#BUT PEOPLE CAN THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THOSE CHARACTERS JFC

[bougiebutchbinch]

I am not the ableism thought police

(in gentle response to an ask that I won't be publishing, as I don't want the tumblr user to get any blowback, and I think they were asking in good faith)

It is not inherently ableist to enjoy the OFMD finale, despite the fact that myself and many other physically disabled people are Really Fucking Uncomfortable with certain choices that were made.

You can like whatever you like. There will never be perfect media, and OFMD is better than... many shows in terms of its representation of queers and characters of colour, at least. Go forth and enjoy it! I'm not trying to take that away from you!

Here, however, is a handy list of things that ARE actual ableismsTM:

pretending the finale of your fave show is beyond reproach from physically disabled critics

dismissing the concerns and hurt of so many disabled fans who felt incredibly let down by the finale (and who want to know whether the writers consulted with disabled people before writing that whole scene (especially putting the words 'I want to go' in Izzy's mouth. jfc.))

mocking disabled people who are upset about how his self-acceptance arc as a disabled queer man ended - in a show that is trying to be progressive, no less!

making gross statements like "saying Izzy is disabled removes his character agency". Just. Wtf. I don't know how to explain to you that disabled people have agency, and that 'disability' isn't a Bad Scary Word.

claiming that just because you are physically disabled and you don't mind the finale, other physically disabled people shouldn't voice their concerns

expecting disabled people to hold your hand and reassure you that it's okay to like a show even if it Committed A Big Ol' Ableism

All of those things are ableist, and you should avoid them.

TL;DR: Love the show as much as you like. Just don't talk down to disabled fans who are raising very valid points about the ableism surrounding Izzy's death and burial. And don't demand that we emotionally coddle you and assure you that you are a good person if you liked the ending of S2.

As always, able-bodied people are encouraged to reblog - but don't join the conversation unless you are offering support.

[pendragonsclotpole]

i’ve watched the first three episodes of the pjo series and then decided to wait. ostensibly this is because once season one is done i can binge it all in one go like i read the book, but i have a confession to make. i can’t stand to watch it.

hear me out: i read these books when i was in grade school. tlt? fifth grade. the rest of the original series? powered me through sixth grade and into seventh. hoo? eighth grade and first year or two of high school. i was a baby. percy jackson and his friends were either my age or older than me and doing shit i could not even comprehend.

i’ve seen a lot of discourse online about the changes made in the show and how they don’t align with how some fans remember the books, and i think that criticism perfectly echoes my feelings on this series. when i read pjo, i saw myself in the characters and saw my interactions with people older than me in their interactions with adults or older characters. case in point sally and luke.

i’m gonna have to make another post about my feelings for show!sally vs book!sally (tldr: book!sally reminds me of how i thought of the adults in my life and their complicated relationships with other adults as a kid, show!sally shows me that things were never so clear cut, surviving/being a survivor is mastering how to balance on a tight tope into adulthood, and sometimes the monsters we remember from our childhoods are a lot more pathetic than we ever realized. don’t even get me started on how i spent my whole life thinking of sally as a woman in her late twenties/early thirties with nothing in her life put together. seeing her in the show was a slap to the face for that notion, because sally seems so much older, but also so much closer to my age than percy in terms of maturity if not actually and what does that mean for me?)

but now about luke. jfc he looks so young. i think it was so easy to demonize luke because he was older, described as college aged, and perfect and popular and a mentor. he felt so responsible, so caring that the betrayal from him in tlt felt so much worse because as a reader i inherently related to percy, annabeth and thalia.

but growing up is realizing i’m now older than book!Luke in tlt and if i was faced with the loneliness of not having at least one good parent, i might be just as bitter as him. heck i do have one good parent, and i think i’m just as bitter as him about somethings. i’m older than him and somehow still feel so much younger. and also, show!luke’s actor is so young looking! i didn’t expect that to be such a hard pill to swallow, realizing the actor is actually 19 made me want to roll up into a ball and cry because fuck, did i look that young at 19??? i’m still in my early 20s, but somehow you do so much growth in the span of those years that just blows my mind. it isn’t fair and it feels like loss and at the same time, i think i understand why rick riordan and the rest of the writing/production team made the choices they did. on the one hand, they could have stuck to the books as faithfully as possible and recreated word for word the story we remembered from when we were kids, but on the other hand, they had the chance of portraying the story as it was and now would be now that we’re the grown ups.

i’m gonna finish the season, eventually, but i don’t yet have the emotional maturity to not hate every little change.

[bathroomtrapped]

saw ask. so let's say hypothetically (not really) all the apprentices are autistic (they are) headcanon them

saw ask ‼️‼️ i completely agree unironically and i keep that in mind when i consume/write/draw saw content. jigsaw apprentices? more like PDA autistics anonymous jfc

i (shamefully) am not an amanda-guy and dont have pretty much any headcanons about her overall so sorry about that but ill do some bullet points for the apprentices bc ive thought TOO MUCH abt this

adam

1. the most obvious PDA manifestation, though i think its strong in mark and lawrence for sure, adam just doesnt mask his. he pretty much built his life around maximizing free will and full control over his schedule

2. constantly reducing sensory input with music and being baked. his apartment is dead silent and dark 24/7 tho

3. honestly i think adam has shocking high levels of empathy. most people in his life wouldnt peg him as someone who would struggle with that but i think its what sets him apart from nearly every saw character. hes so isolated but desperate to understand and connect with other people, even if hes in the shadows

4. studies high class targets and their mannerisms. it helped him function during a few job interviews

5. hates eating, hates effort so pretty much eats like shit. very few specific, cheap, prepackaged meals that he can handle. anything that isnt a time commitment to prepare and eat

6. talks too much to overcompensate (not sure if people are able to understand what hes getting at and ends up rambling)

lawrence

1. i hc him as a narc as well which (as you can imagine) combined with PDA makes instruction/criticism/responsibility stressful so hes constantly overloaded

2. same as above, combined with asd i think its the biggest reason he has that canonical low empathy (similar to mark)

3. can only eat incredibly plain and simple foods. rice, bread, vegetables without butters/oils etc. very picky

4. very little auditory sensory issues after so many years in a hospital and needs noise in order to function (including sleep)

5. started wearing pajamas under his suits after a few years in residency because hes already tired 24/7, the terrible fabric on top of that just makes him insane

6. struggled through med school because lectures are hard to interpret and hes more of a visual learner

7. so much eye contact

8. remember that dog picture in his wallet we see for like 5 seconds? i cant imagine someone like him enjoying the texture or sporadic energy of a dog and makes it sleep in dianas room at night. its not allowed in the office and he meticulously cleans all of the dog hair the second he sees any

9. absolutely allergic to change in every way

mark

1. low empathy as i mentioned before

2. he wears a lot loose fitting suits in canon which i think are for sensory reasons. he clearly prioritizes comfort with those (interesting) track pants?

3. i have joked with my mutuals about his off-putting, autistic ass stare countless times

4. terrible liar because he has less control over his facial expressions and mannerisms. he ends up making too much eye contact and thinks that brutal honesty is a good idea. he has an almost nonexistent filter

5. he reminds me of that brand of autism that a lot of patriarchs have, the kind that goes unnoticed bc theyre the head of the household. meat and potatoes his entire life, strange rituals and routines everyone has to get used to

6. extremely black and white sense of justice and a poor understanding of hierarchal authority. he doesnt get why people are above or below other people and struggles with those concepts

7. everyone in the precinct knows not to joke with mark because it will always fall flat and have to be explained. mark has rly funny but dry and blunt humor himself

[morning-sun-brah]

Okay so I've just GOTTA know... how the hell do you write the way you do?? I haven't been able to get sucked into any written work since high school, trauma brain and all. I used to live in books so it's been hell, but your writing got me back into reading, and makes it so I can get lost into that little world again, which I've craved but been able to have for like... so long. Writing is something I've always been into, but I let my fear of failure and need for perfection stop me. Just... do you have any advice for beginners?? It would mean the world to me, but I understand if it's an annoying ask! Thanks for reading no matter what!

