#changes to the way he's interpreted and things to be ignored/written out

[bugsbenefit]

genuinely still baffled by the "they don't need to address Mike's sexuality, all that matters is that he's in love with Will" crowd. especially when people say it who claim to care about Mike's character (when you could also just say you don't really care for that part of the show, which would be fine, no one cares about all characters/arcs)

because Surely you realize how him being gay or bi would change his entire character, right. whether he's attracted to girls or not would change the way all his actions up until now are to be interpreted. not even making a statement on his sexuality here, this is generally speaking

if he was actually attracted to El you'd have to address when and why he suddenly stopped loving El since in fiction "it just happened" isn't usually a satisfying answer to breaking a multi season couple up. Why is Will it for him? he's been acting weird for ages so when did he realize? and what made it click he fell out of love with El for good? you'd have to give some explanation for why he was able to proclaim his love for El accidentally in s3 and then fail to do it in the same season while looking uncomfortable with kissing her and so on since his pov was so majorly withheld

if he's not attracted to girls his arc in s5 needs to focus more on comphet and how dating El affected him/why he felt he couldn't break up with her/homophobic attitude in his surrounding slash Hawkins. or the idea of platonic and romantic love in general. there would be no how he got from point A(El) to point B(Will), like what the focus of a bi!Mike s5 arc would have to be on to explain what happened, but a focus on how he ended up at point A in the first place and why he was stuck there/how it affected him

and even core moments of the series would have entirely different meanings depending on if he's attracted to girls. "it's not my fault you don't like girls" being a peak example. if he's gay it's easy to explain it with projection. if he IS attracted to girls though it would read as a much more intentional (even if blurted out) act of homophobia, since it would be him pointing something out that Will genuinely does (not liking being around girls) but he himself can't relate to

and that's all just the surface level differences. Mike being attracted to girls or not being attracted to girls would give his arc an entirely different focus in s5. AS WELL as make his past actions have entirely different meanings. the idea that "it doesn't matter for his character" is so insanely wrong it's wild how many people confidently peddle it

[pumpkinpaix]

Very curious for your opinion- what do you think of it when people write modern au wwx as being very active in social justice movements? Personally, I can buy it but I don't think it should be a given?

maybe an unwise first question to pick out of my moldering askbox but whatever it's the first one that i felt like i had an answer prepared for off the cuff so yolo i guess!!

short answer: at this point, i don't buy it. It's a detail that I can and have put up with for fics i really like for other reasons, but i think it's pretty far off the mark in terms of how I understand wei wuxian's primary motivating forces.

ok now to get into the weeds! :D

there are several reasons why wei wuxian being heavily involved in social justice movements doesn't ring true to me--the easiest one to point to from outside the narrative is that the sort of activism wei wuxian is written to participate in is often modeled on how social justice circles look in the US. It feels really culturally alienated in a lot of ways. I can't really blame authors for this, though, because it's a very understandable approach to write what you're familiar with--but it does often take me out of the story because i find it kind of jarring, especially if the story in question is ostensibly supposed to be set in China where modern social activism necessarily looks very different than in the states.

but that kind of feels like metagaming the question, so: in terms of interpreting the text, i really just don't think wei wuxian would be inclined to that kind of work for two main reasons.

first: I think he'd be really bad at it lol. social activist movements are necessarily collaborative, and wei wuxian is kind of terrible at playing well with others, compromising, discussing, etc. he often favors action over diplomacy and has terrible impulse control, tending to act first, think later, often to pretty devastating consequences for the people he's ostensibly standing up for. See: antagonizing Wen Chao, which precipitates the chain of events that ultimately leads to the massacre at Lotus Pier; confronting the jins and basically threatening to kill everyone at jinlin tai if they opposed him, thus alienating all his potential allies and leaving the wen remnants essentially completely dependent on his individual power for survival etc. thus dooming them entirely when he died.

(also see: "can we stop talking and just start killing each other" at guanyin temple)

even really minor events in the past show the same kind of pattern, such as at the qishan conference when he throws his support behind wen ning as an archery competitor--wen ning panics in the spotlight and flubs his shots to public ridicule from being put on the spot. jiang cheng is the one who drags him away in mortification while wei wuxian simply doesn't give a shit about how it reflects upon him, not really considering how it might reflect on his sect.

i'm not saying that these were "wrong" actions to take in the moment: wei wuxian has an admirable righteous streak. he does not, however, always take other people into consideration when he makes his decisions. he basically ignores anyone who tries to change his behavior, sometimes carelessly, sometimes reacting with anger (Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, literally everyone post-sunshot frankly). that kind of individualist mentality is really ill-suited to activism, which requires an understanding that the individual has less power than the group and that you cannot bend the world around you. a lot of fandom comes down super hard on characters like jiang cheng and yu ziyuan for the things they say to wei wuxian, but i think they're honestly quite understandable, even if the way they express themselves is sometimes cruel or hurtful. the rationale isn't particularly surprising. It's one thing to act in a way that gets yourself hurt. It's another to do so when you know that your position will drag a whole lot of others down with you.

i feel that even if wei wuxian had the interest in joining a social activist group, he would probably eventually butt heads with the others until they either expelled him or he left himself. his thick skin would be a great tool in certain calculated actions (he would do very well as a symbol or a charismatic fall guy) but unfortunately, he's not very good at listening or adhering to a plan.

second: i just don't think wei wuxian thinks about systems of oppression very much. i summarized how i feel about his relationship to class already in this post from like 4.5 years ago (jeez.....) and I still stand by it! wei wuxian is not particularly class conscious because he is, in fact, relatively wealthy. he also like, pretty clearly doesn't think very hard about women's work or status either, except in personal terms--after all, he plays with A'Yuan frivolously, planting him in the dirt and does not think about the kind of work that goes into maintaining a standard of living, which is often women's work. (before anyone says anything, yes, i am aware he is not outright misogynist about women's work). throughout the text, wei wuxian just doesn't put a whole lot of thought into how a woman's gender might affect her status and power.

furthermore, this is kind of mentioned in the class meta, but again--wei wuxian's defense of the wen remnants isn't singularly motivated by the desire to uplift an oppressed class, because the wens are not an oppressed class. They are a sect, which is both familial and alliance-based, not an ethnic group or a class of people. Their treatment is still unconscionable, but it's not systemic oppression. the attempted killing of all the wens is not much different than xue yang's vendetta against the yueyang chang clan, except in scale. and until wen qing comes and personally begs him to help her find her brother, wei wuxian doesn't really have any thoughts to spare for the wen remnants and how they might be faring. he goes to help wen qing and wen ning because he owes them both a serious personal debt, which is something that he feels strongly about! and once he gets to the camps, he obviously isn't going to just ignore the other people suffering (esp because they are the wen sibs' immediate family). he is righteous, after all, but often fails to apply it in a big-picture way.

wei wuxian cares a lot about paying back those who have been kind to him or have helped him, which is pretty evident through his self-sacrificing streak throughout the narrative. he often forgets or deliberately does not take his own well-being into consideration--but, as established, he also forgets that he is not an isolated entity and that his well-being is tied to the well-being of others as well.

throwing himself in front of the brand to save mianmian, making sure everyone else gets out of the cave before he does, immediately coming to terms with having his right hand cut off, giving up his golden core, publicly distancing himself from yunmeng, personally defending the wen remnants, taking jin ling's curse mark onto himself, making himself into the yin flag at the second siege and so on--it's all one long extension of paying back debts, in some way.

personally, I think this is because he considers his entire life to be one that is owed--his life, his skills, his body etc. is all owed to others. I also think, however, that this tendency is often confused by fandom into characterizing wei wuxian as having low self-esteem, which he patently does not. wei wuxian thinks he's hot shit. he's arrogant, a show-off, and is so insistent in his own skills and abilities that he icaruses himself into literal bits. when he thinks he's about to lose his right hand he's like welp. guess i gotta learn how to do this with my left, without really any question about whether or not he can. of course he can! he's wei wuxian! can he bring wen ning back from the dead? for sure!! definitely!!!! can he totally do this night hunt blindfolded? hell yeah he can! and he's usually right. i think wei wuxian has very low self-worth, which is a different thing: he throws himself away at the drop of a hat for others that he cares about or feels indebted to because, whether consciously or unconsciously, he thinks that their well-being, survival, happiness etc. is something he should ensure at any cost, even himself because he owes it to them. he owes his whole existence!

so circling back to the initial topic, I think this pattern of thinking is pretty at odds with social activism. he puts those he feels he owes above himself, but doesn't have a lot of attention to spare for people he considers irrelevant--which is most people. (never learning jin zixun's name, for example). I think that while he understands the nature of systems of oppression to a certain degree (like, he understands jin guangyao's motivations, but he's not particularly interested or sympathetic), it's not something he's really passionate about correcting. his reaction mostly seems to be like "well, that sucks". he only really goes out of his way to defend those that he has personal affairs with or those that happen to pique his notice

wei wuxian doesn't actually have big-picture ambitions. he didn't want to be a leader of anything or start his own sect or anything else. he doesn't spend much of his thoughts on making a better world so much as how he might be able to be content in the world that exists with the people that he cares about. that kind of self-focused drive leaves me unconvinced that he would get involved in social justice in any meaningful way in a modern au. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i think that makes him a really fun protagonist, tbh. the tension between his selfishness and his propensity for self-sacrifice makes for a very interesting dynamic.

.....

:'] i guess i never left the weeds.

(ko-fi)

[vaguely-concerned]

the things it adds to both of the characters involved that lucanis used to have a thing for viago could not have been more tailor made to be for me. literally the ideal thing to come out of this game for me personally and specifically and spiritually. I mean I'm teia x viago trash until the day I die and nothing will ever change this (and with the best will in the world and even the power of lucanis' big beautiful soulful eyes, that would never have worked out even if viago DID somehow understand he was being propositioned. which I'm not convinced he did. the mutual 'so. snakes are pretty cool huh. and. knives. also' awkward energy without someone of teia's charisma and people skills involved to mitigate it... it would have been dire), but on so many levels I find it so incredibly charming for what it says about them both that the (one-sided) attraction was there once.

what's more, it means the man about whom this legendary paragraph was written:

Viago was not a typical Antivan. He liked facts—checklists, numbers, precise measurements. Heart palpitations, clammy hands, tight pants—Viago did not like these things. In fact, he would go so far as to say he hated them. Mild curiosity was his favorite mood.

has got some of the hottest coolest deadliest people in thedas down so catastrophically bad it's got them acting unwise. teia had to wait a UST-drenched decade for him to be ready to take his fucking gloves off for her. and she did!! the tetchiest most neurotic least approachable little vetinari knockoff of a man you ever saw has game for days and days and lives rent free in heads for years. in eight little talons viago consistently feels so inadequate up against dante and it's like. man I'm shaking you by the lapels you have what he'll never have. the ability to bewitch body and soul with your terrible personality and long thin legs. do not waste the gift you've been given go get her she's waiting!!!

(lucanis is really good at reading people, so I wonder if maybe he saw through all of that to some of the steadiness and incredible capacity for warmth and tenderness in specific interpersonal relationships you see viago have with teia when he finally opens up enough, and maybe that was part of it. either way it's so perfect that both he and teia have regarded viago with this affectionate intrigued amusement. lucanis still seems pretty fond of him in a 'viago continues to be exactly himself no matter what else happens or goes wrong. comforting universal constant' sort of way, he brings him up quite a lot in party banter.)

you've seen lucanis' game in this day and age, arguably or at least hopefully older and wiser -- can you imagine how catastrophically bad it must have been back when he presumably handed viago, most paranoid man in thedas all years running, a knife like this expressed everything it needed to. people give him so much shit for the cake moment being his big romantic lock-in, but considering where we started that is GROWTH and I for one am so proud of him fhsdkjaf.

also I wonder at what point vis-a-vis that whole Situation teia and viago met for the first time, leading us to ask... just how much was it a matter of lucanis simply being ignored out of a lack of interest on viago's part (tbf, not entirely unlikely). how much was it lucanis truly not managing to make himself understood. (all but certainly. literally how would one understand that. I think it says some sweet things about rook and lucanis' dynamic that they -- somehow -- DO pick up what he's putting down in a similar scenario presumably b/c they know him pretty well by then haha.) how much was it viago interpreting the romantic move as a death threat from one of the most dangerous people alive and freaking out. (1000% and indubitably.) and how much was it andarateia steal-your-girl cantori turning up and thus setting off whatever spectacular, volatile, awesome-in-the-original-sense chemical reaction between the substances of her and viago's souls that goes on to this day and makes everything else kind of a side note at best. a gentle mix of several of these things, perhaps. ...god I love all these characters so much

[coralinnii]

Congrats on reaching the 2.7 K followers milestone!! If it's okay to ask why specifically 2.7 K?

anyways I heard you were taking requests so I'll request something to celebrate with you :-D

I was wondering if you could do one where Idia, Kalim, Azul, Riddle rejects Fem!reader but ends up falling for reader after that, how would they react when they need to reject her and when the realization of them liking her back hits? (I tried to come up with an og idea but idrk if this one is actually good enough writing material :'-D)

 ‧₊˚✧ Waking up Too Late ‧₊˚✧

↳ Realizing their feelings for fem!reader after rejecting you 

feat: Idia ❋ Kalim ❋ Azul ❋ Riddle genre: slight hurt/comfort, open ending note: no pronouns were used but reader is written as a female in mind, reader can be interpreted as Yuu!reader, 

Question: Why specifically 2.7K? Well... I wanted to do something when I reached 2k but by the time I finished my initial wave of requests and WIPs, it already reached 2.7K ^_^" There wasn't a real rhyme or reason... I was just really late to the game

extra note: the joke in the start of Azul’s section doesn’t mean anything bad about him in general. It’s just Azul reminds me too much of myself during my younger days and I wasn't the biggest fan of myself back then.

Also, if anyone is wondering... I haven't stopped writing. I was just unable to find time for myself during the last 3 months because my classes and work didn't leave me time to do much outside of that. Seriously, I had assignments due on weekdays AND weekends! If none of you know who I am or didn't even realize I was gone... ignore me and have a good day ^_^

2.7K Followers Writing Event 2023

The Big Ooff

Regardless of Idia’s feelings before or after the confession, he rejected you in fear of change. He was content with the way things are, where he doesn’t have to worry about things like romance and relationships. 

