#I got bad relationships with mainstream ships

[akibarayuri]

Yes I'm a rare shipper, no I did not choose this path, yes I despair everytime the ship I got turn out to be unpopular.

[i-didnt-choose-to-ship-it]

Okay so this might get long

The way that purity culture ruins fandoms is so infuriating but ngl like it’s so funny. On one hand I feel bad for people getting bullied for shipping or headcanoning stuff only for the fandom police to be like “well actually🤓😡” or even get bullied. I miss the days when fandoms weren’t so mainstream and we could be weirdos together (even tho I’m younger but I got into fandoms early)

But as I said it’s also funny to me because I. Don’t. Give. A. Shit. Like you’re really think saying “no you can’t ship that” or even insulting me will make me feel shame? Nope. Please allow me the freedom of reading and thinking what I want thank you😇

Also the arguments are so stupid. Even if somebody ships truly I mean TRULY problematic ship I’ll be like “wow weird but okay” and go about my life? Because it doesn’t effect me? Revolutionary I think.

Take the Arcane fandom and how people are hating on Jayvik because “they’re like brothers” “but Jayce is with Mel” “they’re not even gay”. A few tipical arguments you might notice (I should write a study about this lmao). And my counter argument would be: *ahem* “And?” (This is my take for most of them tho)

“They’re not gay”? Um yes in my head they are. And you can’t do anything about it. Must be infuriating. (Ngl I really want my biggest probelm in life to be what strangers think about literal FICTIONAL characters)

I’ll say these people must not have siblings because I do and we sure don’t act like Jayvik. I also ship Vander and Silco and people’ll be like “but they called each other brothers” Aaand I still don’t care. Or they’ll conclude that I hate Mel because I ship Jayvik. Which is dumb she’s a queen and Jayce can be with Viktor and Mel can be with me. There, all happy.

My Detroit: Become Human obsession also returned (thank you hungarian dub for making me replay it🙏) and boy oh boy do the puritans hate Hankcon. Listen I don’t care if you don’t ship it or don’t like it, I care if you’re belittling others for it. If you see them as father and son fine but let’s not say it’s incest or pedophilia when they’re literally not related (known each other for a week I think) and Connor is a whole adult? Thank you.

Or the fandom police says that they barely interacted or haven’t even met. Okaaay? That’s why I read fanfiction, to explore the relationship more? This is from someone who didn’t know Reed900 was as big as it is and has been obsessed since last week. But I also shipped Mystrade back in the day or characters from different fandoms.

They also act like shipping characters is the equivalent of actually wanting them to get together in canon when most of the time it’s not. Like ma’am I know I’ll never see Obi Wan kiss Cody on the mouth in legit Star Wars media but I still ship it. I’ll even say I like it when the couple is not canon because it allows room for the creativity of fanfiction writers.

This goes for any pairing btw but these are the ones I’m recently into.

Idk what these people’s purpose is other than spread hate. Anyway I was bored so thank you for attending my yapping session.

Oh and if you have experience with the fandom police please share 🫶

[midnightechoes]

Five years ago today, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power premiered on Netflix. I had seen a few preview articles about it, and liked what I saw. Those articles mostly focused on She-Ra’s, Adora’s, Glimmer’s, Bow’s, and Catra’s redesigns, and I thought they were fabulous. I loved Adora’s new red jacket and bouffant hair style. Glimmer’s entire redesign was inspired, and I loved that they made Bow black so we could have more diversity in the main cast.

It was She-Ra’s and Catra’s redesigns that caught my eyes the most, though. They made Catra an actual catgirl, and not just in the anime sense where she's just a cute girl with cat ears and maybe a cat tail. She was a full-on furry. It was a brilliant design choice. Honestly it’s no wonder that so many were instantly drawn to her.

And of course, She-Ra herself. I loved her new look, and her huge ass new Sword of Protection. In fact, I loved it so much that I drew this picture of her before the show even came out:

Then the show came out, and needless to say, I fell in love. And honestly, it changed my life.

I know, I know. That sounds very hyperbolic, and to an extent it is, but in a lot of ways, I’m absolutely serious.

Alright, I have to back up a little. Back when I was in college, and for a few years after, a couple of friends and I tried to make a webcomic called The Devil’s Gate. It was minorly successful but eventually floundered. Then I met some people and we tried to make a video game, which also failed. After those few years, I found myself on my own and trying to rework the concept of my webcomic. Making comics, creating stories, those have always been my dream, and I was desperately trying to figure out a story I could make work, something that I believed in. But it never truly got off the ground. By the end of 2015 I had given up on the comic, realizing that after working on it for years in different forms that I needed to step away from it.

I didn’t really know what to do after that. I was still doing my quick daily doodles, but I wasn’t writing, I wasn’t drawing anything of note. I felt emotionally and physically drained of my creativity. I was honestly getting to the point where I thought it might be time for me to give up on trying to be creative or making things all together.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out on November 13, 2018, but despite looking forward to it, I didn’t actually watch it when it came out. It wasn’t until that weekend that I decided to check it out.

I was instantly hooked. I binged through the entire season in two days, and did plenty of crying and cheering. And then rewatched it immediately. I was in love. I was obsessed. It had been a long time since anything grabbed me like SPOP did. I loved the characters. I loved the colorful, sci-fi-fairy tale world of Etheria. I loved how unapologetically feminine it was. And most of all, I loved how queer it was.

I hadn’t done a ton of shipping before SPOP. I’ve been down bad for harlivy for what feels like my whole life, and I was angry when Mika and HG didn’t get together in Warehouse 13, but more often than not I had just been conditioned not to look for queer things in mainstream culture, and even barely in subculture.

That is to say, when I was smashed in the face with Catradora I was surprised how much I glommed onto it immediately. I was absolutely taken with Adora and Catra and their relationship. Both characters were so relatable, and despite not quite being text (although the subtext was so loud and obvious it might as well have been text), it was impossible to not read their feelings for each other as romantic.

It wasn’t just Catradora, even if that was a lot of it. Spinnerella and Netossa being canon from the start was wonderful. How much Glimmer and Bow screamed “BISEXUAL DISASTERS” from the start was adorable. Scorpia’s crush on Catra was as cute as it was sad in its one-sidedness.

I had never really been in a fandom. That is, yeah I’ve liked things, loved things even, but I never found other people to talk about it at length, never found discords just for that thing, never read or wrote fanfic, barely ever drew fanart. 

But, I watched SPOP, and then I watched it again. And then I drew Catra. And then I drew Adora. And then I drew them again. And suddenly I was on AO3, a site I never frequented, reading Catradora fics. And then I had an AO3 account. That December I participated in Catradora Week 2018 (I’d never heard of this kind of thing) and drew two pictures for it and wrote my first fanfic.

