#not me subverting the plot again

[graunblida]

'deathwave' would be such a kick ass supe name for lexa, because that's the second extinction event on t100. it's too bad it sounds like a villain name.

[mariocki]

Funny Games (1997)

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"Why not?"

[slugbeaker]

One of my favorite things about both Theon and Jeyne's stories both coming to the forefront again in ADWD is how Winterfell/Stark heavy their stories are with neither of them being true Starks. Their entire lives prior to the series kicking off had been to be the yes man/woman, number 2 choice, best friend to the actual heir - firstborn lord and lady of Winterfell - in their friendships with Robb and Sansa. I don't doubt that their friendships were true and that they really cared about them, but they definitely must have known their own statuses in comparison to Robb and Sansa. And so having Jeyne return as 'Lady Arya' and Theon as both the Prince and Ghost of Winterfell AND both of them reclaiming themselves in a way all while in the bedrocks of their childhood home....is really good lol.

l as well like how their ending (so far) is one of the truest to 'undissected' high fantasy romance we have seen so far. By romance I don't mean like they're actually in love with each other. I enjoy Theyne as a ship but only as a several years later type AU lol. But by romantic I mean how the actions Theon takes to save Jeyne are absolutely the kind of deeds that get people songs written about them in this series, romantic in the idealized way people imagine stories like this, and I think that's kind of beautiful as well as horrible. It is dissecting classic high fantasy in a way as it's showcasing the absolutely monstrous things that precede someone doing something like saving a maiden from an impenetrable fortress, all of the awful and unsavory parts that go along with it. But Jeyne and Theon still get that almost fairytale ending in Dance and I greatly enjoy that Jeyne - our lady of a minor noble house sold into sexual slavery and then forced to pass herself off as Arya, and Theon - our hostage turned turncloak turned regretful turned Reek turned Theon once more - are the ones who get to experience it. 🥲

"Abel had doomed them. All singers were half-mad. In songs, the hero always saved the maiden from the monster's castle, but life was not a song, no more than Jeyne was Arya Stark."

This quote is fantastic because I think it cuts deep into the heart of Jeyne and Theon's story. In any other story this is true and honestly in this one it is as well. No one would find it worth remembering Reek and Ramsay's frightened wife or Jeyne the whore. But in a song they can be more than that. They ARE the hero and the maiden escaping from the monsters castle, regardless of what anyone else may tell them. It doesn't matter that Jeyme is not truly Arya bc they still live out that trope and live to see another day for it. They are the antithesis and the blueprint of what makes up the songs of this series.

Anyway, I'm a little wine drunk and Jeyne and Theon subverting and also living out the tropes of fantasy as part of their regaining themselves plot is very special to me. 🥲

[the-whole-thing-through]

Wow, I have a lot of thoughts. That finale sure was....something (derogatory)

First of all to address the avocado in the room. No Foggy. No hallucination, no flashback scene with him, no cameo, NOTHING. Just. Beyond disrespectful. It's disrespectful to the fans, it's disrespectful to Elden Henson, and most of all, it's disrespectful to Foggy Nelson as a character. This season was supposed to be a tribute to Foggy. It was supposed to be "all about him." Matt's rage and grief over Foggy's death was THE overarching theme of this entire season. Episode 8 saw Matt on a warpath, literally coming unglued over finding out that Vanessa was behind Foggy's death, only for that plot point to...completely fizzle out. Seriously, it just deflated like a wet balloon. Now its just back to Matt vs. Fisk, just like it always is. Karen gave Matt a 5 min pep talk, and he's good. Gee, if that was all it took for Matt to get over Foggy's death, then why the hell did Karen go to SF?

Every deep character moment for Matt in this entire season was subverted in this episode. Foggy's death? Meh. Him intending to kill Dex? Well he didn't, so who cares. He's back to being Daredevil? Cool, but he already was, so....

I think the worst thing about this show, is that it's just so much better in my head. Truly. Every single half way interesting plot point was just abandoned. The characterization and dialogue is weak, weak, WEAK. I was actively rolling my eyes at Matt and Karen's speeches, which I'm pretty sure is not the reaction they were going for.

So many ppl have already commented on the fact that they chose to adapt the Brubaker plot with Vanessa, with the exception of the actual twist and point to that plot, which is that Foggy is alive, so I won't comment on that, because I agree with what other ppl have said about it. I will say this, however, the direction that they chose to take this story is absolutely the MOST boring direction they could take it. Imagine if there is a crime lord like Fisk, who has a literal dungeon full of cages where he keeps his enemies. He could choose to keep Foggy as bait or collateral, in case his arch enemy Daredevil ever attempts to form a vigilante team against him (you know, like he's doing) it would be smart, and in character for him to do that. It would provide the perfect back door for keeping Foggy alive for the story. AND it's so much more interesting for Matt, because he couldnt fight Fisk in the way that he normally does. It would lead into a search and rescue arc where he has to rescue Foggy. I would be SEATED for that in season 2. Instead, we just get more of the same. I'm sorry, but I don't care about Fisk declaring martial law. Matt has already defeated Fisk twice, and we know he's going to again. Yawn.

The poor writing also shows up in the characterization. "Hey Matt? Why did you take that bullet for Fisk?" "I don't know." LMAO WHAT. Wtf is this writing???? If i turned this in as my college creative writing assignment, I would get a big fat C. Needs work. Lacks motivation. Lacks consistency.

The biggest head scratcher of the night for me, however, was Matt's monologue. "My mistake was in thinking I was immune to the darkness." WAT. Matt has ALWAYS known that he has the devil in him. Like, that's literally the entire point of him. The OG show explored this literally in Every. Single. Season.

I just. I'm tired. And I'm disappointed. And I'm BORED. There's no character arc for Matt (I quit being Daredevil cause I'm sad, now I'm still sad, but I don't quit.) Karen just exists to bounce between Frank and Matt. There's nobody else to care about in this show. Foggy is dead. Apparently permanently. So why care?

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

The Miraculous fandom has some of the most creative people I know in it. I mean this, positive sense.

However that same talent becomes a problem when people cannot distinguish between a narrative beat and their own post-hoc justification.

The second is useful now and again when any sort of media misses a beat or takes a leap. ML fans carry the narrative on their backs.

It's telling that you have so many fanworks out there that are equally or more valid readings of the canon when they were published that have been completely obliterated by future development.

I'm not talking the wild takes. I'm not talking ML suddenly turning shonen, or coffee shop AU. I'm not even talking 'Adrien gets equal screen time.' Just 'with what we know, what comes next?' type fanfiction.

It's like canon is deliberately trying to dodge anything remotely predictable... but narrative beats are predictable for a reason. They work. They're good storytelling. A twist can be good storytelling, but only if it is better in every way then the not-twist.

You combine the shock-at-all-costs mentality with ML fandoms devotion and creativity and you get leaps of logic that would make a crypto seller blush. It ends up going downright unhealthy places at times.

I know their hearts are in the right place. I know they just care about the show they've sunk time and self into, but there are times you have to step back.

It doesn't mean you have to give up or turn away from the media. You just need to be willing to admit 'This episode/throughline/season/beat sucked'.

Then you hope it gets better.

Not doing this now and then is engaging in cult behavior.

(Post that spawned this ask)

I fully agree. People liking "bad" media doesn't bother me. What gets under my skin is people defending bad media. I'm in a book club and we all own that we like books that are objectively bad. We don't defend them as good, we just like the good parts enough to drown out the bad stuff. That's normal and fine. You don't have to limit yourself to perfect and pure art if such a thing even exists. I can name flaws in most of the things I like, I just think the good far outweighs the bad.

Miraculous is not some deep and complicated show that requires you to watch every episode. The writers have flat out said it is supposed to make sense even if you miss seemingly vital episodes. This means that trying to go the deep and nuanced route to explain the flaws doesn't work. This is a show for young children. It is supposed to be easy to follow. If it's not, then it has failed at its job! Little kids have no expectations to subvert. Shows like Miraculous are supposed to teach them how stories work so they can go on and watch more complex stuff when they're older. (For us adults, shows like Miraculous are supposed to be cute escapism that lets us feel like kids again.) If no one can possibly predict where a story is going next at a high level, then it's probably a bad story.