Idia can’t imagine being the main protagonist for anything. He’s not the cool main hero or the handsome prince that gets the pretty girl. That's for the extroverts with high charm specs (a.k.a not him). Afterall, when does the NPC ever win? 

So when you, his friend and confidant, his solace and only exception, told him that you held feelings more than friendship…well, his system short-circuited. 

While the two of you said it wouldn’t change your friendship, you still wanted time away from him to heal the hurt. Idia agreed that the risky emotional roll dealt some real backlash to both of you.

The Realization

Idia tried to deny it, but he started imagining an alternative universe where he did accept your confession that fateful day. 

If he were to zone out during his level grinding sessions, he would vaguely envision himself in the same position, but perhaps with you lying next to him or even running your fingers through his flames. These daydreams would surprise him literally off the bed, his aforementioned flames burning a cute pinkish hue.

Some days when he’s browsing around online shops, he would occasionally encounter items that remind him of you.

Now, that in itself is not new but rather it was when he imagined how cute you would be if he got these items for you. Instead of your usual pleasantly surprised thank you, would you lovingly embrace him, maybe even kiss-! 

Ortho was startled to see his brother suddenly falling off his gaming chair, with his hands suspiciously covering his face. 

Crap, not only did he realize his feelings for you (which in hindsight probably was not surprising in the least), but he actually would like to be in a stupid lovey-dovey relationship with you. 

His Next Moves?

Continues to deny everything. So what if he wants a relationship with you? He can’t handle this new step even with these newly realized emotions. Plus, he was the one who blew his own shot by rejecting you the first time. 

So, he falls to his coping mechanism which is to deny everything and that he’s perfectly fine the way things are. 

When the two of you returned to your typical routine, he tried to keep things the way it used to be, as the same with you. 

Except it’s not quite the same. 

You weren’t sure if you were being conscious or that it’s been a while since you two hung out, but you felt that Idia was slightly more…attentive you could say?

He would give you first bids of the better controller before picking anything himself. If you seemed the slightest bit uncomfortable while sitting, the blue-flamed senior would offer you a comfier spot on his bed and a blanket if you wanted, before sputtering that he meant nothing weird about it.

He says he’s fine, but Idia’s is in no way the usual closed-off, sometimes cocky genius you knew before. He’s jittery, more prone to shriek and burst into pink flames to any of your gestures, and according to his little brother his heartbeat is slightly faster than usual. 

It’s weird…it’s like he actually acknowledges you as a woman…

Oh.

“Ahh, I seriously chose the wrong choice option. The story path…I wonder if I could still salvage a good ending…”

The Big Ooff

Kalim’s overly friendly nature, while harmless, is somewhat misleading and confusing to those around him. I mean, if someone threw a grand luxurious party for you, it’s easy to assume that you were someone special. Unfortunately, Kalim is simply just…too friendly. He would do this and more for just about anyone, no matter how special they may or may not be.

Nonetheless, you still wanted to tell him your feelings. You wanted to tell him how his smile and laugh hastens your heartbeat as you smile back. That you feel butterflies every time he extends his hands to you, coaxing you to dance with the boisterous Housewarden of Scarabia. 

To everyone’s genuine surprise, the snow-haired student sincerely apologized to you, not able to return your feelings the same way. All of your friends and also Scarabia was so sure that their Housewarden thought differently of you, but news quickly spread that Kalim never thought about being more than friends with you.

The Realization

To clarify, Kalim never thought about being more than friends with anyone. He’s happy to have so many friends, what more could he possibly want?

But your words did shake him mentally. He never realized that you would feel this way for him. On days when he can’t keep track of the lessons at hand, his mind would doze off and wander back to your confession. 

“Hastening heartbeat, feelings of butterflies, always wanting to smile when you do…”

The more he thinks about your love symptoms, he’s realizing how similar those feelings were to his own when he’s around you. It was why he would always try to find you in a crowd, or why he wanted to be your dance partner on any occasion. Sure, he’s happy to be around everyone, but he feels especially good when it's you.

The pieces are connecting, the clogs are aligning, and soon…

“JAMIL, I THINK I’M IN LOVE TOO!” 

“IS YOUR LACK OF INTROSPECTION THIS BAD?!”

His Next Moves?

Man is now a fool in love. He has this goofy smile on his boyish face at the slightest mention of you. Everytime he thinks about you, he keeps attempting to buy one or two grand bouquets of flowers for you, each flower as beautiful as you, much to Jamil’s chagrin as the vice-Housewarden has to keep reminding him of a crucial fact. 

“You two aren’t dating. Actually worse considering your prior actions.” 

Jamil’s brutal but accurate words brought Kalim back to harsh reality as he realized his mistake in not realizing his feelings soon enough. But not one to wallow in the past, Kalim sought to tell you his feelings just as you bravely did before. 

Whether I personally think if that’s a smart move is irrelevant

Whatever your response is to him, Kalim would fully respect your choice, prioritizing your comfort and feelings over his newly uncovered ones. Despite his well intentions and honest feelings before the realization, his carelessness hurt you and he needed to consider your healing process. 

Kalim would still act like a love-sick fool, however. Buying beautiful trinkets because he thought of you but won’t push them onto you if you couldn’t handle the heavy sentiment (thank Jamil for that). 

Though a little more sheepishly, he would still extend his hand to you hoping for a dance, small little gestures to make you smile even the slightest bit brighter…all this and more because “I like you” and nothing else.

Just because he’s slow in figuring things out, his feelings won’t change so easily. This special feeling of happiness, of love… he’s grateful that you taught him this whole new world.

"I’m a little much? Haha, sorry. I get really happy when I see you...It feels nice being in love with you.”

The Big Ooff

Please reconsider 

Ahem. Azul has grown accustomed to your presence. Perhaps even look forward to it throughout his daily routine, even assisting you in whatever trouble you always seem to get involved in. Some would accuse him of favoritism, but Azul argued that he was simply a gentleman treating a lady right.

He’s too observant to not notice that these sentiments are somewhat mutual. He thought of you as too kind and generous as to spend your spare time helping him around the lounge or to keep him company when the Leech twins get a little much. 

But he was surprised to learn that your feelings were deeper than he initially predicted. There was such sincerity in your voice as you confess your feelings that it shook Azul to his core and turned his human legs weak. 

However, he still had so many aspirations he hasn’t reached yet, opportunities he can’t miss. He can’t afford to split his time for something like romance, something that didn't register to him as urgent in the first place. Love is all well and good, but success is better and more tangible.

He’s careful with his words, gratefully thanking you for your confession and complimenting you with a list of traits he admired about you. 

But you should know Azul by now. He’s hyping you up before ultimately giving you crushing news. Like a company recruiter telling you weren’t chosen despite your apparent talents. 

You knew this, but it still hurts to have your dynamic treated equivalent to that of a business relation. 

The Realization

Azul understood you needed time away. Certain things were said that can’t be taken back and it’ll be a while before you two could feel comfortable around each other again. 

During this time though, the Housewarden truly felt your absence. He feels it when someone else takes a seat in his office where you usually occupy, when his mealtime feels less fulfilling because you weren’t there to enjoy it with him, when his headaches get worse from stress and you weren’t there to lend a comforting hand. 

This sense of void was like a stream of cold water slowly trickling into his body and mind until he felt heavy and almost drowning. What an odd sensation for a deep-sea merman. 

His mind became cluttered. He can’t focus on his work when all he could think about is where you might be and what you were doing. 

He reached his limit when he realized that he couldn’t even hide this internal conflict from Jade or Floyd when their keen eyes pick on every moment of his loss of focus, and they have an inkling as to the cause. 

…Dear Sevens, he might have made a great miscalculation on his own feelings.

His Next Moves?

First off, he’s going to spend some time in his pot. He needs some personal time reflecting over his own obliviousness and self-sabotage. 

Once that’s over, he now has to figure out how to remedy this. A plan to get back into your good graces after the blunder. 

He is a greedy merman. If he’s going to do something, he wants the best outcome possible, which is you forgiving him and accepting him while forgetting the past even happened.  

He’s read through countless relationship books, advice found online, and personal intel that his schoolmates were forced to generous enough to offer under an NDA. 

He’ll use the knowledge he remembered from your confession to his advantage, highlighting the parts of himself that he knew you liked about him. He shows off his good side in hopes to reignite what attracted you to him. 

If there’s anything to expose his intent with you, it’s the flush of his pale skin when you finally thanked him with that sweet smile he missed so much.

"I’m not one to lose an opportunity when within my reach. However long it takes, I’ll earn back what I’ve foolishly lost.”

The Big Ooff

Riddle was, in all seriousness, taken aback by your confession.

The studious Housewarden of Heartslabyul is definitely smart, but he’s just slightly lacking in the people-reading department. 

To him, you were simply a very loving person. He thought perhaps you were on the shyer side but always worrying about his well-being, making sure he’s taken breaks and to enjoy himself between his duties.

You were still a little rambunctious as lately you seem at odds with Ace as you’re quick to smack and silence the mischievous redhead who seems to snicker more often than usual as of late. 

Frankly, you left him stunned, his face similar to a deer in headlights. No textbook or lecture has prepared him to reply back to your sincere confession. 

In the end, he rejected you while giving his full honesty. Silly things like love and relationships were subjects he never thought to consider in depth, and he wasn’t sure it was something he wanted at the moment. 

He tried to explain the best he could, but you couldn't stop the aching feeling of your heart breaking. 

The Realization

Your relationship with Riddle took a blow but it was not destroyed. Albeit some awkwardness here and there, life flows relentlessly as usual. 

But that fateful day would occasionally sneak its way into Riddle’s mind during his spare moments to himself, recalling your determined face, coupled with his memories of your beautiful, clear eyes.

Nowadays, his heart would tighten, his throat would feel dry, and his breathing would be shallower whenever his thoughts sway towards you. 

Spurred by these odd symptoms, he finally looked more into the topic of love. The more he delved into talks on relationships, seminars on emotional attraction, and even tropes from novels, the more it feels as though he’s going down a rabbit hole of new emotional discoveries. 

For a while, the Heartslabyul dorm was on edge as they feared for their necks every time their terrifying Housewarden suddenly turned franticly scarlet out of nowhere.

Alone in Riddle’s room, surrounded by articles and books littered on his once pristine desk, Riddle found his conclusion; he’s in love too

His Next Moves?

Riddle isn’t actually sure how to approach you anymore. This whole “in love” experience is all too new to him. He couldn’t bring up this embarrassing topic with any of his peers, and much less with his mother (Sevens knows he doesn’t exactly want to replicate a relationship like his parents). 

But he couldn’t handle the sudden sensations of nerves that occur every time he’s close to you. He can’t keep up constantly chastising himself internally for flinching every time he passes a tart or a teacup to you during Unbirthday parties. 

He can no longer focus during his study sessions with you as he’s now fighting with himself as he dreams to hold your free hand or to brush a stray lock of hair from your endearing face. 

Was it as difficult to deal with as it was for you? Was this the reason you decided to confess to him? But the thought of speaking to you about something so intimate invokes nerves in him that he couldn’t understand.

No, he should learn from your example. If the natural progression of his feelings should be clear communication between those involved, then he will face this challenge as confidently as he does with any other. 

Prepare yourself, the stubborn Riddle has made a goal for himself. 

“I admit my inexperience has hurt those I cherish. Next time, I will respond to your bravery in kind.” 

[pixelsandpins]

On Eddie's and Venom's Children/Offspring

As a local Venom Expert (TM), let me explain this very important bit of Venom lore.

Venom's species, the Klyntar, reproduce asexually. They spawn "once a generation", feel a threat to the hive, or otherwise feel as though they need to increase their numbers due to an upcoming catastrophe (the comics have wiggled this reasoning a little through the years).

Venom has produced seven spawn: Carnage, Scream, Agony, Lasher, Phage, Riot, and Sleeper.

They also have a son together with Anne named Dylan.

Carnage spawned while Eddie was locked up in prison with Cletus Kassady. The spawn occurred during their jailbreak, and Eddie had no idea it was even happening. The other doesn't tell him. Everyone is a bit surprised. All this is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man #360-362 (1992)

*****

The Life Foundation Symbiotes (Scream, Agony, Lasher, Riot, and Phage) were artificially gestated by the Life Foundation. They captured Eddie and Venom and pulled "seeds" from Venom's body, then grew the spawn in another part of the facility. This is Lethal Protector #4 (1993).

*****

Sleeper is, first of all, the fucking GOAT. Let's get that out of the way. Sleeper is spawned "naturally" however this occurs well after Eddie and Venom have properly bonded and gone through the trauma of having seeds stolen. Eddie, then, senses the birth approaching and feels child-birth related pain. They actually separate during the birth because they're concerned about Eddie's organs shutting down. The symbiote, unfortunately, delivers what they believe to be a stillbirth (this is written SUPER weird in the comics themselves, tbh). The conversation around this birth reveals a lot of complex feelings on Venom's part around their "babies." This happens in Venom #164-165 (2016-2018) which are the last two issues of the Costa run.

Sleeper comes into their own during Venom: First Host (Costa, 2018). Venom is kidnapped, and for the rescue mission Sleeper bonds with Eddie. Previous to this, Sleeper had been tended to regularly by Eddie and Venom together while living in an Alchemex facility.

*****

Dylan Brock is a sight bit more complicated. He's introduced during the Cates run, 2018, and proceeds to be a main character and major narrative pivot for both that run and the current Ewing run (featuring the Venom War event).

SPOILERS FOR CURRENT VENOM

Dylan is the human incarnation of the symbiote codex embedded into Anne. She conceived the child while bonded to the Venom symbiote using DNA transferred over from Eddie (via the symbiote). She had Dylan, then left him to be raised by Eddie's dad, which is where Eddie meets him. So Dylan is the combined child of Eddie, Anne, and Venom, designed by the symbiotes to take out Knull. Dylan's story is still developing and changing.