By the end of February I had drawn more in the three months since the show had premiered than I had in the previous year. I was working furiously on a long, multi-chapter fanfic, and writing more words than I had in the previous couple of years combined.

I was inspired again.

In the 18 months that SPOP ran for, I drew more than I had in years, I wrote hundreds of thousands of words. I felt so rejuvenated and happy about my creativity and free for the first time in years.

It’s hard to put into words exactly how it felt. I was so close to giving up my art and writing, which honestly, would have been giving up a part of myself. An important part of myself. It’s not overstating that SPOP saved me, or at least my creative spirit.

I also learned about the wonders of being in a fandom and fandom things like fan weeks, big bangs, zines. And I made some wonderful friends that I cherish to this day.

Even as I inevitably moved onto other hyperfixations, my love for She-Ra hasn’t diminished. Plushie Catra and Adora sit next to me on my desk every day. Catradora art still hangs on my wall.

The inspiration that SPOP ignited in me hasn’t died either. It’s carried me through a tremendous level of creativity that I’ve been riding since the premiere. It let me create a ton of fan art for SPOP, and then RWBY and then the Witch From Mercury, and I’ve written a ton of fanfics for RWBY and Supergirl. And perhaps the best, that inspiration has helped me create more OC stuff in the last couple years than I had in a long time.

I owe She-Ra and The Princesses of Power so much. I am so happy that it exists and that it happened when it did. I’ll always cherish it.

And for real, Netflix, SPOP spin-off movies WHEN?!

[sokkastyles]

I have a question, I know we know that shipping does not equal morality. And I get that, and I really like that. However, on my other blog, that should have been my main blog (yes I am that dumb). I have talked about Aang's non-consensual and criticized how Kataang is written, however, if you ship Kataang I won't come for your throat because that's not my style. I know the few misogynists/antis on here and on Twitter, and I don't want to let a few bad apples be my impression of a fandom, that's not fair, So now I'm side-eyeing myself over my past remarks. Likewise, I know shipping is not equal to morality, but I also want to criticize Kataang because of how flawed it is and how wrong that kiss was (and other things). I have no idea what I'm saying because at this point I'm rambling. What do you think?

Well, there is a difference between criticizing a ship and criticizing canon. I don't honestly care what people ship. I use the antikataang tag because I don't want to argue with people who do ship it, but that doesn't mean I won't be critical of what is in the show. I think expecting people not to engage critically with media is absolute nonsense. But there is a difference between engaging critically with the actual media and criticizing people's fanon or headcanons, which is where you get away from critically engaging with canon and move into the area of criticizing other people's opinions, which is how arguments start.

Like, there isn't really any actual concrete argument you can make to criticize zutara, because zutara does not exist in canon. It's all fanon and headcanons and speculation. And criticizing other people's opinions just makes you look like a dick.

You also have to take into account the intention behind something. The thing about the way Katara's relationship with Aang is presented is that we're supposed to root for Aang to get Katara, and every obstacle towards that end is just there to create dramatic tension for the male point of audience identification. That's the real problem with the noncon kiss, and people who are critical of it are right to point it out.

In contrast, when I say shipping isn't morality, I'm talking about people who write, let's say, dubcon zutara fics. Fanfiction as a genre is largely female-centered fantasy. Yes, even those lurid fics you're thinking of. People write and read these fics for completely different reasons and have completely different expectations than when watching a series like ATLA. Trying to say that someone can't criticize the way the show presents Aang kissing Katara after she said she was confused as a mistake to be glossed over (that is forgotten as soon as it happens) because they also happen to like reading darkfic is nonsense. There's also a long history of women's interests being policed that informs my views here, vs the fact that consent has only fairly recently become a conversation in mainstream media. You have only to look at the way the show itself portrays Katara having interests (especially in boys) outside of Aang as dark and dangerous to see this happening in ATLA itself. Or the way the creators got away with saying that zutara shippers are doomed to end up in abusive relationships while painting Aang as a typical Nice Guy stereotype who expects Katara to magically become his girlfriend (and gets angry when she doesn't) and seeing nothing wrong with it.

The thing is that zutara, if we look at the way it's written in canon as a metaphor for a romantic relationship, follows the same tradition of how fanfiction has historically existed as an exploration of romantic and sexual dynamics. Those conversations about consent are actually happening and being explored in fanfiction, even the dark stuff, whereas relationships that are presented as "wholesome" often push us to NOT have those conversations. So when I say shipping isn't morality, what I actually mean is that noncanon shipping and darkfic actually has more of a moral leg to stand on than uncritically engaging with relationships on the grounds that Aang is the hero so his goodness and worthiness to get the girl should just be assumed. Zuko has to work for his right to be in a relationship with Katara because he didn't start out from a place of goodness, and that, on its own, is very female centered because instead of starting out from the perspective of the male hero deserving a relationship by virtue of being the hero, we see the idea that a man has to work to gain a woman's respect and affection.

So it's not so much that I hate KA, but I hate the idea that we should engage in it uncritically. And that would be true even if it really was the most wholesome relationship in the world. The same thing cannot be true of zutara because even the darkest of darkfic are about women centering themselves in the narrative and engaging with power dynamics in ways that are subverting patriarchal norms about relationships by definition.

[ilikekidsshows]

Every time I hear the love square or Adrian and Marinette are together I lose 50 more years of my lifespan

And hearing what's happening with Adrian in said relationship I wished it stayed a fanon ship

There generally no reason for these two characters to be together and how they got together is sickening

I really wish this show get canceled or something because I can't keep hearing with what happening with Adrian character anymore

Like this show is going to give mixed messages and bad morels until it dies I don't see that changing whatsoever I'm surprised it isn't canceled yet for its bullshit it pulled for ten years I generally don't get do you know why?

---

Miraculous' terrible morality is insidious in how subtle it is when you're not paying attention and it's very good at encouraging the audience to not pay attention is how. This show is so sloppily written, it punishes you if you think about things too much or pay attention to the discrepancies. At its most harmless, it becomes less fun to watch the more you realize how little the stuff in it makes sense. At its most harmful, you start to hate the protagonist because she's a terrible person unless you only focus on vibes. Miraculous sells itself as mindless, harmless fun for small children and the bright colors, fast pace of episodes and the money shot scenes make it seem like just that. Everything about it is set to make you hang up your brain before you watch.

In addition, while the warning signs have been there since the start, the god-awful messaging started being obvious only around season 4, after people were well and fully invested in this series. Emotional attachment to media is a very real and difficult challenge to overcome for a lot of people, and it becomes especially so with the online communities built around said media. You've made friends through this show so you want to stick it out with those people. You've already invested literal years into this thing, so giving up feels like too much to ask. You might even hold on to hope that the show will become like the thing you grew attached to in the beginning if you just wait a while longer. In the other extreme, you might want to see the show crash and burn after it burnt you. In a way, a lot of the previous-fan-blogs-turned-to-salt blogs are specifically the latter, sticking around just to see how bad it'll get.

