#and I have never seen it to such an extent in a ship I shipped

[owlsie-hoot]

They’re sort of married already. You can tell a lot of story just by holding hands.(x)

silent communication. saying things without needing words. It's something these two characters are extremely good at. Often words are not needed to get a message across. Moments like these can be found in every episode, the small microexpressions they exchange make all the difference.

[24hrsoda]

i think we need to take the word misogyny away from some people

shipping superbat is not misogynistic and lois lane is not being erased or unnecessarily hated on for “getting in the way of superbat”

people just wanna seem like they’re above others for not enjoying something popular but instead of saying “i don’t like this because it’s popular and i’m a loser who hates when people have more fun than me” they sling the word misogyny around and use the oppression and mistreatment of women to win a one sided argument

[elisemochi]

Thinking about that one post I saw in passing way before I made this account that like was a confession blog and the confession was like

"I think Illuminata isn't romanceable because she falls in love with Amber"

or something like that and like the only comment was somebody saying like "ew, how dare you make me look at this"

Anyway I think Illuminata/Amber would be pretty cute

[red-dyed-sarumane]

okay im an isotope fan before a vwp fan i have some tabs on rim & thats about it but what do u MEAN isekaijoucho & harusaruhi cover magnet and release engagement rings at about the same time. hello?????

[emilydorp]

Way to ruin a poetic picture. I’ll respond in tags cuz I don’t wanna do negative stuff but hmm.

people who think everything g dragon does is a gtop reference piss me off. no katie just because gd takes a shit doesn’t mean a reunion is happening just because seunghyun does the same thing

[thinkingofausername]

some things from mouthwashing that i think need more attention:

UPDATED (again 😂) because I've been corrected on some things

jimmy, as co-captain, was unfortunately needed and couldn't be disposed of

pony express should carry the brunt of the blame - sending people into space and THEN telling them they're fired; not installing locks in the sleeping quarters; etc.

anya said "i have to believe our worst moments don't define us", implying she forgave curly, at least to an extent

every moment seen through jimmy's eyes could and should be questioned. he's an unreliable narrator

jimmy wanted curly to take the blame. he wanted the crew to blame him. the game wanted us to blame him for the crash (until the reveal)

curly got burned because he faced the explosion head-on; trying to fix things

anya died first; she did it with the last remaining painkillers which could've been used for curly; she even did it in front of him

jimmy shamed and attacked curly during the birthday scene and curly didn't react; implying their relationship was never smooth and truly friendly

it was never explicitly shown what anya said to curly. perhaps she never specified jimmy raped her. curly was shocked when she said she was pregnant, he didn't connect it with anything

anya telling jimmy she was pregnant is what made him crash the ship

it's implied anya told swansea about jimmy and he did nothing. he only attacked jimmy a while later, as revenge for daisuke

it's possible curly was only ever visited by jimmy, aside from anya

jimmy crashed the ship 147/365 days into the trip (they've got 7.2 months to go); the same day anya told him she's pregnant. assuming she found out a bit before that, and she could've found out within a month, by the time they got off the ship she would've been around 8 months pregnant - she would NOT have given birth on the ship

swansea had been 15 years sober

curly most likely wouldn't survive the cryopod. entirely skinless and then frozen? hell

curly was the only one to have clearance for the sweetener

curly very pointedly looks at jimmy ALL the time after the crash

after curly's conversation with jimmy (the "feet in cement" one), right before jimmy crashed the ship, the screen goes black and there's heavy breathing, implying curly was left panicking

jimmy gives curly medicine 3 times - first, with anya relatively nearby, a fairly normal intervention; second, with no one nearby, where jimmy assaults curly; third, alone again, he doesn't assault curly but he still cries, he's permanently scared of jimmy

curly was already struggling with insomnia before the crash

while anya was locked in medical, jimmy told daisuke she might do something to curly

anya said the mouthwash couldn't be used as disinfectant and jimmy still did it

jimmy drugged swansea; he convinced daisuke to go in the vent by saying swansea would be proud of him

curly and anya and jimmy all talk of "handling things"

jimmy says curly receives praise all the time; implying he was a good captain (he was also the only one to get exceptional references)

swansea had a wife and kids; daisuke mentions his mother, the creators of the game said curly loved spending time with friends and family. they had people waiting for them

jimmy said cartoon horses excite him and anya's baby is presented as a horse

[spitdrunken]

man. still have NOT managed to get my hands on the book of bill because it's sold out literally everywhere over here, but have any of you seen the new 'how not to draw' vid on the disney youtube channel that features bill? it really got me thinking.

notes: fourth wall breaking, obsessive behaviour, unhealthy relationships, implied sexual content, implied mind control

it's heavily implied that the video takes place in a world where gravity falls is supposedly fictional, like our own. bill literally says he's going to break the fourth wall! because i'm a sucker for fourth wall breaks and characters being aware of their own fandom (to an extent), i simply just HAD to run with this scenario.

i just like the idea of 'you' being just a person, some totally, in the large scheme of things, insignificant human walking the earth. you have a tendency for escapism, perhaps. you have always been drawn to stories. you like gravity falls. maybe it was something you watched while you were younger and recently rewatched, or an interest that had never waned. regardless, bill cipher, charismatic and unapologetically evil villain that he is, is one of your favourites.

you doodle him on the edges of paper when you're supposed to be doing anything else. (regardless of anyone's artistic skills, it's not difficult to draw a triangle with a top hat and an eye, is it?) and in this world, you are hardly the only one who likes him, who, perhaps, ships himself with him, who thinks about him a lot. who makes drawings and writes or reads fic. you don't think it's all that unusual.

in a stroke of luck or, depending on how you look at it, the exact opposite, the universe's idea of a cosmic joke, you are the one to catch bill's eye. (it's, after all, much easier to infiltrate the dreams of someone who already has you on their mind. makes sense, doesn't it? a tentative, wavering link had been formed already.) there, in your dreams, he tells you what to say--triangulum, entangulum. meteforis dominus ventium. meteforis venetisarium--and the next morning, you remember it clear as a memory.

you do it. for funsies. why wouldn't you? you don't expect it to actually work. he's a fictional interdimensional demon. why would it work? but much to your surprise, and horror, because surely a screw must've gotten loose for this to be happening, one of your little doodles has life blown to it. as a response to your summon, a tiny little bill cipher darts across your paper, alive but still confined.

(you've given him an in. now, he only has to take the crack you've opened for him, dig his fingers in, and tear it open.)

oh, he'll be funny! he'll be exactly what you thought of him. perhaps he even voices a line of dialogue you swore you wrote down somewhere days prior. yes, he's read whatever you wrote or read, whatever you looked at. he's keeping it himself for now. it's not easy to inflate his ego further, but you might have succeeded. rather than a meatbag, bill first looks upon you with the eye of someone presented with a puppy. fundamentally lesser, but capable of being something with the right training.

he urges you to make a deal with him and the promise he'll act out whatever fantasy you've been cooking up in that brain of yours, even if it's gross and weird and physically impossible!

he'll warp your dimension to make all of it possible!!! it's great!!! don't worry about it!!!!!!

