#the unfair criticism in both fandoms is so tiring to me
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thebauologist · 3 months ago
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the evolution backlash reminds me of the mcu fandom post endgame where fans were never satisfied of the newer characters and projects post endgame so marvel now has to rely on nostalgia from past films (especially the marvel films from the early 2000s) to please those fans and I'm seeing it again with cm with the reid cameo in s18. There's consecutive criticism and then there's demanding things that are impossible to bring in evolution
Yessss! It's so similar. Especially the nostalgia making fans praise projects and characters from the past in unwarranted ways and be overly critical of every new character and project. It's one thing to be constructive but mcu and cm fans rarely give constructive criticism. It's okay to be subjective but fans take it way too far most of the time.
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barblaz-arts · 7 months ago
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I know you've been making a lot of art of it lately, but out of curiosity, what's your opinion on Hazbin Hotel in general? I'm referring to both the show and the fandom here. Just curious.
God. What a loaded question. Are you ready? Bcuz I'm fresh from Vaggie discourse on twitter and I have a lot to say.
I think that Hazbin Hotel seems worse than it is for people who know the fandom but haven't actually watched the show. Honestly, I think it's a fine show. It isnt super incredible and I'm not gonna sing praises about how deep and thought provoking it is or whether it's an artistic masterpiece. It never tried to be that and was never advertised as such(to my knowledge) anyway. I just had a lot of fun. Like, yeh sure the cussing in the dialogue can be a bit much, especially in ep 1, but there are different writers in other episodes, so it gets better. It can be super crude yeh, but I grew up watching things like the Scary Movie franchise and other dumb american movies (yes, i was too young for them. yes, i still watched them), so it's pretty tolerable for me. It also helps that Charlie is the main character. That's one of the main reasons why I watch HH but dont watch HB. It's probably a fun show, but without a sweetheart like Charlie to balance things out, I'd just get tired of the sex jokes and mean jokes.
Compared to my last hyperfixation, I think I have more things to love about Hazbin Hotel, believe it or not. With Netflix's Wednesday, I had already been an Addams Family fan for a while and hung on because I loved the family and eventually Enid and wenclair. The show itself was honestly meh... so far! I'll give season 2 another shot.
But with Hazbin Hotel, it catered to a lot of things I've always loved. Found family with a bunch of misfits? We didnt get to see it much bcuz of the fuckass 8-ep per season format we have nowadays, but its fine its there! The juxtaposition of a kind hearted woman in a harsh world? Love love Charlie for that, I watched the show in the first place because of her. A canon lesbian lover with a "fuck the world cuz my world is you" type of love for the protag? Fuck yes. How very Pearl-from-Steven-Universe of Vaggie. And the music? The music is soooo good. I didn't know the songwriter prior to watching, so I was nervous about the songs, but I knew most of the theater actors they cast(still cant believe Jeremy fucking Jordan is Lucifer) so I figured even if the songs are mid, at least the performances would be topnotch. And they were! But the songs were a pleasant surprise. Sam Haft did real damn well. I still listen to the soundtrack to this day.
The fandom, however, is probably the worst one I've been in. And I've been in a lot in my big age... Just... lacking media literacy, and based on the replies I get when I say something on twitter, it seems a lot of them lack reading comprehension and just plain emotional intelligence too.
There's a lot of criticisms about this show that I honestly think is fair. Pacing, character design, overuse of the F word, whatever. But in my opinion, claiming that Hazbin is a male-centered show is an unfair misconception that is mostly the fault of the fandom.
Bcuz, sure, the male characters are uber popular. Alastor, Vox, Lucifer, Angel Dust and the many web of ships they're involved in went trending every few business days. But come on now. How often does a fandom even have their main protag as the most talked about character? This has been going on for ages. Just because the boys have the most merch and fics and fanarts and thirsty fans doesn't mean that they had the spotlight for most of the show itself. It only meant that they were the ones the viewers paid attention to, in a fandom filled with people drooling over the next tumblr sexyman and toxic yaoi ship of the month.
But if you actually look back at what the show gave us so far, the boys didnt outshine the women. I actually think the women got to do more and be more as characters than the men did. Let's take a look at the male characters.
Alastor was not in all the episodes. In fact, he was MIA in two out of the eight episodes. In all the episodes he was in, he was a mere side character. His purpose in season one was to stir the pot and be the intriguing mystery that occasionally quips. But he was not the one whose deeper thoughts were explored and whose character and goals was challenged THROUGHOUT the show, merely alluded to at the VERY END of the season, which is hardly him taking the spotlight away from Charlie. If you merely looked at the fan content of him, you'd think he were a father figure to Charlie(or a love interest. whatever) and that he has developed a soft spot for the Hazbins deep down in that cannibal heart of his. But if you pay attention to the show, he never had even a meaningful one on one conversation with the Hazbins. The only time that happened is when (a)he threatened Husk's life (b)when he constantly mocked Charlie while she was down in the dumps and used this as an opportunity to manipulate her and (b)when he told Niffty watching the crew sure can "make one sentimental", even tho he had taken no prior opportunity to bond with them! There's no foundation for all the fandom's claims that he could be redeemed bcuz of a budding fondness for the group, but that's all you see of his fan content(aside from the horniness). I dont have any problem with his lack of an actual relationship with the Hazbins bcuz I believe redemption for him is not what the show is going for, but it's frustrating to see people interpreting it that way BUT not seeing how horridly developed it would be if that is the case, meanwhile they turn around and say that Vaggie and Chaggie as a ship "had terrible development".
Then we have the male Vees. Vox was only ever in episode two, and was essentially a youtube reactor in episode 8. He was in ep 4 but had no speaking lines. We only know of his obsession with Alastor and the toxic relationship he has with Val. Val, meanwhile, is merely shown as the sex obsessed fiend behind Hell's sex industry and Angel's abuse. They did what they needed to do with minimal screentime. It was fine, but that's IT. Despite what little CANON gave so far, you have hundreds of people writing essays and fics and fanarts about them being complicated characters. But to reiterate, this does not mean that they are bad characters or that they don't deserve the fame. But to say that these men are better written within canon than the women is such a bold statement when most of the depth they knew of these characters were lore drops given before the show and their own speculations as they dug into the shallow soil of what the show has so far.
I'm not gonna speak about Angel and Lucifer. Because I think they were characters who were legitimately well-explored so far.
Now onto the women. So many of them were given the opportunity to have their characters challenged or given the agency to push characters and the plot forward or give you intrigue about implications of what's to come for the characters and the plot. I've talked a lot about Charlie and Vaggie. So let me talk about the other, terribly underrated women of Hazbin.
Velvette and Carmilla were the ones who advanced the subplot in the war against Heaven. Because of Carmilla's love for her family despite being a demon, an angel was killed. It gave Heaven the excuse to escalate things, but it also gave Charlie hope later on in the season that they're not powerless. Carmilla was also the first demon shown to make selfless actions that is contrary to what is expected of demons, making it proof that Charlie's belief that demons deserve a second chance isn't unwarranted. She's an interesting character, as an overlord who hangs on to power but clearly has morals. But how often do you see people writing essays about her? Eating up the fact that she's a powerful overlord but would sacrifice anything for her daughters? If Carmilla were a man, hundreds of girlies would be drooling over the crime boss who has a soft spot for his daughters.
Meanwhile, Velvette got to demonstrate why exactly she's an Overlord despite being the youngest demon in there. She's calculating and observant. She gives off a haughty vibe and constantly boasts about how she's young and fresh, but she isn't naive. During that meeting, she paid attention to Carmilla and Zestial's relationship. In order to find out who killed the angel, she riled everyone up, and when she got the feeling it was Carmilla, she mocked Zestial so that Carmilla could slip up. By playing these Overlords who are older and more experienced than her, Velvette showed what exactly her asset was to the Vees and why she's a threat, something that Vox and Val have yet to be given the opportunity to do when they were busy eye-fucking Alastor and literally fucking Angel. But in fan content about the Vees, Velvette is almost treated as an after thought to the boys...
Then we have the Seraphs. Not only were their designs gorgeous, their dynamic and presence as characters had impact to the plot and main characters.
Emily is a much needed character to show that this story isn't meant to tell you that Heaven = bad; Hell = good. There is good and bad in both, and it is so important for the protags to know that they have an ally in Emily who represents the true virtues that heaven is supposed to uphold. And I love the confrontation she had with Sera when her own view of what's right and good was challenged. We got to see the strength of her character and started the seeds of what could be heaven's acceptance of Charlie's goals.
Sera is such an interesting character to me. She was also important to show that not all angels were sadistic like Adam and Lute, but not in the same way Emily was. I have no idea so far which direction this show would go with her. But I'm intrigued by the fact that she seems to be driven by fear, unlike Adam and Lute's cruelty. She knew Lucifer and was there when he was cast out for his disobedience. Whether everything she's doing is to prevent that from happening again remains to be seen, and I'm looking forward to this kind of subplot for her.
And then Rosie! I really really look forward to seeing more from her. Spoilers aside, something I barely see people talk about is how interesting it is that Rosie is every bit the leader that Charlie hopes to be. Rosie is able to be a respected overlord in her own faction without needing to sacrifice her love for showmanship and music and her positive disposition. When we were officially introduced to her, they show how she seems to care about actually taking care of her people, not JUST ordering them around, by talking to them personally and giving advice. That's exactly what Charlie wanted to do for her people, isn't it? The hotel to Charlie was what the emporium was to Rosie. They have a lot of similarities that could set up for Rosie to be the one to teach Charlie in becoming a leader. Now whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen, but it is rather compelling.
So yeah! With all that said, I really dont think this show ignores its women at all. Just because a bigger part of the fandom gravitated towards the men doesn't necessarily mean its a misogynistic show so far. But if certain people are claiming that the women are badly written, then I hope they also own up to the fact that their blorbos are just as shallowly presented within the show, maybe even more so. Which wouldn't even be a bad thing! Since when did a show or character have to be amazingly written for a person to like them? That's just no fun at all. All I'm saying is... Fuck this fandom's double standards, hiding behind claims that it's the writing's fault when the problem is they couldn't be bothered to think about the women.
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ilikekidsshows · 4 months ago
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“I’ve been seeing an increasing number of people who, while not actively criticizing Marinette, are also becoming tired of how the show expects them to constantly sympathize with her over characters who have it just as bad or worse than her.”
Hey, it’s me! Gosh, I used to love Marinette. I still do, but it’s becoming harder and harder bearing her when I see her on screen. I’ve always been adamant on drawing a hard like between canon and fanon, and usually I get along well with both. It’s cool to have fun like that. I don’t think I’ve ever hated anything like I hate ML now. To make matter worse, while I don’t agree with some Marinette salters, a part of her defense squad is unbearable. I’ve actually seen people complain that her treatment is unfair and she’s always getting blamed for shit she didn’t do, and I’m like – where? She has a perfect life. She’s got a lot of support – her parents, her friends, her boyfriend. “Marinette getting blamed for everything” you mean taking responsibility for her own action? I’m always getting tired of people arguing she’s just a kid. So are the others. What’s your point?
---
Yeah, let’s not kid ourselves: Marinette is the most favored protagonist of any kid hero show, no matter how much the Maripologists cry about how every episode is making the fandom hate Marinette more. This "villain arc" Marinette is on is laying it on really thick how Marinette is the one really suffering here and she deserves all the understanding, patience and forgiveness in the world because she was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning she breaks her legs, and every afternoon, she breaks her arms. At night she lies awake in agony until her heart attacks put her to sleep.
Like, any "suffering" Marinette gets put through is as temporary as the writers can possibly make it. Miraculous is like a hurt/comfort fic where the point is to feel oh-so-bad for Marinette every time anything happens, until we get the relief and catharsis of her pain being taken away by it all being a misunderstanding or her getting easily forgiven for any "mistake". But, like, it all rings so hollow with almost all of Marinette's problems being caused by her own actions and attitude and the diminishing returns have been diminished until there's only practically vapors left.
Maripologists are being delivered Marinette shilling and validation and pandering up the wazoo even as they complain about how she’s being mistreated by the writers who couldn’t be more clear about favoring her if they tried. They get to live out their victim fantasies of loving the "underdog character" the fandom and writers hate without said character actually being the underdog. It's a win-win.
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confess-for-botw-totk · 1 month ago
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Why is criticizing Zelda attacking her? Why is it anytime someone speaks up about BotW Zelda’s behavior towards Link, they get told they are being horribly unfair and just are completely getting things wrong? I’m sorry, but I get tired of hearing people get so butthurt defensive over BotW Zelda whenever someone has an issue with her. I am trying to say this as kindly as I can, but every time someone lessens Zelda’s actions towards Link by comparing or imagining their own scenarios that make her look better that are not canon, I like BotW Zelda less.
And this isn’t a shipping thing. I could care less who ends up with whom. Let Zelda end up with Link. Sure, why not? They’re fictional, and people can ship whatever they want. Doesn’t make me less annoyed by her behavior or how so much of the fandom seems determined to excuse all of it because “she was sorry” or “it wasn’t really that bad” or “it was because Hylia wouldn’t activate her powers.” Especially when I think that if she was anyone else, like Revali, she wouldn’t be excused for her actions or have them minimized. Criticizing behavior by a female character isn’t some horrible thing, and acting like it is is so annoying when there is merit to the criticism.
