#yes i am contributing to this fandom with crying and thinking about characters whats up

[tonguetyd]

Alright I processed it over a couple times last night and low key want to do a line by line analysis bc there’s some deep stuff in ALL of this. But. Overall.

It is all of us. I am at fault. You are at fault. All of us are contributing to this man’s and these men’s suffering. Some more egregious than others and most not directly our fault and with no malicious intent.

It’s their Cobra. “Breaking down, and I got the whole world watching” and “as long as everybody gets paid, right? Everything’ll be ok, right?”

I think an overlooked part of the song is the very beginning, talking about being counted like sovereigns (I picture UK money with their royals printed on it) and payback and Prada - it’s quick and not as shocking as the real name line. But it’s the modern music industry machine. It’s RCA squeezing him to make profit.

Simply by observing and singing along while he’s crying and using this man’s pain as entertainment. We are contributing to his exploitation.

And yes, the ones that dox his address and harass him at restaurants and yell his real name and demand things and are disrespectful at gigs and all of that, they get the direct call out. But one thing about being in fandom for a long time I’ve learned.

It is so easy to say “well I’m not as bad as THEY are. THEY are worse” and absolve ourselves of any wrongdoing. “They” do it too with each other and just as easily absolve themselves.

And nobody “I’m not like other fans” the way that Sleep Token fans do! “TikTok fans are a plague. Reddit fans are too serious. Twitter is a cesspool. This person was in a groupchat with identities discussed, block them.”

Is it warranted? Yeah if they’re being disrespectful to the guys and other fans by name dropping in the comments and showing people things they don’t wanna see behind the masks and just. Being gross.

But is it also more than just those obvious “unscrupulous individuals” that are contributing? Is it also us being ANY level of parasocial, of us posting a million photos of him, clamoring over when he cries on stage, exploding when we get a new…anything?

Yeah. It is. Because we feed the machine and demand he dance for us to distract us from our own pain.

Does that mean we should stop consuming entirely? Well. What do I always say with Sleep Token. Multiple things coexist. Fear and hope. Love and toxicity. And I think that’s true here as well. You can be contributing (intentionally and maliciously or indirectly) to the objectification of this man. But also be the thing that is saving him, and giving him joy, and making his dream come true.

He isn’t saying don’t come to the shows. In fact the opposite, he tells us to sing along. That he’s glad we came. That he’s blessed. That this is everything he wanted.

All we can do, is try and be better. It’s stopping the entitlement of demanding more things and new songs and more tours. It’s not interrupting their personal lives, and letting them just be guys. It’s not taking the masks as a challenge to uncover and blasting their real names all over the internet. It’s respecting the boundary that they asked for.

It’s getting off the Internet and thinking about something other than these four guys.

Doing our best to not let the machine we are constantly funding wring them dry.

To the guys behind the masks, I am sure you will never read this. But you have my deepest apologies anyway. I know you’re playing a character on stage, and I’m sorry that so often we overlook the Guy part. We appreciate yall so much and want you to have all the success and positive things that this music can bring, and what it’s given us. I’m sorry we forced you into this role of being a savior, which you have said time and time again is not what you want, and put you up on pedestals that are impossible to maintain.

I’m sorry we took your dream and the thing you love and made it a prison.

I hope writing this song loosened the lock a little.

And I hope you find that dream again. That we can give you the love you WANT. And less of the kind you don’t. We’re still full of it, after all. And we will share it with you for as long as you’ll allow us.

[tennessoui]

I know fic rec lists take a lot of energy and time, but I really need something obikin to read and I trust your taste in fic after having read literally everything you've written 🧡 Can you share a few obikin fics you've recently read? I'm not asking for a huge list or anything, just a few for a lunchtime work read would hit the spot!

hello, yes I can do this! honestly, it’s a new years resolution of mine to write a few fic lists because I haven’t had a lot of time to read fic these past few months, but I miss it (and I honestly think not reading fic has been a huge contributing factor to my writer’s block) and I want to make fic recs a thing again for me

(a sort of related fic resolution of mine this year is to comment more on fics i read, which is why i have about 53 tabs open on my phone and yet am still bad at leaving comments - these things happen in baby steps)

this won’t be long list because I have an early start tomorrow and not a lot of new fics to rec (like I said, I have not been reading enough lately), but here are the most recent obikin fics in my ao3 History tab

(beneath the cut: 7 fics i've read, 3 fics on my To Read ASAP list, 3 WIPs i'm subscribed and SAT for along with the ever relevant and only slightly preachy reminder to read your local authors' wips if you want more complete fics)

let's turn up the heat until we fry by @grapenehifics (explicit, modern au)- what an amazing fic this was! i read it sometime in january and my god it made me crave summer almost as much as it made me crave tattooed anakin, a plot device people are not making enough use out of for how great (and hot) tattooed anakin is. especially when he's a dad. especially when he's still a dork. a 4.5 out of 10 on the buffoon scale (complimentary) have i mentioned obi-wan's slutty earring??

lost canines by @bunnywan (explicit, canon) - no one does men crying like bunnywan does men crying. also spit. and teeth. but also such a fascinating character study into what flavor of emotinal wreck both of them would be if the jedi won the war and then anakin left the order to be with his wife. amazing on all levels for this. fictional smut between two fictional men never feels as real and possible as it does when this writer is writing it

running through my head by @darthwillies (mature, canon, sort of crack premise based on an anime but incredibly poignantly heavy fic) - man, i had to search deep into my history for this fic because i was obsessed with finding and reading the final scene of chapter 2 again (specifically - no context for spoilers - obi-wan saying "that is the cruellest thing anyone has ever said to me") because oh man that bit of bare and painful honesty and all the bare and painful honesty following? scratches my brain the best way. this fic was just so incredible for many different reasons. i loved the world building and the ensemble in the background - it felt very much like something that could happen if every character made slightly different choices. both anakin and obi-wan's characterizations read spot on and painfully beautiful. no one is to blame for everything, but this is where we've landed and everyone's healing and communicating (which is my favorite sort of whump/comfort fic) this fic is heavy but the author does a very good job of inserting tags into the author's notes of each chapter so read those. but read the fic as well.

i will tell the night by @riduurburton (explicit, set in the gffa, same ageish, enemies to friends to lovers) - it took me three days to read through this and i was just blown away each time i clicked to the next chapter. would have read through it faster if i hadn't started around christmas time. an instant fandom classic in my mind if those are still things. as i was reading it, i was constantly reminded why i love star wars fanfictions and this ship - it read like a love letter to the characters and the universe, though things are necessarily changed by the premise. i just know if this wasn't published all at once, i would have faithfully followed each update. it's everything i wanted in same-ish age fic, where anakin is newly knighted and obi-wan is a senior padawan. the ensemble characters carry so much of the story, and i love the pov switches - it does so much to make the fic feel like a whole world. perhaps not something to read on your lunch break, but absolutely absolutely something you must read!!

(no) fixing it by skyl_tales (mature, canon au) - will this author's works never not have a strangle hold on me? i'm honestly unsure. something about their writing is just incredibly readable every single time. this fic has gotten two more updates than i expected and may get another (who knows?? anything is possible) but reads like a complete story as is. asks the all important question: what if obi-wan was given the choice to go back to make sure that the worst thing in his life didn't happen and he accidentally/truthfully goes back to mustafar and not a few days before? also, as a follow up question, what if sucking on obi-wan kenobi's tits kept anakin from the influence of the dark side? it's worth a shot!

relative matters by anonymous (explicit, modern au, half brothers so actual incest instead of just the canon vibes incest going on generally) - man, i read this during those two weeks of the year where your brain is rotating the folger's coffee commercial around on repeat (you know the feeling) and it managed to scratch the itch perfectly. dirty, dysfunctional, snotty nosed teenagers obi-wan and anakin are stupid and messed up and 'just imagine that i'm your girlfriend' as youre having sex with your half brother....i come back to that vibe sm. need more of it.

in the eye of the beholder by booksnchocolate (explicit, canon, trans!obi-wan) - oh my god! i just read this tonight and loved it so much. another fic where i was just viscerally reminded why i love this ship while i was reading it. anakin's pov of obi-wan is just so soft and interwoven with so much love that it almost feels wrong calling the sex hot because it feels almost too intimate for that. and the author makes it incredibly clear how much obi-wan loves anakin, all without changing pov or having any very long or drawn out confession scene. it's just there, throughout the fic as they interact. and the banter they share, the cameos by ahsoka and rex and the council, all of it together makes this such a great fic. 10/10 would read again instead of writing my policy brief due tomorrow

by omission by posthumous_vigor (explicit, reverse master/padawan, set in the gffa) - i think i reread this for the billionth time sometime in december, but i can't remember. anyway. many heart eyes. love as always. sometimes you just need drunk sex with your master who can read your every thought because you've accidentally dropped the shields around your mental link. also you're wearing fishnets. and you're very drunk. and jealous because your master refused to fake marry you for a mission even though you totally want to be real-married instead. god. it's just hot idk i love this fic and the way this author writes these characters, in all their iterations i've seen from them so far!

On My To Read ASAP List:

heartlines by @lilredghost (explicit, canon au, heavy topics) - as soon as i have fic reading time this weekend that i actually plan out, i'm going to read this fic. i saw the writing process for it in the big bang server and i know it's going to be an actual gem and do my head in so much. there's hardly anything i love more than a twisty curvy timeline plus an unreliable narrator plus coma patient obi-wan waking up and having emotions about anakin having lived life without obi-wan on the peripherals of it etc etc. i'm sat. i can't wait.

the way our horizons meet by @soldieronbarnes (mature, set in the gffa, mail order bride anakin, a/b/o dynamics) - i mean?? mail order bride anakin?? reluctant and perhaps even guilt-ridden obi-wan who has infinite sadness?? this is one of those fics i know i'm going to absolute devour as soon as i start the first paragraph. i cannot wait for dilf obi-wan who looks like obi-wan from the kenobi show caving to his new spouse's wiles or insistent demands or something of that nature. can't decide what i'll love more, but will love it regardless

do the same for him by @thegingerwrites (mature, canon au) - oh geez, this is also one of those fics where i know i will be consumed with the need to keep reading until it's finished as soon as i start it. i love this author's writing style from their previous fics (which you should absolutely check out!) and the summary of this one is promising so many good things. i love a good obi-wan goes after anakin fic <3 it's what they both deserve and this one features sith holocron as well!! it's been a while since i read anakin whump and i am very excited to return to my well-beaten path of adoring some anakin whump <3

WIPs I Am Sat For:

(weekly/monthly/yearly reminder: please consider reading wips if you don't usually - they really are the lifeblood of fandom. if you can, please consider sitting in the kitchen with us writers and keeping us company while we cook. i just think it would be nice)

blur by @darthwillies (explicit, canon au, a/b/o dynamics....or? a dynamics?) - this fic!! what a fic!! it is such an amazing take on like...being on the outside of this very common trope we see all the time and seeing it for the horrors that are embedded in it that we sort of take for granted or filter out because both characters meet each other in the middle of these actions, but in this fic, anakin presents as an alpha and everyone else is just human Jedi around him and no one has any idea what's going on and anakin is a mess of emotions, not least of which are anger and fear, and obi-wan would do anything to make sure he's safe. he's doing a very good job so far imo i can't wait to see where this goes, but i am loving everything that i have been gifted with so far. this author's mind 🤯 unparalleled

close the blinds and kill the birds by @riduurburton (explicit, modern au, same age, mind the tags - dark elements in play) - i am so so fascinated so far with this story, holy hell. what a modern au!! everyone's sorta fucked up and fucking each other up a little further. the intricacies of the relationship growing between obi-wan and anakin and their shifting understandings of each other, even while overshadowed by terrible circumstances in their lives...immaculate. i cannot wait to see what happens next and where this and the characters go. i imagine it'll be pretty dark before (/if) it gets better, but i am already obsessed with following along on that journey

water's turning red by @bunnywan (explicit, modern au, infidelity) - obsessed with this fic sm that whenever i think about it i almost forget that it's a wip. to me it is nine chapters of different ways rich obi-wan is a bitch, connected under him having hired anakin to be his poolboy so he can get a good dicking when his husband is away. their relationship (anakin and obi-wan's, but also i guess obi-wan and cody's) is fascinating. delectable. i would easily read sixty thousand more words of obi-wan stringing anakin along for his dick and not realizing at the same time how much he's come to care about him as a person attached to that dick, etc etc. no notes, no thoughts, just the very, very accurate tag: 'obi-wan is a bitch and i like him so much'

(and finally,,,,sneaking in a black sails, silverflint fic i read in january after i got homesick because omg this reminded me so much of home but make it horror. the writing is so good. half of what haunts me about it is the sentence structure and word choice. the other half is the frankly creepy appalachian mountain range depicted in it but we don't get to pick our homes nor our ghosts)

[m1ckeyb3rry]

SHSHSHS HONORARY MUTUAL SHUT UP IM SO HONORED!!!! Also @/i-am-so-strange you’re too kind!!!!! Hsjshsjs always happy to provide more bllk content hehe but also thank YOU for supplying us with that glorious art I really got a kick out of seeing that LMAO I’m ngl stressing hiori is one of my favorites HAHAHA

BRO I LOST IT AT THE YUKI MARIOKART!!! We’re literally being stalked it’s insane….yes Reddit is definitely….a place…..honestly I only really use it when I wanna see non bot reviews for things and occasional bllk news because there’s usually at least one chronically online member active whos posting the latest stuff….