…you don't do it. you don't touch the paper. you've seen the show, and you aren't stupid. bill nearly balks. he'd expected you to be the easiest mark of all time, but he suppose he forgot that even puppies have teeth. that's fine. he can work with this. because even though you have not let him in yet, and you refuse to shake his hand through the paper, you don't seperate yourself from him just yet.

you could oh so easily take the piece of paper he's on and throw it in the nearest shredder. or set him on fire. in you, he recognises lingering curiosity, and the excitement at having stood out, at being chosen, in one way or another. it's not hopeless yet.

he can play a bit of a longer game, then. he's been at this for a long, long time. he'll tolerate the paper he's on being folded into a little square and tucked into your breast pocket, granting him a view of your life and the world you're living in. (all the time, his hunger grows.) your decision not to throw him away ends up being your downfall. spending so much time with bill, letting him joke around with you, complaining about your problems… it takes a while for you to realise that, for a while now, he has not been speaking out loud anymore, but instead through your mind.

a connection that cannot be cut has been formed in between two of you.

on bill's part, he had thorougly expected to be bored. but perhaps it's your genuine interest in him, not the things he's offering, which he does not often see. (he's been down this road before. won't end well. but...) the sheer mundanity of your life that makes him wish he could twist and turn it all around. or just a random alignment of the stars. the heart doesn't always follow logic. in this scenario, at some point, bill realises that he has become genuinely invested in you, too. and at that point, you'll never manage to slip away. he's already dug in his heels in your mind far enough. you had no adequate protection.

he still wants to take over your world. he still wants to escape the discomforting flatness of the paper you've summoned him in. but, perhaps, you two could share that meatsack of a body of yours, before things get that far.

[numy-numnum]

Some Beast x Ancient headcanons (CW potential dead dove/nsfw)

Been thinking about this for a while and noticed some people took interest in my personal ship headcanons so I thought I'd indulge, starting out w best x ancient (initially was just gonna be a Burnincheese post but decided to extent it to the other beasts for the funsies)

Oh btw No White Lily and Silent Salt, I like to infer my headcanons based off... yknow canon. So when they get added I will gladly update this post or make a new one featuring them.

Despite this some of these might be extremily canon non compliant, apologies LMAO

Some very important disclaimers first of all, title warning is important, there will be discussions of abuse, racey topics, complicated and messy relationships and other potentially touchy subjects, if this is difficult to read please step away from this post

I am a romance repulsed individual somewhere on the aromantic spectrum I believe (no labels), I have 0 interest in traditional sugary sweet romance (infact it revolts me) and that part of me hugely infers how I approach shipping characters, these are weird little writing experiments to me to see how bizarre and weird the human brain is and to explore those darker, uncomfortable avenues in a 100% safe enviroment. So again if you're expecting thing such as villain redemptions or totally healthy typical cute relationships ,again, probably best to leave lol

And lastly, apologies for typos, will fix as many as possible if I spot them lol

Without further ado, enjoy my ramblings about pastries who smooch each other

ShadowVanilla

Ah yes, t4t (twink4twink/j)

As I see it, ShadowVanilla is a mostly one sided thing. The mutual feelings are there but not in the way either of these two WANT them to be.

We've seen what SM has done to PV , but honestly my personal hot take is PV has some unhealthy beliefs himself.

PV is entirely too selfless for his own good, in the face of someone who has tried to break him down, tried changing him to fit this fucked up mold of what he should be in the eyes of SM, put him through metaphorical Hell for a cause that would bring the world to its downfall... And his response was a resonding "I understand you, we can still be friends." (poorly paraphrased)

As I see it, PV wants SM to reform, to join him, be a pair without others' lives being at stake, but SM fundamentally cannot change.

The two are in a constant dance of desiring each other, needing each other but constantly hurting each other whenever they get too close.

SM because he refuses to let go of his cause and to admit that his idealized version of PV just isn't him, a thing he cannot ever have.

And PV because his insistance on redeeming SM constantly gets him rejected and yelled at.

It's a viscious cycle of yearning, needing and destruction, neither of them are ever truly happy... yet those few moments where there is no fighting, there is no manipulation, there is no unrealistic expectations... It feels like bliss.

Each of them cling onto those moments for dear life and it's what partially keeps them afloat despite their relationship (the other reason being literally each other's halves) Because those few moments are the best thing, ever.

Need, intimacy, love, lust. It all blends together to make a concoction of pure bliss that motivates them to keep going, that perhaps the next time it'll work, and it will be what finally tips them into finding a mutual understanding.

There is no such thing for them, that is. Because they are blind to the thing that keeps them in this vicious cycle, and thus they'll never realize what they do to each other isn't truly love.

But they don't mind, they'll do it all over again if it means they get to try at least... And perhaps it's also because the two have started to enjoy their little dubious, exhausting routine but simply refuse to acknowledge it.

MysticCacao

Sorry to the avid shippers of these two but in my head, 100% one sided.

At the cost of doing Dark Cacao a disservice, he is 110% hellbent on "fixing" that woman... Only for her to walk him around like a dog (metaphorically... mostly).

He tries his best to get to her but it all fails. Sometimes MF is willing to entertain his charade mostly for her (internal) amusement and to study that man like a zoologist studies an animal in the wild.

She's scary, scarier than anything he's ever seen and he LOVES IT. DC doesn't say it out loud but it's definetely why he keeps trying to hit that.

I also like to think that perhaps, in a twisted sense,he thinks she could fix parts of him too, namely how much of a failure of a father he is. Despite her personality, MF is an extremely good caretaker and very loving to Cloud Haetae (although she doesn't show it) and I like to think that DC sees that and in a sense sees an alternative version of himself in MF... One where he and his son didn't have a fallout.

MF is aware of this and much like with everything else she is apathetic to it, if anything she likes leading him on so Peach Blossom can oggle the old man and make moves on him (she's a great wingman)

EternalBerry

TOXIC YURIIII 🎇🎇🎇

EternalBerry is a fun one for me bc HB kinda just... Takes what's thrown her way and shrugs it off, to the absolute dismay of ES

HB is willing to keep a queerplatonic relationship with ES but obviously, ES wants more which leads to awkward arguments and breakdowns.

HB comforts ES through those but in the end nothing gets ever truly resolved and HB doesn't feel like she's equiped to handle something like this.

Outside of her obsessiveness, posessiveness and codependance ES is also quite volatile towards anyone around HB. Not in the Yandere way but she's definetely the type of woman to go "who's this "dad" character in your contacts?" She'll go as far as to mimic aspects of people HB favors in an attempt to get to stay with her, a flip flopping that confuses our local herbo and solidifies her stance that she really just... can't handle all of ES.

