#BEFORE Y'ALL START DISCOURSE:

[white-boy-bracket]

[sunrise-on-the-shore]

A QPR ISN'T YOUR FUCKING JOKER CARD TO PUT ARO PEOPLE IN A RELATIONSHIP BTW :)

signed, an aromantic person.

[tellmegoodbye]

I've had some time to collect my thoughts after a couple of days so here they are even though nobody asked.

I really loved the finale. It was devestating, no doubt, but I think this is their best one yet and I absolutely loved how they handled it. There was so much grieving in this episode, not just from Carlos, but from Owen and Judd as well. But despite everything they chose happiness and the wedding ending up being beautiful and bittersweet and joyful all at once.

There has been the question of deleted scenes but there's really only one we've seen so far that I would have loved to see in the episode. Other than that, I'm just glad we get to have them all as extras. I don't think the wedding needed them though.

Another thing I'd like to add is that yes, sometimes storylines can feel rushed in shows where you have a lot of characters and especially if there are clear favorites within a fandom. There was a lot going on, but that doesn't necessarily mean any one character's storyline is less valuable than another's. I guess I'm speaking as less of a fandom member and just more as an enjoyer of the show if that makes any sense. I love all of the characters in this show, and while I would be lying if I said I liked every single storyline, that doesn't mean I wish they didn't happen. In this case, however, I loved all of the storylines and I think they all made sense together given the theme of this episode. I personally don't think any of them shouldn't have been there in favor of getting more wedding content.

Honestly, my only regret is not getting off of tumblr as soon as the final bts stuff started coming out. I'm pretty bad when it comes to guessing things so if I hadn't been aware of the theories I literally would have had no idea and it would have hit me so much harder. It still got me pretty good though.

Again these are just my opinions so feel free to ignore everything I say if you didn't feel the same. I'm happy though, and I'm going to continue being incredibly annoying about this show. ♡

[thesmokinpossum]

"rainbow capitalism at least means that they've decided your money actually has value and you're worth marketing to"

[burymeinblack2022]

Discourse? What discourse? Forget about it.. Come to gerard world with me brother..... It is beautiful here..... Take my hand

[eternalstrigoii]

My two cents on the PJO discourse are as follows:

y’all adult babies stupid enough to really think Greek folks are fucking blond??? fucking white and BLOND??? Have you ever SEEN a real Greek person???

[spicymancer]

So just wanted you to know, "yellow" is a common slur against Asian Americans and so Huang Feng, being a Bruce Lee (whos an Asian man) clone and all could raise some eyebrows to your intentions. And before i get accused of white knighting, i am Asian

Thanks for reaching out! This is honestly something that might be important to discuss and I appreciate your attempt at broaching the subject delicately. More after the jump.

So to start. I am also Asian. Specifically Chinese American.

As an American born Chinese, I have a weird relationship with my Asian heritage. I have a bad accent when I speak Chinese and most of my upbringing and cultural understanding is very American and western-centric. So I have certain biases at play here that I fully acknowledge. My experience is not universal. But these characters are drawn from that experience.

Huang Feng is a reference to Bruce Lee's performance as Kato in the Green Hornet. Dà Huángfēng being a Chinese term for a hornet.

The character is also narratively implied to be a secret moonlighting identity for the Yellow Ranger in my made-up sentai team. (Who, due to my own decision to always refer to the characters by their Ranger color, is literally just called Yellow by the other members of the cast.)

This is also a reference. Specifically to one of my greatest inspirations, Thuy Trang (Rest in Peace), who played the original Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger. She was one of the first "Cool Asian Characters" that I encountered in media targeted at me as a child, problematic color choice aside. I sincerely adored her and her giant robot Saber-Toothed Tiger.

To be honest I have a complicated relationship with "Asian Themed" characters in media. So often saddled with cliché stereotypes: Martial Arts, dumplings, nunchucks, etc etc.

But the thing is, even as I roll my eyes whenever I see the Fighting Game character that is The Chinese One who wears a rice hat and a qipao. Or when one is literally just Bruce Lee. I do also immediately main that character. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure. Taking what representation I can get with mixed feelings. Similar to my enjoyment of sexy anime girl art even though it's all rooted in pretty uncomfortable sexist and objectifying aesthetics. A lot of my work comes from a place of exploring my own sexuality/identity. These characters are, partly, my own attempt to explore Asian themes and ideas for myself.

I would love to say that I'm trying to "reclaim" the term or something but I'm just some internet artist drawing cute anime girls and monster smut. For me, playing with these clichés is just another way of being self-indulgent.