Edited to add in response to a comment:

Ignore if you want to develop your own interpretation of events around the birth of Dylan Brock. CW: conversation around suicide and mental health

Anne commits suicide not long after leaving Dylan with Eddie's dad. The suicide was written back in the 90s, however, well before any of this newer narrative was conceived. When she's first written as ending her life, it's because she can't live with the guilt of the murders she committed while hosting Venom and experiences an extreme fear and paranoia reaction to symbiotes (rightly so).

When Cates added Dylan, this all got WAY more complicated in terms of determining narrative intent. Namely, was the conception and birth of Dylan a contributing factor to her suicide?

When they do the multiverse thing, they meet an Anne who was the permanent host of Venom because Eddie successfully committed his own suicide. She does not go through the same acute traumatic event that Anne Prime did. When she realizes she's pregnant with Venom's baby, she has a very neutral-positive reaction to it. Even after the introduction of Dylan, the story only ever attributes Anne's suicide to guilt over the murders she commits and subsequent mental break.

When she leaves Dylan with Brock Sr., it's clear she deeply cares for him, yet can't take care of him. She says she'll come back for him when she gets her head right, and does not want Eddie ever knowing Dylan exists. She didn't leave Dylan in a safe baby box or a dumpster or just in his crib while she ended her life. Even though she didn't pick the best caregiver, she left Dylan in a place she knew she could come back to. Where she could see him again. Where he wouldn't be lost in the system. This all implies to me a woman who loved her baby. Who, in some part of her, thought she would come back to get him but unfortunately succumbed to her mental health crisis.

This altogether, the story does not want you to see Dylan's conception and birth as a contributing factor to her suicide. He never shoulders that narrative responsibility. The story wants you to "blame," so to speak, the guilt and paranoia.

This is all analysis, however, and that's going to be heavily influenced by personal interpretation, experiences, and familiarity with the canon. This is the reason why I didn't include it in the original informative section of the post. I didn't want to create bias in a new reader, so I was trying to keep things as neutral as possible (except for Sleeper being The Best. That's simply a FACT /j). But I figured including the additional analysis would create some clarification on a very complex narrative event.

Now I hope that covers enough. Feel free to ask questions or get clarification on anything. I'm literally wallowing in information and no one to share it with.

[franklyopinionated]

I feel like some PJO fans are just really dense or they clearly didn't read the books

I literally saw a post comparing Annabeth to Gabe because she "abuses" Percy (fastest block in my life).

Like, WTF are we doing at this point? Is the misogyny so ingrained in this fandom that we cannot be helped?

First things first, the judo flip is clearly written to be read as romantic down to Percy smiling up at her and flirting when it happens. They're also literal soldiers who have grown up training together. Ya'll cannot on one hand gush about Percy being uber powerful and then on the other hand act like Annabeth could have killed him from a judo flip, something she's trained to do and would be able to easily do without causing any pain to the person she did it to. Using the judo flip to paint Annabeth as abusive when that clearly was not the intent is so ridiculously moronic. You can argue that you don't like the judo flip. That is 100% understandable. But saying it's abusive and calling Annabeth abusive over it when it's so vicerally clear in the narrative that Rick meant it be read romantic is downright stupid. You can have problems with the fact that Rick meant that to be read as romantic, but again it does not change the intent. And he was clearly not writing Annabeth as abusive in the scene (the character is literally based on his wife and mother of his children for crying out loud).

And when else has Annabeth "abused" Percy? Playful taps between friends does not equal abuse and it's downright insulting to call it that. I'm so tired of people using the dancing scene in TTC as an example of Annabeth "hitting" Percy. Are ya'll ok in the head? Her budging him to get his attention to dance or her tapping his foot under the table to get him to stop talking is not abuse, it's not even abuse in even the most basic interpretations of that word. Ya'll are insane and scraping the barrel. This is getting so STUPID. Seriously, show me examples of Annabeth abusing Percy. This line of hate used against Annabeth is downright pathetic and really offensive to people who have been in abusive relationships.

Name calling? Do people even realize that Percy called Annabeth "Wise Girl" first and 100% meant it as an insult as he was implying she was stupid at the time? Wise Girl was only meant in an affectionate way later. When Percy first started calling her it he was using it as an insult to imply she was actually not smart. You know who he got the name from? Clarisse, the camp bully. Yet some folks call Annabeth abusive for calling Percy Seaweed Brain and casullly ignore that Percy was an active participant in the name calling? Why is it ok for Percy to name call but it's not ok for Annabeth to return the favor. Not to mention that Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl became terms of affection by at least the end of Lightening Thief. Past Lightening Thief neither of them use those names as outright insults from my recollection.

Ya'll want complicated female characters but can't even handle Annabeth Chase not being a Mary Sue and actually being a female character with flaws.....UNDERSTANDABLE FLAWS.

One thing I've noticed about a lot of PJO fans is that most of them have never actually read the books, and it shows. Either that or some of ya'll are getting way too comfortable with the misogyny that contributes to most of the hate for Annabeth. That and the racism which has picked up with the casting for the show. Because there's no way the uptick in Annabeth hate that started around the time the casting was announced is a coincidence.

[bunnwich]

Hey Ren. You'd earlier stated that LeoVil gave you the ick. Can I know why? Also, the way you write Leona is awesome and I love your art.

Hi! THANK YOU!

I figured I would address both of these asks to just to get them outta the way kinda, and I do want to be careful how I word this bc I’m NOT trying to convince ppl not to like things they like, but rather just information about why I (and maybe others) personally dislike the ship.

So, the ask above brought up a few points that I think most ppl who do dislike this ship have. They find that the dynamic that SOME LeoVil shippers promote makes them feel uncomfortable and OOC. Considering that Vil is German-coded, and Leona is black, AND Vil constantly refers to Leona in a degrading way, PLUS talking down on him WHENEVER he gets the chance. I get why ppl do not like this ship.

AND LISTEN, I love Vil. He is EASILY one of the most well-rounded and interesting characters and in my top 5…but the way he treats Leona just has never sat right with me.

I would much rather see the two as foils, who deal with their feelings of inadequacy in different ways. They both have been subject to being cast aside as “Number 2.” They even have a begrudging respect for each other's skills! And there are instances where they do work in tandem very well, I just…don't see this dynamic working in a romantic relationship. 

Anyone is free to NOT apply MY logic to their fav ships. But, I just don't like it. Often, this ship goes beyond enemies-to-lovers and just feels toxic or OOC to me. Either ignoring the clear differences in lifestyle, they canonically have OR making them both worse versions of themselves. And to bring what the person above said into play, how the characters are portrayed in fandom even feels problematic sometimes.

If you go back to the post where I said I didn’t like it, I mentioned I don’t think Leona would like a partner that's constantly “trying to fix him,” and THIS, to me, is how Vil shows his love/care. He nags, he scolds, he has his own vision of how he sees others. He is controlling by nature, of himself and others. This works for someone like Rook, who is happy to share Vil’s vision and WANTS to change and improve himself.

Leona IMHO does NOT wish to be micromanaged. That and another point I brought up in my other post: lifestyle matters so much in relationships. Beyond just having chemistry, I do not feel like this ship holds any appeal to me because my brain can not accept that they would ever be able to live together. And that's problematic fandom interpretation stuff aside. RookVil is actually Beauty and the Beast wdym

Anyways, I think the reason these two often get shipped is because they DO have great chemistry sometimes. But quite frankly, there are instances where various members of the twst cast seem to unintentionally flirt with each other. That is just how they are all written IMO.

Vil exudes strict mom energy, and Leona is the tough love, but laid back dad, I GET IT. I just think they are too different to actually work. 

Plus, the fandom interpretation on doesn't seem to help ease my view. The common exaggeration of Vil’s negative behavior toward Leona, the EMPAISIS on that “I can fix him” stuff, PLUS having Vil calling him a “beast and brute” every 5 seconds. That's mostly what icks me out. Vil and Leona are often typecast as “Beauty and the Beast” with NO nuance. Leona is neither a beast nor a brute, and Vil is not just all beauty.

It's just one of those things that comes down to perspective, preference, and how you choose to enjoy your media. Just for context, I have never been into “crackships.” If something doesn't make sense to me. I don’t ship it! And that's just me! Plus, I just…do not like how the fandom represents this ship, the same way I dislike how some ppl write Leona.

I think…it’s good to understand why others may dislike something you do, just to get a little bit outside your comfort zone. Sometimes it's for a valid reason, sometimes not, but ultimately it's an individual's choice to keep liking the said thing, or not.

I know this is a pretty popular ship, so I’m not poopooing on anyone for liking it, but it’s not for me! And I do think that some ppl are valid in disliking it too.

[crows-king]

I've been thinking a bit about how Galinda and Fiyero work as foils(?), and the contrast between their goals, personality, and their relationship to social influence individually change how they navigate their specific social situations.

And why it puzzles me when people judgmentally compare them and what they'd do in "What-If" scenarios as a gotcha to make one seem better/worst. Because in my mind they are similar but not comparable, because they fundamentally have very different personal stakes.

Primarily because of the difference in how they act in an Active (Galinda) vs Passive (Fiyero) approach to social engineering. And also, because one of them in writing is more developed as an individual than the other.

I'LL MOSTLY BE TALKING ABOUT: WICKED MOVIE - PART 1

Galinda is inherently Active. She has wants and desires that she's driven to achieve, and so actively plays the part of the good socialite because it will help her become more popular and to eventually become "Galinda the GoodSorceress". "It's not about aptitude, it's about the way you're viewed", and so on. It’s the one thing she knows she’s good at.

Of course, she also likes the attention and validation, but her charms doesn't come as naturally as she wants others, and probably herself, to believe. (I love that quote Ariana said somewhere about how "Galinda sees herself as a graceful swan, when she's actually a very stiff, but still beautiful swan", or something of that sort). She's insecure that she’ll lose people's favour and thus her most important asset, so she continually appeals to them. It's an act that she simultaneously enjoys doing for the most part, but also traps her from ever being truly close to anybody for fear of being known and not meeting expectations and losing that adoration. Until Elphaba that is.

Because of her drive to fulfill her dreams and to keep her best asset, and personal desperate need for validation, she has a much more obvious internal conflicts when she has to choose between Elphaba/the moral good vs keeping with the good graces of authority and/or the public. She's more prone to being influenced by others, and many of her choices become a calculated risk. She’s often times selfish and chooses her own desires, but it’s what makes her such an interesting and very human character. The struggle she balances when she’s forced to choose for better or worse.

In contrast

Fiyero is Passive. Dancing Through Life is literally him telling others that being lazy and not thinking is the best way to cope and enjoy life by ignoring problems. He is discontent with his life, but doesn't really acknowledge it until Elphaba reads him. Much like Galinda he is also playing a part, but it's not as tightly controlled as Galinda because he doesn't have an end goal for it.

Of course, while he probably doesn't want to lose his princely privileges. His passive "brainless" approach doesn't really put him in risky situations that would put him in conflict leading to losing things he cares about, because he really doesn't have a lot to lose. (Which is a byproduct of the fact he is primarily written as a love interest side character without much of an arc or motives outside his love triangle relationship to Elphaba and Galinda).

What confounds me is when people compare them and judge what their choices would be in if they were placed in pivotal moments, because we never really see them in situations with similar stakes.

For example, the Lion Cub scene. Most people interpret this scene as an act of braverism and heroics by Fiyero. And in some part it is, he's spurred on to save the cub, and he and Elphaba do. But it's telling that he only does this after everyone is asleep and there are virtually no risks. Any present social or physical conflicts that could arise? POOF! Gone. The worst that could probably be done to them is being punished, or even kicked out, if they’re discovered afterwards. Which Fiyero is not new to and doesn't really care about, and while maybe uncertain for Elphaba, is also unlikely because she's Morrible's irreplaceable pupil.

Some people use this scene as evidence that under his facade, Fiyero is secretly valiant like Elphaba thinks so. But I think in actuality tells the opposite. It reveals that Fiyero does care about the Animals, yes. But, the fact he only acts when prompted and there are no longer any present risks initially makes him seem less brave than Elphaba, and even Galinda. Because it contrasts with the Ozdust dance scene between the girls. Where Galinda had to make an active choice to do the risky and brave thing as an apology for hurting Elphaba, and offer to truly connect with her in front of everyone with the possibility of social out casting. She has an obvious internal conflict and risk assessment where she ends up picking the moral good over her personal comfort and social appeal. I'm genuinely curious on what kind of choices Elphaba, Galinda, and Fiyero might have done in that situation if they weren't given the perfect out by the magic poppies.

Would Galinda have helped in with the lion cub if she were awake? Probably, but who knows? Because in the narrative, Galinda isn't really put in a situation where she could choose good without being watched or without someone breathing down her neck. The prospect of being punished and kicked out from Shiz would also be most plausible and ruinous for Galinda. Morrible would definitely use it as an excuse to kick her out, or at the very least punish her, if she could, and it could throw away her only chance of achieving her dream of becoming a sorceress. She would have probably joined them in the end, though. If only to make sure they were safe. Compared to Fiyero, she has more conflicts of interests because she has personal aspirations and influence based on her reputation, and thus have more fears and consequences to consider in losing it.

Would Fiyero have joined Elphaba on the broom? Maybe, mostly likely. Because narratively, he’s never given a reason why he shouldn’t. He doesn’t see his worth and his skills intrinsically tied to public influence and opinion. He doesn’t have any wants or wishes he would have to abandon. He’ll have to leave his friends and family, but it’s not shown how close they really are to him outside Feldspar, his Horse friend, and he’s probably joining them anyway. He’s definitely more equipped to survive on the run compared to Glinda. Unlike Glinda, who is proven right in the end to being most useful when she can wield her powerful social influence For Good, Fiyero would probably be most useful as a sidekick to Elphaba. He was always written to be Elphaba’s follower, it’s no surprise. It’s also easier to take risks when you don’t have much to lose. But I think most people would agree that would make a less interesting story.

[genericpuff]

Who is your favorite LO character? Who is your favorite LR character?

i feeeeel like my answers change every time i get asked this question JFDSKLAFJSDALK but that's okay because it just means i'm constantly finding new ways to analyze and explore these characters >:3

LO faves: Minthe and Hephaestus.