There's also the sad reality that abuse apologia the way Miraculous engages in it is very common. Unless they see a parent hitting their child, most people will not register more subtle forms of child abuse as such. Neglect, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, all of these are things that are often difficult to prove in real life abuse cases, as such, they're not the forms of abuse people think of when they form their ideas of what child abuse looks like. Similarly, a girlfriend abusing her boyfriend is often just seen as the girl being assertive, and the guy is either a wimp for feeling victimized or “must have done something to deserve it”. A lot of people will overlook how Marinette treats Adrien simply because she's a girl, and so they'll see nothing wrong with the main romance.

Also, like, Miraculous merch is going to keep selling from now until infinity, because Ladybug looks like a girl Spider-Man and kids fucking love Spider-Man. Ladybug’s design might not be original, but it looks enough like Spider-Man to appeal to people, especially since the closest thing to a mainstream Spider-Woman we have at the moment is Spider-Gwen, whose color scheme doesn't have the same universal appeal. Miraculous will keep getting more seasons because it's profitable. 

Also, the concept. Just because the writers squandered everything good about their concept, doesn't mean people can't see the draw even now. Fans and even former fans are still willing to take that concept and run with it. Speaking of which, Miraculous is one of the most recursive fandoms I’ve seen after Undertale. The fanworks have fanworks. I’ve seen so many people who are done with the show just go “at least we have fanfic”. The fanworks by themselves have serious pull.

[inky-the-artist]

we're so back‼️

I had a thought process behind this, some yapping about their backstory is under the cut for anyone interested<3

this specifically takes place during monster roadtrip, so i will use this as an opportunity for me to finally share some kind of backstory for them:)

Liam and Inky were highschool sweethearts, she had a massive crush on him for months, but she was the popular girl and he had his whole anti-mainstream thing, so they didn't get along at all at first. all of Inky's friends were absolutely done with her because there were so many other monsters that liked her, and she had to fall in love with the one guy who didn't. (Zoe loved the shipping material though and most of the others were pretty invested too, just for the tea)

(one thing about Inky is that she's got ridiculous charisma both for story and comedic purposes, because in universe, she was drawn by a succubus. she isn't aware of this - she doesn't know any other monster of her kind, and she has never met her creator, which is a big part of her character arc)

she and Liam eventually started talking more after they accidentally interacted a few times and Liam realized she had an actual personality and wasn't just the cliché popular girl. he eventually fell in love with her too, which caused a lot of mixed feelings for him, but he eventually just went with it - very slowburn, very sunshine x grumpy, very cute🎀 they never realy officially started dating but practically acted like a couple anyway, at least outside of school. they went to prom together, it was a huge thing because. high school romance. or something.

after they graduated, Liam had his issues to work through and wasn't ready for a committed relationship, but Inky promised she'd wait for him for as long as he needs. neither of them went to monster camp but they did watch the stars together (I haven't play nearly as much of camp as I did od prom and roadtrip, so that's another reason for this gap lol).

they were on and off for however long the gap between monprom and monroad is. it was a bit of a rollercoaster, sometimes they talked all the time, met up with no problem, sometimes they haven't even texted for days or weeks, because Inky wanted to give Liam the space he needed. she'd let him ghost her and reach out when he felt like it, and she always acted like nothing ever happened, both because she'd just be happy to see him, but because she doesn't want him to feel guilty for working on himself. he still did, but her not giving him a hard time for it helped a lot.

monroad takes place during the longest period of them not talking that ever took place, going on almost six weeks. Liam's been getting therapy, which has been helping, and he's been meaning to reach out to Inky, but six weeks with no contact is a long time and he simply felt bad, so he kept putting it off. he joined Scott and Polly (and an optional player character lol) on their roadtrip as a hitchhiker and stayed with them for a week.

at the end of it, on a rest stop, they ran into none other than Inky, who was also hitchhiking. once again, she acted like nothing was ever wrong and she and Liam spent the whole night at the bench, catching up, talking things out. Inky confesses that she got evicted from her apartment a month ago, and despite being able to get a new home, she's been crashing on Joy's couch. She didn't want to move anywhere without discussing it with Liam first, and he'd offer her to move in on the spot, but they decided it'd be wise to sleep on it for a few days. she decided to join the roadtrip.

nothing too romantic happened for the next few days, because they were constantly around the others and Doing Activities™, that was until the gang decided to get a rental for the night. the rest spontaneously decided to go to a random concert nearby, which was too convenient, so Inky and Liam decided to stay behind. post-character development Liam is literally just a yapper (this is canon and i love it), and after the full evening of Inky listening to his voice and staring at his mouth, and months of mutual longing, everything finally escalated.

(also, Inky's asexual, and I hc Liam being on the ace spectrum as well, so they straight up took clothes of fully for aesthetic purposes because that seems entirely in character)

that's all i got so far. after spending the evening and night together, Liam realized he does want her to move in with him, so that's what going on after that 🫶

if you got this far, thank you for reading!! let me know what you think, I appreciate it🩷

[eod-agent-13-12]

Just a short ramble about John Juniper:

Disclaimer: I'm putting this on my side since my main's posts aren't appearing in the tags. This isn't an attack on anyone but I just wanna share some thoughts.

I think we're sleeping on some of John Juniper's potential outside of ship and redemption fics.

While yes, my Phoenix (Florian) does see JJ as a brother/cousin/it's-complicated-but-also-platonic, they also have trouble reconciling some aspects of his personality with what he unintentionally stood as a symbolism for. (And stirring up some bad memories but that's a different topic to go to another day.)

Getting to the top of Hollywood likely took some parts of John's compassion away, if not entirely. (What little there was or remains, doesn't matter. He's a pompous difficult person by the time we get to him in the game.) And it's likely he stepped on some people at some point. Whether he did that reluctantly or purposely (if you characterize him like that), it's likely that some people got destroyed on his way to the top.

Imagine living in the world of IEYTD, enjoying pieces of media that get overshadowed by the mainstream. Imagine Phoenix finding out their favorite recreation spots were taken over by Juniper's productions to make more theaters so more people can watch his films. (For some Phoenixes, you can also explore how some people praise John Juniper while also deriding local productions. If you know, you know.)

Can you imagine the emotional turmoil that can happen in that situation? Not seeing John as a person but as a figurehead of a situation near and dear to one's heart?

The isolation of seeing things differently from so many people, even your handler. The possibility of purposely not watching any of his films out of spite? The headcanon that Phoenix knew John Juniper was evil from the start because they were aware of how shady the entertainment industry can be?

Someone please hear me out because I feel like this is a mostly unexplored aspect of John Juniper and Agent Phoenix's relationship.

Someone please write the emotional fallout of this relationship. Because it'll be an interesting story.