ES will go on tirades about how monstrous HB is for leaving her, gaslighting her, yelling at her, minimizing her actions once things blow over, victimize herself when HB bites back, partialy because she wants HB to stay with her forever in eternal happiness but also because she enjoys the moments where she gets to feel small and vulnerable (in the freaky way).

HB tries her hardest to be patient with ES but at times it gets difficult, even with their agreed queerplatonic relationship, she's understanding and caring and will try to protect ES from other evils but unlike PV who feels he can truly change their respective beast, HB just does it because she feels like it's the right decent thing to do. She has no drive to try and change ES's mind and that's because to her their different views clash to the point of her being unable to hold a much more serious relationship.

HB likes to fool around with other friends and even invites ES as well (under the condition she behaves) but ES tends to usually be wholy uninterested in seeing other individuals with HB, the few times she does agree she tends to put up these demands and boundaries where HB focuses on her primarily.

This point is here bc I'm a big fan of HollybberxTarte TatinxPitaya DragonxRoyal Margarine LOL.

BurningCheese

My personal favorite and the one I have the most to ramble about I think

I love love love love love LOVEEE relationships where people hate each other so much they end up desiring each other carnally.

"I hate you. your deft handling of your unfortunate circumstances, your uniqueness, your ability to surpass me — all these irritate me. you're the one person I refuse to lose to" is the EMBODIMENT of how I see their dynamic.

The two are a... Special bunch.

Like HB and ES they have struck a mutual understanding but theirs has 0 good terms attached. "I'll destroy everything you love" "And I'll always bee there to stop you." basically

She wants to kick his ass, he wants to kick her ass and get his ass kicked and that's what they agree to... Usually.

In a twisted sense of irony the two eventually develop a sort of fucked up admiration for one another. BS sees how radiant and confident GC is post her awakening and it infuriates him, it angers him how much he's spurred on by her and how unaffected she is by him. he doesn't understand why it happens, is it her beauty? Her strength? He has no damn clue what about this woman allures him. He knows he loves how she's the only one that can crumble him.

His thoughts are a mess of wanting to put her in her place, crumble her like many others she has taken down and wantig to embrace her, to worship her body like the goddess she is, to taste her to feel her... To sink his teeth into her flesh and taste her blood on his lips, for her to take control and treat him like a weakling, for her to press her heel down on his neck until it gives in and damn it if the feeling isn't mutual between the two.

Out of all of them they're the most secretive about their relationship, mostly because of the nature of it but also because they feel like no one must know of what they get up to. It's the only part of their agreement they swear by mutually.

When they get time for themselves outside of their "sparring" sessions they don't enjoy the typical dates or plain vanilla power inbalance sex, they make shit weird.

Obsessed with constantly testing each other's nerves and reminding each other of just how capable they are of killing each other. GC specially loves to toy with BS and his feelings, she knows he's utterly smitten with her and that he's willing to degrade himself for her sake because he loooves it, he craves it like a famished man craves a fine meal.

And he loves the times where he's given some control and can show off how vicious he can truly be.

Their age gap is definetely part of it also, BS loves the idea of putting this young naive fool in her place and GS loves making this grumpy old man be reduced to a whimpering begging mess.

Despite the many markers of a generic power inbalance dynamic they stray as far away from it as possible though, it just isn't exciting for one of them to always be in control of the other, there's no fun in comformity it gets boring when all there is to their fun times is "small young woman get topped by big evil old man" they need their own spice.

As such they take many risks, and are often extremely reckless, often having to hide bite marks, bruises etc from their subordinates to prevent them from finding out, and if you're wondering yes they've had close calls before, many of them in fact but they're too stubborn to learn, if anything the risk makes it all the more fun for them to be like this.

They're tied to the hip yet they downright refuse to take things further with their relationship, their sparing sessions and sex is all there is to it.

HOWEVERRR, BS does secretly want GC to finish him off once and for all, end their charade at the hands of the only woman in the world strong enough to crumble him. GC is extremely against this but it hasn't stopped BS from attempting this multiple times.

if either of them get close to fataly injuring each other they'll take each other to safety and tend to their wounds immediatly. GC because she can't find it in herself to kill him and BS because he wants the only person who can crumble him to stay alive so he can be entertained for all eternity until the right time comes and he gets to crumble once and for all. It's yet another cycle these cookie weirdos get themselves into and there's not much one can do about it.

At least these two enjoy themselves... in more ways than one.

WOAAAAAAAAAAHH

ok that's it, it's currently past 3 am as I write this, enjoy my insane, honestly horny ramblings+edits and errr idk yell at me in the comments for being dumb or something idk lol

[umbrace-rambles]

I've seen a lot of posts wondering about the extent Trust can change a person and this is a very fascinating topic in itself but I've been wondering about the inconsistencies we have seen so far, specifically. I'm sure there's a reason for them.

Xiao Yueqing did say OG Nice leaned more and more towards OCD due to his "perfect" hero persona. We have seen him get dirty without a care in the world with Wreck, now this could either mean this was not a 24/7 issue and he was able to be more himself than Nice sometimes, but I personally interpreted it as him before this started to become a genuine issue, and it progressed to become worse and worse. Those flashbacks are from years ago.

So we have been shown Trust can change a person both physically and psychologically, but my hang up is..... why didn't something like this happen to Xiao Yueqing?

People shipped her with Nice so hard that it changed how her powers worked and chained her to him... but it never actually changed her at all despite her fans being CONVINCED they were a couple. We have seen how she is when she's not playing Moon and she couldn't be more different, Trust doesn't seem to have affected her like it did Nice. Shouldn't it have changed her feelings as well? Her own person? She didn't even like the guy, at all, they weren't even friends, polar opposite.

Does this mean Nice was "weaker" and easier to manipulate and change by Trust? Does the effect Trust have on you depend on how strong your personality or sense of self is? Is it dependent on how LONG you've been under the influence of Trust? Nice seems to have been a hero for way longer than Moon has. Does it depend on if your fans believe the exact same things about you or if there's variation? Does it depend on how many fans you have? I'm sure we will find out when we know more about the other heroes but I'm so so curious

[baldval]

There isn't enough wholesome shipping content so can I ask for Alastor, Angel, Husk, the Vees, and Lucifer with an S/O who likes to cook and bake and it's their primary love language. Hust making sure they've eaten or have treats to snack on or even cooking with them.

BAKING W HAZBIN!₊˚⊹♡

characters: alastor, angel, husk, vox, velvette, valentino, lucifer

warnings: incredibly fluffy fluff fluff fluff

a/n: this can be mostly read as both platonic or romantic (except for the parts where i explicitly say that it's romantic) so enjoy x.

ALASTOR:

ᰔ lowkey probably has never even baked before.

ᰔ just never had any interest in it.

ᰔ he really likes eating baked goods tho.

ᰔ especially the sweet stuff.

ᰔ total sweet tooth.

ᰔ he helps out sometimes in the kitchen at home, but nothing crazy.

ᰔ if you like baking, and you invite him to come join, he is so down.

