracted with your meal, but would stare at your parents, almost appearing to listen to what they were speaking so enthusiastically about.

taking note of this, they both would ask for your opinion on something, or inquire what you wished to do for the day. even though you hadn't spoken, your babbles answered their questions: this topic was boring, that businessman looked quite silly the other night, didn't he? and the garden sounded like a lovely place to spend the afternoon.

-

"ohhh, aren't you the cutest?"

"that little outfit is adorable!"

"she looks just like you, jonathan!"

he can only let out a hearty laugh and agree with the ladies that are cooing at you.

ever since you were born, jonathan took plenty of pride in picking out your outfits, maybe even having more fun than erina, spending more money than he should on anything he thought might suit you.

as a gentleman, he not only took pride in his actions, but also in his appearance. this, of course, extended to you, his beloved child.

today, jonathan has dressed you in a sky blue colored dress with a small, matching sunhat adorned with a cute ribbon and little black slip-on shoes, secured with little buckles and gold buttons on each side.

its no wonder the ladies can't help but to admire you.

"i remember when you were young... and now you're all grown up with a child of your own! ah, how quickly they grow..." one of the ladies reminisces.

jonathan laughs again before speaking up.

"i know the feeling" he smiles. "this one teaches me something new everyday, though," his voice takes on a playful tone, "she always knows how to keep me on my toes!"

the lady smiles fondly. "yes, children will do that to you! where are you two headed today? and where is the missus?"

"ah, my sweet wife wasn't feeling too well, so we're out to fetch her some medicine, isn't that right, darling?" he looks down at you.

you only babble in response.

"the poor thing.. i hope she recovers quickly. best to not keep your missus waiting now, off you go!" one of the ladies begins to shoo jonathan towards the direction of the shops.

"yes, we shall be going now. we'll chat again, yes? till next time!" he waves at them before making his way off with you.

after reaching a considerable distance away, he thinks aloud.

"hmm, perhaps i shouldn't have dressed you so cutely today... that's the third time we've been stopped. i suppose no one can resist your charm, can they darling?"

you only hum in response, looking up towards your father's voice, hidden behind the shield of the stroller.

"i hope erina is doing okay... we just have to get some medicine for your mother, but id also like to get her some soup.."

you babble at the mention of your mother.

"you must miss her, yes? then let's make this quick, ok darling?"

you agree with some happy babbles.

before long, you both have retrieved some cold medicine for your mother, along with some soup (of which jonathan had your help in picking out), quickly making your way back to the estate just after noon.

. . .

"how is she?"

"welcome back master joestar," the maid bows, smiling at you in his arms before taking jonathan's bag as he removes his coat, hanging it up before taking a hold of it once more.

"she's alright, it doesn't seem too serious. the maids have been taking turns caring for the madame, but she's been mostly resting."

jonathan breathed out a sigh of relief at the maid's update.

"thank you for watching her. i'll be going to see her now," he turned towards the stairs before the maid speaks up again.

"shall i take the little one off your hands in the meantime?"

"no need, we'll be going to see her together," he offers a grateful smile back to her before ascending the staircase.

. . .

the door to the bedroom cracks open, jonathan taking quiet steps inside.

he quickly makes his way to the large bed, taking a seat in the nearby chair to erina's side as he sets you down on the closest empty spot of the mattress.

"erina, dear, we're back.. we have some medicine and soup for you," jonathan coos softly as he reaches the back of his hand forward to check her forehead.

erina stirs, bleary eyes opening to see her darling husband and, to her surprise, you.

she finds the strength to sit herself up (with the help of jonathan propping up some pillows for her) quickly shooting jonathan a look.

"jojo! what if she gets sick?"

"nonsense!" he waves her off, though her stare remains stern. "oh, don't give me that look! she missed you too, didn't you, love?"

you only hum, reaching out for your mother.

your cute gesture breaks her stern façade, and she can't help but break into a little grin.

"my sweet loves," she smiles, patting your head as jonathan fishes out the medicine and wrapped soup from the bag.

"allow me to feed you your soup and medicine, erina."

jonathan opens up a bottle, pouring it out carefully on a silver spoon before holding it up to erinas lips.

"come now, open up."

erina does as she's told, jonathan quickly feeding her the medicine.

you watch your parents intently, tilting your head at your mother's expression after swallowing the medicine down.

jonathan sees this, and laughs, gesturing to the bottle he's closing.

"it doesn't taste very good, you see."

jonathan hands her the glass of water by her bedside (presumably left there from the maids from earlier) before opening the soup.

"the little one picked this one out, so hopefully it's to your liking," he explains, dipping in another spoon and stirring it up before softly blowing and offering it to erina.

as soon as she takes the first spoonful jonathan offers, her eyes light up & she hums in delight.

"why, this one is my favorite! how did you know, little one?" she asks, booping your nose, causing you to smile.

"you hear that? you did a great job picking this out for mama, yes? perhaps you'll have to come shopping with papa more often!" jonathan praises, smiling at you.

you giggle, your eyes shifting back to your mother.

"m-"

"ma-"

"mama!"

erina's eyes are wide as she stares at you in wonder, wondering if she heard right or if her feverish mind was playing tricks on her.

though, she quickly realizes its real when jonathan is so shocked that the spoon in his hold slips from his hand and clatters to the floor.

"darling, did you-"

"pa-pa!"

jonathan's eyes are glistening.

"she spoke! did you hear that, erina? she spoke!"

jonathan sets the soup down by the bedside table momentarily in favor of lifting you up into his arms.

he holds you at eye level before speaking "say it again, darling, pa-pa, go on!"

erina let's out a laugh, reaching over the small distance to place a small kiss to your head.

"she did say 'mama' first, though.." she teases.

"come on, one more time for papa!"

you only wriggle around in his hold in response.

the rest of the afternoon is spent together, jonathan feeding erina her soup (after a maid happened to come by and bring a clean spoon upon jonathan's request) until its gone, the two marveling once again at their little bundle of joy.

jonathan can't resist letting every maid that comes into the room to check-in of your first spoken words.

-

to everyone's surprise, as you grew, you developed a strange attachment to none other than dio.

which would result in some... more than bizarre situations, such as the one currently unfolding.

"JOJO!"

not a minute after his name is shrills through the hallway does dio barge into jonathan's office, playful giggles following his heavy footsteps.

jonathan has a hard time controlling his laughter seeing you, his sweet child, wrapped around dio's left leg like a koala, a heavy contrast to dio's complete and utter displeasure.

"get this monkey off of me this instant!"

"up! up..!"

"you want to go up, you little mongrel?" he looks down at you, almsot baring his teeth as if you just challenged him to a fight. "ill lift you up alright.."

"dio, be car-"

dio lifts his leg, lifting you easily with him, causing you to erupt into a fit of giggles.

even as he shakes his leg continously and even swings you around, you don't relent, and simply think you're playing some sort of game.

the only rule was to not let go of dio's leg.

jonathan is both worried and amused at the situation, a smile slipping through his expression as he carefully watches to ensure you don't get hurt from being violently thrashed about.

after a minute of this, dio puts his leg back down, standing properly as you straighten yourself, never losing your grip on him.

he turns his attention back to jonathan.

"does she have glue for hands??? get this brat off!"

"she's just having fun, dio.. she's not hurting anyo-"

"like hell! im busy, get your little spidermonkey off of me so that i may work in peace!" he spits.

"come now, darling.. playtime with uncle dio is over now," he reasons, holding his hands out and gesturing for you to come to him. "why not sit with papa for awhile, hm?"

you whine at your father's suggestion, looking back up at dio before pulling lightly at his clothes.

"again again..."

"no you brat, im busy!"

you frown, looking up at dio with those big, shiny puppy-dog eyes, silently pleading.

"that won't work on me, brat. get off."

you blink up at him.

"don't make me repeat myself."

you blink again.

...

"..later. bother me later when i'm not working. now, off!"

at the same time that you let go, he shakes his left leg, prompting you to fall backward with an oof and a giggle.