Well I am just a mess reading this (in the best way possible).

First of all, thank you so much omfg. And of COURSE it isn't annoying! This is so flattering I'm about to cry my dude.

As far as tips on writing, I feel like I am not the person to ask because I'm just this little weirdo on the internet who likes turtles lol. But!! In an attempt to try and give real advice here is my response... and it got a little wordy so it's all under the break lmaoooo.

~Gin's rambling attempt to give writing advice~

Practice! Literally the only reason I can string coherent words together is because I've been doing this as a hobby for like two whole decades.

Also!! Read! Consuming other fics and books really helps. Sometimes you find a way of saying something that sticks with you. Sometimes you sit and think "I would have done it this way/said it this way." Sometimes you come out on the other end and go "Wow I am a hack that was amazing." Sometimes you finish something and go "Wow that was fucking terrible I'm amazing." Sometimes you read something and it fires off your brain, and you are left itching to write your own story. But however you feel, it's all GOOD FOR WRITING. It helps you grow! It literally helps you find your voice!

Other little things; When I write, I truly immerse myself. I am playing out in cinema format what is happening in the "scene." How is this person reacting? How do they look- down to facial expressions. How are they feeling? Is this something they would say? (would they fucking say that??? is something I think to myself every time I open a doc) And when I write it all down, I try my very best to convey that "scene" that played out in my head. I try to capture that character's voice, their mannerisms, their habits.

Does this even make sense? I sure hope so.

Also, flow. Make sure we're moving right along. Keep track of where hands, legs, and torsos are. If they were sitting when the scene started, and you need them standing to kiss or fight or do a thumb war, at some point you need to make sure you say they stood up. If a hand was on a cheek, it can't suddenly be on an ankle without telling the reader what happened.

I also just think adding little details helps with immersion. When we talk to people, we don't just stand around. We fidget. We pick our nails or scratch our arms or shuffle our feet. All those little details can add to that immersion (or I think so, I'm no expert). "He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck before saying..." - Wow, what an awkward little shit. "They scrunched their nose and gave a near-violent eye-roll" - Oh ok they are annoyed! "She shifted her feet and replied"- cool she's being a person, I shift my feet too, neato.

Anyway, nothing I wrote 20 years ago is as good as it is now. I'm highly convinced that I'll think the same thing in another 10 years, about anything I've published recently. But it is getting better, and it's because I keep at it. Having friends in the fandom and beta readers really helps. Make sure you find someone who you know will be positive but honest. And remember, YOU are always going to be your own worst critic.

God why did anyone ever let me have access to a computer. Why the FUCK is this so long? Does it even make sense? Jfc, I'm going to post it and eat a fucking cookie.

I believe in you anon. Also, I love you and thank you so much for making my whole week. I'm going to be so obnoxious about this shit, everyone expect to hear from my ass an annoying amount (kidding, but seriously I'm so fucking flattered thank you so much. This kind of shit makes me wonder what the fuck you're all reading because I swear I am just a silly gal with seasonal depression who needs a haircut).

((Also, anon, I wish you nothing but the best. Take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and know that I am sending you like a million hugs))

[foxglovelullaby]

Newest hyperfixation is Cult of the Lamb and I already beat my first play through and post game and just have a couple achievement to go…. And I really need to talk about the characters and lore of this game jfc

So warning gif end game spoilers and everything in between under the cut

I really hope as more folks finish the game that people give it the in-depth and critical thinking that it’s characters deserve….

The Lamb has a ton of characterization between the lines and actions of the world around them. It very much is a Frisk and Chara situation.

Like the Lamb is prophesied and referred to as a hero character. You do not have to do any of the “bad” actions, you can literally do the whole game without sacrificing. My end count was 1 sacrifice just because a follower gave me a quest asking me to do it 😭

But like you defeat all these false gods including The One Who Waits all with the aims of protecting your followers during the process. The only followers I killed were those possessed by the false gods to try and kill me….

Like yeah you have all these shitty options to do but you can be the best leader you can in comparison to the situation

Not to mention that if you forgive The One Who Waits, he becomes a follower and you learn more about him through specialized tasks….

And his story line and how he talks about his siblings feels like there is so much unsaid and between the lines.

He was the personification of death but that does not mean he was bad to begin with. Like he talks about how cruel his sister was or how his one sibling was deathly afraid of him ((before he hurt anyone)) and how he actually talks positively about his eldest brother….

I do not feel he is free of wrong doings by a long shot, especially since he takes two cats as children to be his bodyguards or whatever…. but I feel like it’s his siblings who originally did wrong to him and then he wanted change they did not and them fighting against it, made him lash out and finally hurt them - which then they chained him up for who knows how long…

Yet he still is sentimental about them when he’s your follower and I feel he misses some of his siblings…

And like The Lamb learns all these emotions through quests for him and they bring him items from his siblings realms…..

Not to mention that all the previous crown bares were refereed to as weak or useless and we see that Ratou means well from all his actions in mentoring and aiding you

Idk I’m still digesting all the content and half asleep so this will be post for now

[theendofmybody]

"dont write bad characters as protagonists or else people will think they're cool & act like them!!!!1!"

This Just In: Everyone Is Incapable Of Critical Thought And Our Brains Are Literally Just An Indiscriminate Sponge. More at 11

[separatist-apologist]

What do you think of Nessian both ACOWAR and ACOSF? Personally I’m in a very hate nessian(mostly the Cassian part) phase that idk how I’ll ever get over.

Your feelings are valid, anon. I think Cassian was characterized very specifically in ACOWAR/ACOMAF as like, the other side of the coin to Nesta. If Nesta is a solid wall, Cassian is the wrecking ball. He knows precisely how to get beneath her skin because they are mirrors of each other in some ways. In ACOWAR (and ACOMAF to some extent), it felt like Cassian was doing this as a way to get Nesta to be honest- with him but also herself. Almost like a trust fall. It read to me as "I see you for what you are and I like it" and "You don't have to pretend around me".

And it was working. Nesta, who cannot make herself trust anyone, SCREAMS for him, saving his life. He is the only person who can motivate her to help when she doesn't want to. She takes up the role as healer almost in direct conflict to her thoughts of him on the battle field- if Cassian is the warrior, Nesta is a different sort of protector. His soldiers fall and he can bring them to her to be bandaged.

And while ACOWAR had its problems in their relationship, she demonstrates that she is literally willing to die for him, body covering his, trying to shield him from Hybern. It was reminiscent of ACOMAF when, shredded wings, unconscious, Cassian is still crawling across the floor to try and keep her from going into the Cauldron. They literally say "Until death do us part"

And then ACOSF took all of that and said "it didn't mean anything". Nesta is traumatized from the war and instead of finding a way in like he'd always done before, Cassian participates in the isolation in a way that felt deeply out of character. I don't believe for a moment ACOWAR Cassian would have left Nesta to fester like that.