Not really defending these creative choices so much as explaining my perspective on them. I totally understand if all this turns folks off! I fully respect those who don't vibe with my work and wish them all the best. It's a big internet and I'm sure they can find something super great to enjoy elsewhere!

Anyway, sorry for the long rambly post. Despite the fact that I'm posting this on Tumblr, I am not super mentally equipped to engage in Discourse, so forgive me if I don't respond to the tags on this.

So I'll just leave y'all with a neat article by Kat Chow discussing the history and usage of the color Yellow in regards to Asian Identity.

[hausofneptune]

"spicy" takes / unpopular opinions

[astro notes no. 002]

IF IT DON’T APPLY LET IT FLY. everybody’s chart is different, if you have any aspects or placements mentioned in this post that don’t resonate with you, that means the energy didn’t manifest the way that i described due to other influences in your chart (or you being delusional, idk, you decide). also, when i speak on certain signs i'm referring to their archetype and the innate energy they express. just be mindful that there's a variety of ways these energies can manifest from person to person.

disclaimers | masterlist | ask

y’all stay talking about how hard scorpios have it but y’all don’t talk about the struggles capricorns face. especially capricorn moons?? have y’all ever encountered a capricorn moon that wasn’t in therapy or didn’t desperately need it??? they be facing the most insane level of emotional distress and then turn around and pick up more shifts and start studying harder like that shit finna help lmfao

the discourse surrounding 8H synastry is... odd to me. i feel like some people (specifically the tumblr/tiktok girlies) are romanticizing trauma bonding. y’all can talk about how good the sex is all y’all want, but unless you and the person involved have a good amount of self-awareness and are spiritually evolved enough (especially if y'all have your own 8H placements in your own charts), i feel like you’re just setting yourself up to be in a “toxic” relationship with somebody. it could just be my aqua venus talking, but the whole “baring your soul” to someone and developing a possessive/jealous bond with them don't sound fun to me. i would rather perish.

everyone talks about how dramatic your saturn return is but why does no one bring up how traumatic your 12H profection years are? being 23 was literally one of the most unhinged experiences i’ve ever had 

i be tryna advocate for geminis because i know they’re just lil creative mercurial sponges and wanna have enough knowledge to see everything from every side… but why do some of them act like that? and you know what i mean. especially the more “unevolved” gemini placements, they be doing the most insane level of mental acrobatics and be contrarian just for the sake of being contrarian

i have to say this as an 8H moon, i understand what y’all mean when y’all say 8H, scorpio, and plutonian placements usually face a lot of vitriol from others for no reason, but honestly, some of y’all be using that as a justification for being paranoid and manipulative. operating from a place of pain, assuming that everybody is out to get you, and being hyper-vigilant of people’s intentions isn’t the type of behavior anyone should be trying to normalize. let that hurt go pookie <3

i feel like this has been spoken about before but i’ll never understand why water signs are constantly stereotyped as the emotional crybabies of the zodiac but fire signs aren’t? water signs can definitely be sensitive and existential but prominent fire placements will literally lose their mind over the smallest shit and then be cool 10 minutes later… yes i’m looking at you aries

speaking of aries, can we address the way that they’re literally the toddlers of the zodiac and very much so behave like it? idk as a pisces i have a soft spot for them, i love their childlike, carefree spirit, and the way they be throwing tantrums for fun tickles me 

this note doesn’t pertain particularly to signs/placements but astrology in general. i am begging y’all (specifically the people who are newer/beginners to astrology) to use traditional studies as a starting point and to stop taking notes from these tiktoks and tumblr posts. there are astrologers on these platforms who have done the work and studied (love y'all), but there are a plethora who haven’t. i saw a post the other day where somebody said squares/oppositions don’t indicate conflict in a chart and i felt like i was losing my damn mind. i definitely recommend the astrology podcast as a starting point for beginners, chris brennan is amazing and i still find myself re-listening to a lot of his content 

i talked to one of my mutuals the other day about this, but astrology is such an amazing tool, and y’all should use it for so much more than self-validation. y’all do not need to have a certain venus placement to be considered pretty. y'all do not need certain mercury or uranus placements to be considered intelligent/creative. y’all do not have to rely on [insert random asteroid here] to know what your future spouse is gonna look like, when/where y’all are gonna meet, how they’re gonna perceive you, etc. etc. etc. i understand the hype around shit like that is due to social conditioning/constructs, but there are so many more important, relevant things you can learn about yourself through astrology that don’t revolve around "aesthetics"

the girls are gonna hate me for this one, but i don’t understand the hype around lilith. and i say this as someone with a tight sextile between my sun and BML. there’s three versions of it, two of which don’t even technically exist, and then there’s a mean/true version that affects the accuracy. if anyone has more knowledge than me on the subject feel free to give me your input, because i feel like the insane amount of attention lilith gets has to do more with the whole “dark feminine archetype” trend that the tiktok/tumblr girlies love and less to do with its relevance from an astrology/astronomical lens (i feel this way about most asteroids honestly, but we’ll wake up that tea another time)

i don’t wanna get dragged so imma end this here, as always let me know if y’all have any aspects/placements mentioned and tell me how they manifest in your life/personality! and if you have any insight feel free to let me know as well. and don’t be messy. you will be blocked expeditiously. <3

click here to read part two!