"annoying little pest," dio mutters, but jonathan catches the light tugs at the edges of dio's lips before he promptly makes his way back to his own office, the sound of the door shutting behind him echoing throughout the hallway.

jonathan shakes his head, attention completely on you.

"are you alright, dear? here, up you go," jonathan leans down to reach you, lifting you up with ease and sitting you down on his lap.

"quite the troublemaker, aren't you. why do you wish to play with dio so bad, hm? isn't he mean?"

jonathan was genuinely curious. no matter how many times he called you names and shooed you off, you always wound up running back to him, trying to get him to play with you.

and whether it was your cute charm or your continuous insistence, dio would almost always concede at some point.

you shake your head, and with your limited speech, utter "only grumpy.. but he.. always plays" you smile.

"hmm.. he's not more fun than papa, surely?"

you blink up at your father, tilting your head at the inquiry.

"ah! you wound me. papa's definitely more fun, like this," he says, suddenly dancing his fingers across your sides, causing loud giggles to fill the room.

"pa-pa! st-oop" you cry in between giggles.

"im more fun, aren't i?" he continues.

"papa is- f-uu- fun!" you cry out, unable to stop laughing.

jonathan grins triumphantly, stopping his ministrations, opting to hold you steady instead as you catch your breath.

"i knew thats how you truly felt," he boops your nose.

"would you like to stay here with papa?"

you nod happily.

"alright then, thank you for keeping me company, little one."

the late afternoon is spent together as you watch your father sort through and fill out various documents, taking small breaks to chat or play with you or taking a stroll through the second story to stretch his legs. if you so desired, he'd read the documents out loud to you, but seeing as you'd bore of it quite quickly, he'd opt to try explaining his work to you in a way you might better understand. whatever the case, basking in each others' company was the finest way to spent such an afternoon.

-

tap tap tap tap

pitter patter pitter patter

...

tap tap tap tap

pitter patter pitter patter

...

tap tap tap

pitter patter pitter-

"stop it, danny!"

jonathan looks up from where he's seated, turning towards the sound of your voice.

"has he done something, darling?"

you look from danny (who's standing in front of you, wagging his tail and softly panting) towards your father.

"he won't stop following me, papa!"

so thats what those footsteps were...

while busying himself in the living area, he couldn't help but notice the sound of footsteps going back and forth across the shiny tile.

he must have been following you for awhile then.

he tries his best to stifle his laugh at the sight of your cute pouting face, staring down danny as he only pants at you, wagging his tail, none the wiser to your anger.

"well, what's the reason for that, huh boy?"

danny shifts his attention to jonathan at the sound of his name before looking back at you, almost expectantly.

"danny!" you whine.

thats when jonathan notices something in your hands.

"whats that, darling?"

you turn to your father, pausing for a moment before looking down at your hands to see what he's referring to.

"a snack!"

jonathan glances back at danny, still staring at you, or, more specifically the treat in your hands.

"i think ive figured out why he's following you, my dear"

your eyes widen momentarily, and jonathan is internally gushing at how cute your expression looks as it morphs from shock to realization as you look at your snack and back at danny.

you can't help but to gasp.

"papa, he's hungry!"

he lets out a laugh at this.

"well, would you like to give him a treat then, dear? he's been waiting so politely for awhile now, hasn't he?"

"yes!"

"let me go grab one then." jonathan pulls himself up from the comfy cushions, making his way into the kitchen to retrieve the dog treats from their spot in the pantry, fishing one of them out.

as you wait, you frown at how long it took you to realize the reason for danny following you around, taking another bite from your treat.

"im sorry, danny.." you speak sadly.

jonathan returns with the package of treats, danny's gaze flicking from yours to his, perking up in an instant as he taps his front paws, still seated.

"here darling, ill hold your treat while you give this to him, yes?"

you nod, holding out your snack with both hands, jonathan easily retrieving it with one and plopping the dog treat in its place.

you grip onto the treat, taking a couple of steps towards danny, and offering it to him.

"here you go, danny."

he reaches forward, closing the distance and gently but quickly snatching the treat from your hands before happily chowing down on it in front of you both.

"there, now he shouldn't be causing you anymore trouble." jonathan nods, offering your snack back to you.

you take it back with both hands, nodding before taking a big bite.

after swallowing, another realization hits you, and you're holding your treat (or the little thats left of it) out to your father.

"are you hungry too, papa? would you like any?"

his heart is struck by how thougtful you are.

"now that you mention it, i am feeling a bit peckish," he smiles. "but you can finish this one. i think papa is going to grab a couple for himself."

"i want another one, too!"

"lets go together then, yes?" before you can answer, he scoops you up into his arms, prompting a delighted laugh to ring through the room, one of his favorite sounds.

as he begins to make quick strides towards the kitchen once more, you shove the remainder of your snack into your mouth.

he finds the treats in no time, grabbing three and handing one to you before holding out his as you softly knock them together as adults would with their wine glasses.

"we'll keep this a little secret from mommy, alright? i dont think she'd like that im allowing you such a sweet treat just after lunch."

"secret!" you chime in a whisper, nodding before you both take a bite of your treats.

after you both finish and rid of the evidence, the rest of the afternoon is spent with your father in the living area as he works, busying yourself with the various children's books before you drift off in the comfort of the sofa.

the sun warms the spot in where you rest, jonathan covering your body with a thin blanket before resuming his work, keeping a watchful eye on you as the peaceful atmosphere envelops the both of you, wishing nothing more than for more and more days spent just like this.

-

"but im not sleepyyyy," you whine once again.

"come now, darling, papa has to leave soon and you need to be asleep before then."

you crossed your arms, looking away and pouting.

as you grew, so too did the hours in which you were allowed to stay up. usually, you would sleep without a fuss, or even drift off when you weren't even trying to.

jonathan was always especially grateful that you slept so well and easily. he had heard stories of other women barely managing a wink of sleep as their little ones seemed to never stop crying, and growing restless in the night even as they grew.

but ever since you were a baby, you seemed to sleep soundly for the most part, and jonathan always thanked the graces of the heavens that you never really put up a fuss.

well, until now.

he guesses he can only blame himself for this one.

to lull you to sleep, ever since you were a little baby either him or erina would sing you a lullaby while rocking you until your eyes slipped shut and you were resting in the land of dreams.

as you grew, the lullabies shifted to bedtime stories. sometimes from books or sometimes it would be stories that jonathan would recount to you yet exaggerate.

more often than not, you would fall asleep in the middle of such stories, but for the times that you would power all the way through, you would still sleep within minutes of the story finishing, dreaming up fantasy lands or adults talking business that you were none the wiser about.

which is why jonathan is so puzzled now, staring at your pouting form, wracking his brain for ways to coax you into bed.

"come on, darling, its past your bedtime by now."

you shake your head once again.

"what is it, love? talk to papa."

you sit down on your bed, arms still crossed, letting out a huff.

"not sleepy."

jonathan is supposed to leave for a business trip in just under an hour, and since erina was feeling a little exhausted that day, he had no problem tucking you into bed before having to head off, figuring he'd have more than enough time to let you rest and check over everything before taking off.

but now, almost 20 minutes has passed and there was still no progress.

he wonders why tonight of all nights was the one in which you had to put up a fight.

"please darling, you're making things very difficult for me. papa has to leave soon and i can't leave knowing you're awake."

"why do you have to go?" your voice comes out sad.

"a business trip, my darling, i won't be gone for long."

"papa is always working now."

you weren't really wrong he had to admit, but he still tried his best to make time for you and erina.

"you're always leaving us," you continue.

"you don't even have time to read to me anymore..." your voice comes out meek at that, and jonathan feels his heart break.

"that's-" true, he thinks. he really hadn't had time to read to you these days, and that was mostly left to erina or even sometimes dio of all people (though, rather than reading, he would more times than not be bickering with you until you eventually dozed off).

the thought of you feeling like you've been neglected by him for even a second almost shatters him completely.

"darling.. look at me, please."

at his soft plea, you turn your head to look at your father.

"i'm sorry papa hasn't been around as much as i want to be. after this trip, papa will have lots of freetime, so i want you to think about how you'd like to spend it, alright?"

your eyes are wide, but you still don't full trust his words.