ᰔ he's not the best at it, and you'll need to guide him through a lot of the process.

ᰔ but he is so eager about it.

ᰔ will request that you bake specific things together depending on what he's craving.

ᰔ if he has a crush on you, he'll become more bold about his recipe requests.

ᰔ he'd also try to intitiate baking hangouts more often.

ᰔ the entire time he'll be sneaking glances at you with this cute slight blush on his face.

ᰔ he is no stranger to pretending to not know how to do something so you'll come over and help him too.

ᰔ if things get more serious, i can see him getting more into it.

ᰔ but it'll always be more your thing.

ᰔ your number one supporter though.

ᰔ brags about you and what you baked all the time.

ANGEL:

ᰔ another one to not really be seen baking unless someone invites him to do it.

ᰔ except unlike alastor, who can make do, he's terrible at it.

ᰔ he can kinda cook?

ᰔ to an extent.

ᰔ but his baking is on a whole other level.

ᰔ he does really enjoy it though.

ᰔ just… mostly aesthetically?

ᰔ the process of creating something from scratch, assembling the ingredients, kneading them together, and watching them become something beautiful.

ᰔ it's all very soothing to him.

ᰔ loves the smell too.

ᰔ regardless of if you're in a platonic or romantic relationship, he would never decline an invitation to come bake with you.

ᰔ though he would definitely stay on the sidelines, prefering to instead keep you company and hand you what you ask for.

ᰔ will send you recipes that remind him of you.

ᰔ if he has a crush on you, or if you are in a romantic relationship with him, you might notice him making every excuse on earth to spend more time with you in the kitchen.

ᰔ and he'll do everything he can to help out too!

ᰔ passing you tools, giving you praise, cleaning up after you, brushing the flour from your cheek.

ᰔ name it, he'll do it.

ᰔ he's so sweet about it too.

ᰔ will offer to feed you, and never fails to have the biggest grin on his face when you agree.

HUSK:

ᰔ local hotel bartender probably does not bake.

ᰔ probably pretty impartial to sweet things as well.

ᰔ he's just more of a savory guy.

ᰔ if you liked baking, and you ever decided to invite him along for the ride, he'd actually be down for it.

ᰔ it's not his thing, but it's yours.

ᰔ and if it'd make you happy to spend time with him like that, he sees no reason to say no.

ᰔ just make sure to guide him along and give him tasks.

ᰔ otherwise he's completely lost.

ᰔ if he has a crush on you, I could see him taking interest in your favourites.

ᰔ shyly requesting to cook those together next time.

ᰔ he'd try to appear nonchalant about the final product, but inside he's actually pretty happy he did it.

ᰔ especially after seeing your reaction.

ᰔ and if you guys do end up getting more serious, he may actually even end up getting pretty good at it.

ᰔ even going so far as to learn a few recipes by himself .

ᰔ he just wants to learn how to cook the things you like the most.

VOX:

ᰔ never thinks about baking honestly.

ᰔ he likes baked goods, but he just doesn’t see himself getting much out of making them.

ᰔ has all the ingredients available to him if he ever changes his mind tho.

ᰔ prefers things with dark chocolate or berries.

ᰔ and especially likes eating them with his daily cup(s) of coffee.

ᰔ if you like baking, you’ll have to invite him if you want him to join you.

ᰔ he’s not good nor bad at helping out, and will prefer if you take the lead for the majority of it.

ᰔ he will bring over the little extras or whatever you’re missing.

ᰔ and as you serve up, he’ll offer to make you a drink or something simple to go with it.

ᰔ if he has a crush on you, he’ll start including you in his little 'vees' snack grabs.

ᰔ and if you ever mention needing something but not being able to find it in town, he’ll secretly get velvette to special order it.

ᰔ if you end up getting into a relationship together, he’ll make sure you’re always stocked up, mostly on general ingredients, but especially any decor.

ᰔ likes buying you sprinkles or marshmallows and making you custom mixes.

VELVETTE:

ᰔ love, love, LOVES anything tangy, zesty, or citrusy.

ᰔ doesn’t bake though, and doesn’t know how to either.

ᰔ but not because she doesn’t want to.

ᰔ just because she never really has had to.

ᰔ she knows she can just hire someone to bake anything she's craving.

ᰔ only to later on realise that nothing anyone bakes will ever compare to what you make.

ᰔ if she ever has a craving, she’ll go straight to you.

ᰔ would also love to join you in your baking endeavours.

ᰔ if she has a crush on you, you’ll probably see an influx of messages from her describing the newest baked goods she’s tried or heard about.

ᰔ or she'll straight up just send you recipes.

ᰔ she’d also probably memorise your favourites, and find herself subconsciously looking for them whenever she goes shopping for herself.

ᰔ if you get into a relationship together, and especially when you move in together, i could see her indulging in baking as a pastime more.

VALENTINO:

ᰔ val knows he's not good at baking.

ᰔ but he loves doing it so much.

ᰔ and you can see how eager he is about it.

ᰔ so you're of course, super encouraging.

ᰔ truthfully, his baking isn’t that bad.

ᰔ i mean, he makes mistakes often.

ᰔ and things usually end up a bit burnt .

ᰔ but you can always eat around stuff.

ᰔ likes a big range of baked goods and flavours.

ᰔ but especially likes eating whatever you make for him.

ᰔ he might ask you for help to make sure nothing goes wrong.

ᰔ you’ll figure out quickly that’s he’s actually got a lot of good ideas.

ᰔ if he has a crush on you, he’ll start recommending you his favourite recipes.

ᰔ he’ll also ask you for help more often.

ᰔ if possible, he hopes that you’ll be able to make something together.

ᰔ and of course you do.

ᰔ if you do get into a relationship, he'll keep baking.

ᰔ he knows he's getting better and might get all cocky about it with everyone else.

ᰔ but behind close doors, he kisses you as he states that he owes it all to your help.

LUCIFER:

ᰔ actual closet baker.

ᰔ has a cute apron and matching utensils.

ᰔ wears it all the time.

ᰔ he's like- really good at baking bread.

ᰔ he'll make it all from scratch.

ᰔ he even has a few starters setup - uses it for his lunches.

ᰔ he gets so awkward whenever he tries to gift you one of his loaves.

ᰔ if you ever ask to bake with him, he'd accept, but only if you're at least good friends by this point.

ᰔ and he'd be a little hesitant about it too.

ᰔ if he has a crush on you, and you get past that initial shyness, will invite you to bake with him all the time.

ᰔ he's pretty dependable too!

ᰔ if there's anything you're unsure about, he'd be willing to teach you.

ᰔ he loves to put on your apron for you.

ᰔ if you're in a romantic relationship, will bake things for you all the time.

ᰔ totally the type to put pretty designs into what he bakes as well.

ᰔ he'll write "i love you" in a cake you're working on together while you're not looking.

[multifandomloverthrowaway]

Viktor Was a Wasted Character

(But are we really surprised?)