[passerkirbius]

Where are all the Audio Fiction Fandoms?

To be clear, this isn't me complaining, and I know, there are plenty of fandoms for audio fiction podcasts and the like.

But I have always found it weird how few shows get the big, self-sustaining kinds of fandoms, the ones where there's always at least a little trickle of fanfic and fanart. So weird, in fact, that I've been thinking about it on and off for the last 5-6 years, and I have a few theories I'd like to share with y'all as to why, and to see if I can't get some feedback from the audio fiction fans on Tumblr.

Theory 1: Audience Size

The first theory is mostly about demographics - fundamentally, a fandom has to be large enough to sustain itself, and only a certain number of audience members are going to become the kind of fans who make fan works, so ultimately, an audio fiction show needs to get popular enough before fan works start appearing.

There's plenty of support for this theory, of course - Welcome to Night Vale, Wolf 359, The Adventure Zone and The Magnus Archives are titans in the fiction podcast space, and indeed they have big fandoms. But, with that said, there's plenty of other podcasts that are just as big that don't have fandoms, so this can't explain it all.

Theory 2: Audience Distance

This one is similar to the first, but subtly different. A few creators in the space I've talked to have noted that they'd never make fan works of their friend's shows - that feels weird, like deliberately treading on their friend's work. They don't have this feeling when playing in big fandoms, or fandoms where they don't know the creator. This implies to me that fans need a certain level of distance from creators in order to feel comfortable playing with that fictional space. While this is less the case now with the fall of Twitter, a lot of shows, for better or worse, used social media as the primary pillar of their marketing, as well as using Patreons with special access as part of their monetization strategies.

In short, it's never been easier to get close to the creators of your favourite shows, and for smaller shows, the most exuberant fans - the kinds who might make fan works - are also the kinds of fans who will take those opportunities to get closer to the creators. In short, there just might not enough social distance for fans to be comfortable creating works, not at least until the audience grows sufficiently that a creator simply cannot be that close with their entire audience.

This theory I'm not so sure about these days - this one is probably a lot more dependent on the generation of fandom you belong to. Older generations of fandom are more likely to have this queasiness around creator closeness, because they were creating in a time where fandom was a shadow realm, desperately hidden from The Powers That Be, and "No Copyright Infringement Intended" was carved into fan works as an eldritch attempt at legal protection.

Theory 3: Audience Age

To be clear - there are fans of all ages out there. But it is clear to me that fandom trends young, and part of that is just the time needed to participate in fan culture - creating and consuming takes a lot of time, time that tends gets scarcer and scarcer as you get older (there are obvious exceptions of course - stay-at-home mothers have consistently been a major force in fandoms!). It's possible that audio fiction fans just tend to trend older, and thus don't have the time available to create and consume fan works.

Honestly, I'm not sure how relevant this one is - Audio fiction is becoming more popular with younger audiences and slowly shedding the "old fuddy-duddyness" that surrounded it when I was first getting into the space. And, ya know, there are audio fiction fandoms out there, so obviously either the youth aspect of fandom isn't a thing, or it is, but audio fiction audiences are still trending young anyway.

Theory 4: We're getting what we need!

A lot of academic discourse often focuses on the idea that fandoms create for a reason - and that reason is often to focus on parts of a fiction that the original text, for whatever reason, doesn't. The most obvious form of this is the many, many, many examples of ships and erotic fanfiction. You, as a fan, watch a show, see something between two characters, and get frustrated that the show isn't giving you more of that, won't make what is clearly obvious to you, explicit. So, you consume and/or create fan works that help relieve that tension instead.

Or, in shows where the focus is primarily on plot advancement or action, you feel a desire to get to know the characters better - you see the stirrings of these characters, you want to know them better, but the show just isn't the type of show to give you that slow, character-heavy scene/episode that you know would give you exactly what you need, so, again, you go consume and/or create fan works to fix that.