Minthe because she obviously gets such shit treatment in the comic and subsequently from the fanbase, but she's a lot more relatable than 99% of the characters in the plot, she feels like she has actual depth and a real character arc, even if that arc ended with an unceremonious whisper. It goes to show how great of a character she was that Rachel practically had to nerf her out of the plot, because it was often only ever at its best when she was present. Funny how as soon as she was written out, there was nothing interesting going on with Hades or Persephone anymore - the plot was literally so boring without her that Rachel literally tried to create a Minthe 2.0 through Leuce, and we all know how well that went /s

As for Hephaestus, nothing super specific, I just like his vibes. Maybe it's just my absent older brother issues, but I would love to just like, hang out with him, game in the same room as him, just autistic parallel play stuff, I think he would be into that. Only complaint is the design flaw of giving him running blades as the default prosthetic, that can't be comfortable for his hips and joints. But that's not his fault u.u and that's basically my only complaint about him which makes him a winner in my book, esp compared to the rest of the cast. He might not be in the comic all that much, but that was clearly to his benefit because it seems the more attention Rachel pays to a character, the worse they wind up being in the long run due to poor writing. Hephaestus is in the comic just enough, not too little, not too often.

So yeah, Minthe and Hephaestus are both 10/10 characters written by a 0/10 writer. They did the best they could... not Rachel of course, she did literally the bare minimum of "representation" which often came across as ignorant white knighting at best and blatant stereotyping / stigmatizing at worst, I mean that Hephaestus and Minthe did the best they could as genuinely interesting characters with unique circumstances and disabilities who were being written by an amateur Wattpad-level writer with a privileged white guilt complex lmao

LR faves (within the cast that's currently been introduced): Persephone and Dionysus.

I know, very different from my LO choices, esp considering Persephone herself within LO is literally one of the most insufferable characters by the end, but I'm frankly having a great time rewriting her in my own way, especially in regards to her specific role as the "wrathful side" of Kore. I know I've gotten questions regarding the interpretation of Kore as a DID system, and while that interpretation is totally valid, the angle I always approached it from was that repressed trauma and emotional bottlenecking. Obviously those two things are, in and of themselves, contributing factors to DID, so far be it from me to tell people they can't identify with Kore / Persephone as DID representation. It just motivates me even more to give her the character arc she deserves and never got. It's gonna be messy. It's even gonna be downright ugly at times.

But I hope, in the end, that anyone who identifies with her struggles will find closure and comfort in the resolution of her story. It's certainly a challenging tightrope to walk, between honoring the themes of her original myth, retelling a version of her that almost existed in LO (a version that I was hoping for and never got), and dissecting the implications of my own version of her throughout LR's narrative, but it's a challenge that I've been having a great time undertaking and all I can hope for is that I can meet and possibly exceed my own expectations - as well as the readers - in the end. This is Kore's story - it's also Persephone's.

As for Dionysus... he's just a very, very fun character to write, and someone who I had the advantage of introducing before he was depicted in LO. It wasn't intentional but it sure as shit paid off because even though I'm sure some will assume that this is my own re-interpretation of Rachel's version of the character, myself and anyone else who was there at the time can vouch that Dionysus was aaaalllll me, baby LMAO

All that said, we're obviously going at it from a VERY different angle than how he was tackled in LO, but I'm hoping people enjoy his presence in the story, especially as he becomes more involved (which is very, very soon wink wink) The roles have definitely reversed here with Dionysus taking on more of a "parental" role to Kore rather than the other way around. I feel like his characterization has only grown stronger in hindsight compared to what we got in LO, especially where he's one of the only characters who beat LO to the punch and wound up being in a sort of arms race with Rachel's depiction ─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つ

[queenvhagar]

Have you read this? https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/1f9mhdd/spoilers_extended_xiran_jay_zhao_on_george_rr/?rdt=46965

Author Xiran Jay Zhao on GRRM's critique of how his work has been adapted (posted originally on Tumblr here):

My interpretation:

GRRM has likely been ignored by execs for years because he signed away certain adaptation rights likely under the agreement he would be consulted and collaborated with and his perspective valued in the adaptation of his work. He has no real power and this is the only way he can let his opinions be known.

GRRM likely hates the way the show created designated "good guys" and "bad guys" who've been stripped of their characterization and motivation to fit a certain narrative. He also doesn't like that aspects of his worldbuilding have been set aside, ignored, or completely written to suit the new plot, at the expense of things being illogical and nonsensical in-universe. Likely, he also does not like the callbacks to the Game of Thrones ending which he specifically said will not play out in the books and serves only to remind people of the failures of that show's ending.

"I don't know what's going on in there and I don't want to" is also the realest thing I've read and perpetual fandom mood.

Also shoutout to this comment:

Because truly instead of attacking GRRM for being upset and outspoken against a multi-million dollar company twisting his work into something unrecognizable and worse changes coming next season... maybe we should criticize that said company is not placing value on creators or taking them into consideration for the implementation of adaptations, in favor of squeezing out content in order to make the most profit, cutting budgets and episodes and taking writing shortcuts to get the most generic, consumable story possible.

[jayceofprogress]

(Can I ask why you write Jayce as cis but you roleplay with trans Viktor’s? Is there any reason you see Viktor as trans but not Jayce?)

(Hello! I'm putting my response under a cut because it got long.)

So first off, you've mentioned that the main Viktors I RP with are both trans, and that's correct, but I need to point out that my RP partners have written and developed their characterizations of Viktor themselves, and I honor that in my RPs with them. It's not quite correct to say I've deliberately chosen to write a cis and trans pairing, it's just so happened to work out that way, kind of like how it does all the time in real life when cis and trans people end up in normal, healthy, loving relationships with each other; the same way cis and cis people do, and trans and trans people do.

I love trans Viktors, I love trans Jayces, I love any and all interpretations and versions of all the Arcane characters and have seen plenty of trans Jayces that I think are excellently written and add a lot to his character. I also know there's been a lot of great discourse around the fact that fanon commonly accepts Viktor as trans more readily than it does Jayce, and how that's related to harmful stereotypes around what trans men do and don't look like, which also intersects with how POC are treated differently when it comes to their transness/gender conformity or non-conformity (Jayce as a Latino man, obviously being relevant). I'll clarify that I personally disagree with the (many, many) fanon versions of Jayvik that paint Jayce as an aggressive, tough, domineering manly man, and Viktor as a wilting, hyper-feminized submissive flower. I think treating them that way absolutely does lend itself to fetishizing, racist, transphobic and colourist rhetoric that totally contradicts both characters and frankly doesn't make a whole lot of sense in either canon or fanon storytelling. My version of Jayce, like canon Jayce, is sensitive, romantic, gentle, and an absolute bottom, regardless of whether his partner is cis or trans.

So with that out of the way, onto your actual question: the version of Jayce I personally write and headcanon is cis for a few reasons.

The main one is that a lot of his characterization and the dynamic between him and Viktor is built around a pretty core imbalance of privilege and a misaligned understanding of the necessity of autonomy and self-determination. There are certain lived experiences Viktor has had that Jayce has not: growing up in extreme poverty, growing up physically disabled, growing up socially ostracized—he was excluded from the other children even within the fissures, which meant he experienced multiple layers of marginalization even for a Zaunite. Jayce experienced hardships of his own, but they weren't the same. Jayce is physically strong, able-bodied, conventionally attractive and in a flexible enough position that he's able to finagle a little of his upward mobility into the way he presents himself, getting a good education, and convincing the Kiramman family to sponsor him, which is all indicative of his relative ease in navigating Piltovan social rules.

While Jayce struggled with plenty of different things, in my interpretation he didn't personally struggle with physical disability or gender dysphoria, and that's important because when he later makes certain decisions on Viktor's behalf against his wishes related to his body and his health, it comes from a place of complete ignorance. While he deeply loves and accepts Viktor unconditionally, he fundamentally does not understand him in many ways. He had no way of appreciating Viktor's perspective based on his lived experiences as a disabled (and, in many interpretations, trans) man, because for Jayce, he'd never been in a position where his own bodily autonomy had ever been in question. It's also why, when Jayce later becomes disabled himself, it's such a significant change for him and his worldview. The concept of intent vs. impact is core to Jayce (and Viktor), and personally is one of my favorite things about the pairing.

Finally, I use they/them pronouns and don't identify with either a strictly feminine or masculine gender expression but that doesn’t mean I necessarily want to exclusively write about or from the perspective of characters that share my experiences. And what's gender-affirming to write about for one person might not be for another, and that should be respected too. If it gives you gender euphoria to write from the perspective of a person with the same or a different gender or physical attributes than yours, then you should absolutely do that.

I think the discourse is good and appropriate, but I think it can also sometimes scare people away from writing about what they want to write about because they're so focused on adhering to morality that they lose some of their ability to think critically or to accept nuance. Jayce is not perfect, and I'm not trying to write him to be perfect. Friction creates good, interesting storytelling, and that's what I like so much about Arcane as a source material. I could probably also go into the fact that demonization of cis men can be a little bit of a slippery slope into TERF ideology, but I've already written an absolute novel so I'll stop there.

I'm hoping this was asked in good faith and that I've covered it with this answer, but also, if you'd prefer not to read about a cis version of Jayce, that's cool and I would completely understand if you’d prefer to unfollow or block and to find another version that you vibe with better. ❤️

[mayhemchicken-varneyposting]

Varney the Vampire, Chapter 40: Exeunt Pursued By A Mob

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The mob reaches Varney's house and search it from top to bottom, while his servants, as well as Chillingworth, look on helplessly. When they don't find him, they turn around to go back to town, but are intercepted by a random shepherd boy who tells them a savior has been born in Bethlehem he has seen Varney in the woods, and they immediately change course.

Henry and Marchdale go to meet the mob and find out what's got them all riled up. Chillingworth explains to them that he has let slip that Varney is suspected of being a vampire, and the mob enthusiastically yells their intentions to catch Varney and stake him. Henry tells the mob that he does not want anybody staked on his account, and that he is very disappointed in all of them. Several people tell Henry that this has nothing to do with him; they're here to kill the vampire before he attacks any more people. They then run off to search the woods.

Henry and his friends watch from the edge of the woods, and talk about how terrible it would be if Varney was caught and killed by the mob, rather than killed fairly and honorably in a duel. Just then, Varney comes running out of the woods at top speed, with the mob in hot pursuit. The admiral directs Jack Pringle to stop the leading pursuer, which he does by running into him and knocking him over.

Chillingworth, who had been attempting to follow the pursuit but was unable to keep up, emerges from the woods and catches up with Henry and the others, who tell him what happened at the duel he missed. They resolve that, despite having been dead set on killing him minutes prior, they are going to attempt to save Varney from the mob, and head into town for backup.

Meanwhile, Varney makes a beeline for the ruins of Monk's Hall. The mob follow him, but when they reach the ruins he appears to have disappeared without a trace. When a thorough search of the ruins turns up nothing, they decide to leave, but leave behind a lookout in case Varney does turn out to be hiding somewhere they missed. However, no one wants to be the person who stays behind, and in the end none of them do.

The true villain of this book is here. In a literal sense, it's the mob, but more accurately it is the fear, ignorance, and superstition which fuels them. I've written before on this topic; it is one of the principal themes underpinning the text. In this chapter, we see the primary manifestation of this theme laid out before us, and the contradictory way ignorance and knowledge are framed by the text.

Human nature truly delights in the marvellous, and in proportion as a knowledge of the natural phenomena of nature is restricted, and unbridled imagination allowed to give the rein to fathomless conjecture, we shall find an eagerness likewise to believe the marvellous to be the truth.

The people comprising the mob are uneducated and ignorant; this, in turn, makes them superstitious, and their superstition leads in turn to violence and chaos. Lack of knowledge is, therefore, a bad thing. And yet:

...we blame Mr. Chillingworth for being so indiscreet as to communicate the secret of such a person as Varney the vampyre to his wife...

Spreading information is also bad. This is the same author who thinks gaslighting people is good actually. One would think that the solution to ignorance causing mass panic would be to educate the populace, but this is not how Rymer thinks. In his worldview, certain people are almost innately uneducated, and efforts to remedy their ignorance only make the problem worse. The mob rebuffs all efforts to explain the situation; the only new information they absorb is that which reinforces their beliefs. It is clear that the only solution which exists in the author's head is that the townsfolk had never learned the rumor of a vampire at all. His thesis, here, is that ignorant people must be kept ignorant, because they cannot be trusted to correctly interpret information.

Under such circumstances, ignorant people always do what they have heard has been done by some one else before them and in an incredibly short space of time the propriety of catching Sir Francis Varney, depriving him of his vampyre-like existence, and driving a stake through his body, became not at all a questionable proposition.

...All of which is ludicrous to present in a narrative where the core central conceit is that vampires are real. Please tell me again, in this novel which opens with a graphic description of a vampire attack, why the actions of the townsfolk should be considered at all unreasonable.

Chillingworth spends this whole chapter lamely following the mob around, attempting to convince them to put down their pitchforks and go home. You would think, given the sentiments he has expressed earlier in the text, that his arguments would consist primarily of reasons why Sir Francis Varney is not a vampire, and vampires are not real. Would you believe, then, that this never once comes up?

"You are wrong. I assure you, you are all wrong," said Mr. Chillingworth, imploringly; "there is no vampyre here, you see. Sir Francis Varney has not only escaped, but he will take the law of all of you."

Why are you conceding the possibility that Varney is a vampire, dude, whatever happened to "vampires aren't real and I wouldn't believe in them if one bit me"?

At the beginning of the chapter, we receive some very "citation needed" facts about vampires and vampire-like creatures in other cultures.

The ghoul of eastern nations is but the same being, altered to suit habits and localities; and the sema of the Scandinavians is but the vampyre of a more primitive race...

I cannot for the life of me figure out where he got the word "sema" from. I assume he is thinking of the draugr, but can see no way for him to have gotten "sema" out of that, unless he literally made up a term because he didn't know what they were called.

Rymer depicts the mob as a sort of separate entity in its own right, at once more brutal and more stupid than the sum of its parts, though equally as cowardly. You can really taste his contempt for the working class. He gets in a little misogynist dig, too.

Men and women were mixed indiscriminately together, and in the shouting, the latter, if such a thing were possible, exceeded the former, both in discordance and energy.