LMAOOOO NO ITS SO FUNNY HAHSGSHAAH ok but that makes more sense I feel like it’d be hard to expand too much on a request like that!! I love how it coincidentally lined up with Isagi being difficult/not as interesting to write about though LMAO

Wait that’s a good point HAHAHA maybe your inner tabieitaken agenda seeped out and you attracted side character enjoyers (me)……is that a sign to slide in secondary main character thoughts /j that is pretty hilarious though……I mean granted I also contributed to the hiori pile a bit when I sent in that like…(wanted to put this note in here that I straight up FORGOT what I wrote omg let’s see how long it takes me to scroll and find that ask I could’ve sworn I wrote it down somewhere but the fact that I don’t remember exactly what I wrote down is kinda embarrassing LMAO)

LMAOOO no because I love the idea of building up ego nation and just leaving like idk those cheesy stories where the lore is like yeah our great founders/creators one day disappeared HAHAHAHAAH I forgot that the man canonically doesn’t do laundry or cook decent food so that’s true too I’m here for the long ride though if you do end up writing that at some point then we can truly become the fake ego nationals LMAOO

MEGUMI I love megumi too omg bruh the recent events in jjk are really not good for the soul someone bring back megumi and his shadow animals :( Ah yes very brief Yuta interlude LMAOO (pi slapped so hard) also SHDJSH GET OUT SHIN AHS MY FAV TOO I also really liked Kija too!! I’m still sad that they didn’t continue with the anime though I heard it’s because it was just promo for the manga? Man. Ok but being converted by content is a little too real it happens to me too often….you know what’s funny. I saw a tiktok roasting Karasu for being number 3 and then like disappearing and I remember saying to my friend “yikes I don’t even like Karasu but why’d they do him so dirty” haha. Ha. I have no idea how it spiraled from there but it was quite literally shortly after that moment. But yeah I’ve definitely been converted by a good edit or piece of art! I’m pretty certain I started liking chigiri after seeing some fanart someone showed me LMAO

No I have full faith in you….you’re cooking in Michelin chef mode…so take your time LMAOOO it really does make me realize yet again that no one is serving Karasu nation like you s2 bring my man some justice….ok genuinely crazy has me really curious like if we’re talking genuinely crazy via Mira standards I’m eyeballing something around 30k (don’t say anything to this LMFAO)

WHEN I TELL YOU I LAUGHED SO HARD “I’d stay downstairs when my brother has friends over” IS SO FUNNY??? I’m actually crying but also agree!! I usually don’t watch as much slice of life to begin with so

the oikawa thing is actually so funny as a running joke now but I think (I’m also not a hardcore hq fan nor have I dipped my toes in the hq circles on social media) it stemmed from people actually thinking oikawa was really mean…? Maybe?? But if that was the case I’m like…..he seems pretty regular to me….seeing people put him next to like Sukuna and Kenjaku though is so hilarious LMAOOO

“#unfortunately idt I am built for the sports manga/anime life” AHAHABAAHHAAHAH you really were in for it LMFAOOOO

The soccer dudebro side of the fandom…ah yes….you know sometimes I forget dudebros actually watch and then I’m painfully reminded by some power scaling tiktok…this is also oddly specific but I remember seeing Maddie on tiktok talk about how she traded some blind bag keychain pull with a dudebro and gave her Kunigami to him for nagi or Reo or some Nagi Reo combo keychain and I really thought to myself like wait dude bros watch and buy merch?? Then I realize it makes sense that he wanted Kunigami LOL

HAHA Honesty translating is so fun and gives me more opportunities to use the target language too so I got you!!! <3 Classic Otoya activities indeed….CHATTER X CHATTER CHEMICAL REACTION IS CRAZY guys we are devouring bllk itself we devoured kaneshiro now he’s gotta give us his seat as bllk creator!!!!!! And also ok good I’m glad LOL I didn’t want to be like rapid fire pinging your inbox and messing up anything HAHAH

Oh…omg…….wait I hope that all worked out ok for you because omg….yeah that’s so awkward and honestly sounds like a nightmare…..hoping you get some platonic male irls too!!! Maybe you just have too much rizz LMFAO well….at least you didn’t find out during the actually dinner ig!

-Karasu anon

LMAOOO idk if i follow you or not but trust i would if i don’t…you’re like one of my tumblr besties atp HAHAHA one of my elite employees 🫡 and YES that art cracked me up poor hiori was struggling

to be honest if i’m looking smth up or i have a question i always go straight to the reddit results…truly it’s the best place for research questions because you can tell by upvotes how accurate smth is and especially if you’re looking for an answer about the contemporary world it’s better to get answers from people who live that experience vs study it!! so i can never be a full reddit hater even if some sections of the community are horrific

HAHAH i think a more focused prompt like that might’ve made me struggle for ANY character but yeah it coinciding w isagi definitely made me do a double take…although i would def write for him again if anyone else ever requested for him LMAOO i just wouldn’t seek out writing him on my own the way i do w tabieita and nagi

LMAOOO i give off a general aura of side character enjoyment 😩🙏🏻 that was back when my blog was only nagi themed too and he’s pretty popular so i’m surprised i didn’t get more reqs for him too!! you can always slide secondary main character thoughts my way 😋😏 but yeah i just found it funny that i’ve gotten more reqs for karasu than literally any other character…maybe too it’s because once i wrote for a side character the people who are into more random characters realized i would write for them and came to req?? vs people who like more popular characters have a wide range of people they can req/read from so they might not even see my blog in the results compared to me being one of very few authors who writes longer fics in the hiori/karasu/otoya/etc tags…idk if that makes sense but it could be one explanation

no because idk if you saw the vol30 color spread with the coaches but why is ego looking lowkey kinda…like sure i’ll join ego nation myself if i must HFJDDNJSSN

OMG YONA OF THE DAWN FAN???? you are officially my fav person ever I LOVEEEE YONA OF THE DAWN I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ALSO LIKE SHINAH BCKDNFJSDJDMSN WHY ARE WE THE SAME PERSON 😭😭😭 he’s my fav ever omg…besides him i rlly liked hak and soowon 😓 but shinah is my number one my bae my man 👹 forever hoping for a reboot of the show because from what i’ve heard the manga is sooo good and yona is such a well written fmc!! i need them to get mappa level animation and finish the whole show 😔 i’m surprised they haven’t yet it’s one of the most popular mangas i’ve heard?? i know SOOO many people would watch it if it came out plus it would appeal to such a broad audience because it truly has everything 😩 okay sorry for the brief rant i just love yona of the dawn i wish the fandom wasn’t NONEXISTENT because it has so much potential for fics art and analysis!!

i’ve learned to never say i don’t like a character because almost immediately after i WILL fall in love with them!! idek how i started liking karasu because after season one i could not tell you who karasu otoya or any of the others were (i did remember liking yukimiya though)…after i finished the show i was SET on not reading the manga because i thought it wouldn’t be as fun as watching it animated but the same mutual who convinced me to watch the show told me to read the manga and eventually i caved 😩 and that was when i was like “ok lowkey why is karasu so fine…” but it wasn’t until i took a break halfway through third selection to read epinagi that i really became a FAN 🤔 at least i think that’s how it happened HFJDJSN i don’t remember it as well as i remember becoming a fan of nagi (didn’t gaf abt him until i realized i was lowkey giggling at his scenes in team z vs team v…tried to hold out as a rin fan throughout second selection but it was impossible and then i was the number one nagi fan before i knew it)

i will not comment on your prediction 🤐 but michelin star meal OMG i can only hope it’s that good…truly i am doing what i can for karasu nation 😭🙏🏻 laying a foundation for those to come after me (aka his fandom which will surely grow after s2) 🤞🏻 i wonder what his fanon version will look like actually 🤔 are we going to get fboy tabito??? hopefully not because aiku and otoya are right there but bby karasu is a sarcastic dark haired handsome asshole who’s secretly a sweetheart so i do fear he’s going to be bastardized a la the itoshis a bit 😔 at least i can imagine him being flirty even if i do think he’s too much of a loser and undercover loverboy to ever sleep around or anything

i guess by slice of life/chill anime standards oikawa might seem mean?? like he’s nothing compared to sukuna/kenjaku or even kaiser but in comparison to others in the show he might be ruder hence the general perception of him being as such…no idea though 😩 i agree it is funny seeing him in the top villain compilations

LMAOOO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME TRULY now i’m in so deep but like i love it…the bllk community on tumblr is also rlly fun and i’ve made so many mutuals/friends because of being active in the fandom which has been awesome!! no regrets for sure

PLEASEEE the dudebros are awful but also hilarious to me like lowkey i love them because they simply are so unreal like NO ONE irl talks like that 😭 one time i commented on a bllk dudebro’s tik tok and my comment was the only one he responded to despite how many of his fellow dudebros also commented…tell me that was the most interaction you’ve had w a woman in weeks without telling me 😓 but also omg the chokehold that kunigami and barou have on dudebros HAHAH i’m always scared to say i like barou because i need to specify it’s NOT in a dudebro way it’s in a “he’s my housewife and i love him very much” way

PLS WE DEVOURED KANESHIRO FR entering destroyer mode now…watch out the tongue’s abt to make an appearance 😩

unfortunately i have a lot of accidental rizz 😔 one time i actually didn’t realize i was on a date (i thought it was a family hangout) until the guy’s mom told us she was leaving so she didn’t third wheel us and then i had to pretend i had a boyfriend so i could escape 😭 that was a crazy day because that guy knew i was in love with his best friend?? so idk what he thought he was doing there…anyways this time i just pretended like my father wasn’t allowing me to hangout with anyone so i got out of it 😪 unfortunately no matter how hard i try to have male friends irl it inevitably ends up with them asking me out and me saying no 💔 one day it will be different i hope 😩

[b3achysurfur]

yo hey logang member here

just wanted to lyk i actually dont care if you dislike logan, i have characters i dislike too like thats ok i just feel like this all turned into petty drama that wasnt needed 😭 i disagree with some stuff you said (like that one comment about understanding how logans parents didnt want him) but i guess i just wanted to clarify i myself dont have any true ill intent towards you i just think this whole situation is kinda stupid and wanted to clarify that so have a nice day ig- i blocked immediately because i didnt want to see more drama but here i am lmaoo

i personally like logan because he contributes to the group, keeps a level head in tough situations(like standing up for barons other victim) and can make a decision under alot of pressure (like shooting the phantom) and i think he has alot of potential but feel free to debate

hi , idk what happened but the logang has started interacting with me again. did someone make a post or did y’all js get curious? I genuinely wanna know 😣 but you guys are welcomed here !!

um but yeah I agree. thing is I never started this account to troll or start drama/discourse. the account was so that I could separate my main and sbg content and it’d be more organized. I had been posting Logan hate before hand, and a lot of ppl found my posts funny/agreed so I just continued it here. you guys just got rlly mad for no reason. I get that some of the jokes I made were a little harsh, but at the end of the day it was never that serious. I do apologize if I stressed anyone out, but this whole thing is so silly. I’m use to bigger fandoms being more aggressive, and even the sbg TikTok fandom is pretty blunt, so I didn’t think you guys would take my jokes so personally. but you live and you learn.

also I appreciate you being so kind! I understand that many ppl just blocked me bc they didn’t want to waste their energy on smth silly / js assumed it was bait content. which is totally fair! like I’ve said in other posts, I have no ill will towards anybody I’ve interacted with, regardless of how the conversation we had went down. If I’ve said smth that’s upset you, my dms are always open to chat or js tag me in a post/comment and I’ll talk with you. Sometimes I can be a bit rude, but I promise it’s not personal at all. The only person I hate is Logan fields. Not you guys. Even if your a logang member (funny y’all took a liking to that name btw 😭).

I will continue to post Logan slander, and I can’t promise that I’ll tone my content down all the way, so if that’s not for you then you’re welcomed to block me or the Logan hate tag. I use like the same 4 Logan hate tags so it’s not gonna be a sneak attack. Also even though I post logan hate, I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO DEBATING. I’m very open-minded and will change my opinion if you make a good point that I can’t refute. I just have not run into anyone who could do that yet.

okay now for the fun stuff. You said you like Logan because he contributes to the group, but I disagree. I feel like Logan has contributed least to the group. When you say “he keeps level-headed”, I feel the opposite. Logan is very shy and timid, and he gets scared very easily. Logan is very easy to persuade and intimate, which is why he got bullied in the first place. Although he stood up to Barron, he wasn’t level headed at all. He was clouded with rage (which in part has to do with the phantoms) but shows he cannot control his emotions well. In many offical arts + earlier chapters, Logan is seen crying / hesitating constantly. Yes he has a reason to be terrified, but you cannot say he is level headed. Especially compared to everyone else. I’m not sure how I feel about him being able to make decisions under pressure. I think Logan is good at analyzing situations. Thats why he was able to come up with multiple theories about the phantom world. But I feel like in order to say he makes good decisions under pressure, he’d have to actually put these decisions into action. Logan is still very hesitant though and I don’t want to base his character off of one scene, especially because I’ve talked about why I feel like that scene was a cover up and not genuine. Most of the time Logan follows the instructions and commands of others. He actually buckles under pressure imo. like when they were fighting before getting the car, Logan would’ve never mentioned he was scared if Tyler had not spoken first. He would’ve just followed everyone else due to peer pressure. Logan always acts second. I honestly believe if he had saw Aiden on the roof he would’ve never even considered using his gun because he avoids situations that have a lot of pressure and responsibility. So no, I don’t believe Logan makes good decisions under pressure. Again that’s just my opinion and I’m down to talk about it more! but if you do want to debate pls js reblog this or put another ask in bc the comment word limit is so annoying 😭

[lemonlinelights]

Lonnnnggg possst of me lore dumping :-)

shout out to the dope art

1. The band has two guys in it named Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Tyler plays as the character Tyler/Clancy, and Josh plays Josh/Torchbearer. For awhile we didn't know the characters' names so they were called the names of the actual members. So you can call them either and ppl will know what you mean. The lore starts at their album Blurryface and is going to end (maybe, they did lie about it ending with the Clancy album lmao) with the upcoming album called Breach (THIS SEPTEMBER AAAAAA-)

1.5 The basic premise is that there is a city called Dema. Dema is seperated into nine areas ruled by nine people called Bishops. Dema practices a religion called Vialism, which is the idea that self destruction/ending your life is the only way to paradise. The citizens who do not believe this form a rebel group called the Banditos who operate in the wilderness around Dema called Trench. The Banditos' goal is to overthrow the Bishops. The Banditos need Clancy in order to do so. "We must destroy them or we will become them, and if we become them, we must do better."