"for tonight, how about papa reads to you before he leaves?"

you visibly perk up at the notion, trying to hide how excited you are at the thought.

still feigning your resistance, you only nod in response, picking out a nearby favorite of yours, shoving it into your fathers hands, and crawling over to the pillows to lay down properly.

jonathan gives a short laugh, moving to help you out, properly tucking you in before sitting on the nearby chair next to your bed.

he smiles at the title, opting to say nothing about how you probably know this story by heart and could confidently recite it for the both of you from start to finish, opening the thin book to the first page, and beginning to read.

not even getting halfway through the story, your eyelids begin to droop despite your best efforts to stay awake, wanting to relish in all the time with your father as you can.

noticing this, jonathan proceeds to finish the page, and noticing your mostly-asleep state, begins to close the book and set it back in its spot on the small bedside table.

before he can get up, a light knock interrupts the quiet of the bedroom before its opened by one of the maids.

"master joestar," she bows politely, taking notice of you before speaking softly. "the carriage has arrived for you."

"thank you, i will be down in just a moment" he nods.

"of course. i will begin loading your luggage for you, master," she nods again before disappearing behind the door, closing it softly behind her.

jonathan shifts his attention back to you, petting your head before placing a kiss onto your cheek.

he stands up, just about ready to make his leave when your sleepy voice stops him in his tracks.

"do you really have to go, papa?"

his eyes shift over to you once again, meeting with your sad, sleepy gaze.

he crouches down to the bed's level, words coming out softly.

"i do, darling, but papa will be back in no time at all."

"can i..." you're interrupted by a yawn. "can i go with you?"

jonathan smiles sadly, petting your head.

"not this time, darling. im sure your mother wouldn't allow it, and you'd surely be bored out of your little mind," he relays, tapping your head for emphasis before resuming his petting.

"i miss you, papa."

"it will just be for a week, darling."

"thats for forever!" you pout, puffing your cheeks out.

jonathan pokes one.

"it'll be over before you know it. and once i return, papa will have plenty of stories to tell you each night after we have fun together, alright?"

"papa?"

"yes, darling?"

you look up at him, eyes hopeful.

"will you really be able to read to me again?"

"of course, my darling. im so sorry i've been slacking, papa hasn't been very consistent with it these days, have i?"

you shake your head.

"i wont forgive you."

jonathan holds his free hand over his chest, as if your words have physically wounded him.

"is there nothing papa can do to earn his baby's forgiveness?" he softly cries, exaggerated.

you giggle, thinking for a moment before coming up with something.

"only if papa reads or tells me stories every night, and plays with me and danny in the garden."

"thats no problem at all!"

you yawn again, sinking deeper into your plush mattress.

"would you like papa to bring you something back?"

"some treats?"

"don't i always," he ruffles your hair affectionately.

another soft knock interrupts the moment, the door opening once more to reveal the same maid from before.

"your luggage has been packed, the carriage is all ready for you, master joestar," she bows.

jonathan turns his head, offering a polite smile.

"thank you, delia. i'll be on my way now."

she nods, bowing her head seeing your gaze on her before disappearing behind the door once again.

he turns back to you, looking at your droopy eyes.

"papa has to go now," he whispers. "but i'll be back soon enough, and we'll have much more time together again, alright darling?"

you offer a sleepy nod, sad yet understanding.

"okay, papa."

"sleep now, darling."

"papa?"

"yes, my darling?"

"i love you."

his heart swells.

"and i love you, my princess."

he gives you another kiss on your cheek, then your nose and head, eliciting some sleepy giggles from you.

he hugs you, and you hug him back, feeling safe and secure in his embrace.

he soon lets go, standing up and taking a step back from your bed.

he gives your head one last caress before stepping towards the door and turning the knob.

he takes one last longing look at you, seeing your breaths even out as you slip into slumber.

"sleep well, my darling."

he turns the light out, opening the door quietly before disappearing behind it, shutting it softly behind him.

he lets out a sigh, already missing you.

on his way down the stairs of the manor, he swore to himself to never make you feel neglected or the faintest bit unloved by him ever again.

the expression on your face was too much to handle once again, just the thought making his heart drop.

though, the feeling soon faded remembering your laughter and recalling your sweet words.

you really were his precious princess, and he would do anything for you if only it kept you happy.

-

a/n: i was possessed months ago to start writing this and possessed once again a couple of days ago before allowing myself to write/post anything else before it. ive been editing this for so long that my head hurts so if there's any spare typos ill end it all. i still have ideas but this is enough for now, i need to lie down.... see you soon :x i couldnt help but read the dialogue in british accents in my head every read through lmao (thats the only right way after all)

[krinsbez]

A Watership Down Meta/Headcanon/Rant

So, both @jaybutnotthebird and @stavarosthearcane have stated that, to their knowledge, I've not posted this on tumblr, and indicated that they would like to hear it, I'm posting it now!

So I don't recall if it was stated explicitly or was, like, a rumor, but everything about Gen. Woundwort makes so much more sense when you realize he's a hutch rabbit.

Why is he so enormous? Cuz he was bred to be big and fluffy, was fed flayrah everyday, and was taken to the vet if he got sick.

Why is he so afraid of humans? Because they were the first elil he ever encountered.

Why is everything he does in complete opposition to proper lapine culture and behavior? Because he grew up not knowing anything about it.

Efrafa is, in essence, an attempt to make a warren into a hutch.

OK got that? So, here's another thing to think about. Cowslip's Warren, or Strawberry's Warren, or the Warden of the Shining Wire, or whatever you want to call it...they also completely disregard traditional Lapine culture and behavior; they don't tell stories of El-ahrairah, they make weird poetry about the inevitability of death, they keep babbling about dignity, they make ART, etc. This, by the way, is why it and Efrafa come off as so viscerally wrong, because Mr. Adams went to the trouble of putting us in a rabbit headspace, so we can understand the full horror; it's not just Woundwort's tyranny or the farmer's snares, it's that they're unnatural and rabbits aren't meant to live that way.

Now, I know what you're thinking when I say that word, "unnatural", but put down the pitchfork.

Because Hazel and Co. do a LOT of things that is outside the realm of typical rabbit behavior:

Despite being Chief Rabbit, Hazel let's the others argue with and talk back to him.

They made friends with mice and a bird.

He adopted Cowslip's Warren's idea of using tree roots to create a big central chamber

Tales (the sequel short story collection) has them adopt a (obvs. less aggro) version of the Efrafan practice of having the Owsla run patrols

They busted out hutch rabbits.

They used a boat

Meanwhile, Sandleford, the Warren that our heroes fled, was apparently the epitome of a traditional Warren and of course they all died horribly.

So, what's the difference?

It goes back to the last lines of the first myth, part of which was used as the first animated film adaptation's tagline:

“All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.”

(I bolded the important part)

Sandleford's Chief Rabbit (EDIT: The Threarah) decided he liked things as they were and refused to change, and his people died. Cowslip and Co. allow themselves to be farmed and treat death as an inevitability, and they're slowly going mad and dying one by one. Gen. Woundwort teaches his Owsla to respond to every situation by fighting, and they break and flee when the unexpected happens. The ordinary rabbits of Efrafa are forced to live like hutch rabbits and they're miserable and not having babies.

Hazel does weird stuff…but he does so because he's in a weird situation and has to adapt. He listens to the other's concerns and ideas, he keeps an open mind, he figures out what resources are available to him, and then figures out how he can use them to protect his people.

In short? Unlike Woundwort, Cowslip & Co., or the unnamed Chief Rabbit of Sandleford EDIT: The Threarah, he is cunning and full of tricks.

(I think one of the reasons the BBC miniseries from a few years back didn't hit right is that they failed to get this)

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED Talk

[kibutsulove]

hi!

I found your blog not long ago and you got me obsessed with fire lady ilah and the fire nation royalty family tree.

I wanted to know, and sorry if it's already been asked or if it's a question you'd rather not answer, but what made you so attached to Ilah and Azulon in particular?