To be clear, I don't mean that every plot beat should be obvious. It's just that the longer a story goes, the more obvious things should feel as all the little elements of the story build and come together. This allows the audience to get excited about what's going to happen next and keeps them engaged. Stories where literally anything can happen no matter how little sense it makes aren't fun because you can't get invested in anything. I'll take a predictable ending over an impossible one any day.

A perfect example is the season three final. That final was all about Gabriel winning because he knew Chloe's identity. This is spelled out in the episode and the episode setup.

Miraculer set up:

Gabriel: Chloé Bourgeois must become Queen Bee again! Nathalie: Are you still considering making her an ally? I'm afraid Ladybug has grown reluctant to giving Chloé the Bee Miraculous. She's being very careful. Gabriel: Then I will get Chloé to force Ladybug to give it to her. All I need is for her to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her. (smirks evilly)

Ladybug: I'm sorry, Chloé. I should've told you this a long time ago. I might never be able to let you be Queen Bee again. Queen Bee: What? But I did everything you asked me to. Ladybug: I know. But this is for your own safety. It's too dangerous for you and your loved ones because Hawk Moth knows that you're Queen Bee.

Final pay off:

Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her. And what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to de-akumatize has my parents first! Hawk Moth: Whatever you say, my queen. (Chloé takes the comb and puts it in her hair, releasing Pollen)

Since the final also includes every other temp hero being outed this should mean that season four will go on to have Ladybug and Chat Noir starting from scratch, but is that what happens?

Nope! The mass identity reveal means nothing and everything is fine to keep going as is. Chloé's identity reveal being a problem was a one-off fluke we don't need to think about.

There is no justification for that. You can decide that you're willing to let the flaw slide and keep watching, but there is no way to make this a good choice for the story. It was the start of the secret identities holding less and less weight to the point where a lot of people no longer care about the love square reveal because it's been so incredibly cheapened. Marinette keeping her identity from Chat Noir no longer makes sense when it was once pretty reasonable.

[lynnbecks-mainblog]

One of the things I like the most about Balatro is that like. If it was made by any other developer it would have had like meta-horror elements, or like an actual plot or whatever, but it doesn't. And like. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of games that do stuff like this, but I love how Balatro (possibly unintentionally) subverts the expectations that nearly a decade of indie games have set up.

Inscryption does a thing where a talking card is a hint at the metanarrative layers that lie beyond? Balatro makes a card talk once, at the start, and then only ever does it again as a small gag when you win or lose a run.

Luck Be A Landlord attempts to give its mechanics at least a semblance of narrative justification? Balatro just, like. Doesn't.

Undertale gives its bosses (mostly) understandable motivations for antagonising the player? Balatro's bosses are just abstract symbols with generic "The Noun"-style names and no dialogue.

Even the screen effects would usually point to an analog horror type thing (or even a metanarrative-layering thing, like how Inscryption uses digital artifacting to hint at the first part of its metanarrative reveal), but no; they're just a neat stylistic choice that can be toggled.

Like it's nice to play a retro-style indie game that doesn't have some big narrative twist or weird meta stuff, like even Nightmare Reaper, an otherwise fairly pulpy and kinda plot-light and maybe kinda problematic roguelike FPS that I really like, has a plot-twist.

[puraiuddo]

༺JazzProwl Fic Recs༻

— brought to you by puraiuddo -

This is by all means not a complete list of banger JP fics! It's my personal favorites—those fics that lodged themselves in my brain for one reason or another and never left.

Hopefully this list satisfies at least some of the sudden influx of interest for JP fics (and given how well rec'ing a fic turned out last time...) But, nah for real, not to make rec'ing fics fake deep or anything, but I think the fandom would be a better place if people were more unapologetically enthusiastic about fics and less afraid to interact with authors. So if you use this list to find some fics you have to promise to leave some unhinged comments! ٩("•̀ᴗ•́")و ̑̑

But before I start, I want to acknowledge the prevalence of potentially stereotypical depictions of Jazz in regards to his speech (❞), criminal/violent/sexual characterization (▾), or backstory/origins (⟲) in the JP/TF fandom. I've attempted to flag fics with the corresponding symbols above, because I'd like to recognize those problems while still rec'ing for a variety of other fantastic qualities. That said, I'm not infallible so please use your own discretion.

I've also tagged fics with "hiatus" if it's been a while between updates, but the author hasn't made a comment—these fics are especially important to interact with, b/c you never know if the author stopped posting b/c they weren't getting any reviews!

Now, without further adieu...

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༺JazzProwl-centric༻

Mistakes on Mistakes Until— by jabberish

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 280,212 - Alt-War AU』

Ricochet's got a bad case of conscience and he's pretty sure it's about to get him killed. (aka I think I've read every defection/ex-Con au and now I'm forced to make my own. Jazz-centric.)

* (づ ᴗ _ ᴗ)づ♡ The crème de la crème of JP fics. I really can't properly articulate the sheer amount of love and respect I have for MOMU other than that if you haven't read it, your life is worse for it. Go read it. Then read it again. Now. (I've read it 4 times. No, I'm not joking) I love all the fics on this list dearly, but MOMU holds a very special place in my heart. Flawless characterization, flawless dynamics, flawless plot, one-of-a-kind writing style... it's got it all. Of note: I've not flagged it despite its premise, because it will expertly subvert your expectations and you need to read it to understand. Bonus: it's got a lot of well-deserved fanart!

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Untitled Series by Need2Scream

『(2/?) - ffn - Words: 158,064 - War AU - hiatus』

Where the Lonely Ones Roam - 116,327

"Say you have a little faith in me. Just close your eyes and let me lead. Follow me home. Need to have a little trust in me. Just close your eyes and let me lead. Follow me home. To where the lonely ones roam." Eventual Prowl/Jazz

Spark - 41,737 - hiatus

"Chase you deep into the unknown. In my dark, in my dark, you're the Spark."/ "Roam with me, come down to where all of the others fell. Get lost, in the dark to find yourself. Just remember what I said, 'cause it isn't over yet."/SEQUEL to Where the Lonely Ones Roam

*It's not clear by the summary, but the series is essentially about Jazz and Prowl's developing relationship as they overcome war-related trauma, intermingled with a spectacular amount of original lore. See the author's ffn bio for a rundown. The originality and attention to detail in the world building in this AU is awe-inspiring. There are 2 fics in the JP series, but the author has a bunch of other Gen fics set in the same AU and another on ao3. Bonus: some of the Gen fics are Jazz & Prowl-centric and can be read as romantic!

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Crime in Crystals Series by Aard_Rinn

『(7/?) - ao3 - Words: 258,030 - Crime/Hitman AU - hiatus - ▾ ⟲』

The Hitman - 6,942 - pt 1

Prowl is the last clean cop in Praxus, the final flickering light in the darkness. There are plenty of people who would like to see him snuffed.

2. The Clarification, 3. The Kill, 4. The Capture, 5. The Prime, 6. The Talk, 7. The Chase 8. TBD

*The main plot is broken into 7 separate fics, but it's all one continuous story. Read the whole thing! It's on my all time favorites. It's thrilling, tremendously action packed, and the character dynamics are some of my favorites. It's also hysterical and wholesome and I've reread it a stupid amount of times. Bonus: it's got fanart + there are 5 extra fics, including a Jazz-centric prequel, in the same AU.

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War Eternal Series by Hearts of Eternity

『(3/4) - ffn - 2m? idk it's insane - Bayverse War AU - discontinued - ▾ ❞ ⟲』

Where You and I Collide - 362,090 - prequel

Separately, Jazz and Prowl are like forces of nature- they are uncompromising and uncontrollable. But what becomes of their natures when these two unstoppable forces collide? Will one break the other, or will they both be stronger for it?