2. YES! The band has this official playlist that has all the important music videos that contribute to the lore. This playlist and the first video in it was recently made when the Clancy album was released! Before this most of it was theory based on ARGs the band made! It's so cool cause like this is YEARS worth of finding hidden websites and solving codes which is soon going to culminate to the end of this story. This website has a bunch of saved items found through the ARGs. Especially the letters which is what helps build the characters and the world more outside of the music videos (was also very helpful when figuring out the timeline.) The first video in the playlist explains it all very well though :-)

2.5 All of this is also an allegory about mental health, specifically depression. The Bishops rep diff parts of depression. Clancy repeatedly gets stolen back to Dema, falling back into unhealthy habits. Being stuck in a cycle you can't break. Also just the very idea of Vialism itself. This is also the main reason i trust the story to have a positive ending. Pilot's message has always been "to stay alive because it's worth it". So somehow the conclusion to all of this has to support that or else.... none of this makes any sense XD

3. the artwork!!! So VERY recently as in, this WEEK!!! The Blurryface twitter (Blurryface is a Bishop also called Nico) has posted two different videos that are practically analog horror which has caused a surge in spooky/analog horror fan content I love it so much. The current theory for what the videos are is that it's Nico doing a PSA over intercoms warning citizens to stay inside and hide (from the Banditos). but the words are also exact opposites to the lyrics from the song Not Today. We think the second video is Blurryface saying he doesn't know what Clancy's next move is, which if thats true it is good news!! YIPPEE! Overall very creepy and I am loving it. It's like a scarier version of the theming that the band had during the Blurryface album and I am all over it. Still why does Tyler have a carabiner on the cover, WHY TYLER?? A NS W ER US-

There's also just like! So much other stuff that happens. Like the Scaled and Icy album is actually Clancy being held prisoner and used as propaganda. Clancy may actually be a title thats passed down through rebel leaders and Clancy's real name isn't Clancy. There's a moment in a music video that gave fans whiplash cause it was way too close to an infamous fan fiction in the fandom. Torchbearer may or may not have projection/guiding powers. There's also so much meaning with color and other various symbols. East is up which is how you escape Dema. Sahlo Folina is a cry for help between Banditos. There's a dead dragon named Trash who gets puppeted around. Blue means defeat. The Bishops are yellow/green colorblind so the Bandito's use it to hide.

This isn't even getting into like WHY Clancy is the only one who can defeat them and HOW he's going to do it. and why they need this creature called Ned to do it. Telling you feels like spoilers so I'll let you watch the music videos >:3

it's just like ALL SO COOL!!! Casey Lovett explained a lot of it to me through their video essays. but theres also these two reddit posts one two that quickly explain some stuff nicely. I use them as reference a lot. I forget names easily XP

Thank you for letting me lore dump, I am here if you get interested and wanna yap about it XD

* hyperventilating * 

@happistar WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW

[moonhollowed]

Have been thinking about second citadel and specifically the most recent ep so here are some Thoughts about damien and what happened there:

we're all screaming 'oh fuck damien what are you doing' because from the outside we have so much more context, for example we know the entire thing that happened with rilla and what happened and was said in the court etc so we sympathize a lot with arum and rilla and whats been going on with that particularly part of the story. 

but from damiens POV?? 

sidenote: i saw a post about how damiens anxiety would increase his need of structure and a security in what he knows and how he understands the world (which boy do i relate to that tbh) and that would explain and factor in quite a lot as well.

- like this man literally met a lizard monster, his enemy by nature, the world and everything he holds as truth right.

- then he gets confusing feelings which are obvious to us, but inconvenient at best for damien and i imagine some level of terrifying especially considering hes in love with rilla, a human, genuinely so but also safe and not challenging his beliefs and truths. 

- after that he deals with arguably the love of his life (not trying to discount his feelings for arum but i hope you get what i mean when i say he was very devoted to rilla regardless of what happens with arum) disappearing with no clue about her safety etc, then finding out it was by that same lizard that made everything so complicated in the first place.

- then the whole deal with sir marc and talfryn and SPORTS, all the while still not knowing what we meanwhile found out as we follow rilla's story and eventually how that evolves up until the court events.

- and then damiens entire belief in the world, how it works and how it came to be changes, a person he believed in is now a monster instead of a hero and the tapestry is wrong (a thing he mentions multiple times and gets erratic and anxious about). 

like thats a lot to fucking deal with holy shit, also nevermind adding the general casual life threatening danger and stress along the way of just doing all that.

- he then gets there and sees arum, who he still has feelings for im sure because of how he describes feeling when he looks into his eyes, and also rilla, who as far as he knows was kidnapped by arum and who he came to save from arum.

i actually understand that he kinda lost it in that moment and his brain decided enough was enough, and as for his decision to attack arum??

its only my possible interpretation but to me it can be seen as, it started when arum first showed up (from damiens specific POV) so no wonder his brain in all this chaos might think 'thats the cause, thats where it all went wrong and i will make my world right again by killing him and being sure of who i am.'

especially with the added pressure of all the possible changes to what he thought was the truth about the world and how it works, he could be very desperate for any kind of security in his knowledge and life and do extreme things to stick with the safe truth, aka knight vs monster.

like of course i dont want damien to attack and kill arum and i dont think it’ll happen but god, thinking about it it does make sense why it happened like holy shit this man went through a lot with no justification/context like we know as listeners, and to us its a story but thats his entire life thats being changed right there.

sidenote, i dont mean to say the others havent gone through a lot but this is meant specifically about damiens motivations for his actions since that is what this post is about. 

like its not unfounded or unreasonable, thats a very human reaction to a lot of anxiety and stress which is at the very least a side effect of all this.

i mean i know danger is a part of life, especially in this universe filled with monsters etc. but fuck rilla got kidnapped like holy shit? i think because its a fantasy world and theres monsters we (not to assume but i def do this) might forget how we would react if a loved one, int this case damien with the anxiety/devotion to rilla levels, got kidnapped by one of those monsters.

like i dont mean to make light of IRL happenings by comparing but consider the fact that all monsters are assumed to be dangerous killers, lets be real if rn irl a loved one were to be kidnapped by what we know to be a dangerous viscious killer we would all lose our shit.  i know a lot of horrible and dangerous things happen in the second citadel universe (again, i dont mean to say damien somehow has it worse) but that doesnt make any of it (including rillas kidnapping) any less bad.

and then you find out thats the one youve been having confusing feelings for, and also the killer is not what you thought it was to be, and its place in the world and by association yours is now also suddenly unsure.

and then you meet that assumed vicious murderer and also your loved one is right there like fuck dude.

i can only guess of course but i also wouldnt be suprised if that was how damien would perceive the whole thing and yknow what i think his reaction is understandable. i want arum to be okay but having an emotional unreasonable reaction (and tbh considering damiens POV it would be reasonable, because he doesnt know what we know) to such a huge deal is not unexpected or out of character to me.

i also just realized like, damien and arum obvs had a few moments during their duels to the death, but a LOT of characterization of arum for me personally took place during rillas time there and also a bit in the court house, aka damien missed all of that. so i wouldnt be suprised if that despite damiens realization of 'monsters could be different' he doesnt have the level of....familiarity?? with arum as a person that rilla has.  so no wonder he would still default to the 'monsters are horrible killers and should be destroyed' like i dont think he has a solid idea of monsters being possibly good, just the sense that hes had since the beginning because of arums eyes but it makes sense to me that in this moment after all that happened his brain would override it with 'no the world needs to stay as it is, and he is a monster and you are a knight.'

anyway all of this is speculation and personal interpretation so i could be completely wrong but take these thoughts because it was interesting to think about.

[kseniaallis]

So often I ask myself the same thing, over and over, why do I love reading fan fiction more than new books? Why do I always come back to those stories instead of picking up new adventures and worlds filled with unknown characters and plots?

I get the same answer all the time. And it keeps me going for years, without making me feel ashamed or ridiculous, because I am not those things. Every time I tell people what I’m doing in my free time, some of them laugh, some of them nod in understanding. So, why?

I always loved watching at things from multiple points of view - my own and others, looking and analysing them not only myself but with the words of others. And fics offer that - stories that interpret characters and their lives in the completely different ways. Stories change. They may be set in alternative universes, but commonly they are about the same people in different circumstances that stay close to those who they were originally.

Fics makes me relish characters I love close to my heart for a very long time. I can read about them for months, years and know there will be more. I love tv-shows but even they end, but stories never do - I can choose to dive into the different fandom, but I’ll always come back to old ones, just because I hold them dear to my heart.

I feel. May sound strange for some, but I can feel way more when I read rather than watch. I cry from joy, pain, sadness, grief, along with other characters so often and freely, and it’s the only place where I feel safe to let my emotions out. Because they are not written on purpose to earn more money or get more views, they’re made with pure love and affection for the same fandoms I love and it feels.

I write too, choosing carefully in which fandom I’m ready to contribute, what stories I know I can develop and what characters I analysed well enough to be ready to share my thoughts with others. Today it’s thiam, tomorrow - who knows?

I grew up reading Tony Stark fics, back when I was 16 and so easy to influence. I grew up to understand people more, to see another side of things and never judge, thinking about what others may come to experience. Yes, I often lost in the daydream, as they may say, but I learned more from an infinite amount of authors, who poured their joy and wisdom into paper and taught me what life is - how it feels to love and accept, be kind and strong, brave and self-sacrificing.

So often I ask myself the same thing, over and over, why do I love reading fan fiction more than new books? It shaped me as a person and continues to teach me as I grow older. And isn’t it a miracle of its own?

[gimme-mor]

ACOTAR THINK PIECE: ELAIN ARCHERON, UNTOUCHABLE

*DISCLAIMER*

This will be a long post.

Please take the time to read this post in its entirety and truly reflect on the message I am trying to send before commenting. My goal is to use my background in Gender and Women’s Studies to deconstruct the comments I have seen on Tumblr and Twitter and bring awareness to the ACOTAR fandom.

The reason I am tagging “Elriel” in this post is to call attention to the arguments in the Elriel fandom that: weaponize Elain’s femalehood to shame real life people for their opinions about Elain’s character and her relationship with Lucien; victimize Elain’s character in fandom discussions; and coddle Elain’s character, which limits fandom discussions about her narrative development and prevents the ACOTAR fandom from holding Elain accountable for her actions and inactions in the same way that the fandom holds other characters accountable for their actions and inactions. It is for these reasons that I WILL NOT remove the “Elriel” tag from this post because all of the above points contribute to the toxic discourse surrounding Elain’s character.

I urge those who use these arguments to understand their implications, why they are problematic, regardless of intent, and reexamine their contributions to the ACOTAR fandom. I WILL NOT tolerate anyone who tries to twist my words and say I am attacking people and their personal shipping preferences. In fact, I AM CRITIQUING THE ARGUMENTS THEMSELVES NOT THE PEOPLE USING THE ARGUMENTS.

Also, I highly encourage the Elriel fandom to read this post because it addresses how the concept of choice as an argument enables arguments to exploit social justice and feminist languge in order to vilify Elucien shippers, among other problematic things.

Elain Archeron is one of the most polarizing characters in the ACOTAR fandom. Though opinions about Elain vary, arguments in the Elriel fandom cite society’s perception of traditional female characters in comparison to non-traditional female characters as the reason behind the hate, and this belief is used to provide an explanation as to why other characters in the series are favored over her. In the series, Elain is portrayed in a wholly positive light and this image carries over into the Elriel fandom, painting her character as a good and kind female who has been unfairly wronged and a victim of circumstances that were out of her control. When arguments in the Elriel fandom oppose other viewpoints in the fandom, they fall into one of three categories:

Category 1: Weaponize Elain’s femalehood to shame real life people for their opinions

Maybe people who hate Elain are just jealous of her in a weird way similar to when someone hates the pretty, nice, and charming girl in school just because she is too perfect

Disliking Elain is misogynistic

What happened to feminism? What happened to women supporting women? What happened to she can say no? All of that disappears the second you force Elain to be with Lucien

Elain antis are misogynistic

All Eluciens are Elain antis

Antis claiming they’re feminists when in reality they hate on Elain and Feyre but love Nesta

Elain antis are such sore losers. Y’all were that bunch of people who could not get over being rejected from hanging out with the cool kids so y’all are projecting your hatred towards pretty people now to get validation

I don’t get how Elain’s love for gardening equals boring for some people. I’m sorry your misogyny finds traditionally feminine activities boring

Why are you attacking a female? What did Elain do? Where are your feminist voices?