It's very possible that a lot of audio fiction is already built to give these sorts of fan audiences what they want. There's already romantic relationships, characters are openly queer, the nature of the audio medium means that character-heavy scenes are something that the medium directs creators towards, so there's already a lot of character engagement. So, for many fandoms, there just isn't much need to create fan works - there's no tension between what the show is and what it could be.

Theory 5: We can make our own at home!

One interesting theory is that one reason that people make fandom is because, fundamentally, the creators understand that they're not going to be making a film, or a TV show, or a book. They have creative urges, and they're not in a situation in life where they're likely to overcome the enormous barriers to entry in mainstream media, so, in combination with the stuff in theory 4, they play in other people's worlds instead. They know that there's already an audience who will consume their work (they're part of that fan community, after all!), so they can get that validation of creation without needing to create their own TV show or film or book, etc.

Podcasts, however, are different. Now, it's not true to say that podcasts have low barriers to entry - to create a podcast, there's a lot of skills you either need to learn yourself, or find collaborators with those skills. But, those barriers to entry are much lower than visual media. At the very least, audio production is significantly cheaper and less complicated for an equivalent runtime.

Better, podcasts have absurdly low barriers to publication - There are no gatekeepers to satisfy, no distributors you have to convince. Once your thing is made, pretty much no one can stop you from distributing that work. You don't even really need to pay for a podcast host - there's a few free podcast hosts now. So, once you've done the work, pretty much nothing stops you from publishing said work.

So... If you're a creative fan, who loved a show but thinks you can do better? Well, you can! You don't need to play in other people's spaces, you can be inspired by the podcasts you listen to to create your own original work, in the same medium and genre.

What do y'all think? Which of these feel right, which of these feel obviously wrong? Are you part of a audio fiction fandom? What does your fandom feel like to you on the inside? As a audio fiction creator, it's kinda hard for me to get into the inside of fandom culture, so insider perspectives would be super neat for me, so please reblog this to anyone you feel might have an interesting perspective on the whole thing!

[highpri3stess]

Alright, Imma say it anyways.

Tw. Racism death threats etc

First, I'd like to thank people who told me to do other stuff outside tumblr today. You are real ones and I am grateful because I would have lost my mind if I didn't do something else today. To people who texted and checked up on me. You are real ones. I was getting to a level where my mental state was spiraling and yall talked sense into me. I'm gonna let this go, right after this.

Now, to the controversal statement.

This is the last thing I'll say before I do other stuff on here.

If you expect me to be quiet after seeing "Monica deserves fifty lashes, she's a slave n-word bitch that needs to be decapitated and her boobs cut off" you are racist. No, no, no don't gasp, don't gasp you know it's the truth.

If I unfollowed you after that issue and you blocked me, you prove to me, you are an enabler of racism. No, no, no, don't gasp either, you know it's the truth.

If you were a black creator who followed me and then got mad at me and unfollowed me because if that issue, you are also an enabler of racism. No no no don't gasp, don't gasp hold your breath I'm not done talking.

You know why I said this thing?

Three of the people in these categories were actually defending that guy caught with shota shit. Yes. You people were so ready to defend that guy, one of you even made a fucking alt account to defend that piece of shite, as if his life was in danger. I saw some people I'm exmoots with liking posts defending him while saying "oh his actions are gross". Who are you trying to deceive?

And when I started getting racist anons, some of yall had the nerve to tell me I am a drama blog and yall don't want to hang out with me no more. I was literally getting threats and slurs and that was all some of you said on anon. And you have the guts to still reblog shit on my account? Is it because I didn't expose you? Because I know it was you. Yes you. One of you even caused the entire issue by sending the post to that person. I know you. You caused this. Fuck you.

And yes I called some of you inhumane. You all were ready to jump on that guys dick but to defend someone who was recieving SLURS all of a sudden "I'm not a discourse blog". And when I said it, some of yall appeared in my dms saying I was being too mean. No. That was me being TOO nice, I could have called them something far worse and they would have deserved anything I called them.

And hell, some of you that are black jumped in my dms. I know you would not have the balls to open your damn mouth if it was not your fellow black authors, since you decided you wanted to kiss ass. And I know you don't have the balls because you did not go to the perpertrator and disrespect them like that.

All of you involved plus that weak ass fool going on people's accounts saying those slurs are spineless. Spineless weaklings. Since all of you in these groups of people have decided to be afraid of some disgraced mf who cannot do shit off anon, you all are the weakest links. And you deserved to be dragged by the root of your hair because you rather defend a pedo than stand against racism.

And if this offends you and your Kabal, or your queen mother, since you people are shaking in your boots when you see her, you have yourself to blame. Look in the mirror and reflect. Maybe grow a pair or two.