People don’t like Revali for his behavior even when he aids Link with his champion ability or helps against Calamity Ganon in the end. And those people are allowed to dislike him. That’s the point. But someone dislikes Zelda for taking out her honestly understandable frustrations on Link for a sustained period of time because it wasn’t fair to him and made his own burden heavier, and her fans act like that person is overreacting and being unfair. It feels hypocritical and really frustrating.
Let people dislike and criticize characters, female or male, as they see it. You can disagree with their critique of course, but stop acting like that critique is an attack on your darling character that has no merit unless it actually does have no merit. Erasing canon to suit your take does not help you prove your point. Nor is dismissing the opposing point out of hand.
Revali and Zelda both acted as jerks before the Calamity in different ways, and they both do better in different ways and to different extents. People can like and dislike both for their own personal reasons. Please stop trying to act like one’s actions are excusable and the other’s is not. Both ways.
_*_
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youngparadisedonut · 11 months ago
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Hello 👋🏽 so this might not sound like I’m complementing you but I am
When I first found your page I just thought you were a hater with no life.. I think I found you when season four aired and I saw you talking about the Iris situation and let me just say I think I hold the crown for the biggest Carlos hater during season 4, they made me hate him but everytime I would look at your page I would be like we get it so why are you talking about him this much then. I wasn’t really involved in the fandom or has obsessed in the show back then as I am now and I have come to absolutely love tk, and I have found my group of friends on Twitter who love him also. from the moment I came into this fandom it was blatantly obvious biased towards Rafa/carlos (I mean we all saw how fast they were to never talk about ronen again..)that I just didn’t understand, it’s like they foams at the mouth anytime they talk about Rafa/carlos
The Carlos Stan’s have gotten a lot worse imo and we need tk defenders more then ever
What I’m trying to say is I used to see you and go if you don’t like something why are you talking about it but I never said that to people saying the nice things about the characters which is unfair cause we shouldn’t push people who are rightfully calling out characters too the side and make them talk about it with just there friends, if people can say good things, other people can be critical and we need people like you more then ever. Thank you for constantly calling out Carlos cause the watered down “criticism” he gets is such bs
He was not the best boyfriend, definitely not the best fiancée and he’s not gonna be the best husband in the beginning and I’m so tired of these women who are old enough too realize what he does is wrong making excuses after excuses and babying him so much. I think tk deserves way better instead of a man who constantly lies and puts things/people above him then crawls back crying when the damage is done
So just thank you for not stopping with this account cause this fandom is truly delusional when it comes to Carlos and then that fuck ass spinoff they want to do? With his partner who he has “special chemistry” with…
Thank you! I know that I can be very annoying sometimes hahaha.
I’m so frustrated about how TK is often treated by the fandom and the writers. He was criticized for not being ready for a relationship with Carlos, even if he was recovering from a relapse after the boyfriend he proposed to said he was in love with another guy (and probably cheated on him). He was blamed for the breaking up with Carlos after Carlos triggered him by making a big decision that affected both of them without talking to him first, and no one (not the fandom, not the writers) recognized that his motives for the break up were valids. The amount of hate he got just because Cooper was his sponsor was horrifying.
Carlos hiding a marriage, being so dismissive of TK with the wife jokes, blaming TK for Iris disappearance and acting so hostile towards TK was objectively so much worse than any mistake that TK did in their relationship, but I saw feel people calling him out on his bulshit. People even found Iris interactions with TK funny. Everything was fine as long as their favorite could get alway with it. The double standards where very clear.
(It’s so sad how TK has such a kind heart and loves so big)
(Yet no one ever chooses him first)
(Owen with his job)
(Carlos with Iris)
When I saw the news about Carlos and his partner who he has “special chemistry” with was the nail in the coffin for me. Like, nope. I already know where this is going. People will ship Carlos with his partner (even if he turns out to be in a happy relationship) and compare him with TK, how he is so much better and supportive tham TK and Carlos definitely should be with him instead, especially during the probable Jonah arc.I'm not gonna put myself into that.
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notafunkiller · 8 months ago
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I agree, it's a terrible story. But for me personally, Pamela now appears almost like an angel, there is now a vegetable garden. She was just pushed here by younger and more beautiful people, and all her time was wasted. Otherwise, I would still be undressing and ordering boobs and more.It seems to me that at that moment it was not such a tragedy. It became a tragedy after the series aired, because she changed. And then she had attics and pubs, busty implants and lips, sex and drugs.I just want to say that if I were her, I wouldn't be offended by the series. Because the series really showed her from a better side, perhaps, than she really is.Therefore, all these howls that poor Pamela was offended and Seb should not even mention this series... This is some kind of nonsense. Because the series really showed them both at their best. Pamela is even a little better than Tommy.So stop trying to stymie the owl with your non-existent theories. You are so pathetic that it is impossible to be happy for Sebastian, as they do in other fandoms.The same Adrian Brody is dating Weinstein's ex-wife, but no, you're attacking Sebastian
Your comment is not only veryyy disrespecful, but it also reflects a very dismissive view of Pamela’s perspective and personal experiences. Angel or not. The reality is, regardless of how the series portrayed her, Pamela has expressed that it was made without her real xonsent and that it reopened old wounds (real trauma, being sexualized like that, having her intimate moments exposed)
Dismissing her feelings as nonsense = 0 empathy. Whether or not you think she was portrayed positively, the key issue is that her story was exposed despite her not wanting that, which is deeply unfair, and then Sebastian brings it up again and makes a reall insensitive comment.
Funny how you and many other people in this fandom reduce Pamela to her physical appearance or choices about her body while complaining others do the same about Annabelle. It is not only disrespectful but completely misses the point of the conversation. Whether she got implants, changed her appearance, or struggled with personal issues has nothing to do with the ethics of the series being made without her blessing. And no, no one says she is an angel. But it doesn't make this less problematic.
This kind of commentary perpetuates harmful narratives about women in general, focusing on their looks or personal struggles instead of their humanity and their perspective.
Resorting to personal insults aka calling me pathetic only undermines your argument. I’m engaging in this conversation because I believe it’s important to think critically about how public figures are treated, especially when their stories are told when they do not want that.
You’re free to disagree with me, but dismissing my perspective with insults only shows a lack of respect for constructive dialogue/constructive criticism...
And I refuse to engage in petty attacks.
Also, bringing up other actors, like Adrien Brody and his personal life = you trying to distract from the actual conversation, lol. This whataboutism... or better said false equivalence will definitely not work with me.
It isn’t about comparing fandoms or other celebrities... people simply said how insensitive that comment Sebastian made was. He could have simply said: I am happy for her, she deserves it/she is amazing.
People are allowed to have concerns about the ethics of certain projects/people. Criticism isn’t howling, either. It’s a valid part of holding industries and public people accountable when it’s needed. We do it for the people in our life as well. Stop treating him as this kid who is never do wrong... even he said he is tired of people do this.
We should aim for a fandom that values respect and empathy over blind defense of anyone involved, just saying🤷‍♀️
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audiblehush · 1 year ago
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First off, I want to apologize for how long it took me to respond to this. Work and grad school got busy quickly and I had some fires to put out. 
Secondly, that I did see your post (and didn’t even disagree with all of it), but I also saw lots of comments on Reddit and other fandom-y spaces discussing the Debling triangle, so my post was more of a general airing of me working through my own thoughts. I apologize if it came off as vague posting or aggressive toward you in particular; that wasn’t my intention at all. 
Thirdly, my frustration with the potential “love triangle” has increased with TWO whole ass promotional pieces  (video and stills) of Debling instead of Colin… the actual Bridgerton the show is supposedly supposed to follow. AND I know we’re probably going to get promos of other characters before we get to Colin and I’m just like… what the FUCK? So I’m feeling significantly saltier then I was the other day.
I’m going to try and address your points mostly in order, though I may jump around a little for my brain to cope with how tired it is, as well with how its linking some of these narrative or fandom threads - sorry in advance if it’s confusing. It’s going to be so long, I’m sorry…
To your point of other Penelope pairings: I’m really used to multi shipping in various fandoms, regardless of things being canon (because fandom is a fun sandbox to play in), but yeah the problem is tagging those other ships as containing Polin - its a big yikes. But on the other hand, and maybe I’m just old in fandom years (mid 30s), but I suppose I’m just numb to a lot of poor fandom etiquette (despite the fact that AO3 has an incredible tagging system compared to those of us who had to survive the FF.net dark days). It’s shouldn’t be an an excuse, they need to be better, but I often just don’t have the time or emotional real estate to push back with it, so I just roll my eyes and scroll past and continue to be irritated by it. Maybe that’s sad that I have just accepted that people across all fandoms are trash at tagging, idk… but I rarely have the energy to do more than just scroll by. A downvote if I’m on reddit lol.
I find that I have to identify the multiple groups surrounding this show and how the writers have to deal with it: what different portions of fandom wants (Polin or otherwise), what general audiences want, and what is thematically and narratively cohesive and well-developed. Sometimes there is overlap between those different groups… but not often. Good writing should be the priority, but I feel like marketing and popularity contests have taken over at the expense of strong, well-structure and well-developed narratives.
So many people lack any sort of media literacy surrounding analysis; I’m a high school English teacher and I unfortunately am fighting the battle first hand to get teenagers to think even remotely critically about both media and the world they live in. I have certainly seen the general population and large potions of the Polin fandom unfortunately calling for the ‘punishment’ of Colin  and I also find it incredibly exhausting and unfair… considering the reason they prooooobably do is because the show has barely given him any screen time. And so much of the fanbase grasps at the low hanging fruit when it comes to this show; it’s frustrating to feel like I’m watching an entirely different show than other people.
My intention was never to imply that Colin is getting enough screen time or development. He’s NOT, and that’s why a huge chunk of the general fanbase reacts negatively toward him; they refuse to even TRY and empathize with him in S1 and S2 despite everything he’s been through because it requires analyzing closely what few scenes we’re given. He has been barely touched on in the writing, and people don’t view him as a fully realized, complex character in his own right as a result. He has been deceived by two women in his life (one he doesn't know about yet...) and the narrative gave him a total of TWO scenes to grapple with his sadness. It's a disservice to his character and yes, it's unfairly coloring the way the fandom views him. (I also desperately need Penelope to be the one to willingly choose to tell him about LW in order juxtapose S1... but that is a post for another day...)
I just HAVE to hope that S3 will give us the development of Colin we need that they’ve alluded to: his burgeoning friendship with Will (please let him have real friends, omg), his relationship with his family (who are neglecting him at best and making him feel like a burden at worst), his search for purpose, his writing that he doesn’t even feel comfortable telling people about. It would be ASININE for them to do nothing with him; they've laid a decent enough stage to do some exploring, but I do have concerns it will be difficult in only 8 episodes. I don’t mind a pining Colin (which I do view as different thing than being jealous, for the record), but I don’t want his ENTIRE personality built around Pen when there is still so much of him to uncover. It's awful that Colin fans don't feel like he's seen in his own damn pairing.
However, my post was intending to address where Penelope is at the end of S2 and start of S3 and why her genuinely putting herself out on the marriage mart makes sense for where we leave her character. She heard Colin air out (at that point a likely accurate summation of) his feelings publicly and is like “Okay, I’ve had my head in the sand long enough. I heard him loud and clear, time to stop with my girl crush and move on.” Yes, she ghosts Colin, but she’s sort of at rock bottom at the end of S2 and I wouldn’t be surprised if she leans into making some poor-ass choices at the beginning of S3 to cope with what she feels she has left (likely LW and her focus on the marriage mart). I’m hoping that when Colin apologizes to her for his words, that she apologizes to him for ignoring him and not communicating her hurt… to say nothing of the LW confrontation that has to happen, obviously.
I completely agree that Penelope ultimately needs to realize that outside validation isn’t what she needs; I’ve also been there. But that is also often a long, drawn out process that usually has catalysts that help someone come to that realization through either direct conversation or circumstance. As you point out, Pen has multiple elements to her arc with different characters… all the ones you listed, and a new one this season with Lady Danbury (and I can’t tell you how excited I am for that relationship). Our world views are often shaped, or better or worse, by the kaleidoscope of people who come in and out of our lives… I guess I just don’t personally see Debling being a small part of that as a big deal, just like Marina being a part of Colin’s is just a sliver of his story, as well. 
I wrote about this in a different post actually, but I don’t think narrative parallels have to be perfect mirrors in order to still be parallels, and I think Colin and Penelope’s stories mirror one another a LOT throughout S1 and S2, and not just the courting. They are often fun house mirror versions of parallels, but they ARE similar, and I don’t know that it’s an accident. 
Regardless of the reason behind why both Colin and Penelope are courting / being courted by other people, its a choice that the writers, for better or worse, have made. I have only been in the Bridgerton fandom for maybe half a year, so I (thankfully) missed all this terrible stuff I saw about Ruby Barker from both racists and people who have issues distinguishing reality from fiction and hound people online. I also don’t know how even Colin’s biggest champion’s felt about that plot line initially, as it obviously not from the books. But as a relative newcomer who has mostly lurked, from the discourse I’VE seen around Marina (which is admittedly likely limited) is heavily influenced by how part of the fandom harassed and abused her actress (which is literally so horrific considering what’s going on with her right now :( ), rather than the actual character and her function in the narrative. 