ACOSF shows that Cassian is mercurial and moody and worst of all, DEEPLY insecure. He's had 500 years to deal with being a bastard and yet every time Nesta tries to make him understand how she feels, he throws that in her face or makes it the topic of conversation. Cassian seems hell bent on breaking Nesta done more than she already is, needling her unnecessarily and he gets a pass because men are allowed to react with rage and anger as acceptable emotions but women are not (which is why I think a lot of the Nesta criticism comes from a place of deep misogyny.). Nesta will say something mean "I hate Rhys" and Cassian will not take the high road "Well everyone hates you, too." Imagine hearing Rhysand say that to Feyre when she's suicidal. And we're in Cassian's head, so we KNOW he knows she's suffering. He just gets mad and says whatever he wants, knowing it will hurt her, and he gets all these passes from the fandom because these books are deeply heteronormative and the scripts for acceptable male behavior have been ingrained in readers.

Consider when Nesta tumbles down the steps. Azriel, at dinner, hesitates. "Did someone do this to you?" he asks, glancing at Cassian. It's not funny. We're in Cassian's head for it. Cassian knows Azriel thinks he hurt Nesta. He's not offended by it.

And if that's who Cassian is, then the book should have been them growing to meet each other in the middle. But Cassian's POV exists only to push along the plot and I think that's why he is the way he is. He's there to tell us whats going on with Koschei, with Hybern and Eris and the human Queens. Nesta, trapped in the house of wind, can't know those things so we need a vehicle to see all that stuff but like OH MY GOD who cared about so much of it? Briallyn was another one dimensional villain with no stakes because her personality was literally defined by "do crime" which is not compelling.

I'm writing a dissertation. JFC I have so many feelings. Like I understand why Cassian ended up how he did in some ways. The character belongs to SJM and I know people are like, you're arrogant for thinking you could do better than the literal author but I do think fundamentally SJM did not understand what made Nessian so compelling. They were so different from Feysand, their dynamic was rough and tumble and I think people wanted to see more of the man who joked around with Feyre but also went to war for her on that ice lake in Winter Court, and instead we got the worst boyfriend we'd all collectively ever dated.

And only ACOSF Cassian could make Neris a compelling ship. I think if ACOSF had been ACOWAR Cassian/Nesta, Neris would not exist like it does now

[whereisnardo]

Love Languages: Kage, Sannin, and Sensei’s

Tsunade: After Dan, Tsunade has struggled to open up to those she cares about. She isn't the most articulate with her words, and she often expresses her fondess for someone by either teasing, or being overly critical/protective. Her love language is physical touch, she really only lets those truly close to her, touch her (and she only engages in physical contact w/ those she loves).

Kakashi: Jfc he's almost as emotionally stunted as Sasuke. Kakashi struggles with himself, because often feels as though he is unworthy of love--but he won't ever voice this. He receives words of affirmation well, but he rarely gives them. He expresses his love for someone through physical touch, and quality time. If he's ever just laying on the couch with you with his head in your lap, he really loves you.

Minato: Oh, this precious ball of sunshine. Don't let his boyish-innocence fool you, he's actually a quite mature individual. His love languages are a mix of words of affirmation and acts of service. Despite the duties that come with being Hokage, Minato has managed to retain his innocence regarding emotions. He doesn't let the horrors of the shinobi world change how he loves those around him; if anything, it makes him cherish the ones he loves even more.

Mei: Honestly, Mei might be the most well adjusted on on this list (except perhaps equal to Asuma and Kurenai). She knows how to communicate and use her words, and this explains why her fundamental love language is words of affirmation. She also appreciates receiving heartfelt gifts from her partner.

A (fourth Raikage): A is very proud, and this can get in the way of him communicating openly and honestly with his partner. He also doesn't always absorb the things that are said to him. He best expresses his feelings through physical touch. He's a busy guy, so quality time can be limited, but he frees up all the time for his partner that he can.

Jiraiya: It may be a surprise, but Jiraiya's dominate love language is not physical touch. Sure he likes being touched, but it isn't something that feels intimate to him. His love language is actually acts of service. And these acts of service can be pretty grandiose, and may even be detrimental to his character or health. You know... like monitoring the akatsuki.... or infiltrating the village hidden in the rain...

Asuma: One of the better adjusted on the list, Asuma is honest about his feelings and doesn't suffer from that weird 'feelings are wEaK' thing. He really expresses his adoration for someone through giving gifts. He loves to spoil his s/o, he also often uses words of affirmation to express himself. He likes to hear affirming words in return; he decided a while ago that shinobi life was to unpredictable to be bothered by the 'unmanliness' associated with feelings. He firmly believes that you should tell the people that you love that you love them while they're still here.

Kurenai: She's is also better adjusted than a majority of shinobi, she likes to think it's because she actually uses her brain. Even though she is well spoken, she strongly prefers quality time over words of affirmation. She likes her partner to follow through with their actions, so words mean little to her, until they are properly backed by her partners behaviour.

Gai: Omfg this man. He wants to spend every second, of every day, with you. He doesn't understand the meaning of personal space. You will not convince me that his love language is anything other that quality time (ahem, the constant 'battles' with Kakashi). There is nothing he wants more than to spend his time with his love. You would have to carefully explain (because it will hurt his feelings) that even though you love him, you still need time alone. Be gentle, please. He will quickly get over it if you give him a couple kisses.

Iruka: He still struggles over the deaths of his parents, and comrades. So he can be distant at times, and because of that quality time isn't always something he feels that he can fulfil. But he does express his love for you through gift giving and acts of service. He does these things so that you know he still cares about you, even in times where he may need more personal space.

C: Because he is so involved in his work, quality time can be few and far between. He's also a bit stingy with personal affection... and he sucks with words. He can be tricky for a partner, because he often comes across as aloof or disinterested. He knows that he can be a shitty partner, but he just can't verbalise it; his pride often gets in the way. The one way you can really tell that he cares is when he nags you; he nags you to eat better, get more sleep, train more, etc. He nags because he cares, this will often turn into acts of service because well... if you aren't going to eat better, then he's going to make your meals. If you aren't sleeping enough, guess what? He's coming over and you're both going to sleep. He's a mother hen, albeit a grumpy one, but he does care. He just doesn't know how to show it.

[shijiujun]

Time for some BL/Danmei novel recs! 

You guys have probably (maybe) seen my novels list here - [X] - but it’s more for my own tracking than anything else, so here’s a brief list (I’ll probably do full ones of the ones I really love in another post, probably on Minmo).

The ones elaborated on below with the asterisks are the novels I’ve actually finished reading.

*since everyone more or less knows MXTX’s works - TGCF, MDZS and SVSSS, I’ll skip those!

1. SCI 迷案集 | SCI Mystery Series by 耳雅*

Summary: Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao are childhood friends and rivals that end up working together under the newly established SCI unit as co-leads, with Bai Yutang providing the brawn as Captain and Zhan Zhao the brains as Vice Captain and the team’s resident genius psychologist. They solve cases together and slowly unravel a wider conspiracy that involves their parents’ generation and beyond. At the same time they also realize that they’re meant for each other!

Other CPs: Bai Jintang (Bai Yutang’s older brother) & the medical examiner, Gongsun Ce, Bai Chi (Bai Yutang’s younger cousin) & magician Zhao Zhen, and at least three other gay pairings, one of which is considered another main couple of sorts from Vol. 2 onwards

Status: Incomplete (Began in 2010, author is still going on strong with one chapter every one or two months, we’re halfway through Vol. 5 right now and it’s been 10 years ;-; Love that the author is going on strong!! Everyone on JJWXC are like “please author it’s okay if you go slow as long as you keep going we’re here for you” and jfc I understand the fear of this not completing, also when will Vol. 5 be completed and printed?!! I need to complete the collection)

Translations: Unfortunately, only the first volume has been translated well so far on novel updates. The one on Wattpad seems to have caught up, but I would not recommend that one.