Anytime I feel bad, I remember you mfs and I feel better about myself. "I may be having a hard time, but at least I'm not spineless."

I am glad I broke mutuals with some of you weird bitches and I am glad my anons are off. Trust, if you ever get harrassed, you do not have my sympathy. In fact, I will tell you word for word, exactly what you told me and I will do it off anon- "Why are you being a drama blog?" "Just stop being angry and touch grass"

If the shoe fits. If you like, send this on your discord server and groups. Fuck y'all.

- love, Monica

[heliza24]

Analyzing the sex scenes in Young Royals (using cinematic language!)

Every day I log on to this app and see y'all waxing poetic about the way Simon and Wilhelm kiss. And don't get me wrong, they're good kissers and you should talk about it. But like, if we're gonna discuss the intimate scenes in Young Royals, let's discuss them. Let's break them down. Let's get into the nitty gritty. Let's analyze lighting, let's discourse about framing, let's talk about musical motifs. And then let's all say "thank you" together to our queen Rojda for gifting us with these beautiful scenes. Yes Omar and Edvin are great at their jobs and have incredible chemistry. But at least 75% of why I love these scenes is down to directorial choices. It's Rojda's (and Erika's and Lisa's and Kristina's) world and we're just living in it.

Before we get into it, I should probably tell you about my thesis about sex and intimacy in this show (hammered out over the course of many irl discussions with @bluedalahorse), because it really shapes how I think about each individual scene. There's a lot of different reasons that characters make decisions in Young Royals. They're influenced by their families and their childhood and their peers. But they also often make decisions based on a kind of physical and emotional logic that only makes sense to us only because we have witnessed the magic that exists in the intimate scenes. Does it make logical sense for Sara to want to date the boy that betrayed her brother? No it does not. But the tangible proof of their connection is in their scenes together, so I understand why she made the decisions she did even if I don't agree with them. Sometimes I don't think it makes sense for Simon to go back to Wilhelm after everything that Wilhelm put him through. But I've felt the magic, the way the rest of the world falls away, in their scenes together. So I understand how Simon can be so desperate to put the rest of the world aside and kiss Wilhelm again in 2.4, damn the consequences. In order for this to work, in order for me to believe that two characters' attraction is so powerful it alters the rules of logic and gravity, the sex scenes have to speak their own cinematic language. They have to be different, elevated from the rest of the show. They have to feel sacred. And that's why we need to talk about more than just the kissing itself if we want to understand why we're so obsessed with these scenes.

I think the morning after scene (aubade, as my Shakespeare professor would have said) at the beginning of 1.5 is a good place to start. It's the zenith of Wilhelm and Simon's connection in season 1 and it's easy to notice all of the things that make it special, because the knock on the door that ruins the moment creates an immediate contrast with the regular world.

The whole scene is diffused with golden light, which makes sense because it's morning, but is also an intentional choice. That light becomes a recurring theme whenever Simon and Wilhelm are together in this way. The camera is close to both boys; when you're getting coverage of one of their faces you're practically on the shoulder of the other. Their faces fill the whole frame. (The show occasionally pulls a little trick of giving the camera the POV of a character, like before the first kiss when the camera stands in for Wilhelm and Simon is looking directly into the lens. This isn't that direct but it's still very intimate.) Contrast this with the wide shot of both boys after the knock on the door, when the camera is removed and above them.

I'm obsessed with Matti Bye's score in general but I especially love the music here. Those sustained notes create an otherworldly feeling of floating, while deconstructed pieces of melodies we've heard before filter into the scene. Also, the way the sound is mixed here is so different than any other part of the show. We are able to hear every tiny detail: sheets moving, breath quickening. Every touch has a sound. That sound cuts out immediately after the knock on the door, so much so that it almost feels like the oxygen has been sucked out of the room.

The first thing I notice about the kiss scene after the dance in 2.4 is the lighting. The lights coming from the party in the background are twinkling, which creates a magical backdrop. But the reason they're twinkling like that is because they're out of focus. The shallow focus of the scene creates a literal bubble for Simon and Wilhelm to exist in. The noise of Hillerska is distant and unimportant compared to whatever is going to happen between them here on the lawn. The other lighting element that sticks out to me is the warm light the hits Wilhelm, which I think looks like it's coming from a street lamp. That's a light source that makes sense for the scene, but I'm also sure it was intentional. A return to being with Simon means a return to that golden light.