I don’t really care about Debling at all; he’s literally just some guy who, if IMDB is to be trusted, is only around for like, 3 episodes. But I guess  I’m just confused  that the anti-Debling crowd is furious at his inclusion at all because it hurts Polin’s love story…but will then defend Colin’s courtship / engagement with Marina because… she was pregnant and the show decided to elevate her brief book mention? To show Colin’s drifting and search for a purpose and to be needed by someone? Those are certainly reasons… just like Penelope has narrative / character driven reasons to be genuinely trying at the marriage mart, whether she is successful, fails, or removes herself from it. The fandom has treated (and sometimes continues to treat) Marina incredibly unfairly, (so much that the fic I’m drafting right now has a pretty massive Pen/Marina reconciliation in it because the fandom's lack of acknowledging nuance is killing me… if I can ever finish it), but to me, the Marina/Debling thing seems a bit of a double standard from a narrative perspective. 
If I’m going to be stuck watching this “love” triangle, I ALSO want Penelope to say no if he proposes; in fact, I don’t want the courtship to even get that far, as I want her to see a man who is likely perfectly pleasant who could give her a comfortable life, and maybe even love her and for her to be like “…wow, I feel absolutely NOTHING for you. Sorry, you seem okay, thanks for playing, but I don’t want to shackle myself to someone for life for mere comfort.” …and then yes, bang it out with Colin once they’ve worked through their shit hahaha.  One of my big fears about this whole plot line is that I desperately don’t want Colin to suddenly realize his romantic feelings for Penelope because some other guy noticed her first so magically his romantic lightbulb goes off… I would literally never forgive the writers. I'm already struggled with having had to watch the S1 engagement and deal with Colin nearly having ended up with someone who is not Pen. And personally I WOULD prefer that Colin acknowledge that what he felt for Marina wasn't love... because if we are going to be all in for Pen's love for Colin and refuse to let her entertain anyone else... then I think it should go both ways... though we can def. do that without vilifying Marina. I LIKE that in the book that Colin and Penelople both only really had heart eyes for each other, and I'm annoyed the show has tampered with that. They can salvage it, but it will take some masterful strokes for them to be successful.
But I will say that I DO think that there are loads of ways the writers could approach this “triangle” since they’ve insisted on including it. I will ALWAYS want her to say no, but there are other narrative dangling threads that could complicate things that I try to take into account when I’m looking at a whole story. For example, I actually don’t know that Pen’s financial situation is THAT secure?? She’s only been doing LW for what, three years? As opposed to the decade or more in the book… she would not have nearly enough money to survive on her own, and I’m also pretty fuzzy on the Featherington finances at the end of S2 which would support her and her mother otherwise. They obviously still have debt, but didn’t Portia keep the funds, or am I misremembering? Idk, I need to rewatch S2… Aspects like that could influence some of the choices Pen could make (aside from potentially being forced to hold the idiot ball… I am NERVOUS when Nic said that Pen makes ‘some choices’ in this season… sigh).
The writers are not always successful at balancing all these plot lines, but I try to keep an open mind…I  am an optimistic person by nature when it comes to my media as a) if I wasn’t it would suck literally all enjoyment out of the fandom experience for me (…and I would not be able to survive the rest of this school year with nothing to look forward to, good god) and b) fanfic does a lot of heavy lifting for me personally in terms of exploring badly executed plot lines… fix it fic, basically. Thought sometimes I feel like I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel...
But yeah, not developing Colin will be unforgivable for me because this is HIS season as much as it is Penelope’s (if not more, because he’s the Bridgerton). They cannot truly choose each other if one half of the pairing is basically just only there to have sex with someone; it is their emotional dynamic and rich inner lives that make them interesting to me and compatible with EACH OTHER… and if we get robbed of that, I’ll riot. 
But we won’t know until it airs, and I have to hope they’re just trying to keep his story a secret as long as possible and they’re going for the low hanging fruit now... god knows that's what the average paying customers want, ugh.
At this point I’m just taking it a day at a time and working on meta I may never post and a big wish list of what I need S3 to do to make me feel like these characters have gone on a journey that feels earned, both individually and romantically as a couple. I know they won’t do it all, I’m not THAT naive, but a girl can dream...
But for now, I just want my goddamn Colin promo. When they finally air some, it better knock my fucking socks off. Like, I better have heart eyes IMMEDIATELY. 
This is literally so fucking long, I'm so sorry. But I’ll end with a potential chuckle: I had two of my eleventh grade girls burst into my classroom today absolutely LIVID about today’s promo: “Where is COLIN? If it’s not Colin I DON’T WANT IT.” And I was like “same girls, same.”
Thank you for politely engaging with me; I love this pairing and have wanted to discuss it with people but so much of the tumblr fandom in particular seems really aggressive that it’s made me a bit gun-shy to post anything. So thanks for responding!
( @dollypopup I just realized I have no idea if tumblr notifies of replies to reblogs because I’m hardly on here… feel free to ignore this haha. )
Listen, Polin has been my Roman Empire for months now, but this fandom is WILDIN’.
Chunks of this fandom who claim to be Polin fans seem to hate either Colin or Penelope and I’m just like… why are you here, then, if you refuse to empathize or even TRY to understand either critical half of the pairing?
“Colin can’t see what’s in front of him and he insulted her in front of his peers!! GROVEL; I hope Pen moves onto Debling!!!”
First of all, you’re not a Polin fan if you hate Colin so much you want her to move on to someone else. Second of all: yeah, no. Yes,Colin put his foot in his mouth, arguably in a big way because of status, but plenty of people in real life have experienced saying something that came off poorly to a group of people. Everything we know about Colin’s character tells us he is going to feel horrible about it; he’ll apologize, MEAN IT, and she’ll forgive him. She has her own apologies to make.
Believe it or, it is NORMAL for people to grow into romantic feelings slowly. Stop punishing Colin for discovering who he is by experiencing his own character arc with his own mistakes. He’s allowed to have flaws; he’s allowed to work through his insecurities!
Tbh, most of the criticisms I see of Colin are pretty surface-level and petty, so I don’t give them much real estate in my brain because they’re just… bad, lol.
On the flip side -
“Penelope feels entitled to Colin’s feelings; she’s selfish and the fucking worst!!”
S3 Penelope: *overhears Colin say he would never court her; BELIEVES him - decides she’s going to stop wasting her time, move on, and look for a serious suitor and marriage prospect a) as is expected of her in this era and b) so that she has security, especially considering her family’s dire financial straits.*
“Oh my GOD, this is so anti-Polin, how could she POSSIBLY even THINK about accepting a proposal from anyone but Colin?! GTFO”
SIGH, 1) we have NO IDEA how this plot line is going to pan out: Lord Debling may or may not be serious about her, we don’t know what that even looks like, or for how long. The show synopsis historically likes to play with the fandom expectations a lot. He may possibly propose… and if he does, it would clearly exist as a sort of parallel to S1…. but 2) GOD FORBID Penelope entertain the idea, despite very real fears and evidence that would lead her thinking it would likely be her ONLY proposal… or that even if Colin proposed post heavy-petting session, how on EARTH could she think that he would be doing it out of honor-bound obligation and not love. 🙄 Her potentially considering a proposal isn’t anti-Polin; it’s a realistic response and consideration to two (and likely an additional half) seasons worth of external and internal stressors that are tying into her character development.
Penelope’s heart is fragile for a multitude of reasons due to her home life, her prior experiences with Colin and Eloise AND the rest of the ton - it’s incredibly frustrating for people to ignore why she would potentially not believe Colin even if he DID confess / give her a marriage proposal, just like it’s frustrating when people don’t try to understand why Colin might struggle with his own feelings.
Some of y’all really don’t understand people like Penelope who have been told their entire lives that they are not enough, are terrified of putting themselves out there by being emotionally vulnerable and potentially rejected for the fundamental aspects of who they are… even though some of y’all claim to identify with Colin when he has his OWN STRUGGLES WITH SOME OF THESE SAME FEARS. And it’s almost worse because Pen is painfully SHY: You don’t just magically become confident one day because you decided to be; it is a constant battle against negativity that eventually becomes heavily internalized… it takes years of work unlearn those thought patterns, especially when you’re surrounded by people insulting and rejecting your to your face (her family) or behind your back (the way the ton talks about her family… it’s likely Pen heard gossip about herself, whether individually or as an extension of her family PLENTY)… with an added dose of also being ignored when not actively insulted.
It would not shock me at ALL if Penelope genuinely considers a Debling proposal. All of Colin’s actions in S1 and S2 have ultimately taught her that he is never going to return her feelings; she is likely going to be pretty oblivious to his own romantic realizations this season because why would she look for or entertain those hopes again? Some of y’all complain that she is selfish about Colin’s romantic feelings (which lol, I disagree strongly, but sure hypothetically, I’ll allow it) … so then when she tries to move on by listening to him and his actions she’s suddenly… punishing him and undeserving of him?? When she would have every reason to be skeptical of these feelings coming from seemingly nowhere when he starts of the season trying to find her a husband? NAH fam, she’s doing what anyone with any sense of emotional self-preservation would do: move on and try to be content, even if she knows she’ll always love Colin in her heart.
AND even if Penelope develops potentially fond feelings for Debling… do you really think it’s unrealistic for a 19 year old young woman who has done nothing but pine over a man who is oblivious to it (or worse, finds a romantic relationship with you laughable… in her eyes), who has not had ANYONE be romantically interested her… to maybe get a little fluttery around someone who is reasonably nice looking and shows her genuine interest right off the bat? Spoiler Alert: that is probably exactly what would happen because it’s a heady feeling!!!
This entire plotline is either a parallel to the Marina situation, or a reference to the book line that basically has Colin going “Oh shit, what if I had never realized Pen is the love of my life?? What if someone else had seen how amazing she was and snatched her up??” - Maybe it’s even both! Deep breath: it’s a just plot device for Polin to realize they’re made for each other.
Colin and Pen are going to be on their own journeys this season that fly in the face of what the other is going through. Colin is grappling with newfound romantic feelings for Penelope (while likely struggling to trust them because he thought he loved Marina but lol no he didn’t, so how is he supposed to know???) while also battling against former (and potentially current) impulsive actions… and Penelope is fighting for her LIFE trying to bury her feelings and move on because she’s trying to protect her heart because Colin literally said out loud he’d never want her AND she’s likely thinking of her security. They are both grappling with internal conflicts that oppose the other and THAT is what is going to make the tension and development so good… and that’s without even addressing all the LW stuff that needs to get worked through!
I need y’all to flex that empathy muscle a little and realize that this isn’t about fucking fan-service, or you projecting your own experiences onto these characters (or even the weird self-insert “I am/want to be this character” or “I want to fuck this character”) - you can relate to these characters but ultimately it’s about the STORY - it’s about exploring these characters realistically in how they would react to their own traumas and lived experiences, and how what they think they want/need comes into conflicts with their counterparts.
This is a romantic DRAMA, and these characters are going to have their ups and downs… and it’s a Shondaland drama for better or worse, so you KNOW it’s going to get messy (good lord just look at S2 and how far that “love” triangle went… I’m hopeful for the new show runner because she’s a fan).
Polin will be canon because they unreservedly CHOOSE the other and it will be glorious, so everybody chill the fuck out and stop shitting on my imperfect, emotionally fragile yet beautifully relatable, evolving lovers. They are the BEST fucking ship, but most of this fandom doesn’t deserve them tbh. They’re both messes in their own ways, and honestly? If they were real, neither Colin nor Penelope would tolerate this slander y’all are throwing at the other.
LEAVE COLIN AND PENELOPE ALONE AND LET THEM MUDDLE THEIR WAY TO TRUE LOVE. 🤬
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jjkyaoi · 4 years ago
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I am getting so tired of how poorly some people in this fandom treat c!tommy and how differently from any other character they treat him, for example c!ranboo. It shows so much after every single stream, especiay this one and its such a pet peeve of mine because its so unfair.
If people don't like c!tommy thats absolutely fine, but don't pull stuff out of your arse to tear the character down.
When c!tommy lost henry and was clearly grieving and feeling terribly, c!ranboo didn't really deal with that very well and did a bad job comforting him and thus sometimes came off borderline mocking. And that is very justified and in character from his pov because he is not at all equipped to handle peoples mental breakdowns and shouldn't have to be, hes basically a walking mental breakdown himself. Not once after that stream did i see a comment anywhere that was like 'c!ranboo is ignoring tommys trauma/isnt taking it seriously!!bad friend!!'
But after c!tommy makes one tiny offhand comment about c!tubbo having thicker skin, from his pov also fully justified and in character, its suddenly 'ooh he isnt taking his trauma seriously!!!bad friend!" Or again today, with them deciding that ranboos 'tubbo is only using me for my items' (which was absolutely a joke and not serious lore) isn't cannon, but tommy accidentally blowing up tubbos stuff, (like tubbo did to him on his birthday btw and Nobody said a word about it BECAUSE IT ALSO WASNT CANON NOR INTENTIONAL) is.
