#(not any specific fandom. this is a general statement)

[bronzetomatoes]

Why dont we all look at Andy

[inthewiiildwoods]

from the little of the tag i've skimmed it doesnt seem like the shipping scene is very robust here. most art also seems to be of the non-human variety. i suppose i must fulfil my duty as The One Guy™

[starcurtain]

Potential Phaidei Crumbs

Some more possible Phaidei crumbs that I've been thinking about and haven't seen people discussing yet:

First, in the very first scene with Mydei, there's this one odd line. It's a tiny thing, but nothing in a character's first appearance is accidental, so...

Mydei starts griping, telling Phainon that the people of Castrum Kremnos as a whole will not accept him. Presumably he actually means this in a general sense, aka "The Kremnoans won't accept any other hero; Kremnos won't become allies with anyone."

However, something I haven't seen many people note is that Mydei's very next line is:

"As the successor of Kremnos, I am not able to act independently on such matters."

This is a weird statement, right?

Saying "I am not able to act independently" basically implies that there is a desire to choose differently than his people. It's not "I would never act differently than my people demand." It's not even "I don't want to act independently"--it's "I am not able to." Wording the statement this way actively suggests that Mydei has a different stance than Kremnos itself--that if he had the power to act independently, he might make a different determination than his people expect.

Or, in more direct words: He would accept Phainon if he had the choice.

The dev team is very careful about the first impression that characters make in their debut appearances in the game. Choosing to deliberately reveal to us that Mydei has a different opinion of Phainon than the rest of the Kremnoans might is a strong signal for Mydei's characterization--deep down, he is very different from other Kremnoans--but, even more importantly, it tells us instantly that Mydei thinks more highly of Phainon than other people from Kremnos do. (Even if he also thinks Phainon is a mannerless heathen who lacks hospitality lol.)

Okay, okay, but that's just one little line. There's another thing I wanted to point out too, and that's actually Miss Castorice...

I've seen a lot of people suggesting Mydei/Castorice, Phainon/Castorice, and even Mydei/Castorice/Phainon, but for all the fandom's shipping (and everyone should feel free to ship what they love; your ship is valid, fam!), I actually kind of think that...

Castorice is a bit of a Mydei/Phainon shipper herself.

Although Castorice is of course just a good person who is doing what she can to help Okhema, she also is quick to assist Phainon specifically to save Mydei, quick to try to keep Phainon calm because that's what will help him get to Mydei quicker, and she just brings Mydei up out of the blue to Phainon several times throughout the story.

It's Castorice who halts Phainon's ascension ceremony to ask where Mydei is, because she expected him to be there for Phainon.

It seems to be a given for Castorice that if Phainon needs him, in Phainon's most important hour, Mydei should obviously be with him. She knew Mydei would come.

Even before that, when Phainon was feeling down, Castorice admits she doesn't know how to comfort Phainon herself, and instead... brings up Mydei to comfort Phainon???

Girl thought Quick, how can I raise Phainon's self-esteem? and Mydei's nickname for Phainon was the first thing that seems to have come to mind. 😂

She really said "You're not lame, Phainon; Mydei thinks you're a hero!"

Okay, being more serious--even putting shipping aside entirely, it's just overall clear that Castorice perceives the close comradeship between Phainon and Mydei (probably moreso than Phainon himself) and understands how important having that close friendship is to Phainon, who seems to have nothing else left outside of the Chrysos Heirs at all.

She seems to be able to tell how much Phainon needs people in his life who believe in and can stand beside him, and seems to have clocked that Mydei is definitely one such person. The game tells us players clearly that Castorice is an incredibly perceptive person who is sensitive to the feelings of others, and part of that includes her continuing to verbally recognize, throughout 3.0, the support Phainon gains from his close connection to Mydei.

I think this is just another cool touch--but also maybe another subtle nod from the devs. Castorice won't even let Phainon have a single scene where Mydei isn't mentioned lol.

And finally, one last crumb based on a pet theory...

"As I've Written"

We don't yet know who is responsible for actually writing the character profiles in the "As I've Written" book--although the rewards section is called "Author's Recompense" and the player get rewards for "composing sagas," alongside the interact button being "Write Story," there's actually an entire achievement teasing the fact that the Trailblazer doesn't know who actually wrote the book:

It's not remotely written in a style the Trailblazer would write in, and it also contains information the Trailblazer (at least currently) has no way of knowing at all, like the details of Castorice's backstory.

At this point, the real author could be anyone. But I feel like there's a few things pointing in favor of the idea that the real author might be Phainon. It could also be Anaxa or Cyrene or even Mem too, but hear me out...

First, the book's design is reminiscent of Phainon: the book features prominent sun/moon symbols, has the same blue-white-gold color palette, and even the design at the bottom of the book resembles the design along the front of Phainon's coat:

The book also seems to be strongly foreshadowing that someone is going to lose their way, step onto a dark path, or end up making a terrible mistake.

In Tribbie's chapter:

In Aglaea's:

And of course in Phainon's chapter, where the foreshadowing is strongest:

If this "one who has lost their direction" and "lost themself," the "flawed hero," are all references to Phainon, then the book over and over again seems to be--for the player--foreshadowing Phainon's downfall. Or, from the other perspective: This is a record written by someone who has witnessed (or experienced) the downfall and knows what is coming.

There's also the fact that while Phainon's chapter is written in third person, the narrator occasionally slips in some hints that they know what's going on in Phainon's mind:

And there's also this moment from Mydei's chapter:

We already know that this is not how Mydei behaves around people he doesn't know. When Mydei isn't familiar with a person, he doesn't banter with them--he doesn't even bother with them. He barely speaks directly to the Trailblazer the entire 3.0 plot, for example! He doesn't remotely seem like the type of person to sit down at a table and drink with someone he doesn't know.

We also know that he's already scolded Phainon several times for trying to act like an expert in Kremnoan legends:

(Thank Streetwise Rhapsody from Youtube for these screencaps because I forgot to screencap it myself lol.)

And the icing on the cake:

The exact phrase "amateur historian" again.

To me, this all but confirms that the "true" author of the "As I've Written" chronicle is probably Phainon, which finally brings me to the actual Phaidei crumb I wanted to discuss all along:

Mydei's story is listed as chapter 10 of the book. Yet for some reason --even though we get the book only after completing nearly the entire 3.0 questline, when the player has definitely met Aglaea, Castorice, and Tribbie already--Mydei's story comes first.

While Castorice, Tribbie, Phainon, and Aglaea all share the same memory crystal, Mydei has his own separate memory crystal, not shared with any other character, and it is given to the player first, before anyone else:

Phainon really said "My man is more important than the rest of us combined."

Tribbie is chapter 1. Phainon is chapter 7. Aglaea is chapter 9. But for some reason, we jumped all three of those characters to present chapter 10 first. Theoretically you could say that it's because we went to Castrum Kremnos and fought Nikador? But, story-wise, was Mydei the most important? The Trailblazer met Phainon and Tribbie first, got to actually play Aglaea for a sequence of this story, and traveled alone with Castorice. Mydei is the character the Trailblazer actually had the least connection to in the whole 3.0 storyline, so it doesn't seem that the story is truly what determined the order characters' chapters were given to us.

At the end of the day, in a book that seems it could be written by Phainon (from the future? the past?), Mydei was given special treatment and came before anyone else.

I'm just sayin'... the devs don't do things on accident.

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

Hot take (from a media nerd): How to achieve BL branded pair longevity (a.k.a. what SmartBoom should have done to preserve their brand)

Hello friends! 🥰 (especially those from the SmartBoom community) How are we all feeling? This wasn't a sarcastic question-- I really do hope you're all feeling well.

I logged on to Tumblr and found A LOT of asks about SmartBoom, and really, I feel for all of us (and definitely for them).

I'm not really an expert on any of these BL couples I talk about or will be talking about, as all of my information only comes from social media (including their interviews and official press releases). I'm also not the merch-buying, concert-going, discord-moderating type of fan either-- I use the groups and servers for lurking and research instead of posting. That's why I'm so grateful for the lovely fandom insiders who take the time to correct my posts with more reliable information-- really, no cap, you guys are awesome and I will always defer to your superior knowledge.

What I DO know, with confidence, is how the Asian media industry works, ESPECIALLY queer media. Not Thai-specific, and not any particular pairs, but the branded pair concept in general. So I'll be talking about longevity here from 1) my very basic knowledge of these couples, 2) my understanding of trends and company politics, and 3) how the industry generally runs, from production to promotion.

Anyway,

The asks I got so far (aside from my thoughts on that disaster of a fansign) is what I think would be the future of SmartBoom as a branded pair. Is there any hope for them at all?

Well the joke-y answer is yes. Since Headliner and Grand Ivory Records have decided to go all Top Form meta on SmartBoom, but in hyperspeed, we're on Ep. 9 right now, no? The breakup?

We'll skip Ep. 10 (unless death comes for Miss--- oh sorry, let's not wish death on anyone. Not very Christian).

That means... man, I can't wait for Ep. 11- The Revolution 🤣

Hey Smart, is there any Jin left in there? Probably time to let it out.

(Wouldn't it be fun if you had a whole Junta in there, too? Just max levels of crazy? 👀)

Anyway, jokes aside, if the question is: is there any hope for SmartBoom?

Yes and No.

The ship itself, in its current state, is dead. It's gone beyond the companies now. Judging from that photobook fansign (and only that fansign, so I could be wrong), I'm guessing the rift has affected Smart and Boom's personal relationship, too. Boom barely looked at Smart or addressed him throughout the event, and when he was about to cry he didn't turn to Smart like he used to. He stared up, stared down, turned to the side, but never towards this acting partner he used to call a friend. Smart had to EXCUSE himself when he grabbed the photobook from Boom during that one question, and asked for permission anytime he would go near him (you don't do that to an acting partner you've spent excessive workshop hours with. You licked honey off his neck dude, I think you're allowed to touch hands). Even China couldn't stop your fanservice. What happened now?

[Pardon the dramatic background music. It's from Tiktok, can't remove it.]

There's an elephant in that room (probably colored purple and named TaiLai) that both of them cannot address. That statement from TaiLai and GIR were pretty incriminating: SMART himself said no to projects with Boom, not just GIR. They offered Smart up on a platter for the fandom to pick apart, and off to the side, on the brink of being neglected once again, there sits Boom. I don't know what Boom believes exactly, and if he chooses to trust his friend more than the statements of these money-hungry company monkeys. But to be honest, he hasn't spoken in favor of Smart so far. He hasn't really spoken at all.