This is my first post ever on Tumblr so please be nice! This is in no way hate towards any particular character or ship; personally I love Viktor as a character and all his ships, and that’s the main reason why I’m posting this. I also know like no LoL lore, so please bear with me. I’m just going to rant and dump my thoughts out here since I don’t really have fans in person to talk to about this, and it’s really bugging me lol!

That being said, I just watched season two, and after sitting with it’s ending, I do not think that the story told in the season is well thought out, and it can be very heavily seen in how characters are treated both in the show and in the fandom. It’s quite disheartening to see the fandom going through the peak-fandom era treatment of mlm and wlw relationships, and the overall treatment of the characters can be a little trashy. How people see Viktor can be very degrading and objectifying, and the whole ship wars and fallout with JayVik is absolutely disgusting. It makes me feel that many watchers did not fully understand Viktor’s character. And to a certain extent, the writers did not care for it either.

Viktor’s character represents what would happen if a Zaunite were able to become “successful” in the eyes of Piltover. Someone who had the intellect and ambition to supersede the conditions in Zaun and were able to compete with those raised in the “better city”. Thus, the questions of “How did they get to their place in Piltover?”, “What flaws do they have?”, “What is holding them back?”, “What is their experience in Piltover like?”, “Are they accepted?”, “Is there prejudice?”, and “What was their life in Zaun like?” are the core questions that make the character and their arc. This character is particularly important because this is the character that shows that those who are oppressed, no matter how “good” they are, will never be good enough in the eyes of the oppressor, especially if they have faults of their own. Viktor is fundamental to the message of season one Arcane. He helps to complete the story in its exploration of class, social, and political divide by personifying that “what if it could work” gap.

Viktor naturally then must be an internally strong character. Giving Viktor a disability is not just good inclusion, but also a good internal motivator. We as the audience then see that his key goal to help Zaun is not rooted in pity for a former home, but rather the cause of an injustice that he was a victim to. We see his steadfastness in going after opportunities that he thinks will benefit Zaun and humanity, and constant relentless means to get there. This is in stark contrast to his personal life. His deeply rooted sentiment that he must be alone because of his disability, along with perceptions of his disability and birthplace, are why he is a closed person only reaching for science, despite being quite empathetic. They also set up his two main conflicts:

1. He is dying with little time to finish his goal of helping Zaun and humanity

and

2. The people around him want to weaponize his creation into something that can be used against his hometown

These conflicts are where the plot fumbled the character. Firstly, we do not see any ties between him and Zaun other than his illness and that he grew up there. Where are his parents that supposedly love him so much? What is his relationship with Sky, which he supposedly cared enough for to bring out of Zaun to work with him and Jayce? His lack of well developed relationships with other characters other than Jayce hurt his character development from occurring naturally. It’s why Sky’s death doesn’t feel like anything. Despite Viktor seeing her in the realm as a metaphor to his shred of humanity left, his garden dedicated to her, her emblem on his robe, we don’t know their relationship or history in his eyes. (It should have been that they were in at least a friendship. Anything less than that would not fit Viktor’s character.) We don’t see him interact that much with Mel, despite her being his close friend’s love interest. We do not see him interact with doctors or his parents. What other real relationship does he have depicted in the show other than, well, Jayce? The only other is perhaps Singed. How do these relationships play into his self perception, and perception of humanity?

Combining his deteriorating friendship with Jayce over politics and with understanding that his work will be used against him without his credit or his voice should set Viktor up for him to make decisions that will naturally lead into his lore as we know it; to create something that allows him to fix himself and others while simultaneously corrupting him, especially in Zaun. Instead in season two we see that path taken away from him within the first Act after he is fused with magic because of Jayce. This is a pity because it makes Viktor reliant on Jayce’s decisions in a way that is outside of their parallel to the power struggle between Zaun and Piltover and thus takes away from his authority as a character - his decision to fuse himself with magic and machinery to go against Piltover needed to be a result of his decisions and actions, not of someone else and magic!

Giving that narrative decision to Jayce also leaves no organic way for Jayce to come to realize who Viktor is as a person outside of just a “partner”. This is especially apparent during the finale, in which Jayce’s love for Viktor is boiled down to “I love you for who you are”… though that undermines Viktor’s illness, why that illness exists and thus his reason to be a character, and by extension… Zaun’s struggle. And yet, Viktor dies accepting Jayce’s words, despite them undermining the reason he exists! Each time Viktor is yet again denied that choice to be what his character represents. Instead he is used as the crutch to Jayce until the end of the second season. This is also why the multidimensional time travel does not work with Viktor being the mage that gives Jayce magic; Viktor’s destiny is then settled firmly in Jayce’s hands and not his own. They are not soulmates; only one’s life depends on the other’s.

Viktor then, despite having some good foundation, never becomes the full representation that his character could be. We see no growth of his insecurities and setbacks that allow him to make the choice to become who is meant to be. Rather we see that narrative handed to another character who does not fulfill his character arc fully either.

It is no surprise to see the JayVik shippers in this case. Because Viktor is so dependent on Jayce in the narrative, there is no other natural relationship for him. This is despite the fact that Viktor’s sax orientation shouldn’t be of speculation, because in the case of the story, it doesn’t matter. Whether or not Viktor is able to have physical attraction to another person is not the core of his story nor his character. (Which is why his ace designation should not be controversial.) However, that his ability to make meaningful connections with the people in his lives, whether as friends or romantically, is. And we do not see that with any other person but Jayce, who cannot not see him as a full person due to the narrative. Viktor, at his essence, is a man whose agency has been taken from him by the narrative.

The better case in the narrative would have been to let the two part their separate ways after the death of Sky and the council attack, and let Viktor be the tragic hero he was made for. The love between each character that was to have a relationship with Viktor would have been that much more apparent, especially with Sky and Jayce. Then perhaps we would not see Viktor become the “disabled tw!nk whose real relationship could have only been with Jayce because only they truly knew and loved each other” because no. Only they didn’t. Viktor always had so much more, which included Jayce, Mel, Sky, and could have been far more! He just wasn’t given the means to explore it. And not by just the characters in Arcane. By the writers too.

[pinkroseblooms]

Remmick is becoming super divisive in the fandom and I'm feeling bad for Ryan Coogler

As someone who isn't the biggest fan of Remmick (don't come for me, actor is cute, and I do think the character is funny and interestingly written and I've seen a few fics that are legitimately good) I don't get why people are saying the Sinners fandom is ignoring the PoC characters in favor of him and it's an insult to the film and it's themes.

For one, Ryan Coogler loves the character. He loves Irish culture. He says in BTS interviews he intended to write Remmick as someone who genuinely isn't racist and sees segregation as complete bullshit. Now, his actions and motivations are purposefully tied to themes of white assimilation and cultural appropriation and a lot of his character is still left to speculation; it's one of the reasons why I think people are churning out so much content of him, they find it easier to interpret Remmick as a character who's history and motivations aren't completely revealed. As a character, he can and at least partially is a reference to what white people have historically done to oppress other cultures/colonization, despite also being a victim of said oppression.