The fandom is misogynistic towards Elain

If people loved Elain they would ship Elriel

If you hate Elain it says a lot about your feelings toward women

If you hate Elain because she has no “development” then you must hate Azriel because otherwise you’re misogynistic

Eluciens are turned off by the idea of a woman that has the autonomy to reject a man for the simple reason that it is her choice

Eluciens are all about feminism and “it’s HER choice” until it comes down to females not wanting a male

Eluciens don’t respect Elain’s feelings when they ship her with someone that was part of her trauma and makes her feel uncomfortable

The way some Elucien shippers completely disregard how uncomfortable Elain is around Lucien is so hilariously not funny. Prioritizing being mates over Elain’s feelings is just regressive

It’s hard as a fan of Elain to see someone ship her with a person who makes her physically uncomfortable to be around. Wouldn’t you want both characters to be happy to be around each other

Imagine if SJM saw all the awful things her “stans” had to say about Elain

It’s true that we know comparatively little about her, but is she really boring or do you just not value stereotypically feminine traits?

So y’all are just gonna tell me you prefer Elucien over Elriel? Even though Lucien treats Elain as if she’s something that belongs to him? The only reason he wants to be with her is because she’s his mate, he doesn’t respect her, doesn’t treat her as his equal, even though that’s what mates should be? He doesn’t bother to look past what’s on the outside to see her for who she is. And Elain is obviously repulsed by the idea that she should belong to anyone or have no choice in who she can be with. Azriel is her friend and the only person who sees her quiet strength. He has so much faith in her, in her abilities; he’s the one who kept her company when no one else did, he’s the only one who bothered to see her for more than her brokenness. You’re going to tell me you still prefer Elucien over Elriel?

The more I see Gwynriels that ship Elucien out of their hate for Elain, the less I can understand Elain stans that ship Elucien. Pls Elain has made it very clear that she doesn’t want Lucien, why would you ship her with him? Do you hate her too? Smh

The real question would be, if you care and understand Elain why would you ship her with Lucien (where she canonically shrinks when he is near)?

People crying over Helion and Lucien’s mom not getting to be with each other and her being forced into a relationship she didn’t want, but also ship Elucien? Just say you hate Elain

When Elain’s book is out, Gwyn stans will look like clowns and I will laugh because they set her up by shipping her with Azriel just because they hate Elain. Watch them play the victims now because Elriels are clapping back the hate they’ve sent towards Elain

As romantic as wanting girl who is visibly uncomfortable around a guy who caused her trauma to end up with the said guy. Guess their standards for romance are in hell

Category 2: Victimize Elain’s character

Gwynriels only want Gwyn with Azriel because they despise Elain

Gwyn stans and Gwynriels are Elain antis

No one in the books dislike Elain, so why are there so many people who do?

Elain hasn’t done anything wrong or questionable to warrant the hate she gets

Not having Elain’s POV makes it easy for people to be swayed a certain way about her character if you already don’t relate to her in some way

It’s been years since this series came out and we haven’t gotten a lick of an Elain POV, but people still hate her for what? We don’t know her thoughts, dreams, or aspirations

We haven’t even had Elain’s perspective yet and people are passing these judgments off on her

Elain antis who say she’s boring are just cruel when she has obvious symptoms of PTSD like Feyre and Nesta

Gwyn is one of the most overhyped characters and that’s only because most people hate Elain and they couldn’t wait to find a random girl to ship Azriel with

Nesta was abusive to her sisters but Elain (who has only ever been kind) is painted as the villain

From the text we know that Elain is the epitome of feminine stereotypes (gentle, gardening, baking, non confrontational for the most part). Yet people still call her boring or deny that she has any interesting character traits?

You can’t love Nesta and hate Elain

People hate Elain because of internalized misogyny and lack of taste. All the girl does is tend to her garden and mind her business and they treat her worse than Tamlin

Does Gwyn deserve all this support? Of course yes! She is amazing! But where’s that support when Elain was in the same situation as she? Where’s that support for her right now? Why do they idolize Gwyn for her interactions with Azriel and hate Elain for having any interaction with him?

It’s not even a ship war anymore, they just hate Elain

People hate Elain for no reason

Some of y’all don’t like feminine traits and it shows

We know less about Eris and Helion but people don’t call them boring. Why would rejecting femininity make Elain more interesting?

Elain has had a lot forced upon her

The main reason I believe most people love Gwyn so much is to get Azriel away from Elain. It’s not a secret that Elain has been a widely hated character for years so suddenly we get a new female who has a minimal amount of interactions with Azriel and BOOM. New ship that once again doesn’t make sense (just like Azriel x Emerie after ACOFAS)

Elain hasn’t done something so terrible for her to get this hate. At this point some of you are just being misogynistic and you don’t want to accept it. Don’t call yourselves feminists and then say bs like this, it’s embarrassing. She’s pretty and everyone agreed to hate on her

Just a personal feeling, but I feel like a lot of the Elain hate stems from internalized misogyny. That to be a strong female lead, you need to pick up a sword and fight. That to be strong, you need to adapt traditionally masculine traits

Elain is feminine. She is beautiful. She loves to bake and garden. She is docile, quiet, observant, and a people-pleaser. All traditionally feminine traits. Yet for some reason, she’s like the worst in these people’s eyes?

I think also maybe a lot of people can’t relate to her femininity? That her being so beautiful and quiet doesn’t allow for the people who dislike her not to self-insert? Most of the hate stems from people not wanting Elain to be with Azriel. It’s mean, but maybe the people who hate Elain literally just can’t self-insert if they have a story and that’s why they’re vehemently against it?

Poor Elain. The Cauldron dealt her a bad deal. Upon emerging as Fae, she is immediately declared by Lucien as his mate, never mind that she was already engaged to a prick. Her love life is not good

It blows my mind how they really think that they can compare all the shit that Elain gets with some dumb jokes about Gwyn on Twitter (and yes, the “hate” towards her started mostly because Elriels are clapping back, it was bound to happen)

I would think of it as anti-feminist with Elain and Lucien because she has consistently stated that she does not want him so if she was forced to embrace the bond that would be taking away her right to have a choice but with Az she feels comfortable around so if they were mates then Elain would be happy and feel safe which again should be the priority for women to feel safe in their relationships with anything and to not be forced into any type of situation aka the mating bond in this

Category 3: Coddle Elain’s character

Elain has value the way she is, in all her domestic girly glory. Not every character has to be badass

We don’t speak of Elain’s flaws frequently because everyone else already speaks badly of her, mainly in an unfair way

There is definitely something deeper going on with Elain but by no means will she ever be evil or any less feminine. That goes against everything we already know about her

It’s ok to critique Elain because she needs growth but y’all keep forgetting the shit her and her sisters went through

The last “bad” thing Elain did in ACOTAR was not help Feyre when they were impoverished and I’m tired of people acting like she’s a terrible character when it was their father’s responsibility. It happened 4 books ago and Feyre has forgiven both Nesta and Elain

Elain’s character and the evil Elain theory are a great example of the trend where people only consider female characters interesting if they reject femininity

We don’t know enough to hate Elain

Many people want Elain to turn evil (which in my opinion seems to come from a place of internalized misogyny)

However we don’t tend to talk about her faults, at least not publicly, as that has been, and still is, done to death, and I--personally, at least--find it much more fun to theorise about potentially interesting aspects of the overall plot, than dwell on negatives

And ultimately, I would be shocked if Elain has a more karmically-charged story than Nesta, considering that Elain’s “wrongs” are so much less severe and bad than Nesta’s, and Elain has already apologized for them (or paid the price in other ways, like through what Graysen did)

I guess I also think Elain has suffered and been punished enough. I hope her story is about finding hope in terrible situations, and learning to love her new life, and choosing her own path after everything that has been done to her. I don’t think she needs to be punished anymore or face any additional trauma

Also, why is she being judged on her decisions as a human at all? Fae are monsters to humans! They enslaved them for thousands of years, and the Wall was erected to keep them out

Like I’m sorry, but think Elain would want to leave her ONLY FAMILY AND FRIENDS for the Spring Court where she has no one because--oh look, lots of flowers!--is the craziest thing I have ever heard

Her sisters are in the Night Court. Her nephew is in the Night Court. Her closest friends (Nuala and Cerridwen) are in the Night Court. Her love interest is in the Night Court. Her extended family is in the Night Court. Her home is in the Night Court

SJM isn’t going to keep two sisters together and split up the third. Especially not keep Feyre and Nesta together and separate Elain. They were either all going to end up in separate places, or together. Not 2 here and 1 there

Compared to the other female characters in the series, Elain is the only character whose femalehood is at the center of conversations; this is because arguments in the Elriel fandom fixate on it when discussing her character. While Elain, Feyre, Nesta, and Mor are all representations of white womanhood and white beauty, Elain epitomizes the most fragile version of white womanhood. It’s easy to blame society’s perception of traditional female characters in comparison to non-traditional female characters when it comes to the discourse surrounding Elain’s character because it: falls in line with the fixation on Elain’s femalehood to silence opposing viewpoints; is a simplistic explanation that fails to tackle the underlying issues with Elain as a character, the same issues that are downplayed in-universe; absolves Elain of her wrongdoings; prevents the ACOTAR fandom from holding Elain accountable for her actions and inactions within the series; and diminishes the impact Elain’s actions and inactions have on those around her. It’s not that Elain is hated in the fandom because she’s a traditional female character; it’s the fact that arguments in the Elriel fandom deflect a critical analysis of Elain’s character because she’s a traditional female character who embodies the ideal white woman in need of protection. White fans and white-aligned fans of color, especially white women, have a tendency to vehemently defend, gatekeep, and coddle white female characters in fandom; this makes it difficult for other fans to engage in critical discussions about these white female characters because they’re viewed as flawless and all around perfect characters despite evidence to the contrary. Since Elain is viewed positively by the other characters in the series, it has rendered her character untouchable to any perceived slight or criticism in fandom discussions because those negative opinions challenge what has been said about her character thus far. And as a result, her character has been placed on a pedestal and implicitly hailed as the epitome of white womanhood; and when she’s criticized, it’s seen as a direct attack against white womanhood. Arguments in the Elriel fandom: exploit feminist language and perpetuate white feminist tactics under the guise of defending Elain’s character; center Elain in conversations about female oppression in the ACOTAR world and uphold white feminist ideologies in their critique of ACOTAR’s patriarchal society; and use the fragile white woman narrative to victimize Elain in Lucien’s presence, playing into racial biases that are associated with white supremacy’s defense of white womanhood.

Feminism is a social movement that seeks to promote equality and equity to all genders, and feminists work toward eradicating gender disparities on a macro-level, in addition to challenging gender biases on a micro-level. As feminism became more mainstream, a flat and oversimplified version of feminism emerged: mainstream feminism. The mainstream feminist movement is meant to represent all women, but rarely does it center conversations around issues that concern most women. The problem with mainstream feminism is that it’s just a popularized version of white feminism. White feminism has relied extensively on an individualized understanding of women’s oppression, exclusively from the lens of privileged white women. White feminism only focuses on the oppression experienced by white, able-bodied, affluent, educated, cishet women; and it views gender as the key mode of privileged white women’s oppression, isolated from the privileges granted by their other social identities. White women can be and are oppressed under the patriarchy but only because they are women; their identity as women does not exempt them from the privileges granted by their whiteness. The term white feminist does not mean any feminist who is white, but refers to feminists who prioritize the concerns of privileged white women as though they are representative of all women. However, the term is not exclusive to white people. Because white feminism is so pervasive, people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds often buy into white feminism, believing that if they work hard enough, they may be able to reap its rewards.

Just like white feminism, mainstream feminism only recognizes the identity of being a woman, assumes that all women share common experiences of gender oppression, fails to address other social identities in relation to overlapping systems of oppression, and disregards privilege in relation to various social identities. Just like white feminism, mainstream feminism is palatable because it doesn’t seek to challenge the systems in place, instead its goal is to succeed within them. Essentially, mainstream feminism and white feminism are extensions of performative feminism. Performative feminism is a type of performative activism that’s used to describe feminist views that are surface level and solely for the benefit of one type of person. It’s a pretense which often has nothing to do with genuine activism. Arguments in the Elriel fandom normalize and promote performative feminism because the topic of feminism is only referenced when discussing Elain. This indicates that these arguments are engaging in disingenuous discourse to push a personal agenda within the ACOTAR fandom, and it becomes more apparent when they use white feminist tactics to shut down opposing viewpoints:

White feminists weaponize and exploit feminist language to silence the opinions of other women, especially when they’re called out for their problematic behaviors

White feminists use the phrase “Women supporting women” to defend other white feminists who exhibit problematic behaviors instead of holding them accountable 

White feminists weaponize phrases like “Women supporting women” and “You just hate women” to attack other women who disagree with them on any given topic

White feminists use phrases like “All women face challenges” and “Stop pitting women against each other” to sidestep conversations about privilege

White feminists divert conversations away from privilege and towards the Trauma Olympics to equate their struggles to the oppression of marginalized people 

White feminists skirt around the realities of other forms of oppression and discrimination, downplaying the experiences of marginalized people

White feminists diminish or ignore the ways in which gender oppression affects other marginalized people

White feminists paint those they harmed as aggressive, mean, or divisive when confronted with the ways they have harmed a marginalized group

White feminists deflect criticism by focusing on the anger or emotions being expressed rather than the issue that is being discussed, invalidating the concerns of marginalized people

White feminists speak over marginalized voices in an attempt to sound “woke”

White feminists get defensive and insist there’s no way they could be a part of the problem because of what they’ve done to help marginalized groups already 

White feminists say they don’t see color in an attempt to obscure racial issues that need to be addressed

White feminists center and victimize themselves in conversations about racism, which derails necessary conversations from taking place

White feminists who are white weaponize the intersectionality of their race and gender to avoid accountability

Feminism is not meant to be approached from an individualistic perspective nor is it only about addressing the experiences of privileged white women, it involves addressing the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, and other social identities as well; and it involves addressing how these social identities relate to privilege. Moreover, feminism is not about women upholding complete loyalty to other women because of a shared gender identity, and to claim that it does implies that women should be held to different emotional standards than men. If men are able to dislike and criticize other individual men, real or fictional, without their characters being compromised, why aren’t women granted that same privilege?