[skepticdoe]

in my head I have this little au where all the South Park kids are famous people who each do different things

and I have crimson dawn (with its normal members + butters as Marj)

Kyle, Craig and Tweek as Actors

Tolkein as an independent artist/singer

Bebe as a model/famous fashion guru

Cartman as a well known talk show host

Wendy as an activist and model

Nichole, Rebecca and Heidi as famous dancers and models

Clyde as one of those sport models who played sport like once five years ago and now models sport wear and gear

idk I’m probably missing a few 😓

Anyways, I feel like style would be that one couple that everyone ships like mega hard, even before it was officially announced.

But when they DO come out with their relationship, it causes a lot of controversy within the celebrity scene and they face a lot of backlash and stuff and both Stan and Kyle have to go on a hiatus from making any public appearances. It gets like really bad for a while and they have to meet up in secret which is really difficult cause they’re usually touring/travelling for movies in other countries.

but everyone gets over it and they kiss kiss fall in love and get married so all is well <3

Kyle I feel would get casted in a lot of villain roles and in roles where his character has a lot of authority and also acts clinically insane so when he goes into interviews out of character it’s really funny because he’s not always super uptight and serious

Stick Of Truth is actually a movie trilogy in this au <3

Kenny would have SO many fan pages dedicated to him

For stan, I feel like he gives off “loser teen emo who grows up to be really hot” vibes and his fans are obsessed with him because he keeps the emo look but his personality is really wholesome. Like crimson dawn first got recognition when they were all still teens so their fans never hesitate to bring up their cringe eras lmfaoo

Kyle would start off as a child actor and Sheila would take him to get really cute photoshoots that don’t really get much recognition. But Kyle grows up a secret theatre kid and his passions help him become a well known, recognisable famous actor who still regularly does photoshoots with Bebe cause they’re THE lesbian, gay pretty duo

Craig would get famous for his acting purely because of how neutral and nonchalant he is all of the time. He’s like THE dreamboat, suit n tie man that all the fangirls drool for. Too bad he’s gay lmfaoo

Tweek is always casted as the ‘outcast’ character that diverges from society and lives in a shack and is super powerful (and also probably owns a tarot deck and acts as a prophet) OR as the lead in a highschool drama show that gets put through hell, like no in between loll

Marj is your typical cutesy, cottagecore dressing band member that literally has an army of fangirls to back her up during any controversy. She’s also recognised as one of the only mainstream transgender music artists and models. She’s often asked to come onto talk shows!! Her and Kenny are the definition of punk boyfriend x cutsey girlfriend core <3

this is a really long post that came to me when I was supposed to be doing important shit so here you go!!! (I will probably go radio silence again after thing big post lolll)

🩷🩷🩷

[spaceumbredoggos]

However fucked up Alex reveals Bill and Ford’s relationship is revealed to be in The Book Of Bill, Kenz and Bill’s is a hundred times worse.

Disclaimer: I am not glorifying abuse in any way shape or form. I myself have had nightmares similar to this despite never being sexually abused, both Bill related and otherwise. Some of these are based on personal experience (such as the nightmares), whilst others are a device used to show how fucked up shipping Bill with pretty much anyone is. Not even the Axolotl is safe in my opinion. If Bill was real, I’d guarantee he’d probably be a massive creep and with how thirsty his fankids are (and I’m calling myself out here) he’d probably use his magic to g*oom those kids like a church pastor. The thing that scares me the most about Bill being canonically real is not that he could catastrophically end the world, it’s his oversexualization in the fandom that got so bad, Alex himself had to make him unattractive. This will be along the lines of a Yandere Bill Cipher x Reader headcanons. With that being said, here’s a few content warnings:

G*ooming, Pedoph*lia, s*xual abuse and assault, physical and psychological abuse, mind control, cult-like things, psychosis, and general paranoia. I’m not saying these things actually happened, but knowing Bill’s character and his powers and history, if he was real, I’d generally be afraid for anyone in the Gravity Falls fandom. Especially minors.

This could be my most controversial post yet, and it could jeopardize any potential of getting into some colleges. This may sound like paranoid rambling, but I know that Bill is just a cartoon character. That being said, Alex like the blur the line between our world and the world of gravity falls with Bill’s character, dicing around the fact that he’s influenced history and wrote all religion on the basis of a lie. I’m not scapegoating him as “controlling global politics on a massive scale” because that would be stupid and I’ll sound like those tin foil hat rednecks that snort moonshine and burn pride flags. My heart goes out to all those who have been impacted by all forms of abuse as an abuse survivor myself. Alex, if you see this post (or any other of my posts/ read my fanfics), just know that it’s a critique on the fandom and the canon lore, and a cautionary warning to avoid lawsuits in case The Book of Bill Cipher causes mass psychosis.

As a kid (ages 7-9) I would watch Gravity Falls casually. At that age, the only thing I consumed online content wise was Skylanders and Minecraft content (Skylanders until age nine, then it was pretty much a lot of Team Crafted, Popularmmos, DanTDM, and other Minecraft YouTubers.) I didn’t invest in the Gravity Falls fandom until I was eleven (that’s when I first started writing my fanfics. The drafts are long gone because they were on school computers that were crammed with viruses due to kids installing Minecraft mods (this was just before chromebooks became mainstream. I went to a special ed middle school specifically for autistic individuals (it was pretty ableist, gonna make a post on that.) so the rules on what was allowed in school were pretty loose content wise. It didn’t have to be educational, as long as it didn’t have blood or guns. There were no safe search filters or Go Guardian (I remember one of my friends accidentally finding Iris from Pokemon black and white vore. I also found Pacifica vore.)) Before that, the February before my tenth birthday, my dad took my TV out of my room due to behavioral issues (undiagnosed autism go brrr). Around that time, there was talk in my town that the Disney channel was “rotting kids minds” with bad attitudes and crude humor (this could be said about any child’s television network (I mean, look at Nickelodeon.) but I lived in a pretty conservative area of Southern California and had a pretty conservative dad. So naturally, Disney was the scapegoat (this was way before the “woke” era of Disney.)) All of this talk of Brainrot made me stop watching the Disney channel during the peak era of gravity falls (2015 as a whole) and I didn’t watch gravity falls again until summer of 2016 when my tv was put back in my room (with intense parental controls so that I couldn’t watch my vet shows.) That’s when I had my first gravity falls dream about Bill cipher. It had to do with getting unicorn hair to protect my house from Bill Cipher. I had an interest in dreams previously due to warrior cats. It was at that moment when Gravity Falls was added to the obsession list.