As for people shipping him with Sammie, I don't like the ship, but I saw it coming the first screening. People, especially tumblr fanfic girlies, love shipping villains and antagonists with the character who's the hero/protagonist/audience surrogate. Sammie is central to the plot, but he's also who the audience can step into the shoes of the most and as a result, people can project themselves onto him more. Also, tumblr girlies fucking love hyperfiaxting on the "I can change him" characters. Remmick is basically a tumblr sexyman. And it's not just white people writing reader inserts or focusing on him (side note, I haven't seen the plantation reader story and I hope to God I never do) there's a good number of black users and other users of various ethnicities I see posting content centered around Remmick. Everyone seems to thirst for this character and to be fair, Ryan Coogler meant for people to enjoy him as much as any of the other characters, even if he absolutely wants to centered black stories and culture in his work.

Still, it seems like once again a white character is becoming a fan favorite in a piece of media with a predominantly black cast, meant to be beloved by black people, albeit not exclusively. It fucking grating when you get representation and you want to interact with the fandom but it's seemingly overtaken by people focusing on the white guy.

While I don't think racial bias is the only reason Remmick is getting so much attention, I don't doubt for some fans thats exactly what it is (plantation reader insert, really? Fucking really?). But I'm not black so I'm not going to pretend I get it exactly. As a PoC, I can only empathize to an extent. There's valid reasons to be irritated and fed up so I'm not saying people who want to vent or post about their frustration shouldn't. That's not my place at all.

Mostly I just feel kind of bad for Ryan Coogler who actually put a lot of effort to write this enjoyable villain and Remmick's getting as much backlash as he is getting love from Sinners fans. And I don't think people making fan content for the character automatically means they're disregarding any of the black characters. People are also going feral over Bo and Grace and they love the Choctaw for the teeny amount of their screen time, but I don't see anyone claiming that fans of them are decentralizing the black characters in favor of them.

Also, on the subject of Sinners fan content, I want more Annie x Reader fics. But that's beside the point, she's just my personal favorite and I want to fantasize about her being in love with me because there's no way irl it would ever happen. 🥲

[dinosaurswant2rule]

The trouble with Galadriel and Sauron (what the show won't admit)

Before I get hate, I fully love these two as a couple, I ship them so hard as Sauron and Galadriel and Halbrand/Galadriel (although I would have loved it if Halbrand was just a "dude" with a tragic past not the source of evil incarnate)

Anyway my rant/analysis

I've read a lot of META analysis about TROP/Galadriel / her mistakes/not spotting Sauron for what he is etc / the mistakes blah blah blah

And while it's also fascinating, my big issue with the show and to a certain extent the analysis around her is that and I'm going to say this SUPER LOUD

SAURON IS RIGHT (in a way that doesn't for Celebrimbor or any of the other character he interacts with)

Yes Sauron absolutely manipulates Galadriel and she refuses to acknowledge a whole series of things.

But, for Galadriel, everything he says to her on the raft is absolutely true in a way that's not really true for anyone else.

Galadriel IS cast out by the elves for wanting more soldiers, for hunting an enemy that they think is gone even though she is TADA right as well. Sauron is not dead (Gil Galad grhhh) They don't listen to the commander whose hunted him for decades and led them across the battle field, they just say go away crazy cat lady - we'll just ship you off to Valinor.

And it just annoys me so much, that it's never really acknowledged EVER in the second series that she actually has a point

Sauron WAS NOT DEAD

That they put her directly in the path of someone when she is angry/damaged/still mourning a brother she lost a long time ago

And when they find out she is right, they have GALL to blame her for it utterly

Elrond AND Gil Galad both lay the blame entirely on her shoulders, no one ever really openly says, sorry Gal we put you in a super awkward position where you could have been open to Sauron's manipulation, that's on us and sorry for not believing you first time around.

Elrond - twat that he is (although I love him) sorta says sorry in between make out kisses at the last possible second, but it would have been nice for him to actually acknowledge it that Auntie Galadriel actually had a point.

He also has the nerve to say that she had the darkness calling to her/ that basically she was just an idiot falling for Sauron's tricks / is possibly corrupted herself

And Gil Galad never admits it either - still vaguely regarding her a sparkly flea he can't quite swat

And that she's somehow created another problem he's got to fix

While I totally admit that it's partly her fault, I just don't think the show is written as desperately fair to Galadriel and the second series suffers a lot from it.

After building her as the angry/damaged/virtually invincible soldier in the first series, the second series determinedly knocks her down a peg or two and the men folk take over (this is not helped by the fact that she no female relationships in the series) even though t hey are partly to blame for this mess.

I guess it frustrates me that the writing /the way the cast describe it - they tend to just go with the Galadriel made a horrible mistake and look at the consequences / she really did want what Sauron offered line

Anyway, back to Sauron, HE IS RIGHT, she is dumped by the elves and he is the only one who vaguely sees her as AN EQUAL, he actually finds her determination and obsession APPEALING rather than a turn off.

And it's seen as this monstrous thing, he's saying, but it's not really because he's being absolutely true

I SEE YOU AS AN EQUAL, AS MY MATCH (romantic or otherwise)

LET'S WORK TOGETHER

BECAUSE YOU'RE AMAZING

It's hardly a shock that Galadriel found this appealing because literally no man in her immediate world has ever really acknowledged in this way before and by the end of the series, he stills wants her!

(and in my opinion even after the roundhouse kick to the face)

(this might be one of the reasons her connection is so deep with him)

Celembrimbor on other hand, Sauron plays on his vanity/his desperation/his loneliness? as well as his basic good nature, but he doesn't really ever hit the nail on the head in terms of his situation (cause frankly Brimby is living a decent life)

Sorry this always bugs me when I watch it/read it

Just had to ran this out, much love to the TROP fandom and HALADRIEL and SAURONDIEL too, you're all amazing

Elsa out x

[miwiheroes]

Bylers, we need to talk about something…

I’ve been having a lot of thoughts pertaining to what will happen in season 5 relating to byler recently, as have we all, but I’ve also been wondering about the audience’s reaction to it if it happens.

Actually, i’ve been more concerned not about the GA’s reaction, but our reaction to how they handle it. I just want to say beforehand, that I might be projecting my issues with negativity and conflict (i’m a very very optimistic person it’s rough being on social media these days lmao) and I also very much believe that they will make byler canon in some way or another. It just makes sense with the narrative. But I fear we will never be happy with how they do it and we never learn from our previous mistakes lmao

Before season 4 came out, I sort of was a fan of byler, but i was very very casual, as in I didn’t interact with many fan theories, I wasn’t on twitter (still not on there because I have a phobia of negativity eek) and I wasn’t on tumblr, I would occasionally check out the edits and fanarts and I think I was just Aware of it, because I always root for the gay ship to happen ofc..