Drama/Live-Action: Season 1 was filmed and released in 2018 under the same name with slightly changed names for the characters. Season 2 was supposed to start filming this month but... oh well. First season basically covered Vol. 1 novel from start to end.

*I love this one only because it was my very first danmei and so it’ll forever have a special place in my heart, and also because it’s still ongoing so ya know, I relive how much I love this every month

2. 成化十四年 | Cheng Hua’s Fourteenth Year (The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty) by 梦溪石*

Summary: Tang Fan, a prefectural judge, and Sui Zhou, a high ranking officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guards, meet while trying to solve a murder case. Both of them end up partnering very well together, Sui Zhou ends up inviting Tang Fan to live with him, and the rest is history. Through their days living together and solving cases + a larger conspiracy involving the royal palace, they fall in love. Adding to this mix is also Wang Zhi, a powerful, young eunuch who befriends the pair, and the three of them basically help the crown prince to overcome challenges and his enemies to become the next Emperor

Other CPs: None XD

Status: Complete!

Translations: Ongoing on several websites. I’m only translating relationship highlights, but here’s an introduction post I did for it, if you guys would like somewhere to start without getting too invested - [X]

Drama/Live-Action: The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty was released earlier this year, directed by Jackie Chan and starring Darren Chen and Paul Fu, but cases are a little different and there are new characters in the show that weren’t from the novel etc.

3. 杀破狼 | Shapolang by Priest*

Summary: Set in a steampunk universe where flying boats named ‘kites’ and flying armour exist. Young teenager Chang Geng lives with his mother and stepfather - the former abuses him and the latter neglects him, and the only person that he cares about (and cares about him) is Shen Shiliu, his (very young) godfather. He realizes his identity as a royal prince when the Man tribe invades his city and Shen Shiliu, whose real name is Gu Yun, turns out to be an army general whose duty was to protect Chang Geng in secret (among other things). 

Chang Geng has been critically poisoned by his mother (who’s not actually his birth mother, if I recall she’s an aunt) which leads to him getting terrible dreams frequently with the end result of him being driven into insanity, while Gu Yun is half blind, half deaf due to poisoning + injury when he was much younger, and he can only regain his hearing and sight fully when he takes a medicine that is slowly losing its effectiveness with every dosage he has.

The both of them navigate learning about each other again, falling in love a few years later when Chang Geng is all grown up and also unravel conspiracies and fight bad guys (both external threats and internal as in the current Emperor and other parties) XD

*Note: The age old debate is that Gu Yun ‘preyed’ on and also ‘groomed’ Chang Geng, but I disagree and stand by the fact that Gu Yun was 90% of the time not around while Chang Geng grew from a teenager to a young adult as he was fighting wars elsewhere, while Chang Geng refused to stay at the Gu manor and insisted on running around, travelling on his own and seeing the world for a few years before they met again. And it was Chang Geng who’d always loved Gu Yun and devoted himself to caring about him, making advances on him etc. when he became an adult

Other CPs: Shen Yi (Gu Yun’s second-in-command) & Chen Qingxu (a renowned physician who ends up healing both Chang Geng and Gu Yun of their ailments) 

Status: Complete!

Translations: Fully translated the last I heard, it’s up there in the list of holy grail BL/danmei novels, so I’m sure it’s done hahaha.

Drama/Live-Action: Filming in progress!

*This is up there in the hall of fame for danmei novels for more than just the amazing content and writing - It’s also famous for being one of the most complex novels ever. I don’t know how the translations team did it because DAMN it was complex and I read all my novels in Chinese without much issues but I was honestly STRUGGLING WITH this one and I went through some existential crisis while reading because I was like ‘did I ever learn Chinese, am I even Chinese’ XD

4. 默读 | Silent Reading by Priest*

Summary: Luo Wenzhou, a police captain, and his team including best friend and partner Tao Ran, face a few challenging cases that end up being small parts of a larger conspiracy, and end up having to consult with Fei Du, a flamboyant, charming and flirty, young and rich CEO, who Luo Wenzhou describes as someone who is an expert at ‘crimes’. Not deduction, not solving crimes, but someone who is familiar with how the murderer or culprits would commit crimes. Both Luo Wenzhou and Tao Ran know Fei Du well, because they first met when Fei Du was in high school, when he called the police because his mother had hanged herself in the house, and since then Tao Ran and Luo Wenzhou look out for him, spending holidays with him, giving him presents here and there. Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du overcome their misunderstandings of each other and fall in love while solving all the cases and the larger conspiracy behind it.

Other CPs: Tao Ran and someone he knew first from his school days or was a neighbour when he was younger, I can’t remember, but they meet again at a blind date and end up living in the same building on different floors XD

Status: Complete!

Translations: Complete!! There’s a huge post floating around on Tumblr with all the links (I can’t find it right now) and on Twitter you can also find the collated, epub versions etc.

Drama/Live-Action: Rights for a live-action was signed, no casting confirmation or set dates yet

5. 犯罪心理 | Criminal Psychology by 长洱*

Summary: Police captain Xing Conglian drags psychologist Lin Chen out of seclusion/hiding to solve a case that is indirectly tied to him. Lin Chen was involved in a case a few years ago that led to four deaths - these four victims were the sons/daughters of four of the five huge old-money (super rich) families in the country and these family members sought to make Lin Chen’s life very difficult for him afterwards by making him lose all the jobs he can find, by surveilling his every move and ensuring that he’s not happy etc. Because of that, he backed out of the police force as well and quietly lived as a school dorm administrator, which is where Xing Conglian finds him a few years later. Lin Chen fakes his death after the first case (not deliberately but kind of a by-the-way thing), but as fate would have it, he ends up meeting Xing Conglian on another case, and he decides that he’ll move in with him and also involve himself again, consequences be damned, and they fall in love!

Other CPs: None XD

Status: Complete!

Translations: I think it’s not complete yet.

Drama/Live-Action: None that I know of.

6. 死亡万花筒 | Kaleidoscope of Death by 西子绪* (MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE)

Summary: Supernatural setting where people who are about to die get a second chance to live. These individuals are either in the midst of a dangerous situation (for e.g. a shootout or a deadly mugging incident) or are about to get into accidents (for e.g. an entire bus going off a bridge or a chandelier dropping from above and crushing the person underneath) or are ill (recently diagnosed with cancer or are terminally ill with a condition for e.g.) - The list is endless, and in the situation between life and death, 12 doors will appear before them. 

It is said that once these individuals finish all 12 doors, they will truly get a second chance at life and survive whatever cause of death they were imminently facing. 

Each door represents a creepy, supernatural mystery, and Lin Qiushi finds himself in a strange place after opening a door when he was trying to enter his apartment one day. He meets Ruan Baijie, a beautiful, tall woman who he happens to meet, and they realize that in this strange world, he and other individuals who came through the door have to complete a given task, find a key and an exit door, and make it out alive. The others in the team (some of which have already gone through several doors) explain to Lin Qiushi, who is a first-timer, what the doors are about. 