As We Come Together - 485,586 - pt 2 - Gen

While the surviving Autobots begin to flock to Earth in response to Optimus' call, trying to find a new home on the strange organic planet called Earth, some unfortunate bots are beginning to realize the price of war may have been too high. Sequel to Time

May We Never Let Go - 408,409 - pt 3 - Gen - d/c

Hell literally lies in wait above Earth as the Cybertronians and Earthlings coexist uneasily, rattled by every attack the Fallen and his master launch on them. With new evil rising, the powers that be on Earth and beyond are gearing up for war.

1. As We Come Together, prequel 2: Surface of the Sun

*Long, convoluted explanation coming up given that this series is obviously a whole different beast compared to likely any other fanfic series you or I have ever encountered in our lives... b/c the author is just superhuman or smth idk...

The series is officially listed as 4 parts (WYaIC, WTWHL, AWCT, MWNLG). Where You and I Collide is the JP-centric prequel to the other 3 Gen fics (that have substantial background JP). WTWHL is technically part 1 of the series, but it's sorta more character-focused ficlets than a continuous story... which is why I didn't specifically list it as a rec even if that makes things more confusing... (ᵕ¬ᴗ¬) Also the author didn't list Surface of the Sun as part of the series, but it's a direct prequel (like WYaIC) starring the Lambo twins and it's... oh it's so good... absolutely shatters my heart that it's been d/c'd.

I've not listed an exact world count, b/c if you want to read every bit of the AU with all its prequels and offshoots (which I would highly recommend and have done)... I'm not gonna do the math for you, sorry. The main 4-part story is ~1.7m+ which I realize is frankly insane and extraordinarily intimidating, but it is so sooo sooooo worth it. The author has created their own fully fleshed out TF world with its own lore and characters and the time and effort they've put into is mind-boggling .

Anywho, despite ultimately being d/c'd, the series is still tremendously readable and nothing about JP is left feeling unbearably unfinished. I also happened to track down the lovely author and beg for a summary of the ending, b/c I'm a bit of a freak and they very kindly provided it so if not knowing how a fic ends bothers you/prevents you from reading, you have the option of getting closure even if you can't have it written out.

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Fathomless by Sroloc_Elbisivni

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 19,949 - Fantasy AU - complete』

Jazz is drowning on dry land on the other side of the world. Once upon a time, before Jazz was born, the Rust Sea covered a swathe of Cybertron bigger than the territory of any city-state except Iacon. The sea had been more powerful than any engine besides the one at the heart of the planet itself, big enough to swallow a metrotitan in its depths, the birthplace of storms. Thing is, none of that was Jazz. He doesn’t remember those days, before he was himself, except in his dreams. And his dreams are terrifying.

*This fic makes me feel some type of way... it gives me shivers. It's so eerie and the premise is so unique. It's also beautifully bittersweet, which is a hard concept to pull off.

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The Judge by SilenceoftheLlamas

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 107,653 - Alt-War AU』

Prowl’s got a secret, and he’d rather be dead in the ground before he let anyone find out about it. Jazz’s got one too, but he’s not as good at hiding it. Prowl is a secret superhero, Jazz is a secret fanboy who doesn’t know that he works with the guy. By night Prowl is the virtuous hero The Judge, but by day he’s just an unassuming tactical officer.

*Jazz and Prowl are sorta painfully adorable in this fic and the JP is so sweet it makes my teeth hurt. Plus it's got a really fun premise with lots of shenanigans.

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Black on White on Black Series by pipermca

『(3/?) - ao3 - Words: 86,248 - fix-it, War AU - complete』

Anamnesis - 31,097 - pt 1

When Jazz and his team are lost on a mission, Prowl has to carry on alone. But a discovery a thousand vorn later could turn his life upside down again.

2. The Ghost of the Howling Plains, 3. Pulling Strings

*Super interesting sorta-kinda-fix-it fic and/or explanation for the events and characterizations in IDW. There are 3 stories in the main JP plot line. Bonus: there's 2 "Extras" fics for cut scenes from the main fics.

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Crystal Ghosts Series by Rizobact

『(2/2) - ao3 - Words: 85,688 - Fantasy AU - complete - ⟲』

Enduring as Crystal - 40,517 - pt 1

There were a lot of reasons Prowl visited the library. He never knew the most important one was waiting for him in the garden behind it.

Eternal as Love - 45,171 - pt 2

Prowl promised he would help Jazz, the ghost of the crystal chapel in the garden behind Praxus' central library. He just couldn't anticipate what shape that help would wind up taking.

*Another super unique premise! I love a good historical mystery and the imagery is specularly evocative! And I'm a sucker for the trope... which I can't reveal, because of spoilers.

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Untitled Series by Vaeru

『(2/2) - ffn - Words: 10,766 - War AU - complete - ❞』

Descant - 7,925 - pt 2

G1/Jux compliant. Requiem sequel. Prowl doubted that his desired image of Respected Superior Officer came across very well with a half-scrapped mech clinging to his hand, but he loomed as best as he was able and glared.

*Requiem is Jazz-centric and I'd say more of a prequel to Descant than Descant is a sequel to Requiem... if that makes any sense. Regardless of how you view it or what order you read it, it's fucking brutal. (-‿-“) Bonus: author also wrote another really great fic called Transformers: Juxtaposition which is Lambo twin-centric and OC-centric, but perhaps one of the only OC fics that I've ever enjoyed.

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Domino Milkshake by SilenceoftheLlamas

『oneshot - (1/?) - ao3 - Words: 24,886 - War AU - complete - ❞』

Jazz drunkenly pretends that he's dating Prowl. Only he isn't, and the mech is right behind him.

*It's a fake dating AU... what more can I say? I love the the begrudging developing romance and the meddling friends. Bonus: it's got fanart!

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Hunter's Spark by WandersUnderStarlight

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 43,645 - Alt-War AU - ❞』

Jazz disobeys orders to abandon the ruins of Praxus and runs into one of the Senate's dirty secrets.

*This author also has a few more JP fics that I enjoy like An Offer He Can't Refuse and Long Patrol. I gotta offer aisclaimer though: the fics are... fairly cliche and a bit OOC. Hunter's Spark is much more tame than the other two, though. They're all sorta a guilty pleasure of mine, because it's fun to enjoy Prowl being a bit of a BAMF and Jazz being a bit of a damsel on occasion even if objectively I understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea. ("￣▽￣";)ゞ But the author definitely deserves credit for creative and entertaining premises and a really nice writing style!

༺☆★☆★☆★-ˋˏ ♫ ♡ 𓆩𓆪 ˎˊ-★☆ ★☆★☆༻

༺General༻

Little Brother by Meiza

『oneshot - ffn - Words: 64,542 - War AU - discontinued』

Prowl is infamous for being a logical, nigh emotionaless thinker who's better at battle calculations than interpersonal relationships. How he was roped into taking care of the last survivor of Praxus is anyone's guess.

*Prowl & Bluestreak centric, but Jazz has a solid amount of screentime. The subplot is pre-relationship, co-parenting JazzProwl and it's cute as hell. It's not 'officially' discontinued, but it hasn't been updated since 2010... so... At least it doesn't end in a cliffhanger. (╥﹏╥|||)

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Things We Don't Tell Humans by SineadRivka

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 363,057 - Bayverse War AU - complete』

This was a first for us Autobots; never before have we come in contact with a species like these humans, so eerily similar to our own race and twice as tenacious as Sparklings. The question was, how far can we trust the humans with our culture? Some things have translated between cultures without much effort. Other subjects, however…

*Please note the tags! Also... I'll be honest that I mostly skip to the JP parts and main plot points in this fic as it's about a very ensemble cast and I'm not interested in TF humans ... so I can't entirely vouch for the integrity of the whole thing. (￢ω￢;)

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Echoes of Messatine by MlleMusketeer

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 303,863 - Alt-War AU - complete - ▾ 』

Cybertron hurtles toward war, and only a handful of mecha see it. Not Megatron, whose inflammatory writings gain him agonizing attention from those on high. Not Ratchet, the Iacon Medical Center’s most prized practitioner, whose Dead-End clinic remains the worst-guarded secret on Cybertron. Not Overlord, whose iron hold over Cybertron’s underworld is beginning to falter. Not Orion Pax, whose concern over the sudden silence of one of his favorite writers drives him to take up his hero’s pen. Not Terminus, who only wants to survive. But Trepan and Senator Shockwave both know well what’s coming. One aims to use a defiant miner’s fall to crush the aspirations of the masses. The other wants to use that miner’s triumph to ignite them. Neither much cares about Megatron himself, or his ultimate survival. Therein lies their fatal error.