As a neurodivergent eleven year old surrounded by other neurodivergent preteens and teens, we found common ground talking about Gravity Falls at school. I also would, whenever I didn’t feel the prying eyes of the grown ups or my peers would go off outside and act out my gravity falls x pokemon x warrior cats fanfiction (I’m not sure if those are signs of maladaptive daydreaming disorder or I simply had an intense imagination that would consume my body and make me want to just act out my fanfictions outside. I don’t do this anymore, mostly because of my own embarrassment and I can just write it out.) Yes, there were times where the discussion or action played out Bill Cipher being real. A lot of my “play” as I called it back then was me being kidnapped or possessed by Bill. I even wrote some really cringey fanfics involving my friends and Bill Cipher. To this day, I still involve my family in my fanfiction, but more final drafts will have their names changed. Weirdmaggeddon was a common topic, as well as Bill Cipher possession.

As time went on, I had more dreams about Bill Cipher, fueling the obsession and the fact that Bill could be real. During my middle school years, I never had a crush on Bill Cipher, despite what my friends seem to think. My parents just took it as whatever and as long as I was happy and just working towards going to a neurotypical non-sped school. My crush on Bill Cipher didn’t start until I was in high school. I remember it specifically being Valentine’s Day 2020 when I learned that I have a crush on the triangle. My dreams of Bill would only get more frequent and worse from here (involving the typical horny teenage dream that I don’t want to elaborate because I feel weird doing so (you’ll see why later on.))

Now there’s typically nothing wrong with having a cartoon crush. Given any other cartoon character that doesn’t have a canon history of influencing this world (Bill’s history of influence is vague but it still counts) I would excuse this as another silly cartoon crush like PurpleCliffe simping for Cynthia and the like. However, given that it’s in the show’s canon that Bill could be real and he crossed over to our world, do you understand what implications this could have? Bill is trillions of years old, he’s likely seen every timeline to ever exist. Meanwhile, there are whole armies of fankids who are down bad for him (including me.)

Notice how when I first started getting into Gravity Falls that I didn’t have a crush on him. How many other fankids felt the same way? It wasn’t until years of obsessing over Gravity Falls did I develop feelings for him. And of Alex says in the Book of Bill Cipher what I think he’s going to say (that Bill probably ab*sed Ford sexually with possible g*ooming involved), notice the pattern that is being presented here? Alex, if you blur the lines between fiction and reality with a villain who may or may not have canonically g*oomed and abused someone, possibly using mind control given his powers and his role as a dream demon, could it really be so far fetched that… (I’m not going to say it because it’s leaving a sour taste in my mouth, but use your imagination.)

If we take Alex’s word that Bill has crossed over to our world, then we can only assume that there are vulnerable kids and adults being… You get the picture. I’m not explicitly saying that it is happening right now, but this is problematic because revealing that Bill ab*sed Ford in that way means that Alex would probably imply that Bill is doing the same to MINORS. I may sound paranoid and this may just be a ramble, but considering the show’s canon and how mythology is filled with cases of degenerative acts from deities, this is a really fucked up situation.

It may be funny to say “haha, evil triangle man is sexy” but at the end of the day, Alex stated that Bill has crossed over into our world. For all we know, he could be taking advantage of the fact that people thirst for him, probably not in pleasant ways.

[eddiebanishedmunson]

”POUR SOME SUGAR ON MEEEE!!!”

Name: Edward “Eddie” Waylon Munson 🦇🎸

Age: 20 🤘🏻😝

Birthday: July 26th

Sign: Leo

Relationship status: 🤨

Sexuality: Straight cis man (ik, not cool 😞💔🥀)

Rules!

1. Little sheepies (minors) CAN interact but look out for yourselves.

2. No hate or negativity. Not cool and I don’t have time for that.

3. Not telling you my love life, aight? Respect that. I’ll say when I’m ready. 

4. Respect Admin. She’s dope as fuck.

5. Venting is allowed but I’m not all for it. I’m an optimistic bitch. Much love to you though, you got this 🫶🏻

6. If you flirt with me, don’t expect much. Flattered though and surprised you’d wanna 😉

7. Flight of Icarus (besides his love life) is canon, most of it.

8. Just here to have a jolly good time folks! And you should too!

DNI: Basic DNI, age regression, and people here to cause shit.

Admin notes: This is pretty much Eddie shitposting. I don’t ship him with anyone or have any sexuality/gender headcanons for him. No hate tho! Love it but since he’s more 80s, I’m keeping the basic headcanons. Pls respect my boundaries and headcanons! Admin: @eddiemunsonsbabygirl 🖤❤️

Personality: Sarcastic, bitter, nonconformist, kind, loyal to the close friends he has, takes pride in his eccentricity, lashes out against those who insult him, stoner, full-on metalhead, quick-witted, stubborn, scaredy cat, brave, smart, a bit stupid, cute, adorable, handsome, sweet, loving, comedic, hopeless romantic but hides it, lover boy, badass, kickass, fast, proud, humble, cat lover, respectful, mature, responsible, a bit immature, dirty-minded, jokester, fool, fighter but more of a lover, creative, overthinker, talented, skillful, dreamer, rockstar, eccentric, passionate, loud, talkative, rambler, anxious, fierce, fiery, laid-back, understanding, welcoming to other freaks and people like him, judgemental, reserved, tough, vulnerable, heavy sleeper, sleep talks, snores loud, rarely sleep walks, reckless, crazy, insane, rebellious, giggly, easily-distracted, protective, outsider, active, admirable, adventurous, cheerful, brilliant, capable, clever, courageous, dedicated, deep, curious, cultured, daring, dramatic, dynamite, exciting, enthusiastic, realist, empathetic, sympathetic, faithful, fair, “eat the rich, feed the poor”, alternative, weird, freak, claustrophobic, cleithrophobic, emetophopic, trypophobia, firm, forgiving, friendly, gentle, generous, genuine, good-hearted, risk-taking, angelic, freethinking, hardworking, humorous, impressive, imaginative, helpful, healthy, hearty, incorruptible, intuitive, logical, methodical, masculine, boyish, lyrical, observant, original, playful, sensitive, sexy, hot, selfless, insecure, vulnerable, clingy, needy, wants to be loved, trusting, trustworthy, warm, blushy, vivacious, artful, amusing, ambitious, determined, dreamy, switch, high-spirited, nerdy, geek, hyper-fixated, soft, stylish, angry, a bit of a hot-head, argumentative, barbaric, blunt, bizarre, charmless, careless, childish, funny, dirty, mannerless, messy, misunderstood, obsessive, obnoxious, odd, quirky, ridiculous, rowdy, silly, soft headed, strong willed, Eddie Munson. 

Myers Briggs: ANTP

Likes: Weed, guitar, rock music, metal music, drawing, making things, playing D&D, anime, vampire things, horror movies, red, black, raccoons, cats, snakes, lions, tattoos, sex, mean chicks, latinas, girls, skateboarding, being reckless, cuddling, long walks, late night drives, summer, winter, nature, forests, swimming, smiling, laughing, good vibes, positivity, compliments, day dreaming, romance (it’s a secret), feeling wanted, feeling needed, soft love, sleeping, fantasy things, food, kissing, making out, clothes, concerts, rocking out, head-banging, dancing, fashion, helping, comedies.