Smart looked devastated.

Boom... Boom looked humiliated.

The ship is dead. Both for us, and for the people in it. If there's a friendship they could salvage in there, like with Perth and Saint (and Zee), I suggest they start saving it now.

But first, let me just come out of the woodwork and say this: even though I MOSTLY BLAME GIR, this isn't the first time WeTV has botched a branded pair they've initially invested in.

Behold, SamYU, from WeTV's We Best Love:

You hear that in the distance? It's the sound of a thousand hearts breaking all over again.

We Best Love was WeTV's first foray into ORIGINAL BL content, not just affiliate distribution. They saw how successful queer content was in China with their MASSIVE hit bromance The Untamed, and wanted to capitalize on it. But China has... a queer censorship problem. After abandoning The Untamed's lead star Xiao Zhan during the 227 scandal (God, I really do hate you WeTV), they hopped over to Taiwan to try their luck in a more queer-friendly location.

Sam Lin was a former idol-turned-actor who debuted in the Taiwanese boy group SpeXial, and who's been in a few minor roles prior to We Best Love. YU (Maruyama Yusuke) is a Japanese-Taiwanese idol loaned to WeTV by a company from Nagoya, Japan (WeTV has a thing for underground actors and loaned idols apparently). Though virtually unknown prior to We Best Love, these two were PHENOMENAL actors, had natural chemistry, and had pretty compelling personalities. WeTV initially signed them for a three season contract for their original series (sigh), slapped WeTV's name on the title (WBL- We Best Love. Get it?), and produced and promoted the heck out of this show.

And it WORKED. It was a massive hit in Taiwan, Japan, China, and Korea, sparked a new renaissance for Taiwanese BL productions, and made Sam and YU household names. It really was a WONDERFUL show. Imperfect, but still wonderful, and still my all-time favorite Taiwanese BL.

But WeTV apparently didn't reach proper contract arrangements with YU's team. YU apparently thought that WBL was a one-and-done deal, because he didn't want to do any more BLs-- he wanted to focus on his music. YU's team asked WeTV to renegotiate loan terms so YU could do music first before they could shoot Season 3 , but WeTV refused. Season 3 first, before the idol career. YU decided to buy himself out of the contract.

Sam took YU's refusal to shoot Season 3 as a personal affront. Though he never spoke about it publicly, he initially unfollowed all of YU's social media accounts and terminated all contact with him except in a professional capacity. He refused to do fanservice with YU during the press run, and after all cp projects were done and dusted, they never spoke (publicly) again.

WeTV transformed the planned third season into a multi-episode camping reality show for the cast, in order to accommodate YU's buyout terms. Here, Sam and YU exhibited the most AWKWARD and STILTED interactions from a branded pair that used to claim they were great friends. They finished that awful show, YU went on to launch an album, Sam went into acting hiatus for a while to, as he said, recover his mental health, and that spelled the end of Taiwan's only OFFICIAL branded pair to date.

To be clear I don't want SmartBoom to be SamYU. This is the stupidest route for their careers.

SamYU's situation was a nightmare for all parties involved. Companies fighting (but with the decency to NOT DO IT PUBLICLY), endless contract renegotiations, awkward encounters, Sam and YU duking it out behind closed doors, the fandom in SHAMBLES... this is not the way to achieve career success in an industry already BRIMMING with competition.

So let's go to the Yes portion of that ask. Is there hope? YES. Here's how:

Step 1: Get Industry Recognition

OffGun, the true GOATS, hello!

This is one step I believe that SmartBoom partially has. A successful ship needs to be recognized both in the inner and outer circles of the Boys' Love industry, either by their experience, their talent, or both.

Take for instance, OffGun: they're celebrating their TENTH ANNIVERSARY this year (dear God), and will be shooting their 10th series, Burnout Syndrome, in the coming months. They're actually not the oldest BL ship in GMMTV-- that honor goes to TayNew-- but they're the ones with the most number of shows together, AND the most number of awards (individually and as a cp)

OffGun have stood the test of time, scandal, and their critics by proving their commitment to the industry: give them any role, any project, any subject, and they'll perform it. They host, sing, dance, but most of all, they act. No role is beneath them: whether it's filler fodder or the most compelling story this side of Bangkok, they'll do their best at it.

Furthermore, OffGun's commitment to their brand showed the industry that the ship itself is irreplaceable. Whether they were doing support roles for other projects, being loaned out of the company, or being partnered romantically with other actors, they always made time for couple activities. They interacted with their joint fandom even during solo appearances (even more than their solo stans), and they truly FED the machine: soc med interactions, joint guestings, random outings. The branded pair took precedence over any new project, and the Babii fandom prevailed over their solo fandoms, ALWAYS. They were awarded for their efforts, and the industry recognized that they were a force to be reckoned with.

Talent, commitment, and making their fandom a priority: Smart and Boom have those in the industry already. They've partially proven it with their performance in Top Form, and that documentary is further proving their commitment. So what's next?

Step 2: Commit to a JOINT Loyal Fanbase

MaxNat is DMD/Mandee's OLDEST branded pair at seven years, with 9 shows as a couple and two more on the way this year. They predate the 4th gen pairs of GMMTV, they predate ZeeNunew, they even predate the PANDEMIC (and you KNOW you've made it when you're older than Covid). They are also DMD's most LOANED pair, having been individually and jointly loaned to Copy A Bangkok and Viu, sometimes concurrently with their projects with Mandee.

Though not as famous as the other pairs in the Mandee roster, MaxNat is FORMIDABLE because of their very loyal joint fandom, Heartdis(k). And to legitimize the group, they interact with this fandom the most often, and this group gains top priority over their own solo fandoms. They insist on the joint branding for all projects, even for solo events. Similar to OffGun, they're very loyal to Heartdis(k) and feed the machine constantly by posting joint content on the regular. They are media-savvy and engage with fans even on their off days. They post all activities personally and ahead of schedule, and their management listens to the demands of the fandom.

When the fandom wanted a spin-off of MaxNat's story in Cutie Pie the Series, and petitions circulated in favor of this new show, Naughty Babe was quickly produced by Mandee for the pair. When fans complained that MaxNat were being typecasted in rom-coms, Mandee gave them the fantasy melodrama Two Worlds. Even Copy A Bangkok, an outside producer who borrows MaxNat from Mandee, is now doing a longer version of the pair's Y-Destiny episodes because the fandom demanded it. The list goes on. Fanmeets in obscure locations-- if enough fans wanted it, off they went. Old discontinued merch from long-finished MaxNat BLs that fans wanted to purchase again? No problem, Mandee will provide.

And for their part, Max and Nat are deathly loyal to their fanbase too. If fans wanted to ghost ship them with other Mandee actors, they'd make content with said actors while teasing their actual partner (Max does this a lot with Zee, and Nat with... everyone else in the new gen 😅). If fans wanted a joint live, Nat will randomly pop in on Max's streams, and vice versa.

It can be stiffling, and probably looks unhealthy from the outset, but Max balances this by saying he and Nat are actually in constant communication with each other-- their limits, what works, and what they should and shouldn't be doing to themselves and each other. They both admit that the system isn't perfect, and they've had arguments before especially given their large age gap (ehem Smartboom ehem), but they both work through it and acknowledge each other's faults and shortcomings.

Actually, I loved watching their interviews. It's a masterclass in maturity and proper communication. Though they often play inane characters on screen, they're actually self-aware and well-grounded. They know what fanservice is and what limits they should have for their audience.

Going back to Smart and Boom, um hey Smart, I think you already know what your fandom wants you to do now. So:

Step 3: Always choose your partner

So this is YinWar. Yin and War met at an audtion in 2019 for Studio WabiSabi's En Of Love BL anthology series. Prior to this, they'd never met before, and according to War, they initially HATED each other's guts. War said Yin was too quiet, while Yin said War was too all over the place. Workshops fixed that, they became friends, they shot the 4-episode series En of Love: Love Mechanics.

During this time, War actually had a recording contract with GMMTV for a boy group called BOYFRIENDS. His acting projects were being handled by WabiSabi, though he wasn't signed to them exclusively as he was being jointly handled. Yin was an independent talent before he signed on to Rookie Thailand.

Fans fell in love with YinWar's acting talent and natural chemistry, and clamored for a full series version of Love Mechanics that would stay more true to the book. Though Studio WabiSabi intended to shoot the show, they got into a very nasty company rift with Rookie Thailand over LOANED actors, among other things (sounds familiar, huh) during which WabiSabi threatened to shoot En of Love without the loaned actors, including Yin.

War left WabiSabi, left GMMTV, and jumped over to RookieTH (Yin's management). Their series Love Mechanics was then cast into a two-year long production hell, with the companies bickering back and forth over IP and production. RookieTH entered into an affiliate contract with WeTV to air the show. After Love Mechanics, YinWar wanted to be launched as a branded pair, but allegedly, RookieTH didn't see any benefit to that and refused.

Yin and War left RookieTH in 2022 and started their own production company with fellow co-stars Prom and Benz: YWPB Entertainment in 2023. With no funds to stage a new project, the foursome launched concerts and loaned themselves to other production houses just to build resources.

To fund their first BL series under YWPB, Yin sold his most prized possession: a Porsche 718 Cayman he saved up for from all his earnings throughout his career.

They contacted their old sponsors themselves, borrowed money from actual banks, and entered into an affiliate production contract with Dee Hup House, with the provision that DHH's team will help helm the show. They licensed distribution to IQIYI, which allegedly demanded a large cut of the shares IF the show didn't trend and suffered market losses (this is a common contract requirement for larger distributors that agree to air rookie productions. They need to make a profit on very expensive international licensing). If this happened, YWPB would lose all of their capital, which was mostly debt to begin with. Yinwar said fuck it, and licensed to IQIYI anyway.

Yinwar often said in interviews that their dream destination was to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. They've never been, and with their new company's woes, they often joked in their YT vlogs that they might never. Their manager said that if at least five episodes of the show trended on social media, they'll find a way to bring them there.

Jack and Joker: U Steal My Heart went on to become IQIYI's most watched show of the year. Yin and War got to see their lights:

The gamble paid off. But you'd ask, why gamble in the first place?