I think in the show, they only refer to Ilah by name, unless I'm mistaken. Is there another source about Ilah, like a comic or fanmade content that inspired you? Or did something else get you interested in that topic?

Cheers!

two Ilah centered asks in one MONTH im so excited

In the show, yes, they only refer to ilah by name and never explicitly show her. even in the comics, books, and rpgs, she’s never been given a canon appearance, which can get a little weird whenever you look at a family tree of the fn royals and see azulon as the sole parent of ozai and iroh like he preformed mitosis or something CUZ THEY FORGET ABOIT HER

there’s also few fanon content surrounding her BUT!! THERE ARE REALLY AMAZING ARTWORKS OF HER!!! like @/thebxghag’s and @/trashfactorysstuff’s. And their designs are obv different from mine cuz she’s constructed from headcanons

but for ilah and azulon in general and why im so interested in them, i think its cuz just they dont. have a lot of canon to them. and i can just do whatever the fuck I want with them? i suppose? I also just have a habit of latching onto obscure and niche characters that even the creators dgaf about.

Azulon is genuinely interesting to me though. as seen here in this snippet (which was written before Azula in the spirit temple) from my google doc titled “azulon”

as you can see I’m very content with his lack of content but I think he deserves so much more than he’s got cuz he literally ruled for seventy five (75!!!) years (in war time dare i add) and that’s practically seventy five years that’s gone unaccounted for. in the ashes of the academy, it’s clear that the writers want to establish the fact that the fire nation isn’t going to gloss over its history (unlike one of its irl counterparts (japan)) but they, the writers, can’t really do that effectively for the readers given that we don’t really exactly know what the fuck happened between sozin and ozai’s reign. we have a faint idea, but we don’t know the specific details

[archivedjuice]

Thanks for the rec list! If I have the brainspace while doing college work, I'll have a look :)

Unsure if you're interested in any sort of chatter about the show (critical perspetive obv) as I know it'd just be tiring to get bogged down in complaints? If that's so, instead of starting that conversation, is there anything about any of the comics you'd want to spotlight? I've seen a couple characters I'm unfamiliar with that I'm curious about.

i'm going to be so for real i do not remember much about the show anymore; i recently got into supernatural which has fifteen seasons, 20+ books, an anime, and a lot of behind the scenes and crew content so the show's been almost entirely pushed out of my head minus how it directly affects the comics, to make room for the new interest as well as what i'm still interested in re: comics. if i talk about daredevil it's entirely from the perspective of the comics, a limited perspective at that because ive been fixated on a character with like fifty issues for almost two years.

but YES okay. i'm mainly spotlighting characters here since i mentioned mike murdock in my last post, but i'm named after sam chung aka blindspot, who is soule's original character who first appeared in his v5 run (2017). my mutual @faacethefacts is quite literally sam chung central and my favourite interpretation of his character exists in their psyche.

jumping all the way back to v1, something i remember really enjoying were the reoccurring background characters in ann nocenti's run; @murdockmeta and i were talking about it the other day and he said, "nocenti's characterization feels so authentic [...] nocenti reminds the reader that karen and foggy and the people of hell's kitchen are just as important to matt as his internal struggles. it makes him feel much more human rather than just a dichotomy [relating to miller]."

all of david mack's runs changed my perspective of comics as an art form which was a pretty low bar to reach as a first-time comic reader (who had only read post-mcu stuff) but that made his stuff all the more important to me. his character maya lopez aka echo recently got a live action adaption and while i thought it was promising that disney finally reached their own lowest fucking bar and starred a deaf actress in a show about a deaf character, i've found that disney's interpretation of echo's abilities horribly and purposely misunderstands her character and her identity as keetoowah. they tied her abilities to her native american identity, which is something mack explicitly did not do when writing her character; her abilities are her aid as a deaf person !! they're part of her conflict as a weapon !! her cherokee identity should be a fact about her, explored but not tied to the mysticism of that fictional world !! either way, do not watch the show, read the comics <3

god okay. bendis introduces a lot of his own ocs because that's kind of his thing but my favourites were milla donovan and agent del toro. they fell into the wrong hands after he stopped writing for daredevil—milla was fridged (if you know how to look at it, it can be a really good tragedy) and they whitewashed del toro in their racist the hand plotline—but their existence was super important to me and i'm just terribly fond of them :') matt's relationship with ben urich throughout v2 is also something i hold close to my heart because 1) bendis specifically does really well with writing relationships and people, and the nuance of it intrigues me; i could write meta about it if i got back into writing comic meta again, and 2) that's the last we see of them until the most recent run (word-of-mouth, btw. i haven't read v8 yet).

KIRSTEN IS MY GIRL!! she's like so important to me. i'm imprinted on her. if i was on tumblr in 2012, and she as a character existed, i'd fight tooth and nail to have her on my kin list and make sure no one else did. she unfortunately succumbed to the whitewashing demon of daredevil past but that's okay because to me, she is living her best life after [v5 spoilers tbh].

my relationship with elektra can simply be described as that of something akin to a strike. i refuse to read anything of modern daredevil if she's in the title. she has her own fucking title !! we're regressing and it makes me feel a little bit more insane every time i remember that zdarsky stuffed her into the daredevil suit and gave her ableist and infantilising lines for matt. either way i implore you to read nothing about her in the daredevil title past 2018 and to make sure you check out her actual title. amen.

also, simply, matt and foggy's relationship. and not so simply, i miss you karen you deserved better.

[lucifers-horror-harem]

Hi I've been following you for some time and feel like you might be a safe person to ask your opinion about this. I'm no stranger to slasher 🍆 Michael Myers is my main big boy but I'm sort of new to monster 🍆ing. I opened up to a supposed friend about my new found liking of werewolves and she called me a freak and disgusting because to her it's b3astiality. She got into my head and I truly believe that I'm a nasty individual. Honestly I don't know what I'm expecting bringing this up idk have you ever experienced someone acting that way towards you? How did you handle it or how would you handle it? I can't move past the shame I feel 😕

Hey anon! First of all, I'm sorry your friend made you feel that way, while I don't know you guys personally it sounds kind of shitty of them to rail on you so hard about something like this. Second of all, I hope you don't mind it took me a bit to answer, I had work and was also mulling over how to respond. Plus it makes me feel happy you came to me about this so I wanted to give you a good answer.

While I personally haven't had an experience like yours with my friends, I've dealt with some backlash or people kink shaming about monster fucking in general. I think it's one of those things I don't explain in detail a lot because most people here are pretty understanding of the concept of monster fucking but. I'll give my thoughts.

One of the main reasons that sets monster fucking apart from something like beastiality is explicit consent from the monster. There was a post that used to float around and idk where it is, but if one of my followers knows the post and shares I'd be grateful. But that post talked about how with monster fucking, you're fucking a monster that 1. Can understand you, 2. You can understand it, and 3. You can both give mutual consent. (Dark fics/noncon/dub con fics being exceptions to the rules obvs). So if you're with a werewolf for example, depending on what variety of werewolf, they're a person that transforms and can therefore give consent, whether prior to transforming, or if they're capable of speech as a werewolf and can consent then. This goes for pretty much any other monster.

Beastiality or any of those zoophile people get off explicitly on harming a creature that cannot fight back or consent. That is NOT what monster fucking is. And it upsets me that your friend just railroaded you about this sort of thing. Because there are real people who are cruel to real life animals. And monster fuckers aren't it. Besides, there have been monster fuckers around in all sorts of media, its just that no one calls them monster fuckers explicitly. Until like, recently. Plenty of beauty and the beast type scenarios occur in media.

So, hopefully this isn't a huge ramble, but this topic always bugs me and I'm so sorry you had to be made to feel guilty or that you were gross for your kinks. Monster fucker spaces are all very kind and warm and understand each other so we've got your back dude 💜🫂

[youremyheaven]

https://www.tumblr.com/youremyheaven/758348325724585984/princess-here-and-i-have-a-7th-and-8th-house

Not the same person obv but I have moon 7H atmk so I’ll just say my experience

I spend a lot of time thinking about my friends, although it’s hard to tell what the normal amount is bc I can only speak for myself. I’m not someone who comes off as really relationship dependent and I wouldn’t say I’m a doormat or anything like that, but I am quite emotionally invested in my friends/peers. Everything I see reminds me of someone I know and I’m the type to message them about it even if we haven’t spoken in a long time.