The social order has broken down, and it is lower-class women who head the rising tide of Hobbesian chaos. Their gossip spreads and inflames the vampire rumor, and their action (contrasted to the upper-class Flora's virtuous passivity) drives the mob's vicious appetites.

"Drive a stake through him," said a woman; "it's the only way, and the humanest. You've only to take a hedge stake and sharpen it a bit at one end, and char it a little in the fire so as there mayt'n't be no splinters to hurt, and then poke it through his stomach."

Within the mob, individual voices are amplified, lending them power. In this story, however, the power of collective action is firmly negative, with the hollered suggestions of the crowd functioning as a sort of blind animal impulse which leads them from one violent act to the next. This will become more and more evident as we move ahead in the story, and the mob violence escalates further and further.

"He's in the town somewhere," cried one. "Let's go back to the town." It is strange how suddenly any mob will obey any impulse, and this perfectly groundless supposition was sufficient to turn their steps back again in the direction whence they came,

At this early stage, however, it is hard to find fault with these people, despite Rymer's best efforts to portray them as ignorant and savage. Henry assumes the mob must have rallied on his behalf, but they don't care about him:

"Oh, to be sure," said the humane woman; "nobody's feelings is nothing to us. Are we to be woke up in the night with vampyres sucking our bloods while we've got a stake in the country?"

This is, I think, a very understandable motivation. Vampires in folklore are bad fucking news. Are they really going to put themselves, their livestock, and their children at risk simply because the vampire in question is very good at playing gentleman? Recollect, also, that Henry JUST got done trying to kill Varney, and indeed our heroes have shot at him many times. Apparently when rich people try to kill a vampire, it's virtuous self defense, but when poor people try it, it's vicious barbarism.

From here on out, Varney rapidly becomes more and more sympathetic. It is hard to say which comes first in this chicken-and-egg scenario: whether Rymer introduced the mob as a convenient way to make the heroes sympathize with Varney, or whether Varney's defanging as a villain (no pun intended) is meant to highlight the monstrosity of the mob.

"What a strange mixture," exclaimed Marchdale, "of feelings and passions this Varney appears to be. At one moment acting with the apparent greatest malignity; and another, seeming to have awakened in his mind a romantic generosity which knows no bounds. I cannot understand him."

It is fascinating to me how the mob are othered in a way Varney, the literal monster, never is. Varney is humanized throughout the text, even while he is biting people and committing crimes, but the mob--well, they are presented as both an overwhelming and deadly force of evil, and also as cowardly, impotent, and stupid, which is the exact blend of contradictory characteristics used by fascists and conspiracy theorists to other their targets of fear and hatred.

Yet what danger could there be? there were they, more than half a hundred stout, strong men, to cope with one; they felt convinced that he was completely in their power; they knew the ruins could not hide him, and that five minutes time given to the task, would suffice to explore every nook and corner of them. And yet they hesitated, while an unknown terror shook their nerves, and seemingly from the very fact that they had run down their game successfully, they dreaded to secure the trophy of the chase.

Any voice would have sufficed to break the spell which bound them. This did so; and, with one accord, and yells of imprecation, they rushed forward and plunged among the old walls of the ruin. [...] It was astonishing how the fact of not finding him in a moment, again roused all their angry feelings against him, and dispelled every feeling of superstitious awe with which he had been surrounded; rage gave place to the sort of shuddering horror with which they had before contemplated his immediate destruction, when they had believed him to be virtually within their very grasp.

The mob slingshots back and forth between rage and fear. Rage spurs them impulsively forward, and so long as their rage produces results, they will keep on moving; but as soon as they encounter an obstacle, fear sets in, and they will retreat unless some voice within their ranks gives a suggestion or rallying cry which can rekindle their rage once more. At the end of this chapter, having failed to find Varney's hiding place within the ruins, the mob slink fearfully away, milling about uncertainly nearby until a lone voice gives them an actionable suggestion:

"Now, my good friends, I propose that we all appear to give it up, and to go away; but that some one of us shall remain and hide among the ruins for some time, to watch, in case the vampyre makes his appearance from some hole or corner that we haven't found out."

Spurred into action by this plan, the mob leaves en masse; but none of them, including the man who volunteered the suggestion, are brave enough to stay behind, and the ruin is ultimately left unguarded.

Next: The chapter that launched 50k words of fanfiction

[invinciblerodent]

As I'm making my way though the Chant, one thing I'm not sure I quite understand at this point is the Urn of Sacred Ashes.

Like it's more or less confirmed in Veilguard that the Maker either doesn't exist, or at least he's not what that the Chantry suggests he is. Since he almost definitely isn't a deity (because it's starting to look more and more like Thedas is a setting absent of gods), Andraste was also not chosen by a deity, and therefore was not holy.

But her ashes really did seem to heal Arl Eamon from his poisoning, and if this part of the Chant is to be believed, they also healed Disciple Havard from two stab wounds through the chest, well enough that he could then trek from Minrathous down all the way to Ferelden.

Even ignoring the apparitions, the flourishes, Andraste appearing to Havard from beyond death, and all the other garnish that's in the Chant, the core fact remains that there exist ashes (a powder, some substance) that is a genuine panacea, that is somehow capable of healing, even after close to a thousand years buried in a crypt inside a remote mountain.

From a Doylist perspective, it'd make sense to just chalk this up for an inconsistency, or someone changing their mind: that quest was written fifteen years before Veilguard, and the writers having decided on the ✨magic ashes✨ quest before hammering out the intricacies of the world's theology twenty years into the future seems perfectly reasonable.

But I think a Watsonian explanation is almost always more fun than a Doylist one, so I have a couple ideas.

Explanation 1: Spirit Magic Shit.

No gods, no masters, just very powerful magic.

To me, it seems to be a reasonable enough interpretation of the text that the ✨spectral Andraste clothed in starlight and armored in moonlight✨ that appeared to Havard after Andraste's death (Apotheosis 2:16-2:18) was simply a spirit that was drawn to the area by the very intense emotions of the people, and death thinning the Veil. (Central square of Minrathous, probably the gallows were there at the time, and the place has probably seen its fair share of executions even before Andraste.)

It also feels very much in line with canon events that a spirit would/could assume the form and some of the personality of a recently dead person, like the spirit who appeared to the Inquisitor adopted Justinia's form, voice, and to some degree her memories (although that did happen in the Fade). Andraste was also a figure very much emotionally tied to Havard, so him seeing her in even just a vague spirit that couldn't fully manifest outside of the Fade and was holding only remnants of her, isn't far out of the ordinary.

If that is the case, I'm pretty reasonably sure it would be a spirit of Faith (the text of the Chant goes out of its way to mention the "army of the faithful" multiple times) that sort of absorbed Andraste's blind faith in her death, and more or less "became" her. There has been an example of a Faith-spirit "healing" mortal wounds before, in Wynne's reanimation- "spirit healing" used to be the actual name of the discipline while it was still mechanically in the game (which was at the same time the Chant was written in real life), so it having that sort of narrative consistency as well as that ability also checks out.

That though does lead me to wonder what kind of magic can sustain itself for quite literally a millennium, locked away in stasis, outside of the Fade and without its creator affecting it physically.

While there are examples of powerful old magic in the setting (mostly elven), much of it does seem to weaken and falter over time- could the power of Andraste's ashes be sustained by people's faith in her and the Maker? Is the Faith-spirit that may or may not be Andraste, and is responsible for that healing power, still being sustained as a powerful entity by "her" followers' emotions? Does that make the Urn of Sacred Ashes essentially a kind of application of the placebo effect, it works because people believe that it works, only in a slightly more tangible way? Does the Warden "corrupting" the urn with blood do anything on the physically magical level, or does it simply alter the state of it significantly enough that others' faith no longer affects it, either because it's believed not to work anymore (so it's a self-fulfilling prophecy), or because it's no longer the same object? Does any of this make any sense at all to anyone else????

(Asterisk on this one, there's some interesting "storm" and storm-like imagery in the Chant around these parts that makes me wonder about whether the "Devouring Storm" has anything to do with this all, but we don't know anything certain about that.)(Yet? I hope it's a "yet". Trying to remain cautiously optimistic about it being a "yet".)

.... but, I think there is also another, more straightforward interpretation, that is a bit less dialed into the mythology of the setting, but I just like it better:

Explanation 2: It's All Just Coincidence.

The ashes are mere legend.

Havard was always going to survive being stabbed through with spears. The fact is, he did somehow drag himself to the center of Minrathous from somewhere around the Valarian Fields- which is nearby, but still quite an unlikely walk for a man with mortally severe abdominal injuries. In his case, it's possible that either his injuries weren't actually that bad, or homeboy was always resilient enough to pull through all on his own, and him putting ashes into his wounds probably just acted as an antibacterial rub.

He also got there after the pyre had already burnt down, so he had no way to tell which ashes were Andraste's, and which were just wood-ash and charcoal from the pyre itself, so he presumably just swept like five pounds or so of debris into a jug and went on his merry way. Maybe it was milled or sifted to be finer, more "ashlike" later, but what he took from the site probably had bits of wood, as well as bits of Andraste's actual remains in it. (An open-air fire iirc doesn't burn hot enough to completely turn bone to dust, so he could very well have struggled to distinguish between charred wood and charred bone chips.)

And the funniest thing about this is that... in this case Eamon, since he was poisoned, could be assumed to have been healed by the "ashes" because whatever it was that the Warden gave him just so happened to basically act as a piece of activated charcoal.

Which is a non-magical, non-fantastical, very pedestrian solution, but it's almost elegant in its simplicity, and I kind of love it.

It makes for a fun theme, too.

The storm broke out right at the time of Andraste's burning? Yeah, we knew it was coming days ago and nobody actually bat an eye, but it made for a great couple verses in the Chant.

Rubbing Andraste's ashes on them healed Havard's wounds? Well, wood ash could have helped the healing process somewhat, and that was perhaps exaggerated into a magical and instantaneous recovery by the story being passed down over a thousand years.

The ashes have incredible healing properties? Maybe, if it's the right thing that ails ya. It's not a panacea, but if you're specifically poisoned, sure, it might help.

And I know this is such a small thing, but it really does crack me up.

(It might raise the question of why the healers at Redcliffe jumped straight to the Ashes and didn't just give him charcoal the moment they learned that it was poison causing the illness, treating poison with charcoal has been a thing since antiquity irl, but then I feel like I should revert back to a Doylist POV, which would make the answer simply "because then there's no quest", so I'm cutting them some slack there lol.)

[bokettochild]

⭐️ Crown Admist Courage ⭐️

I'm really enjoying the story so far! 💕🥰

Oh boy!

So, obviously, I REALLY like the Prince Legend trope, yeah?

This fic was mostly born out of a need to write a Legend centric fic again after not having written him a long-fic of his own since, what, Feathered? I mean, other than ABFHP, but that is..... we don't talk about that...

*goes and sobs in unfulfilled ideas and a writing style changed by a years work and no longer what it was for that project*

*ahem*, anyways! Clearly, I wanted to play with something, and I don't remember what it was precisely, but for ages now, I've had this thought in my head of all the knights just...finding out legend is royal and losing their shit. Not gonna lie, the thought of him perched on a throne (not sitting properly on it because he's just Like That) while the rest stand around with swords drawn and Legend smirking his freaking face off at the camera has been haunting me for the last few years.

I like the idea of Legend eventually weaponizing his status when he needs to, although I doubt it will ever actually appear in a fic. That said! After writing Legend as a prince in ABFHP, the idea of playing with it again but this time in the boys' home environment (AKA the outdoors) was sort of itching at my brain.

Honestly, it was probably someone in the LU-Legend community here on Tumblr that inspired the actual fic with some sort of post about Legend and knights or something, but my brain got to working and thinking and eventually I decided to make it an official draft.

I actually put it up to a poll to determine what my next fic would be, and ACAC was one of like, six options I put out there for my next major fic. I think the other ones were a Warriors dies/is forgotten, the boys get trapped in Time's world post LU, and a mix-and-match fic where the boys get separated and paired off with a random princess and have to find each other across time and space again; but now with said princess in tow. ACAC won the poll though, and so I started writing it- um...... *checks calendar* almost six months ago?!?!?!?! Holy cow? Like it's the start of a new month but sweet snap-dragons!!!!

Anyways!

Starting a fic is generally torture for me, at least when I know it's going to be a multi-chap/longfic. The first chapter sets the mood for the whole thing and establishes the interpretation of the characters and all that, so I was wracking my brain for what to do to get this thing off the ground. In the end, I ended up opening a random google-doc and just writing whatever my brain would spit out, wondering where to go and what to do and just rambling out every concept I could think of.

I debated so hard on whether or not Legend would actually know about his heritage or not, but since Feathered used the approach that he was in the dark, I thought it would be fun to do one where Legend's known all along, is totally aware of where he comes from and the history surrounding it, and it just stupidly ignorent to the fact that everyone around him is slowly figuring it out.

I knew we'd have some angst, since the royal-prince theories have been pretty dark since I first entered the fandom, so, for a bit of humor, I decided to go the route of "everyone eventually knows but also assumes they're the only one that knows", so, to any readers who were hoping that the boys would compare notes and use their brains, sorry to disappoint! Nobody is likely going to share their knowledge on purpose. if anything, I think it will be Legend that eventually 'outs himself', but only after everyone already knows. Until then, we'll just have all the boys convinced they are the sole knower of a very important and dangerous secret that they cannot share with the rest of they want Legend to stay alive.

That in mind! I had to start the fic I a way that wouldn't start it too slow, nor too fast.

The first draft actually was done in an echo of Feathered where I would recount about how Legend learned the truth, ages and ages ago, but it set up the imagine of a very innocent, sweet, baby-fied Legend (who, to be fair, would actually have been like nine at the time so it's not too bad) and it would make transitioning to the actual plot really tricky. That, and it just felt like a cheap knock-off of my previous works, and I didn't want that. So, instead, I tried to figure out a way for somebody to learn about the truth, and Sky ended up being the one I wanted to find out first.

I ran a few scenarios in my mind, but in the end, I decided on using the temple/Palace of Hylia plotline that we see in the fic. I figured that having Legend interact with ancient artifacts meant for the gods alone might set it up nicely, and putting them in an ancient building meant that I got to have written explanations dotted about for Sky to see for himself, and read, while the rest likely wouldn't be able to.