War revealed that in 2022, after their companies' spat postponed Love Mechanics and placed Yin and War in acting limbo, War's mental health suffered and he wanted so badly to leave the industry. He said he knew Yin could thrive in a new ship without him, and that he felt he wasn't cut out for this industry that kept abandoning them. Yin convinced him to stay, but after Love Mechanics, and with no project in sight, War renewed his desire to leave. So War left the agency, and Yin went with him.

Yin chose War.

Yin pushed for the creation of YWPB, and he sold his car to do it. He entered into debt with his partners and gambled on this one series they hoped audiences would like. They had no other means to prove their bankability except this one large IP: Love Mechanics, and a fanbase that dwindled because of their acting limbo. In truth, Yin wasn't betting on their company-- he was betting on War. Their ship, their talent, their sheer commitment to make a body of work that would represent their talent. War chose Yin when he left his agencies and joined Rookie. Yin chose War when they made YWPB.

Because in the end, the brand is more valuable than the company.

Fans support the pair and not their source. GMMTV knows this, Mandee knows this. WETV KNOWS THIS. This is why WeTV is quick to throw out actors who've lost favor with them or their fans--because they know brands are replaceable. The fans will gravitate to a brand so long as it's well made, and that's what ships are to these people-- a brand, a product. Boom can have a partner overnight and launch a new brand before June ends. Smart already has a new hetero brand under GIR, launched three months ago while Top Form was airing: KadMart. The actors choose their company, and the company makes the brand.

What separates the fallen ships (and b-rate actors) from those that truly succeed is that these actors recognize that their BRAND is more important than the company. Didn't Akin say that in Top Form?

"If they only want my popularity..."

Companies want their products' popularity-- their BRAND. Once the brand becomes irrelevant, the product loses its value. That's why OffGun, MaxNat and YinWar succeeded when SamYU didn't-- they know the VALUE of their brand, and will do everything in their power to keep it, even if that means gambling their stability for it.

Wow, you're still here? Isn't this so looong already? 😅

I am under no delusion that this post will reach Smart or Boom or their managements, and I'm sure as heck they wouldn't listen to me anyway.

But if Smart is any kind like his namesake, he only needs to look around the general BL industry and see the patterns that would put him out of his misery.

And Boom, you need to choose Smart too. Not in a romantic capacity. Not even in a familial way. Just for career's sake, you need to stand by him too.

You need to choose each other. And maybe rewatch your show, it has all the answers.

Stay kooky folks.

[softnwonderful]

Ok, I have a lot of things to say about the whole ¨hate comments¨ situation going on, because I'm done with people pointing the finger and playing the victim. But first let's keep things clear: 

Yes, Argentinian people leaving hate comments it’s absolutely wrong and not justifiable. 

No, it's not ok to blame Argentinian fans alone for this whole situation.  

If you can’t understand that those two statements can both be true and coexist, stop reading all together because there’s nothing I can say that will convince you otherwise.  

Formula 1 has always been toxic and intolerant, fans from every team and driver have at some point thrown shit to each other. From the death threats Lando received last year while fighting for the championship, to all the racism Lewis had to deal with during his entire career. We could even talk about the systematic xenophobia there is against Latin-American and Asian drivers in this sport. And yet people where so quick to complain about Franco fans racists, xenophobic and generally hateful comments.  

This issue didn’t start yesterday; it has existed for years. And to say that it’s just now “getting out of hands” because of the new fans, it's to ignore the struggle all the other drivers have been through before. There’s not a specific number of hateful comments a fandom should surpass to start taking the problem seriously, so we cannot sit here and blame Argentinian people for all of this, when this has been happening since way before Franco got to F1.  

And let’s also not pretend like this is a unilateral problem because, for every hate comment, there’s and equally hateful response. I’ve seen people call Franco fans the scum of the world, saying that Argentinians are basically monkeys, and that it was a pity Franco didn’t get hurt on his last crash. The same people that are complaining about the hate, are answering to xenophobia with even more xenophobia.  

With especially European fans getting together to blame Argentinians only, it almost feels like the hate it’s tolerable as long as it doesn't come from uncivilized latinos. And I refuse to allow this whole thing to turn into an uneven and almost imperialistic dynamic where 1st world country fans feel entitled to give the rest of us morality lessons, as if we were any different from each other.  

Yes, it is necessary to make people accountable for the things they say, as long as it's not directed to a specific group of people and it’s done impartially, to all fandoms equally. And the solution to that is beyond any of us or the drivers, it's something that should’ve been regulated a long time ago by media managers or someone above them. In the meantime, all we can do as fans to make things better is BLOCK and REPORT any hate comment we come across, no matter who it’s directed toward.

[pangaeaseas]

The Problem of Religion in Harry Potter (or, what is Wizard God?)

tl; dr: I wish more hp fics did something with religion and the wizarding world

so to state my credentials up front: I've read a lot of hp fanfiction, a little on the Reformation and religious history--like, I have probably more background knowledge than the average person but I am very emphatically not an expert and have never actually taken a class specifically on any kind of religious history, and I'm an ex-Catholic who did ten ish years of religion classes. There are probably a LOT more people more qualified to talk about this than me but whatever I've never actually seen very much meta written out on this specific issue so I'm giving it a try. (if you have written or read such meta, please send me recs)

ahh the Problem of Religion one of the great unsolved mysteries of the hp world building (similar issues include What the Fuck is Going on with Ireland, How Does the Ministry Actually Work, What is the Population, etc) and I call it 'unsolved' because the fandom has no massively popular solution (like Lordships for the Problem of the Wizengamot) and in general tends to just not think about it, much like JKR originally did. Now IMO she probably intended most wizards to be, like, generically Church of England or whatever without much investment--basically copying the Muggle equivalent whenever it isn't spelled out how the two worlds differ, which is I think a lot of her un-filled-out world building is meant to be. Which. OK. You can do that, but, you know, religion is a very very important aspect of worldbuilding and in my opinion ignoring it and expecting it to be just the same as 1990s Muggle Britain is uninteresting and lazy.

This (wizards are meant to be some kind of Christian and probably Church of England just for simplicity's sake) is evidenced by things like Hogwarts having Christmas and Easter breaks, James and Lily having a Bible quote picked out by Dumbledore on their tombstone, and Draco Malfoy, most emblematically wizard of wizard characters who can be taken as a potential baseline, automatically saying things like 'Good God'. Which, you know, implies that the idea of a single God, and probably the Judaeo-Christian God because that's the same cultural background as the rest of Britain, is taken for granted by wizarding society. It doesn't necessarily imply anything about Draco's or even the Malfoys' personal beliefs, and of course you have other characters saying things like 'Oh my Merlin' and "Morgana" and things like that. Which in my opinion wasn't meant to be indications of some kind of Merlin or Morgana worship but more quirky and fun flavor things of the kind jkr loves to include without thinking out the implications. But you absolutely can take those statements that way--this post is absolutely not meant to dictate how people want to headcanon and I am absolutely here for giving wizards a well thought out pagan or Non-Christian religion, I just don't think that was the author's intent. There's also plenty of other things that imply Wizarding cultural Christianity that I'm not remembering off the top of my head.

And, of course, much better writers than me have extensively discussed all the Christian themes in HP. Of course, themes don't need to affect how people worldbuild in fanfic.

So: with HP canon, we are looking at a society that is probably culturally Christian and probably (key word) intended to be Church of England. But, because JKR wasn't putting much thought into it and basically just took a Chrisitian bedrock of society for granted, the implications of this are not really explored at all. So what I'm interested in is how fandom deals with it.

Mostly, that is...not at all, either taking cultural Christianity in the Wizarding World for granted the way JKR does or by ind of handwaving that wizards have evolved beyond the need for religion and that's just how it is. And that's perfectly fine! Not everyone wants to come up with a full, working, wizard society, and even if they are trying to worldbuild some aspects of wizarding society religion is often ignored, because people don't want to deal with it for often valid reasons (religious trauma, just disinterest, grew up agnostic, not Christian but thinks wizards probably are etc, etc, etc, ) Personally I wish more fics delved into what wizarding religious belief actually is, but to put it bluntly, that's just me. And I have never dealt with religion in my own fics. So don't takethis as judgement at all.

But there are interesting headcanons when people do choose to try and worldbuild religion in HP.

Fom what I've seen, one of the major ways to deal with religion in HP (aside from not dealing with it at all) is to give wizards, often pureblood wizards, some kind of pagan, often Celtic-inspired, religion. And this is quite defensible! Sometimes this is badly executed and/or turned into Death Eater apologia, but the idea of wizards having a different religion is really interesting and a good deal more interesting (IMO of course) than just not mentioning religion at all. Most fics that I've seen don't delve too deeply into, like the actual history and theology of these religions, but there are definitely some that do. (Also if you know any PLEASE send me recs). So if handled well, this is a great way to add some religion worldbuilding in the world of Harry Potter.

However, my personal favorite set of possibilities--obviously I have some personal bias as a history nerd with a long standing if never as deeply researched as I would like to interest in the history of Christianity and as an ex-Catholic--is that, well, we know the statute of secrecy started..when, exactly? 1690. So this much is obviously a result of JKR's Hollywood understanding of witch hunts (a subject for another time and someone far more qualified). For interested wrodlbuilders, we can take this as a guideline at best, as personally I think it would have taken a good deal longer than one year to agree on and implement something like the Statute and I tend to take 1690 as an end date, not a start. I also tend to take the Statue as a largely European phenomenon, at least at first. But, uh, what was happening in Britain at the time..oh, right...the Glorious Revolution....what was happening that created the conditions for the Glorious Revolution...oh, the English Civil War...which was because of...oh yeah, and what was also happening on the continent, maybe it involved, wait, thirty years..oooh, the Thirty Years War...wait weren't there a whole bunch of massive social shifts happening in Europe at this point in time isn't that funny but surely the stature of secrecy could be considered a part of these massive social shifts...all of which was heavily influenced by...you guessed it, the Protestant Reformation.

Wait. So. Maybe, the separation of Wizards from Muggles, at least in Britain, wasn't actually about Muggles hating wizards or wizards hating Muggles. Maybe it was about religion. Now personally I find this ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. The possibilities, the possibilities...