The catch is, if they die inside the door, in the real world, they’ll die immediately, by accident, throwing themselves off a building, or just throwing up blood until they die (just to name a few)

On the first night, however, three people are slaughtered and eaten by a long-haired ghost/creature. The good news is, Ruan Baijie isn’t all that she seems to be (for one, she’s not exactly a woman) and she takes a liking to Lin Qiushi immediately.

Other CPs: None XD

Status: Complete!

Translations: I think it’s not complete yet!

Drama/Live-Action: None that I know of, but honestly, this novel would be fricking EPIC as a live-action, and really creepy, but this is my all-time favourite novel, I kid you not!!!!

*I’m definitely doing a longer and more detailed to-read for KOD on my translation account, gosh you guys have no idea how much I love this.

7. 当年万里觅封侯 | Those Years in Quest of Honor Mine by 漫漫何其多

Summary: Yu She and Gu Wan were close friends for a short period of time when they were younger, but unfortunately their identities and positions meant that they were opponents. Yu She’s family was for the Second Prince and Gu Wan was taken in by the Sixth Prince’s family, but in the end it was the Second Prince who ended up getting to the throne, while the Sixth Prince was accused of treason and died somewhere far away at war after being captured. Gu Wan’s only wish was to keep the Fifth Prince’s children - Xuan Rui and a pair of twins, Xuan Yu and Xuan Congxin safe, and so he moves them to another province and asks the Emperor (the Second Prince) to demote Xuan Rui’s status to prove that they are no threat to the Emperor, if only to stay alive for another day.

However, their days of hardship have only just begun, and Gu Wan decides to namedrop Yu She, whose family is so powerful now, and claims that Yu She loves him and that he was wooing Gu Wan back in the days they knew each other so that officials and others would treat the children under his care better. A few years pass and Yu She doesn’t expose Gu Wan. Gu Wan thinks they can go on like this forever, until the Emperor asks Xuan Rui and the twins to head back to the palace for a visit.

Gu Wan meets Yu She again, but the boy he knew, who was gentle, a stickler for rules and a proper, well-mannered person, has changed almost completely. Cue palace conspiracies again, brothers fighting for the throne, scheming consorts etc. XD 

Other CPs: None XD

Status: Complete!

Translations: I think it’s not complete yet but I’m not super sure on this

Drama/Live-Action: None that I know of!

*They came out with a new reprint edition three days ago and it’s gorgeous! And comes with amazing freebies, and I am a sucker and read it on the day of the printed novel release because I saw the art and loved it, wanted to see if the story was any good, and damn after chapter 2 I WAS GONE and then I checked out two copies from different stores for the two different sets of freebies 

--

A list of those I haven’t read but I see are highly raved about:

1. 二哈和他的白猫师尊 | The Husky & His White Cat Shizun by Meatbun

- I’ve already been spoiled and I know what goes on mostly, and there are a lot of warnings for a reason, but I’m still a fan, and let’s not get into the debate on the content, I know I have to read this but the angst level is apparently ridiculous, so I need like some mental preparation before I sit down for it.

2. 千秋 | A Thousand Autumns by 梦溪石

3. 烈火浇愁 | Lie Huo Jiao Chou by Priest

4. 将进酒 | Qiang Jing Jiu by 唐酒卿

- A really good group of translators picked this up initially on Twitter, but then assholes were complaining that they were being too slow and insisting that machine translation (MTL) did an equally good and faster job, so the OG dropped it, and then another nice team picked it up, but MTL team is still being an asshole XD I’ve heard really good things about this one, it’s apparently quite complex as well, I’d liken it to Shapolang level? But it might be even more complex (with a lot of politics and stuff), so much so that apparently the printed novel comes with a relationship/character chart so readers are at any point in time clear on the characters which is like amazing XD

[gilmores-glorious-blog]

tw: very long vent incoming:

i hate fandom discourse so fucking much and every goddamn time i think i’ve come across a fandom that’s free of it it’s not and every time it gives me a panic attack and i hate it because i know it makes me a shitty person i know it does that’s part of why it gives me a panic attack but i just,, i try to put as much energy as i can outside of fandom to being a good person and a good activist and it can be tiring as fuck for a teenage girl who’s had to spend her years of growing up in this fucked up excuse of a world and fandom is my only place of escape from that but then it isn’t and it never is and every time i’m suddenly being yelled at that i’m racist or i’m transphobic or i’m sexist or i’m homophobic (those last two are especially fun since i’m literally. a queer woman.) and it’s just a lot to handle and the problem usually doesn’t even make sense to me like,, as someone who was into hamilton for a while and understands now that it is Fucked Up, ofmd really doesn’t seem like the same thing like?? i get that the real people were shitty and i get that it’s kinda weird that they used real names instead of creating new characters but like,, people aren’t being like “oh my god the real actual person blackbeard/stede bonnet is my poor little meow meow and i love him omg!!” like they were with hamilton (or at least not that i’ve seen. if they are then. stop. obviously.) like it’s just the names and careers and general dates that are the same there’s little fuck all for historical accuracy in this show it’s not supposed to be a biography defending these slave owners because yeah of course they were terrible people, irl blackbeard was fucking AWFUL jfc i knew that going into this show,, these are fictional characters,,, and i KNOW that i shouldn’t say this i shouldn’t get a say in this i know that full well goddamnit and i hate myself for it i hate that i can’t just accept valid criticism of things it’s my least favorite thing about myself and that’s saying something because there’s a lot i hate about myself, but i just. i can’t lose that happy space of a hyperfixation i CAN’T. i never can it’s always the bright spot in my life and that’s why i’ve always hated discourse but now especially,,,, ofmd and cr are the ONLY good things for me right now i am in a VERY bad place mentally except for the little bit of joy that those things bring me and i can’t afford to lose that i can’t afford to be a good person and not consume problematic media it’s literally the only thing keeping me going i’m legitimately scared of what will happen if i let this discourse get to me and i lose ofmd i need these hyperfixations or i’m going to be in a. very very bad place mentally. obviously ignore all of this i just need to word vomit into the void or i’m going to actively have a panic attack,,, and please please please god don’t give me shit on this don’t try to explain the discourse further if you read this post and your takeaway is that you should just continue the discourse on this post then ur a shitty person and please just fuck off. i know i’m a shitty person too. believe me. i don’t need to hear it again.

[mskatesharma]

Is this about a fanfic? Jks i hated when Penelope called her a beast but Anthony actually never says those words so why put it in fanfic? Like its so weird and so is the whole "kate thought she was less prettier than her sister" like are we writing comedy now🤨

Not a fanfic (I stopped reading again lol), it was a post, but it honestly doesn’t surprise me that people are using ‘beast’ and ‘creature’ in fics, even less so at Anthony thinking of her as such as well? It’s fucking depressing.

Why is it so hard for writers and posters to employ a bit of critical thinking when writing and talking about non white characters, especially with the way they interact with white characters? Why is that apparently too much to ask for, especially when these people claim to care about the characters? I fucking hate this fandom, because the onus and burden is always on the fans of colour to call out shit, or not read and interact with stuff, and tbh, I don’t think other (white) fans realise just how fucking tiring that can be, especially when they’re usually the originators of the insensitive bullshit? And if one fan of colour apparently doesn’t object to whatever bullshit they’re peddling, they use that as an excuse to ignore all other (valid) criticisms? Jfc

Tbh most of this can fandom can fuck off because it doesn’t deserve Kate Sharma

[bemtevis]

different anon but I can 1000% confirm that cc has what i, as a person critical of cc, an uncomfortably close relationship with several of her fans. (warning for mentions of old discourse and a pretty long rant ahead)

I don't remember when i followed you/how long you''ve been in the fandom, but for context back sometime in the latter half of 2020 there was a huge fandom implosion because of the way cc (and half the fandom) bullied and spread hate about a reader who leaked the arc of lbotw, which resulted in a new wave of discussions about the issues with cc and her books. Some people left the fandom completely, some changed urls away from tsc related ones, and some people deleted sideblogs entirely.