*Not clear from the summary, but the premise is essentially "what if Megatron got the matrix instead of OP" and how their pre-war lives would have to pan out for them to ultimately switch roles. Just a really fascinating, supremely well-done "what-if" fic, but also probably the weirdest one to put on this particular list, b/c JP turns into megatron/JP at the very, very end... but... I just kinda ignore that development since it happens in like almost literally in the last chapter and you can def read it as friendship up until that point... (¬⤙¬ ᵕ)

༺☓○☓○☓○☓○-ˋˏ ♫ ♡ 𓆩𓆪 ˎˊ-☓○☓○☓○☓○༻

༺Mature༻

*listen... don't @ me. They're definitely saucy, but they're not explicit. Yada, yada... hey minors, don't read these! ...But we all know you will so just don't talk to me or anyone else about it, cool? Cool. (☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞

Intermission by crabapplered

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 5,049 - War AU - complete - ▾』

As the war stretched on for interminable vorn, Prowl found himself faced time and again with the mounting stress of his position. Many of those times he was forced to face alone, the gear grinding stress sending him to Ratchet for system overhauls and forced defrags. But every so often he'd be fortunate enough to have Jazz on hand, and when he did, well, it didn't take much. Pressing Jazz up against the wall, cramming him into corners, pinning him facedown over Prowl's desk. It didn't matter as long he could keep Jazz still.

༺☓○༻༺☓○༻༺☓○༻༺☓○༻༺☓○༻

Audition by crabapplered

『oneshot - ao3 - Words: 12,783 - War AU - complete - ▾』

If one were to be delicate, one would say that Jazz and Prowl are incompatible. The blunt truth? 'You just lie there with this blank expression on your face,' he'd been told by his last partner. Signal had stayed longer then most, willing to try since Prowl was so obviously doing his best, interfacing to please his partner and give him what Prowl himself disliked. In the end, though, it hadn't worked. 'You don't like me touching you, you don't like the mess, you don't even like the overload, and half the time I swear you're running economic simulations in your CPU you look that bored. I don't want that. I don't want you miserable, and I don't want me miserable, either.' So why can't Prowl stop wishing?

༺♡❦♡❦♡❦♡ -ˋˏ ♫ ♡ 𓆩𓆪 ˎˊ- ♡❦♡❦♡❦♡༻

That's all, folks.

ദ്ദി(｡•̀ω-)✧ ~Happy reading!

and for the shit tumblr search/tag system, i offer: #jazzprowl #jazzprowl recs #jazz x prowl #jazzprowl fic recs #jazzprowl fanfic recs #tansformers fic recs #tf jazzprowl #tf fic recs

[scoobydoodean]

how much do you think chuck was actually affecting the movement of the plot throughout the series?

personally, i think he was just observing them from season 6 to season 10, but then he actually had to get involved upon amara’s return. and i do like the theory that he was responsible for the “vision” that cas thought he saw from jack, and that he kinda let mary get killed after cas’s prayer in 14x17, before again becoming fully involved throughout season 15. but for the other seasons 1-5, most of 12-14, and really for the overall universe, idk how much can, or should, be ascribed to chuck’s machinations. like i can never decide which route would be most satisfying for me as a viewer, and so i’m just curious as to what your opinion might be :)

Jack visions theory

Probably helps just to say starting off for anyone who might be coming from a different perspective, that my own understanding of Chuck's machinations in Supernatural (at least when it comes to Sam, Dean, and Cas) do not involve directly violating their free will. Chuck's machinations involve shaping the experiences around our characters to convince them to make the choices Chuck wants them to make. For example, when Dean tosses the gun aside in 14.20 and refuses to kill Jack, Chuck shouts "Do it!" instead of putting some kind of mind whammy on Dean that makes him kill Jack because Chuck either can't do that or won't do it because it wouldn't get him off. Chuck needs Dean to do what Chuck wants him to do (kill Jack) because Dean was brought to a point psychologically where he chose it. The same thing is true of Sam in season 4. The demons or the angels or Chuck don't operate Sam like a robot—they slowly convince him to take one turn after another based on the psychological state he's in, the things happening around him, and the things being whispered in his ears until he's killing Lilith and Lucifer's cage is opening, and Ruby says,

No. It wasn't the blood. It was you... and your choices. I just gave you the options, and you chose the right path every time. You didn't need the feather to fly, you had it in you the whole time, Dumbo! I know it's hard to see it now... but this is a miracle. So long coming. Everything Azazel did, and Lilith did. Just to get you here. And you were the only one who could do it.

I refer to Chuck's influence on the narrative as causality rather than fate. I have a tag for this called #spn and causality. 4.18 goes to great lengths to show how difficult it can be to subvert causality. For example, Dean tries to defy the writing by moving himself and Sam to a different hotel than Chuck wrote them to be in, but the motel's neon sign goes out, causing the name of their motel to "change" to "The Red Motel"—the motel Chuck wrote. ("No matter what details you alter, we will always end up here" etc etc). However, this episode goes on to show that it is possible to leap out of causality's flow. Chuck's control of the narrative ultimately works via anticipation. If he can anticipate his creations choices, his writing realigns everything with the narrative. If they do something he is unable to anticipate? They can leap out of his narrative just long enough to make a difference.

How do they leap out of causality's flow? Two things together: Dean and Cas. Quoting myself here in this post:

Leaping out of causality is something Dean and Cas do together in 4.18, 4.22, and 5.22. In 4.18, Dean pleads with Cas to help him save Sam, even though Cas thinks what’s going to happen is fate and can’t be subverted. Cas doesn’t personally act, but he gives Dean the idea that Dean then executes, leading Chuck to say “What are you doing here? I didn’t write this.” In 4.22, Dean pleads with Cas again. They again fight about the inescapability of destiny. This time, it’s Dean’s pleading but Cas’s actions—flying Dean out of the green room (somewhere Dean is incapable of escaping from on his own). Chuck says when they pop into his house, “Wait. T-t-this isn’t supposed to happen” and then “Yeah, but you guys aren’t supposed to be there. You’re not in this story”. In 5.22, after Lucifer takes Sam over (something that was foretold to happen in Detroit), Cas and Bobby despair, but Dean refuses to give up and calls Chuck, who says, “Oh, uh, Dean. Uh, wow. I, uh, I didn’t know that you’d call.” Then Dean goes to Stull Cemetery alone. However, the moment that Michael begins to walk up on Dean and says, “You little maggot. You are no longer a part of this story!” Guess who suddenly appears with a holy oil Molotov cocktail?

Dean and Cas are something Chuck seems to have a lot of trouble anticipating. I think this is true both individually and as a unit. Individually, Dean is the narrative heart, to an extent that his capacity for love is always exceeding the bounds that Chuck anticipates, leading to confounding leaps like showing up at Stull in "Swan Song" and dropping the gun in "Moriah" and saving the world with the power of love in 11.23. Dean in turn pleads with Cas with that heart, and Cas is angel with a crack in his chassis straight of the line. Naomi/Chuck cannot get Cas to do what he's "supposed" to do no matter how many times he's reprogrammed. He has Loving Dean Winchester/Humanity (same thing) Disease and it's incurable no matter how many lobotomies are attempted.