I see people bragging about not watching c!tommys pov and not c!ranboos despite them having about the same viewership numbers during lore streams. They complain about c!tommy taking away attention from others and being the protagonist, while declaring c!ranboo who is also involved in many plotlines the 'next protagonist' in the very same sentence...
Some people just pick and choose anything that makes c!tommy look bad and put both c!ranboo and cc!ranboo on a pedestal. And don't even get me started on their totally invasive takes on the irl friendships. At this point they should just admit that they hate cc!tommy, stop watching his stuff if he annoys them so much, and shut up.
this isn’t ranboo critical in any way at all, because it isn’t his fault that people in this fandom behave this way/there’s a bias between them, but yea, you’re right.
i don’t know what it is, but people seem to be more open to supporting c!ranboo than they do c!tommy under any circumstance. and it’s like, that’s fine, you’re allowed to have characters you’re more open to supporting/you like more than others —god knows i do— but it gets the point where when you’re actively comparing the two characters/saying things like “ranboo wouldn’t ever do this” or “ranboo is so much better at __/for __ than tommy is!” is like. Okay Pal. i don’t know what it is, if i’m honest. i don’t know if it’s tommy’s abrasive personality that throws ‘em off, but the double standards in this fandom never fail to astound me —and, it isn’t always with ranboo. there’s a lot more people that are willing to be forgiving with any other character than c!tommy. there’s always the “i’m not excusing c!tommy but i can understand why he did __” or “he shouldn’t have done __!! he’s evil!! a monster!” but when it comes to anyone else it’s just “they popped off 🥺🥺🥺 deserved!! never did anything wrong!” and it’s getting to the point where i’m genuinely tired of it. people in this fandom take any opportunity they can to bash on his character but when it’s anybody else it’s just crickets, and they like do this funny little things /s, where they make fun of apologists for c!tommy for only liking a character if they’re nice to him, but then turn around and do the same exact thing and when said character isn’t nice to their fave they’re the devils incarnate, so it’s hypocritical for them to stereotype c!tommy apologists as people who only care about certain characters if they have a positive opinion of tommy when they do the same thing.
i’m just sort of tired of it. when c!tommy makes the slightest mistake i’m always anxious to check tumblr or twitter because i already know —i’m already expecting thousands of people to have turned against him. there’s such open support of c!tommy one second, but once he makes one harmless mistake it’s suddenly he’s unforgivable once again and i’m getting tired of people not bothering to understand his character and brushing him off as horrible but when it comes down to anyone else they’re way more open for second chances.
i don’t fucking understand it, is the problem.
genuinely, i don’t . i don’t understand why the vendetta against him goes so far, and i’d be open for people to tell me why they hate him but half of he time they don’t have a reason beyond him being annoying/the mistakes he’s already made up for and theyre just choosing to hold a grudge against him for.
i don’t care if you don’t like c!tommy, don’t take this post as an opportunity to debate with me (/srs), because i’m tired of explaining to deaf ears why “hey, he isn’t actually that bad guys”, because it’s 4:51AM and i’m being driven by spite and pettiness only. i will bite your head off /hj
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rwdestuffs · 3 years ago
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Well, I’m about to get on someone’s shitlist… Assuming I wasn’t already…
I’m a little tired of being critical of RWBY. It’s honestly a good show, with a lot of flaws. That’s to be expected of what is essentially the first serialized web-series that isn’t a machinima. The legion of anti-rwde will probably call me a liar for saying that I like the show, but that’s their problem.
Not that it excuses any of the mistakes it made in handling the racism subplot, or how it blueballs people on LGBT+ Rep (Seriously? Five Volumes to give us a confirmed lesbian and it’s a hostile bitter lesbian who’s upset that her feelings weren’t reciprocated? And the only trans rep we get is a side character instead of the one who is literally wearing the colors of the trans flag?)
But, I’m about to come in with a take that’s sure to make me even more hated.
Zuko has ruined redemption arcs for everyone.
When we first meet Zuko, he’s training, and struggling with his firebending. He’s being mentored by his uncle, and is told to calm down. This is our first sign that Zuko is not a straight-up villain that we should root against. If anything, he comes off as more that he’s that guy on the street that causes problems, but is only doing so to get by.
Basically, we are told that he’s not an outright villain. The worst we see him do is attack Suki’s village, and that’s about the extent of the damage that he causes to a town or city. This lack of collateral damage tells us that Zuko is focused on capturing the Avatar, not killing the Avatar.
Later episodes, like The Storm and The Blue Spirit would also cement Zuko as a character who, while an antagonist, is not a villain. And yes. There is a difference. An antagonist is someone who opposes the protagonist. A villain is a character who opposes the hero. And as we’ve just established: Zuko isn’t a villain.
Zuko’s redemption arc is set up by the narrative in such a way that it’s rather amusing that so many other characters often get theirs compared to Zuko’s. Zuko’s redemption arc was spelled out to us by The Storm and The Blue Spirit. He’s a character we want to see get better and join the good guys.
Contrast this with a character like Catra, who people wrote off as irredeemable by the end of season 3 of She-Ra, because she caused the circumstances that led to Angella sacrificing herself. Zuko did something similar, in which he caused the circumstances that led to Aang being killed. Except while Aang’s death was temporary, Angella’s fate is ambiguous and permanent. Both Catra and Zuko had similar childhoods, being the unfavorite to the resident parental figure, and both had experiences that ultimately skewed their judgement on morality.
Both got better, but it’s a really telling point that Catra’s was harder to accept for some parts of the fandom than Zuko’s was for his. And this is because Zuko’s redemption arc is now a benchmark for all others. Other characters can’t have a “good” redemption arc unless it’s on par with Zuko’s.
This isn’t to take away from Zuko’s character arc. But it is to say that constantly comparing every character’s redemption arc to Zuko’s is an unfair comparison. Not every redemption is clean. Not every arc is perfect. Other arcs should be allowed to stand on their own, and not be compared to Zuko’s.
But since A:tLA set such a massive standard for all other forms of media, this isn’t the case.
Most Azula redemption arc stories often involve her having to be taken down several pegs, being humiliated, and basically hitting rock bottom before she’s “allowed” to be redeemed. Her own trauma and abuse is ignored in favor of thinking that only Zuko was abused by Ozai, when Azula was too.
The reason I brought up She-Ra is because of this exactly. She-Ra is essentially asking the question of “What if Azula had to face the horrors of what her people were doing, and had to be the one to put a stop to it?” It’s basically “What if Azula was the Avatar?” Is what I’m saying. Azula is basically She-Ra, but without the opportunity to be a better person. Adora was the “golden child”, much like Azula, similar to how Zuko was the “unfavorite” like Catra.
Azula didn’t get a chance to be redeemed because Zuko’s trauma was what was focused on. Most of Azula’s toxic behaviors can be attributed to Ozai, while a lot of Zuko’s healthy behaviors can be attributed to Iroh. Had Azula been given the same opportunities as Zuko, and been allowed to travel with Iroh, she would have turned out a lot like Iroh. And had Zuko stayed with Ozai, he would have turned out like Ozai.
Zuko’s redemption arc means a lot, because it says that “people can still be good guys no matter what they’ve done.” Except the extent of Zuko’s destruction was mainly just the village on Kyoshi Island. After that, his villainy didn’t really do much. We’re shown right off the bat that Zuko is an honorable fighter, and doesn’t involve civilians (except for that one time). Zuko’s arc is also reliant on the people around him, namely his uncle. Since Azula doesn’t get this positive influence, she doesn’t get to have the same chances.
Hell! Ty Lee and Mai were both just as involved in the take over of Ba Sing Se as Azula was, but they’re allowed to walk free just because they turned on Azula at Boiling Rock. The comics do an even bigger disservice to Azula by basically not giving her therapy, and while one could just attribute that to them not having figured out how therapy would work, it seems rather disingenuous to let that slide.
Zuko has basically made people dumb when it comes to redemption arcs. Because unless your antagonist is as squeaky as Zuko is, then them joining the good guys is “unbelievable” or “not natural.”
Zuko is “redemption arc” on easy mode is what I’m saying.
Welp. Time to deal with toxic anons.
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arcadialedger · 4 years ago
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How Catra and Zuko have been saving me lately: A (sort of) meta
A very long, personal post under the cut. This is really important to me, and I could really use some support, so if you could take the time to read and reblog that would be greatly appreciated. I just want to reach out.
Once again, please PLEASE read. I really need help.
Recently, I’ve found myself desperately latching onto the characters of Zuko and Catra, as many have in the past. To put it simply, I’m in one of the most difficult times of my life right now.
I’m transferring colleges because I was doxed by an online hate mob (long story) , and in general because I just didn’t belong at my old school. I went to three different high schools, moved around a whole bunch, and I don’t really belong anywhere. All of my friends are far away, my parents are busy working and I’m alone.
I just feel like I’m wandering aimlessly in darkness, unloved and unsure where to go. I’m faced with making a huge decision about my future with this transfer, and I’m terrified. Terrified I won’t make the right choice, and terrified it won’t be the newfound happiness I so desperately need it to be. But most of all, I’m terrified of being unwanted and alone again, wherever I go.
I’m used to not being wanted. I’m 4’10, not thin, and have been tossed aside because of my appearance my entire life. I’m 20 years old and haven’t been kissed (how pathetic is that). I moved schools and stayed in my room depressed because I never got to lay down roots and establish a foundation. Hell, I never even got to live as a teenager. I’m just behind and broken.
I was hoping Tumblr would be my place, where I could write and analyze and showcase my talents. Be wanted for once. For a while, it looked like it might be. Then a friend blocked me and made a callout post, due to me having a different opinion on a sensitive matter, and a domino effect began. I lost more friends and half of the fandom we’re both in blocked me seemingly at their word. I had featured this friend on an episode of my podcast at, had many fond memories chatting with them, and even bought a zine to support them. The loss hurt, and I was cut off from one of the few things I had. It was all taken away from me. My growth halted as I dealt with months of online abuse: including death threats, suicide baiting (these people knowing I’ve struggled with being suicidal), aphobic slurs (knowing I’m ace), mocking and editing images of my face. My Twitter was hacked, I lost podcast deals with creatives who my friends who blocked me and started all of this went on to interview because of said hacking, and I was threatened to be doxed. I suffered blow after blow while the people who hurt me grew and were rewarded, allowed a place here, and this continues to this day. The damage remains. I have to self reblog a whole bunch to get my content remotely seen in the algorithm.
Because my entire life, it feels I’ve never been allowed a win. I’ve never been allowed to have and keep anything good. I’m short and ugly, talentless with nothing to give to the world, my family has no money so I haven’t gotten to travel or experience a lot of things. I’ve spent my entire life envious of the “hot skinny girls” who’ve been wanted and dating since high school, who live in McMansions and get to go on vacations.
When I work to make good content on Tumblr and build a following talking about what I’m passionate about? It’s taken from me. When I work hard to get into my old college’s honors program and earn a trip to Greece which I could otherwise never afford, a global pandemic comes along and makes sure I don’t get that kind of positive experience in life.
I’m used to it all, being worn down and unwanted and losing. I’ve gone my entire life behind, lesser, and not enough.
And that’s why I’m so scared. I have a big decision to make, I’m at my own crossroads, and I desperately need all of this to come together for me this year. I’ve gone so long without happiness and love. I need this to be the light at the end of the tunnel, newfound happiness. I need to find newfound happiness. All I want is to escape the darkness, find peace of mind and function day to day doing the things I love without being stressed.
So when I see Zuko— so angry at the world for being given the short stick, abused, and never making things easy, and Catra— driven mad by comparison and feeling as though the world takes away everything from her? Gosh, I feel it so hard.
Because that’s just what I do. I get angry at the world for making things so hard for me. I compare. I feel like the world just takes and takes and never gives me a win. And so I’m never happy. I feel their pain and loneliness so deeply, and I’m terrified that I’m the villain because of it. I cry at the anguish and self loathing in their eyes because I have been there. I AM there. 
Like Zuko comparing to Azula, I feel lesser because the world has constantly told me I am so. I feel cheated and given the short end of the stick, as though life has it out for me. I get angry and lash out from my pain.I’m desperate for validation from people who can never give it to me. I’m so scarred from my past, I can’t believe I have a future. 
Like Catra, I’m always left behind. I’m lonely and driven mad by the unfairness of the world. It takes and takes until I’ve lost it all, but it never gives. I’m so afraid of losing anyone and anything else, I refuse to let anyone in. Because why would I deserve love? There’s nobody who wants me, no purpose for me on this world. I’m nothing, just constantly chasing an impossible goal of perfection to justify my existence. 
“You drive them away, wildcat”
Yeah, I know their hurt. I know what it all feels like. To be that broken, that insecure, that left behind and unwanted. The punching bag of fate. These characters suffering is so much of my own.
And that’s why they’re the only thing to give me hope.
Seeing them be where I am now, and where they end up, I allow myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, that can be my future. That I’ll get a happy ending. It gives me the courage to believe that what I’m so desperately striving for can happen. 