Sky coming to grips with the situation, with Sun's help, had many versions. I had them flirting and teasing and assuring each other in every direction, but very little of it was consistent with the point I was trying to drive: Legend is connected to Hylia somehow. I ended up cutting a TON of Sky/Sun interactions/moments in order to stay on track, including a chapter from Sun's perspective on the whole matter. I do like what I came out with though; it feels like a good balance of the plot and some character/dynamic building while also providing substantial lore to set up the story the way that I wanted to!

I was not actually intending on dragging the boys all the way to Warriors time so soon either, because I wanted to have them explore the surface village and meet people, but in the end I ended up cutting that too because it felt more rambling, and really could just be boiled down to a single paragraph instead.

Fun not though about their entrance into the captain's world! The portal is actually made by Lana! Technically speaking, the boys were yoinked across time and space because Lana needed backup and just summoned the first person that came to mind, and he ended up coming with eight other heroes in tow! I intended to make a note of this or otherwise touch on it in-fic, but, obviously, there was a lot of exposition happening and I couldn't find a good way to make it come up naturally. It might still be brought up, but I'm not sure.

Now, obviously, if you've been watching my Tumblr, you probably know that I put out polls to see who would find out next in any given update, and I wasn't actually planning on it being Wars, but what the people wanted, the people got! The appear of having knight drama was just too strong!

Initially, I was planning on leaving it at Warriors seeing the vet use similar magic to Zelda and putting the pieces together and just leaving it at that, but then, while making dinner one night after a few rounds of HW, I ended up just.... accidentally imagining/daydreaming the whole bit with Impa explaining things to Warriors. No lie, I did not plan a single line of that! I thought it and then grabbed for my computer and started typing as fast as I could while the spark was still there, trying to cover everything from the imaginary conversation in my head. In the end, I had to cut the scene in two because it just was so MUCH, but I loved the ideas I came up with there. it is, by far, the best theory I have come up with in regards to the princes' of Hyrule and the royal family as a whole, ever! Enough so that I've started referencing it in other fics too (although to a lesser extent, but TBoHH now has nods to it now, and I'm sure it follow elsewhere as well, going forwards .

Warriors reactions are made to be sort of a mirror to the way that Wild used to act in the memories we see in BOTW, and I actually really wanted to include a scene that sort of mirrors that first memory we locate where Flora yells at Wild for following her everywhere. Chapter 12 was supposed to include Legend shouting some very similar choice words at Wars, but I ended up scrapping it (and the whole chapter draft) when it kept petering out and rambling off into nowhere. I still intend to touch on the parallels there though!

Speaking of parallels, I am loving getting to play with the Flora & Legend parallels! The first time I ever compared them was actually in the OG TBBU series, where Wild observes to Warriors and Time that Legend is very similar to his princess in many ways, and that comparison has stuck in my head since. I have intentionally played into it in this fic, from the first chapter where Wild lends Legend his slate to the present one I released this weekend. The purpose of this is to mess with Wild's head but also to sort of endear Legend to him so that he's not just being a knight, like Wars, but actually uses his experience from being Flora's knight to navigate his supposed duty to the vet better than the captain is. For example, rather than acting stiff and soldierly, he's being friendly and appealing to Legend's interests so that he can manipulate circumstances to let him stay close to the vet and thus protect him better.

Honestly, I love the dynamic potential between the two of them, and having Flora as a sort of a base model for Legend's behavior makes it easier to write him in this AU where he's experiencing things that JoJo's Legend would never actually even see, realistically. It also makes for some great Wild angst/character building, because it plays into his memory loss and issues regarding failure, while also giving him context for new situations and ways to help.

Legend's Magic

I had no intentions of bringing Legend's magic into the fic at all, save a single throwaway line to reference my theories about Legend post-Koholint (do NOT ask me about these unless you want an angst-fest that may or may not have wrecked more drafts than I care to admit, and which might go on for hours/pages). For spoiler reasons for several fics now, I can't explain the magic thing in full, but I really just meant it to be an explanation for why Legend's not freely using holy magic left and right, but you guys seemed to really enjoy the concept, so I've been leaning more into it!

The heart issues are actually a side effect of his magical condition, and I like to think Legend's had poor health his whole life as a result of his magic being too strong for his physical form (much like how Impa spoke about in fic). Being that he's a twin, he's actually the weaker/smaller sibling, and sue to the conditions he was raised in, that was aggravated by a lack of food, medical care, and his early start to adventuring, all of which contributed to making his body weaker even as his magic continued to get stronger.

None of this is the fault of the vet's Uncle, but because Legend's parents died when he was very small, Uncle was left providing for him single-handedly, while trying to fly under the radar of the crown, so they were pretty poor all around and genuinely couldn't afford what was needed to help Legend grow up properly. In contrast, Zelda did have these things and thus doesn't suffer the same issues.

The Plot Going Forwards

Again, I did NOT intend to really delve into Legend's magic in this fic, not much, but I realized over time that, once the boys all find out, it might be nice to have an actual conflict for them all to face, legend of course being at the center of it, and it would be pretty cool if magic/godly heritage ended up being a major plot point. And yes, this line of thought can be blamed entirely on @weepingtalecowboy, who has been flooding my brain, and the LU-Legend community, with killer ideas about the vet and who kindly gave me permission to try my hand at some of them.

Currently, the idea appealing most to me is the boys being stranded in Hyrule's era and having to deal with some cultists, because I've never really played with that before and it would be so fun to really hurt them all via ritual sacrifice and torture >:)

Of course, things might change, and I have no set plans for this fic and really am just going where it takes me.

Epona

Legend's a horse girl and I feel it is a great crime that we haven't touched on this fact more My man used to be able to speak to animals just passively (as per the OoS manga/his games), and while it is hinted this is part of his magic, and thus no longer something he can do in this fic, I really wanted to touch on it.

I fully intend on playing with Epona more in the fic and making her relevant to the story in some way, although HOW, I'm not yet sure. As a result though, I think Twilight might be next to learn the truth about the vet (also because I desperately want to use a fun line/reference in the fic but it only works with Twilight)

Trivia

Legend honestly has so much random trivia related to him that your average LU fan likely doesn't know about. From his knowledge of telephones to the fact that he's canonically a boxer, there are so many little asides, characters, facts, traits, and skills that I so rarely see in fics, and I'm making an effort to lean more into the Legend lore in this story and include them!

So far, I've gotten to include the factoid about Legend's ability to speak to animals, his boxing skills, Ghanti's whole existence, and, of course, the whole technology thing! I want to toss in a few details every few chapters, and maybe bring in a few characters we rarely see in fics, but there's no promise that I CAN. (I will be trying though)

The Princesses

So far, only Sun has really gotten any spotlight, but I do want to include a fair bit about the princesses where I can in this fic, making them actually plot relevant rather than just passing background characters who show up just for a cameo and then disappear again, like they have in my other fics. Again, I have no concrete plans and am sort of winging this whole thing, but I do enjoy having the girls play a role of some kind. I was hoping to have Artemis involved more, before, but Impa ended up taking over instead.

-

And that's it for now! We haven't gotten all that far in the story, technically speaking, and only three out of eight have figured anything out!

That said though, I am just here for the ride, and have no clue where we're going, so who knows what's next and who knows how close/far we are from the end LOL

I wanted to thank everyone who's been reading and commenting though, for their kind words, fun ideas, theories, suggestions, and general encouragement! It's been fun and I hope it continues to be so!

[kidspawn]

go on the rant GO ON THE RANT ANOUT MISCHARACTERISATION did I even spell that right

Sorry for taking so long oh my lord, I got a little intense with this. I wanted textual evidence, and I went on a few fanfiction-reading and tumblr sprees to really gather my points here. I treated this like a college essay. So consider this a sociological essay on fandom behavior and ill incorporate it into my thesis. So, Thank you for this opportunity to vent one of my biggest fandom pet peeves! I shan't squander it!

My issue with mischaracterization comes down to the characters being mischaracterized and the traits of theirs that are warped. Now don't get me wrong, OOC is a fandom-typical behavior. I did it a lot when I was younger, and I even engage in it now for goofy moments! Is exact characterization necessary for a fluffy AU or a goofy little dribble? No. Sometimes we just want to write something cute and fun.

My issue with it comes when we're writing something that does require accurate character interpretation. Now, I won't directly tell someone they're writing OOC - I usually just ignore it and keep reading or I just press the back tab because it's really not that deep. But it does bother me. I'm not the ultimate authority over how a character should be written - that changes based on the creator, narrative, how the creator interprets and even projects onto them.

To express why, allow me to do a bit of a case study of characters who are often mischaracterized in the (numerous) fandoms i participate in. I've seen some shit. If you don't know the character, don't worry, it'll tie into some cohesive point. Bare with me. Remember, this is just my opinion. I actively encourage intellectual conversation about things we disagree on! This isn't targeted at a specific person, it's just a list of some trends i see in fandom behavior. Also this isn't edited.

(If you want to skip down, there's a TL; DR at the end. But be warned I was just sleep deprived enough for this to be hilarious and you'd be missing out on my utter genius. Never ask an autistic to describe their favourite characters if you don't want a 20 page notes app essay.)

1. Wylan Van Eck - Six of Crows.

Now, this is the character that spurred my thoughts here. Wylan's mischaracterization in the SOC fandom is interesting because I think it just shows a misunderstanding of the character and his arc. Maybe you only read the first book or watched the show. The majority of his development happens in the second book, where his true personality is allowed to shine. But there are definitely hints throughout all his "screentime" if you will.

Wylan is often portrayed as a bit of a "sunshine boy", an understandable interpretation because several characters in universe seem to agree. It's one of the biggest commentaries on him from the rest of the cast - he's a little rich boy, he's innocent, he's barely qualified to be their demolitions expert. None of which is true, by the way, but that's the base level explanation given to Wylan. (Actually the unraveling of this portrayal is integral to his relationship with the other crows but more on that another time.)

Wylan did grow up relatively sheltered, which can make him pretty naive at the start of the story. He hasn't really been participating in the criminal world for long. But innocent he is not. Wylan is pretty quickly revealed to be remarkably intelligent, even a bit of a mad scientist. He's directly compared to Kaz on multiple occasions, and his backstory serves as a direct parallel to Kaz's. He's a well meaning kid, who expressed a deep empathy towards others on multiple occasions. Which, once again, isn't innocence - it could maybe be a product of him being a bit naive? But I've always interpreted that as a special strength of Wylan's. He blossoms into a bit of a mad genius, but one who still cares about people. The idea that caring about others makes you weak is one that we see being addressed with Kaz, actually, so I always find it interesting when that same concept isn't applied to Wylan? I love Kaz and I love Wylan and the thread between the two is one of my favourite aspects of the series.

Also, I think it's important to point out that in terms of sexuality, Wylan isn't some uwu innocent gay boy? He's heavily implied to have at least some degree of sexual experience, whether it's rumour or reality. And if you factor in the TV show, he's plenty confident in his sexuality and its expression thereof. So the strange interpretation of him as someone who's never engaged in any sexual activity is interesting to me?

His relationship with Jesper is often mischaracterized, as well. This weird depiction of Wylan woefully pining after Jesper with little confidence or desire to do anything about it came almost out of nowhere? And the whole Kuwei situation. It's been awhile since I read the books, but I distinctly remember Wylan being pretty pissed about that whole situation. Like, really pissed. And super abrasive about it. He knew he and Jesper liked each other and he put that boy through the WRINGER over that kiss. Like saying Wylan is an uwu soft sunshine boy when he actively threatens to throw people off a boat because they have a crush on their partner is kind of hilarious, to be honest. Wylan was locked the hell in when it came to Jesper. It was very much not a sad one sided crush. And as much as I like the TV adaptation (Jack Wolfe as Wylan is the definition of perfect casting btw) I do think it strips a lot of the nuance of the relationship. Or not. I like both portrayals, but Wylan is infinitely more assertive in the books. He actively challenges Jesper and pushes him. Jesper noticeably likes him more when he, for lack of better words, "bites back." When he stands up for himself. Which he is good at doing. He also lies to and manipulates Kaz. Before that, he frequently talked back to and challenged Kaz at every turn. Is he always right? No, but he has his principles and he puts his foot down. The kid is stubborn. I equate Wylan's arc to Parker's from the show Leverage, which has a lot in common with SOC. Namely that Wylan is almost being fashioned into someone who could take Kaz's place, if that makes sense? Actually, the Wylan/Kaz comparison is so important to me and that could be a separate post.

Wylan's mischaracterization is fascinating because it's less a gross misunderstanding of who he is, and more ignoring the depth and multiple facets to make him seem submissive (don't even tell me that's not what it is lmao) and soft and super sweet. Wylan is kind of a snarky shit! And that's ok! He's also stubborn and intelligent and yes, a little naive, and overall kindhearted, but he sticks to his guns He'll help hijack a tank and blow shit up, but he's also a highly empathetic and sweet artist. He's a little unnerving, if you think about it. He's cryptic about his background, he likes bombs, he plays the piano, he matches Kaz's freak, he lies constantly, he's sixteen and a member of the merchants council and attempting to overturn its entire structure. He built bombs for a living. He likes chemistry. Have you ever met a chemistry nerd? They're weird. In the best possible way. Wylan is weird. Please write him weird, please write him as a smartass. He's a sweet kid but he's mouthy.

Edit: I was rightfully called out for saying Wylan likes chemistry, and I was wrong. Which is really funny because this was meant to be about mischaracterization and I actively perpetuated a mischaracterization. Anyway.