The music here is so intense. The use of the abstract choral vocals creates this incredible sense of anticipation, like the whole world is holding its breath. I love the contrast between Wilhelm's historical costume and Simon's modern outfit too. By going out to find Wilhelm, Simon is going back in time to when he and Wilhelm were together. He's also reaching back into the traditions of the past and trying to pull Wilhelm, who has been overwhelmed by the historical weight of his royal role, back into the present.

We've got the very deliberate sound mixing again; you can hear every move of that kiss. The thing that stays with me though is that the sound doesn't go back to normal until Simon has fully exited the scene. His footsteps crunching on the gravel are crystal clear. Wilhelm is holding on to every piece of him he can, even his steps as he walks away.

This scene actually contains one of my two gripes with season 2. (Gripe number one is a much bigger story thing to do with Felice, which I might write about another day). But this complaint is, of all things, a tiny editing decision I disagree with. The edit stays on coverage of Wilhelm's face through the whole lead up to the kiss. I really wish it had switched to coverage of Simon when he says "everything just got so messed up between us", because that's the moment he decides to step forward and kiss Wilhelm. Watching Wilhelm patiently wait for Simon to make that decision is fascinating, but I wish the edit had respected Simon's agency a little bit more in that moment and shown us his face while he makes that crucial decision.

Anyway, the kiss is still great. Ok, moving on.

The "what's going to happen to us" hookup scene in 2.5 is interesting to me because there's a very clear beginning, when the scene tips from normal dialogue into something more intimate. When I first watched this episode, I was holding my breath, wondering if that hug was going to turn into something more. And then it did! There's one wide shot of the boys hugging, during which the score drops out and the sound mixing changes to emphasize those small movements and breaths. Then the next shot is up close, with their faces filling the frame. We hear Simon sigh and know that the energy in the scene has shifted.

And then the camera catches the golden light from the window, creating a little bit of a lens flare. "Holy" starts playing, which sets this scene apart from all the other sex scenes in the show which are scored but don't have a needle drop. I love that the lyrics of the song make explicit everything that the cinematography up to this point has been trying to convey in these scenes: Wilhelm and Simon together create a sacred space. And there's so much yearning in that song, which perfectly suits the desperation of their situation. They're scared of all the ways the future might separate them, but they know they want each other in that moment.

Also, I'm obsessed with the decision to cut the scene at the climax of the music on a shot of the curtains. It's like the cinematic version of an ellipses. It invites us to imagine all the things they're going to do together, while still granting the characters the privacy they were so cruelly denied in season 1. It is, in a word, extremely sexy.

Each decision is so intentional in these scenes, and I think it's one of the reasons why people connect with this show on such a guttural level. I think it also feels rare to have queer sex scenes shot in this way, with such care and precision. I feel cared for when I watch them, because the creators clearly care for the characters and the story they're telling.

I think that's a good sample of scenes, but if people are interested or have scene requests I'm happy to do more! Also curious about what you all noticed that you think sets these scenes apart.

(And a little PSA: If you enjoyed me talking about the sex scenes in Young Royals you might also enjoy me writing sex scenes for our Young Royals fic Heart and Homeland. Even though it's an AU we tried hard to capture the sacred tenderness that we love in the show, especially in the Simon and Wilhelm scenes.)

And edited to add: there is now a part 2 of this analysis that you can read here!

[mhsdatgo]

The Helaemonds/Helaegons need to calm down.

Don't get me wrong, it's always refreshing to see some people fill in the gaps of a basically untold relationship such as the one between the green kids in general, but this goes beyond basic obsessive shippy discourse. Leave this poor girl alone. Why's there an obsession with having her be romantically paired with her brothers, one worse than the other?

I understand the show has basically shown so little of her to the point where we didn’t even have a coronation for her on screen, so therefore you can self insert through her and have fun with headcanons regarding Aegon and Aemond. Really, I'm not faulting their girlies, you can be head over heels for whatever actor in character you want (unless you put them on pedestals and start acting like they did nothing wrong and pounce on whoever contests them, THEN we have a problem) but I assure you, Helaena would barely want anything to do with either of them.

Aegon is a sex pest turned sex offender, a drunkard and a neglectful father and husband at best. Her infamous toast in ep.8 has us believing that he cannot for the life of him interact with her unless he's horny drunk or that he forces himself on her at worst.* He was ready to leave them all in ep.9 before he was caught. Even the book is subtle about their relationship: all we know of them is that they sleep in shared chambers, that she was someone important and reliable in Aegon's council before B&C, and that he named her and Alicent the true Queens of his reign.