In the season 1-5 setting, Chuck is actually fairly hands off despite all of this being his prophecy foretold. He told the archangels that everything would end with Sam and Dean as the vessels for Lucifer and Michael (5.08) and Lucifer passed these stories on to his princes, and the angels and demons brought that prophecy to fruition—including with deliberate meddling in the Winchester/Campbell bloodline (5.13, 5.14). Heaven and hell act as Chuck's hands and feet, carrying out his plan out of desire and (in some cases) religious fanaticism. Because Chuck's so painstakingly worked on this narrative and everything is set up in advance, he can just watch it play out. When he interferes directly, it's actually to give Team Free Will a better shot at subverting him. Chuck only directly interferes in

4.22/5.01 to transport Sam and Dean to the plane, un-demon blood Sam, and resurrect Cas

5.22 to resurrect Cas again

All that said, I think season 1-5 is the original Chuck canon, which is subverted by Team Free Will working together, and most specifically, by Dean and Cas interfering in ways Chuck did not anticipate. And Chuck was fine with this. His narration at the end of "Swan Song" reveals that he's pleased, even if the story turned in a direction he didn't anticipate (maybe the Michael and Lucifer story started to bore him—they bore me, and him wanting Sam and Dean to mirror them so rigidly was rather uninspired).

I get the sense that Cas is probably a good litmus test for whether Chuck's entertained or not by the story subverting his expectations, because Cas is not "supposed" to be a part of the original story, but Chuck keeps bringing him back anyway. And yet, somewhere down the road, Cas falls wildly out of favor with Chuck, and Chuck is hurling rage at him for never doing as told—the very thing he seemed to like about Cas at first.

Maybe I'll see things that will make me change my mind as I work through seasons 7-10, but so far, I agree with you that season 6-10 seems to be a mostly "hands off" period, with Chuck only arguably interfering once, to bring Cas back a third time in season 7, depending on how seriously/literally you take Daphne's recollection of events in 7.17:

EMMANUEL/CASTIEL A few months ago, she was hiking by the river, and I wandered into her path, drenched and confused, and... unclothed. I had no memory. She said... God wanted her to find me.

It's not necessarily clear exactly where Chuck loses interest (or if for example, Cas might fall out of favor with Chuck before Sam and Dean do). Chuck shows up in season 10's "Fan Fiction" to see a play of his work, so he was clearly feeling fond enough to celebrate his handiwork in an very non-prestigious but intimate setting. But when Chuck shows up in season 11's "Don't Call Me Shurley", he talks to Metatron about traveling (to his other universes, perhaps?). Chuck's writing his memoir, and Metatron claims it's full of self-doubt and nebbishness. Chuck's apathy jumps out to Metraton quick too. Metatron criticizes Chuck for writing only two paragraphs on the archangels in his memoir, lending to the notion that Chuck had come to a point where they bored him. Metraton tries to remind him that Lucifer was his favorite because he rebelled, but Chuck then denies that Lucifer was ever even his favorite! He doesn't like this rebellion thing so much anymore... which might also tip his hand as far as how he's beginning to feel about Team Free Will. I think it's likely that Amara is the catalyst for his change of heart, but I'll have to wait until I circle back to season 11 to have a fully formed conclusion on this.

Then we get seasons 12-15 where—at least arguably—Chuck begins planting the seeds for a new final ending, trying to force Dean into the role of Michael—the son so loyal to him that he killed his own brother. The problem is that Dean's never really been like Michael, and that's the whole reason season 5 never worked. It's also the reason "Moriah" doesn't work. Lilith claims in season 15 that Chuck has a creepy obsession with Dean—Dean specifically. Dean whose loyal love fills Lucifer with such seething jealousy in "Swan Song" that he loses control of Sam's body just as Dean's pleading brings Sam's consciousness to the surface to fight. That same loving heart thaws Amara toward Chuck in 11.23, and I think Chuck... decides that he does not like this. It is something beyond his capacity to express or to anticipate and write around. It is transformative, causality-defying love, that ruined his original ending (and he's BORED and TIRED). And has given Cas Winchester Derangement Syndrome so he can't be controlled. He decides that he hates Dean Winchester's heart, and he tries to obliterate it out of existence and force Dean into the Michael role once and for all.

[phoenixremix69]

One thing i will always praise JJK for is how they handled the "Strongest" archetype

in so many stories, there will be a "strongest" of one thing or another only for it to be subverted later by either introducing someone just as or even stronger, or they were just being manipulated, thus once the manipulator shows up they're no longer a threat

Take Naruto for instance. Pein was supposed to be the ultimate big bad, the leader of the final villain group, the bearer of they eyes of the sage with godlike power at his fingertips. Then he dies and it's revealed that Obito was not only manipulating him, but he was stronger than Pein the whole time and could've ended him at any time. Then Madara comes back and you think "Oh, this is the guy, not only does he have the power, he's got the history and plot relevance to be the ultimate big bad," then he gets merced by a guy with no actual feats and replaced by Yet ANOTHER big bad this time with actually no relevance. Like none. Kaguya, never heard of her, but apparently she's responsible for everything bad that's ever happened ever.

Then let's take a look at All might and All For One. they're supposed to be the strongest hero and the strongest villain bar none. But it doesn't work for me personally because we never see them in their primes and we never actually see what they do. Like, sure All might supposedly waged a war on villainy that was so successful that Japan is one of the safest places to live period. But we never see any of it. Any time we see him fighting it just seems like one more battle until the next, like it doesn't seem like he's actually made a dent in crime rates. Hell, the second minor thugs hear there's even a chance they could take him on in the USJ, they take the chance. As for All For One, he never really seemed scary either, like he did evil things, he blew up that one chunk of a city, but he never felt like a main bad guy, he was like mid tier villainy for me. It doesn't help that most of his villainy was, for lack of a better term, retconned in. Oh yes, you were the one that fixed Dabi up, and made people racist against mutant quirks so they would turn to crime, and you gave Shiggy a quirk that would kill his parents and raised him to hate All might. Here's an idea. For your big comeback, blow up UA. Murder All Might on national TV. Interact with Deku once outside of battle. that would be a big bad thing to do, actually interact with the story

But not JJK. From the beginning of the story, we're told Gojo is the strongest sorcerer and Sukuna is the strongest curse, and that never changes. They feel big, every time they come out a city is wrecked. No one ever doubts that either of them would lose. Even Kenjaku, who is the usual manipulator,secret "I was in control the whole time," knows that the second Gojo gets close to him or Sukuna gets tired of him, he's dead. And it's not just the enemy sides that act like it, which really sells that they're threats. When Sukuna gets even slightly annoyed at Mahito for coming too close to his stuff, he backs off and never tries again. And the elders are constantly afraid and being reminded that Gojo is always about 5 seconds from just killing them all

[stromblessed]

pretty much all analysis naming Mel any kind of "flawed" character, villain, or as problematic in any way, is terrible analysis. which is a phenomenon that goes against all my instincts but it is so real all the energy and interest I possess leaves my body every time

the thing is, Mel is a hero, Mel's intentions in season 1 are not as pure as the driven snow, Mel benefited from class divide pre-canon and during canon, yet Mel would have benefited from war and colonialism pre-canon only for her to reject it, she is both noticeably "nice" to all the protagonists in season 2 and removed from most of the plot, she is so many things because of her story and because of her writers and (unfortunately) because of the fandom -

and these "nuanced" analyses of her flaws and negative impact on the narrative are worthless

i can't even explain it. i get one sentence in and it immediately sucks. doesn't matter how true or technically correct the words are. i would rather read my linear algebra textbook and make a fandom for eigenvectors than engage with any level of Mel "criticism" no matter how mild. it could be one sentence in an otherwise long and carefully thought-out essay and i will quit that thing faster than my anxiety medication makes me fall asleep

the fandom or the writers can call Mel a manipulator, a liar, a capitalist, a billionaire, a seductress, "benefiting from zaun just like all the privileged characters", "kind of mean that one time, she should've been more polite" - whatever anyone can dream up - as many times as they want, and it won't be anything the entire fandom hasn't seen approximately 1,000 times since 2021. and it won't be anything every person who consumes any kind of media hasn't seen approximately 10,000 times since we each took our first breath in this world - when that media has women in it

why push this same analysis over and over again. what do you get out of this. does it make everybody feel smart to point out the obvious without bothering to go even one level deeper. do you think it makes her character more interesting to equate well-recognized surface-level negative tropes with negative morality, even when all of those tropes are either actively subverted or massively outweighed by her true role in the story? (it doesn't.) no amount of pointing at and highlighting and underlining Mel's morality or lack thereof will make her any less of an interesting character worth loving and engaging with, and she is probably the most interesting character in the entire show even considering season 2. it won't make the other characters around her "better" by comparison either. nor will it make competing ships more compelling or more justified

[writerthreads]

Stuck in the middle of writing a scene, a chapter or your WIP? Read this!