Anyway,

2. Adam Parrish - The Raven Cycle

This one is personal. Not just because I was (affectionately?? I hope??) called the "Adam Parrish my friend group" (To this day, how am I supposed to take that?) or because Adam is probably my favourire book character of all time, but because the softening of Adam by fandom really ruins a lot of why he's such a well-written character? Idk, I know many people (including Maggie Stiefvater herself) have expressed that he's difficult to write. Which is fair. He's a walking contradiction. But reducing him to sad abused boy (which, like it or not, is what fucking happens) really bothers me. Because Adam's anger and his coping throughout The Dream Thieves cements him as one of the best examples of healing I've seen in awhile. Because it isn't pretty or enjoyable to watch. Adam is actively lashing out. Understandably so, btw. He's angry and he feels cornered and he's attempting to undo a lifetime of internalized hatred and trauma. And he's doing his damn best not to be like the people who hurt him. This portrayal means everything to me - as someone who, to start, is in constant fear of being like their abusers, and who hadn't ever seen abuse victims being angry before. I read this series when I was sixteen and filled with anger, and to read it again in my twenties when I've only just started to understand that this anger was a result of emotional and physical abuse. Anyway, it's difficult for me to not make this part a little personal, because Adam is a very personal character to me. And no, I have never murdered a man, but tbh I would if I had been in his position and I'm in full support of anything he does. Adam spends TDT attempting to reclaim agency. Because Adam is a little control freak and everything in his life has spiraled out of control, and he's grasping onto what little he can control. So he gets mean, and he's angry and scared and it's not pretty and it's not what people always want to see. But it's also very realistic, especially for a teenager with very little emotional intelligence. (Adam I love you. You are not emotionally aware.)

But once again, he's written as a lot softer by fandom. And not in the way he chooses to be softer (because Adam does actively fight and choose to be softer, especially when he loves someone - I think Opal is a great example.) but because it's easier to write. Which, fair, Adam isn't the easiest to write. I could reiterate and explain that Adam can kind of be an asshole and he's emotionally constipated and he is willing to malewife, manipulate, manslaughter his way out of a situation. Adam is willing to do what it takes to survive, even at his own expense. He's spent seventeen years in survival mode, and he never really learns how to turn it off?

Like with Wylan, who I compare to Kaz to emphasize how he's mischaracterized, need i remind the crowd that Adam and Declan would form a fascinating venn diagram? I'll never get over Adam being called a "creepily clever little fuck" or Adam admitting to studying Declan's behavior and imitating the behavior of people he actively dislikes because he wants to be respected and seen as one of them. While actively hating their guts, mind you. Also him and the Grey Man. Who Adam is also constantly compared to. I'm surprised more people don't talk about his active identity crisis in the Dreamer's Trilogy. He's only found one person he can be himself around. Adam has spent years and years building personalities and fabricated backstories and stretching truths. He's polite because people want him to be, he's gentle because it's what's expected. And I'm not saying these aren't parts of him, but it's almost like he's stretching these parts of himself to hide the parts of himself he finds less appealing. I think an integral part of Adam is having secrets, and as much as he'd like to known, he's too used to being unknowable to open up?

I also think his dynamic with Ronan is frequently mischaracterized. Which, by the way, I love p

Pynch so much? Like they make me physically ill. Ronan and Adam are, affectionately, two assholes who love each other very much. The fact that Adam is comfortable enough to fight with (i think I even recall a few allusions to some lighthearted physical fights, nothing full on) and bicker with and be abrasive Ronan is a big deal. He isn't worried saying the wrong thing is going to send him running? (I also think part of this is Ronan likes that a pretty boy is kinda mean to him which is very valid im not gonna lie) They've both gotten used to each other's jagged edges and they show the uglier sides of themselves because they know the other can handle it without judgement. Pre-series pynch is really fascinating to me and I wish we had gotten it more, actually. They had a really beautiful friendship dynamic, and seeing how comfortable Adam is around him really speaks to how well they work together. I bet if Ronan had kept it up at that pace, they'd have gotten together in ten years. He was just playing the long game, guys. He had a plan. This is often just scraped and turned into an enemies to lovers dynamic (which, i guess, was how Adam maybe perceived it? Ronan was doing a victorian slow burn.) And I wish I could speak on Adam's character without bringing up Ronan but these codependent motherfuckers make it impossible. Ronan's involvement in Adam's arc provides a lot of insight into who Adam really is, not who Adam desperately wishes he was.

Am I going somewhere with this? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I just want to gush about Adam Parrish. Can you blame me?

The pynch dynamic is where Adam is often miswritten, in my opinion. It's subtle, but the two aren't always written as equals, and them being and feeling like equals is a huge deal to why they work. Because they treat each other like people, not projects. Neither of them thinks the other needs fixing, neither does either of them expect everything to be easy. They're both relatively abrasive individuals, and it works because they're able to be openly abrasive with each other. Not because either of them is fixing the other. They slowly learn to be more vulnerable and depend on each other, but that's because they establish that by being their authentic, untempered selves. It's why the best Pynch fics involve them flirting by picking on each other.

Also, and this will seem petty, and it's probably a personal gripe of mine more than anything. In universe, Adam is not oblivious. (Like I said, everything is different and I have both written and ready oblivious Pynch!) He is fully aware that Ronan has a crush on him. It's actually my favourite part of that mid series dynamic. Adam knows. Ronan doesn't know that Adam knows. Adam doesn't know that Ronan doesn't know that Adam kno-

Adam chooses to be oblivious because he has poor self esteem and doesn't think he's worthy of being the object of Ronan's affection. Not because he can't tell. Because Ronan was being so obvious I picked up on it in the first chapter they showed up in together, but I digress. Adam is smart. But he's also really insecure. And has a huge fear of being overly reliant on other people. Which creates friction.

But when he locks the fuck in and decides "eh screw it im getting a boyfriend out of this" and just starts shamelessly flirting thats djsjdjsjdj. Like good on him. Adam just goes "fuck it someone needs to make shit happen." Which happens, mind you, after Adam has begin to reclaim his agency and sense of self directly after escaping an abusive situation. People grow and find themselves once they're in safety. Pynch progresses because Adam is able to heal on his own terms.

However, my biggest gripe with how Adam is written in his relationship with Ronan revolves entirely on the really odd gender roles people sometimes force on Adam? I like their relationship because it's a queer relationship where both characters are very masculine. (Assume I'm using the antiquated concept of masculinity). I mean they're both very obviously teenage boys. And they interact like two very dumb teenage boys who are in love with each other. I like seeing them be young and stupid and in love. I think of the grocery cart scene daily. Sometimes Adam is written in a way that almost feminizes him and ruins that refreshing element of their dynamic. Ignoring that out of the two, Ronan is probably the most unconventional in his masculinity. Just by the way. But I digress.

This turned into a meta analysis on Adam and Ronan but I hope my point was clear nonetheless: write Adam how he's written. Which is achingly complex, and difficult to simplify for a specific reason. He wouldn't work as a character if he was stripped of any of these details. Please don't reduce him to make him more palatable.

(I could rant about Adam more, specifically his bisexuality but Ive gone too far. Maybe another time.)

3. Akechi Goro - Persona 5

I have a Persona 5 icon and it's my duty to talk about Akechi Goro, my favourite little guy. My unhinged little man. What a little freak. What a delightful slap in the face.

I've compared Akechi to Adam before, which to many seems like a bit of a jump but rest assured when I lay it out side by side I'm kind of on to something.

I like Akechi a lot. Major comfort character. And he's a controversial character within the Persona fandom because he's done some pretty shitty stuff. Mostly because of the murder and blackmail and the betrayal and the-

But this isn't to defend Akechi. He needs no defending. He did it all and I don't care he should walk free anyway. Can we blame him? He's a Gemini. Also, he was SEVENTEEN. Probably younger when the (multiples) murders occurred. I feel like we ignore this a lot when talking about Akechi. Do you think his prefrontal cortex has been developed??? Look at him. He's got until at least thirty before his neural networks are refined. Also, and maybe this is controversial, as somebody with daddy issues, if I thought murdering someone would get people to care about me I probably would have as a teenager. Because guess what, the parent who cares about you literally dying, then not having parents, then having a parent who refuses to acknowledge you and uses you as a tool to achieve their own goals tends to send some people a little off the rails. Also, mathematically, that is a young teenager doing murder. A literal child. He doesn't need prison he needs therapy. Also sometimes murder is the answer and I think we should consider he was just doing what needed to be done. More of us should murder. And maybe he was just flirting? If you criticize the attempt, maybe you're just homophobic.

Ok, so all joking aside, yes Akechi did some appalling shit. Like. Enough for a life sentence. And when people jump through hoops to say what he did was ok ("oh he didn't have a choice" "oh he's just a victim uwu") it completely disregards why Akechi is such a well-written character. I dislike people trying to sanitize Akechi, because that directly contradicts what his arc is about - being authentically himself, after years of pretending to be something he isn't. (Are we seeing a trend here, folks?) Stop writing Akechi nice. Stop making him some sad misunderstood little boy. He's a teenager who, yes, did what he did by convincing himself it was how to survive and take back control of his life, but he also committed several unforgivable atrocities. We can understand, even sympathize with, his actions, while acknowledging they were horrible. Reducing him to an uwu sad victim ruins the nuance and intrigue of who he is. He's an asshole, he's cynical, he hates the world, he's never had anyone he can be himself around prior to meeting the protagonist, he won't accept help or support because free will is his greatest pride. He wants to be his own person. Also he's kind of funny. Just saying. I think we can forgive him a bit for being funny. As a treat.

Also, in regards to shipping (because poorly handled shipping is the bane of every nuanced characters good writing) Akechi is not only canonically very rude (i get a little jolt of happiness when writers make him rude, btw. it's like a little treat. here, mean!Akechi) when he's not playing a facade (even when he is, he's just passive aggressive), he also actively wants to be better than other people. Which affevts his dynamic with Akiren, who is the other side of the same coin. And he gets a little... uh....stabby when he's not. Maybe he hurts our feelings when we've spent hours befriending him only to be told he hates us-

But need I remind you a few details about Akechi fandom forgets that pisses me off: He's implied to regret some of the murder (not a justification, just a regret) but sees it as necessary, he likes that Akiren is willing to be combative and disagree with him, he appreciates honesty and authenticity, he doesn't believe when people like him, he's a little fucking unhinged, he trauma dumps every opportunity, he likes bouldering, and he is TALLER THAN AKIREN. Everytime we twink-ify Akechi an angel loses its wings. In my heart he's alive and he went to therapy and got the diagnosis he needs. I've read some gorgeous fic that really addresses the nuance of Akechi growing up and learning some healthy coping mechanisms. And getting a dog. I think Akechi should get a dog.

4. Tim Drake - DC Comics

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So.

You've made it this far. Congratulations, you've hit my peak brainrot. As a DC Comics fan, I'm accustomed to varying characterization. Tim Drake is a character almost no one can seem to write well. Because there's little to no consistency. So it's difficult to say "hey this is wrong or bad writing" in fan works because... well, there's probably a comic or show or cartoon with that characterization! Even his arguably best comic, Red Robin 2009, is out of character - though this out of character decision is thematic and works for the fact that his entire life has been tossed into a fucking blender on puree mode. So, it'd be easier to say how Tim shouldn't be written? And the biggest issue here is that the poor writing is an example of fanon bleeding into canon. Preaching to the choir here, I know. But seriously.

Tim Drake's feral wet cat energy seems to get thrown into an interpretation that he's some sad, simpering little guy who just bends over backwards and lets shit happen to him. Which is just... not my favourite writing of him. I think we forget that Tim Drake is kind of an asshole. Like, I've always compared him to Peter Parker in that regard. I'd actually encourage more people to lean into Tim being a messy, skateboarding, too-smart-for-his-own-good teenager. Because it's my favourite interpretation of him. Bro is too smart to finish high school. That's so funny to me. But guess what, because of that and dropping out of high school he's lost a significant amount of socializing time with people his own age.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe with how Tim is written: He has negligent parents. Like. Not full on abusive, according to most interpretations, but parents who either weren't there or didn't really give a damn, or who kind of gave a damn but didn't really understand him or really try. Which doesn't necessarily make them the worst parents in the world, of course, but depending on the severity upon which it's written Tim is easily a kid who grew up way too fast. It's probably why he developed the relationship with Bruce that he did - he's been trained to behave and act like an adult (though he chemically is incapable of that, mind you) and to take care of himself, and that has led to him being a little emotionally stunted. And a little isolated from people his own age. Is this a trauma like... say.... being beaten to death in a warehouse at fifteen then brought back to life? No. But it is a specific form of trauma people love to dismiss. Because as a post I recently reblogged pointed out: Normal teenagers with normal parents and healthy coping skills don't become vigilantes. I don't know where the hatred of Tim Drake comes from but calling Tim Drake well adjusted and self actualized is so fucking funny, actually. The closest we got was the end of the Red Robin run, which was immediately eradicated with the arrival of New 52. Idk, Tim wasn't properly loved or socialized with kids his own age and that can really mess a kid up. Just a thought to consider.

Also, Tim is snarky and maybe a little full of himself in a way teens tend to be. Like... he got his ass beat by his dead predecessor and not only held his own but continued to mouth off and insist he was better when he was being threatened with murder. Damian went "hey I'm gonna kill you" and Tim basically said "OK bet." Awkward little boy Tim Drake (WFA Tim Drake, to be fair) is fun! It's cute! But it leaves out how utterly unhinged and unsettling Tim can be. Depending on who you ask, Tim has a bit of a stalking problem. And if you read a different set of comics, at best he hyperfixates a little too hard. The usual points for why hes a weird dude stand, but most of those come from the Red Robin run (which, as I mentioned, is kind of OOC because of the trauma dump) and aren't typical Tim behavior. But I'd also argue most well adjusted people don't engage in half the actions Tim resorts to during periods of stress....?

(Not to mention he's canonically the Robin most likely to become a supervillain.)

(He's also a bad boyfriend. He's a better friend than a boyfriend.)

I did notice the mischaracterization took over when he was confirmed queer! Which is! :) Interesting! :) I wonder! :) What about him being :) queer :) could have POSSIBLY :) led to his mischaracterization as an :) awkward soft boy :)

I love gay panic Tim and I actually liked the foundation of his relationship with Bernard, but it came at the expense of everything else I like about Tim which is that he's messy and a little pretentious. And does shit like "hey i can have a girlfriend as Robin and a girlfriend as Tim". i also loved the idea of his identity crisis being tied to a sexuality crisis! Then it just fizzled out. Not the point, but I did notice an influx of mischaracterization when he was confirmed queer and they sanitized all his problematic traits because DC seems to be afraid of making their queer male characters interesting and messy. Messy bisexuals deserve representation too.