Zuko standing up to his father and forging his own path in life, which leads him to a better place as he finds his destiny and happiness after so many years of torment. We both have scars-- if he can overcome his, why can’t I?
Catra, after so many years of struggle, taking agency over her life back from those to abused her, and finally learning to accept the love of those around her. Opening up to pain and rejection and ultimately being forgiven. Catra felt so lonely, unable to see the love around her-- maybe I’ve been doing the same thing. Maybe I’ll find the strength to take my life into my own hands and find my own love.
It’s so empowering, a flicker of light in what feels like eternal darkness. I am so worn out and broken. I’ve never had love, or learned to love myself. In the real world, it is find to find hope.
It is only in these characters, who have felt my pain and found their way to a better place, that I find comfort.
I am one of so many who have been touched by these characters arcs, and they are one of the purest examples of why stories are important. Why the emotions narrative can evoke are important. It is not only escapism, it opens up a door to critical self introspection that can make a real difference in our lives. It holds up a black mirror of our lives, providing an outside view of our deepest, darkest emotions and struggles which can be so hard to understand when they’re inside. 
These characters, and their stories: insecurity, abuse, doubt, comparison, chasing validation, just wanting to find your purpose in life and happiness-- they are the stories of life, stripped down to it’s rawest emotions. 
There is power in redemption. There is power in rising from the bottom. 
As I said in my last post about Catra and Zuko:
“Their stories: being angry at the world, driven mad by comparison and a need for validation, making wrong choices, processing trauma, needing help but being too scared to open up and accept it, feeling as though they don’t deserve love or forgiveness, fighting to restore and maintain valued relationships, convincing themselves they’ve lost it all, feeling conflicted or confused, realizing what they thought they wanted isn’t fulfilling and hasn’t brought happiness, escaping years of mental conditioning which told them they were worthless, not seeing the love they have right before them, constantly fighting uphill for a life which seems to throw everything it can at them… Well, isn’t that just the most human story of all? And so their redemptions give us hope.”
I have been so lost and lonely for so long, and now I’m at a crossroads. I’m so scared to believe that this change, this new path, can lead to a better place, but these characters? They give me strength to. They give me faith.
This has been a rambling post of feelings, and I am thankful to anyone who has read this far. I’m just so tired of feeling this way, and needed to reach out and share this. If you are also feeling this way, know you are not alone. You are so very far from alone.
I just really don’t want to feel unwanted and unloved, like I don’t belong, anymore. I want to have a place here. I probably sound desperate because I feel that way. I don’t know how else to cry out for help other than sharing this.
 If anyone wants to message or send asks about this, please feel free to do so. I want, and very much need, to talk. 
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poesparakeet-fics · 4 years ago
Link
Here you go, you thirsty beasts.
This one got long so it’s a 2 parter! It’s SFW, so enjoy it at the link or here in the post.
Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Caduceus Clay & The Mighty Nein, Caduceus Clay & Jester Lavorre, Caduceus Clay & Mollymauk Tealeaf, Caduceus Clay & Yasha Characters: Caduceus Clay, Jester Lavorre, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Yasha (Critical Role), Nott | Veth Brenatto Additional Tags: Tickling, Revenge, Shrinking, wild magic mishaps, safeword, Teasing Summary:
Caduceus has made a habit of tickling some of his companions, be it as a cheer-up, a settle-down or a playful punishment. When a mishap with some wild magic makes his smaller than his friends, a few decide to get a little revenge.
FIC
Caduceus didn’t mind arcane magic most of the time, after all, Caleb used his with great expertise.  But he was getting real tired of wild magic, real fast. 
When Jester had cast her guiding bolt she’d gotten butterflies, for Mother’s sake. He’d tried to heal Fjord and saw everything around him start to stretch and grow. They kept fighting, of course. It wasn’t until the last of the shrieking horrors was lying dead that he realized what had actually happened. 
The world hadn’t grown, he had shrunk. Which was, to be fair, easier to deal with. Still, he was feeling pretty sorry for himself as he sat with his feet dangling from the side of their kitchen table, now only a few inches taller than Veth.
A visiting Shadowhand was peering at Caduceus with a small frown on his face before scratching his head and sighing. 
“Alright. The bad news is, I don’t think we can dispel it. Jester said you tried a restoration spell?”
Caduceus nodded glumly. 
“Well the good news is, it will almost certainly wear off. The spell is using energy to maintain this form in you, it will run out of that energy eventually. But… I cannot tell you how long it will last. Based on the rate of decay I would guess a few days but that is some conjecture on my part.”
Caduceus let out a sigh. 
“Thank you for your help, Essek. I guess I’ll just have to live with my current… uh… change in perspective for the time being.”
“Yes, a good attitude to keep. I’m sure it’s been a long time since you were that small.”
“Huh. Yeah, I guess I would have been a baby. Maybe I’ll ask Veth for pointers.”
“I think that all of her advice will involve climbing, Herr Clay. You might need to make your own way.” Caleb chuckled from his seat nearby. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He had been watching Caduceus like he was a puzzle, but now he was smiling, having been assured that the situation wasn’t too serious.
“Yeah, you might be right.”
Caduceus hopped off the table, turning to see Caleb smothering a little half smile. Caduceus pointed a finger accusingly.
“You cut that out.”
“I’m very sorry. It’s just… it is very cute.”
“Caduceus, can I hug you?”
Yasha had walked through covered in rainwater not ten minutes before, but she’d returned in dry clothes. Caduceus, about halfway through drinking a now comically large mug of tea, looked up to meet her gaze. He could see the little haunt of loneliness in her eyes that sometimes creeped in, even in a house full of lovers.
“Yeah, of course.” 
He put his tea down carefully before hopping off his seat. He started to pass her into the living room, but Yasha sat at the table and pulled him into her lap instead.
“Woah!”
“Sorry!” Yasha rushed out, “I didn’t mean to surprise you! You were lighter than I thought you’d be!”
“It’s OK,” Caduceus assured her, “I’m just not used to being picked up.”
Yasha wrapped him up in her arms. “Is this alright?”
He relaxed as she coiled herself around him, face buried in his soft hair. 
“Yeah. That’s very nice.” Being held so literally felt old and new at the same time.
Yasha nuzzled his head. “I’ve wanted to do this since you shrunk. I love you when you’re big, but it’s so nice to get to squeeze you for once!”
Caduceus chuckled. “It’s nice to be squeezed, honestly.”
“And you’re so cute! I just want to eat you up! Omnomnom!”
Caduceus felt his whole spine twist on instinct when Yasha gnawed playfully at the back of his neck.
“No-ho!” He squeeked, so high pitched that both of them froze in shock. 
“Aw, Caduceus…”
“... It would be really unfair to tickle me. Just because you’re bigger than me now--” He was cut off when he had to press his lips together to smother another peel of laughter.
Yasha grinned with her teeth still pressed against his skin.
“I dunno, you tickle the others plenty.”
“Because they need it!”
“Hehe. I think that’s probably true, but they never get you back because you’re always so scared of hurting them by accident. Isn’t that because you’re bigger than them?”
She blew a raspberry on the side of his neck that made him squeal far too loud. He heard approaching footsteps. 
“No no no nonono!” He squeaked when he realized what they meant.
Jester bounded through the door first, magnetically drawn to any ticklish sounds in her vicinity. She stopped in her tracks when she walked into the kitchen to see a smiling Yasha with a giggling fun-sized firbolg in her lap, now curled in a desperate little ball within her embrace to avoid the fingers pinching at his tummy.
“Oh my goodness, is little Caduceus ticklish?”
“Nohoho!” Caduceus tried to plead or run, but his laughter was blocking the former and a meaty arm was blocking the latter.
“Mmhmm,” Yasha answered with one hand clawing his belly, not even out of breath for the effort she was expanding to thwart his escape, “I think big Caduceus is too, he’s just easier to tickle now.”
Molly and Veth stumbled in behind Jester. Molly had a grin on his face, coming to stand behind her and rest his chin on her shoulder. His eyes narrowed.
“Hey, he’s being real loud, eh?”
“Huh?” Jester answered.
“Well, it seems like he might need to settle down a little.”
“Ooh,” Jester giggled, “I think you’re right Molly!”
Caduceus felt a cold chill splash down his back. Sure, he’d seen this coming, but it didn’t stop the escalation of shivery, giggly panic through his system. And running was not working out for him.
“Well,” Molly purred, “Isn’t it lucky that we have such well established guidelines for getting someone to settle down.”
Caduceus switched gears, climbing further into Yasha’s lap instead and clinging to her shoulders.
“Please! Don’t let them get me!”
“I dunno…” Yasha teased as the tieflings stalked closer.
“No! Yasha, they’ll kill me!”
“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t let them kill you. But you do deserve this just a little, don’t you?” Yasha lowered her voice, all but whispering in his velvety ear, “Don’t forget, licorice works for you too.”
Caduceus whimpered. Ok, so did he deserve it? Yes. Probably. A little. Had there been a few times where he’d tickled a tiefling to pieces less because they needed to settle down and more because it was fun? Maybe. Perhaps. A couple of times, tops.
He took a deep breath to try and steel himself, shutting his eyes tight in the hopes that not seeing them coming would somehow save him. Yasha chuckled in his ear, seeming to sense his acceptance of this fate. 
“Heh. OK,” she whispered in his ear.
Fingers as strong as barrel bands gripped his ankles and Yasha stood up. The world spun. Balance upended, Caduceus eye’s shot open to see the devilish forms of his approaching friends as they cheered Yasha on, only upside- down. Yasha was hanging him by his ankles. 
“Don’t be too mean or I’m eating tief toes for dinner, got it? He’s not used to it.”
Molly’s smile became razor sharp and Jester clapped her hands. Caduceus could only hug himself and try to keep his shirt from falling over his head. 
“Not used to getting a taste of his own medicine, you mean? Seems to me that should be corrected.” Molly purred.
"Ah! Can we please talk about this?" Caduceus asked, the tiniest hint of a whine making its way into his usually rumbling voice.
"You can talk all you want, Caduceus!" Jester bent over to put her face next to his. She gave him a teasing wink before planting a sweet little kiss on his cheek.
"Veth?" He asked, looking pleadingly at his fellow (currently) small creature, "Solidarity? Please?"
Veth just laughed at him. "Nah."
"But you're going to help us though, right Veth?" Jester asked, voice full of mischief. "When will you get the chance to tickle Caduceus again?"
"Heh. Nah." The halfling answered, strolling out of the room. "I'm good, thanks." 
"Humph." Jester pouted for a moment, but it quickly morphed into a wicked little smile as she reached out to tickle Caduceus' long velvety ears.
"Ahhahaha- hehe- ha... no... no... MOLLY GET AWAY FROM THERE!"
The other tiefling cackled with glee, pinching Caduceus' knees. The firbolg’s legs pumped on reflex, his body wiggling like a worm on a hook. 
"So loud! You're not settled yet, love, just relax."
"I wahahahas born settled!"
"Oh reeeally? Jester teased him, hands jumping up to poke and pinch at his ribs, effortlessly dodging any attempt he made to block her. "Then why are you so loud and wiggly, huh?"
'B-because you- eeheeheehee! Tiheheheckles!"
"Does it?" Molly taunted, dropping down to Jester's level and fluttering his hands across his belly. 
"Yehehes!"
"Excellent!" Molly cheered, before grabbing the hem of Caduceus' shirt and yanking it down over his head. 
Caduceus squawked, temporarily blinded by the homespun linen that was now tangled around his elbows. He started to fight with it, trying to push it down (up?) again to cover his downy torso, for all the good it was doing. Then he felt a cool pair of lips press against his belly, and he squealed before Jester could even begin.
Ppppbbbbtt
“Aaaaiii! NahahaHAA! STAHAP!”
Caduceus’ pleas fell on deaf ears, Jester only pausing long enough to take a deep breath and giggle to herself before she hit him again. 
"Yes! Wish I could grow a beard just for this, you fuzzy bastard." Molly crowed.
Caduceus whimpered frantically, his shirt somehow transformed into an impossible maze that kept him blinded and defenseless.
An ominous silence was followed by a deadly double attack made Caduceus’ voice crack with the force of his squeal. “AHAaaA! LICORICE!”
The both backed off right away, leaving Caduceus dizzy and catching his breath. Jester started to help him get untangled from his shirt. Molly grinned down at him before taking a deep, threatening breath to make Caduceus shriek in anticipatory panic.
Molly didn’t get a chance to make good. In one more dizzying instant Caduceus was set upright on his feet, watching Yasha chase Molly out of the room. 
“WHAT did I say?”
“C-come on I wasn’t gonna do it! Yasha! Please! He threatens me like that all the-- Nooo!”
Jester chuckled at Caduceus’ dazed expression, pulling him into a cuddle where they stood. 
“You OK Caduceus?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
“That’s good. It was fun to tickle you for a change!”
“Well I’m glad it was fun, because when I’m big again there are going to be consequences.” 
Jester just giggled at him, then tugged him to sit on a chair and put his tea cup back in his hands with a kiss on his cheek.