Wizards had a massive religious civil war that created the blood status system in its modern form? Particular families have wildly different denominations? Excellent. Religion both in terms of level of religiosity and in terms of denomination is a blood status marker? Excellent. Purebloods are all Catholic (what does this do to both Catholic and not Muggleborns?) Excellent. Purebloods are all Puritans? Weird, but if you can pull it off excellent. Purebloods are all one of the wacky new denominations that sprung up after the Reformation and then either died out or conquered the world? Excellent. Pure bloods are all Lutherans who really hated Henry VIII? Excellent. One of my favoirite ways to create a wizarding religion was someone who had most pure bloods follow a denomination that split off from Catholicism in the Great Schism and then a small minority being Catholic, with the worlds splitting around the Reformation. Even the paganism headcanons can be incorporated: the Reformation could conceivably have made it much more difficult to keep practicing wizard paganism causing separation of the worlds.

Personally I would love to see a world that used the history of the Protestant Reformation super well, but it's not the only way to relate a Wizarding religion or a Wizarding religious history. I just wish more people tried to do that at all. Let wizards be religious! Or let them be irreligious but have thought about it, instead of just ignoring religion at all as something that might conceivably have influenced human societies. Maybe Wizarding Britain has state sponsored atheism. Just say that outright!

Another thing I'd like to see more fic doing is theology: how does having magic impact people's religious doctrine? Does every major religion essentially have a wizarding branch with its own theology because magic impacts their view of the world so much, or do most wizards simply follow the majority Muggle religion in their country with no modifications? if so, why? Do some wizards disagree, potentially violently, over how to incorporate magic into their religion? Do some people refuse to use magic because they think it goes against their religion? Etc etc etc you could go on forever. I've seen fic, which randomly enough was about Regulus Black, do this pretty well (or I thought so as a non-Jew) for Judaism, and I'd love it if done with other religions.

Anyway. Now I have to figure out how the hell religion works in the Wizarding Britain of my own headcanon.

[thebroccolination]

Hi Key, your post is the second I've seen that hinted at Joss but without further explanation. He generally has a positive public perception and I only know him from 3WBF (which I liked), so I'm curious where this shift in perception is coming from recently.

Would you mind making a post or directing me to where I can learn more about his general...situation.

I apologize if this is intrusive since I know you don't like to engage in Fandom Drama and like to keep your space positive, but I don't have XTwitter and his Tumblr tag is usually quite dead.

Thank you in advance!

Why I Don't Fuck with Joss: An Extremely Academic Essay of Words and Screenshots

Hi Anon!

I normally would have DM'd you an answer to this, but since you sent the ask anonymously and you were very kind in how you asked, I didn't want to ignore you.

However, two things:

I do generally make it a policy to keep my negative personal thoughts about certain actors to private conversations or, y'know, Discord servers, just to keep it off public platforms where toxicity is already rampant. In this case, though, I think the situation is interesting enough to comment on. (Plus, y'know, I'm amazed he was even managing a comeback when he's been known to Be Like This for years.)

I didn't get a lot of primary sources for this post because quite frankly I don't like Joss and I don't want to look at his face any more than I already have. However, friends who've been following this more closely than I have were able to verify that there are sources out there for everything I'm going to mention. Just, y'know, don't use me or this post as a source. This isn't one of my Citations Included Posts, this is just a Why I Don't Fuck with This Guy Post.

So, for context, I made this post last month, and someone made a more explicitly worded reblog here that's honestly better if you're going in without any context.

Essentially, Joss has had a dodgy reputation for years, but I think because fan turnover is high in interfandom and he's never been in a BL series before, most interfans just know Joss as A Tall Man Who Likes Sportsball.

But when I got into Thai BL back in 2020, Joss was one of the first actors I heard of as ~Problematique~ so I looked into him, and what I learned made me go, "Ew," so I just keenly ignored him from then on. (General gross stuff like the Domundi boob-grabbing prank and some assorted Dudebro comments about women. I don't remember specifics anymore because he was barely on my radar, but a friend at the time who'd been in fandom longer basically told me, "Yeah, that's Joss, lol.")

Interestingly, before JossGawin became a thing, most interfans were rooting for JossLuke, but I think given how vocally left-leaning Luke has proven to be, I wouldn't be surprised if Luke saw the prospect of tying his public reputation to Joss and went, "lol no goddamn thank you."

Gawin, on the other hand, seems to be down for whatever GMMTV wants him to do, so he probably just sees Joss as a colleague he makes out with (acting is a weird job). He went to high school in western Pennsylvania, he has white relatives on his dad's side, and he hangs out with the Gym Dudes of GMMTV, so I'm sure he's completely desensitized and is one of those guys who thinks, "Nah," but doesn't go so far as to say, "Not cool, dude." The Gawin Caskey Method seems to be: throw a basketball, make out with a dude on camera, go home and eat an edible. Dismount.

Unfortunately, even though Gawin's never really made any political statements or taken any major stand for the queer community, he's gained goodwill that some people are now calling into question because of Joss.

Anyway, apparently Joss used to follow Andrew Tate on Twitter until Tate was suspended, so it seems a lot of people assumed Joss unfollowed Tate, but yeah, between the sexist comments, Boobgate, and admiring Joe Rogan, that was enough for me to physically recoil from the screen when I saw the teaser for MGB.

Okay NOW, everything from this point onward is new stuff I've learned over the past month that made me go, "Oh. So he's worse now."

Joss has apparently had that Joe Rogan quote pinned to his Twitter account since 2020, but people just shrugged it off because they like his man stomach or something? (I don't find him attractive, but even if I did, I truly don't understand how he made it this far. It feels like he's been pretty firmly canceled every year since I got here, honestly.)

I also didn't like him weight-shaming Gawin. There's some older clip of him calling Gawin fat, and I know in Asia it's more common to comment on other people's bodies and weight, but I also recently found out that he got Gawin a meat cake for his birthday because idk actual cake is for pussies? (Sorry, Anon, I was trying to aim for an objective tone but I abandoned it because I reeeally don't like this man.) And apparently a lot of JG fanservice is just Joss and Gawin at the gym so Joss can teach Gawin self-control or something? I've had their tag blocked from the beginning, so you'll have to look into that if you're curious.

Ah, and at some point in the last few months, Joss was apparently asked what his "type" is and he said something like "white, skinny English-speaking Europeans/Americans"(?) Which apparently made Asian women go, "Hey, c'mere real quick: good. Bye."

I also thought it was a huge red flag that Joss has been in the industry for years, and his domestic fanbase is still quite small. Others have pointed out that very few fan interactions with him are in Thai, and he's clearly courting a western audience both in his individual engagement and by partnering with a mixed American actor. When he did the LGBTQ+ panel last summer, apparently the reaction from Thai commenters was, "lmao why Joss?" not, "Oh yes, of course, Joss!"

So it seems like GMMTV has been trying to do a rebrand for Joss using Gawin and interfans more generally since Joss speaks English and interfans don't generally seek out the resources to do research. Remember last year when GMMTV announced that Y-MIND script competition? It was originally domestic only, but after Thai fans overwhelmingly went, "The contract terms here are wildly exploitative, so fuck off," GMMTV rereleased the promotional material in English and went, "HEY INTERFANS WANNA SEND US STUFF :D?"

That told me they really don't think especially highly of us.

On December 15th, someone pointed out that Joss didn't just follow Trump on Twitter, he also followed a ton of extreme alt-right accounts on Instagram. Not normal political figures, either. Obscure figures like Pearl, Candace Owens, that guy who was saying Your Body My Choice, and Andrew Tate's right-hand man, and more! Some of his fans tried to point out that he follows progressive Thai politicians, but as far as the American side, he only followed alt-right conservative accounts with zero liberal accounts.

Though, in fairness, someone did point out that Joss also follows famous progressive Democratic figures [checks notes] comedian Chris Rock and basketball player Stephen Curry.

So. Whoohoo for that, amirite?

Since Joss's fans weren't having much success defending him on their own, they threw some @'s at his account to get him to make some kind of statement that would somehow explain away why he was following a deep, deep alt-right fanatic like Pearl. (Spoiler: He didn't.)

The JossGawin International fan club even released the above statement to address the issue, then received such alarmingly vitriolic backlash from the JossGawin fandom for "betraying" Joss that the fanclub decided to deactivate entirely. (I have no idea if they reactivated or not, since I stopped keeping up with this whole debacle shortly afterward.)

One Thai(?) JossGawin fan actually seems to have used ChatGPT to create an English comment to chastise the fanclub for their lack of support in Joss's dire times:

Amusingly, rather than address his fans' concerns or unfollow any of the accounts causing the chaos, Joss instead just started deleting any comment on his Instagram that called on him to comment.

Five days later, he unfollowed 137 accounts. No idea how many of those were alt-right extremists and how many were just extra padding to make it look like a general cleanse, but it was at least fifty last I heard, and the fact that 1) it took him nearly a week to do anything but delete the comments calling him out, and 2) his first tweet after this whole mess was a quote-retweet of GMMTV's message welcoming Barcode into the company saying, "lol this kid looks like if me and Gawin had a baby" just goes to show how unthreatened he feels.

After all, Joss has been this way for years, and his upcoming series with Gawin is probably going to do numbers regardless. He's successfully rebuilt his stagnant career off the support of interfans, and he knows he'll be fine.

Even Foei has a show with Tay! We're all good here. \:D/

So yeah! That's why I don't fuck with Joss. \:D/

This'll be the last I say on Joss publicly.

I just figured I'd make one all-encompassing post so I can link back to this in case anyone asks why I'm not supporting any of Gawin's projects with Joss. It's a shame because I do really like Gawin, but this isn't even a hard choice for me to make.

Oh, and while we're on the subject: the director of MGB, Ark, is also Not a Good Dude by all accounts I've heard from multiple people who've interacted with him privately. I mean, he sure is queer, but he's also said to be a misogynist with some white-people-worshipping tendencies. He doesn't have the highest opinion of BL fandom in general, either, especially when you look back on his whole direction of IT'S NOT A BL Shadow. Just, y'know, another reminder that queer people aren't Virtuous or Evil by nature. We're a big ole clusterfuck of nuance, so you don't have to support MGB for Ark just because he's a queer man. I have zero proof that I can share publicly, so you don't have to take my word for it. Just, y'know, in case you were on the fence, I've heard he's a dick.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go write absolutely filthy gay porn to purify myself from writing Joss's name so many times.

[utilitycaster]

Whenever people are like "well LIAM'S characters never faced any backlash when HE played characters in the spotlight" and "no one will let WOMEN have negative qualities" when Caleb and Vax and Orym have received pretty constant hate for main character/sadboy/scene stealing and when meta writers outright stopped talking about Imogen because a particularly mindless set of hit dogs are still hollering about how she is so good and kind and how dare you call her selfish, it's really like...in the service of trying to make your failure of a point you've just said something that literally anyone with a memory lasting longer than the apocryphal goldfish length can immediately debunk, which in turn absolutely shreds your credibility going forward, if you had it.