Something I have in common with my cap moon 7H bestie is that we spend a LOT of time on Instagram/tumblr/discord/etc talking to people. We used to joke about how she literally didn’t have any hobbies aside texting her friends 😭

If you haven’t already noticed🤪 I also spend a lot of time talking to people online partially because I struggle to do things without guidance. At school I was always that person who would ask their friends for help with homework because I needed to have stuff reexplained to me personally before I understood. As a result, if I’m in a situation where I’m not close with anyone I can have a really hard time. A lot of the time it’s just awkward to not have someone to confide in, but it’s also has been really detrimental to my mental health in the past. Idk if that’s a 7H thing or I’m just a dumbass though😭

Although I will say that we have the ability to have a very varied social group since we are very adaptive to the people around us. Usually not in a massive social group (which I think is more 11H territory) but moreso besties from many different places we’ve picked up along the way. One-on-one relationships are wayyy more important than what the general masses think or other non-social stuff like career ambitions. Kind of like being people oriented without being that society oriented? (Unless there are other 11H placements) I mean society in terms of people your age in your area rather than humanitarian stuff btw

We’re also the type to be really subconsciously influenced by our friends, which I guess applies to everyone to an extent but the idea of “you are who you surround yourself with” does make me think of 7Hers more than anyone else.

I think when they get into relationships (writing this message has made me realise the shear amount of 7H moons I know) they are very devoted even if they’re otherwise a casual non-clingy person. I have a Uttaraashada sun, Purvaashada moon, Ardra asc friend who was always more of a casual independent person who could have sex without getting attached, but now she has a bf, she spends most of her time with him and it’s clear that she’s very caring towards him, even if she doesn’t explicitly say it to us. She even wears a necklace with his initial on it everyday😭 (she’s way out of his league too but that’s a story for another time)

As for 8Hers, I’m not one myself but all the ones I’ve come across are really intense. A lot of them suffer from substance abuse, depression and/or have experienced some weird sexual stuff (I made an ask ageeesss ago talking about my hasta 8H friend who slept with her teacher at 17~18 and was groomed at a young age on a separate occasion- just to name a couple of the things she’s been through). Obv not every 8Her is going to be such an extreme case esp if they don’t have nodal influence, but universally I feel like these people def go through it on some level. Who knows maybe arm guy is hiding some serious lore👀

Omg girlie tysm for sending this ask, it's been very illuminating 😳😳😳😳

I know he's obsessed with his friends 😮‍💨 there's like 10 of them who he grew up with and they're all extremely close and whenever I'm with him, his phone is blowing up with messages from like 20 different group chats 😭 but he's also a complete social butterfly and has like 12 different friend groups 😮‍💨 from completely different areas of life (he has apartment friends, as in, they all live in the same apartment complex and party together??? 😭 granted that he lives in a bougie apartment and this is probably just how moneyed people operate but when I heard it, I was kinda shook, like here's a 24yr old guy hanging out with a bunch of people in their late 20s, 30s and older and just having a good time??) I love how resourceful it makes him because he just always knows who to call and is one of those guys who always knows a guy 👀 but like his schedule is jam packed with people 😩

The worst part is that he's extremely likeable as a person and very popular. No matter the context (like living in an apartment, going to school etc) he's always very well liked by absolutely everyone from teachers to peers. I always thought I was likeable and popular 🤪and then I met him and realised he's on another level 😭😮‍💨

The necklace detail is so cute 🥺🫶🏻

The 8housers ik are also very intense 😵‍💫which is why I feel like I don't know arm guy well enough yet because he's such a laid back chilled out dude with me but I know he carries himself differently with others. I do feel like he's hiding parts of himself 😳 and I know it'll take me a loooong time to fully comprehend what it is 😳 but it doesn't give me fcked up vibes just yet 🏃🏻‍♀️

🤞🏻 hopefully everything will be fine 😭

[demonicintegrity]

Got around to watching the new Helluva Boss and I’m pleasantly surprised at the turn around. Season two has had a wild flux in writing quality imo but I think this episode is arguably one of the strongest ones yet (outta both seasons.)

It also seems to be the longest episode so far, surprising considering it’s not a finale, but they make good use of the time.

Honestly a lot of the episode reminds me of how season one was set up. With a center clearly around Blitzø but still checking up on Stolas. And it’s very episodic and self contained again, which is great because that appears to be the crew’s strong spot.

Speaking of which, this is the first we’ve seen of Stolas since s2e4. I’m surprised it took until e6 of this season to circle back to him, but at least we’re not ignoring him. I personally would’ve at least teased how Stolas was doing after such a big blow, especially considering how the s2 is set up to be extremely focused on him and Blitzø’s relationship, but this works well too.

It works because we’re getting a little insight on Stolas’ frame of mind without causing pacing issues. He’s clearly recovered but focused on getting Blitzø out of his life again. He’s trying to distance himself from Blitzø still. Likely still in that “this was never going to work he doesn’t deserve to be tied to me” type mindset after the season opening.

But we see him briefly really appreciate what Ozzie and Fizz have. He seems genuinely happy for them, and likely is because Stolas has always been a hopeless romantic and a decent person despite things.

Speaking of Fizz, delightfully surprised out how his character is. I didn’t go in with anything specific in mind for him besides knowing he genuinely loved Ozzie but we have a really rounded out character with depth in a very short amount of time. I genuinely like his character.

(And someone’s made a separate post on this, but how Fizzy’s disability is treated is both done well and a bit of fresh air from the usual rep we see. He never denies that being disabled pained him greatly, but the tragedy in his past isn’t being disabled but being betrayed and heartbroken. Nor is he helpless because of it or overpowered because of his prosthetics. It’s not explicitly ignored I think the crew handled this really really well.)

But along with his character, my biggest interest is in how Fizz is now set up to be a foil to Blitzo. Like it's pretty obvs what he and Ozzie has is meant to parallel what Stolas/Blitzo could or even want to have. (Which in turn could mean Stolas/Blitzo is the kinda reputation Ozzie/Blitzo were trying so hard to avoid. A weird power dynamic and piss poor communication on top of the general perception those two have from outsiders.) They're in very similar boats but how each character addresses it that makes the circumstances so different.

And I think we have something really interesting being set up between Fizz and Blitzo. Both of them got enough closure for Fizz to genuinely want to let go some of the grudge. And I think theyre are some options on where to go with them, cuz I doubt this is the end of Fizz we're seeing.

I could see Fizz getting bored one day and reaching out in curiosity to see whats become of Blitz. Maybe the two can piece together the more correct timeline of events of the old circus since the fire. I can also see a potential plotline of Fizz getting I.M.P to be his bodyguards if he has to go out again for this or that reason.

I would also love more Ozzie and Stolas interacting. It would be good for Stolas to have Literally Just A Singular Friend. Cuz he doesnt seem to have any, and Ozzie doesn't seem to have anything personal against Stolas. He could probably be a good rational neutral voice for Stolas to bounce off of. He also just needs a friend if he ever wants a hope of his mental health improving. He seems to be trying to improve himself, but thats also the kinda thing you need a support system for.

Overall, I like this episode. The pacing and story itself was contained nicely and was a good watch. The humor stuck. And we have great leads to pick back up on later.

[mentally-retired]

I used to have another transmasc friend who was also in then COD fandom. I support all fandom havers and whatever they choose to be in a fandom of (to an extent obv) but I do have to ask about why the COD fandom? Cause like,, I understand why this guy enjoyed the COD fandom (he liked it bc of the lore of traumatized gruff men, and the idea of them having a soft side and supporting one another in fanon), but realistically if he were to join a COD lobby, he’d instantly be called so many slurs.