It was at this time that I was blocked by two specific users who I was mutuals with because I had reblogged some anti cc posts. Their position was that because cc's books had helped them through a rough time and figure things out for themselves that there could be nothing wrong with her or any content she produced. During these few days of discourse they defended characters whenever they were criticized for offensive or harmful canon behaviors, made multiple posts shading poc fans, and victimized themselves when people pointed out that they could like an author's works and characters while acknowledging their problems and separating the content from the creator. After this discourse kinda started to die down they were constantly posting about how awesome cc was and sending cc asks that as an outsider reminded me of when a kid in class always tried to compliment teachers for better grades/more attention/to seem better than the other students. I mean they were sharing some seriously personal information. (its also worth noting that they were all adults and insulted/directly went after minors in the fandom.)

(I really hope this is ok, I don't want to bring discourse up or bring problems for you, my only goal was to confirm what the other anon was saying and maybe warn you to stay away from these guys I guess?? I'm not really in the fandom anymore, you're actually one of the only tsc blogs I follow, but I really appreciate your blog and think you're really cool! please don't post this if it's going to bring you any issues on your blog)))))

Hm. Of course she does

I have been on the fandom for almost two years, though I only got on Tumblr about a year and a half ago. I remember that happening but I didn't know it was so bad, what the hell?

I hate those kinds of people, like. If her books helped you, that's great and I'm happy for you, I don't think there's anything inherently bad about that! Now, when they use that to deny the harm she's caused, that's so frustrating JFC. And not only to deny it, but to actively ignore and shade people's (very valid) opinions? Ugh, that must have been awful

THEY WERE ADULTS GOING AFTER MINORS OMG WHAT

I got an anon ask a while ago that I never answered (sorry ah) and from what I remember, that person had been blocked by CC for being critical of her. If that's true, or even if not actually, she's actively ignoring people's concerns and criticism. It makes sense for her to favoritize people who do the same lol

Don't worry, I don't think it'll bring me any issues! Ty for the ask and ty 💖💖

[marvellouslymadmim]

Hey! Aspiring fanfic writer here; I was wondering if you could talk a bit about your writing/editing process and how long it all takes.

Thanks!

Welp, roughly the same extremely long amount of time it takes to actually answer an ask, tbh 🙃

So...I only know how my brain works, and I can only tell you what works for me might not work for you, and that's OK. I'm breaking into two separate bits, because I almost never do writing and editing at the same time.

And as far as a timeline, honestly it just depends. On life factors, what my hormones are doing at the time (jfc like the week before my period, I have zero creativity, motivation, or attention span), if I'm having trouble with a particular scene, if I'm getting consistent positive feedback (yes, I can totally admit that I write faster when I know a particular reviewer is following along with every update), etc.

WRITING:

First, you gotta just...be fixated, I guess. Particularly if it's an AU, I sit with it for a long time before I ever write a word. I go over scenes, think about how the world changes, what stays the same, what *has* to stay the same to keep the characters true to their canon personalities. I sit with the characters for a long time, too--not just the main characters, but the supporting cast, too. In order to predict someone's future, you have to know their past. Most of our present actions are actually reactions to past events, when you think about it. The better you know your version of the character, the easier every other aspect of writing will be. I don't know how it is for other people, but I don't ever "feel" like I'm writing. I feel like I'm "witnessing", and the characters are simply doing whatever they wish. (***this is gonna be a thing during the editing process, too, so hang on to that)

Then once I have a general idea, I choose a title. Generally, I do not even start a word document until I have a proper title to put on it. The title is part of the theme and aesthetic to me, and it grounds me in the overall arc.

Once that's done, it's time for outlining. I generally wait until I feel this weird almost tingling in my left arm (weirder still bc I'm right handed) and I'm practically vibrating with a need to WRITE THIS STORY NOW. Then I put on some Bear McCreary (honestly, any videogame soundtrack will do, as they are literally designed to help you maintain focus and keep pace) and fucking go to town. For me, it helps to do this with pen and paper, so that I can go back up and squiggle little notes in the margin, rearrange the order, etc, far faster than I could on a computer.

Important note: the outline is not the end-all be-all. Some things don't make it to the final print. Some minor storylines get tossed or characters simply...take a different path than I expect. I will continue re-writing and updating the outline as I go along. On average, I usually have 5-8 outlines per story, and they're often 3-10 pages long. I also have a posted outline, which is a log of all the scenes that did make it to the final product. 

Then, it's the actual writing, at long last. I have found that I write best at the start of my day, before the noise and static of daily life comes in. So I wake up around 5am and spend 90minutes writing before beginning my workday routine. I have the Word app on my phone and may continue adding bits in throughout the day at work, if I get a moment. However, after 5pm my brain is usually fried and no more creativity happens. On weekends, I try to have one morning where I "sleep in" til 6am, and then write until at least 10am, sometimes 2pm, if I can get away with it.

The hardest part still is knowing when to transition and when to skip to the next chapter/scene/whatever. This is like...zero percent helpful, but I liken it to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's definition of pornography: "I know it when I see it." It may seem like a scene is circling, and sometimes it means you gotta leave the room a bit earlier bc the scene has already served its purpose. Other times, it means ya gotta stay with it a bit longer, because there's something the character is trying to say. Give them patience, and give yourself patience, too. Explore the scene and its dynamics. You won't know til you know and even then, sometimes you won't be entirely sure. That's ok, too. Part of the process. Remember editing will happen and you can decide then (hell, you can literally re-edit after it's been published, I've done that before too and added a note on the next chapter for any readers who might have read the first version 🤷🏻‍♀️ not ideal but still functional).

EDITING:

I do simple edits (spelling, grammar, etc) just about every morning as I reread what I wrote the day before, which is a refresher course for the day's writing session. But big "real" editing generally doesn't happen until right before posting.

Now, here's the ***issue from writing: sometimes, something just "doesn't work" in a scene. Again, you'll know it when you see it. The words a character is saying feels clunky. The pacing feels off. Something just...ain't right. More often than not, it means either I haven't truly sat with a character long enough to know their true motivations/backstory, or I am not giving characters the proper time/space/impediment to make the actions or say the things they're currently making/saying. I'm trying to force the flow, rather than letting it ebb and breathe when it needs to.

Absolute ProTip: You spent HOURS writing this scene. It's got some REALLY GOOD moments and lines in it. It doesn't work but you can't just delete it. It's your LIFE. I struggle with this A LOT, and I have found a solution: create a second "outtakes" document to cut and paste those scenes into. Sometimes I still keep moments or bits of dialog. Sometimes I later use bits in a later scene. Sometimes I never look at it again but I still feel secure in knowing that if I wanted to go back and use the original scene instead, I totally can. I don't think I've actually ever gone back to the original, tbh, but it reduced my anxiety about deleting the scene and starting over.

So back to the scene that doesn't work. I take it apart, figure out *at what exact point* it stops working, then work back up a few lines to see where the shift actually begins. More often than not, it's because I'm having characters express their feelings in ways they actually wouldn't. (people very very very rarely actually say what they're thinking/feeling, and you have to relay it in other ways). So I have to keep the internal monologue of what they're actually feeling/thinking, while figuring out how that actually translates via tone, body language, and what they do and don't say.