*(⚠️TW: PERSONAL OPINION⚠️ I'm not saying this last one isn't a possibility but it's sill outrageous for the way people speak about Helaena in defence of this "claim". No, she wouldn't joke about her own r*pe in front of the whole table full of people she doesn't know and right beside her abuser, and despite the hour-long metas I've read about how she's basically "too sheltered" to know what r*pe even means, I assure you she's a high-functioning autistic, not 5 years old. She can understand it perfectly.)

Helaemond is a pure show invention, I honestly wasn't expecting this many people to go up this kind of train. They barely interact, and most of the time it's Aemond saying he'd "perform his duty" should Helaena ever be wed to him, or that stare in ep.9 when he enters her chambers toiling after Alicent. It's, as always, the Aemond girlies who think poor Helaena would live her best life with Aemond, or that they are already romantically involved behind the scenes. The amount of "if one possesses a thing, the other will take it away" edits from people that are FULLY CONVINCED "the thing" is Helaena and that "the one" and "the other" are Aemond and Aegon respectively is honestly concerning.

Fics that are all about Aegon doing the worst and unspeakable things to her so "Aemond can come and save her" are y'all okay? Out of all people, HE has to save her?

Babes, I'm sorry to break your bubble, but this isn't Aegon IV/Naerys/Aemon on steroids. Aemond didn't give two shits about Helaena. No, he wasn't jealous when Jace came to ask her to dance, he just wanted to stir some shit. If we talk about the books, he didn't fucking hesitate to leave King's Landing, his sister, his mother and whatever he was doing for the Riverlands the second he heard that Daemon was there. And he brought the only means of defence they had with him. If he knew how important Vhagar was for the city's defence, he's evil, if he didn't realize it, he's dumb as fuck. Which one is it, Aemond girlies?

People beat each other to the curb about Jaehaerys, Jaehaera and Maelor's paternity like it's the Wars of The Roses. They put Helaena and Alys against the other like they have personal beef with one of them.

Stop mentioning this sweetheart only when it's about praising or hating one of her brothers. No, it's not the only option you have because she's underdeveloped as a character. There's actually another one.

LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE.

[heartshapedcreaturefromcriptoon]

.... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

THIS FANDOM. HAS LITERALLY. NO DRIP.

THE PERSON WHO POSTED THIS IS GODDAMN FUCKING 31 YEARS OLD.

LIKE I NEVER THOUGHT I'D FUCKING SAY THIS BUT GO WATCH KILL BILL OR SOMETHING!

And don't get me started on the Chalastor discourse that I hear is happening right now as if I wasn't deep into the Daddy Kink Fanfic long before the show started as if the new episode combined with what Al said about Charlie in episode one doesn't fuel it for me.

But you know what? I'm glad that Medrano is having fun gaslighting the straighty straight puritans trying to turn this ship into the second coming of Starco because y'all deserve to be psychology messed with like that after what the fuck you did to this poor woman on her birthday.

Shame on you.

[lxvvie]

there's a part 2 to this where we veered on to the topic of... Gaz Nation.

Am I going to shake the table from my little-ass corner again? Probably. This was a good ass conversation and I really wanted to share my perspective.

Isn't it ironic, though, how Gaz is overlooked as a character but a good portion of the discourse about the fandom arguably centers around him?

But I give credit where credit's due. Gaz Nation goes hard in the paint for Kyle and for good reason. He's cool as shit. Fine as hell, too. And so, too, are all of the other characters in the game. They may not be your cup of tea and that's fine, but if your justification for excluding Gaz runs the gamut of him not being attractive to you or not being "interesting" enough—nevermind he's just as hilarious and badass as your faves—then some deep, deep self-reflection needs to be had. It doesn't have to be in your face for it to be racism and/or prejudice. It's so deeply embedded, so interwoven into the fabric of society that people can espouse these beliefs without even realizing they're doing it.

Just like how some people can really relate to other CoD characters, I find it interesting how that same grace isn't really extended to Gaz. My liking him amplified after writing for the fandom because the same thing that Gaz is denied as a character is something I've experienced in real life... and probably on here, too. I see a lot of myself in Gaz, and the unfortunate reality for us both is that before they see someone who's just as witty, competent, and skilled as any other character in the game, they see the color of his skin.

And if you still can't bring yourself to understand that after Gaz Nation and people who aren't even Gaz fans have said it, then yeah, it's a you problem.

But this isn't exclusive to Gaz in my opinion. He is the starting point. We can have an entire conversation about how other characters of color are treated by the fandom. Shit, we can even extend that to how BIPOC creators are treated because I don't know how some of y'all can't wrap your minds around the fact that your faves could possibly be attracted to a person of color.