As much as the source material isn’t problematic at all, I’ve seen a huge divide in how the COD fandom, vs COD players engage with the source material, and as an outsider it confuses me so much.

So anywho, long story short ig, how do you, as a queer transmasc person, find your place within this very subversive fanbase, and do you feel like there’s a large transmasc community that gravitates towards this fandom? If so, how come/what are the factors abt this fandom that would make it appealing to someone who’s trans?

Hope this question made sense, not sure if it did, or if I was too all over the place. But anywho, have a lovely day!! :]

well i dont even have access to xbox live so i only play the campaign, theres lots of canon queer characters, lots of queers voice actors, and lots of vas who encourage you to see their character as queer or straight up say their character is queer.

and for me at least, i mainly use Tumblr and tiktok and that is explicitly queer and/or cod thirst content

and our part of the fandom is expanding and ive been seeing a lot of the (newer at least) cod vas very encouraging of it and really happy to see this side of the fan base

as someone whos trans masc idk i guess i can easily see a lot of the characters as trans masc, theres also plenty of women you could see as transfem and theres no transphobia in game so theres that

while theres a shit side to the fandom full of cishet 14 yr old boys who think saying slurs makes up humour, its not just that

and idk i mean i like it for the attractive people in the game cus im a bisexual mess so i may not also be the best to ask /hj

but still i hope this helped and i hope this was confusing as im very bad at making points like this make sense</3

[mr-aftons-rotting-pussy]

Hi I'm a new follower here! There's something I'm curious about and wanted to ask you if you don't mind. Can you tell me a little about your Fnaf au story and how you interpret the characters (especially William Afton), is there anything that inspires you?

HELLO !! :3 i dont mind at all. okay so. i have multiple fnaf aus actually jghkhcgj, ive started just tagging certain stuff vaguely cause i have a very fuck around until i find smth i like kinda process to making aus n such lol 🙈 so its more like. a collection of scenarios and storylines and themes...... etc........ teehee<3

ANYWAYS most of my more circulated ideas n stuff rn tho r more focused on moments and such we DONT see in canon but still within like the Known timeline somewhat. even if the lines get blurred severely, and ofc adding my own flair in certain places as well i giggle<3

some of the more concrete concepts i have tho r the Rabbit Demon, sort of inspired by ITP and also im a SUCKER for tangible representations of characters inner conflicts and what have you 🙏 the demon in this case follows william as hes haunted by it, its not a one to one of any particular ghost its more of like an entity manifested by his Evil Deeds lol. it doesnt just haunt william tho Vanessa has her own(also should be known my Vanessa is more movie leaning than games leaning, movie vanessa is more interesting to ponder for me personally:3c) as well as it hangs over the aftons in general. and in a way The Rabbit as seen in ITP explicitly is also technically a part of this but shes also like. her own phenomenon too lol as she operates a little differently.......

the entity doesnt hurt any of them physically its more psychological, kind of like a divine punishment. and the way it hangs over the family is representative of how williams misdeeds seeps over into others and how his actions effect people even in subtler ways other than just his victims. Vanessa and Michael are the Most affected by the haunting other than William himself, as they are the people most directly influenced by his actions with them carrying out his will in some way(see sister location for Michael and fnaf movie for Vanessa) the Bunny Call if you will 😏 *i am promptly booed offstage*

theres also a bit more i could say about it but its mostly like Visual Representation kinda stuff, like the specifics of the haunting r supposed to be seen rather than explained :3c (coughs in guy who draws LMAO) BUT ANYWAYS, i really really do enjoy personifying Concepts like thia ESPECIALLYYYY in horror settings<333 monsters who r embodiments of themes n shit my beloveddddd teehee i giggle and kick my paws<33333 a lot of my insp for this tho visually comes from @/scope_wad's Family Comes First <333 it had such a profound effect on me i still think about it on the daily. as well as sum other more vague/general inspirations(i am also a huge fan of abstract and meaningful visuals, which manifest themselves greatly in the... hallucination episodes william n the others have<3) but i digress🥹,,,

Another big one is the weird Industrial Horror Pit<333 its supposed to be like sort of... limbo-ish place. if UCN is purgatory then this place is something much more.... barren. a place Between the in-between. William usually resides here when his soul isnt being tormented in UCN but also isnt tethered to something in the real world(ie springtrap r smth). visually this place takes a LOT of inspiration from tsutomu nihei's work, specifically his architectural/environmental landscapes in Blame!

but obv with a more..... general fnaf look yknow lol..... think of sister location specifically again too teehee<33 🤭 very nonsensical..... otherworldly place, this is not where living beings reside.... this place was not made with Humanity in mind.....etc etc... i giggle and blush all cute like😁😁😁

ik theres more but i cant think of anything else Of Note at the moment.... :P you can literally ask me anything tho if you have more questions/smth more specific ill gladly talk about it i think about Everything all of the time always forever okayyyy okay<33 heart<33

How in interpret williammmmm ermmm!!! my Will actually sticks pretty closely to the games canon(specifically the first. however many games pizzeria simulator is LOL) hes sillayyyy 2 me, the games will always come first in my mind ive been a fan since the first came out<33

you can peruse my William Afton tag tho #willie fnafton for more of my mini-essays n thoughts n whatever about him i CANNOT relay everything properly in this little ask im sorry😭

i typically dont stray too far from his canon characterization, i do like to put him in situations tho Obv so like..... any changes made to his character via character growth moments n the likes r very much informed by the text<33 im Not a fanon liker guy in the slightest LOL 👎👎👎👎 i loveeee canon and. informed character analysis and Evidence<33333 😁💖 HVFjbefbfv

and lastly my general inspirations vary greatly, im always inspired by the things i like<33 typically im into darker, gritty, bloody n gorey, and just plain Weird art :3c ive already mentioned Blame! and tsutomu nihei, im a HUGE HUGE MASSIVE FAN OF SCOTT CAWTHONS ARTWORKS naturally(🥹) and manyyy many more that i cannot possibly name all of em rn hsjsbjd, im constantly looking at new(relative to me lol) and interesting arte so rest assured my internal catalogue is Vast💖💖

[summ3rhead]

was traipsing through ao3 today and marking for later a bunch of wn fics so i could close some tabs and noticed you did the wings of fire au and the 1930s au and first of all been loving both of them immensely

on wings of fire, day is often made a lot better by seeing that there’s a new wings of fire au update, second i really love how you write all the characters and their dynamics, esp beatrice & camila i’d say

something about how you write them both as individuals and their dynamics w others is so refreshing

on the 1930s au, i think it’s definitely one of the most interesting, refreshingly intriguing fics i’ve seen in a while, ava landscaper & novelist beatrice is 👀, esp since i feel like a lot of fics would’ve had them be the inverse (which obv there’s nothing wrong w that but a person just craves change once in a while)

the idea of novellist!beatrice has my whole fucking heart, i love the mental image of her being a broody lil writer. michael’s schrodinger mustache had me vv amused every time it was mentioned and also masc beatrice!!!! always love when beatrice is explicitly masc in fics, it’s just so 🫶🫶🫶🫶

lastly, and clearly the most important aspect, beatrice having a lil dog!!!! beatrice and her dog jonty!!!! beatrice w a dog is often always galaxy tier imo, but especially in this situation w the dog being named jonty, if i were ava i would’ve fallen in love the instant i found out beatrice named her dog jonty

broody writer beatrice & her dog jonty, it’s just too perfect to fit into words, it’s so adorable

speaking of which, do you view beatrice as generally being a dog person? me personally, while i agree that yeah, beatrice has cat energy, as people say, and while the preference between cats & dogs (or other animals) is minimal, she’s absolutely a bit more a dog person more than anything else, probably because of her cat energy personality

feel that it’s similar w ava, ava has dog energy (but not golden retriever energy ((not fully anyway))), but she’s an absolute cat person, because of her dog energy

First of all, THANK YOUUUUUUU oh my heart <333 I'm beyond grateful that you're liking both of those fics!!

Making Bea explicitly masc in my 30s AU was my TOP priority, I couldn't have her walking around in skirts and dresses. I simply Could Not. and honestly, though I do take into account fanon and stuff, mostly I'm writing from off the top of my dome!