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bisluthq · 3 years ago
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I have thoughts on how the olivia r stuff is being handled like fandom is fandom and they’re all wild in defense of their fave and that love triangle was a mess but like lbh teens I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a mess. I just feel mega weird at how the white women are being presented as perfect little angels while the girl who isn’t white is being demonised, not like Olivia R is perfect either but it still makes me go ehhhhhh I don’t like this take
I honestly hate like basically every take on Olivia Rodrigo I’ve seen in fandom and I have done so since she blew up. Like I’m not being contrarian, I just HATE how she’s been discussed and how she’s being discussed.
I hated the original “oh she’s just a teenage girl like she doesn’t know what she’s doing and LET TEENAGE GIRLS FEEL STUFFFFFF she’s Taylor’s child and FUCK JOSH” stuff because while it’s evident she didn’t expect to blow up to the extent that she did - literally no one could’ve anticipated that since it’s highkey unprecedented - she also very actively had studied the careers of people she admired (including Taylor but also like Avril clearly and Alanis and Hayley and shit) and had a Vision™️ that she was working towards. She’s an incredible businesswoman and in that I guess she is Taylor’s child because so is Taylor right whereas say like Billie for example isn’t really that great at the business side imho she just wants to make music with her brother.
I then hated how swiftly (lol) Swifties turned on Olivia because they were straight up OBSESSED with her when she was Taylor lite but the moment she started coming into her own and not fellating Taylor at every opportunity they started calling her awful things (all of which are tired misogynistic criticisms of Taylor herself).
I also hate the “Taylor is threatened by Olivia and bullied her and wrote the bridge of Nothing New recently about Olivia specifically” take because it feels so untrue and unfair to both women.
I’m not a huge Olivia fan tbh. I’m honestly too old for her. I’d have LOVED her if I was 17. I would’ve wanted to have her voice and her hair and - pre recent playboy bunny vibes but maybe if I was 17 I’d like that too - her outfits and her body and her friends and her car and her whole fucking life most probably. But like I’m yk not 17. I think HATING on her is super wrong.
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carolsideblog · 5 years ago
Text
Undiagnosed Autism in Adults | Being Shamed for Special Interests
What is a Special Interest?
I’m 27 and I have autism.
Therefore, I have special interests. Generally speaking, in the context of the autistic spectrum disorder, a special interest is... just genuinely hard for me to describe or explain? Here are some links with definitions of special interests.
Autism Fandom Wikia
Ambitious About Autism
Amythest Schaber - Ask an Autistic, What are Special Interests?
Purple Ella - Autism & Special Interests 
... long post ahead / cw for cussing and swearinig ...
The Comfort of my Special Interests
My special interests are things that I’m deeply passionate about and something that I latch onto, almost as a coping mechanism. I have a variety of special interests that shift in and out of focus through out the months in a year, but I could prattle on and ON AND ON for HOURS about any of them.
When I’m immersed in my current favorite special interest, I am over the moon. I feel productive, the world makes sense, I feel like my life makes sense, and I can calm down faster from a stressful, overwhelming day.
Adulthood and the Expectations of Neurotypicals
But in adulthood, it’s generally not seen as a mature thing for an old woman in her twenties to STILL be fucking talking about “dumb shit.” Shit that’s “bad,” shit that’s “problematic,” or shit that’s not for “my age group.”
I don’t fucking know what women in their late twenties are supposed to do. I’m not a sensible enough of an adult to know.
I also know very well that my shit is problematic, bad, and/or not for my age group. I probably researched 5 hours straight on my special interest for nearly a month when I discovered it. I know books, games and movies that I’ve taken a shine to forwards and backwards, I know deep-cut fandom jokes in different things I like, I know who created what and when.
But this isn’t impressive to anyone. To the rest of neurotypical society, one needs to have a bunch of light hearted little hobbies that you can switch too whenever you want because that’s “healthy.” It’s “not healthy” whatsoever (apparently) to STILL be talking about something that I love, because I’m an adult and I should have hobbies and I should have a job filing away things and writing data in spreadsheets like a good little working woman.
Or whatever, I don’t know.
Guilt, Shame and Stigma
I just... don’t understand why people shame people for the things that bring them joy, even if the things that bring them joy are objectively poor quality or badly made. The things I love make me happy, and they make me happy for lots of different reasons.
Some reasons include...
It was close to my childhood and I have a strong attachment to it
It was the lifeline I clung onto when I was going through a rough part of my life and the memories I have of it bring me comfort
I felt proud investing time in researching information, collecting memorabilia, and becoming an “expert” in that special interest
To me, my special interests were so important to my ability to cope, it got to the point where some parts of them became almost like an addition to my identity; my special interests are part of who I am and how I navigate the world. It might come from not really having a strong sense of self in the first place, I don’t know.
So when people scold me for still talking about my special interests, or make passive aggressive, off-hand comments about my special interests, or when they’re even out-right criticizing my special interests, (”It’s a bad book, it’s a bad game, the movie sucks,”)
Even if I know they’re right, it feels like an attack on me. It feels like they’re scolding me for liking the things I like. It feels like they’re criticizing me for liking something bad. It feels like they’re being passive aggressive and unfair because they don’t like me.
Rationally and logically I know this isn’t true. But it still feels like an emotional punch in the gut. It still feels like people are policing what I should and shouldn’t like. And it pisses me off and makes me ruminate.
An Open Letter to Neurotypicals 
Hello, ally.
Life is hard. You and I both know that. But thankfully, there are loads of things in this world that can bring us joy. We have lots of things to keep us entertained, to socialize over, and to be passionate about.
But I get it: someone in your life keeps talking about that one thing all the time. Maybe you’re tired, maybe you’ve heard so much about this thing before, you’ve had enough or got bored. I dunno? But you’re tank is empty and you need a break, and that’s fair.
If for whatever reason your friend won’t shut up about something they really seem to love and it makes them happy... Be nice about it I guess?
If I could say anything to any neurotypical that I’ve spoken too in my lifetime right now, it’s this: be frank, honest, and straightforward. Don’t beat around the bush and don’t “drop hints.” Don’t always rely on people figuring it out for themselves. Just because things might come naturally to you doesn’t mean those same things come naturally to others. And this is okay, I only ask that you communicate clearly and honestly when you can.
If a topic is getting tiresome to you and you need a break, just tell them. Most of the time, it will be fine. When you’re up for it and wondering about a hobby or interest that someone told you about, bring it up with them again. It might brighten their day.
You don’t have to participate in the special interest of a friend if you don’t want too. Just be there for your friends, lend an ear if you can, and be supportive.
An Open Letter to the Neurodiverse
Hello, friend.
Don’t let people get you down about your special interests. If there’s something in this world that makes you passionate, that keeps you up at night because you’re so excited, that makes you rush to wake up  because you want to do your Favorite Thing in the Entire World™, then please keep embracing that thing.
It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit the standards of neurotypicals. You don’t have to please people. If people are giving you a hard time because something makes you happy??? They’re probably not the right people to be around anyway. Someone in your life just kinda humoring you and you wish you had more? Same! But it’s okay. People who love you are listening as best they can, but please, I promise you if you keep looking, you will find your like-minded people and you will be able to find people to talk about your passions with.
If it makes you happy, if it brings you joy, if it brings you comfort, please don’t let that go if people keep nagging you for it. You have no reason to feel guilty or ashamed for something that helps you cope, that keeps you grounded, that makes you happy.
Also know that as much love and joy and comfort that your special interest gives you... remember you are still a whole entire person. You can wear your special interest as apart of you if you feel that brings you the most honest and genuine comfort and joy, but just remember that you don’t need to be limited to just this one thing. You have full permission to also be anything else you want to be in addition to this special interest. This is not to scold or shame you, but this is to remind you that you are a valid, whole person, and you are allowed to transform however you want too.
Closing Ramblings and Musings
I’ve been really bothered by this.
Like I’ve been thinking about this a lot, on again and off again, since November.
Through out my life, people have made lots of comments about my hobbies and the things I like. Most of them negative.
From the music I like to listen too, the bands and groups I follow, to the books I loved to read, to the movies I like to watch, to the games I love to play. I have my own genuine criticism and critiques that I have for a variety of things that fall under my special interests. I’m passionate and thorough with my feedback because I love all of my special interests so much, and I know they could be better.
I have a lot of complex feelings and a lot of things to reconcile with my special interests. It’s so hard to grow up and start to learn and realize how... bad they are all. How problematic some are, how poor quality or laughably simple they all are. I can give you all of my different reasons for why I like them and I could tell you all day about how I know they’re all bad... but I know some of the things I love are just laughing stocks and punching bags in pop culture to the neurotypical society. 
But I can’t just let them go. That’s what I couldn’t stop thinking about in November and December. I really just couldn’t let these things go. For personal reasons, for nostalgia reasons, for coping reasons. I love these things. And I carry a lot of guilt and frustration with myself because I can’t let these things go. I can���t just switch to new fandoms, new books, new movies, new groups. At least, maybe not yet. I don’t know.
I just don’t know. I want to reclaim the parts I love but I know that It’s not a real solution. There’s such a major divide between the special interests I love and what I actually believe in and stand for. They directly conflict with each other and it’s frustrating and complicated.
I really don’t know how to close this post, to be honest. This post won’t solve the problem I have. It won’t explain to the people who scolded me for my special interest, it won’t make them understand or forgive me about why I keep talking about a stupid book with a bad premise, it won’t make them understand why I have “bad taste” or why a 27 year old woman won’t shut up about something largely assumed “meant for kids.”
This was just to vent and maybe lend hope to people feel the same way or have the same struggles.
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bondsmagii · 4 years ago
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Alright, maybe I’m remembering the first book wrong, but then why are there so many people who blame Eli for seemingly “betraying” cause when I first read the book I was actually surprised because I was expecting Eli to have done something awful to Victor something that justified Victors anger towards him and yet it was at that moment when I knew Victor was an unreliable narrator because it was Victor who had killed Eli’s girlfriend it was Victor who stabbed Eli after he had called the police, and I really don’t blame Eli for doing what he did, because who wouldn’t had called the police after finding our tour best friend had killed someone?
If you just discovered that your supposed best friend had killed your girlfriend and you have noticed him acting very weird and out of character lately and later he comes and tries to physical attack you, wouldn’t anyone had called the police after a situation like that? Specially a person (Eli) who has previously suffered from physical abuse at hands of his father?
Like I’ve seen far too many people claim that it was Eli who “betrayed” Victor and like, how? How can you blame Eli for calling the police after he heard his best fiend had killed someone, I’ve heard people say that Eli was the one who “betrayed” and that he “was the one who ruined his and Victor’s” friendship as if Eli hadn’t been the one to be worried sick about Victor’s well-being and as if Victor couldn’t had been hold accountable for murdering Angie and attempting to murder Eli after he reasonably called the police.
Why are people placing the blame on Eli for that? How is he accountable for what happened and for Victor’s actions?
I understand hating/disliking Eli because of his seemingly patronizing attitude or because of his religious fanaticism and/or because he jumped to conclusions about EOS after Victor was sent to jail, but why are people claiming he “betrayed” Victor?
Even since I first read the book that was the moment I realized Victor was an unreliable narrator, I was expecting Eli to have done something awful to Victor when it was Victor the one who had done something awful to Eli because he got jealous and wanted to get his attention and Victor getting send to jail was a direct consequence for his actions.
And I’m not blaming Victor for this because Eli already has tons of religious trauma and self-hate that he ended up projecting onto all the other EOS, yet Victor actions were what pushed Eli into thinking EOS were devils in disguise, so why are people blaming Eli for supposedly “ruining” or “bettering” Victor’s friendship when that’s not what happened at all.
Even in post that seemingly try to act neutral in terms of character favoritism, people always seem to place the blame on Eli for things that were out of his control and placing the blame on him for things that weren’t his fault , like I’ve seen people said things like “Eli was an asshole for betraying Victor” or “Victor shouldn’t have had asked for Angie’s help on becoming an Eo, but Eli shouldn’t have had called the police maybe he could have had talked things out with Victor”
And I’m like, so basically you are blaming Eli for Victor’s actions? Your are placing the blame on Eli for calling the police and not on Victor because he accidentally murder someone?
I’m not trying to make this into a competition, both characters have done awful things both characters are morally grey and shitty at times, both characters have a degree of fault for what happened, yet people seem to blame a character more than the other one and even put the blame on him for things that weren’t even his fault, there is such an obvious favoritism and I’m tired of seeing this.
I think the reason there has been a split of sides between the fandom in terms of characters is because some either are able to relate towards a character more or because the unreliable narrator makes the story side more towards a certain character yet the narrative is obvious biased because it’s told from Victor’s POV and I personally side more with Eli because the fandom just seemed so unfair to his character.