By Writerthreads on Instagram

Stuck in the middle of a scene? Unsure of where the plot is going? Here are some tricks to hopefully get you back on track!

Find ideas from existing world-building

Did you sprinkle in some interesting world-building that you can extend on? You can re-read your previous chapters to find inspiration from side-characters or events that were briefly mentioned.

For example, in my WIP there's a corporation that recently acquired another one. Maybe the CEO is secretly scheming against the MC, or maybe a side character gets laid off as a result of the merger. Plot ensues.

Subvert expectations

Instead of allowing your characters to fall into cliches or common tropes (which is still completely fine and fun to read if done right!), let them do the unexpected. For example, if there's only one bed, what if the MCs magically double the bed? Of if there's a prophecy about the MC going on a quest to save the world, what if they choose to completely ignore it and decide to continue with their lives until they're forced to go on a quest? (This is what happens to my MC lol.) Subverting expectations makes the plot so much more fun and original, but if the trope is done right, it's equally satisfying. I'll always love the one bed trope for obvious reasons :)

Put them in the worst possible situation

This is a popular tip, but it works! Think of what would be worst possible thing that could happen to your characters, and what they will do to get out of that situation. This allows your readers to see how different characters react, grow, and bounce back in their own ways.

Adding gravity to the plot also allows your readers to fear for the characters, especially if you've allowed the readers to develop an attachment to them.

Ask yourself 'what if?'

Ask yourself 'what if', and put your characters in different scenarios. For example, what if a member of the crew gets injured, or they all get lost? What would be an interesting situation that would hook readers and keep them reading?

Find inspiration from external sources

When I'm stuck, I like to put on songs with certain emotions or plots (Taylor Swift is a tried and tested one that works so well for me, but then again I do have a T Swift addiction). Some people keep dream journals for when they wake up with the most unhinged plot lines that they imagined asleep.

Share with friends

Don't suffer from inspiration drought alone! Talk to your friends, writers, readers, or otherwise, and ask them for advice. Explain what's going on in your WIP and where you're stuck on, and ask them for help. Two heads (or multiple heads) really is better than just one.

Hope these tips help, because they certainly work for me. Happy writing!

[morallysuperiorlips]

The Morally Superior Guide to Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing. You probably hear the word and nod excitedly. Or, you shudder in fear. Whatever your relationship is with the concept, I'm here to break it down for you.

So, how do you foreshadow?

1.) Start by pinpointing what it is you want to foreshadow. Whether it's a huge plot twist or a conflict outcome, you should always know what your end goal is, and what you want to be prepping your readers for.

2.) Then, figure out what type of foreshadowing you're interested in using. Consider the following:

Direct: You explicitly state what is to come. This might come in the form of a prophecy, or a character stating their fears for the future, etc.

Indirect: You hint at what is to come with small details and actions that eventually build up into the final point. This might come in the form of subtle imagery, symbolism, and other literary devices.

Invisible: A variant of indirect foreshadowing, you present information as not seeming pertinent to what you're foreshadowing, only for it to make sense once your foreshadowed event happens.

Parallel: You craft scenes throughout your story to mirror the final outcome.

3.) From there, come up with what you want to do to convey these points. Ask yourself the following:

Can my character say something that hints at an outcome?

Is there an in-story item I can use to point toward an outcome?

Are there setting details that I can focus on that might convey an outcome?

Are there ways I can throw a reader off if things start to become too obvious (also known as Red Herrings)?

Once you have the answers to these questions, find places in your plot that you can work them into.

4.) As you're working your foreshadowing into your story, utilize repetition wisely. You can reinforce your dropped hints here and there by revisiting them in different contexts throughout your story. Try your best to make sure your drops aren't too close together, as too much repetition of the same idea in a short stretch can botch your reveal. Find different aspects of your desired reveal to point toward throughout your story, as to ensure you're not focusing on the same detail over and over again.

5.) Use those Red Herrings to subvert expectations. Even in the case of direct foreshadowing, like an explicit prophecy or comment, Red Herrings can help build a sense of anticipation. For more indirect foreshadowing, it can throw your reader off your outcome's scent, making it a much bigger reveal when it happens.

I hope this short guide helps you foreshadow the most foreshadowable stuff! Which reminds me...GO WRITE.

(If you like my guides, prompts, writing, or art, consider supporting the blog today! All donations help me keep this thing up and running and all are appreciated <3)

[accio-victuuri]

one day i will write a proper per episode post about yibo’s show, but right now, just sharing some really heart felt reactions from people who watched the documentary. 🫶🏼

yibo is so easy to love if you just give him the chance!

(P1) "exploring the unknown" is a must-see for every postgraduate candidate preparing for the exam. I originally watched it with the mentality of watching a documentary about wilderness science, but after watching it, I realized that I was narrow-minded. This is not just a documentary about survival in the wilderness. In the journey of exploring the unknown, we are often driven by a desire to conquer, eager to challenge the limits and prove our strength. However, there is such a documentary that subverts the traditional concept of exploration. It is not about how to conquer nature, but about how to coexist harmoniously with nature and how to love every inch of land on this planet. The protagonist of this documentary is none other than Wang Yibo. He was not challenging the authority of nature, but challenging his own limits. I really like what he said: "I never believed that I couldn't complete it, it was just a matter of time." This sentence really gave me a lot of thoughts. Looking back at the time when I was taking the postgraduate entrance examination, if I had seen such a documentary, I would really have less anxiety. In the process of the examination, everyone is challenging their own limits. Because I took the postgraduate entrance examination relatively late at that time, I didn't have much time left. At that time, I was anxious and uneasy. Fortunately, I met a group of very good people at that time, which allowed me to quickly get out of anxiety. The postgraduate entrance examination is a long and challenging process, which requires you to have a firm will and good qualities.

(P2) In order to get to know my daughter's idol better, I watched it again..."Exploring the Unknown" made us feel a different Wang Yibo.

In the past, we felt more about him in film and television works, and documentaries are different from film and television works, because the characters in film and television works are more about the plot settings, while the characters in documentaries are closer to the characters themselves. But the documentary is different from ordinary documentaries. It is not just about recording scenes and processes, but about challenging and experiencing the extreme geographical environment.

First of all, you must have the courage to challenge, and dare to challenge, especially when facing an unknown and uncontrollable environment, people will involuntarily produce fear, which really tests the courage and courage of the participants, and in "Exploring the Unknown", Wang Yibo showed it vividly, allowing us to feel the power from him. Just like what Wang Yibo said in the film, "I used to think that every time I did something new, the first time in my life would become less, but after trying, I found that there would be infinite first times. Secondly, you need to have super physical fitness. The complex natural environment of Ba Wang Ling, what you will encounter and what will happen in the process of chasing gibbons are all unpredictable and uncontrollable, and the necessary condition to face it calmly is that your physical fitness must be absolutely super. Long-distance hiking and swimming, Wang Yibo's super physical fitness is fully displayed. Super physical fitness is not trained overnight, nor is it obtained by persistence for one or two years. It is the result of more than ten years of accumulation, perseverance and self-discipline. It also shows the superhuman perseverance.