So when season 4 vol. 1 came out I was excited about the direction they were taking byler, and I could see that it was finally canon that Will was gay, rather than theorised. When season 4 vol. 2 came out, I had not been on sttwt or st tumblr during the time between the volumes because I had other fandoms prioritised around the time. I watched the Van Scene with my parents and suddenly I was acutely aware of just how gay they were (because I always get scared of watching anything queercoded around my parents lmao).

By the end of season 4, I was like YES! this season was amazing for a byler set up next season, although i was more focused on other characters too. I then kind of saw the byler script stuff but not the full extent of it, and I saw many edits and fanarts of them but that was it!

Now it’s 2024 and I have a major hyperfixation on byler, (due to the season 5 bts and the fact stranger things keeps popping up on my fyp it’s crazy) and now I’m on byler tumblr (not twt tho .. sorry) to find all the evidence I can and get all hyped up for s5! But I’ve also seen old posts from around 2022…

Literally every single one was extremely disappointed from season 4 vol. 2, and I was confused, seeing as I was very happy with it and I liked byler (my fave byler scene is from vol. 2 and no it’s not the van scene). If I’m being totally honest, and I might get some hate for this, I think we all had wildly, wildly high expectations and the disappointment was our own doing.

I personally never really judge a show before it’s finished (obviously not sitcoms and shows like that) unless it has really really terrible writing ofc, but I always choose to reserve judgement until all the character arcs are wrapped up and I can look back and see why things were made to be.

I understand the whole anger with Mike’s behaviour towards Will and how Will was treated poorly by him, but isn’t that the point? Mike loving Will back in season 5 would then be more satisfying after all that. It’s a set-up for the next season, no?

I don’t know why or how people thought that Mike would suddenly resolve all his internalised homophobia or something during that season, and I reckon if the whole season had come out at once instead of two volumes (i hate the two volumes thing sm omg) people would have been much happier because we wouldn’t have had time to create insane theories or unrealistic expectations that, let’s be real, were not in line with what we have seen so far with byler.

So, I just want to say that I’m a little afraid for season 5, because I know that byler will likely be canon, but people just won’t be happy because it won’t be in the exact way that they had theorised. Sorry to break it to you, but you, random person on tumblr, are not a screen writer. More specifically, you’re not a screen writer for stranger things.

I think it’s fun to theorise at the moment, but I just want to remind people that this pattern has happened before and we never learn? Like, none of our theories are coming true. Not one of them. Did I theorise the exact van scene? Did I theorise the part at the end where Mike grabs Will’s shoulder? No. But am I happy with those scenes? Hell yeah.

So on the build up to season 5, I just want to caution everyone to not assume that specific things are going to happen when it’s just a result of an echochamber (such as the milkvan breakup scene being right at the beginning or the painting being brought up). You’ll just be angry for no good reason.

The only reasons I’m personally going to be angry with how they handle byler is:

1. If it’s not canon and Will’s love goes unrequited/ he has another love interest somehow…

2. If either of them die after having a relationship during season 5 (bury your gays is stUPID)

3. If one of them dies before the other gets to tell them they love them/ kiss

4. If they get together without Mike apologising (it could be in literally any way, obvious or not) for his poor behaviour.

But that’s it, the rest of it is literally up to them.

Hope ur not too mad, but it just needed to be said.

[illuminatedquill]

I am loathe to wade into the shipping discourse because it’s not how Severance should be viewed - at least in its entirety - but also the writers, directors, and cast members definitely seem keen on the audience being forced into Mark’s dilemma: Helly or Gemma.

This conflict is woven into the show’s theme and is featured prominently in the intro, even. So it’s hard not to get involved and have thoughts. It’s a deeply uncomfortable topic to consider, which I totally get and, speaking personally, I despise love triangles in stories.

Severance gets a slight pass because they’re actually doing justice to the concept and making it interesting and complicated but I will admit that I’m still not a fan of Mark x Helly. I think they were better off as just friends, with the romance firmly staying between Mark and Gemma.

If you’re not interested in hearing any thoughts about this then feel free to keep scrolling. Otherwise, read on:

Mark x Helly only makes sense to me if it adds weight to the final choice of him staying with Gemma in the end. From my point of view, Helly’s most interesting relationship is with herself - namely, her outie Helena. In this season, that seems to have been sidelined in favor of her romance with Mark which is . . . a choice.

It’s possible that leads to the popular theory that Helly becomes pregnant by Mark, one that I’m personally not fond of, since it makes the relationships even more complicated (and I think the show has enough complicated interpersonal dynamics as it is) but I am giving grace to the Severance writers to handle such a plot line with their usual creativity and keen guidance.

Anyway, I don’t think anyone watching the show with working eyes can deny that Helly is deeply important to Mark and even Gemma, to an extent. If Gemma is the impetus for the show even existing, then Helly is the catalyst that spurs the show’s characters forward with her firebrand personality. She’s exactly what Mark needs right now, and the same could be said about Mark for her. He grounds Helly and gives her a safe space, whereas she gives him purpose and the will to move forward. Mark needs that.

Helly’s presence is what spurs Mark to start the search for Ms. Casey (even if that’s been somewhat derailed this season).

There’s a valid argument to be had that Mark x Gemma, having changed and lost so much because and for each other, would be doomed to a lifetime of misery for choosing to stay with each other. There’s so much tragedy between them, even before Lumon cruelly split them apart.

Helly could be a new start for Mark, free from that pain. Her and Mark’s relationship feels youthful in a stark contrast to Mark and Gemma’s lived-in marriage. That is purposeful; the creators of the show have said that one of the themes for this second season is adolescence. And we know that they go well together, having seen them in action on the severed floor.

But . . . it doesn’t feel true to the themes of Severance if they do go down that route, at least to me. Mark’s central character flaw is his conflict avoidance: his unwillingness to face the hard and painful experiences head-on in an honest and open manner.

Helly is important to him. He loves her. She is what he needs right now.

But it has to be Gemma. Not because he’s married to her or out of loyalty to what they had before. Because that Mark and Gemma are gone. Dead. Neither of them are going back to how things were between them.

It has to be Gemma because that’s the only way either of them are going to truly get out of Hell. Going with Helly would mean not having to face all that hardship and pain and suffering that healing would require. It would mean that Mark and Gemma suffered for nothing.

They have to face it; all the damage done from Lumon, from their own selves, and from each other. Face it together and learn to love and be happy and live together despite it all. And they have to undertake that journey together.

Severance never takes the easy route. It’s making the statement that you cannot sever away the trauma and pain of life without losing your humanity in the process.

Mark x Helly vs Mark x Gemma. It gives more weight to know that, despite having the chance for him to walk away, he still chooses Gemma. That he wants to be with her after everything: the good, the bad, the ugly. To stand by her side and go through it all with love and honesty and faith that they’ll make it through this.

It’s Gemma. Always has and always will be.