More generally there's something very vile here, because on the surface this statement does look like an attempt, if one ignorant of pretty much any fandom conversation, to defend women. The thing is it's come from a place of defending Dorian and Ashton's plan - a man, and a nb person who would not identify as a woman - that requires a particularly great deal of sacrifice from the women of the party. So of course they just switch tactics. Instead of "how dare the fandom not think women are always best" it's "how dare the fandom disrespect a disabled nb person and a person played by an indigenous actor." And I'm sure they'll switch again. Because pretty much every character in this campaign is on some axis of oppression, and there's a few people in this fandom who, instead of considering these things as important details that inform these characters, seem to largely treat their minority statuses as ammunition. Feminism and antiracism and queer advocacy are all just part of a shell game to them - accuse everyone who disagrees with them of being a bigot, say that their opinions are inviolate because they match that of literally any character who isn't a cis het white man, of which Bells Hells has none. Unsurprisingly, it's that social media purity culture that's just the evangelical church with a gay hat: they are always the victim, and everyone who disagrees is the devil, and being a good person always happens to line up with what you already wanted.

There are several posts from the past day or so accusing people of liking Campaign 3 less than the two previous ones which refused to accept that this might be due to the hurry-up-and-receive-an-infodump pacing, the singular focus without much time spent on backstory, the gaps in party composition, and the fact that the plot manages to combine the weakest elements of each campaign - the fetch quest/NPC guidance heavy nature of C1, and the meandering/slow start of C2. No, it must be the awful, sinful fandom unable to handle the lack of a major M/M ship (false; Dorian and Orym aren't canon, but neither were Vax and Gilmore, and the latter was sunk far sooner) and the fact that a female character is at the center of the story (see above re: how hostile the same people making these accusations have been to anyone who actually wants to discuss Imogen in a way that doesn't fit their specifications). Just to repeat this: many fans have outlined a number of purely narrative and structural reasons why C3 isn't working for them. These people have assumed this is all a lie, because assuming otherwise that would require either addressing these critiques, which in turn would require admitting other people can have valid opinions that oppose their own without being horrible bigots - in favor of throwing out whatever random accusations they think might stick. It doesn't matter what's actually being said; they're not actually listening, and for all they might talk about fans of color they sure all seem to be white; for all they talk about misogyny and queerphobia they sure won't hesitate to immediately assume the worst of queer people and women who say things they don't like. And rarely do they address any of the actual ongoing bigotry that does exist in the fandom; it's all random accusations because you agreed with the white woman instead of the brown man or vice versa; or it's the constant dredging of years past discourse that, as the first paragraph indicates, they will then ignore whenever convenient.

These are all pretty transparent signs of a bad faith actor spreading misinformation. To be clear I don't think this is any kind of conspiracy or has any organization to it. I think it's a just handful of deeply self-absorbed people who either refuse or literally cannot comprehend that someone could disagree with them without being a bad person and who will gleefully cry wolf with these accusations of bigotry. But it's been going on for quite some time and it's been a problem this campaign in a way I at least do not recall it in past ones, and it's had an absolutely devastating effect on the fandom conversation. Ironically, by trying to boost Imogen and Campaign 3 by shutting down any criticism of them, they've shut down far more of the conversation, hopefully not irreversibly, and I think it's time to point that out.

[ellstersmash]

Prompt time! Solas and Athi discuss at length if the other would love them as a worm. Please and thank you 🙏

rare and marvelous

Fandom: Dragon Age Pairing: Solas x f!Lavellan Rating: G for General now illustrated :')

-

“Are you comfortable in that form?”

Athi’s voice cuts into the quiet of the Fade and Solas’ own silent musings, the path they’re currently on less twisting, and therefore less mentally demanding, than most.

“This form?” he responds. “Or do you refer to another?”

“You know, most people don’t have to specify that.”

“I believe we can agree that I am not most people.”

Athi’s features scrunch together in amusement as she most certainly prepares to tease him—her favorite pastime, not that the Fade provides much of a variety from which to choose. “So true,” she says, the sing-song notes of it echoing in the shifting emptiness around them. “You’re very special.”

“Your approval of my circumstances is paramount,” he states dryly. “Which form are you currently curious about?”

“Your new—or, well, old—spirit form. It’s very… tendrily.”

Solas chuckles. “I can say with great confidence that I have never before been accused of being ‘tendrily.’”

“Love that we’re still finding firsts. Don’t you?” Athi nudges him with an elbow. The self-satisfied smile on her face makes its own light, her playfulness a beacon in the dull dark of this domain.

“You are right,” he says, “and I should hardly be surprised that you are still able to surprise me.”

“Or maybe you should be surprised by my surprising you, otherwise it’s not much of a surprise, is it? But back to my question: do you like to hang around as your tendrily spirit-self?”

“It is not so dissimilar to this one.”

“It floats.”

“Well, yes.”

“And you don’t have hands.”

Solas chuckles. “But many tendrils, as I’ve been recently informed. Besides, one does not need appendages to affect the Fade; only a capable mind and sufficient will.”

“Well, you need appendages to affect me,” Athi mumbles.

Solas grins over at her then, waiting until he catches her eye to lean closer, lower his voice, and ask, “Do I?”

She’s not the only one with the power to tease. It has the intended effect, of course: her eyes widen and unfocus for a few long moments, the air thickening with desire before she shakes it off.

“So is that a yes, then?” she asks.

“Yes, I am comfortable in that form, as I am comfortable in this one.”

“But not the wolf.”

This is not something he’s considered, and he takes his time answering. “The Dread Wolf was born of a specific need to threaten the evanuris and as a show of power and protection for those who would escape or oppose them. And, as you know, it takes a great deal of energy to maintain. I would not call it ‘comfortable’ by any stretch of the definition.”

“Cute, though.”

Solas rolls his eyes at her flippancy. “I refuse to dignify that statement with a response.”

“That is a response.” But she takes his hand and squeezes, warmth diffusing into Solas’ chest as her affection washes over him in gentle waves.

Some time later, it occurs to him to wonder why she brought this subject up in the first place. “Are you comfortable with my spirit form, Athi?”

“I mean, sure. It’s just new. And it is different, at least to me. Not as solid.”

“Different in a bad way?”

“No. I mean, yes in some ways. Harder to kiss you, for one thing.” She squeezes his hand again. “Also I’m never really sure which eyes to look into.”

“In truth, that form does not have eyes, or even sight in the way you’d experience it.” 

Athi looks up at him, a vacant expression which he can only classify as bewilderment on her face.

“There are other senses which allow me to perceive the world,” he continues. “Ones which are very difficult to explain to someone who cannot experience them, but rest assured that I know where you are and what you are doing, whether in spirit form or this one.”

“That clears things up less than I think you think it does.”

“I am sorry. Perhaps you might simply choose your favorite ‘eye’ with which to maintain contact as we converse.”

“Right, I’ll give that a go.” 

“Does it truly bother you? Does it change your opinion of me?”

Athi stops short, her hand still clasped in his tugging him to a halt in turn. “What? No, it doesn’t ‘bother’ me. It’s just different. And I have to be different with it.”

“But I am still…” He is unsure how to ask the right question, but feels it imperative that he discover the answer. “I am still Solas, to you? Even when I wear that form?”

“Who else would you be?”

“Does it change how you feel about me? Your—” It is still so hard for him to accept the concept that even forming the word is a challenge. “Your love for me?”

“Oh.” Athi’s whole being relaxes on a sigh and a soft smile. She lifts his hand to her lips and kisses two of his knuckles. “Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing can change that.”

“Well. That is a relief. Thank you.”

They continue along their path, but the quiet hardly has time to settle back in when Athi speaks again.

“Solas?”

He hums an acknowledgement.

“If I were in a different form, would you still love me?”

The answer is obvious, but he entertains the subject. “Temporarily?”

“No, I think permanently.”

“Of course I would. It is your spirit that I adore—though I am fond of your form as well.”

She laughs brightly. “Good answer! But what if it was really different? Like a fish? Or a worm? What if you woke up one day and I was a worm?”

“Is your spirit intact within this worm?”

“Let’s say yes.”

“Then yes, I would still love you. And I would learn to love your worm form in time.”

“Okay.” She’s silent long enough that he thinks the matter dropped, then: “But what if my spirit was changed, too? What if I had a worm spirit now?”

“That would be an impossibility.” Even more impossible than the premise, but he keeps that to himself. “If your spirit was no longer yours, but a worm’s, then there would be no you within it. I would cherish your memory into eternity, and leave the worm to live out its life.”

Athi gasps and stops again, dropping his hand to match her other one on her hip. “You would leave me?!”

“It would not be you, vhenan. It would be a worm.”

“But I would be the worm!”

“You’re not the worm. Without your spirit, the worm is just a worm.”

“What if I was always the worm?”

She appears genuinely distressed, and Solas isn’t sure he can reason his way out of a conversation this ridiculous. “Then we likely would never have met. You would not love me either.”

“You don’t know that!”

Solas sighs heavily, cradling his temples in one hand. “I fear we’ve stepped out of the incredibly hypothetical discussion we began and into a deeper one.”

Athi starts ahead without him. “You’ve certainly stepped into something.”

[bloomeng]

I stopped playing genshin awhile back less out of protest and more out of disappointment and frustration towards the game, so know that what I’m about to say is not an attack on genshin players because I too was there for a long time. I’m a strong believer in that all media— even the most highly regarded— will have issues and simply enjoying said media does not reflect on your values so long as you can recognize when something about it could be better. In general fandom bashing to me is a pointless endeavor that only hurts people’s feelings and is ALWAYS hypocritical because maybe you don’t like one thing that you deem bad but I can guarantee, right now, you also like something that has made mistakes.

With all that being said it makes me very frustrated when genshin fans act as if the only issue with the designs is the fact that they’re white. It misses the point. Sure, they would be better if they weren’t paper white, definitely a step in the right direction but genshin is beyond help. Natlan was just the final tipping point. At its core, genshin’s designs have fundamental issues. The colorism is the most obvious, but the lack of body diversity is also an issue. Not to mention the lack of hair texture or features, the way they homogenize culture, the stealing random cultural names or elements with no consideration for their origins, the orientalism, the age issue, and the sheer fact that their shape language/character design principles are just bad from a design standpoint. (I wrote a mini-essay on that part alone.) The list goes on.