Dislikes: Forced conformity, racism, pop culture, mainstream things and trends, popular crowd, bullying, name calling, two-faced people, liars, having to do things himself, childish people/age regressors, being pressured, bad odors, drama, hypocrites, studying, being lonely, people, crowded places, crying, being vulnerable, school, cheaters, annoying people, being sick, being drunk, having no one, being pushed away, being ignored, anything that is really fucking weird, nasty shit. 

~🦇~

[bubbles-is-hardcore]

Okay y’all I’ve seen multiple posts now about how “dumb” it is that Sylki has had limited to no romantic/soft moments and they’ve only been fighting this season while Lokius has had a ton of nice romantic moments and like??? Yeah??? It’s almost like if a ship is going to be endgame or canon it would make sense to build up a positive relationship.

I saw one post say it was stupid that Lokius has gotten so much attention over Sylki when “we all know it’s not going to happen”. Why do we all know it’s not going to happen? Because it’s a mainstream character in a big franchise in a gay ship? Even though that character has been confirmed bi over and over again in the source material and beyond? That’s exactly the problem.

I just think it’s very telling that the straight ship’s own shippers acknowledge that there is no real romance between them this season and they are in two completely different places in terms of character development, goals, needs, etc, and still shit on the gay ship and complain that their relationship is being focused on too much by the show because “it’s not going to happen”.

It’s a really bad case of queerbaiting and they are mad at the wrong people. The fans of Lokius aren’t what’s making Sylki bad. The studio knows Sylki was less popular after last season and leaned into Loki and Mobius. The fact that they won’t follow through is entirely on the studio, not Lokius shippers.

Now all of this to say, I’m VERY skeptical of Lokius going any sort of cannon. I honestly think the best we can hope for is the tried and true ol’ “ambiguous ending” That so many studios go for in this situation. I got my clown shoes on and I’m honking my nose but it is what it is.

[azurbright]

(i hope you are aware that you're about to get spammed with these<3) anywayyyy yapping part 3!! - do you have any headcanons? about anything and anyone really, friendships, ships, pre-game stuff etc.

I'll give you my headcanons for each character and then relationships at the end

Emma- I love her, I love how she always talks about how she is like internet famous, but I'm lowkey, pretty sure. She only has like 1k followers. My personal headcanon, you know, also, I think, in a way that all the counselors are lying about something regarding themselves. Emma, I think she's trying to be a better person and before she came to camp she was actually like an evil bitch in her highschool. It's still hard for her sometimes, though. Her snappy remarks are just who she is. She's bisexual but doesn't really tell anyone, it'd "ruin" her image.

Abi- Our artist!! She's like the certified shy girl. She had no friends before she came here, literally like sitting alone with her sketchbook. SHES DEEP IN FANDOM, like she's probably on tumblr. She draws fanart, she writes fanfiction. She probably made a ship name for her and Nick/Emma. And now that I think about it, she probably made one for Dylan and Ryan. I think she's asexual and panromantic. Some of her interactions with Nick felt very bad.

Nick- there's not much I know about him, really. He's not in the game a lot, honestly. I think he's really evil, and I don't think he wants to change. He'd probably cheat on Abi if they ever got together. That's a straight man.

Jacob- he's a sweetie. Definitely a jock in school, except he was like that one jock nobody wanted to talk to. He probably was friends with weird girls. He's like that guy you'd be like, "Oh, he's so scary and unapproachable," except he's literally like the nicest guy ever. His friends also probably make him cry often, same thing here. He's straight, but maybe a little bi-curious after Dylan makes one to many flirty jokes.

Ryan- He definitely started a podcast at some point after the events of the game, and then it failed miserably. It had like two listeners, his mom, and Dylan. His life from before the camp I think stays the same mostly as it is in camp, he's alone but not because he has to be, because he wants to. He probably watches anime or something, and his favorite is like something super mainstream like Death Note. Also, he likes photography, I just know it. I know we never see it but I also think him and Abi would be friends and bond over drawing. Definitely bisexual.

Dylan- Dylans won every science fair since he was like 5, you have to believe me. Very musically inclined, he can play like any instrument you gave him. He's just in general the smartest person around, even though to the other counselors, he doesn't show it. At school, I think he has a close group of friends. I also don't think his whole "blasè Dylan" thing is totally a lie, he's definitely smarter than he let's on, but I still think he's funny and socially adept or else he wouldn't be able to pretend like he does. I think at home he is really good with electronics. He did fix up all the stuff in the radio shack after all. His grandma probably calls him over to fix her phone all the time. Also, he's a cat person, duhhh. Also, when he was a camper, there he had one friend, and that's how he found out he was gay. And, before the events of the game happened, I think he and his friends went ghost hunting before, like Dylan definitely believes super in the paranormal.

Kaitlyn- She and her dad fix up cars together. How else would she know exactly what piece to fix on the car. She was like a super tomboy in elementary school. All her friends are guys but not in a "I'm one of the boys' way" in like a genuine she just hangs out with them. I think she has a super feminine sister, and so Kaitlyn is basically just good at everything, feminine and masculine. She's a lesbian, I don't care she had a "crush" on Ryan, I don't even think she liked him really, I think she liked the idea of him, but when they kissed she did not look like she enjoyed it. Comphet at the very least.

Laura- I don't really have much for Laura honestly, she's a very straightforward character imo. She wants to become a vet because the first time Max got his drivers license and drove her around, he hit a squirrel in the road, and she nursed it back to health. Trust me, it happened. When she got the eye patch, Max made fun of her big time. She's straight, yeah.

Max- We literally don't see him like at all. I think because he didn't get into college, he went to trade school and became a mechanic. Don't ask me why. I just can feel it in my bones. Also, his only friend is Laura. He's shy and awkward. He's also straight.

RELATIONSHIPS!!!!!!!

Ryan and Dylan: I'm pretty sure the game devs said they're Canon, but if they aren't, they are because I say so. They end up in the same general area for college, they go to different colleges but like in the same state. They end up together, but I think that they'd end up breaking up at some point in their adult lives. I think Dylan would tap into that more social part of his life after college and try and go our and party and stuff, and that just isn't Ryan's vibe. As much as I love them together, they'd probably have a really toxic relationship.

Ryan and Kaitlyn: I don't like them together. They hardly interact, and also, as I said before, I don't really think she has a crush on him.

Kaitlyn and Dylan: I think they kissed once, and then Dylan straight up went "ew" or something like that, and Kaitlyn was like, "we're never doing that again." They go to clubs together later on. They stay close, they're my favorite besties. Dylan helps her figure out she's actually a lesbian.

Emma and Abi: They're in love, they will stay in contact and they will fall in love in their late twenties when Emma let's her true self come out. Abi waits for her as long as it takes.