It’s clear that SJM set up the ACOTAR world to mirror a patriarchal society, and that the imbalance of power between males and females stems from sexism. Arguments in the Elriel fandom analyze the ACOTAR world through a feminist lens to show how ACOTAR’s patriarchal society, to which the mating bond is innately tied, contributes to female oppression and limits their agency. When choice and free will are emphasized as part of Elain’s arc, they imply that Elain, through the mating bond, experiences female oppression under ACOTAR’s patriarchal society because of her identity as a female with that identity being the focal point of her oppression in the world. Elain is one of the most privileged characters in the ACOTAR world: she’s High Fae; she’s the sister of the High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court, which gives her access to wealth and political influence because of that connection; she’s able-bodied; she was magically blessed by the Cauldron; and she lives in Velaris, a place that grants females autonomy and power because of the beliefs of Rhysand and Feyre. Arguments in the Elriel fandom trivialize female oppression in the ACOTAR world because they disregard the fact that Elain’s privileges prevent her from experiencing female oppression in the same way that other marginalized females in the world do. The mating bond being one such example because those around Elain are not forcing the bond on her, instead they’re allowing Elain to reach a decision about the bond for herself; a privilege that other marginalized females in the world probably wouldn’t have. Just because Elain has endured hardships in her life and is a female in a patriarchal society, they do not erase the privileges she holds within the ACOTAR world. The failure to include Elain’s privileges in discussions about Elain being a female in a patriarchal society feeds into white feminist ideologies because white feminism operates from a very narrow perspective; it doesn’t take other intersecting identities into account when it examines gender oppression, leaving no room for discussions about privilege (or lack thereof) in relation to those intersecting identities. When discussing oppression in hierarchical societies, it’s imperative that privilege is also included in the conversation because privilege and oppression are not mutually exclusive; they equally affect the ways in which people navigate those societies through their social identities.

Rather than attributing Elain’s uncomfortability to her new life as a Fae female or the mating bond itself and her trauma to the Cauldron, the King of Hybern, or Ianthe, they’re placed on Lucien to cast his character in a negative light. Moreover, fandom discussions portray Lucien as a possessive character to further emphasize Elain’s discomfort despite the inaccuracy of this characterization in canon. Arguments in the Elriel fandom play into racial biases when it comes to Lucien (a male character of color) because they mischaracterize his character in order to victimize Elain (a white female character), placing her character in the role of the white damsel in distress. In Western society, the concept of womanhood has been conceptualized from a Eurocentric perspective with femininity and feminine attributes favoring white women. It’s the idea that a certain type of femininity is only inherent to white women as they are seen as the embodiment of an ideal womanhood. White womanhood has been a symbol of innocence and purity, and white women have been viewed as fragile beings in need of protection. The reason white womanhood functions within white supremacy is because it’s the same idea that has motivated white men to kill and beat black and brown men. The so-called protection of white women has been used as a justification for the horrific violence committed by white men because black and brown men were stereotyped as aggressive and seen as a threat to the virtue of white women. The white damsel in distress trope considered white women as worthy of protection because of their perceived innocence and purity; women of color were not granted that same treatment because they did not fit into the ideal image of womanhood. Over the years, this trope became a means for white women to exercise limited power in a patriarchal society with white women weaponizing their status as the damsel much to the detriment of black and brown men. It’s through the white damsel in distress trope that white supremacy sustains its dominance in Western society. The misrepresentation of characters of color in fandom, the dismissal of their importance to the overall story, and using them as tools in arguments centered around white characters are the foundation of fandom racism; they’re examples of how racism moves silently in fandom spaces. Instead of examining their behavior and taking constructive criticism from fans of color, white fans will often double down on their bigotry and center their uncomfortability in the conversation when confronted with their complicity in fandom racism. White fans expect fans of color to swallow fandom racism in its many forms in order to not ruin the experience of fandom, dismissing the fact that racism is prevalent in nearly every aspect of society. This mentality ensures that no one is held accountable for the harm they caused and alienates fans of color in fandom spaces.

To reiterate what I mentioned in my first think piece: terms like “oppression”, “the right to choose”, “feminist”, “feminism”, “anti-feminist”, “anti-feminism”, “internalized misogyny”, “misogyny”, “misogynist”, “sexist”, “sexism”, “racist”, “racism”, “classist”, “classism”, “discrimination”, and “patriarchy” are all used in specific ways to draw attention to the plight of marginalized people and challenge those who deny the existence of systems of oppression. Yet these words and their meanings can be twisted to attack, exclude, and invalidate people with differing opinions on any given topic. When social justice and feminist terms are thrown around antagonistically and carelessly to push a personal agenda, it becomes clear that these terms are being used to engage in disingenuous discourse and pursue personal validation rather than being used out of any deep-seated conviction to dismantle systemic oppression. Being an ally, activist, or feminist is not an identity, it’s a practice. It requires: ongoing self-reflection; holding ourselves accountable; listening to marginalized people; educating ourselves; dismantling implicit biases; challenging those around us who are exhibiting problematic behaviors; and action behind our words.

It’s important to be aware of the language that is used within the fandom when defending or critiquing characters and ships. It’s also important to question how an argument is framed and why it’s framed the way that it is to critically examine the intent behind that argument: is it used as a tool to push a personal agenda that reinforces problematic behaviors, or is it used as an opportunity to share, learn, enlighten, and educate?

-----------

Tagging: @spell-cleavers @bookofmirth @m0bulidae @ilya-boltagon

[viscountessevie]

And since we're talking about it, why does nobody think it's strange that N went out of her way, TWICE, to discount season two with her little jokes? One was that joke at Tudum and then when she said she didn't tell anyone about s3 being about Pollen because it would overshadow s2.

Then she goes and gets emotional because the show is so diverse? It's all a bunch of BS

Related to this post and I have a whole anti tag dedicated to this topic

I can't remember if I talked about it here on the blog but I've discussed Tudum with my friends a lot. It was the first time my perception of Nicola completely changed to be honest. Like with the Rege tweets I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

But the moment the words "The most anticipated couple of the series Kathony aside from Polin. It's on the card I swear!" Left her mouth I was like What the actual fuck??

Like I do not give a shit if it was on the card Nicola, be polite and don't say it out loud Jesus. The way she played it off too. Like literally whose season is it?? Not fucking yours. I think now that moment is even worse because she knew S3 was Polin by then because she knew when S2 was in it's second week of filming.

She was literally rubbing it in Jimone's faces and us even if we didn't know it at the time. And honestly Polenta was the second most anticipated within book fans pre-S1 but now no one except the loud minority that for some reason still likes those racist show asshats are the only ones who want it. Like the GA doesn't give a fuck and the rest of the fandom either doesn't care, is tired of them or are pissed as hell.

Like literally no one of importance is anticipating it anymore. Whereas on the other hand, Kathony broke numbers, they constantly trend and get the most engagement on their posts. We love to see them winning!!

I just recently learnt of the other two incidents and actually a couple of my mutuals have talked about it - they just don't tag the main tag sjjsjsj so if they wanna reveal themselves can do so in the notes.

Since then I've talked about it alot but the "i LeT tHeM haVE tHEiR TiMe tO sHInE" excuse is SUCH BULLSHIT. You don't get to say that N.

Not when you knew how much time your useless side plots with barely any bearings on the main story had. I talked about it in this ask but the Featherflops took up a WHOLE FUCKING HOUR of the show. That's one whole fucking episode dedicated to these useless characters that contributed nothing to the main plot and did nothing to move the main romance and story.

Not when you kept giggling about how LW/Pennywise get up to sO mAnY cOOL tHiNGs. Yes because ruining her best friend's life is SUCH A GIRLBOSS MOMENT. Well I guess it is a girlboss (derogatory) moment.

You definitely DO NOT GET TO CRY ABOUT THE SHOW'S DIVERSITY, not when you set the tone for how Marina and eventually Ruby Barker was treated Post S1 (this was brought to my attention yesterday by another ask I'll be answering shortly). Still even now I know friends and blogs who have gotten racial slurs and misogynistic comments in their ask box for defending Marina. I honestly am glad I didn't watch the KC interview I just know I would have thrown my phone seeing her fake ass cry. I'm so tired of her being performative and shady. Like stop the fake niceties. I don't give a fuck Nicola just grow up and be professional about your costars. It's literally your job, not high school.

People are talking about this albeit more privately because her stans can be rabid and will be aggressive with their anon hate in your asks. I'm talking about all these issues again because I have no fucks left to give and I'm very block button trigger happy ksnskkss. They've already called me the worst names what else is left 😂😂

[freedfromthegalactichivemind]

So, I’m rewatching where I last left off on a re-watch of She-Ra (wanted something I’ve seen before on while doing chores and whoop, not doing the chores).  Watching from “Save the Cat” on...  A few thoughts:   Adora’s voice actor is fantastic.  The way she says “Catra?” broken-hearted, voice cracking is... you feel it.   Hordak’s too... “En-trapt-a?”  Just so... sonorous, intrigued, confused, recognizing something familiar and important.   .... Wrong Hordak, where did you pull that vial of nutrient-rich amniotic fluid from? Is this a “Nothing up my sleeve!” magic trick or is that what clone ports are really for?  Hidden pockets?  KEISTER?!!   You know, coming back to the actual show makes me realize just how off-model fandom can get when we get in our fandom-holes.  Like, when I’ve hung out and read too much fan-opinion in the Entrapdak / Entrapta-stan / Hordak-stan hole, I see a lot on a sliding scale of anti-Catra.  I say sliding scale because not all of the Spacebat-side of the fandom hates her and it honestly used to be better back in the early fandom-days when it seemed like there less fieceness in the drawn-up sides and less passing around of fan-analysis.  Vice-versa, too, and the far end of Catra-bashing I see comes from people who’ve been bothered by people insistent on Hordak-bashing.  And then there’s us darker / “more realistic” fanficcers in general and it’s like... we forget how some of these characters actually operate, I think, and lose the plot.    What I mean is... I think people on the Entrapdak-side of things forget how much Catra contributed to the cause in fighting Prime in the end?  They take her every action as selfish and the narrative as “catering to kitty” when... she has the brilliant idea to use the flashes in her chip to figure out Horde Prime’s plans.  Did we collectively forget about this scene?  Learning the plot was important. Aaaand I’m seeing her reveal a flash-memory of Krytis upon Wrong Hordak doing his dummy-blab - also vital to the mission!  A lot of people didn’t think she did enough to “earn” a redemption, but she was there at key points and had an epiphany about the importance of other people and that she actually does care.   Those of us who are Hordak-fans don’t expect more than an epiphany from Hordak, which is what he got in the end in an independence-assertion way, so I am wondering why some of my fellow Hordak-stans demand magnitudes greater from Catra when I’m watching the actual show and I do see a good start of that.   Anyone who thinks that Etheria is going to be hard on the clones or should is completely ignoring how Micah went out of his way to peacefully immobilized the chipped people in Elberon, pleading for them because they’re innocent and just mind-controlled.  Yes, he said “innocent Etherians” so one could argue that there’s a respect for one’s own people that might not extend to clones, but I think it will.  I think it will be very obvious to them all that the clones were mind-controlled slaves, too, and will ultimately hold them innocent, regardless of what they did in the past under Prime.  I am not so sure about Hordak, given that he was an independent clone for a long time and clearly had a free will after some point, although I do think his indoctrination will be considered.  The clones, though... yeah, I think they’ll be helped.  Even the ones who have a lot of bruises from being kicked around when it was necessary.   Seamista - ah, that’ll be quite a ship going forward, for Mermista and Sea Hawk share important interests!  Dodging exes and ARSON!   I must give Wrong Hordak a hug now. Got the part where he’s crying over learning his life was a lie.  Poor man.  Bow sure likes cute things. 

[ghcstvalleychief]

it does seem a bit suspicious…that all of a sudden it’s “kinnporsche is a terrible show” or has terrible whatever (x reason or this reason) and the things being said recently. i wonder…why…[staring]

I'm supposed to be in bed but ... I saw something that really agitated me, so I'm taking my diplomatic hat off for a split second to show you who I really am.

Now. KinnPorsche: The Series has been the same since Episode 2. From the tonality of the show to the screen direction to the acting choices to the writing, this show has always been exactly the same. This show hasn't switched up or changed since the second episode. But I also know a lot of people HATED the second episode, myself included. But I don't hold that one bad episode against the show as a whole because this show quickly found its footing by the 3rd episode in my opinion. They course corrected not too long afterwards, and we got the show we all know and love. The comedy started in episode 2 and it didn't go anywhere, so anyone who claims they didn't know what they were getting themselves into with this show, especially if they started watching from the very beginning, is a liar.