Perfect example: I saw the new cow-girl design they released and she’s slightly wider than their other models, not even mid-size, but by genshin standards that’s fat and her defining trait is how much she eats, she’s literally a cow and one of her attacks is to accidentally sit on her opponent. Not to mention the fact that it’s supposed to be a stumble into a fall while in a tiny skirt which makes it feel suspiciously like fetish content. Fully sums up my entire point that genshin has fundamental problems with its characters.

There are plenty of people who speak out but there’s a very prevalent narrative amongst the fandom that (whether intentional or not) implies everything would be fixed if they just made them not white. And it irks me, because at this point it feels willfully obtuse. Again it’s fine to play the game, to enjoy it and interact with genshin content like you would any other fandom space but there’s a hypocrisy to the people who believe they’re speaking out by editing the skin tone and maybe adding some freckles. This is a nuanced thing. It’s about how the work is created. If you are simply an artist drawing a character with some of your headcanons that’s not an issue, it’s not even a statement really, it’s just artistic interpretation. What I’m specifically referring to is when people make edits/artwork with the intent of “fixing genshin” and the only thing that changes is skin tone.

To truly fix genshin’s designs you would have to start from scratch. And yknow what? Character designing for cultures we’re not apart of is really fucking hard and that’s why they have teams of people working on them. It’s a thin line to balance. As individuals it’s not really our responsibility to fix them but if you do walk into that territory (aka making art or edits with the intention of fixing), you do now hold some of that responsibility. I’ve seen several artists fall into this trap where they go in with pure intentions of trying to help but quickly find out how complicated it is, not only to design a good looking character, but one that respectfully includes real cultural elements (that they aren’t familiar with) and it goes poorly. Again this is why these projects have teams of people as well as diversity coordinators.

And I think the key aspect that makes designing for genshin really hard is that they will always be limited by being a fantasy setting that is almost entirely based on real world cultures. No matter the intention this type of world building makes it extremely easy to fall into offensive streotypes, because you aren’t just showcasing a real life culture, you have to take the additional step in making it into something new. We run into the issue of diluting real world cultures down to aesthetics or implying things for the purpose of narrative, among many other challenges. Inherently by making that leap into the second step we are in muddy waters. Even shows like ATLA—which are held in high regard for their integration of real world culture into their fantasy world building— still have issues (which is also a fascinating conversation but not on topic).

Suffice to say it’s really hard to do. But with the access to resources that Hoyoverse has, it’s ridiculous that these compounding issues continue to persist.

[sleepingdeath-light]

laios touden + cat boy s/o smut hcs ; 18+

requested by ; shadowsalone / pj simp anon (08/07/24)

fandom(s) ; dungeon meshi

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; laios touden

outline ; “dungeon meshi eh...?

General dating hcs and smut for Laios and perhaps a catboy!reader? 👀”

warning(s) ; sexually explicit content, dominant-leaning verse!laios touden, biting kink, marking kink, hand jobs, deep throating, public and semi-public sex acts, dirty talk

minors and ageless blogs will be blocked

laios is a switch with a barely noticeable dominant lean, but generally speaking he’s happy to take on whatever role you want him to — i.e. if you want him to dominate you then he’ll use his size and strength to hold you in place as he fucks you stupid and showers you in just enough praise to remind you that he’s in love with you, and if you want to dominate him then he’ll lay back and let you do whatever you want to him with a trusting smile and an unwavering desire to make you feel good however he’s able

(how sweet!)

he’s also pretty damn versatile and is always happy to experiment with new positions with you… that being said he does have his favourites. when he’s topping he prefers to have you in full nelson, doggy, or mating press. and when he’s bottoming he enjoys riding you or fucking in missionary.

his marking kink isn’t the most conventional in that he finds the marks you leave on him to be extremely interesting and will spend hours staring at them in the mirror and recreating them in his notebook if left to his own devices. the scratches on his back and shoulders, the bite marks on his thighs and stomach and neck, the hickeys smattered all over his body — all of them are reminders of your more animalistic side and, naturally, he really fucking loves them and wants to preserve them as best he reasonably can

laios loves it when you bite him — especially if you bite him on the softer parts of his body like his stomach, chest, or ass — and lets out the lowest groans and moans when you do so

he’s incredibly curious about your biology and, more specifically, how your beast-like traits impact your sexual sensitivity. this means that he’s incredibly touchy during foreplay and sex, barely able to keep his hands in one place for more than a few moments at a time as he alternates between touching your ears and your tail with different rhythms, pressure, and so on just to try and figure out what feels best for you — though sometimes he can get very carried away which, depending on your preferences, can lead to you either getting sent spiralling into a very pleasant and fuzzy sort of sub-space or can lead to you becoming a bit too overstimulated for comfort and unable to focus on what’s actually going on

always tries to take you as far back into his throat as he can when he goes down on you, which means that over the course of your relationship he’s able to basically train out his own gag reflex — he’s nothing if not determined, after all

has no qualms about being sexually intimate in public or semi-public settings (as long as you’re not, say, sucking his cock or giving him a hand job right in front of any of the party members), but beware that laios has a terrible poker face and the second anyone looks at you they’ll pick up on exactly what you’re doing… so… yeah… engage at your own risk

(or just ask him to pleasure you instead and return the favour when you’re able to slip away to somewhere more private)

he talks a lot during sex, like you will not be able to get him to shut up unless you gag him with something, and a lot of what he says is dirty without him intending for it to come across that way — like very straightforward comments about how different your cock feels to a normal tallman and how much he enjoys it, or about how he can tell when you’re close because you start doing that thing with your face followed by him reaching down to jerk you off to completion, or other similarly blunt statements like that — but at least he’s gotten past the stage of stopping (sometimes even mid-thrust) to grab his notebook and write down something new he’s noticed about you… small wins

(though he does still, very occasionally, stop during sex to ask you whatever question just popped into his head — which can, and has, led to some objectively hilarious if somewhat frustrating situations in the past but you wouldn’t trade them or him for the world)

laios loves looking at you, so the best way to tease him is to tie him up and touch yourself while he watches — it’s the most beautiful form of torture he’ll ever experience and he’ll love every second of it

[valleyian]

Thoughts on Cursed Child becoming a movie

A very random late night rant, but here we go. I’ve seen a lot of fake trailers circle around the web and on social media in regards to a potential HPCC movie. And whilst that’s all fun and games, I also want to talk about the actual consequences a movie like that would have on both the fandom and people.

First off I need people to understand that HPCC is an (almost) separate entity of the Wizarding World franchise, being mostly excluded or regarded as “non canon” by the mainstream. However this does NOT mean JKR doesn’t receive royalties from the play, she still earns money from it. The ethics of spending money on the play is also something to be discussed, however I want to specifically talk about the consequences that a potential movie would have on the HPCC story and the representation within it.

First of, HPCC although it has controversies, is in my opinion the best installation in the Harry Potter universe when it comes to representation. What do I mean by that? Since HPCC is a theatre play, it follows general casting rules which in most cases is colour blind. This is implemented in most theatre productions where ethnicity of actors do not matter, HPCC is not an exception. This means that a lot of POC actors get opportunities to be on stage and portray these characters, not to mention the deliberate casting of Hermione Granger. (Although I will note that this casting has caused a lot of stir, in addition to the fact most of the productions have yet to cast a POC lead in the role of Albus, not counting Tokyo or Brazil).

Although only speculation on my part, I can’t imagine a HPCC movie would be able to deliver on the representation shown in the play, with the numerous casts that have been. I also would assumed they’d return to the white casting of Rose and Hermione, which obviously would erase the theatre play castings purpose.

Then onto my second point; being queer representation. Although it’s not confirmed 100%, and also wouldn’t be able to be confirmed as long as JKR has her dirty grubby hands on the IP, Scorbus is as close to canon as possible. This became evident after the script rewrite, a rewrite that was deliberately written by the current queer actors of the play. It was also written as a retaliation agains JKRs bigoted statements which she had began to spread at that time. So as of now, the play leaves the relationship between Albus and Scorpius ambiguous, yet it is very obvious there is a romantic undertone. This is the closest to any LGBTQ rep in the Harry Potter Universe, (no I will not count Dumbledore and Grindewald) and it means so much to people. A movie by Warner Bros and directed by JKR would most certainly remove all aspects of this, and return to the original script with the very forced addition of Scorpius x Rose. (Nothing against the ship, but I’m against the way it was used as a last minute ploy to remove any assumed gayness).

A subsection to this topic I want to touch upon is also queer representation within the casting. It’s not uncommon for theatre to feature a diverse cast both in ethnicity and orientations. HPCC again is no exception. Over the shows 8 year long run, there has been countless of queer and trans actors who have played in it. There have been gay and trans leads in the roles of Albus and Scorpius as well as the ensemble, and this representation is crucial. Especially since this is an IP within JKRs hands, casting people of said groups is such a powerful move. I can almost guarantee a movie would NOT be as inclusive.

And lastly, if there is a movie, should you support it? It’s not my place to say, and I will also acknowledge I am hypocritical when it comes to what I chose to consume and spend money on in regards to the Harry Potter franchise. However I also want to acknowledge that when you are supporting the theatre play, you do give money to JKR, but you also give money to the numerous queer and POC actors in the cast, a lot of whom are activist. I personally will stay away from any HPCC content that erases any of the current representation added. Unless the movie follows the new script, with POC and queer actors, as well as minimal influence for JKR, I WILL NOT support it. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

Also, feel free to correct me if I stated something incorrect or false in this rant!

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Outsider POV Fics

Sometimes it's fun to see what other people think of the wizards. Look below to see eight fics that feature an outsider POV - from Nott to Verin to Beau to Caleb and Essek's students. And as always, if you like them, remember to kudos and comment!

horology & chronometry by the_littlest_goblin (3864, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

M9 reunion, Nott, detective that she is, notices a fancy watch on Caleb's wrist. something is not right and she will get to the bottom of it.

Reccer says: Less shadowgast focused even if it is the whole plot. I love Nott in her element and Caleb is just bewildered and trying to keep some secrets.

Dunamancy 101: The Practical Application of Romance Upon Two Unsuspecting Wizards by Dragonslaeyr (5196, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Prof. Widogast and Dr. Thelyss are both single and their students are bored. Those are not related statements, the students change that.

Reccer says: Honestly I had forgotten about this fic till reccing and now I am reminded about one of my favourites. It is funny, lighthearted and I do love meddling students biting of more than they can chew.