The "something ain't working stage" can take LITERAL WEEKS. I sometimes have to walk away for awhile, or tackle it only on days when I know I have hours upon hours to truly work on it. I keep circling back around, and eventually, the knot works itself out. Persistence, and insistence that "good enough" isn't actually good enough, are key. (this is why you have to fixated on the story you want to tell--because some days, it's going to take every ounce of that obsession to keep you going and keep you on the track of telling the story you wanted to tell, rather than settling or switching to an easier tack)

Sometimes, editing is a breeze. I don't change much, I may go a little more into the character's inner world here or there. Once you've been doing this for awhile, you'll just know when a story hits all its marks--and you'll also know when it's not, when it could be more or do more, and you can figure out how to get it there. There isn't a precise formula for it, it's more like cooking without an actual recipe to follow--a dash here, a bit there, you'll know it when you taste it.

And I'll leave you with this unsolicited bit: just write. Write often, write about everything, write what makes YOU passionate and happy, and absolutely write for yourself. Edit the fuck out of it, if you need to. Get a beta reader, if you need to. Get someone to just bounce ideas off, if you need to. And don't post it until you're truly ready and it's something you genuinely want to share. If someone gives constructive criticism, take in on the chin and move on (keep the notes, if you think they're valid, and toss em if you don't--you'll never be everyone's style of writer, so know that sometimes, people just won't be the target audience). Know that you'll grow and you'll learn and you'll find your own voice and like any skill, you'll develop a second nature about it--all those parts where I say "you'll know it when you see it" or "you'll feel it" absolutely come from spending a literal lifetime (28 years) writing stories, and thirteen years of writing fanfic in particular. It's ok if you don't see it or feel it right away. It takes practice. And you will have an audience at every skill level, no matter what (finding that audience? different story altogether...).

All totaled, this process can take anywhere from 3months to over a year. Stories are like children, I've found: they each develop at their own pace, and some may need more time and assistance than others. But they're still pretty wonderful. (except the bratty stories. they're the worst 🙄)

[glittercracker]

Kingkiller Crap

So, I’ve never really posted much here that involves my own thoughts. There are a number of reasons why, but whatever. I feel the need NOW to post some thoughts, and having no working independent blog (yet!) I suppose this is the place to dump them. PSA: none of this is about anime. None of this is frivolous or fun. TW for sexual abuse. You have been warned! So. I’ve been rereading the Kingkiller Chronicles. aka “Name of the Wind” and “The Wise Man’s Fear” and “That Other One That Shall Not Be Named.” This reread was, at the beginning, almost an afterthought. A way to keep my 13 yo happy on a 7 hour car ride. Except, he could not have cared less, and I got sucked back into the story (and okay, if that is how all our audiobook car rides go, meh? At least it keeps me sharp!) I raced through book one, and bought book 2 on audible with an eye to my upcoming surgery and recooperation. Book one was problematic in the places I remembered, but also as generally engaging as I remembered. And then book 2 happened, and surgery happened, and I have had weeks to lie in bed listening to this bloody interminable sequel, and I find myself lost in a morass of, “WTF was I ever THINKING?” Namely, how did I ever love this book enough to pine for the next? It’s been hard to put a finger on exactly what is making this time through book 2 both a slog and also vaguely, creepily uncomfortable, but if you’re interested, my rather stream-of-consciousness ramble of thoughts ensues. First, the male gaze that rears its head at times in book 1 predominates here. But while I don’t love the way Kvothe describes women, I also have 2 degrees in literature, and I’m beyond that being a reason not to read an otherwise engaging book. Second, Kvothe is a Gary Stu, for all of Rothfuss’s protestations to the contrary. Again, so far, so much traditional high fantasy. But while, say, Aragorn is content to just quietly be Awesome At Everything, Kvothe is a braggy little shit of a Gary Stu: the person you hated for announcing their perfect scores in that hs class you could never quite master. I could fill several pages with examples, but for some reason what really made me want to kick him in the head was not Felurian’s disbelief of his virginity (though really, jfc, REALLY?) Nope, it was the end of his time w the Ademrae (sp may be off, remember, I’m listening not reading!) when he crows about having learned the history of his sword 2 days earlier than expected. Why does this stick out? Oh, idk. Maybe bc he sucks so hard he can’t even get past the first obstacle in his practical final exam? Yet he still has to tell us how fucking awesome he is for remembering 6000 names of previous owners.

I know, I’m supposed to forgive his teenage idiocy. The internet sympathists (no pun intended!) keep telling me this. And I suppose that I would, IF this were a simple first-person narrative - but it isn’t. Let’s repeat that, and really think about it. This story is being narrated by an older and presumably wiser Kvothe who has lost everything - whose abilities have been expunged to the extent that he can’t open his own chest of Cool Stuff. He shows humility in his actions, mostly. And yet when discussing his 16 yo self, the humility evaporates, and he speaks with no kind of perspective or lens of accrued wisdom. He still compares women to instruments waiting for the “right” player (i.e. him) and defends this choice of words by saying, essentially, “You aren’t a musician, you don’t know!”

Interesting assumption for an innkeeper in a medieval-esque world. Interesting assumption if this is in fact authorial interjection, too, because I suspect the majority of this book’s audience *are* musicians to at least an extent, and I also suspect that the majority of us (yes, us - I own several beloved instruments, including a harp custom made for me as a wedding present from my husband) would not equate a human lover to even the most beloved of instruments.

But all of this is well-trodden critical ground. As far as I can tell, though, my third issue isn’t: although it’s perhaps the most glaringly tone-deaf example of all of Rothfuss’s excruciatingly tone-deaf portrayal of his world’s women. Namely, the two girls kidnapped and gang-raped by the fake Ruh.

Almost all of the criticism I’ve read on this section of TWMF concentrates on Kvothe’s treatment of the girls’ abusers. What’s interesting is that no one ever seems to write about Kvothe’s treatment of the girls themselves. Yes, he treats them kindly. He tends their wounds, he feeds them, he tries (and succeeds, of course) to draw Ellie out of her shocked stupor. 

Yet what he never once does, from the moment he takes control of the situation, is ask their opinions on any of this, including what their next step should be. He just decides to bring them back to their families - families who, in this type of society, might well disown them for being “ruined”. And the girls themselves, namely the intelligent and savvy Krin, seem to go blindly along with what he says. Why? Would Krin at least not question this, or object to his making decisions for her, when a group of men had so recently and brutally taken away all of her agency? Would she not question whether being brought back to her family is the best thing for the catatonic Ellie?

Okay, apparently not. So they return to their apparently very forgiving town. Kvothe stands up for the girls against the village shithead: thank you, Kvothe, bc I’m sure Krin could not have said those words herself. He assures the reader that they are with people who will love and care for them despite what has happened to them: thank you, Kvothe, though it’s stretching my credulity a bit that you would assume that no one will take issue with their deflowering. But then he “gifts” the girls the spoils of his slaughter: the horses, the valuables, the wagons. And I was about to give him a (grudging) pass for being decent about this, EXCEPT: he goes on to say that these goods are meant for the girls’ dowries. Specifically, to make them worth enough financially for potential husbands to overlook their loss of virginity. He even tells Krin not to settle for a less-than-lucrative marriage.