I understand hating him, disliking him and/or having a knee jerk reaction to his character due to his religious fanaticism who tend to put off many of the readers (this happened to me) yet so many tend to miss the point of his character, place all of the blame on him for what happened and I just happen to found him a far more interesting character than Victor that’s why
Why is there si much favoritism towards Victor? Even by people who claim to be neutral or unbiased towards them?
what I think people mean when they say that Eli betrayed Victor is that he told the police that Victor was an EO. there's obviously separate protocols in place for an ordinary criminal vs a criminal with what's essentially superpowers, and later on we find out that there's some pretty nasty human experimentation going on in regards to EOs, so I think people feel it's a shitty move for Eli to grass Victor's abilities up, basically. what I don't understand is the fact that Victor goes to normal person prison rather than EO jail, and he manages to convince everyone he's not an EO? I have no idea, but it's either confirmed or heavily implied that Eli told the police Victor was an EO. I mean, I can't really blame him considering what he was going through at the time, but you know. once people decide they don't like a character, they'll refuse to consider any other option but the most uncharitable one.
I also think there's an element of like, obviously the story is told primarily through Victor's point of view, so he's going to be telling it in a biased fashion. I think people don't pick up on this as much as they should and take him at face value, and they don't think critically about his reasoning for his dislike of Eli. Victor was actually a terrible friend who constantly tried to sabotage Eli and was always putting him down. when Eli came up with his thesis, Victor was annoyed that it was better than his and did everything he could to ridicule the prospect and make Eli second-guess it. when Eli persisted, and started getting good results and a solid theory, Victor immediately changed tactics and tried to become the centre of Eli's thesis -- if he couldn't stop Eli from getting all the glory, he was damn well going to shoulder his way in there and force Eli to share it. he did this by volunteering himself to try out the thesis, and then he obviously failed the first time. meanwhile Eli tried it and succeeded, and I think Victor sees that as a betrayal. he didn't want it to succeed, but if it did, he wanted it to be him. how dare Eli try it himself and have the audacity to become an EO first? the way Victor tells this story is obviously sympathetic to himself, and casts Eli as the spoiled kid who gets everything -- the grades, the friends, the results, the girl. through this narrative, we don't get to see the other side of things in a clear light: that Victor is nasty, spiteful, jealous, and is taking advantage of a young man from an abusive, cultish background who has never had a real friend before.
because people obviously like Victor more, they believe him at his word and before the plot even moves outside of the early college days, they're convinced Eli is a brat. the fact that Eli then gets what Victor wants before him, and then grasses him up to the police... yeah, it does look like a betrayal, but at that point Victor had murdered Eli's girlfriend in pursuit of his own selfish goals, you know? when Angie was laying there freshly dead, Victor wasn't concerned about her at all -- he called Eli to gloat. when Eli called the police, as you would if someone had just phoned you up and said "hey dude, I just killed a woman in cold blood", Victor escapes and returns to literally torture Eli, because... I don't even know. because he's mad that Eli called the police? because he's pissed at Eli for being Eli? I have no idea, but you don't just flip a one-eighty and start torturing your best friend unless you have a lot of beef with them you haven't been acknowledging, lmao. I cannot blame Eli for then assuming that EOs come back evil.
Eli isn't blameless, don't get me wrong. he went off the rails hardcore and he is responsible for his actions to a certain extent. but the truth of the matter is if Victor had been a better friend, Eli wouldn't have done any of that shit. if this is a cause-effect scenario, Victor is the cause and Eli the effect. Eli went bad, but Victor was an utter bastard from the beginning.
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haiky-u-lously · 5 years ago
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King Kuroo and the Red Knights (9)
Summary:
A Camelot AU where King Arthur is Kuroo Tetsuro, and the Knights of the Roundtable of characters from seasons 1-4 of the HQ anime. Eventual Kuroo X Reader.
Themes:
Action/fighting/killing, dead bodies, Fluff, Angst, Humor, Eventual Romance
Warnings:
Mentions of stalking and abuse of power, Language, Angst in feelings, Gore and fighting, mention of explosion, mention of seeing dead bodies
Word Count:
For Chapter: ~2800words                 
Questions/Comments/Concerns/Ideas welcome as always.
-Admin Red
Hi everyone! First, I’d like to half-apologize for my sudden disappearance from the weekly updates. I say half-apologize because I do feel bad about it, but the first week was supposed to be a break because I’ve had some physical issues come up and it really really hurts to type so I was trying to take a week away from overly stressing my fingers and putting them through more than necessary pain. So like, it was going to be fully justified even though I did feel bad. 
But, after that first weekend without an update I got 7 anon and 2 not-anon asks and 2 direct messages all from individuals basically being hate messages. Regarding how I must be lazy for not keeping my posting up after only two weeks, regarding how the story is crap and they were happy I wasn’t flooding the tags with the b*s anymore. And for how few positive responses I have received regarding the story as a whole after 2 months of posting each week to receive so much after only 1.5 weeks...it was pretty much a punch to the gut.
I realize I am not a top writing for the HQ fandom, I realize that only like...maybe...10 people actually read this story each week, and I am truly grateful to everyone who does. But like that fact that I got so many rude messages as opposed to nice ones really tore me up, especially since in the absence (until yesterday) I hadn’t received any word that anyone was still enjoying the work.
This is why I would like to once again thank the anon who messaged me yesterday. As I said, the kindness you wrote to me made me cry because I’d been so down about this piece. And, I am really glad this work brought you any joy that it did, I hope it continues to do so.
Finally, I have a doctors appointment to get my hands checked out. After basically a month of being in pain with them hopefully something will come of it and I can get back to writing for this work. For now though, here is chapter 9. I hope those following for this piece enjoy it, and honestly if you only wish to send hate please keep it to yourself. Constructive criticism is fine, welcome even (as proven by the fact that I owned up to being wrong about certain characters being third years), but hate messages...those are just pointless.
I hope you like this next installment. Enjoy!
–Admin Red
Chapter 9: Morning of the Tournament
It had been a long few days as the castle staff, knights, and royals of Camelot prepared for the tournament they’d decided to hold. But everyone was in high spirits at breakfast that morning, even Suga and you who’d had a few close calls with your new hall-mate liking to barge in without so much as knocking to indicate his approach.
After the third scare of him walking in while you were eating, you’d started to use your magic to lock the door whenever your helmet was off.
“I still can’t believe how quickly he accepted that you just had (h/l), (h/c) hair when he saw the back of your head,” Suga commented biting into his eggs from his breakfast plate.
You laughed a bit before responding, finishing off your own mouthful of food. “Yea, he is very friendly though. I appreciate how true his comment was. Saying this was the most private hall of the castle? We only come across him regularly, it is pretty nice to be afforded the level of privacy I wanted. Even if there were a few mistakes at the beginning.” You smiled as you went in for more food.
Suga had finished clearing his plate before mouthing to you that he agreed with your assessment.
*knock knock*
When you heard the knocking from your door, rather than the whines of a knight who felt excluded from the so-called party, you knew it was someone other than the King’s right-hand man at your door. Quickly you put your helmet on, still hiding your true identity and removed your magic hold on the door so Suga could open it.
“Excuse me,” Futakuchi called upon entering your chambers. “Ah so you are both here, great! Makes this less work for me then.”
Suga laughed on both of your behalves at the attendant’s joke, having grown accustomed to his sense of humor as it was similar to your own.
“The King has asked me to tell you the order of today’s fights.” He said, pulling a piece of parchment from behind his back with a wide grin.
Suga’s eyes lit up as Futakuchi spoke, and you knew your friend was looking forward to this show of strength as much as any of the men of Camelot, and you smiled proudly behind your face-wear.
When a full minute passed without a word from the magician, Suga threw his hands out in exasperation, “Well then, what is it?”
“Oh, right!” The brunet fumbled the paper before moving to place it on your dining table to review with your pair. “So the first battle will be the most entertaining as the side by side matches should be--!”
His explanation was cut off by the ringing of bells from the courtyard.
“Another attack?” Suga questioned, not knowing the differences in Camelot’s alarm system since you’d heard it less than a handful of times.
Futakuchi shook his head, “No, it means a visitor. But I have no clue who could be approaching today of all days. Come, you should see who it is with me.”
Your group made it down to the front square of the Castle, only to watch as all of the knight’s you’d slowly begun to know over the course of the week run up to a pair of men riding in on horseback!
“You’ve made it!”
“What took you two so long?”
“Where have you been, idiots? The guests of honor arrived a week before you!”
“With Asahi and Ushijima here we are in for a real tournament!”
“Grand welcome for two of Camelot’s strongest! Welcome back to the castle latecomers.”
Watching the group, you realized the men were as close to one another as Suga and you were with your own band of Knights. You were grateful for the reminder of home, even if it made you miss your friends a bit more.
“Ah, so they really did show up today.” You heard from beside you and turned to face the speaker, “Pardon their inept ability to make proper introductions, Red Knight. The two newcomers are the pair I told you about before. Since they have arrived, I may make them participate in the tournament as punishment for being so late.”
You nodded to the King, indicating you’d heard him before stepping back to let him address his men from a better position atop the stairs.
“Thank you,” He smiled fondly before taking your prior position and screaming out to the men below him, “Ushijima! Asahi! Men!” The knights filed up at the base of the staircase, with the two new arrivals front and center. “Why are you so late?”
“Late?” Asahi asked, “You know, you all keep saying we are late, but we just got these summons a few days ago.”
Ushijima just shrugged and looked bored, “If we are supposedly late, we can just go back to where we were.”
The men around the pair started shouting obscenities at their friends’ casualness. You noted the joking manner between the group of twelve and realized that this kingdom truly did feel like they were in a time of peacefulness after the decades of darkness that befell them.
Looking to Suga, you noticed his eyes trained on the men below, joking and horseplaying as he had with his own companions, and you made a note to show how grateful you were to him once more. He’d left his home and friends to stay beside you, the least you could do is remind him how appreciative you were.
“--wever, the matter at fact is that our guests arrived a week before you. To top that, they fought on our side when the castle was attacked without all her guards in place. So I’ve decided you will join our tournament today, and I will not accept any excuses of being tired from your journey.” The King smiled down to his men. The pair grumbled about how unfair a punishment was being forced on them, the other men just showed excitement at the prospect of their friends joining.
“Yes! Yes! Yes! I want to fight Ushi!”
“Hells ya! Make them fight for their dinner while we’re at it!”
“I wouldn’t mind kicking some sense into the glass hearted giant myself!”
“Woaho! Fight time, let’s go!!”
Even the few not shouting out in pure joy had grins on their faces as they looked to and nodded at one another, all of them ready for what they now perceived to be a perfect tournament.
Waving your hand, you caught Suga’s attention, and holding your fingers up to make a triangle, you told him to ask about the tournament set up.
“Excuse us, King Kuroo.” He approached the royal, “This will probably change your line-up for the tournament?”
“You’re right! Futakuchi!” He yelled, to get the attendant’s attention away from joking around with the men below. “Come, we have to rearrange some things.” After his announcement, the King reentered the castle.
As he passed Futakuchi slowed to ask Suga a question, “How against are you showcasing your magic?”
Suga looked to you for your decision. Since showing magic would be the first test against the King’s ability to truly reconnect with the Order you decided it would be a fine move. 
You shrugged your shoulders to indicate you didn’t care either way, leaving it to Suga’s discretion since he too knew of the testing methods.
“If I fight another magician, I don’t mind.” He answered positively.
Futakuchi’s grin overtook his features as he bobbed his head before following after his king.
“You sure like them, don’t you?” You whisper asked your friend.
“Like you don’t?” He laughed back. “If it goes well, perhaps we really can trust this new King and then you can focus on your other mission.”
Behind your shielded mask, you rolled your eyes and stuck out your tongue before answering, “Perhaps you can shut up because no one asked you about that.”
He laughed at your ire, but brought it down to nothing more than a smile seeing the knights climbing the stairs.
“Oh let me introduce you!” Bokuto yelled excitedly seeing your pair atop the staircase. “Ushijima, Asahi, these are the Red Knight representatives. This is Sugawara, the Knight’s squire, and that...well, we just call him the Red Knight, I’ve seemed to have forgotten his name.” The Knight ended up drawing out his introduction as he racked his brain trying to recall it.
“Oh the Red Knight doesn’t mind, we’ve been doing it all week.” Terushima countered, defending his friend’s forgetfulness, and you stifled a laugh as you imagined it was because he too forgot the name you’d chosen to use.
“Wait, you’re Sugawara? From the Order?” A longer haired male asked, stepping from behind the other men to look at your friend closely. After what you guessed was further inspection he grabbed your companion in a tight embrace, “It’s been years! How are you old friend?!” The male shouted in his ears.
You’d moved to unsheath your sword, only to pause at Suga raising his hand towards you.
“It’s okay Yomimasu, I actually think I remember this man.” He finally said once released from the embrace. The taller male backed up and sheepishly scratched at the stubble of hair growing against his jawline. Suga did his own visual study before grinning from ear to ear and giving the man his own version of a soul crushing bear-hug. “Azumane, goor sir. It’s been a long while. Glad to see you’re still alive!”
Hearing the name Suga called, memories flooded your mind of Suga’s friend from the summer years back. A traveling group stayed in a town near your own and the pair met in the forest when Suga was searching for you. After enticing the over-grown child’s help, Suga made fast friends with the boy. Sneaking off himself to go teach him some sword fighting skills and some of the things you’d taught him as well.
“Wait!” Semi interrupted your thoughts and the pair’s reunion. “You two know each other?”