So shoutout to Gaz Nation. Shoutout to the (W)horangi (W)horde, the Farah Fanatics, Valeria girlies, the Kult of Köthulhu, and all the other cliques who've pretty much helped me understand and put into words the nuance in how I view the fandom and these characters. Moreover, it's really done wonders for my writing, too.

And if you do have a rebuttal/response for this, sure thing, let us hear it.

[cobraonthecob]

seeing f1 aca getting discourse again because 'the cars are too slow' THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, it's supposed to be an intro to formula racing from karting, not instantly dump the girls into f3/f2 and expect someone who was just in a kart to perform

would i like to see them in faster formulas? absolutely! but these girls need to be in a space where they can get the spotlight to prove to sponsors (remember, motorsport is a billboard going vroom zoom) that hey! girls are competitive and they are worth investing into! some of the f1 aca drivers are also competing in formula 4 already, so you can follow their careers there

also you've got to follow other drivers in higher formulas, like marta garcia who'll be competing in FRECA, sophia floersch in formula 3, and juju in super formula.

also, i think the ladder is starting to be karting -> f4/f1 aca -> freca -> f3 -> super formula -> f2 -> f1, if juju is any indication, since she was able to prove that women can compete in super formula (she did a test before the season started and got in). not to mention, tatiana calderon has also been doing f2 for a bit and has done super formula a few years back, there are women everywhere in motorsport, y'all just need to look for them

[xpao-bearx]

Alrighty, my fellow Astarion fangbangers!! I've got a 🔥SPAHCY🔥 oneshot idea~

This is an idea that's been a parasite in my teeny brain for a while now and at first, I didn't wanna share it cuz I wanted it to be a surprise for when I actually write and post it. But to those who follow me, y'all know I just LOVE to ramble so I couldn't keep it a secret anymore 😂

And sooo here it is: A smutty oneshot of Spawn Astarion x Fem!Reader x Ascended Astarion!

Now you might be thinking... How the HELLS would a threesome with Spawn Astarion and Ascended Astarion ever work??? O_o

Well, lemme ramble some more! 😆

AHEM

Throughout your adventure, Astarion ascended and made his lover (you, dear reader ❤️) into his dark consort. After saving Baldur's Gate, you go to live with Astarion in his palace and start anew with your life of immortality.

At first, everything was going well. Astarion relished in the power he's craved so much and you stood by his side as his most prized treasure. And yet... There was a suffocating emptiness in your heart.

You were happy. Or...you should be. You were going to spend a wonderful eternity with your lover and you only gave Astarion what he's always wanted...right?

But as time passes, Astarion changes more and more. You still loved him, you will never stop loving him, but you couldn't deny that his dominance and possessive nature over you...unsettled you a bit.

Anyhoe, long story short, while you are just wandering around the palace one night and rethinking all your life choices that led you to this very moment, some ✨️magic✨️ happens and Astarion appeared.

Only...this was Astarion from the past. Before he ascended.

This story is still a work in progress so forgive me that this is all a mess, but basically this other Astarion is spawn Astarion! Spawn Astarion comes from another dimension where he never ascended. In that dimension, Baldur's Gate has also been saved but at the cost of spawn Astarion's lover's life--your life.

Astarion couldn't handle the tragic loss of his one true love so he became obsessed in finding something--anything--to be with you again, even at the cost of his soul. I'm still working out the details, but Astarion ended up finding something which made him transport to where you are now!

You are obviously baffled by spawn Astarion and can't quite believe it, but he's just so fucking happy to see you--to be with you--again. And maybe...just maybe...

You wanted to be with him, too.

But of course... There's ascended Astarion.

Beautiful, foolish treasure... Did you really think you could ever forsake your master?

Expect quiiite a bit of angst with this oneshot but, OF COURSE, some real nasty smut too! 😉 I plan to hopefully write and post this story after I finish the game and have experienced both spawn and ascended routes!

Also, I REALLY hope this doesn't cause any discourse! I, personally, prefer spawn Astarion but I also ADORE ascended Astarion (✨️nothing✨️ will stop me from simping for this vamp dork)! I know everyone has their own thoughts and opinions for both and which one is "better", but for me I just live and let live! Let everyone be happy with their own preferences, please 🥰

And I hope no one steals this idea of mine! Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't seen anyone else have an Astarion fic like this so I would assume I would be the first to have this specific idea. If you were inspired by the premise and wanna write something similar, PLEASE credit me for the inspo but also tell me if you post it cuz I would absolutely read the SHIT out of it!! \(^o^)/ But yeah, just please don't copy the WHOLE thing cuz, like I said, I do plan on eventually writing this fic myself!

And hey, if ya wanna be tagged for when I post this fic, please don't hesitate to tell me! 💕