(P3) I have a new understanding of the stars my daughter likes. Last night, I watched the documentary "Exploring the Unknown" created by Wang Yibo. This is the first time I have watched a star program carefully from beginning to end. Although Wang Yibo's name has worn calluses on my ears, why do I say that? Because my daughter is his die-hard fan. After watching the program last night, I really got to know him and it really touched me. In the Hainan Bawangling Nature Reserve with a temperature of up to 35 degrees, we all know that the temperature is 35 degrees, but people may feel nearly 45 degrees. At the same time, they are also tested by various animals. In such an environment, in order to throw a rope to the opposite tree, he threw it for a whole hour, doing repeated actions again and again, and thinking about the skills and strength of the actions again and again. In the middle, the explorer said to take a break and come back, but he did not stop and still insisted on throwing it down. Seeing this makes me admire him, and it makes me understand why he can succeed. His tenacity, perseverance, his determination to achieve his goal, his fearlessness of hardships, and his courage in the face of adversity are destined to make him successful. He is the spiritual representative of the younger generation. I remember his donations and on-site disaster relief during the 21st flood in Henan. He is a public figure with a sense of responsibility and mission. So my daughter likes him, which makes me feel relieved. Because I believe that she can definitely draw more positive energy from Wang Yibo, because she likes him, she will definitely make herself better.

[rosifire]

Obligatory “I don’t have a problem with CaitVi” but I think, for me, their story (separate from their own personal character arcs) would/will be more compelling if it ends up being irreparable between them.

I think Arcane is good at subverting expectations and tropes; the most memorable example I can think of is in S1E3 where Powder follows after Vi and the boys to save Vander. We’ve all seen the “friends are in trouble, but the plucky young hero comes in at the nick of time to save them against all odds” plot twist—but Arcane subverts that. In fact, Powder’s involvement and her monkey bomb finally working is the thing that, tragically, leads to Claggor and Mylo’s death, Vi’s injury, Vander’s death(?), so on and so forth. It worked, but it didn’t work. And to me, that's the tragedy of it. That good intentions weren't enough.

So, personally, I see a setup between Caitlyn and Vi: the Romeo and Juliet archetype, two initially-begrudging people working together amongst classism and prejudice, and finding companionship against all odds. Class, wealth, opportunity separates them; Caitlyn is a scion of one of Piltover’s most influential and powerful families, and Vi is… a nobody from the Undercity, wrongfully imprisoned, when they first meet. It’s a way for them to both see that the “other side” isn’t as bad as they’ve always been told. That there are Good People on either side of the bridge. That, hell, love can be found, too.

But oftentimes, I believe this trope in particular ignores a lot of the real-world factors that could come into play with a friendship or relationship that “defies” station. The fact is, Caitlyn does come from a world of privilege, and Vi is treated differently by Caitlyn’s peers. The whole of Season two, Vi has been referred to as one of the “good ones”. Maddie explicitly says that it's good to know that there are still "good ones" around. The implication that you’re not like them. Time and time again, Vi is treated like an Other. A “good” other, but an other all the same. She's welcome in Piltover, but only just - and only when Caitlyn vouches for her. And at the climax of their story thus far, Caitlyn outright says to her, “I keep telling myself that you're different. but you're not. It's [Jinx's] blood in your veins”. I'm sure grief and anger are a part of why she says this, but that's becoming a catalyst for the discrimination she seems to be steadily believing in more and more. Whether or not she ends up meaning this, it's a ghastly thing to say.

And with the way things are developing with Caitlyn, who is actively weaponizing her privilege and power, and who is very quickly going down a very dangerous and fascist path, I don’t know if their relationship could — or should! — be rectified. She's a cop, and a very privileged one at that. I don’t know if this is a love that could “defy all odds”, and in my opinion, I think it would be more interesting, and more compelling, if it didn’t.

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

I don't know if this is really an anti booktok question as such, but what do you think fanfiction might look like, now that authors are writing published books that come across as fanfiction? I think it's an interesting phenomenon and honestly kind of concerning because fanfiction is, well, free. But now people who've never read fanfiction are splashing money on these books for tropes and plots that fanfiction authors have been writing for decades and I feel like fanfiction authors are kind of...being disrespected because the only things they give are their time and passion, meanwhile we have published books being written in these ways (usually) solely for money. I wonder if fanfiction will end up being written more like the standards we apply to published books (though I think the tropey fanfictions that were unwillingly commercialised won't be going away any time soon).

My perspective is that of a fanfic author (who hates Booktok) so take this with several grains of salt.

I think the fanfic vs Booktok phenomenon is hugely interesting. I find it so funny that the people who praise Booktok again and again for their, quite frankly, shitty writing, mountains of tropes and vanilla characters are the same who think that fanfiction is cringe and shame it for the exact same thing they like. It's turned these tropey things that fans like to indulge in into something popular, while excluding the fans that who wrote these fanfics.

Fanfic originally was used to subvert the tropes of mainstream media (often the media they were writing fanfic of) usually with amateur writing that was meant to be enjoyed not praised. However, with recent Booktok authors using fanfic as a template for their books, they dilute the quality of the works being published, because their goal isn't to write something good, or even to communicate a perspective, but rather to find an audience and find an audience alone. Books lose their individuality and even fear broaching political topics in fear of being disagreed with, unpopularised or cancelled (Rather ironic, since writing has historically been a very political medium).

Also, fanfic has been a haven for POC, disabled, queer people (literally anyone who isn't white, Christian, abled, rich... you get the idea) because it allows them to tell stories that would otherwise not get heard because promoting those topics aren't considered marketable (which is so weird to me but then again discrimination doesn't surprise me). With Booktok, authors took these stories of people being discriminated and wrote a half baked fanfic of their work that can be used to ask the question "wait, is discrimination...bad?" without actually asking it, giving the opinion of the author, or going in depth with it. (To be clear, I have no problem with metaphors and analogies, but it seems to me nowadays that instead of using metaphors to communicate new ideas with ease to a reader, they're used to reiterate old themes without being controversial). Authors love an underdog story, until the underdog character in question is you know... actually discriminated against IRL.

I really, really don't like the state of literature right now. I do agree that fanfic authors (well, at least me) tend to feel pressure to write more novel-length, high quality stories rather than just indulge in fanfic. The pressure mainly comes from "(insert bestselling book of the early 2000s) was initially a fanfic and it was so good, so all fanfic should adhere to that quality!" for obvious reasons, there are several things wrong with this. 1. the book they're refereeing to usually aren't that good but nostalgia keeps them from believing otherwise, and 2. these books still go through a fair bit of editing before they get published. While the editing might not change the trope or story itself entirely it enhances writing and helps with spelling errors and add to the small stuff that really make a difference. Fic readers except every fic they come across to be a 100k word slowburn with their favourite characters and their favourite tropes, and this puts the pressure on fic writers to write for the readers instead of themselves, which loses the essence of fanfic entirely (not to mention, authors nowadays have this pressure too, because of how intertwined fanfic and publishing is becoming).

Personally, I love reading the tropey fanfics that people consider bad. I like writing for myself, for the ships I like, for the fandom I like, for the length I want to and choosing whether or not I should finish a piece of work people have no right to complain about. It's free, and as the golden rule of fandom goes: don't like, don't read. I'd like to add another: don't expect. Fanfic isn't tailored for anyone except the writer. And that's how it should be! Creative expression without worrying about being good lit or not. A shame what trad publishing and fanfic has become.

Thank you so much for the ask! I must admit, it has been a while but I'm grateful for the Booktok question, especially a fanfic-related one where I can talk about my opinions as a fic writer, LOL.