And suddenly, I was outraged. Why? Because a man who had witnessed the full extend of these women’s abuse brought them back to a backwater town believing that he was being magnanimous both in doing so, and in giving up whatever share he might have taken of the spoils of the debacle to make them financially lucrative marriage prospects. Because he never asked these traumatized girls if they might rather cut and run with the money than use it to make some man overlook their abuse in order to make them his property. He never even questions the idea that they will be grateful to submit to marriage contracts that will no doubt require them to have sex with their husbands, even though these women have been abused to the extent that they cannot sit a horse for *two days* after being rescued. And the worst part is that 20-something frame-story Kvothe doesn’t question this either; he just goes on to gloat about people singing songs about his daring rescue. Maybe I was just ready for a straw to break my benefit of the doubt. Or maybe this really is as outrageous as it feels. Either way, I can’t help being angry at Rothfuss. As a writer, I am very well aware that character and author are not the same thing; that authorial intent is not the same as authorial beliefs. But there are moments in some books when I have to wonder if that line is blurring, and this is one of them. Kvothe has literally JUST left a female-dominated country full of independent women happily doing their own thing. He has given these girls the means to find themselves a situation that will never require them to be beholden to a man again - even houses ffs, in the shape of those 2 wagons, should they want them. There are so many options beyond marriage: I can’t, for instance, think of a medieval society that didn’t have its version of a convent. Or, for Krin at least, why not the University? For that matter, why not marry her himself, and then set her free to do as she likes under the awning of a respectable marriage? 

Instead he returns them to their fathers, and likewise gives their fathers the means to marry them off with no argument. Who, after all, holds the reins of the horses at the end? Why does Kvothe assume that these families will actually use the wealth even in the dubious way that he recommends?

And in this, I think, I am justified in giving Rothfuss the stink-eye. This is one more instance for Kvothe to play the hero with no real attention given to the consequences. Kvothe himself, I think, would be appalled. He has suffered so much deprivation in his life, so often been marginalized, scapegoated, powerless, how on earth could he so easily consign others to that fate? How could he think, loving Denna as he does, having heard her words to the beaten girl in Severin, that buying these girls husbands who will “overlook” their abuse for the sake of wealth is anything but a wretched life sentence for them?

Sigh. There was a time when I desperate awaited book three. Now, given the other women’s lives at stake in this series, I’m not so sure I want to know.

[sunriseindigo]

003 - Yoruko or Mikako?

hello i finally the energy to continue with this!!! thank u peri for allowing me to gush about these ladies ur awesome!!!!

yoruko kabuya

How I feel about this character:

woman,,,,, pretty....

in all seriousness tho she’s a really great character and i love her dearly!!! i want her to give me a hug and a compliment,,,,

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character:

hello setsuka chiebukuro, the ult billiards player!! how are we doing today? :) besides her i also ship her with hibiki and i’ve been thinking about kokoro too for some reason?? i just think they would have a good dynamic together man,,,

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character:

first and foremost sora!!!! i feel really uncomfy with soruko however that doesn’t mean i don’t like them platonically!! they’re just vibing and and having a great time!!

My unpopular opinion about this character:

she!!! is!!! not!!! bland!!! characters don’t have to go through severe trauma or a massive character arc in a story in order to be likable!!! characters don’t have to change their entire personality in order for u to like them!! plz start evaluating and analyzing characters and have critical thinking skills instead of saying “lol no depth therefore bad” (this doesn’t mean u have to like her!! this just means to stop saying she bad because she didn’t go through trauma, jfc)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

linuj plz stop telling us that yoruko’s sexuality is “up in the air” and just admit that she isn’t straight challenge

Favorite friendship for this character:

again already answered this but like,,, her and emma,,, trans lesbian solidarity,,,

My crossover ship:

i declare ms kabuya and ms akamatsu wives

mikako kurokawa

How I feel about this character:

ashkslaqilbwjdebjda plzzzz ur gonna make me write a 4000 word essay on why i luv her so much,,,,,, she’s genuinely helped me through depressive episodes and panic attacks and she’s so cute and gorgeous and beautiful and like goddd I LOVE HER SO MUCH WAAAA--

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character:

me =D

as for canon characters ummm reikako is ultimate pogchamp!! i love them so much i’ll probably draw this once i’m done but i have no motivation for art rn so yeaaah

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character:

tbh her and haruhiko could’ve had cool interactions with each other!! mikako and tsurugi + kinji is great too! just those three staring at their classmates almost setting the room on fire and sighing

My unpopular opinion about this character:

guys. plz stop reducing her character down to this “quiet goth emo uwu”. some of u need to start analyzing characters more deeply instead of slapping stereotypes onto them and then either ignoring them or praising them as if they can do no wrong. i beg u to start picking up on this

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

would’ve been really nice if she. yknow. lived

Favorite friendship for this character:

!!!! her and yamato!!! i’m purposefully ignoring canon because yes and the two of them have been best friends since hanzo adopted mikako and they helped & supported each other when it came to coming out as trans

My crossover ship:

again, me and her!!!! :flushed:

[mystery-salad]

6 7 and 28 of the angst ask for Kai and laighe ?

Hell yea two best tough gals!!!

6.Have they ever committed a crime, or something they felt was wrong? What was it?

Laighe has absolutely done things she felt were wrong, though she hasn’t committed any major crimes. If she is going to fuck something up it tends to be herself not anything else. As for things she felt were wrong, killing people she once fought alongside who have fallen to a dragon is way up there on the list!

Kai has committed so many crimes jfc...and the largest and least forgivable of those lines up entirely with something she once believed was her noblest action though it’s now one of her greatest mistakes. The crime she committed that put a “dead or alive” bounty on her head for years and marked her as a dangerous individual; she slaughtered her warband. She’d been so heavily trained and conditioned to disregard the lives of defectors and betrayers, and her team had been comprised of the best of the best. And when one of those “best” turned out to be a flame legion traitor, well...best to ensure a full culling and avoid another betrayal. Start fresh with a new warband of better, more loyal soldiers. Funny how overconditioning a charr into a role chosen for her as a cub can lead to some hellish mistakes for everyone involved.

7. If your character was allowed to murder one person without any consequences, who would it be and why?

Laighe would have taken Rytlock out the moment he started criticizing sylvari as dragon minions in HoT if she wasn’t extremely fucking busy with managing that fact herself and trying to save her entire fucking race. She nearly killed him a second time for neglecting to give anyone the information that could have protected them all from Balthazar’s big reveal. If she could commit one legal murder it would be him, and the only reason she hasn’t is he’s been permanently benched in her route so poses no threat or nuisance now.

I’d put Rytlock down for Kai too but she actually did kill him around PoF for various reasons Kai would like to kill that fucking skeevy romance author. He’s absolutely been removed from Eye of the North because if he says one more weird creepy fucking thing to or about anyone in the room she is going to claw his face off. Faren is a close second as it is too.

28. What is your character’s greatest strength?

Laighe’s strength, as cheesy as it may sound, is from those she considers family. If she didn’t still have Wrelia ( @ascalonianpicnic ), Tvelle, Ruzzier, and Odollumn through this all she would have fallen years ago. She may be running herself into the ground, but the small threat she’s hanging by is thanks to them. She just needs to learn to not hang herself with it...

Kai’s strength is her steadfast resolve, and caution to think everything through before acting. She’s learned a lot from her life in terms of not acting too rashly and not going for a kill first basis. But she’s also come to terms with knowing that her past is what made her who she is, and she doesn’t have the ability to go back and change any of it. She makes her moves knowing how permanent everything will be, and how greatly it can affect every move after.