I didn't think about how they could have been written inversely! I just think Bea fits being a novelist in the 30s, I'm following popular fandom since I want her to be a sci-fi writer, and Ava being a landscaper worked with how I wanted to portray her, and tbh I don't even remember where I got that idea from... I could have made Ava be anything,,, but I wanted her to be a bit all over the place, a bit ramshackle and messy, constantly covered in dirt. I didn't want to make her too close to what Jillian and Michael are like in the fic.

speaking of Michael,,, oh I have plans for him and it's going to be hilarious. Sneak peek: There'll be a bit of a frenemies thing going on with Michael and Bea.

When I was discussing dog names with my sister we kept coming back to Jonty because it made both of us laugh so hard so I'm glad you're liking it too haha !!

I love writing broody Bea, bcos underneath it all you know she's a softie, particularly through the way she cares for Jonty etc. And how she'll interact with Lilith etc in the coming chapters.

Idk about Bea being a dog person. I just think she's an animal person. I can see her in the 30s AU growing up with animals all around her. Like, that's the way her upper-class parents showed love-- through spending money on her. All the right lessons-- French, Latin, German etc. (Dancing and music lessons too). She probably had a few spaniels, cats, and maybe even a falcon as a child. And that's what kept her company in her childhood-- her books and her animals. But I agree with you about their energies. Absolutely Ava has dog energy and that's why she's gonna be BFFs with Jonty. Dogs just know these things.

Thank you for this ask! It made my day. I've been struggling a bit with the next chapter of the 30s AU since my wings of desire AU is taking up so much brain space atm, but you've inspired me to keep going so thank you <3333 I'll try my best to get an update on that this week or next :)

[curseof-thefold]

I often see this thing where someone, usually an arospec person, would say something among the lines of "shipping culture has ruined fandom" and then a bunch of people come out fueled by pure outrage yelling and screeching about how the first person is sad and stupid and doesn't let anyone have fun

Both camps make some fundamental mistakes

On the shipper side. They are seemingly incapable to realise that shipping did ruin fandom for a lot of people, and there are many reasons. The shipping wars are one but it's not the end. Some fandoms have huge shipping communities that basically take over the entire community, with little gen content going around. Shipping communities have also been well known for their aphobia and aspecs are often attacked for their headcanons, platonic ships and even just talking about canon or heavily implied aspec characters, all for the sake of shipping. All of this isolated a lot of aspec fans, "they should go to another part of the fandom", which one, the collector, dudebro, powerscaling, theory side? There are some lovely people there but I hope it's obv why many queer people are uncomfortable in such spaces. Also, depending on the fandom, there might be no other side

Another thing on this side I hate is aspec shippers who get uselessly outraged like "well, I AM aspec and I love shipping so I think you just suck and use your identity to attack people and are also homophobic", again, seemingly incapable to realise that some people are genuinely uncomfortable with shipping

On the other side of this weird "fight" so to say, I think that the trend of trying to do activism through fandom has made people way more likely to spin their personal discomfort into some kind of overarching issue instead of a personal ick. It shouldn't be like this. You don't need a smart big brain moral reason to dislike something, you can just not like it. You can say "shipping has ruined MY fandom experience", you can be explicitly subjective, it's fine

Also, the reason why shippers get so defensive is not necessarily malicious or even unreasonable. It's because this kind of statements align with similar ones from homophobes in fandoms trying to accuse queer shippers of all kinds of things just because they hate queers and queer content. Even if the original person is queer themselves and did not mean it that way, it can be interpreted that way by people who have been attacked by such people in the past

And lastly, shipping can't ruin fandom, and that's because, arguably, modern fandom has been built partially on the backs of the people who just wanted to write gay porn of their faves

In conclusion

Respect people's icks

Queer people are not a monolith

Some people just genuinely dislike things and that's not an attack towards those who like those things

Be understanding and reasonable

Be nice to aspec fans

Be careful with your words

Don't make broad statements unless you are ready to back them up

[scandalsavagefanfic]

Hello! I am a huge fan of ur writing. I've loved everything I've read of yours. I've read alot of what you've posted, except for a couple of the tags that are squicky for me (so I'm very thankful you tag very thoroughly). No judgement for the squick, it's just not for me. & when I'm having a bad day, I usually just go thru ur ao3 and find something to reread. I think about Therapy's Bruce & Jason every damn day. While I obvs appreciate ur darker more "problematic" content (I really vibe with some of the themes you write about bc of my own trauma, & so it's very cathartic to read about in a fictional setting), I am truly a sucker for ur more happy content. The Happily Ever After verse also lives in my head rent free. Idk more wholesome stuff just seems more special when you write it. Anyways. I would die for you. But the point of this ask is cause I'm curious as to why you don't like Urban Legends? I'm sorry if you already talked about it here or on twitter and I missed it. I was just wondering because I really enjoy your take on things and would love to hear why you dislike it. I've been enjoying it so far personally, but I am always open to DC comics criticism.

Aw thank you so much! I'm so flattered by everything you just said. You're so sweet ❤❤❤❤❤

I haven't talked about Urban Legends here or twitter (I haven't been very active in either place lately. Just a lot going on and no energy 😔) but I'm happy to do it here.

Before I start though, I just want to add a standard disclaimer and make it clear that if you like it, there's nothing wrong with that and you don't have to let me ruin it for you lol. Like what you like.

That said, since you asked...

I said this when I was talking about it on discord, that there is a difference between hope and expectation. I always hope that a new story centered on Jason (or anyone really, but things have been especially egregious for Jay for 15 years) will be good or at least treat the character with a minimal level of respect (to be honest, the bar is super fucking low). But my expectations always temper my hope, to keep it from getting unrealistic. Because my expectations are based on experience.

The long history of Jason Todd, since even before his resurrection, has been one of retroactively trying to make him "a bad seed" in order to absolve Bruce of any responsibility in his death.

I don't even expect DC or their writers to start honoring the fact that Jason was not an angry, reckless Robin (and less of the later than Dick or Tim and definitely Damian). There plenty of ways that retcon can be folded into his history and be compelling and sympathetic. And if they're going to stick with that retcon, I'm only asking that they do it in one of those compelling and sympathetic ways because Jason was 15 when he died, heroically, in one of the most selfless acts in comics, to save a woman who literally handed him over to be brutally murdered. He was 12 when Bruce plucked him off the streets, he'd been homeless and fending for himself for at least two years. I personally think that Jason's story hits harder for him and Bruce if their original, canon relationship, of Jason as starry-eyed and eager to learn and absolutely devoted to Bruce and Bruce to Jason, is preserved. But Jason's origins does leave room for a meaningful interpretation of him as angry and frustrated at the lack of meaningful results of Bruce's methods.

And that's really where my irritation at stories like Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer and Batman The Adventure Continues has it's roots.

Every time one of these stories comes out, I think (or hope, rather) that this will be the one that remembers and respects the origins of the Jason and the Red Hood, that takes into account the changed sensibilities of comics readers in the 30 years since Jason's death and the subtle, 20 year, retroactive campaign to make him the "bad Robin". The "born bad" trope is played out and literally no one likes the message it implies. That some kids are just bad eggs and there's nothing parents or the adults around them can do. Especially when it's played as the kid's fault. If Jason's time as Robin is going to be characterized by anger, then it should be rooted in anger at the social injustices he witnessed as he grew up in an impoverished, crime-ridden, area and the horrors he faced raising himself when every day was a battle for survival. There are topical, meaningful, stories to tell with that backdrop.

But those are never the stories we get.