Abi and Nick: He doesn't deserve her. After the events of the game, she can't forget what he said to her, and she never talks to him again. :)

Emma and Jacob: Same thing here, Jacob tries to talk to her after camp is over, but she never responds. She feels bad sometimes, but she knows it's what's best. They never see eachother again.

Laura and Max: I heard some people don't like them together? I think they get married. Fight me, I guess.

Nick and Jacob: I think they stay friends who catch up like once in a blue moon and reminisce.

More questions are appreciated!!!

[oddlyhale]

I got curious to see if there was any red flags of what lead to the shutting down of RT beside the obvious controversy and did I found a rabbit hole.

If you head to the RT reddit Chesla Atkinson made a post about the email she recieved from Jordan Levin the General Manager of RT about the cancelation of RTX2024

https://www.reddit.com/r/roosterteeth/s/Py84R0ELHy

Scroll down to a username by Bobthemine criticize how that RT is taking away big earnings for the company. To which Barbara Dunkelman the Creative Director answer that there are three things.

1) If it making the company lose money

2) people who are fraeting it don't want it anymore

and get this

3) not showing any signs of growth or potential for profitable

https://www.reddit.com/r/roosterteeth/s/tczkHYp2Eo

Barbara the commented to another post about how it confusing to supporters who are suprise at the cost of that RTX in order to make profit for RT as well as the hesitation for vol 10. To which she explains that JUST A MINUTE of animation of RWBY cost $12,500 to $35,000 she confirm they could no longer paid this amount of money thus the cancelation of RTX2024 and finding alternate way to make money.

https://www.reddit.com/r/roosterteeth/s/A8mRiuyzOu

Hence why the partner ship with Crunchyroll as RT couldn't be able to paid the cost anymore and why Vol 9 almost didnt happen. This wasn't the first time she mention this about the financial state of RT

https://www.reddit.com/r/RWBYcritics/s/7sQeGmFDeB

Now I'm not trying to be a crazy conspiracy theorist here BUT considering the fact RT stop airing the show on YouTube and if you wanted to watch the show or any other RT shows you had to go to their website. Then season 2 of Genlock being transfered to HBO MAX before being shutdown completely. And the cherry on top all of the scandals that was happening with the company itself.

Everything was a dam waiting to any moment now.

Sure it was popular and trending on Tumblr and Twitter. But just because it was popular here and other sites isn't enought to keep the company standing.

Now this is just my opinion. I really don't think any company is going to pick RWBY for nostalgia purpose yes but with all the controversy, bad handling of finances, and how Barabra states the show need to be profitable (which it hasn't been even with the partnership of Crunchyroll). RWBY will now forever be tied with RT failings and no company wants to touch that.

I also doubt know if RT was genuinely serious if RWNY found another home but with them being vague I'm pretty sure they actually meant it as "we are actually hoping for someone to but this show and we don't actually have a company in mind" so yeah #greenlit volume 10 is more like #please some help a us out

^ ^

Really interesting things that everybody should read!!

They really took RWBY for granted, that's what I'm getting out of this!

RT has a love-hate relationship with RWBY because they begrudgingly have to fulfill the show, but really they want to promote their other projects and 7 thousand podcasts that nobody cared about. They want the old-fashioned Roosterteeth back (gaming, jabbering, podcasting, bro-ing around), but with their fame dwindling and not catching up to today's mainstream, they basically put RWBY through the wringer just for attention.

They never grew up. They never took responsibility and they failed themselves.

When they're destined to shut this year, now they care about RWBY because they know the show is their money maker. Reality hit them like 5 freight trains and it forced them to get a grip. There's nothing wrong with needing help (begging for any company to pick up RWBY,) but they also need to do their part and fix their problems. No company would want to be back-loaded with their bullshit if they don't get themselves together.

I mean even Crunchyroll couldn't help them forever. I wouldn't be surprised if CR didn't want RWBY after their run with V9. If Amazon picks it up - because Amazon tends to pick up anything - then I may be intrigued. Sometimes Amazon airs hits or misses, just like A24 or Netflix.

[starsreminisce]

tbh even E/riels are disappointed with acosf but they don't say it to others although they talk about it among themselves lol I used to be one so I should know. acosf was Nesta's books everyone expected to see Elain more bc she was close to her and they also heard about the training so they were 100% sure they were going to see E/riel training scenes (the very one they accuse Gwynriel for being boring and they don't want Nessian 2.0 lmao) so when they didn't get that they started commenting on Gwynriel post of how they wanted Elain instead of Gwyn in those scenes (specially the shadows dancing around Gwyn and the private dagger lesson) and that's when the toxicity started and I knew this place was not for me anymore. even tho I used to be a bypass in the fandom and not actually fixated on the books I saw enough threats and bullying, it was bad. I came back on acotar fandom this summer after a very long time and even now the reek of jealousy from that side of the fandom is recognizable. the pure ignorance and delusion is quite amusing, they know E/riel won't happen but they have to make it look like they don't so their years of being obsessed with a fictional ship and bulling other fans, the author and publisher won't got to waist yk. bc when I read acosf for the first time I knew Gwynriel is endgame and even before that I wasn't a huge E/riel fan but I wanted to tolerate them for the possibility of them happening and not Elucien (after the end of acofas we weren't sure who would be endgame and I was quite sad bc I was more incline toward Elain and Lucien)

anyway if they were so confidence in their ship they wouldn't do none of that and let others enjoy their time being in the fandom.

Oop that’s some piping hot tea right there.

Honestly, why couldn't they just be as chill as Azris shippers?

Azris shippers understand that the likelihood of their ship is slim, but they can manifest and hope for the best. Through Love, all is possible!

Yes, it's quite possible! I can passionately support Gwynriel and Azris in tandem. E/riels can readily accept that Elucien is the endgame couple while finding delight in the hints and potentials of E/riel until the next book's release when perspectives may change. Although there may still be Neris shippers out there, I haven't observed any significant disrespect directed toward Nessian. It's possible that I might not be searching thoroughly, but it's heartening that it's not as prevalent as the mainstream rivalry between Elucien and Gwynriel vs. E/riel.

I perceived ACOSAF as a retcon of Elucien, as Elain's abrupt shift from suggesting Lucien move to Velaris to ignoring him lacked a clear explanation of their deteriorating relationship. More on this later.

I get why E/riel shippers held onto hope after ACOSAF, even though I viewed their connection as more platonic. Azriel's deep love for Mor was abundantly clear in the series, and the Hybern scene hinted at the endgame couples, particularly Moriel, which was reinforced by SJM's deleted Pinterest.

In my view, Gwyn embodies a blend of Mor and Elain, sharing Mor's trauma, the ability to fit in with "one of the boys," a girl-next-door quality, and an interest in combat, while also displaying Elain's quiet and reserved nature.