[remus-poopin]

What are your top HP fics based on writing? Like things that are just beautiful to read

Wow I think I’m answering this 3 months late sorry aghh. Again, I don’t read as many fics as I would like to, but I’ve been changing that recently and these are 4 that have really stood out to me in terms of writing!

Savour the Moment by - @evesaintyves

This fic made me both sad and hungry

This is a truly beautiful portrait of Molly and her relationship with Ginny. I really love how effortlessly this weaves in the food and cooking imagery with the emotions of the characters. The descriptions are so detailed and vivid that you can practically taste the cakes and pies off of the words alone.

Grief is hanging over this fic heavy, grief from Molly with her brothers and grief yet to come from Ginny. These two very different women, who also feel things very differently, have an extremely engaging back and forth of attempted connections. Both of them want it but aren’t able to easily get there with each other, and that struggle was very compelling to me.

Really such a great fic, I always find myself coming back to it

Favorite quotes:

“Molly has always tasted her memories. Perhaps that's why she's always been a bit thick round the middle: food relishes the good times, is the physical stuff of love. Ever since she was a little girl: plum pudding was Christmas and summers were cherry ice cream and chocolate flake. The time she broke her ankle jumping down from a tree, to this day, is the chalk flavor of Skele-Gro and a limp cucumber sandwich from the St Mungo's cafeteria. Her mother is sweet milky tea and her father is cottage pie with mushrooms, his favourite, flavoured with the smoke of his pipe in the air.”

“She learned to cook at her own mother's elbow and she is full of warm, creamy, ginger-flavoured memories of it. But Ginny's never liked being in the kitchen with her mum. She wants to be out with the boys, flying on broomsticks, getting jostled and scraped and braying coarse laughter through a mouthful of blood. That's why, when she thinks about Ginny, it's not the cream tea and swiss roll flavours she expected when she learned she was finally having a girl. It's rain-drenched popcorn at the Quidditch match and the salt of a kiss on Ginny's sweaty, gritty forehead.”

Sparkling Cyanide - @saintsenara

The house elf plot-line in the hp books leaves MUCH to be desired when it comes to fully and unequivocally condemning slavery. Due to this, you might find that me and my black ass are, shockingly, not its biggest fans.

However this fic is a brilliant look into elves’ oppression and enslavement AND their culture and agency.

This fic focuses on the death of Hepzibah Smith and the conditions surrounding and leading up to it. Specifically the subjugation of Elves and how that system encourages the idea of them as docile, unintelligent, and submissive (And how this perception can be wielded against the wizards that enslave them).

What I find so striking about this fic is how language is centered as a tool to illustrate the functions of colonial mindsets. I think this does a fantastic job at subverting the trope of “improper English = stupidity” that HP uses so frequently.

This was an extremely satisfying and moving read!

Favorite quotes:

“Come quickly and stop faffing,’ Mes Ebhsebbá says to Eokhí. She is clicking her fingers at Eokhí, like there is magic in her fingers. There is magic in Eokhí’s fingers. She is able to make the whole house fall to the ground if she is wanting to.”

“They is not knowing that we is knowing how to take the lives we is wanting from them. And that is why they is not thinking about how many weapons they is putting in kitchens.”

The Seven names of Mrs Zabini - @artemisia-black

And if I said that she did nothing wrong then what?

I’ve mentioned this fic several times before but I don’t think I’ll ever be over it. The way this is written is actually masterful; the attention to details, the poetic language, the characterization. I’m going to scream.

There is just something about this fic that entrances me. This is actually my favorite genre of story, the “good for her!” category, and whenever I read/watch these I go temporarily insane.

Because this is in first person we’re really getting into Mrs. Zabini’s mindset and the traumas that inform it, and this is extremely effective/convincing in making you stay on her side even while she is committing cold blooded murder.

Another thing I love about this is how the actual murders are so casually placed in the story, in comparison with how rich the rest of the imagery that Mrs. Zabini is describing. It’s almost like an afterthought. It makes her sound so much colder and more calculating than if there was a long depiction of each individual killing, so I thought that was a really brilliant writing choice.

If you love Gone Girl definitely give this a read!

Favorite quotes:

“There is a reason that Venus herself emerges from her half shell as a fully formed woman, blinking naively into existence. This is what men actually desire, a goddess who knows nothing of the world and so is more easily amused by the trinkets he throws at her. A divine being who is blissfully unaware of her own divinity. A being who had no thought but him and who cannot function outside of him.”

“I had gone to my wedding bed expecting a transformative experience where his penis would alchemise me from a girl into a woman. An expectation I had imbibed from a society that exalts the wonder of the male member. Instead, as I lay there shivering with his rotten seed running down my leg, I felt used and disgusted at the man I had been condemned to spend the rest of my life servicing”

“And as I rattled around our isolated country house, I believed him. Hiding myself from mirrors, starving my body in order to obtain the concave stomach and taut thighs that he so desired. But when I corrected one perceived flaw, he would find another. Peppering his insults with crumbs of tenderness that lured and trapped me in reality of his making.”

The Secret in the Heart of the Forest by @myrskytuuli

This one has it all: accidental cannibalism, ancient rituals, Snape sass, feral Lily, elf politics, generational trauma, fairy induced psychosis, and most importantly the Marauders + Sev and Lily + Regulus and Narcissa all teamed up. Oh yeah I’m eating this up

This one is longer than the others so I’m really going to try to make this as brief as I can but this fic is actually insane because it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a hp fic and I think I could talk about it forever.

I was genuinely so giddy reading this. There were so many twists and turns and it remained gripping the whole time. This is a psychedelic fever dream, introspective character study, horror adventure and a beautiful tale of friendship all wrapped in one. I absolutely loved everyone’s characterization here, they’re all so beautifully flawed and you can really understand where they are coming from on a personal level but also on a sociological level, I think the author did a MASTERFUL job at this.

The worldbuilding is INSANELY good (the interlude chapters revolving around each of their mothers made me cry repeatedly. And Elieens chapter is just incredible, I have no words). And the pacing is just excellent, I never felt like any of the growth was forced or unearned.

This storytelling is also amazing, whenever there was a theme or reference brought up before in the story that got tied back in again, my mouth would physically drop because it was so seamless yet so meaningful and impactful.

(Sorry but I just need to talk about characterization for a brief minute because this has some of my favorite characterizations that I’ve ever read of some of these characters:

This is my absolute favorite Lily. Like ever. She feels so real here with her anger and flaws and quirks. She is neither villainized nor deified but a full fleshed out character. I just love her!

This is also my favorite James! James is usually a tough character for me to stay engaged with but this fic does an excellent job at balancing his strengths and flaws while keeping him compelling.

This Snape is PERFECT!!! I actually don’t think I can describe how much I love this depiction, all I can say is if you’re a Snape lover who enjoys him being a lil shit you should read this.

Also Peter is just incredible here, too often is he forgotten but this fic really does him justice.

Ok I’ll stop but just know that I could go on and on about all of these characters)

And seeing these characters who would normally hate each other come together to build meaningful bonds while they grow with their own issues is actually cathartic.

If you are a Marauder and Snape fan this is required reading, I really can’t recommend this enough!

Favorite quotes (there were way too many omg):

“Sirius had been angry for a long time now. Sometimes Sirius wondered if he had been born angry, if his first cry had never truly ended”

“Remus had said nothing after that. He was becoming a champion of saying nothing.”

“‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘I won’t forgive what you did to me.’ Severus said back with conviction.

‘Good.’ Sirius said with equal conviction.”

“At this point, Lily had arrived like the loyal shadow she tended to be around Snape, spitting out an angry ‘What the fuck?’”

“Sometimes he burned with the need to yank himself free of Lily and the blade of love hanging between them. To hurt her when she stepped over Severus' abused body like an avenging angel that looked down at him and made him look small, dirty, used and worthless. A worm crawling in the mud.”

Ok that’s all for now! I definitely think you should give all these a read!!