Suga nodded, and Asahi moved to explain, “I stayed a summer nearby to where Suga lived when I was a child. He was the one who taught me to use swords, and his cousin taught us both how to write. Thought I’d never see them again, honestly. What are you doing in Camelot?”
Being questioned, Suga fell back into his more reserved mannerisms, “Of course, I am here as escort to the Red Knight as the Order has sent us to determine if Camelot is worthy of being considered an ally once more.”
The official reason for your visit.
It still angered you that it was your only excuse, that you weren’t meant to share your other reasons. But things were the way they were, and thus you stayed silent, watching the encounter from the sidelines.
“What are you doing as a knight of Camelot? I thought only those in some roundabout way related to the King’s lineage were accepted as knights?” Suga questioned.
“Oh, Kuroo did away with that rule long before he even became King. Quoting about how men should be fighter’s by their merit not their bloodlines.” Yamagata informed your pair.
Aone got a disgusted look on his face that made you want to laugh out, but you swallowed the feeling, he asked, “Did you think we were all somehow related?”
Suga glanced at you, and you did nothing to indicate your own thoughts of the matter, he sighed in defeat and answered, “Well not recently, but yes I felt your family trees must have connected somewhere down the line to the King’s.”
The group of men before him burst into fits of laughter as they regarded the idea and its apparent absurdity. 
“What of your cousin? How does the Princess fair?” Asahi questioned, changing topics to try and save his friend some embarrassment.
“Cousin?” Daichi guffawed.
“Princess?” Atsumu and Osamu blurted out simultaneously.
Your body went stiff at Asahi’s question and you had to take a few deep breaths to calm yourself and tell your mind that they weren’t actually calling to you.
Suga grinned as if he didn’t have a care in the world as he answered his old friend’s question, “She’s happier than she’s ever been, last time I saw her.”
He turned to reenter the castle, probably to return to your room, but you weren’t sure. You were going to follow him  but stopped dead in your tracks as Bokuto, Satori, Terushima and Atsumu all followed after him, asking so many questions over one another even you couldn’t make any of them out.
“So who are you?” A tall man, with short dark hair turned to you. He felt like he’d probably be more intimidating than Aone, but as you were currently sporting a full suit of armor, and held a secret that none in Camelot, save your own friend, knew, you didn’t actually feel frightened.
Daichi and Iwaizumi both stepped between your figure and the large knight, hands up defensively.
“Actually, Ushijima, while in uniform the Knight cannot speak. It’s a little challenging, but we’ve managed pretty well this past week. It’s easier to ask simple questions.” Daichi informed, and you appreciated the complete switch in the knight’s attitudes since you’d first arrived.
Iwaizumi nodded, “The letter you received should have detailed the purpose of their visit, Futa did a great job explaining everything in ours at least. We did a shite job of first impressions the night they arrived and yet he still helped us defend Camlot’s castle. The Red Knight is good people, trust us on that in the very least.” 
It amazed you how much the male reminded you of your old childhood acquaintance. You wished you’d know the boy better to tell if he was the same man for sure, but alas, only Oikawa would have known...And, it’d been years since you’d seen him either. You felt the tear roll down your cheek before realizing you’d started to cry at the recollection. Closing your eyes you let your mind settle on nothingness to rid it of the negative memories regarding your ex-friend.
“Then perhaps you can answer simple yes or no questions?” The giant, presumably Ushijima questioned you. Upon seeing you nod, he hummed before continuing, “Are you really only here to see if Camelot can reconnect with your Order?”
While you knew how Suga would want you to respond, you also knew it wouldn’t be truthful. It’d been a long week developing trust with the members of Camelot’s court, and you the only way to keep that streak would be to stay honest. You shook your head in the negative.
Ignoring the shocked exclamations of the men around him, your interrogator continued. “Do you wish to bring Camelot or Kuroo harm?”
You stood at attention and shook your head once more, expressing clear displeasure at the mere idea.
The male hummed before bowing out of his inquisition, “I see. I look forward to getting to know you then.”
Watching him move inside the castle, you stayed where you were in anticipation of the other’s questions to follow your first answer.
“Aye, you weren’t being serious in having another motive, were you?” Osamu questioned, looking at you with disbelief dancing in his eyes.
You just bowed your head in apology.
“Does Sugawara know of your other mission?” Daichi questioned further.
You thought for a moment before rocking your hand side-to-side in front of you, telling the knights he kind of knew a bit about it, but entirely.
Semi shook his head and stepped forward, a frown clear on his face as he tried to find your eyes hidden in the shadows of your helmet, “Have you deceived us?”
His voice sounded so angry, almost threateningly so, but you knew you couldn’t answer that question without Suga by your side to explain. Thankfully you didn’t have to.
“Oi!” King Kuroo yelled from one of the windows overlooking the front gate. “Get to the main hall for review of the schedule!”
“In a minute!” Semi yelled back, still looking you up and down distrustingly.
Kuroo didn’t like this attitude in his knight’s defiance and yelled back, “Now!” Then laughed as he added, “Or no supper for any of the knights, Semi!”
The silver haired male tsk’d in annoyance before rushing inside.
“We trust you,” A voice called your attention from watching the others follow after him. “Not sure why it’s such a strong trust, but we do.” Aone looked at you directly, unbeknownst to him catching your eyes’ gaze with ease. “Don’t betray us.”
What could you do but bow in a show of understanding and acceptance. You really didn’t wish to betray them, and should they discover your secret in a manner not befitting your true identity, then the power will lie with them to do with you as they please.
   _______________________________________________
Table of contents:
Chapter 8                                                     Chapter 10
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buddha-in-disguise · 5 years ago
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Discourse, Supergirl and fans.
The Supergirl situation with William Dey, is far more than about William Dey per se.
I touched on this when I first posted about David Harewood.
What I have seen, and I am still seeing is while some SuperCorp fans were annoyed about the preview for episode 12, this was also coming from a diverse section of the fandom. That David (and others) have singled out the SuperCorp fandom is both unfair, and unhelpful. But that is a different discussion altogether.
So - I am going to repeat and expand on some of what I wrote at the time to try and explain why I, (and others) have found Supergirl to be really problematic at the moment.
First of all: There is no doubt Supergirl currently has a diverse cast, inc. LGBTQ representation. 
However, all the diversity in the world means absolutely nothing if a program is seemingly only playing lip service to the characters. 
Compare and contrast with Legends of tomorrow. They have 6 women. 2 Muslim superheroes (a TV first). 5 characters are LGBTQ, including Charlie; who is recognised as gender fluid. 4 people of colour. The lead is a woman, who is bisexual, in a canon relationship with a lesbian, and is a superhero. 
They do this without it being made a big deal of, enjoyed by LGBTQ and heterosexual audience alike. But it is a huge deal for many because of that diversity, and just as importantly they haven't overloaded the cast numbers, so they all get good solid storylines through a season. A season that is also shorter than Supergirl. 
Legends are an example of how you can put in a diverse minority cast, without it becoming forced or cumbersome. It isn't without fault sure, but no program is. 
So where is Supergirl going wrong at the moment? 
Let's use William, as the crux of the problems are best shown with his character, but it isn't limited to him. I will put first - this is absolutely *not* a criticism towards Staz Nair, who I respect (& like, as far as one can from limited SM interaction). All too often the accusations are made that if you don't like a character, you hate the actor. That is categorically not true for me, nor others I've seen posting about this. Of course if anyone does hate on the actor, that is not okay.
So, back to William. I get the reason he came along in regards to Russell and so the Andrea connection. That story made sense.  What hasn't made sense - William being used as a journalist, when Nia is right there! Nia has barely had any screen time, and virtually none as a journalist; you know - her actual job. I'm not sure what the minutes on screen ratio has been this season between the two, but it has felt completely slanted towards William as a viewer, at least until now. 
First instead of Kara and Nia investigating Leviathan after William was 'exposed' in the earlier episodes, now Nia is sidelined again, because they want Kara to team up with William to investigate Lex.
Why? Why do they need that journalistic pairing, when Nia - who as a Superhero, is better placed if danger from Lex occurs. But no, they're making it about Kara having to work with William because Lex threatened to kill him. Plus Nia was being mentored by Kara. Is she no longer being mentored by Kara? Are they a team? Even if the mentoring has ended, Nia is still not being utilised as a journalist.
I am utterly baffled as to why they feel this arc makes any sense. Moreso when an already established character gets sidelined. 
I'm also getting tired of seeing anyone who sees these valid opinions about current storyline as being trolls (or the comments all SuperCorp fans are just outright haters. No - SuperCorp fans are a large diverse group, that have incredible artists, fanfic writers, and social media users. Many also multi-ship. To place a blanket statement about a whole fandom as large as SC, is hateful. All fandoms have some who are problematic, but to single out an entire group is not right). 
So back to my thoughts. An episode can have some great aspects to it, but it can also be highly problematic to some fans, & receive valid criticism or valid opinions for it. For example, the latest episode of Batwoman. The Alice/Beth story was great. The acting superb. What I found worrying was the way they made Sophie feel guilty for legitimate reasons why she had led a closeted lifestyle. That lifestyle is valid, for Sophie and many LGBTQ people, and for good reason, including keeping some people safe from harm. I felt it was a clumsy attempt for Alice to get into Sophie's mind; it could've been tackled other ways, so it felt wrong they used her sexuality as a way to achieve that. Being closeted for many literally keeps them alive. So that was one hell of a poor choice in my opinion. Yet others have made perfectly credible counter arguments that it showed the difficulties faced by many LGBTQ people. So, great episode, valid criticism/opinion from both points of view. It also highlights you can have excellent episodes, but they can have legitimate issues.
Nor does differences of opinion, as long as it is respectful, makes those voicing them a bully, no matter how much you disagree. 
At the end of this, if you don’t agree, and your opinion makes you say something that is intentionally hurtful (directly or indirectly to a person or group of people), it's a bad thing. The key word being intentionally. We all make mistakes, and responses that could've been better, & we all need to be aware of that, but if it is an intended attack, don't be surprised if others call you out for your behaviour. 
So now what in regards Supergirl?  
I know ultimately that this show is about Supergirl, but it is also about those around her as family & friends. I understand there are only so many minutes in one episode. What I don't understand is why those precious minutes are going to a character, when they have one perfectly placed to do the same role. Why they have to potentially explore another relationship, when we have one canon relationship, one canon on/off again relationship & one relationship that while isn't canon in terms of romantic, it is a big story in terms of best friends, all seemingly sidelined. Which brings me to the Kara fighting for Lena's soul aspect. Again, I am not seeing a lot of fighting for anything, except more and more fans fighting themselves and cast. 
Then you just need to look at the dislikes that teaser was given on YouTube, and compare them to previous ones. I've attached screenshots to show this.
A serious misjudgment was made by someone on how that teaser would be received, and again I will stress, this dislike hasn't just been from one area of fandom, but multiple areas. For many it wasn't just about William, but the culmination of unease that has built for a few episodes. A prime example of the straw that broke the camel's back. If you are solely focused on one area of fandom for this discourse (as many blame SuperCorp fans), you need to step back and recognise you are not allowing yourself to see the whole picture. To focus solely on one thing, rather than acknowledging the wider audience are saying this, does not make you the better fan. To dismiss it as trolls, is being dismissive of good, regular fans with legitimate questions or concerns. It is insulting to many of us.
I will be honest, I had high hopes for this season. I also knew it was likely going to be pretty confusing at times since it was given as 'our Black mirror season' and 'nothing is as it seems.' I accepted that.
However, all it seems at the moment is a jumbled mess from pre and post Crisis. They just doesn't appear to be any cohesion at all, which is making it really difficult as a viewer. Add in the changes post Crisis and it feels even more of a mess.
Of course, they could bring in more cohesive elements soon, but considering that we know episode 13 is 'It's a wonderful life,' and Alex Danvers in a later episode is wearing a Super suit - I just sense this whole 'nothing is as it seems' side we appear to be getting isn't changing any time soon, & with episodes running out, with so many strings running through at the moment, it feels really discombomulated. If by seasons end, they pull it off and you can look back and see how it's played out as a whole, I will be the first to say well done for that part. 
I do though think right now Supergirl feels chaotic beyond expectation, and no end in sight. I feel there have been too many character additions this season (particularly Andrea & William) that is taking screen time away from Kara, Alex, Nia, Lena, Kelly et al.
It feels like a mess of unnecessary pairings and the crux of the story seems to have been lost in the midst.
That is causing confusion for fans, that is also beginning to become frustration. That frustration is spilling over. Add in the genuine and extremely legitimate concerns over the LGBTQ issues that have arisen (again from far more than just SuperCorp fans), and the frustration has built even more. 
I can only hope the next couple of episodes address some of this and not complicate the mess further. 
Whatever happens, Supergirl is not doing well in terms of a storyline that is gripping for fans, that is now top heavy with regulars, taking screen time from established characters, and a social media blunder that has so far only exacerbated the simmering uncertainty being felt by many.
It might improve, and I sincerely hope it does, but they are edging into the potential for the anger felt by fans to become an all out riot if they don't stop and see where valid criticism is being given. If this season continues on in this vein, then there is going to be huge swathes of fans drifting away. The concerns are legitimate. I wish it could be seen as that.
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