On Meticulous Analyses by Agentmint (1913, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek and Caleb announce their relationship to Verin, Verin has gotten to know them and has figured it all already out.

Reccer says: It's such a good outsider look to how Essek changed with a nein and became more of himself.

All This Fuss Over Nothing (I Died A Week Ago) by SaltCore (7028, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

Caleb gets word that Essek is dead and then a stranger shows up claiming to be Essek.

Reccer says: The angst 😭😭😭 chapter 2 is all from Verin’s pov which is so fun

OPERATION: HOT BOI LIBERATION (or: How I Spent My Spring Break in Rexxentrum, by Verin of Den Thelyss) by CatgirltheCrazy (6410, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Verin gets it into his head that Essek has been kidnapped by the Mighty Nein (specifically Caleb), and sets out on a solo rescue mission to Rexxentrum.

Reccer says: I love stories where Verin finds out about Essek and Shadowgast and this one is a particular favorite.

a failure of operational security by saltcore (1070, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

a funny little fic about Beau's need to know everything, in this case there surely is something going on between Essek and Caleb

Reccer says: It's funny and bitesized, for when you want to read something quick and lighthearted

a healer's gift by toneofjoy (7280, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Caleb's cat is sick, and an OC druid uses Speak With Animals to ask what's wrong. She learns a lot about Caleb's (post-canon) home life.

Reccer says: Probably my favourite outsider POV fic ever, this one really stuck with me - like, I'm barely in the CR fandom anymore but I saw the rec call go past on my dash and went "OH THE CAT FIC". I love how challenging it is for Aithne to get the information she's after, the indirectness of it all.

And then we have two recs for this last one!

Rumor Has It by Chekhov (9476, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

The Shadowhand has taken a liking to a human. That’s what the gossip at Vurmas Outpost says.

Reccer 1 says: A wonderful look at essek and caleb from Essek's outpost's view. I love that they kept Caleb's humor throughout it all. Reccer 2 says: I like knowing more than the characters. heheheh

This is one of our weekly communally-generated shadowgast rec lists. Every week we announce a new theme and allow anyone to submit a fic recommendation. 

And hey, anyone includes you!

Next week, we'll be featuring music! Either Music AUs or the wizards having some sort of relationship with music in canon.

Any fics coming to mind? Well, then use this form to submit!

[exhausted-archivist]

Common Fanons That Are Confused As Canon

Through my time of collecting lore and learning things about Thedas I've come across a couple things of fanon that leaked into lists of canon elements. Which was an interesting little thing to follow the rabbit hole of where they even originated. While making this list I did ask others for any that I might have missed or not seen because I wanted to be thorough as I could when even making this list. I haven't been in the fandom long enough to see all the things that have come up.

To be clear, I thought it was neat to see what became so pervasive in the fandom to become easily mistaken as canon or misunderstood. I'm also not discussing whether canon as it stands is "good" or judging the fanon or anything like that.

I just wanted to put it all together in a list, especially as I have had friends who were getting into the series and ask about certain things; as well as Dragon Age Summer hitting us soon and new interest in the series abound.

General

Mages can sense other mages The closest source I can find to this is the fact that Anders states that he can "feel the power in you". No other mage states anything similar and could likely be attributed to the fact that he is possessed. Much like how Cole can sense your magical connection as an Inquisitor. An outlier is how Keiran can sense your magic regardless of if he has the Old God soul; but he is also not confirmed to be a mage as of yet.

All Saarebas always have their lips sewn shut/horns cut off This seems to originate from da2 specifically, with the model of Ketojan having the scarring, the other saarebas missing horns, the concept art, and then boils down to BioWare being inconsistent with their lore/depictions. Most of Thedas fixates on the fact that the Qunari have saarebas with their lips sewn shut, the Seer's yarn tale denotes that tamassrans tell the story of a saarebas with their lips sewn shut, the tarot art for Saarath, and the flippant joke between Sera and Iron Bull. But, the lore specifies that it is in extreme cases or in general that it can occurs but it is not the standard. [WOT p. 103 & 128] Much like tranquility, it is used as a form of punishment - one that we know can and is abused by certain factions. We also see saarebas characters in Inquisition who do not carry either of those traits. Specifically Hissera (multiplayer), Saareth (Trespasser), Heroes of Dragon Age models, and some Qunari in da2.

All Saarebas have their tongues cut out This is seperate from the previous point due to the different source of this fanon. It seems to be an exaggeration of one particulare line from Sten. In dao, Sten will state during the Broken Circle quest that "This is why we cut the tongues from mages, in Par Vollen." He is very general with the statement, but contextually it is reasonable people took this to mean all mages. However, since dao it has been made clear that it is not a universal practice throughout the Qun.

Elves are shorter than humans This one does have a clear point of where this started, though it is never stated in lore, back in Origins elven models were universally shorter than humans. But from DA2 onward, male elves were only shorter than their human counterparts of the same sex while female elves are shorter than both human sexes. Fenris is taller than f!Hawke while both forms of Hawke are taller than Merrill. Solas, Abelas, and a m!Lavellan are taller than female human characters but all human characters are taller than female elves (except Sera who has a female human model).

Dalish are illiterate This is a little less clear to me where its origins started. Perhaps based off of medieval period history (which da isn't necessarily medieval in time period) or due to the fact that most common folk in certain regions in Thedas are illiterate and reliant on pictures over written words. But we know from the Witch Hunt dlc that the Dalish keep tomes of their history and of the ancient elven empire. They also actively translate ancient elven script for their own records. Whether this is role restrictive or not is unclear, but we do know that the Dalish are literate in both Common and semi-literate in ancient elven script.

Dalish and City Elves don't have contact This seemingly comes from a misunderstanding stemming in the city elf origins in dao where some npcs will comment on how Dalish might be myths. However, in dao, da2, dai, the comic Knight Errant, and the novel The Masked Empire, that elves from both sides do semi-regularly trade people with each other if not visit certain alienages, as well have other points of contact with each other. Pol, Zevran, Coran (Vaea's uncle), and potentially Feynriel are all city elves that join Dalish clans. Merrill and Arianni are known Dalish who join alienages.

City elves are genetic/physical differences from the Dalish elves This one I have seen around a lot, most stemming from the idea of the previous one that the elves in the city are generations apart from the Dalish, implying they have no contact with each other. Which could be true for certain alienages. But as far as lore is concerned there isn't any example of this, not even as being a point of reference for the Dalish to consider any of the aspects as to what makes them "less of an elf" in comparison to Dalish.

Elves pass on their elven traits Most seem to know this isn't canon, albeit one of the less popular canon elements; but new fans don't always know this. It is popular fanon to give half-elven children the reflective eyes, smaller stature, more angular features, straighter nose bridge, and/or pointed ears from their elven parent.

Only elves can have mixed kids with other races This seems to come from the fact that elven traits aren't passed on to their kids when mixed parentage is involved. However humans, dwarves, and vashoth can all have mixed kids from the other races. According to Patrick Weekes, this decision was made consciously to avoid very racist and harmful rhetoric. We know of many elf/human mixed kids: Alistair, Eiton, Feynriel, Gestan and Thale (residents of elven area of Halamshiral), Kieran (conditions), Michel de Chevin, Rinnala, "Sabina's Brat" (son of the elven prostitute Sabina at the Blooming Rose), Slim Couldry, Tainsley (Potentially. Is described as a 7'(2.13m) human, though he references a Dalish uncle.) While mixed dwarf children are rare simply due to dwarven fertility issues we do know of two dwarf/human kids: Keiran (conditional) and the child of Tyrdaa Bright-Axe(Avvar) and Hendir (dwarf).

Elfroot leaves get you high/is Thedosian marijuana This is another Origins era thing, due to an easter egg that made a play on the American "This is your brain on drugs" anti-drug campaign using elfroot. This was then repeated in 2015 when Patrick Weekes said that its medicinal properties were rediscovered in 4:20. [Source] Elfroot hasn't been shown to get anyone high in canon, it is the roots that are primarily used as medicinal. In World of Thedas (WoT) vol. 2 the recipe for Dalish Deep Forest Comfort says you can substitute elfroot for spinach making the leaves more vegetable in quality. That said, marijuana leaves are edible and rather nutritious. They just don't have the chemical make up to induce a high. Those lie strictly in the buds. According to Origins, elfroot does flower though.

Red lyrium is completely different and more dangerous from blue lyrium This one is all on BioWare in regards to this misconception. Because while yes, it is more dangerous than the blue lyrium, they aren't two seperate substances. More that red lyrium is a branch off. To cover the generals of the written lore of lyrium it breaks down like this: Blue lyrium in it's raw form innately toxic to just be around to all but dwarves, however it will kill a mage who gets too close in proximity. That proximity being within the same room while non-mages would have to touch the stuff. It also has a pension of self-combustion without warning or a clear cause. When it is refined down for templar use it is "safe" for non-mages to come in contact with and consume. Whether this level of refinement is the same level as what is used to make various cocktails and liqueur is unclear. But we do know that getting too close, being in same room as lyrium refined to this level, is enough to make a mage sick. Finally, we have the most refined and diluted stage of lyrium, this is used by mages to make potions, certain alchemical work, and other things. This isn't enough to kill a mage, make them sick (without extreme over use), and infact can result in positive outcomes for a mage. Red lyrium overlaps with most of that, with a couple key differences. First off is that red lyrium doesn't seem to self-combust. There is some contradiction on whether or not non-dwarves can mine it as due to game mechanics you can destroy it, but the only ones we see mining wild nodes are dwarves. But if the red lyrium is grown from a living creature it seems accessible to all races? In codices about the various types of red templars, we learn that a small vial around a templar's neck is enough to make all the mages in the area around him sick.

Character Specific

Alistair

Alistair is a dog person I couldn't track any clear origins for this, it seems to be a case of overlap with the stereotype that "all Fereldan's love dogs" and a mix of building off of a line of dialogue about him being raised by the hounds and them being his family. However, he doesn't seem overly one way or the other. He mocks dog at times, talks down in not such a playful way, and at times seems to treat dog with the same attitude he does Morrigan though not as blatantly. This could be chalked up to his joking nature though.

Alistair's obsession with cheese While he does admit to an obsession to cheese, it is often cited that Alistair makes a ton of cheese jokes in dao. When in truth he only makes four through out the entire game. Given his joking nature it is up to personal interpretation of how much he actually loves cheese.