This shit got MAD long, so .. I had to put the rest of it under here because I had a lot to say.

And yes, if you're still watching the show that you claim to hate but you're tuned in every Saturday and you're apart of the group of fans that ensures it trends #1 on Twitter every week, then you're a fan. It's okay to be a fan, but you're a fan of this show too because you're contributing to its success. Every Saturday, this show trends and it's always #1 and this show easily brings in over 1 million tweets and it trends for multiple days sometimes, as well.

I didn't grab a screenshot of this past Saturday, but I think it pulled in over 1 million tweets if I'm not mistaken. Look at that, it was trending in the United States. Imagine that! So you see, TPTB don't care who likes or doesn't like the show; they just care if you're watching it and we know these people are because the iQiyi app always seems to crash and not work properly when a new episode airs. It's funny how that works, isn't it?

If you hate what this show is, then why watch it? Why are you ensuring that this show gets even more ratings by tuning in every Saturday to watch it in the first place? You couldn't pay me to watch a show I loathe. If I loathe a show, I would NEVER watch it. I would never participate in any trends for the show, and it doesn't matter what trend you use either. If the character/ship you trend on Twitter is apart of the show, it still counts. I know some people are new to this fandom stuff, but that's how that works. Anything that is connected to this show that trends on Twitter is still counted towards the show because the characters/ships don't exist without the show.

The fact of the matter is this - certain fans are simply salty and disappointed about the trajectory and direction of a certain arc and that's why they suddenly hate the show. Prior to the last few episodes, I have never seen so many people complain this much to this extent since this show aired. Again, this show hasn't changed. This show is what it always was, so what could possibly be different now that would make these people decide to voice their opinions with 2 episodes left in the season? The season is pretty much over, at this point. Why wait the entire season to complain about something that has always been an issue? You watched 12 episodes of a show you hate and you want to cry because people are calling you out on how stupid and asinine that sounds.

If you're angry because you felt your favorite side couple isn't getting enough screentime or that the relationship development/scenes weren't to your liking, then oh well. Get over it, put on your big girl panties, and suck it up. I'm not going to name names but there are screenshots all over Twitter of which section of the fandom is suddenly complaining about how awful this show is. I have receipts of that too.

Your ship is a side couple. Yes, TPTB may have used your ship in a teaser trailer, but are you new here? Side couples never get as much screentime and relationship development as the main couple. Never. That has never happened in the history of TV and never will. The fact that some people have used that argument in the past will never amaze me, because it doesn't mean shit. It's a moot point.

In conclusion, I love that this fandom has so many passionate fans because it contributes to the hype and attention for the show as a whole. At this rate, all of these extremely passionate fans camped out in the official hashtag on Twitter and on here are gonna ensure that this show gets another season, a full-length movie, and several spin-offs. So, go team!

[iamanartichoke]

I am literally about to cry here that people are wanting to blame Tom...that...I don't even have the words...I'm sad, angry, and disappointed...it feels like people who are so ready to blame him shouldn't be fans... I don't want to say that so strongly though because I know at some point they must have loved him and Loki too...but if they no longer like what Disney/Marvel, and MAYBE Tom (executive producer doesn't necessarily hold much weight) is doing with the character, then maybe they should simply faze out of the fandom, or that section of the fandom, or stick with the older stuff...or at least don't be hating on others who are happy about it....I don't know how to avoid the hate on my dash and it's making me very sad (understatement)

So - for one thing, I’m really sorry that you’re feeling upset; I know what it’s like to see posts on your dash that get to you and send you down a spiral. I really do get it and sympathize. I recommend filtering tags to the best of your ability and unfollowing/blocking people who are posting things that bring you down.

But I feel like this ask is a double-edged sword, smh. I don’t know how to answer it bc I get what you mean but I think there’s two different issues being addressed here - one being that people shouldn’t be blaming Tom personally for his creative role (which I absolutely agree with) and the second being that people shouldn’t be in this fandom space/call themselves fans of Tom/Loki if they’re not happy about the show (which I absolutely do not agree with). 

First of all, yes - I’ve been consistently saying this over the past couple of days: regardless of how you feel about the series, it’s not okay to cross the line into blaming Tom personally if that blame leaves the fandom space and progresses into harassment of actual people (esp. Tom). I am not saying I’ve seen anyone do that, nor do I think anyone I know/am friends with here would do that. I am just saying that when you start assigning personal blame, it has the potential to get sticky so better to just keep your feelings focused on the material itself (whether that be the writing, directing, or acting choices made).  

HOWEVER. I really don’t think it’s fair to say that if people don’t like the show, or what it may do to the character, or Tom’s contributions to it, that they don’t belong in this fandom space anymore and/or shouldn’t participate, or should just stick to “the old stuff.” It’s really not fair at all; that’s exactly the kind of rhetoric that should be avoided bc it implies that the only way to be a “real” fan or a “true” fan is to feel happy, excited, etc about new content and developments, as opposed to feeling disappointed, negative, or upset bc it seems that the canon is going in a direction that no longer aligns with what drew the person to the character in the first place. 

People need to realize that you can be critical of things and still enjoy them. You can also be critical of things bc you don’t enjoy how it’s progressed, but you still care deeply about the original material. You can connect to a character and feel protective of that character and want to engage with that character and still feel like the current canon of that character isn’t your cup of tea. And, yes, you can disagree with Tom’s interpretations and choices when it comes to how he’s portraying Loki (whether it be in his acting choices or his creative contributions or both). You're allowed to think for yourself.  

I really dislike the implication that being a fan = 100% loving everything about it, and being critical = 100% being a hating anti who shouldn’t even be here.

But I see it all the time. 98% of the “positive” posts regarding the show right now include some kind of shade thrown at the other side - ie, “omg stop whining,” or “how can you hate it without even seeing it? Trailers are misleading!” (interesting how that never works the opposite way, though - how can you love it without even seeing it? I digress.) to “Tom’s in control here, this is his Loki, and if you don’t like it then maybe you don’t actually understand the real Loki and should stick to fanfiction or better yet just leave.” 

^^ Obviously I’m paraphrasing, but my point is that the people who are unhappy are clearly and appropriately tagging their disappointment posts, and are not going around hating on anyone who’s excited, and the same cannot be said for the other side. I can only speak for my own experiences but I have seen ‘negativity’ consistently tagged, and kept to posts where the discussion is among like-minded people, and I have also seen the above vagueposting as well as unprompted posts like “lol guess what’s being complained about today” as well as the so-called positive people hopping onto negative posts in order to tell people to shut up and stop complaining before we’ve even seen the finished product. 

So. My point in all of this is - 1) I discourage people from personally blaming Tom bc fandom and social media have created this weird culture where hate campaigns against celebs are launched all the time, and it’s not okay, but 2) that doesn’t mean that the criticism, disappointment, and/or negativity shouldn’t exist at all, or shouldn’t be discussed, and 3) it is not anyone’s right to say who belongs in fandom and who doesn’t because the last time I checked, fandom was for everybody and if we could all just stop being assholes and play nicely with one another like the good lord intended, none of this would even be an issue. 

[wordsoflittlewisdom]

Watching bop again

I kinda forgot Cass was at the roller derby game. Love how all the characters are connected

Why does Roman’s voice...sound like that

Boss Bitch is weirdly nostalgic now

I like that the whole roller derby team is wearing like. team jackets. and harleys got her whole fringe sleeves thing going on

YES LOVE WHEN SHE THROWS THE NECKLACE AWAY

The chemical plant blowing up as fireworks was a very Harley choice

“So I’ll start where I fucking want” four minutes ago

huntress huntress huntress huntress huntress

I read somewhere that this huntress and Montoya scene was one take and they just changed the lighting to show the change

romans middle name being beauvais is probably the clearest clue they could have given that he was from a rich family

Love that Renee finds the necklace and knows Harley and the joker broke up. I like this idea that superheroes/villains are kinda like celebrities in this world

The egg sandwich scene is great what more can I say

Love that there’re cars and people just living their lives in this city

It’s a crime that we never see Harley wear this glittery fanny pack

The music is really good in this

It’s neat how the line between her narration and her dialogue is blurred, like how she’ll say the first part of something in narration and the second part in dialogue

Huntress’s little flute theme

And Montoya knows Cass; c o n n e c t i o n s

Montoya’s been going after Roman, too

And now we’re flipping back to the bertinelli massacre and diamond

Even if the whole missing diamond plot isn’t that unique, everything’s woven together so neatly

And now Dinah and Renee are on the phone about Cass and the diamond

It’s all connected

Harleys whole “I’m here to report a terrible crime”—she could have just run in there but she wanted to be Dramatic

I do wish the vocals were a little louder here maybe?

Big fan of this fight choreography

Harley pausing on a frame where she’s making a weird face before rewinding to explain about the diamond—it’s so rare to ever get to see women like. making weird faces in movies. All the women in his this are gorgeous but they don’t always have to be; they look beat up after fights and get dirty and make weird faces and it’s great

Dinah singing? Exceptional

“Loans, liquidity, laundering” ah yes the three L’s of illegal business

I unironically listen to Black Canary’s man’s world.

I like that everyone just calls Dinah “Canary”

“I’m all on my lonesome. It’s great” Harleys even an unreliable narrator when she’s just talking

I’ve really never seen a movie that feel like it’s from the female gaze visually as much as this one—all the rings and earrings, the hair, the makeup, it feels like what women might fantasize about dressing like

Dinah yelling “you motherfucker!” While beating some creeps up is quality

What time of day is it? Dinah would probably be leaving early in the morning, but I Refuse to believe that Roman would be awake particularly early any morning

She either canary is leaving her nightclub singing gig in the late morning/early afternoon or roman is still awake from the night before and is going to go to sleep soon

Cass and Dinah in the same building. (Bernie voice): I am once again talking about the connections

I’ve riffed on this before but i refuse to believe that Roman can drive

This Dinah and Renee scene establishes character, backstories, and moves the plot along all at once

Jesus some of ewan mcgregor’s acting in this is painfully bad

I love that Cass has a big bomber jacket and longer, looser shorts

Jurnee’s abs wow

The lights from behind the hands with the eyes behind Harley, who’s surrounded by people and then Roman and Victor emerge from the back, whispering to each other? Beautiful

One of the grievances roman has against Harley is “constantly interrupting him, like I’m doing right now”

Harleys “you’re really not as complicated as you think” bit is almost satirical of this cult we’ve created of “complicated” white male movie villains who have massive fan followings (cough cough joker)

Interesting that Roman holds the knife to Harleys face but hands it off to Victor to do that actual cutting

Someone handed Roman a bowl of popcorn

Harleys pocket tampon

It’s diamonds are a girls best friend yeah babey!

The male backup dancers are wearing muzzles/masks (Roman has one too for a split second) is an interesting flip on the way women are typically the ones being silenced, as well as Harleys desire to silence the men around her and be the one telling and controlling her own narrative

“Hey! you’re that singer no one listens to!” “Hey! You’re the asshole no one likes!”

Harley with her glitter gun

Harleys reaction when the sprinklers go off is perfect—Margot makes her feel like a living cartoon

This cell block fight scene is a showstopper

I like that cass doesn’t immediately want to stay with Harley. It gives her some agency in a story where she’s mostly just following the curveballs life throws her

Harleys little stare straight into the camera when cass admits to eating the diamond

Harley at the grocery store really emphasizes that she’s a total weirdo

I think I heard somewhere that the pic of child Harley with the nuns is a pic of young Margot??? Not totally sure though

Cass not knowing who the joker is goes with the whole supers are like celebrities thing—cass probably follows a whole different group of them (like how most kids follow different celebrities than their parents)

Huntress huntress huntresssss

“Give me number 32. Mild”

This kid in helenas flashback doesn’t really look like she’s grow up to look like Mary Elizabeth Winstead

This filming in this flashback has so much style

Helena practicing in the bathroom mirror with her drawing and her multiple bottles of travel mouthwash

We’re in the scene where Roman makes the girl dance on the table and oh god it’s so uncomfortable

No no no no no not this hate this

Alright that nightmare’s done

“and that’s why you should never pay federal income taxes”

Harley offering to bring cass to Roman after hearing doc say “business is business is interesting

OH ITS HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT TIME

Dinahs car is yellow because it’s...canary yellow

Roman putting on the mask is cool and all but he’s just gonna have to take it back off to get changed

This Harley vs Renee fight is fun because they keep mirroring each other—they’re fighting each other, but they’re really on the same side

The way the women all kind of circle each other at first and don’t immediately get along

Cass popping up with the gun also gives her some agency—she’s at the end of her rope with the diamond and being betrayed by Harley

“I am nOT THE CROSSBOW KILLER”

The way Huntress sounds so uncertain when she says “...and now I’m done” Mary’s acting really popped off

Roman’s a bitch but I like his outfits

Helenas little smile when Harley says “you just killed his BFF”

I love how excited Harley is when they all agree to work together

Roman’s giving his little speech in the back of a pickup truck?

When all the guys turned around with masks on I got chills

“I love this chick she’s got rage issues.” “I DONT HAVE RAGE ISSUES”

Huntress stabbing the guy while going down the slide is peak cinema

This set lights up as the scene progresses and reveals more

I love love love that Helena is genuinely caring towards Cass and recognizing that children shouldn’t have to go through trauma like her

“When the fuck did she have time to do a shoe change?”