On a more serious note, it's entirely possible to appreciate a ship without resorting to belittling anyone, whether it's a character without proper canon context or an actual person. Doubling down and resorting to insults becomes even more embarrassing. Perhaps this is due to a reluctance to acknowledge the scarcity of E/riel content to draw from.

Ironically, my anti-E/riel posts stem from my restraint in responding to most of their takes but they aren't inclined to listen, and I lack a suitable outlet to release my frustrations.

Additionally, I take issue with the way many books romanticize red flags as desirable relationship traits. It's crucial to recognize that Azriel's hesitancy to be his true self around Elain is an unhealthy dynamic, and it's not Elain's responsibility to change that. When someone acknowledges their actions as a mistake, it's wise to believe them and move on. This situation is reminiscent of the problematic "Twin Flame" concept, which often excuses negative behavior under the guise of a deeper connection.

But, thats why I don't like E/riel in a nutshell.

Gwyn and Lucien are fictional characters written to have a lot of trauma in their backstories. While they are not real, I can easily consider what you say about them as a reflection of what you truly believe to real people who have gone through something similar.

[radfemsiren]

i always got the feeling that the sexist creators put jet in the show to make katara look stupid for falling for a "bad boy", and then they had to kill him off so he wouldn't get in the way of kataang which featured "nice guy" aang. this is the series that can't kill off any villainous characters like azula or ozai, and even zhao didn't actually die, but they scripted and fully animated a scene where the anti-hero jet dies just when he was on the verge of redeeming himself to katara.....

i also noticed that after katara become a couple with aang, her friendship with zuko is barely shown in the franchise ever again. the creators know they can't kill off zuko so they just try to remove any possibilities of zuko and katara interacting even when they logically should be since they're good friends and are both are highly influential figures. they are the two deuteragonists of the series, zuko is the fire lord and katara is the southern water tribe head chieftain's daughter, they're both war heroes, and the closest two characters to the avatar. the creators really let their own shipping preferences ruin the story by not even allowing them to have basic interactions.

i wonder what your thoughts on mai are because i like her much more than aang, but her character is just too bland and her relationship with zuko felt like an afterthought that the creators threw in to stop people shipping zutara. zuko had no interest in her in season 2 but then they're suddenly a couple in season 3.

Omg I agree with everything! Katara’s political power just evaporated after becoming “the avatars” wife, it was fuckin tragic.

And the death of Jet pissed me off so much because mainstream writers have such a bad habit of refusing to kill off full on fascist tyrants, but flawed rebels are treated as waaaay worse and more evil, it makes zero sense! With Hama too, like being oppressed and not choosing not to “forgive and forget” is a way worse crime than actually being the oppressor, it’s so irritating!

Mai was a badass but I always felt bored by her because she felt like just a lazy “female version of Zuko” that writers do when they want to introduce a love interest. I think love interests that are too similar are super lazy bad writing and don’t pair well, that’s why I hated the Katniss and Gail ship

[themushroomgoesyeet]

POV: you're an ace author writing typical romance tropes

Mainstream romance: the meet cute must be iconic! It's the moment where two star-crossed lovers, soulmates even, will meet for the first time! People must know that the love interest is the most gorgeous person on the planet to the MC and not like other girls™

Me: oh yeah, the meet cute will happen, but these two won't be at all romantically inclined towards each other until they are somewhat friends at least

Mainstream romance: they're obviously in love with each other, so of course they have to kiss 5 seconds into their relationship, no matter what it is!

Me: what is this, Disney? Nah, you ain't getting a kiss until they both confirm that they at least have mutual feelings for each other

Mainstream romance: even though they just kissed, they must bandy about each other in a careful dance without ever admitting that they actually love each other until the fans are ready to kill something!

Me: actually, since they've been friends for a few weeks and have been spending that time getting to know each other, there's enough trust between them to cause a cute & tender scene where one or both of them admits their feelings and immediately get reciprocated for their troubles

Mainstream romance: oh, but if course we also have to have the endearing best friends who interrupt everything, or get confused and try to ship the MCs with the wrong person! Like the romantic rival, for example, who's such a dashing bad boy that we spend an entire section of the story with the MC questioning if they have feelings for the rival instead & the LI being pouty and jealous until our star-crossed lovers feel practically betrayed by each other!

Me: or we could just not do that lol. Hell, make the rival fall in love with the best friend or someone else entirely, wouldn't that be interesting

Mainstream romance: and the sex! They have to be all over each other at every single moment they have, with plenty of accidental (or not so accidental) nudity and steamy bedroom scenes

Me: ......first of all, ew

I'll do you one better though; how about instead of sex we have cute little dates that both further and boost the relationship, with plenty of scenarios that give the MCs safe spaces to open up more and more to each other and build their trust and love for each other. Bonus points if they work through trauma together

Mainstream romance: but now that they're definitely together, we still need some drama so let's break them up in the next installment of the story! (This is definitely not because we don't know how to write romance after establishing a relationship)

Me: wow, that's horrible! I vote that actually, they don't suddenly have a terrible break up when the curtains close, because that's not how IRL relationships work! What's actually going to happen is that now that the MCs are in the relationship, they get to navigate the next part of their journey as a couple, and learn how to communicate properly and deal with things as a team like civilized adults

Mainstream romance: we definitely don't need to care about their married life, if they even get married at all! God forbid they be happy and start growing a family

Me: why not? Marriage is a natural progression in a loving relationship, and can be an amazing thing to explore with your fictional couple. Not to mention all the trials and joys that can come with parenthood. Think of the potential that has for a story! Plus, half the time the fandoms will marry them & invent children for them anyway, so why not make it canon?

Mainstream romance: it doesn't matter what the genre is, even if they're trying to stop doomsday or survive a zombie apocalypse the romance always comes first!

Me: that's so impractical, why? They've got 24 hours to stop a death ray, what on earth makes you think they have time to smooch? Sure they can still have soft, quiet moments, but they're trying to survive/save the world damnit, love is not the first thing they're thinking about

Mainstream romance: love triangles! Love triangles everywhere!

Me: I would literally rather die than write a love triangle. It's either one couple, or they end up being polyamorus. There is no in between

Mainstream romance: our stories are mostly heteronormative, but we'll sprinkle in some gay side characters or a gay sub-ship to fill our representation quota

Me: ah, now that is what I like to call "the token gay person/token representation", and I hate it. Sure, statistically people from the LGTBQ+ community are still a minority, but that's not gonna stop you from seeing them everywhere. Make it natural! Have more than one "gay" background character/ship, have the more important side characters be part of the community, do more LGTBQ+ romance! Same goes for ethnic groups, religious denominations, and people with disabilities (mental or physical). & Don't make them all underdog sob stories either, because while fighting for acceptance & understanding for these groups is very important, it doesn't have to be the only story you tell

Idk what the point of this post was I'm just tired of all these stupid romance tropes