Alistair and Cullen knew each other before Origins This is more specifically that the two went to the same monastery for their templar training. There is no canon evidence for this though. That said, there is a possibility due to not knowing much of anything about how the Templar Order trains its recruits nor the amount of monasteries they have in Ferelden for training.

Alistair collects toy soldiers This seems to come from the gifts he can be given during the Feastday dlc. Canonically he is given runestones and carved statuettes of various types stone. These statuettes are described in a manner closer to effigies than toy soldiers.

Alistair's mother is not Fiona This one is a bit funny as it has multiple origins and is dependent on the player's experience with the series. From what I have gathered there seems to be one of three sources: - People who never read the Dragon Age novel The Calling - People who read The Calling after playing dao and feels like it is a retcon (though The Calling was released prior to the release of dao, same with the novel The Stolen Throne) - People who take a "chuck the baby with the bathwater" approach to the lore The funny thing about this is that the cover story in dao for Alistair's mom is based off a combo of things; the hypothetical scenario Fiona told Maric and answers she gave Maric when he asked what to tell Alistair if he asked about his mother. The hypothetical was that Fiona would not return to the Circle and would hide from the templars and pretend to be a washer woman. When Maric asked what to tell Alistair of his mother, Fiona said to tell him his mother was human as she did not want him to deal with being half elven and all the stigma that comes with that as well as to tell Alistair that she was dead.

Avaline

Aveline is straight She will kiss Hawke regardless of gender and ask them if they ever considered her and them. Though it is clear she never had romantic interest in Hawke in particular. An easily missed aspect I think given the general opinion of Aveline as well as most people seeming to not choose the flirtatious option with her.

Blackwall

Blackwall doesn't have a sense of humor This one genuinely surprised me considering he jokes with Sera, The Iron Bull, and Solas. His banter shows as much that he does have a sense of humor and tells jokes. But it does seem pretty common of a fanon characterization for him.

Dorian

Dorian paints his nails His model doesn't have painted nails in game, but it is a popular fanon. There is nail polish in Thedas though. It's mentioned in the novel Masked Empire as well as the novel Last Flight. It seems to be of Anderfles origins, but given the Last Flight is post Orlesian occupation, it could originate in Orlais.

Lady Mantillon said, tapping an elegantly lacquered fingernail on the polished wooden arm of her chair, “we will fail, or we will be killed. Neither is acceptable.” - Masked Empire, Chapter 17 p. 362 Every one of her fingers glimmered with a jeweled ring, and her nails had been freshly lacquered. - Last Flight, Chapter 13 p. 144

Fenris

Lyrium can be drawn from Fenris' tattoos There is no mention of this being possible in da2 or any of the subsequent media. There isn't even mention of others being able to sense the lyrium in his tattoos or even mages getting sick around him as they sometimes will dependent on the concentrations and/or purity of lyrium.

Fiona

How Fiona was cured of the taint This comes from The Calling novel, where it isn't ever clarified what actually removed the taint from Fiona. The common fanon is that it was either the mentioned brooch, or that by having Alistair. That it was by having Maric's son who has Great Dragon blood due to being of the Theirin bloodline that cured her. However, in the novel she is very clear that the mages at Weisshaupt aren't sure what cured her. She only offers one explanation that the Grey Wardens theorized and trails off before saying what the second one was.

“It’s gone,” she said flatly. “The mages at Weisshaupt weren’t sure if it was because the First Enchanter’s brooch sped things up artificially, or... at any rate, all the corruption vanished. They don’t think it’s going to come back, either. There was test after test, but they think I may be the first Grey Warden that never has to endure the Calling again.”

Hawke

Hawke is stabbed by the Arishok This fanon likely came into being due to one of the moves the Arishok has where it will leave you almost dead. So a bit of canon as it is in his move set, but fanon in the idea it is something that always happens in canon.

Unable to confirm if Fanon, Canon, or a mix of both

Teagan marries Bella, the barmaid from Redcliffe This one goes back really far and is hard to tell if it is a case of mistaken identity and association, or a really buggy option for the epilogue, or isn't actually a possibility. What I can confirm is that Teagan does have a woman he can marry given certain conditions are met in dao, but it is actually Kaitlyn, the sister who's brother goes missing in Redcliffe. If you properly compensate her for her grandfather's sword she'll open up a foundry in Denerim and will marry Teagan after having known him for a few months. According to this thread, you have to get Kaitlyn to move to Denerim with her brother, make Bella the maid to Teagan and in the ending slide Teagan and Bella will get married. Though I haven't been able to confirm that this is possible. (If you have a screenshot/video of this slide and know how to trigger this please let me know) This is also not an option mentioned in the Keep, however neither is Kaitlyn's. Which isn't surprising given some of the ending slides that were not direct player choice (ex) choosing Orzammar's king) are mostly cut from canon.

[yumegojoshi]

in the quiet night.

reader can’t sleep. neither can satoru. maybe they’ll enjoy each other’s company for a moment.

takes place during gojo’s past, but there’s no specific references to any events.

pairing: satoru gojo & (gender neutral) reader

fandom: jujutsu kaisen

rating: general

content: student gojo, student reader, spoiler free, comfort

word count: 873

For the past several nights, sleep has eluded you.

You toss and turn throughout the night. Sometimes, you remain still, staring at the ceiling in hopes boredom will whisk you away to your destination: a few solid hours of decent sleep.

On nights like these, your only real solutions are to either stay awake for the whole day or pass out right before you have to wake up. Either option is terrible, but they're the only ones you have.

However, when the loneliness is particularly unbearable, you slip out of your bed and into the dorm halls. Across the hall is Suguru's room, and beside that is Satoru's.

You always find yourself gravitating to Satoru's.

Two soft knocks is all you afford him before you open the door; the late night has never stopped him from coming over unannounced, so why should it stop you? At least you have the decency to knock first.

With the lights off, the entire room is bathed in darkness, save for the small halo of light that emanates from Satoru's handheld. He doesn't spare you a glance as you approach the bed. In fact, the only indication he knows you're there is how he shifts to the side to allow you room. Pulling the covers back, you quickly but quietly slip in next to him.

It's funny. Same exact bed; same sheets, same mattress, same pillows, same blankets. Yet his is miles more comfortable than your own. Despite one of those more comfortable pillows being beneath your head, you find yourself drifting towards Satoru instead. When there's no barrier of Infinity, nor him shoving you off, you rest your weight on him.

You wonder if Satoru is more perceptive than he seems to be when it comes to people and emotions. Or maybe this is just another routine for him. Surely you don't sneak into his room that often?

…Surely?

With a whisper, you ask, "Why are you still awake?" To your annoyance, he doesn't answer right away; you're met with the click-click-click of his fingers tapping away at various buttons.

"Didn't feel like going to bed," he not-answers, shrugging with one shoulder (the one you aren't resting on). "Why are you awake?"

You shrug in return, "I didn't feel like going to bed." 

Neither of you are going to give a real answer.

Satoru gives a mild huff—of amusement or annoyance, you're not completely sure. When you glance up, his expression is unchanging from tired apathy.

"You're going to feel like shit in the morning, y'know." It's not a question, but a statement. One you're well-aware of. At this hour, you'll feel tired whether or not you actually fall asleep. Might as well not stress about it. Even then, you can't help but glance at the clock. Classes in the morning. Training. Missions. You'll have to fit socializing and eating somewhere in there as well, and then…

Augh.

You settle back on his shoulder and switch your focus to the small screen. Your mind registers the colors, but… yeah, you're too tired to actually understand what the hell is going on. You must have sighed because the rhythmic tapping stops for a moment as he looks over at you, your hair brushing against his cheek.

"You can stay if you wanna. Just don't fall asleep like last time; it was a pain dragging you back to your room."

Ah. Last week, you had also visited Satoru in the late night. You meant for it to be a quick visit, a way to kill time, yet you ended up falling asleep in his bed in mere moments only to wake up in your own. For a while, you were convinced you simply dreamt the encounter. He certainly never brought it up until now.

Your determination—or stubbornness, some would call it—shows as you dramatically huff, "I'm not gonna fall asleep." How could you possibly sleep in these conditions? Comfy bed, nice temperature, the warmth of someone you trust next to you… Yeah, no chance you'll fall asleep. You won't let that happen. Despite your own insistence, your eyelids betray you and start to droop. If Satoru notices, he doesn't bother calling you out. The only things you can hear are the tap-tap-tapping and sounds coming from whatever game he's playing. Seriously, what is it?

Worries start to fill your weary head. Maybe you do come over too often. Maybe he doesn't want you here, encroaching on his space during the few hours he's guaranteed privacy. But, every thought trickles away when he wraps an arm around you and pulls you closer. 

"Geez, couldn't even last five minutes. You're hopeless," he murmurs, a quiet laugh slipping through. He tries for maybe two seconds to play with one hand before resigning himself to rest alongside you, shutting off the console and setting it down.

The quiet in your room makes it feel like time passes slowly. Every second spent awake is agony, knowing you're missing out on precious sleep. The quiet in Satoru's room also makes it feel like time is passing slowly, but it's more comforting.

You let your droopy eyes shut as one worry lingers: you might get used to this.

Perhaps you already have.

[starryoak]

Honestly, one thing that’s interesting about how I’ve been interpreting Deltarune vs how the majority seems to interpret it, is that the active display of the clear difference between the player character and Kris themselves has actually reinforced my interpretation that in general, Undertale does not itself actually make that distinction between player character and player; nearly every time that there is a distinction made, from context it is addressing either Frisk or Chara, or distinguishing between Chara and Frisk as characters, not between you and Frisk or you and Chara. There is only one clear moment where the concept of an outside observer beyond Frisk or Chara comes up, in Alphys’s quiz where the game jokes about the idea of her having a crush on the player, and otherwise, the idea of a player separate to the protagonist is never actually brought up. Any time that it seems to be, context or outright statement of the characters themselves indicate they are speaking to Chara, usually, or Frisk, otherwise.

To me, the level at which Deltarune actively goes out of its way to distinguish between Kris and the player makes it clearer that Undertale is not attempting to make that distinction or criticism of the way players interact with their games, and is making an entirely different critique of fandom engagement. I find it interesting that other people for some reason see that as the reverse, that the distinction between Kris and the player supports the same view of Undertale, when to me it feels like that is a specific view of the story that I don’t know if I agree is actually supported by the text so much as supported mainly by the fandom’s interaction with it.