THE HAIR TIE YEAH

Forgot to mention this but it’s a stroke of genius for this place to be called the booby trap

Love me some canary cry

“Told ya she had a killer voice”

Harleys chase was a real group hurrah—the canary cry cleared the way and pushed her forward, Huntress towed her, Renee gave her the gun with one bullet

Cass and Roman are just sitting in the back seat. That must have been an awkward car ride

Cass pulling the gun away from Roman when he tries to shoot up at Harley when Harleys on top of the car is elite

Damn this is one foggy pier

When Harley starts with “your protection is based on the fact that people are scared of you” you expect her to say that it’s wrong or something but she says “I’m the one they should be scared of” this movie messed with tropes so much

That also includes the whole “one bullet” thing—Harley misses with her one bullet, and you don’t really know what’s gonna happen next

“I took your ring”

You can pinpoint exactly when Harley and Roman realize what Cass did

I’d put the entire taco scene here if I could

Renee moving the drink away from cass shows her caring side—she doesn’t want a kid to get into alcohol and make the mistakes she did

“Does she always talk like the cop in a bad eighties movie?”

Harley and Cass stealing the car is a fun way to show that she may be on the side of the good guys sometimes, but that doesn’t necessarily make her one

“Woman” by Kesha

Wow the outfits in this scene are iconic

I mean they are in the whole movie but I especially like these

Cass riding around with Harley and a hyena, wearing cute outfits and learning the ways of chaos

Harley got her sandwich!

The credit art for this movie is cool

Especially how they represent each character

In conclusion this is still my favorite movie

I know I’ve been kinda absent recently, but watching this again has really reminded me how much I love it. I got really busy but I’m going to Make An Effort to be a contributing member of the bop fandom again.

[gumnut-logic]

Thunderfam Appreciation Post

I’m giving this a new post to prevent scroll city, but the original and several reblogs can be found by clicking the above link. Also, it’s an excuse to post a piccy of Virg cos any excuse, really :D

Many thanks to @willow-salix for writing this question list :D

Before I start, I just want to say that I value every member of this fandom. I’m often hopeless at communicating in group settings so I don’t speak to many peeps, but that is my failing, not anyone else’s. You are an amazing group and you have supported me and each other just brilliantly over the last nearly three years that I have been hanging with you guys. Thank you ever so much for all your wonderful support and encouragement. I’ve had so much fun and created so much stuff…you guys are amazing. Thunderfam rock!

Please note that my memory is pathetic and I will fail to mention everyone. Please do not take any offence if you aren’t listed below. That does not mean I don’t value you, I do, it just means I have swiss cheese between my ears.

-o-o-o-

Your favourite writer of your favourite boy.

@i-am-chidorixblossom  You are a whumper and comforter after my soul. You speak the Virg :D @vegetacide I adore your turn of phrase and your description is to die for.

The person who's stories you will always read.

I try to read most fics that come across my dash, but there are a few that have me jumping up and down. @i-am-chidorixblossom , @vegetacide , @tsarinatorment , @scribbles97 , @the-lady-razorsharp , @janetm74 Of course, I regularly fail at this as some of you write a huge amount of fic and I am often playing catch up, but fic!

Who wrote the first fic you read in this fandom.

I landed on FF.net back in May 2018. I immediately ran into @the-lady-razorsharp who I knew from another fandom ten years prior and she was absolutely wonderful, drawing me in and introducing me around. I gobbled up several of her fics in the process.

Person you can talk to for the longest without a break.

I am hard to get started, persistence is required, but once started, it is usually hard to shut me up. @scribbles97 @vegetacide and @tsarinatorment have all discovered that. Dangle a Virg, a plotline and stand back.

Person you can't be trusted to be left alone with.

Um, @vegetacide and I have plotted out the entirety of Warm Rain together…poor Virg. Add @the-lady-razorsharp into the equation and Virgil ends up with a beard, dressed in leather and riding a Harley – that was a hilarious evening.  Between @tsarinatorment and @janetm74 Virgil gets grey hairs and has to go rescue Scott – because Scott inevitably ends up in the story :D  @scribbles97 gets the blame for Gentle Rain – expand your horizons she said ::headdesk:: But then there was the time I left one random line about Eos visiting Virgil in the shower and went to bed. I woke up to hilarity and chaos as Thunderfam took the idea and ran with it! Love you guys :D

Person whose fic made you cry the most.

I know there were at least two fics that made me cry, but for the life of me I can’t identify them. I did cry writing my own fic – Flannel – and don’t tend to reread it for that reason. Purupuss traumatised me with A Quiet Day to the point I had to put it down and walk away for a bit ::wails::

Person whose fic made you laugh the most.

I have no idea. I know there are fic out there and I know I’ve read it, but without a complete list of everything I’ve read, I don’t have a clue.

Person whose fic made you think the most.

Aaaargh, I don’t have a master list so can’t remember everything. Staring at my paltry favourites list on FF.net (which was mostly gathered three years ago and never maintained), Purupuss’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ and her whole Quiet series has me wanting to write a Scott-Virgil telepathic fic (and she has given me permission to run with the idea, I just haven’t actioned it yet). Counterpoint by Swallow and Amazon is amazing and likely contributed to Sotto Voce.

Person you have laughed with the most.

I’m really not liking this ultimate one person idea. I’ve laughed with a lot of people in this fandom. I’ve candy cannoned a bunch of you as well :P There has been mad plot cackling, evil conspiring, fic written to stir pots and delight on purpose. Hell, I’ve even written fic that was purposefully a giant virtual hug because I’m so far away that even if half the world wasn’t in isolation, I couldn’t hug most of you. Sure, I talk with some of you more than others, and there is laughter in those chats…oh, god, so much cackling, poor, poor Tracy boys. But then there are also so many smiles both vocalised and not. Thunderfam is one of my happy places. Bring on the belly laughs :D

Your comfort fic that you'll go back and read again on a bad day.

I will often resort to my own fic when I’m really down simply because it helps me get to sleep :D and it is kinda tailored to me ::grins::  (and my memory is that bad I often forget what I wrote anyway – yes, it is that bad) But there are also a few on my FF.net favourites list. Mostly hurt/comfort in a Virg flavour. Cheesycheese, nhsweetcherry, A Small Rescue by Nalina, Breathe Easy and Under the Weather by @loopstagirl – several of hers, in fact – the Virg ones :D Pretty much anything that has Virg fainting and being looked after apparently :D Chiddi and Veggie fic, of course.

Favourite piece of fan art.

I have never been so honoured by artists before. This fandom has some amazing skills and I have been gifted some beautiful works. You guys are amazing (I keep saying it like a broken record, but you are).

Again, I’m stuck on having to list one and I can’t. I think Fanart Appreciation Month in January pretty much summed up my opinion.

Who have you known the longest in the fandom.

@the-lady-razorsharp followed by @vegetacide both wonderful peeps. I can’t miss out on @weirdburketeer either for her amazing support almost from day one.

Favourite OC.

I have to say that I really enjoy reading about Ray from @i-am-chidorixblossom ‘s fics :D He is so gentle and kind and just ::sigh:: Virg likes him lots :D Selene by @willow-salix is, of course, a major presence in the fandom and amazingly written. @hedwigstalons ‘ Claire is lovely.

Person who supports your work the most.

The Thunderfam? There have been some wonderful people who support all the time. @hedwigstalons  @cg29 @janetm74 @weirdburketeer in particular have been amazing support liking and commenting on just about everything I write. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Plus several peeps over on FF.net and Ao3 who support me over there.

And then there are the poor souls who put up with me in chat and listen to my wibblies and whining and character checks and field random chunks of writing that get thrown their way. @scribbles97 @vegetacide @the-lady-razorsharp  @tsarinatorment @i-am-chidorixblossom @onereyofstarlight @godsliltippy  @willow-salix @janetm74 all have had random passages thrown at them at all times of the day and night by a crazy me begging for feedback. Does this work? Is this in character? Am I insane? What the hell is Scott doing? Is this John??? I give up, tell me what to do? Virgil is driving me insane! So, um, yeah

Person who's progress you are the most proud of.

I love those peeps who appear in fandom who start off poking around commenting and generally being lovely and then all of a sudden get out their own pens and start writing and they are frickin’ amazing! Both @janetm74 and @hedwigstalons come to mind in this department. Like holy cow – ‘here is my first fic and I’m not sure’ ::reads it:: Omigod! Where did you come from? That was amazing. Sit down here now, keep doing that writing thing, bloody hell! I think being brave enough to pick up a pen and join in is a major thing :D

Person who's story you think is underrated and should be read by more people.

If I find fic I like, I reblog it and shout about it. What I like is definitely skewed in a Virgil direction and this dictates often what I’m going to read first. I can’t reblog what I haven’t read. So, this equation will always be skewed by ‘reasons I haven’t read a fic’ which mostly involves either Virgil or the fact I’m juggling RL. So, my answer to this is if I think a fic needs to be shouted about, I shout about it.

Something you think people would say about you.

She’s nutty.

Silliest 'thing' you do with someone.

I’ve been known to write fic on the fly directly into chat windows to try and distract peeps going through shitty times.

Favourite pairing you now Stan because of someone's fic.

Virgil/Kayo because of @vegetacide for reasons I have blamed her for multiple times. @the-lady-razorsharp and @weirdburketeer were accessories to the fact.

Favourite headcanon from someone's fic.

Um, Virgil and coffee? I got that from somewhere and it has infiltrated my fic…a lot.

Ultimately, though, I feel most people I interact with contribute to my fic and how I’m feeling. This has been a wonderful experience. I try to return the support as much as I can, but sometimes it is a juggle between writing more, my stupid fluctuating mood, the demands of RL and my own creative drive. I hope I’ve helped a few peeps, because you guys have certainly helped me ::major group hug::

And yes, I hug a lot, because to be honest, I have no other descriptor to communicate how I feel, so you get buckets of hugs :D

Tagging the Thunderfam. Feel free to grab these questions and run with them. You’re all part of the gang whether you write, read, art, gif, screenshot, chat, babble, stare at Virgil all day...I know I do a lot of staring.

Nutty

(Thunderfam rocks!)

[fandom-space-princess]

fic writer interview

tagged by @sinaesthete - thanks boo 💕

How many works do you have on AO3?

18. Somehow. I only started posting them in January, which means I've been averaging more than 2 per month?! Granted, most of them are one-shots, but still. Bonkers.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

79,889. I have contributed one novel's worth of questionable fandom content to the greater ecosystem. Joy unbounded.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

The only fics I've published where anyone else could see them (or finished, for that matter) are for Supernatural. Others exist. I may even dredge them out into the light one day. Especially the Dragon Age ones, when DA4 comes out and inflicts some inevitable violence upon my poor little heart.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In descending order:

- Wayward Family: (T, 31589 words/26 chapters) Sitcomnatural, aka Seven Fools In A Bunker AU. Stream-of-consciousness first drafts from the beginning of the year, when I was starting to catch up on the show again after having dipped out sometime around season 6-7ish originally. I honestly expected zero readership for this, and was pleasantly surprised that so many people responded so well to it. Because I was definitely still knocking the dust off my writing skills at that point, lol. Maybe one day I'll go back to it and make it better - there's definitely stuff I'd do differently next time around.

- Some Live Like Orpheus: (T, 6193 words/1 chapter) Adam rescues Michael from the Empty, featuring Adam as Orpheus and Michael as Eurydice, with special appearances from Jack and the Shadow. The first thing I wrote that I was really, genuinely pleased with myself over.

- Vox Celeste: (E, 1909 words/1 chapter) Midam smut. PWP, in fact. Lyrical, pretty smut (or at least, that's what I was going for), but all the same.

- The First Day of the Rest of Your Afterlife: (T, 4558 words/1 chapter) Sequel to 'Orpheus'. Michael and Adam having their happily-ever-after together. This might be the most utterly self-indulgent fluff I have written. I love it.

- Two Weddings and an Engagement: (T, 7812 words/1 chapter) Written for the tumblr Midam wedding day. The Love Is Requited, They're Just Idiots - truly the most trope of all time. Featuring background sabrileena, because I am a joyful polyamorous disaster bisexual and I think they should all get to be, too.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Uh. To my great shame, I mostly don't. I always want to - the fact that people take time to comment on my writing is not lost on me as an act of love involving effort, and I can't express how much it means to me. I read and cherish every single comment I get. But interacting on AO3 takes a lot of spoons for me for some reason - and usually I just. Don't have it in me.

I'm working on it.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don't write much angst, because I am first and foremost a cinnamon roll in need of fluff and comfort. But it does happen occasionally. I think the angstiest fic is Reliquary - more of a ficlet, really, since it's only about 600 words. But they're 600 words of Major Character Death, and I made myself cry writing it, so probably that one.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Nah. Not really my jam.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No direct hate! The closest I've gotten was someone getting rude about characterization, which was more funny than anything else. What a strange thing to pick a fight over.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Quite happily, yes. I find physical intimacy to be very fulfilling, personally, and writing about my characters having those experiences themselves is fun.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge...?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also not that I'm aware of.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have not. I kind of suspect I'd be a nightmare to co-write anything with. My writing brain works when it wants to work, not when I want it to work necessarily. And I have no way of predicting when that will be.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

I have a terrible time choosing favorites of anything, so I aggressively multiship. That said, in spn? Michael/Adam. Very closely followed by (exclusively S5 & earlier) Lucifer/Sam.