⚠⚠ Spoilers for Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer ⚠⚠

I'm particularly disappointed in Urban Legends because for the first issue, it looked like that was the kind of story we were going to get. I was put off by the first flashback of Jason being mesmerized by Bruce's guns, and I got that feeling in my gut that it was a bad sign. Jason depicted as impatient and overconfident and the scene with the guns is heavy-handed foreshadowing that got my spidey-sense tingling. I had a inkling then (in the first three pages) of how this story was going to play out, but it was early and I could still see many narrative paths that could lead to a satisfying story. My concerns were soothed somewhat and the little flame of my hope fanned, with the flashback of Alfred scolding Bruce, with Barbara's concern for Jason. A bit of worry returned with the way Jason ruthlessly pursued an addict who didn't appear to be a dealer and with the ending of the issue. The stuff with the addict sat wrong with me but the ending was tempered some by how despicable Tyler's dad was written. The scene was clearly set so that the reader could sympathize with Jason's decision and the scene with the addict could be brushed aside as a side-effect of comics over-the-top need for constant action, so I still held hope.

Issue 2 made me uncomfortable and it's where my hope starts to take a backseat to my expectations. I can dismiss Jason's self-deprecating internal monologue as unreliable narration, except that the flashback reinforces his thought process to explicitly show that it's not unreliable narration, and should be taken at face value. Jason faces physical abuse at the hands of his mother's drug dealer and when the flashback continues later, Jason kills the drug dealer. To be clear, this is a pre-Bruce Jason. His mom is still alive. He's like... 10. He kills this guy for shoving his head into a wall and implying Jason's mother paid for her drugs with sex. This is a scene that serves a single purpose. To show that Jason has always been prone to violence.

In the spirit of full disclosure, there is the small chance the drug dealer might not be dead. But the story obviously wants the reader to think he is, and it hasn't done anything to change that yet.

Starlin already did this story with The Diplomat’s Son in 1988 and he did it infinitely better. AND that’s still technically canon. So now I’m supposed to believe that Jason lost his cool bad enough to kill two douche bags before his sweet 16? Like it’s totally normal for abused kids raised in poverty, who’ve led hard and heartbreaking lives to just... haul off and kill people? That’s bullshit, and when taken with the Jason in the third issue, who is little more than an idiot thug, this story is really doubling down on some fucked up stereotypes.

Which brings us to the most recent issue. I went into this installment with very low expectations. I thought this story was going to be about Jason, through this experience with Tyler, a young boy with a similar background to Jason's, coming to the realization that Bruce's way is the best way and that Bruce did his best by Jason.

That would be annoying (in no small part because it takes increasingly absurd levels of plot armor to keep Bruce's no kill rule relevant, let alone irrefutably right). But I can probably live with that, if only because maybe if Jason officially falls back into line with the Bats crusade, maybe I'll get stories that treat him with respect, stories that don't relegate him to comic relief, dumb brute, or a background body with no lines in a story about the Joker burning Gotham (like Jason would just fucking stand there quietly for that).

And that may still be where the story is going, Jason realizing Bruce is right.

But holy shit do I not have the right words to describe how fucking insulting and gross issue three is.

From start to finish--including the flashback--Jason is written as cruel and fucking stupid. Like straight up dumb.

The entire issue is Bruce explaining the fucking basics to Jason like it's his first day. And Jason flies off the fucking handle and terrorizes a doctor he knows isn't a part of making the Cheerdrops, beats the shit out of some random addicts, and finally, when he can't accomplish anything on his own because he's a dumb brute he calls Barbara for help and rushes in with no information where he's promptly incapacitated and must now wait to be rescued by Batman.

This panel is the least of the issues sins but I can’t screenshot the entire story but it’s representative of the tone for the whole issue (and retroactively tainted the prior two issues).

This is beyond insulting. The only conclusions Jason comes to in this issue are the ones Bruce leads him to by talking to him like he can’t make the simplest connections. And like... in this story Jason can’t make the simplest connections.

This (and the Jason throughout the entirety of this issue) is a far cry from the Jason we fell in love with in Under the Red Hood, who was competent and strategic and intelligent enough to seize control of Gotham’s underworld from Black Mask (who’s no fucking slouch, he’s the first and only person to unify organized crime in Gotham) AND elude and manipulate Bruce until the time and place of his choosing.

This is a far cry from even the Red Hood and the Outlaws Jason who is competent enough to fight the League of Shadows and Ra’s al Ghul (among very dangerous and skilled others) and smart enough to create antidotes for mind control nanotech viruses.

As he should be, by the way. Jason Todd is one of the best, most comprehensively trained fighters in DC’s stable of non powered vigilantes. He’s not irrational or hot headed. He’s pragmatic, tactically minded, and patient. He’s a detective. Right now. Has been since he was 12. Bruce doesn’t have to make him one because he already is. 

Jason is not a stupid thug who uses his fists because his brain doesn’t work. And I can’t tell you how so very exhausted I am by this narrative. 

This is actually the most egregious example of Jason’s skills and intelligence being not just undermined but dismissed entirely. Even Morrison’s Jason had some degree of competency. 

The one, single redeeming factor of this story is the art. It’s beautiful. And Marcus To is a godsend he seems to be one of only a couple of artists who remember that Jason was a child when he was Robin and I’m literally only buying this book because of him. 

Anyway, I’m sorry. I didn’t want that to come out so... um... passionately lol. I’m just very very tired. My intention with this isn’t to ruin it for you, if you like it, that’s fine. 

But this issue shot this story to the top of my "Vehemently Despise” list. 1) Batman: Urban Legends (Cheer), 2) Battle for the Cowl/Morrison’s Batman and Robin, 3) Batman The Adventure Continues.

I hope the next issues somehow salvage this dumpster fire. But I’m not expecting it.

(Damnit. That sounded harsh again. To reiterate, I’m not trying to judge anyone who enjoys it, I just personally hate it and you asked me why lol 😅)

[asstrongasyouthink]

#oh this hits#im happy being a man but i would like to be able to claim motherhood#without either (in General Opinion obvs not reality)#undermining my identity as a man#or saying that giving birth or being primary parent is inherently a woman thing#you can be a mother and not do those things AND you can do them and not be a mother!!#but like. what if i also as a man. do them and am a mother and wife.

so up to about 2019 parenthood was like. the next step on my path and explicitly what i was organizing everything i was doing around. and *hysterical laughter* i'm a different path now. so fun. love life i learn so much.

anyway

i spent most of the several years before THAT contemplating this basically non stop and i still think about it a lot. growing up i never wanted to have kids. i resented my parents for having me, basically, and i thought bringing a person into existence was a mean thing to do to them. then i got a little older and my mom... stopped being a shitty parent? it was mind boggling really. and i got a little older than that and i realized you could be a good parent from day one and not wait until your kid is in their 20s to admit youd made a mistake or two along the way. and then i did want to be a parent but only as a mom (i still havent seen any great models of fatherhood in my personal life or among my close friends which is definitely showing up here) and then i just fixated around the clock about whether it would be like. fair. to the child to get them to call me mom and end up placing them between me and the rest of the world which is just not going to be chill about a mom with a full beard. and especially since i wouldnt have been giving birth i didnt know if i could ever get anyone to grok me as a mom anyway. and if my family would ever believe i was male again. and

A thing that a lot of people miss in conversations about transition is that like, lots of nonbinary people absolutely have strong gender dysphoria, lots of agender people have dysphoria, lots of gender fluid people have dysphoria, etc, and it's not always a type of dysphoria that transition with hormones or surgery can solve but that doesn't make it any less real. Medical transition is worth trying for many! I will never stop extolling the virtues of T and the numerous positives that it brought to me and so many others. At the same time, if you don't feel comfortable in your embodiment or your assigned gender role but would also feel deeply uncomfortable in the embodiment and role that hormones or surgery would generally get you, you have a kind of dysphoria that cannot easily be cured! you might be kinda low-grade miserable with either option and still exhibit all the same negative consequences that any other dysphoric trans people do when they are not able to transition, and that suffering merits consideration. it's not less serious a form of dysphoria just because it doesn't have a "solution".

of course, this isn't an exclusively nonbinary thing, and of course it is possible for a person to seek gender-affirming care that is very boundary-breaking and gender-fucky and unique (and many """"binary""" trans people use those methods too), and those options are all great. but there is a sincere dysphoria felt by those of us who just... aren't at home in a human gendered embodiment at all. and sometimes becoming a different type of human just doesn't nip that in the bud and never can. it's still dysphoria.