Tim can also legitimately be very sweet. His relationship with all his friends is a testament to that. I've never loved romantic Timsteph, but their sweet moments are very important to me. I love the idea of them developing a platonic relationship. And not because i want more gay stuff, but because i think they're healthier when they're platonic. They're better for each other as friends.

Also, his relationship with Bart and Kon. Believing in Bart when people dismiss him as being a hyperactive idiot. The emotional depth of his and Kon's friendship. Like, romantic or not WOW. it's incredibly well-written. Tim is legitimately just... a messy teenager. A well-meaning, snarky, emotionally stunted teenager with parental issues. Him being a teenage CEO does nothing to negate how messy he is. I'd argue he should be written messier. Let messy people be messy.

Also give me more overcomplicated plots to solve issues that really shouldn't be complicated? When I say Tim is too smart for his own good, I mean he's the type to plan a military coup to cover his coming into class late. Some of the best Tim characterization I've seen shows him being paranoid enough to set up a ridiculous amount of schemes for simple issues.

Basically, people like to dumb him down or they don't make him dumb enough. Because he's smart dumb. He's smart but he's stupid. He's a 90s dork. Alexa, play I'm Just A Kid by Simple Plan.

5. Nico Di Angelo - PJO

I could speak on any PJO character here, frankly, but I'm choosing Nico because he's been stuck in my head since I knew how to analyze characters. I took one look at that little gremlin and I weaved him into my identity for the rest of eternity.

I forgive people for this one because Rick Riordan can barely figure out how to write Nico, but it's ok because he's Uncle Rick and he tries. I figure the best way to explain Nico's writing is that when Rick is on his shit, it's some of the best writing I've ever seen. When he's off, it's almost unreadable. And I love Nico. He introduced me to gay people. I did not know you could be gay before Nico was gay. But OH MY GOD i need this fandom to write Nico with SOME depth, even when his author can't. And as a disclaimer: I like most Nico ships. I'm so pro shipping in almost every capacity. I think shipping is fun and goofy and should just be a good time. Jason and Nico? Hell yes. I love them. Nico and Leo? Underrated dynamic. Nico and Will? Did I mention learning about gay people??? Solangelo introduced me to Troye Sivan and it was all downhill from there. Now I'm trans and biromantic. The transitive property of homosexuality. But when I say shipping can mean the absolute downfall of a character? Yeah, I'm thinking about Nico.

When Nico gets shipped he can often be stripped of all his interesting qualities. Nico and Percy's relationship loses a lot of it's depth, the intrigue and the best parts of it are reduced to Nico having a crush. Nico and Jason is reduced to a gay crush. Nico and Will become a perfect, fluffy gay couple. This is, obviously, not for everyone! I follow some wonderful individuals who ship and create content for these ships who really nail it! But when people don't, it just dhshfhsjhfrjjr Do we not like interesting things????

I liked Will and Nico because they pushed at each other. Will had a backbone and he kind of calls Nico out on some bullshit. Now, if Nico had been given an opportunity to explain that he wasn't imagining his isolation and if Rick acknowledged it was a weird choice to retcon that....? But nevermind.

Going into Nico's character. I might get a little mean. Let's power through!

Nico is classified homosapien, category emo. Which is cool. I'm in my early twenties and I also wear black nail polish and old band t shirts! But the weird fixation on it by fandom is so weird to me. Specifically because if Nico shows an ounce of developing past that, fandom gets so weird about it? Like, TSATS is a flawed book. But I like Nico getting to be a little happier. If it was fleshed out a little longer, Nico could slowly become someone like who he was at the beginning of the series - not exactly the same, because that's not how healing works! But him joking around is a good thing. Him smiling and laughing and healing is good. He's still struggling tremendously, but he is healing. And there's some weird push against that idea. I don't love how it was portrayed, either, but I actually love the idea of Nico healing.

Nico, prior to the big splat, was awkwardly social. And probably autistic. But thats a conversation for another day. He was traumatized, yes, but he had interests and he got excited about things! The absolute trauma train that followed battered him down and warped him. And that was something I, and many others found comfort in. Seeing a mirror image of our trauma in a character is such a big deal, especially when you find out this character you adore and have latched onto for years is queer! But the second Nico shows any development past being sad and worn and beaten down the entire fandom seems to work itself into a frenzy??? He's not a sad boy all the time and for some reason that pisses people off.

Also, Nico is more multifaceted than fandom (or Rick??? for some reason???) gives him credit for? He's mouthy and self destructive and overconfident in his powers. He's self loathing and insecure and polite to adults. He gets along with Dionysus of all people. He's quiet and introspective and notices the little details. He befriends odd creatures no one else seems to like. He gets excited and infodumps. He's a dork. He's worked towards pride in his identity. He's still grappling with internalized homophobia.

He's short. He's gay. He's empathetic. He's also an incredible swordsman. He's creepy. He's tremendously powerful. He gets reduced to a gay stereotype by fandom all the time. And by Rick, sometimes. Which... don't get me wrong, Nico finding Anakin Skywalker hot is funny as all hell. But there's so much nuance in how Nico is portrayed as a queer character. Specifically because many people didn't see it coming because Nico is so much more than a gay guy. Or he was, to start. But surprise surprise, once he's confirmed queer fandom attitude just... shifted. In a weird direction. I think, once again, taking the parts of a character that maybe make them seem a little "unsavory" or "complicated" and reducing them so they're easier to like or write is just in poor taste and comes from a deep misunderstanding of the character.

I could go off longer about Nico, but I think I've made my point. Once again, I see fandom reducing him to a handful of stereotypes and making him softer and less complicated.

Honourable Mention to Oikawa Tooru, who didn't fit the theme. Megumi Fushiguro, who didn't fit the theme. Neil Josten, who i would've written too much about. And many more.

TL;DR:

"Wow, Jay, what an odd combination of characters you've selected! How could you possibly tie them together!?" What do these guys all have in common? They're almost all queer men in queer relationships who have dealt with trauma as crucial point within their individual arcs.

(Disclaimer that Akechi is not confirmed queer, but his VA and the game itself likes to poke at it, and fandom has almost unanimously decided it's canon. People who write him almost always write him as a queer man. And it's my post.)

My ultimate point here is, that while mischaracterization happens to characters in every area of fandom, the trend to make queer male characters who have suffered trauma into soft boys is a particular pet peeve of mine. And I don't think I'm reaching with that. Characters like Tim or Nico, who were treated differently pre and post queer arc, are examples of how them being in queer relationships alters how people think of them. They're stripped of their nuance and their personalities and their grit so can fit into a mold for their queer relationships. Which is a massive disservice to their character, and an even worse disservice to what their attitude and behavior when healing from trauma represents. Characters like Adam or Akechi, who have what many consider "unsavory" responses to trauma (and contradict the perfect victim mentality) get sanded down for shipping purposes.

I hope this is insightful. I went into several cans of monster and my fingers have gone numb, but I needed to get this out. If I made you angry, please tell me why. But also know it's fandom and I acknowledge that fandom culture and behavior is all in good fun! OOC isn't always a bad thing, it can be fun! But I find analyzing fan behavior and character analysis absolutely fascinating and love getting asks like this!

[stormblessed95]

Who Thoughts and Theories

First, it's such a good song. I'm genuinely so in love with it, with Jimins vocals, with his dance, with his backup dancers. I'm so impressed with how hard he worked and all the choices he contributed to it. While this is the only song on the album that Jimin doesn't have writing credits on, he was still very much involved in every aspect of the songs creation and it was written with the feelings Jimin wished to portray. I talk briefly about what I believe the overall feelings that Jimin was trying to express in the album Muse, here:

And of course because you should refresh yourself on the song and get that extra stream in before you read....

I'll otherwise just be talking about what I think, my thoughts, my feelings and my theories about Who, the song and the MV in this post. These are of course just my opinions, coming from my perspectives. You are free to agree or disagree as much as you want.

First, I want to say that regardless of the pronouns used in the song, I don't think it has any bearing on Jimins sexuality. People (read: homophobes) cannot use this song as a way to try to say Jimin can't be queer. Not only is that nonsensical and ignoring the fact that Jimin would be closeted if he is queer. But it's also ignoring the way Jimin speaks about the song, which is solely in gender neutral terms. From the original lyrics being "you" instead of "she."

To the way he says "people" instead of "girls/women" about the scene where people walk past him as the options of who he could be looking for. Along with the fact that the billboard with a man's eyes drop right after he sings "who is my heart Waiting for?"

The way that Jimin dances with both men and women and the scene then when they come together, it's absolutely giving west side story. Which is my personal opinion. Which one of the themes of west side story is love striving to rise above the hatred.... And idk about you, but I think that can easily relate to queer love as well. But again, personal opinion only! So this BS that I know everyone rolled their eyes at with the "this proved he is straight" nonsense, is at its core.... Nonsense...

Speaking of his dance, this thread has absolutely nothing to do with what I'll talk about in this post but is so cool and FULL of Jimin appreciation and you should check it out if you want!

Jimin switched aspect ratios of film during his MV of Who. An ARMY linked together all the times he changed ratios, which you can watch here:

As well as going through multiple different types of media: television, comic strips, movie, billboards, etc. Jimin is showing us multiple different storylines within his MV. This same person from above goes into great detail about how all this can show the various details of storylines and storytelling. It's a good read, worth checking out

It's super interesting the way the words play across the screen during certain parts of the MV and how it changes the screen ratios as well. I would love an actual interpretation from Jimin or the MV director over what they actually mean or if it was just in the 90s theme with zero correlation or meanings, but I doubt we will ever get that. So all we can do is guess and make our own interpretations. Which will be affected by our own personal biases. That's the beauty of art though!

The ones I'll point out that I'll say something about are:

Play, both in the corners at times and on the little TV's around the MV

Auto calibration, with the burning wrecked car, where the words flash quickly across the screen at the bottom, right before hand too, the screen ratio had changed again too. And it changes again as he does his partner choreo with the girl

Rewind, which appears during the bridge. Right after the billboard falls and the screen ratio had changed again

And then pause at the very end before the whole screen cuts.... And then we get the end screen with the words play again, basically looping the video, and the Smeraldo Flower

So let's talk about it!

It's interesting that the video basically loops, it's really giving storytelling. Jimin being an actor basically. "Play" being inside the story for the most part. And it's interesting that those parts happen right before a lot of the partnering choreo too. Auto calibration means bringing something back into an acceptable range. Which if we relate this at all to queerness, it's absolutely giving "don't stray too far out of that closet." And it does happen right after Jimin dances with men, before dancing with the woman again. And play is back in the little TV's. It's giving, trying to be perfect and fit into expectations and be in the perfect storybook. And at the end, Jimin is left behind by all the dancers and the billboard drops at "who is my heart Waiting for" and it's clearer and clearer that it really is most likely JKs eyes. If not, it's absolutely a man's eyes and that is screaming queer energy. And even if it is just a promo of some kind, since we don't know the connection between the eyes, JK, "keep going" and AYS yet, it's WILD to put Jikook promo in this type of love song. And yet, these are the two that publicly claimed the song serendipity as theirs. So it tracks.

And when we get to rewind, it's at the same time as he is talking about "people" walking by him as potentials for his perfect match, as well as how he is not able to "match" any of the women he attempts to meet with through dance in his short walk. It is also right after that billboard with ?Jungkook? drops too. Interesting. Trying to get back into the original story perhaps? Perhaps it's not working so well?

Pause. Off. Smeraldo Flower which represents the Truth Untold.... Speaking yourself. Loving yourself. Being true to who you are..... Which is maybe not what was the perfect story that was being depicted through the MV. Who knows! But that is the end. Just to loop around and start again with Play. Where he literally tells us with Muse to "please misunderstand." Again, just interesting. And if you are following my thoughts here, you already know why that is "interesting."

It's giving closeted queer energy and it's giving I like people, not genders and it's giving love.

Which brings me to the very LAST thing I want to talk about. Sorry, I know this is already SO LONG. Jimin is singing amongst natural disasters. So did V and JK actually too. They are singing about declaring love in the middle of some kind of disaster. And I can't stop thinking about that honestly.

It's giving peak grand gesture kinda romance. It's giving intimacy found between two people in love no matter where they are or how loud the world might be around them. It's giving raw and honest declarations of intent and love type vibes. And i just love that they are into and going for that exaggerated confession scene and storybook kinda romance. It's absolutely tracks for who they are as people and the romance they've all talked about wanting too. And who else do we know who always seems to like doing grand gesture type romantic BS for someone else?

Anyway! This is the feeling that people write epic romances about. Your favorite ships? It's the same type of feeling that's inspired here. Let me try to explain this in some kinda way....

It's a trope. "Love conquers all" where it doesn't matter what life throws at you. All the trials, the tribulations, the natural disasters, the normal disasters, any and all shortcomings or failures you might face in life.... The moment of being with the one you love? Of being vulnerable and baring your soul with another person who means the world to you? Making sure they understand how much they mean to you and how much you love them? That's always going to be the most important thing and moment. That is the significance of the intimacy and the romance displayed.

It's the peak, idealistic version of the best relationship you could find yourself in. Nothing and no one matters more than the moments you create with your loved one, even in the middle of a raging horrific apocalyptic disaster ridden world.

And how sometimes, just building up to that confession can make things feel like a horrific apocalyptic disaster ridden world, until you confess. And you let those feelings out. And it's okay. All those disasters quiet down, maybe you even start to enjoy the rain. It was your emotions all along. And then you discover that hey, maybe the reason I'm feeling so calm now is actually BECAUSE of this person I love. Being with them calms my mind, brings me safety, happiness and joy.

Sometimes, in the middle of all the madness and chaos of the world... You are only minutes away from finding that moment with that person that's going to give you something infinite. Something that no natural disaster can destroy or take away from you. Something, and/or someone, so precious.

And there is something so beautiful in depicting this in their love songs. It's inspirational. As well as humorous in regards to Seven. Lol

I'll just finish this off with a link to this twitter user as this moment just came out, and it's about rebirth, but I do low-key agree with them here 😂

And anyway, that was my essay! Lol if you read all of this. Bless you and thank you! You are appreciated! A reminder that this is all just personal opinions. You are free to agree or disagree as you choose!