Outside of Supernatural, it's kind of a tossup. Probably the DA2 OT5 polycule (Hawke/Anders/Fenris/Isabela/Merrill). I'm aware this is a ship for insane people; I will not be accepting criticism at this time 💀

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

As of now, I actually plan to finish all my current WIPs! Pyrphoros was in very real danger of ending up in WIP purgatory for a while, but fortunately or unfortunately for everyone involved, Sin read the first chapter and gave me a pile of compliments. So now I am honor-bound to finish it (<creature brain> Friend liked fic must write more fic must please the Friend </creature brain>). It's getting worked on, bit by bit around my other projects, but still. It's happening.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm decent at getting emotions across? I'm also good at vivid visualization - in my head, I can usually see very clearly what I'm trying to describe, and I feel like that's helpful in getting it down effectively. Beyond that, I'm honestly not sure what you'd call my strengths.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I have close to zero control over when I'll have both time and motivation to write. Some of that is just the reality of balancing a more-than-full-time job with my hobby. Some of it is the executive dysfunction. But it does mean that when I'll finish anything can be... unpredictable.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I can't do it, and I don't love reading it. If I have to go looking for a translation somewhere in the notes, it wrecks my immersion in the story. No shade to people who do enjoy it; languages are gorgeous, and translations are imperfect at the best of times. Often the language something is written in is inseparable from the tone and cultural context it is meant to convey. But if given the choice, I don't seek it out.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Like I said, Supernatural is the only fandom with anything published. I think the first fandom I ever actually created anything for was Buffy. (Is that cringe? Yes. But consider: I live free of the shackles of shame. I am cringe, and I am happy).

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Probably one of the mini Midam week ones from earlier this year. Tie between Radio Silence and Every Day's Most Quiet Need, both of which turned out much better than I expected.

Not tagging anybody this time because my brain is currently scrambled eggs, although if anyone wants to do this please consider yourself tagged and feel free!

[rinusagitora]

You’re in all my dreams.

Fandom: Bleach

Characters: Karin Kurosaki, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori, OC- Mae Izumi

Pairings: HitsuKarin

Words: 2.2k

Summary: Shinigami!Karin AU. For HitsuKarin Week 2021. WARNINGS- mentions of suicide, dysfunctional families; Karin graduates Shin'ou and shares her dreams with Toushirou.

AO3

For the last six years, Karin dreamed of the day she’d graduating from cadet to officer and don the shihakusho like everyone she ever admired.

It was an anxious future filled with wonder and promise she never knew back in the World of the Living. Going from cadet to captain of a small force was going to be quite the culture shock, perhaps even more than the cold water of the river where she drowned. But she made it, and it made her much more confident in her ability. Officers were chosen from a pool of graduates and turnover was infrequent since few officers passed away in peacetime. It made competition fierce and even rarer that a graduate obtained a seated position out of the gate.

She was equal parts nervous and excited. For the time being, all Karin wanted to do was enjoy the graduation bonfire.

Mae toppled onto the log, sloshing rice wine onto Karin’s lap. She laughed. “I’m sorry! I’m sooo hammered.”

“No worries. I think I’ve puked on you more times than you’ve spilled on me.”

“Indeed, we swapped roles tonight.” Mae tapped Karin’s nose. “Tonight, of all nights, you choose to be reserved. Why?”

Karin hummed and swirled beer. “I’m nervous, I think.”

“It’s a big change.” Mae looked over the crowd. “Where are Hinamori-fukutaichou and Hitsugaya-taichou? I expected them, of all people, to be here.”

Karin’s reikaku grazed the crowd. Momo was there, just chaperoning. Keeping firelight between bodies like a puritan. Perhaps rightfully so. They were the new faces of the Seireitei. It was better not to romp in the woods right over poison ivy before recruitment day. Pussy itch was a different kind of awful. The kind of awful where Karin, who was once impaled, ended up curling up on the floor crying while Izuru healed her crotch and Shuuhei and Renji laughed in the next room.

The crowd parted for Momo like river water around stones. She stopped before Karin, and Karin smiled at her mentor. “Hi, Momo-senpai.”

Mae nodded. "Hinamori-sama."

"Izumi-chan, I hope you're enjoying the festivities."

"Oddly enough. It's strange letting loose… but I see where Karin-chan's alcoholism comes from. Dancing while intoxicated is liberating."

"Indeed." Nonetheless, Momo cocked her head and curiously looked over Karin. Karin knew the jig was up from there. She and Ryuuji were normally in the center of the action, and Karin hadn't so much as howled or toasted once that evening.

“Leave us, Izumi-chan.”

Mae managed to right herself and bowed to excuse herself. Gracefully, Momo took a seat beside Karin as she cursed internally. She didn't want to talk about it, but Momo always dragged out her bad feelings and laid them in the open.

“It’s odd you’re not out enjoying the festivities. This is your… thing.”

“It’s just really hitting me that I’m going to be a shinigami,” Karin told Momo. “I’ve been working toward this goal for six years. What do I do from here?”

Momo laughed. “Six years is a blink of an eye for the majority of us.” She held Karin’s shoulders. “There will be plenty to do, Karin-chan.”

“I can’t believe we’re all in a squad just after graduation, though.”

“Who? Izumi and Kawashima?” Karin hummed affirmatively in response to Momo, who then grinned. “Believe it or not, Iba-taichou wanted Watanabe. I think Watanabe is in for a reality check.”

“You are far too happy over that.” Karin couldn’t help but share Momo’s thrill, however. Chousuke Watanabe was a thorn in her side for six years, being her friend Ryuuji’s tormentor. Tetsuzaemon would straighten him out. The very picture of manhood and chivalry according to Momo. It was far too rewarding imagining Chousuke getting reamed by a six-foot wall of meat and battle scars.

"Bias is something I never shied away from. It's been a driving force in my life, for better or worse." Momo kissed Karin's forehead. "For best, in your case. You've been family since the moment I laid eyes on you, Karin-chan. My own in many ways. Every obstacle you've faced, you've overcome, and are better for it. I am so proud of how far you've come, and I'm so glad to have played a part in it."

Karin smiled bashfully. At least she had Momo.

Momo lovingly jostled Karin. There it was. Momo buttered up Karin just enough and was about to get her to bust open a can of worms. "What's on your mind?"

"I just… I thought Toushirou would be here. I haven't seen him all day today."

"I'm not supposed to tell you, but," Momo whispered, grinning, "he's preparing something special. Be patient."

Her heart pattered. "Oh." Of course he was. She was a little ashamed that hadn't occurred to her earlier as if they hadn't developed years of trust and affection, or at least a solid friendship. Nonetheless, Momo stroked Karin's hair, reminding her she was only human, that something so little wouldn't ruin everything.

Speaking of… Karin picked up on a familiar, icy reiatsu approaching. It was Toushirou, still in uniform. She smiled and Momo tapped her on her nose.

"See?"

"Not yet, but he's coming." Momo only rolled her eyes in response to Karin's lame joke.

"I'll leave you now. Enjoy your night, Karin-chan."

"Thanks, Senpai. I love you."

"And I love you."

Toushirou was still in uniform with his hands tucked into his sleeves. As he passed, Karin's fellow cadets parted and bowed to him. He ignored the attention, however, instead sporting a smile as he found Karin on her log.

He'd undergone hormone therapy in recent years to trigger a growth spurt. And he'd grown up to be a handsome young man, with looks rivaling stars in the World of the Living with access to renowned surgeons.

"I hope you've been enjoying yourself," he said. He took a seat next to her. He smelled like flowers. "I never attended these things, truthfully."

"Did you want to try dancing?" Karin asked.

"Well… I don't know," he said. Toushirou pulled a modest bouquet of daffodils from his sleeve, tied off with a turquoise ribbon. "It's not a big gift, I know, but I hope it reminds you that you're always welcome in juubantai."

Gingerly, Karin took his bouquet and smelled them. They smelled like spring. "I love them," she said. "Thank you."

She pressed a kiss against Toushirou's cheek, and he happily hummed. "I'm glad you like them. It's hard buying gifts for you."

"As if."

"It's true," he replied. "All Matsumoto wants is a day off, Hinamori loves spices and tobacco, and the boys are happy with some sake. You, on the other hand, easily get your hands on sake and tobacco, and hate downtime." Toushirou crossed his legs. "I should've consulted my sister."

Karin frowned. "But I like them…"

"The flowers? But they're such a lazy gift," he scoffed.

"I like everything you give me." She smiled. "Really, thank you. I love them."

He laughed bashfully. "Well, I'm glad."

Together they sat amid drums and singing and firelight, swaying with it, until Toushirou asked, "I don't want to take you from your friends, but I’m not enjoying myself here. Do you mind going elsewhere?"

"We can leave," Karin said. "Where do you want to go?"

"Someplace quiet where we can see the stars."

Her cheeks were warm at the idea. How romantic.

Karin bashfully followed behind Toushirou, holding his hand as he guided her away from the bonfire. When it was dark, he illuminated the way with kidou, assured in every step. A gorgeous man. He'd grown into his looks. His cheekbones were high, his shoulders broad. She could swoon until early morning over his handsome shape.

Up a hill, through a grove, and up a steep path, until they reached the peak of a sheer cliff. The stars above looked like a river of life. They didn't twinkle but were a steady pathway carved in the sky. Karin fell onto the grass and marveled. "Wow. When did you find this, Toushirou?"

"Not long ago. I wouldn't keep this from you  without a good reason." He smiled at her. Sitting, he said, "Do you like it?"

"Yes!" Karin nigh tackled Toushirou and kissed his cheek. "It's beautiful."

"I should've brought wine."

"This is perfect." Karin laid her head on Toushirou's shoulder. Together they stared into the stars. She searched for constellations but found none she recognized. "Do you think the World of the Living and the Soul Society have different stars?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. No one spends time looking up in the Soul Society. Those who do, don't seem to have the technology contributing to significant findings," Toushirou replied. "I'm not much of an astronomer either."

"You're a man of the law."

He laughed bashfully. "Aye."

Karin drew pictures in the stars herself. Birds, men, kitchenware, like she remembered from her human life not so long ago. Six years was nothing compared to how long her peers lived, was it? Not Momo, who was approaching a century and a half. Not even Toushirou, well into his seventies by that point. But Karin couldn’t remember the names of the stars or where to find them in the sky. How much longer did she have until she overwrote their patterns with other things? How much longer until her sad mortal history was forgotten in a sea of everything else?

There weren’t immediate answers to her questions, but Karin was fine with that. She said, "I remember hoping a rope would drop from the sky and drag me by the neck. Put me out of my misery."

"Understandable," Toushirou replied.

"I'm so much happier here. It's not always easy, but..."

"Slow and steady?"

"Yeah. Slow and steady wins the race. And I'm glad to be with you for it."

"So," Toushirou said, "no more sky-ropes to hang you until you're dead?"

She giggled. "Not anymore. I don't fancy myself a pirate, anyway."

He hummed. "I had a dream some time ago. Similar to yours... although I remember it being less grizzly," Toushirou confessed. She pulled her gaze from the starlight and saw him cloaked in darkness. Still, his eyes shined with wonder. Adoration. "A dream that assured me you're the love of my life."

"Go on," she said.

"I was being puppeteered by the sky. Dragged around day in and day out. And I saw the strings on you, into the sky as far as my eyes could see. And yet despite time, and fate, and all the horridness that plagued life for some time, we fought to be together." He clasped her hand. "Our strings became tangled and pink like cherry blossoms in spring. Like sunset. And... and I never want those strings freed." His blue-green eyes met hers. They made her melt like her body was hot wax in a leather bag. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Karin."

It felt like forever before she caught her breath. She asked, "Are you proposing?"

"If that's all it takes to spend the rest of my life by your side, and you at my side, I'll fetch a ring now. Propose properly in front of as many people as you like.”

Karin giggled. Picturing Toushirou hopping onto a bar counter, sake raised high, and screaming how deeply he was in love with Karin to their loved ones and peers, was quite a sight to behold! Yet, as anxious as he was to do so, she replied with, "Not at all. But let's make plans down the road. When I'm settled in."

"Of course." Toushirou sighed happily. They kissed. "I'm so in love with you, Karin."

"And I love you."

"I could stay here forever."

Karin hummed. “We have forever to do that…”

He turned to meet her gaze. “But?”

“I want to do more.” She sat up. “We work because we’re more than just lovers. We’re friends, confidants, partners. Warriors and artists and scholars.”

“Of course,” he agreed, propping himself on his palm.

“I want to be married, and I want forever with you, as much as I want-”

Toushirou said, completing Karin’s statement, “More.” He held her hand then. “It’s one of the reasons I love you. My recruitment was necessary. Yours is nothing but-”

“Desire.” She gazed into the stars, searching for divination in the blanket covering a slowly rotating plane.

“Then what more do you want?”

“To give justice and safety to those who have been and yet to be hurt. No one should suffer as I, and we have. I want to tear down the caste system here. Hold nobility responsible for their actions and give power back to the people, and eradicate the symbols of fascism and cruelty. I want to reconnect families. To make the Rukongai safe, so no one’s starving or resorting to crime to survive. And…” Karin turned to Toushirou, her breath stilling as she saw his eyes swimming with adoration. “And I want to mold the next generation to dream as I now dream, and to better the world. And I want to do all of it with you beside me, Toushirou. As equals.”

Toushirou cupped her cheek. He kissed her, and she held his sleeve. “Let’s do it. Together,” he said. Their foreheads touched. “Together always.”