(I know there’s the question about what Gemma would want, especially after finding out that innie Mark loves Helly - and if they do go down the pregnancy route, hoo boy. But I think we forget that Gemma is intelligent - innie Mark was born out of a need to forget her. And she knows and understands from painful experience how innies work. If anything, Gemma might be more mad about the fact he chose to get severed rather than him falling in love with another woman, considering memories of him were all that was keeping her going while locked away in Lumon’s dungeon whereas Mark thought creating a version that never knew her was needed to keep functioning. But, all the same, I don’t think watching her fight tooth and nail for almost an hour leaves any doubt in my mind that she would still want to be with him. It wouldn’t be easy to reconcile with but, hey, life and love are messy. It’s the story of everyone. Trying to avoid it deprives you of the full richness of our brief lives and robs it of meaning is what Severance is saying. But if she and Mark survive getting free and clear of Lumon and are open and honest with each other, then they’ll be okay, I think. And, of course, the love is still there, in spite of it all. That’s enough to convince me. It won’t be the same, but it can be good again. I know it can be. After all, winter never lasts forever. Spring always comes again.)

These are my own thoughts, I cannot stress that enough. It’s what makes sense to me. Even though I don’t care for Mark x Helly, I do adore Helly’s character and wish her the best ending possible. But with Helena as her outie, I just don’t see that being a possibility. And, no, I don’t believe that Severance is going to attempt a redemption arc for Helena. Not that the writers couldn’t write a damn good one for her - they certainly could - it’s just that particular narrative would require a huge amount of character work that should take multiple years and seasons to develop properly. You can’t just flip a switch and she’s suddenly Helly, even if she does reintegrate. I just don’t think it’s a story that should be rushed, like how it was with the resolution to Helena co-opting Helly’s bodily autonomy to be intimate with Mark. Fringe did that storyline way better and the reason why is because they had the time and space to do so. Severance does not - not in this current era of streaming shows where everything is condensed to 10 episodes max. Doesn’t matter how good the writers are.

[midnightidk10]

A Discussion about Ace and Arophobia, Puritan Culture, and Allo Culture

trigger and content warning:

Acephobia, Arophobia, puritan culture, conservatism, hypersexuality, discussion of sex, discussion of romance, proshipping, long-ass post

A reminder that this is a discussion and should be kept civil. I will bring up a recent discussion I had online, but I will not talk about the person I had a discussion with, bring them down, or reveal them by name. Everyone in the notes, please do the same.

Me seeing a pattern due to that conversation doesn’t mean I am making a callout. I would like to thank that person, if they ever see this, for giving me something to think about more deeply.

I am on the asexual, and possibly aromantic, spectrum. I’m not ashamed of it. Despite that, I’m fairly sex-positive, love raunchy jokes, and have interacted with suggestive content.

During my time in a specific fandom, of which I will not name, I have noticed something. About shipping. There is a very popular ship that has attracted a large audience to a game that I once considered a more niche interest.

For the sake of clarity, we will call this ship BlueGold.

Despite the popularity of this ship, it is incredibly controversial. Many hate the ship. It has earned a few titles from this crowd, including:

proship

abusive relationship

toxic relationship

You might be thinking that these are harsh labels. And to an extent, I agree. I am a huge shipper of Bluegold. Though, I am not afraid to admit that it is certainly flawed and unhealthy. People have received death threats simply because they ship it.

I would like to note something about the ship. The ship is between two fictional characters that have never been portrayed using real people in official material. I am not huge on shipping, and I would like to say something about why I ship Bluegold in the first place.

FIREWORKS.

Bluegold may not be the healthiest relationship, but it is an interesting relationship. It has chemistry. So why are we afraid of pyrotechnics when we only want beakers that make blue foam and magic tricks?

Because of the shift right.

People believe that ships must be healthy. In real life, yeah, I agree. But we’ve already established that these characters don’t exist. We just moved out of an era where sex was seen as something that could be casual and consensual. Where people could do anything they wanted with their body, because it’s their body.

But now? People see sex as something dirty. They treat it as such. They treat it as something that should never be shared with the public. Something that shouldn’t be portrayed in media. And shipping has received the same treatment. It should not be portrayed unless it is clean. Unless it is pure.

And we shouldn’t ignore the other warning signs. People also tend to hate LGBTQ+ ships. Because of conservatism. The shift right. If they are not healthy and up to par with the standard, straight ships tend to get a pass while LGBTQ+ ships are fought over. Ships between immortal characters are often fought over because of a thousand year age-difference, even if the characters knew of each other’s existence when they were both adults.

But what about the latter? People who seem to embrace a ship because they like it? People who embrace sexual things, things that were once seen as taboo? Things that are not right, but left?

There’s a problem with them too. We aren’t done.

Hypersexuality. The word “puritan” is no longer justifiable. It is thrown around, used on anyone who ever discusses sex in a negative light, no matter the context. And VERY often used in fandom.

When people say that a character is hypersexual, and it doesn’t line up with the canon portrayal, they are seen as a puritan. That does not mean that they aren’t. It’s an issue that saying “hey why are treating this character like a sex demon in spaces that we shouldn’t and being completely serious about it” is treated like a bad thing.

This can be described as allonormativity. People who DO feel romantic and sexual attraction believe that it is wrong or weird to portray a character as possibly not liking, or even caring about those things. Not all characters will have sex discussed in the media they are in and sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint whether or not they have a certain opinion on it.

To say that we should respect people who portray a character as liking sex and romance, loving sex or romance, or being hypersexual or hyperromantic, then turn around and decide that anyone who does not portray a character like that is a puritan, is an issue.

It is ace and arophobic.

Aroace people are often targets for this behavior. They portray a character as being aroace, and they’re the bad guy. Because it is so normalized in our society to like sex and have sexual feelings, we forget that not everyone does, and lash out at them. We fight so hard for people to be able to portray sex and romance, that we forget that people who don’t want to see it are also valid in that belief. There is a difference between “I do not want to see sex” and “I do not want to see sex in media.”

Some people just don’t feel those feelings. They can’t help it. Just like how you can’t help that you can.

I would like to reveal what I was talking about at the beginning of this post. The fandom and ship that sparked this idea in my head.

The Cookie Run Kingdom fandom. Shadownilla.

I have recently been accused of being a puritan in a discussion I had recently. That I came off as “weird” because I pointed out that people tend to portray Pure Vanilla Cookie as either a child or a sex demon. (Give it up for woobification!)

When I said that, I did not mean that he could never be portrayed as some guy who likes sex. I meant that people do not know where to set the line. He is an adult with adult feelings. He has been around for, likely, a few millennia, and refers to himself as old. I meant that people hypersexualize him. They take these kinds of portrayals and bring them into spaces that they shouldn’t, such as spaces with minors, spaces that don’t allow NSFW, and serious discussions.

And when someone points it out, they are seen as the bad guy. Even though that person could be sex-positive. Even when that person is a leftist. When that person does not agree with the idea that sex should never be portrayed.

Because of allo culture.